Total Siyapaa

 Very amateur. In all respects - direction, acting, photography, film-making, even story-line too. Total time-pass. Avoidable.

Rating: Average

All Roads Lead to Rome

 Although, tagged as Rom-Com, this seems to have more of rom than com. In fact three tales of rom amongst three generations - all set in Italy. And that's what make this movie watchable - Italy. Casting is good, locations are well taken. Sarah Jessica Parker's acting is just the same - and the character too (that of Sex and the City). Light humor, pretty twisting tale to keep all occupied. Watchable, time-pass.

Rating: Good

Bareilly Ki Barfi

 Quirky. Homely, middle-class lifestyle with middle-class problems. AK's character in the role fits perfectly but it turns from stylish to selfish to miserable and he has jolly well done a good job out of it. RR has done a good supporting role too, and his portrayal needed multiple shades. The storyline and ending is quite predictable but nice narration. Entertainer, but plot and sub-plot, etc. seems quite unnecessary in the end since it back-fires, or so it seems!

Rating: Good

Simmba

 Ranveer is at his super-best. Rohit shetty's usual setting is easily discernible as a film studio. Initial comedy scenes are worthy of Rohit's usual mirth. Dance and songs are nicely interspersed amidst the plot which can be easily scalped through and guessed. Lots of action - to gather in the crowd to the theatres, I guess. An entertainer than turns serious with burning issues in India.

Rating: Good

Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2

 Jolly nice rom-com. Love stories seen through the eyes of guys. Could as well be very much modern-day true stories. Some amazing dialog and scenes. Specifically liked Kartik Aaryan's monologue single-shot about all the pit-falls - what a delivery! Truly mind-blowing. Catchy music. All have acted well but Nushrat's character seemed too much overacting. Nice settings & locations. Quite an entertainer.

Rating: Good

Befikre

 Phew, what a movie! Definitely 18+. First part is more of a 'Lust story' than a 'Love story' as the narration admits. But, from movie-making perspective, this one is very professional. Excellent dialog, superb choreography, superlative acting, wonderful cinematography, overlapping screenplay, fantastic locations (Paris, Cannes, what more can you ask!) - it has everything in it. One can sense Hum Tum (Girl vs Boy sequences) and The Girl Next Door (dare sequences) but this one is genuine just as well. Some unnecessary build-up about marriage but I guess that was more for audience.

Rating: Good

Moothon

 I kind of new what I was getting into (a random surfing got me to this movie), even though I am out of this genre for quite some time now. At one point, these kind of movies used to fascinate me - dark, satire, underworld, drugs, red-light district, child trafficking, etc. And usually, I would rate them all as Must-see but off late I am out of them all. So this one did not appeal much to me. Although there was one thing that did seem nice in this - setting being Lakshadweep Islands. Wow, that's breath-taking! First time ever, I saw a movie made out of a tale set in those islands. So beautiful. Rest of the movie took the usual downward trend which movies of this genre usually do. Good direction, casting and acting. Screenplay too, with nice surprises propping up one after the other. Watchable if one likes such stuff.

Rating: Average

Language: Malayalam

1st Rank Raju

 Well, a hard-hitting message about forceful parents wanting their wards to get First Rank. Of course, this movie over-does it but very sound ideas in terms of being 100% education and 0% intelligence and General Knowledge. Some scenes are very meaningful and some are total time pass with intent of pun and rendered well too. Acting is very naive. Watchable once.

Rating: Good

Language: Telugu

K.G.F: Chapter 1

 I had heard a lot about this movie and wanted to see it since a long time, but had avoided since it seemed to contain a lot of violence. In fact, I had even read about the tale, so kind of knew the storyline's journey from Mumbai to Bangalore to KGF. But what fascinated me, when I finally watched it today, is the depth. Depth in dialog, action sequences and in the side-details unrelated to the main theme like when she challenges to touch him, when he tests the M16, etc. Agreed, it is filmy, and trying to make the hero all-powerful and untouchable - like how some guys tries to shoot him when he is just standing and still misses despite multiple attempts. But the overall goal is still achieved - like Jason in the Bourne series, Bahubali in the Bahubali series and Maximus in Gladiator, Kannada's Sandalwood has finally produced one of the same genre and a same character. It is very rare that I rate a Kannada movie as must-see but this one sure stays near the top...more for the film-making.

Rating: Must-see

Shakuntala Devi

 Well, let me be honest. I had high expectations of this movie. Instead this is more of a character assassination! All the high regards I had of SD came shattering after I saw this movie. Of course, this is a narration from the daughter's perspective and she has all the right to say what she wants but I'd rather have not known her personal story, for SD is made more of a negative character in this than someone to be proud of! Just adding positive notes in the last 10 minutes does not undo all that is told until then. But coming to the story itself - it is indeed fascinating. In fact, Shakuntala Devi herself is a Miracle in herself - without a movie needing to be made out of her! Vidya Balan has acted very much like how she did in Dirty Picture - like a South Indian actress & an accent drawl, except South Indian actress are anything but that. Hence, as such, I didn't like it much. She'd've been better off as how she did in Tumhari Sulu or Mission Mangal. Rest of the movie is ok-dokey. Watchable if nothing else to do.

Rating: Average

Bajirao Mastani

 A Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, so expect the grandeur. The historical story itself is mesmerizing, and we need a SLB to come and add the necessary ingredients to get it to the big screen. And he has done a super job out of it. Ranveer, Priyanka and Deepika are the right cast to their roles. Dance choreography is awesome - especially for the Pinga song. Action sequences on the war scenes are good - almost like Bahubali type. Dialog is cutting edge and gets top credits - like the Peacock cutting scene. Ranveer is like Russell Crowe in Gladiator and he has played it very well. The love story of the two is almost like Romeo and Juliet. Well worth the watch.

Rating: Good

How to Train Your Husband

Well, a time-pass movie about a marriage counsellor who screws up her own marriage. For me, a counsellor should first be a good human being - and the main character in this movie was not. So, the movie was going awry from scene 1. Especially more so because she starts training puppy and thinks that is the way to train husbands. I guess the movie was made as a romantic comedy - but it has neither the romance nor the comedy. But film-making itself is done in classy Hollywood way. Boston brought back lot of good memories.

Rating: Average

Housefull 3

A laugh riot - especially those who know the Housefull genre! This one has rib-tickling dialog, expensive and expansive settings with mansions (guess they were castles) and huge lawns - pretty much everything like the prequels and the sequel - which does not have any bearing by the way to this one! The comedy of errors and the complications arising out of it all needs to be thought out and directed - and a wonderful job done at that! The actors have done their due part. A wonderful entertainer to the core, and I personally had a great time watching it!

Rating: Good

Veere Di Wedding

Well, a completely girly movie - and yes, saw it for (and with) wifey! It is almost like Sex and the City but an Indian version of it. Four girls who have completely broken families and they get to terms to it - in the sense, life is more about experiencing failures than making things perfect. Total time pass movie which doesn't stay in your senses as soon as you switch off the TV, unlike some of the heavy and deep ones. Made in light humour all through and some scenes are good; acting by one and all is nice and easy to see. But skippable.

Rating: Average

Uri: The Surgical Strike

Had been wanting to see this movie (what with this being based on true events) and finally got a chance. Very well portrayed and narrated. Movie starts an year before the actual incident to build credibility to the hero and his team. And the references to the intern and his innovation is very well thought-out. Tight acting by one and all. Some of the double-agent thingy seems to be far-fetched to be true but nevertheless adds spice. Good direction, screenplay and cinematography. Kudos to the crew!

Rating: Good

French Biriyani

A Danish Sait starrer, so was very keen on this movie which was released only on Amazon Prime Video. A pretty good movie especially due to the 'Hyderabadi Hindi-Kannada' lingo. A comedy of errors. Shivajinagar of Bangalore dramatized in its entirety! A bunch of tales that come together due to mistaken identity which always calls for humorous tale but the direction is good too, especially during the 'smaller scenes' which are not relevant to the main theme of the story but adds spice. Good entertainer. Wouldn't say a laugh riot but still good enough.
Rating: Good

Kedarnath

I remember having read the review of this film and thinking this is not worth watching. But after SSR died recently, I thought the least I can do to mourn is see one of his latest movies - however naive that might sound. But I truly liked him - he seemed to have nice qualities around him, an aura of goodness, if you may. Anyways, this movie turned out to be good actually - much against my initial thought. They have depicted the movie really well - and it is almost like Kai Po Che (which also happened to be SSR's first) where events revolve around a major tragedy, which in this case was 2013 Kedarnath floods. So, the crew has done an excellent job in computer graphics to depict the floods. It is as good as Life of Pi and Titanic. After one sees this movie, one can feel the life in the valleys - and for that, it is well worth a watch. I was shocked that over 50K died and over 70K missing after the floods - that is so sad...Debutant Soha Ali Khan too has done justice to her role of a rebellious daughter of a Hindu priest.
Rating: Good

Dream Girl

One more of AK's. Just like his others - Bala, Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan, Badhaai Ho - this one's too almost of the same genre. Unique theme. Different storyline. With underlying humor. And AK does all the honors by getting it just right. It is almost as if he he gets the scripts made just for him! Just like how I felt how Dr Rajkumar got all those manuscripts which suited just him! Nevertheless, full credit to the story, screenplay, background score, direction too - for they all got this just right. Wholesome entertainer.
Rating: Good

The Heartbreak Kid

Phew - that's one hell of a complicated relationships movie! At the end of it, I saw the banner of the movie being Farrelly Brothers and then I understood the craziness of it all! The same directors as Dumb and Dumber - so what else to expect! This wasn't as funny or comical as that but it just as crazy - and sometimes just plain dumb 'What, really?!' kinda scenes - because it ain't never happen in real life, like sneaking into someone's bedroom in the dead of night without anyone knowing and talking to the wife of someone - but heck, it is a movie, so let the imagination run! Definitely 18+!
Rating: Good

Kettiyolaanu Ente Malakha

A very nice Malayalam movie of a naive Christian farmer in a laid-back village in Kerala who has the best of characters and loved by all, but has no clue how to be a husband! Superbly directed, brilliant acting, breath-taking scenery, tightly-woven tale, soulful music. In a nutshell, one great movie not to be missed.
Rating: Good

Helen

Excellently made suspense movie. I guess it is based on real or true events somewhere in abroad. Still, adding an Indian masala to it with romance & rude cops makes it all the more edge-of-seat. But, I had come across this story in one of the whatsapp forwards, so pretty much knew the ending. But the reference to the story in relation to what happens to the Big Ant in the beginning of the movie is very well thought-out. Nice casting, acting & screenplay. Well worth a watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam

Srinivasa Kalyana (2017)

After being highly impressed with Birbal, I searched for more films from same director MGS and came across this one, a nice rom-com in the purest sense. Shades of Premam. Clean direction, nice acting by one and all, catchy songs, good dialog & a wholesome entertainer in a nutshell. Time well spent.
Rating: Good

Pressure Cooker

A hard-hitting movie about the craze of going to the States, especially in the Telugu land. A thought-provoking movie for those already in US. A sentimental chord of the olden generation who sent their kids abroad. Very neat & well-made. Not much to write about the acting and the cast - pretty mediocre but yet a good job. Direction is simple and so is narration. Locations are very well set. Dialog gets full credit. Songs and music are not that great but the last one is super.
Rating: Good
Language: Telugu

Dolly Ki Doli

Total time-pass. Comical theme of an unstoppable runaway bride, with a twist. Short and sweet, just a little more than 1.5 hrs - which means good editing. Very filmy though - meaning no logic. Like how the folks move from Delhi to Udaipur and within a month the cops are in Udaipur without showing how. Watchable for the theme - and that's about it.
Rating: Average

Girlfriend

Wifey chose a regional movie this time! A rom-com. Great acting by the lead actor & in fact all others too. Catchy songs and dance sequences. Nice pastime. Not much in the tale and yet it doesn't bore. Few rib-tickling scenes too. Weirdness of mankind is shown very well plus the reality of what is happening around us. Well worth a watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Marathi

Jolly LLB

Wasn't sure if we really wanted to see this movie - for a long time, almost 3 years but finally we forged ahead. It was just as much as we expected: mediocre. Not much of humor. In fact, just the tale itself is about 45-60 minutes and rest of the movie is stuffed with romance and so-called humor which doesn't tick or tickle. Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi have given their very best, of course. It is actually inspired by true events - and that's one good reason why this is watchable. Dialog is bearable, songs are not though.
Rating: Average

Birbal (Trilogy Part 1)

A good watch. The last 5 minutes kind of solves all the jigsaw puzzles in such a quick fashion that one has to watch from the beginning to understand the full sequence of events. There are spies and double-agents and the tale gets thicker and thicker but the method of solving is appreciable. The lead roles have done their part and to be frank, Mr MG Srinivas is one heck of a talented person to have directed, written and contributed to screenplay too. Sound was kind of muffled all through, as if echo-ed. Only one song, so that's great editing for a thriller. For a Kannada movie, this one's great a big stride forward! The background score is superb, just as it should be for an edge-of-seat movie, like the Bourne series.
Rating: Good

Love Aaj Kal (2008)

After having watched the 2020, I was interested to see the prequel. Very interestingly, the prequel storyline is also the same! In the sense, a restaurant owner recalls his own love story of the yester-decade to the current couple who are unsure of their relationship! Unlike the 2020 movie, the 2008 movie has very little of the yester-decade tale although that is the one which has more depth. Watchable. A romantic drama of confused 'love' relationships. Saif's acting is awesome. The song in which Saif goes from all gaga to all sadness within 5 minutes is taken very brilliantly.
Rating: Good

PS: Interesting observation is that in 2008 movie, the restaurant owner talks to Saif Ali Khan about his past. In 2020 movie, the restaurant owner talks to Sara Ali Khan who is Saif's real-life daughter!

Mundina Nildhana

Dialog is mediocre. Casting is good. Cinematography is nice. Although set in Bangalore and Sakleshpura, one gets the feeling it is abroad - such is the location setting, so full credits! Tale weaves in and out between love and relationships. Pretty common amongst current generation, I guess. The interesting part is where some of the tales get interwoven. Ending is definitely different compared to the many 'triangle' tales - but not much juice in the movie, I felt.
Rating: Average

Gone Kesh

Having watched Bala recently, didn't feel much like watching another movie of the same genre but finally thought it was sufficient gap and hence forged ahead! This happened to be a very nice movie indeed. Set in Siliguri, the pace of the movie was slow but just enough to not make it boring. Easily it could have been edited further down by 15-20 minutes shorter but pardonable. Acting by one and all is great and freshly innocent. The average middle class life & the bonding of the husband and wife has been portrayed very well and so is the innocent college crush by the young guy. Very much worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Aruvi

Deep, very deep. Excellently made, great narration. The father-daughter part really touches the heart. Superb acting by one and all. Total time-pass at certain parts but it is ok. Almost like as if it is needed. Very sad, though. But it is what it is. Totally worth the watch. In fact, highly recommended.
Rating: Good
Language: Tamil

Gulabo Sitabo

Have to confess - had extremely high hopes of this movie. Maybe because of AK and AB. But nothing great about it. In fact, they should have named it as 'Fathima Mahal' because the entire movie is about that Haveli and everyone trying to get it. The dilapidated condition of the Haveli (which we are forced to see) for two full hours is itself a tough thing to do. A big eye-sore. But there is a point in the story - on how attached one gets to one's place of stay. Natural, local-style acting & location is worth the watch. And the background score is pleasant to hear. But other than that, nothing much in this tale to see.
Rating: Average

Julayi

Well, well, well. I was misinformed that this one's comedy. In fact, even Google says 'Comedy/Action'. But there is definitely a lot less of comedy and heck lot of action. Sadly even action that doesn't even seem real. Strange thing about this movie is that it is too logical at times and at the same time, it is to illogical at several times - illogical like how movies were made in the 1990s. Its almost like there were two directors - one super intelligent and one super dumbo - and they each got different scenes done at different times and editor added it all up without checking! Anyways. What makes this movie tick is dialog and the 'Hero' element. Almost like Jason Bourne. Very much a masala movie made for the masses. The mediocre laps up these kind of movies which has songs, dances, romance right in the middle of what should supposedly have been a simple-yet-intense revenge story. Not my kind.
Rating: Average
Language: Telugu

Khandaani Shafakhana

This one's wee bit different. Full marks for the story, direction and acting. And dialog especially because of the nature of the theme. Yet, everything done pretty clean and neat without unnecessary gory details. Badshah's first movie as an actor and he has done a good job at it. Pity that the movie didn't well in Box office. Seemed like pretty nice movie to me. Watchable for all that is considered as 'taboo'.
Rating: Good

Jawaani Jaaneman

Movie reminded me of Oldboy first, and then since it had more of light-hearted humor than violence - Maama Mia. But it eventually turned out to be an original movie with its own narration. Although the main theme can easily be Googled, the parallel realty tale is the 'supporting story' which was needed to tie everything together. Some highly embarrassing-and-hence-comical scenes which are well directed and acted. But the one thing that stood out in the movie is the cinematography. Although nothing much on the location and scenery - the way the camera moves fluidly from one location to the other, even inside the hospital, is superb. Hats off to 'Manoj'!
Rating: Good

Neighbors 2

Well, I thought I hadn't seen this movie but there were many scenes in the movie which brought back memories. Anyways. What makes this movie tick is the dialog. Very witty and whacky. Just like the prequel, it is entertaining from the get-go. Typical collegiate movie with pretty much the same theme.
Rating: Good

Egg

The title seemed captivating but the tale wasn't so much. The whole story happens inside 4 walls and the breadth of the movie is conversations between two couples - and how the narration takes the tale from 'inseparable' to 'divorce' to 'extra-marital'. Hints of 12 Angry Men. Some of the conversations are boring, some are nice and some are like 'do folks even talk like this' type! Not worth the time on this...
Rating: Average

Mulan 2

A movie-with-the-daughter day! Based on the success of Mulan, we thought we might as well see the sequel and expected the same. Alas, it wasn't all that great. In fact, the very foundation with which the tale starts (that of getting more troops of the neighbouring kingdom to scare the Mongols) is not shown to its fruition. But animation is good and dialog has the necessary humor. Watchable, for the kiddos.
Rating: Average

PS: With this, we clocked 20 movies in the month of May 2020. I guess that's a new record - although I had not officially tracked before!

Love Aaj Kal (2020)

An interesting tale, or actually two tales of romance: one set in 1990s and another in the current. At times, the purity of it all is a treat to watch - esp the 1990s one - and then there is the lust, which is sad to watch. Both the tales go almost hand-in-hand, almost like Rang De Basanti. For that style of narration and direction, this movie is indeed worth a watch. Amongst all of the characters, the couple of the 1990s lingers even after the movie...
Rating: Good

What If

Romcom in it's purest form. What makes this movie tick is intelligent dialog in almost all the scenes - which reminded me of Before Sunrise. A lot of conversation from scene 1 and the screenplay had to be solid  - and a great job done! Direction is good, Daniel is awesome in his role & so are the others. Nice touch in the locations - Toronto, Dublin - the lake, the parks, the cafes, the bar, the wedding on the boat, etc. 
Rating: Good

Housefull 4

In movies like these, one-liners and dialog should tickle and this one definitely ticks. Added bonus is a reincarnation tale of fulfilling love lives and it is in fact, not bad at all. Especially how the 'memory returns' happens for each of the character. The comedy is almost like an added ingredient to this complex tale due to the mix-up in the love lives of the reincarnated couples as compared to 600 years ago when they were about to get married. Extremely grand production - almost in the lines of Sanjay Leela Bhansali - and one gets a feeling that it resembles Om Shanti Om except that this is Housefull series - and lives up to the mark!
Rating: Good

Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25

Sooper! What a unique tale! Just unbelievable - one has to see it to believe it. Amazing set of emotions, local Kerala village lifestyle and conversations, etc. Full credits for the casting team and acting. One-off dialogs, few scenes here and there - like throwing the soap away - are all not really relevant to the tale but very catchy. 
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam

Mean Girls 2

And here I go again like the last one - just because the prequel is good doesn't necessarily mean the sequel is going to be just as good. In fact, there is one twist here though. The prequel here is almost exactly the same as the sequel - same story line: newbie to school, just innocent, gets in the way of Plastics, becomes like one of them, realizes the flaw and gets back to being herself. The prequel when I saw was like a decade and half ago and now, decade and half later, this kind of movie doesn't tingle me the way it did back then. Maybe it was even how I saw the prequel and how I saw the sequel. Everything matters. So, again, nothing wrong with the script, the movie, casting, etc. Its just...
Rating: Average

Note: I clocked two movies per day for the last 4 days. Not sure why though. As if there is nothing else better to do. Worst part is none of the 8 movies were a Must-see. In fact, 7 of them were 'Average'.

😞

Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan

Well, just because the prequel was good - doesn't necessarily mean the sequel will be as good. And moreover, this one's not even my cup of tea kinda movie - and I cannot even relate to it. Nothing wrong with the movie, script, acting, location though. It scores big, but just not my type. Although I did feel the father casting could have been someone more powerful like how we had Amrish Puri. Neena Gupta, though, is my all time fav and she tops the chart.
Rating: Average

The Tuxedo

Felt like watching a JC movie after a long time. Alas, these new JC movies are so unlike his yesteryear-ones when he was still young. This one's again filled with fantasy moves - which are all orchestrated with artificial & invisible ropes, and computer graphics unlike his original stunts. Anyways, it was ok - gotten used to it now. Not too much humor in this one, again unlike his other movies. So, all in all, pretty average - except for the 2-minute fast-car scene.
Rating: Average

Humshakals

A typical Sajid Khan movie. Slight rib-tickling humor, lavish mansions, 3-4 couples, lots misunderstandings, few men acting like girls and, of course, as the title says - look-alikes. Another Keep-The-Brains-Out movie, total time pass and light entertainer for a lazy day.
Rating: Average

Pihu

Full marks for the two-year-old and for the director who has pulled this off. This one's definitely made for the awards & rightly so, it won a few. Of course, since the narrative is about the doings of a 2-year-old, it kind of gets slow at times, so better to have the remote handy to fast-forward frequently. But director has added enough spice to keep it Riveting & Edge-of-seat. Definitely worth a watch - at least for Pihu's sake! Although this seems to be inspired by true events, the only part of inspiration is of 'a small child staying at home all alone'. The other happenings in the movie do not seem to have happened in real-life.
Rating: Good

The Rebound

Wife's choice of a rom com but this one's more of a rom. Not much com. Children in the movie is almost like the center of attraction but they are kind of made to talk like adults. In fact, I should say 'adult talks' - which is somewhat amusing and at the same time disgusting. Like in any usual romantic movie, it goes from nothing to something to everything and then nothing and this one's ends with something. And that's pretty much it. Nothing great, nothing bad.
Rating: Average

Mooru Guttu Ondu Sullu Ondu Nija

Movie in it's entirety is about girls wanting to hide their boy friends and boys wanting to hide their girl friends and Ramesh acts the part of the in-between and bridges all gaps. Until Ramesh arrives, the movie barely moves. Once Ramesh arrives, it kind of starts crawling. The aunt's role is both annoying and at times tickling. The movie is watchable somehow though. Pretty average written all over the movie. 

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi

Well, I hadn't seen the prequel but I guess it doesn't really matter. Some total time pass & KTBO (Keep The Brains Off) kind of movie. Not much humour but barely passes through. Some weird ideas of jail-break (while a simple request should have sufficed), going-around-China in search of a guy, etc. Nothing much in the movie to spend valuable time. Save it for something else.
Rating: Average

Mayabazar 2016

Wow, what a movie! I hadn't seen (if I had, I don't remember) a Kannada con movie. Con movies are always my fav but still it needs to be made the right way. And this one's just perfect. Not too many twists and turns and yet sufficient enough to keep one on tenterhooks. Substantial amount of comedy, romance, thrill and drama to make a great movie. It starts off in a nondescript manner in a cheap bar but ends in Bangkok, Thailand - and the tale in-between is just awesome.
Rating: Must-see

Good Newwz

Wow, what a movie! I mean, the main theme itself is rib-tickling and there are enough juicy spots to hit the humor but someone still had to do the job well. Like getting 150 runs in a 50 over match. Yes, you can do it but how well do you do it. A wholesome entertainer & one that made me laugh after a really long time. Punchlines are awesome. The film scores pretty much on everything - dialog is uber super. Setting & location is so exotic - Mumbai actually! Dance and songs are Punjabi classic and makes you dance even while sitting! Casting is great but one gets the feeling maybe AK could have been replaced by someone younger although AK does great justice to his role too. Special shout-out to Kiara Advani - she has ripped off a brilliant character. Cinematography, direction, narration, tale - everything is right off the top of chart. Not to be missed.
Rating: Good

Dear Zindagi

Well, wifey's choice. Extremely ok-dokey. Somehow managed to sit through. Alia was the savior though. She has done a commendable job in this coming-of-age tale about 'opening-up' to psychiatrists. Felt almost four-fifths of the movie was a drag and the only interesting part came during the last 30 minutes or so. Movie-making has no issues - but the tale itself is thin. Dialog isn't that catchy either - yawny. Barely watchable.
Rating: Average

Rama Rama Re

An extremely well-made movie. Had come across the superb Kelu Krishna song long ago but got the chance to see the movie only today - and what a nice movie it is! Slow-moving yet moving on a tight-line rope. Easy-budgeted with hardly any glamour and yet extremely professional in terms of film-making. Narration, cinematography, direction, screenplay, lyrics all fluidly coming together to make a great movie. Ending could have been moulded better for audience's taste. After the movie, came across the director Satya Prakash's profile, and he seems to have loads of talent. Awaiting to see more of what he has to offer...
Rating: Good

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Very interesting movie indeed. In fact, when it started, I thought it was a documentary - esp when Tom Hanks started showing how magazines are made! But it is indeed a nice movie. It is based on the story of Fred Rogers and the article written about it. After watching the movie, I researched on Fred, and what a nice and saintly man he seems to have been! Tom has played the role to perfection. It is definitely worth a watch at least to get to know Fred. He does give a piece of advice on how to lead life and treat others. A very philosophical movie.
Rating: Good

Sanaadhi Appanna

Wanted to see Dr Raj movie since it was quite some time. Although his acting is a treat to watch, the movie didn't seem to live up to him. Did not score much on the entertainment part - with the tale going from happy to sad to absolute despondency, immersed deep in family troubles! Hence, not worth a watch. Although, the Shehnai parts are a treat to the ears though - all thanks to Ustad Bismillah Khan who has rendered it behind-the-scenes. 
Rating: Average

Bala

Ayushmann Khurrana definitely gets unique story lines! Like SMS this one too borders along the lines of a romance that goes awry - and all the while with quirky, witty dialog that keeps one smiling all through the 130 odd minutes - right from beginning till the end. Everything about the movie is great - the storyline, the casting, the location, acting, background score, screenplay, effects, romantic punch-liners, etc. Definitely worth a watch - and time spent well!
Rating: Must-see

Jagajyothi Basaveshwara

It being Basava Jayanthi, wifey thought it best to watch the life history of Basavanna. She came across this 1959 old black and white Kannada movie. Although I initially thought I will not see, I ended up seeing it since it seemed good enough. Some of the scenes, dialog and acting were indeed very powerful. The "true story/biopic" attracted me. Worth a watch for what Basavanna went through.
Rating: Good

Kumbalangi Nights

A very different movie with extremely different spectrum of characters - all blended to make one great tale. Awesome narration by the director - with each character having his or her own orbit of tales and all orbits encompassing to make one great Universe. Superb acting by one and all. One can easily see the professionalism by each crew of the movie. This one has it all the right ingredients - drama, suspense, little bit of humor, romance, horror, etc. Definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Good
Language: Malayalam

Fidaa

Wifey chose this to watch a Sai Pallavi movie (of the Maari-2 Rowdy Baby super song-dance sequel). Fidaa (maybe Telugu original but we saw the Hindi dub version) is a very simple love-hate-love tale between brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Extremely amateurish direction. Loose dialog and script. As well as most parts of film-making and even acting (except maybe Sai Pallavi who clearly shines all through). The hero is irksome to watch at times. Movie kinda falls flat but you can pass through it yawning all the way. Definitely avoidable.
Rating: Average

Love Mocktail

Saw in a random whatsapp message that Love Mocktail is the opposite of Dia and it is tangentially true although here there are more than 2 love stories! While the first one is the most humorous, second less so and so it goes on - still the movie fares well enough as a "RomCom". Very clean, neat and in all likelihood the story of most young guys. Worth a watch on a lazy weekend. Has good amount of humour but does slightly gets boring and a wee bit of sluggishness in the middle and I was like 'Is it still Intermission?' but one can sit through with a little bit of patience. All aspects of movie-making gets credits too.
Rating: Good

Gully Boy

Well, I am not a fan of rap music, so I always postponed watching this movie which I knew was based on rap artists - kinda first-of-its-genre in Hindi music arena. But, today when I finally watched it - it is indeed a very well-made movie & totally worthy of all the awards that it has garnered. Superb acting by one and all - not just Ranveer & Alia. Setting (or Dharavi) has been very well portrayed. Characterization of Alia is superb, especially her J factor! Lyrics of most raps is worth a second hearing. Screenplay is absorbing & narration is easy-going. Definitely worth a watch.
Rating: Must-see

Dia

Well, it started off differently - much differently than what is usually portrayed in movies. Kinda felt it was Slow though. But catchy. And then moved from one emotion to another - which are all very well shown: butterfly feeling in the stomach, fast heartbeat, shaky legs, depths of sadness by loss of life, etc. And then the tale moved towards the expected jerk. And more slowness. And some hope some where. And then some twisty, quirky emotions. And then another jerky end which I personally felt could have been made better. Overall, a very clean and neat movie with nice dialog. Characterization, casting and acting is well directed. The female introverty character has been very well portrayed by Kushi. Watchable once, if no other better option.
Rating: Average 

Brochevarevarura

Wow! What a stunner! This one's one of the purest best! It starts off very calm and soothing and then the plot thickens and thickens, and intertwines and suddenly you will get a jerk midway through the movie, and then the jerks continue making you come to the edge of the seat, and that's how the movie can ultimately be tagged: And edge-of-the-seat comical thriller! Simply brilliant in narration, concept, direction, casting & acting. A definite must-watch.

Rocket

I somehow like Sathish Ninasam movie. This is the third movie I am seeing of his (Lucia and Kwatle Satisa being the other two), and I have liked all of them so far, including this. Rocket, although somewhat a misnomer, is a very refreshing tale much like Simple Agi Ondh Love Story which quite literally means a simple love story which is what this movie is all about. Dialog & screenplay is the star of this movie. Very entertaining and humorous. Sathish's acting also is very natural and captivating. The heroine too has done justice to the role. The dance & fight sequences although highly unnecessary has been made to fit in quite appropriately just to appeal to the idiotic masses. All in all, a good entertainer, great casting & wonderful direction!
Rating: Good

Thithi

Always wanted to watch this movie since a long time because it had won so many awards. At one point even started to view but scenes were too fuzzy, non-HD, and just didn't feel like it. But today went through with it in entirety. It was enjoyable at the beginning - with the pristine village-ish language, tale, character, costume, etc. But after sometime it became kind of predictable and not-so-worth a watch. Not sure why these kind of movies get so many awards all the time. Better off avoiding it.
Rating: Average

Mulan

To be honest, I didn't have plans to watch this movie with the daughter. Idea was for her to see this and wifey & me to see something else. But when this movie started, it somehow caught the attention and stayed so till the very end. The animation is awesome, the characterization is good, humor is in abundance & story is captivating. So, we were better off watching this movie than anything else! Well worth it!
Rating: Good

Mission Mangal

A top-class movie that breaks down a real-world complex space project into a beautifully explained common-man story with the right amount of science, family-life and humour. Add to this the element of 'true-story' and it is a corker of a tale! And also add some 'Indian masala' as well! Vidya Balan is awesome, as always! That scene of her making poori is super, especially when she says 'SIr, you take over' to her boss! Great job done by the director in architecting it all & his entire crew (casting, cinematography, screenplay, location, story, music, etc.) for taking it beautifully and gracefully over the finish line. A very satisfying watch!
Rating: Good

Chhichhore

Started off like 3 Idiots but then it veered off to parentage. And then it moved back to college days and finally settled down as a sports movie! Quite a spectrum of emotions covered and full kudos to what the director has pulled off in this quite an important topic. In addition to the emotions, he has also brought in real-world experiences of a person moving from high-school grads to college grads to professional adults. Well worth a watch!
Rating: Good

Simple Agi Ondh Love Story

Another Rakshith Shetty movie in the same week! But this one was much better. Much simpler. Kannada literature in this movie is superlative - filled with loads and loads of similes and metaphors. Scenery and location is good - filled with lush greenery and watery spots. Rakshith has done good acting whereas his counterpart seems to have done some overacting - or maybe that's what her directed told to do, not sure. Three love stories are there in the movie although title says just one! Shades of Before Sunrise (talking, talking) & concept from 50 First Dates & Memento (memory-related) but this one goes one notch up - although not much of a comedy nor action thriller. A fresh watch. A surprise was I got to see real-life RJs - thats a nice way to get more audience!
Rating: Good

Avane Srimannarayana

Well, well, well. I am a fan of Rakshit Shetty - thanks to Kirik Party & Ulidhavaru Kandanthe. Hence when this movie made headlines, I was all eager. So much so, that I was even ready to go to the theater - which I rarely do since most movies come on TV within a short period of time anyways. Hence, hopped onto the nearest theater. The movie started. Within a few minutes, I realized this is different. A few more minutes later I felt I was watching a Texan cowboy movie - complete with hats, rifles, desert, etc. Definitely not my type. And then in fight sequences, I could see Jackie Chan's style: witty and creative. Liked it, yes. But then, it became too much - both in terms of fights, violence (chopping off fingers - ewww), loud background score which made it hard to follow, too many hippies (long beards & dirty looking - drinking & shooting), etc. There are twists, yes, it is a very-different-Kannada-movie, yes, but sadly this movie didn't score well in my charts. Rakshit is great - his dialog delivery albeit fast is very natural. Story is a simple gang war tale for a hidden treasure - & one can pretty much predict who gets the loot. And, of course, it definitely has some flaws in the narration. Pardonable though.
Rating: Average

Frozen 2

After a really long time, saw a movie in a multiplex: the last time was in 2016! And it was well worth the wait! Frozen got all three of us enchanted and this sequel kept us enchanted all the way to the Enchanted Forest & out of it too! The magical beauty, the superlative animation, amazing musicals, thick plots and coupled with supreme spirituality - the movie has it all! 
Rating: Good

Super 30

What a man, what a story! Truly very inspiring! The director has done extremely well to bring the story of Anand Kumar to the big screen albeit using dramatical sequences to make it full of Bollywood masala - which totally keeps the audience hooked. And it is not just any ordinary story at that - it is filled with complex mathematics & science concepts brought into day-to-day life. Hrithik Roshan has done justice to the role but somehow I kept feeling that Akshay Kumar was better suited (maybe because of the multiple biopics that AK has recently enacted in - Pad Man, Toilet, etc.)

Rating: Good

Gandondu Hennaru

A nice jovial Rajkumar movie - at least for most part. Initially I was cynical to see the movie since a typical old (black and white) Rajkumar movie is fraught with desolation & despondency with usual happy ending. But this one seemed different & nice time-pass for a lazy Sunday afternoon. At one point it almost seems like an anthology with many short stories but the dots start getting connected at the end. Of course, one has to give leeway for narration and direction to be illogical at various points but for a 1969 movie to be made like the way it is done (sci-fi-ish) without the technology which is available now is really commendable. And yes, no desolation and despondency!
Rating: Good

De De Pyaar De

A nice Hindi rom-com. Very clean and simple, to the point. Dialogs are crispy, scenes are just as much is needed. Excellent editing. Superb acting by each and every one of them - old actors, old actresses, young adults, the entire crew. I guess credit goes to the director. The double-edged witty dialogs are entertaining too. Scenery and setting is fresh. All in all, a nice entertainer.

Rating: Good

Luka Chuppi

New and nice casting, unique theme for a story, fitting religious locations & the right ingredients spiced correctly for a rom com. While the courting seemed to be too short to believe (like in Barfi), it seems to be rightly edited because there is much more in the tale than just courting. The characters involved are perfect too - for a middle class family. Well worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Dongaata

A con movie. Nice, flashy, entertaining, light-hearted. Takes frequent twists that almost makes it edge-of-the-seat but somewhat lacks a little punch to push it to the must-see category. Nevertheless a good enough movie to watch with the family. The last few scenes takes things beyond what could be considered as humanly possible - but then have to give a benefit of doubt to the movies!
Language: Telugu
Rating: Good

Andhadhun

Wow, what a movie! And thats how I always begin my "must-see" movie reviews! And its just not a ritual, these are the exact words that come out of me when I am watching! And this movie is a stunner out of nowhere! Agree, I had heard that it had won the Best background score and best cinematography (amongst other things) - both of which I have to concur, but if I were the judge, I would have given the Best Movie award too! Superb narration, unbelievable plot that kept thickening and thickening with twists and turns every few minutes, and multiple back-stabbings! Gosh, one has to see it to believe it - till the very last scene! Hats off to the entire crew!
Rating: Must-see

Naa Ninna Mareyalare

A lazy Saturday afternoon. Watched a Rajkumar movie with relatives. A waste of time, actually. Not an entertainer nor of any value. But apparently a blockbuster which ran for 25 weeks in the theatres! Perhaps because it resonated with the then love affairs between the "high & mighty" and the not-so...
Rating: Average

Casino

Saw a Robert De Niro & Joe Pesci movie after a long time. When the credits came, realized the heroine was Sharon Stone! Well, the movie didn't impress me that much. The ending is typical of what happens to the bad guys. Character portrayal was still good - as to how Sharon was so much into money and Robert's acting was superlative. The only distinction in how this movie was made is the narrative was not just of one person but of two and sometimes more. That's what made this movie interesting. And, that it is based on a true-story, of course.
Rating: Average

Double Dhamaal

Not that much of an entertainer as seen in the prequel nor the sequel. Nevertheless the plot, as expected, is thick, and filled with loopholes filled with humour although it doesn't generate much laughter. Barely watchable. Dialog is at times rib-tickling like its siblings.
Rating: Average

My Favorite Wedding

A girly movie for the wifey! And as expected, a very pleasanty, smoothy, romantically inclined film. Not too boring, nor much of an entertainer. Good casting & locations. Worth a simple watch.
Rating: Good

Idiocracy

A tale set in 2505 on how humanity would have degenerated & how dumb people would have become. Its humourous. Scarily close to reality - almost has a 50% chance of becoming true! And for that, one has to see the movie! A well made movie - with crisp & funny portrayals of human dumbness! Strictly for adults, though!
Rating: Good

Dhamaal

Inspired by the Part 3, felt like watching Part 1. But this one was not as great as the one I saw couple of weeks ago. This movie also is on similar lines - with money hidden at a point X and a bunch of them running to get it. The ending is copied flat-out from Rat Race. The comedy was not that much rib-tickling. Felt too much overacting at times. Sitting through the entire movie might get tough but survived through it.
Rating: Average

Eurotrip

Well, been ages since I saw this kind of a teen movie which was more adultish than teenish! It is almost in the same genre as American Pie & other such silly, adulty comedy - nevertheless very light hearted, typical US college-goers' life and a easy-going movie for a weekend afternoon! Plus Europe always adds weightage especially now that we have visited ;-)
Rating: Good

Ulidavaru Kandanthe

Hmm, had seen these kind of movies over a decade ago. 11:14, Crash, Cidade de deus, to name a few. But this one was kind of slower, could've edited a bit more and reduced about 30 minutes. Lots of scenes were taken in slow-motion. But nevertheless, a catchy story of intertwined individuals and some good dialog at times. Too much of weed, alcohol, smoking shown - could've reduced but I guess it was to show the angle of 'mafia'. Setting being Udupi & Malpe made it interesting with local culture shown in great detail. Plus certain scenes shown in very different way - like the first fight scene was more like Batman fight sequences. Nice to see a Kannada movie on similar lines of international genre...
Rating: Good

Total Dhamaal

Felt like watching slapstick, no-brainer, wholehearted comedy movie and came across this - & it fit the bill perfectly. Excellent settings, locations & to an extent, even casting. But the award should go to the Dialog. Astoundingly hilarious & rib-tickling. Pretty much all near-death experiences are captured - falling from a building, from a hanging pillar off a crane, sky-diving, crossing a flooding a river and thereon to falling over a waterfall, almost getting hit by a train, driving over a buckling bridge, flying in a helicopter fitted with a ceiling fan(!) & then falling from it while it burned mid-air, getting bitten by vultures in a desert, getting run-down by a car on fire, driving over a cliff, avoiding a head-on collision with a truck, etc. - extremely humorously portrayed & the list goes on and on until the director feels enough is enough, and suddenly it is the climax scene. The idea, of course, is from the English movie Rat Race (which was inspired from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) but with Indian masala added to it. All in all, had a great laugh for a lazy Sunday rainy afternoon. Kudos to the crew for churning out a great entertainer. Note how a 4.4/10 on IMDB can actually rate high on HMDB - it is all about when you see what kind of a movie & how! 😉
Rating: Good

RangiTaranga

Wow, what a movie! Its been really long since I started a movie blog like that, isn't it?! The last time was Dec 2016! This one is right up there amongst the all time greats - like Barfi, Lucia, etc. Story is great, makes the audience think in one direction while the story moves in another. Scene one starts off in the middle, hence adds more confusion to the tale - almost making the audience to see the movie once more as soon as it ends because the jigsaws start falling into place one after the other until the very end. It starts off like a scary movie with ghosts and horror scenes, and then a sniff of mystery comes in with a touch of crime. Not much of humor nor a full-blow romance but then that is not the essence of this movie. Because this one is meant to be a thriller. And so it stays till the very end. Great casting, superb location, awesome direction and fantastic story-telling. Definitely must-see! The only sad thing personally was although this is a Kannada movie, I had to see in Hindi-dubbed version 😞

Soorma

Somehow was reluctant to see a sports movie but the 'Based on true story' somehow lured me. And boy, am I glad I saw this movie. An excellent depiction of Sandeep Singh's fascinating story. And equally well made is the movie itself - with all of the typical Bollywood masala. Nice direction, screenplay, acting, casting, etc - all in all, a movie well worth watching.

Rating: Good

Glass

Well, saw a Shyamalan movie after a long time. Last one I saw (I guess) was Unbreakable. Unfortunately I did not know this movie (Glass) was a trilogy (part of Unbreakable, Split, Glass). So I missed most of the plot - but could just about draw the dots. As suspected, a very dark movie - sometimes literally too. Some extreme violence too. Tangential reference to Comic SuperHeroes. Realized not really my kind of movie. Predictable ending. Only great thing about the movie was the dialog of the psychiatrist. Excellent screenplay.
Rating: Average

The 15:17 to Paris

Well, I guess the wiki says it all. "Well-intentioned" but "strained to wring a full-length feature's worth of drama out of [an event] that was over in a few minutes". Most of the movie passes in how a couple of bachelors get to see Europe - very boring. Few scenes on how a wanna-be military man fails miserably in life but yet gets to become a hero - not so boring yet not interesting either. So, once again, a true story which is worth knowing (and highly incredible at that) but not much worth-watching as a movie because it lacks the punch.
Rating: Average

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran

The movie itself seemed ok-dokey but considering that it is based on true events, it is spectacular even to think how the project got executed under wraps from the "Super Power" USA. So, if one has to see this movie - it is more for the story than the movie. But not to take the credit from John Abraham and party. They have done a decent enough job but it seems too shallow compared to actual characters & events. Watchable once.
Rating: Good

Badhaai Ho

From the time I saw the trailer, I wanted to watch this movie since it seemed like a laugh riot. But the flip side was that the main ingredient (& even the LOL dialog) of the movie was revealed in the trailer itself. So, when I did watch the movie, it was like a joke being told the second time. Yeah, so not really a laugh riot. Yet, the movie is extremely well-made with perfect casting, acting, dialog, story, screenplay, setting & location to suit a real middle class life style. There is an undercurrent of light humor all through - not much with punch to burst into laughter but sufficient to keep a smile on the lips. So, definitely worth a watch.

Rating: Good

Rockstar

Starts off grandly but then falls down steeply and never stops at it. Got a headache watching! Although the story made sense that rockstars cannot have a private life of their own (if I got that right!), it could have been made in much better way. The heroine just didn't know how to act. The hero meeting her on a street immediately after landing in Europe is a scene akin to what we were watching in the 1990s Bollywood. I am really?! Made a big mistake watching this movie.
Rating: Average

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Literally translating to the Needle and the Thread which is the starting point for stitching, this movie is superlative in terms of direction, story, acting, setting (the small house, the small "cycleable-only" streets, etc.) & local costumes (pleasant to see Anushka in saree all through the movie!). Showcasing of the pain-points usually faced by the majority of the lower class families in India (such as the cold climate, the lack of money during hospitalization, the long commute to the office, etc.) is heartwarming while at the same time the little bit of romance of the newlyweds is heart-melting. Dialog is crisp and to the point. Songs don't spoil the theme but is more of a background. All in all, a time well spent on a movie well made!
Rating: Good

Fool's Gold

What started out as a simple TV channel-surfing led to this movie just as the opening credits were being displayed. Since it was on the Romedy channel - popular for Romcoms - wifey got interested. But soon she got bored and slept off but I totally enjoyed it because - more than a romcom, it was an adventure movie similar to Indiana Jones and the likes. Complete with Treasure Hunting and Mafia and Sunken ships - this one had the works, especially because the Bad Guys were always one step ahead of the Good Guys, until the climax of course. As a teenager, I was fascinated with such kind of novels and this movie rekindled the old joy albeit this time on screen! The movie itself is excellently depicted, directed and created. Spectacular off-Florida clear water seas & reefs made all the more beautiful with superb cinematography. The start itself is great and it keeps getting better. The romance is more like a spin-off, and it adds flavor to the story. At one point, just like all adventure and thriller movies, the tale starts getting too complicated and hard to follow. Thats when novels are better to understand but nevertheless, this one's a wholesome entertainer!
Rating: Good

Padmaavat

Typical to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies - this has grandeur written all over it. Story in itself is captivating - which some say is true and some say is not. Nevertheless, if it is true, it is indeed remarkable. Dialog are short and to the point - worthy of the royalty. Acting by all counterparts are commendable - Deepika has a stern expression most of the screen time and teary-eyed although not crying, not sure why! Watchable but only once. And that too for the historical epic that it is. Of course, thanks to SLB for bringing history books to screen, and in what fashion!
Rating: Good

Monte Carlo

The title sorta is confusing because the movie starts with Texas, moves to Paris, stays in Monte Carlo for a long time and kinda ends in Machu Pichu, Texas and Romania! Total time pass movie about a mistaken identity. Almost like Bollywoodish! Casting isn't all that great. Scenic beauty of all the above cities are taken well. Characterization is ok-dokey. Costuming is good and apt! I guess it was meant to be a "Romcom" but there is less of Com. You can just sit through this one and go where it takes!
Rating: Average

102 Not Out

A set of apparently serious things in a common man's life made humourous in a unique way. The idea and concept is very innovative - especially adding colorful flavor while bordering grave matters of family concern. Simple yet powerful acting by all stakeholders which isn't much anyways. In fact, the movie itself is small & simple yet touches a chord. Worth a watch.
Rating: Good

Gold (2018)

This movie takes "Hockey" from Chak De India and "India's fight to Independence" from Lagaan and churns out a pretty decent narrative. I believe it also has some shades of a few true stories from here and there but the disclaimer in the movie clearly states it is a work of fiction. Akshay Kumar is excellent as always - and rest of the cast has done a great job too. But the tricky thing for the director would have been the set-up required for the pre-Independence era such as the cars, the attire, etc. as well as the European crew required for the 1936 and 1948 Olympic games portrayed in the movie - all of which has been realistically portrayed. Although it lacks the 'wow' of Lagaan, the movie is still good because of the twists and turns - thanks to India's freedom struggle, success and, of course, the Partition. The Indo-Pak relation has been shown in a very warm & brotherly manner which seems so right & natural considering we were all one nation before someone drew an imaginary line. How did the term "arch rivals" really come from, one wonders...? Apart from the freedom-struggle related twists, there are other turns related to politics within the Hockey federation, feuds between team players, "teamwork vs Individualism", etc. - all of which make the movie definitely watchable.
Rating: Good