one time wanderer

I feel so conflicted about what to feel about this movie- on one hand, I hate that they showed so much abuse and gaslighting by the man while still trying to act as if the marriage was breaking down because of miscommunications on both sides. But on the other, it is sadly a very faithful depiction of actual marriages and even relationships, where a lot is forgiven just because you once had a love, especially a love that you had to fight for. A lot of it hit very directly home, reflecting both my parents' marriage and my first relationship to varying degrees.  Technically, the movie excels at bringing the stream of consciousness trope on screen, that too from two different people. Honestly, every transition felt like an attack on our emotions (I watch-partied with a friend), and we were so overwhelmed by their past wholesome love being cut by their present estrangement that we felt real messed up real quick. On top of it, both Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna are brilliant actors w...

This movie just might have pushed me into my Korean era, and I am so not complaining. Even though it appears very basic from the premise, it is anything but that. Despite having such a tight screenplay, the characters are fleshed out so well that you can't help but be fully invested in their journeys, and there is literally not a wasted moment anywhere in the film. In almost two hours, the movie explores nuances of humanity in such a way that you can't help but think about the possibilities and the choices characters made for days afterwards. It makes for an incredible viewing experience, as well as an introspective one.  Spoilers ahead: It's brilliant the way the only two survivors of the train to Busan were a pregnant lady and a little girl, two people who would normally be considered the "weakest". And how Su-an comes out singing and that's how the two are recognised as humans- it is PERFECTION because IT IS ART THAT MAKES US HUMAN GODDAMNIT. When we litera...

I think this film might have finally converted me into appreciating Rajinikanth and his brand of acting. He kills it in a double role, especially as Raja (yep, Pokkiri Raja himself), and his chemistry with Raadhika is amazing to watch. Speaking of Raadhika though, she was easily my favourite here (tough luck, Sridevi amma, but it is what it is). She was just so damn entertaining, and I can only imagine the kind of riot (sensitive word to use considering at what intersection of history and geography I am living in right now) people would have had watching it in the theatre.  Some parts in the beginning haven't aged all that well, but those fight scenes where Sridevi and Raadhika bashed up villains along with Rajini (they weren't "helping" him, oh no, they were WITH HIM) gave my soul and #feminism a new lease on life. The title track is a bop, and I have been playing it ever since I finished watching the film.  As they say, nothing like a good old masala entertainer for...

Decent enough for a one-time watch- it did feel stretched to me in some places, and I wish that whoever was editing had done a better job. My favourite part of the movie were definitely Saroja Devi and Sivaji Ganesan- they brought in so much energy, and even though I didn't understand what the references meant, they was still fun to watch. Vijay was good too, but his character was annoying max. Very fuckboi vibes. Plus I feel like it was written hastily and thus ended up coming off as confused. Not the character himself, but the characterisation. Simran tried her best with what she was given, but it was just so damn little. It's baffling how in such an over-long movie Simran's character's arc was still under-developed.  In conclusion, I probably would have haaaated this if I wasn't such a 90s lover. Consider yourselves warned. 

If Rajamouli had written a better romantic sub-plot for Anushka and Ravi Teja, this movie could have made it to my list of mass movies that I would rewatch for fun, entertainment and comfort. But that track is so cringey, especially the way it's been shot, that I just can't bring myself to forget it and focus on the good things that this movie has to offer. It's a very good masala movie, not gonna lie- it hits all the emotions spot-on, and you can't help but root for the protagonists and wish death upon the villains. On top of it, the Brahmanandam-Ravi Teja chemistry is sizzling, and just remembering it is making me giggle again. Both of them are such amazing actors and together, they are nothing short of magic. Maybe I WILL rewatch it, just to get a good dose of excellent comedy. Something tells me I'll need it more and more in the times to come. Sorry for getting too real.  I wish Sweety had been better utilised though. I kept on waiting for more, and sadly, it ne...

The first half of this movie was so good that it kept me optimistic throughout the second half- I was hopeful, till the very end, that the latter would resemble the former. No luck, though. It became increasingly difficult to sustain my interest, especially once I accepted that the likelihood of Urvashi ma'am coming back was very less. They really did her dirty in this movie, not gonna lie. Also, Padakaali remains the superior rap battle track, and its music video > the rest of the movie. I don't make the rules.

In a recent video celebrating 36 years of her Bollywood debut Abodh  (1984), Madhuri Dixit mentioned how it was during the shooting of this film that she got bit by the acting bug, and for that alone, I appreciate this movie with my whole heart. Plus, everyone on the set made her feel super comfortable and gave her chocolates every day, which I'm sure must have added to her falling in love with acting. Enough of the narrative that only suffering can produce "good" art. (I'm looking at you, SLB, stop torturing your actors.) Coming to the movie itself- Abodh is a simple story about a young innocent ("Abodh" literally translates to "innocent") girl and how she matures into a grown woman, or rather, a wife. Gauri (Mads) starts off as being completely oblivious of the concepts of emotional and physical intimacy- she doesn't know the significance of the wedding night and would much rather play with her husband's kid brother than spend time with h...

I honestly would have disliked this movie a lot less had they just gotten rid of the homophobia and misogyny, and focused on the "no plot, just vibes" aspect of the movie. But then, it would have been a completely different movie, and my respect for Mahesh Babu wouldn't have dwindled to the bare minimum. On the brighter side though, my respect for MS Narayana garu, Brahmanandam garu, and Simran ma'am has only increased after this movie. The fact that the three of them could manage to make this movie tolerable for me (read: didn't want to make me cry/scream/bang my head against the wall) is truly commendable. I only laughed because of MS garu and Brahmi garu, and only felt the tiniest bit emotionally connected to the plot for Simran ma'am. Mahesh should thank his lucky stars that he got these three to save this movie for him, instead of cursing us with another rendition of the infamous "He's So Cute" song. Spoiler alert: NO HE IS NOT CUTE. Do bett...

Trigger warnings for violence and r*pe in the movie.   There was such an honesty about Varun's acting in this movie that I was not surprised at all when I read later that he went into a depressive phase while and after shooting for it, and that his character made him look at the world with a completely different perspective. And honestly, it made me look at things differently too- concepts like justice, and right and wrong.  This was also the second movie that Varun had signed right after Student of the Year (2012) and when he asked Sriram Raghavan (god bless that man and keep him healthy and happy) why him, the latter replied that there was an innocence in the former's eyes that the character needed. After reading that, I realised what a game changer his eyes had been- all the pent up trauma, rage, love, innocence, everything was expressed through them, which made the movie feel more personal. Even the way Varun looks at people in the movie was significant- what I mean t...

You know a thriller is good when it manages to give you goosebumps again on the second viewing, but you know it's really good when it somehow replicates the experience of watching it all unfold on the big screen. Rewatching it after six years made me mad all over again that this was not commercially successful, because it deserved so much more. Like a franchise, for example.  Sushant was amazing, and drew you into his world effortlessly. I have seen that man play so many different kinds of roles over the years, and he never once disappointed. The way he played Byomkesh Bakshy made you feel like he had been playing this role all his life, he was that good. Also the story is well structured, and slowly reveals its cards, but not so slowly that you're not invested enough to try and guess what the big reveal could be. I hope I made sense there, because I am honestly blown away once again by what a delight this movie was. The rest of the cast was good too, especially Neeraj Kabi.  ...

Maybe I'm just a Kodi Ramakrishna fangirl, but this movie did not deserve to flop. Venkatesh is lovely as both Krishna and Balram (subtle) and is entertaining throughout, providing you with a full spectrum of emotions and everything else. The real reason why this movie is a winner though lies in how beautifully it marries fantasy and mass. There were moments when I wished I'd gone to watch this on the big screen, the effect would have been even more fantastic then.  I was prepared for this to be underwhelming, but thankfully my suspicions were unfounded. Victory V to the rescue, always. Also, something tells me that this movie has great repeat value, so looking forward to that as well. Jai Sri Krishna!

I have to admit, it took me a bit of effort to get through the first half of the movie, but I am so glad I hung on (as if my closure issues would have let me leave) because the performances in the second half blew my brains out. Honestly speaking, had it not been for the immensely talented cast (especially my mains Farooq Shaikh and Supriya Pathak), the film wouldn't have been this great.  Another reason why this movie shouldn't be missed is Smita Patil's powerful monologue in the end. That will stay with me for some time, and has also given me enough incentive to finally check more of Smita ma'am's work out. Yes, I am ashamed too that I haven't started appreciating her till now, but 2021 will hopefully change that. Peep foetus Tabu though. Such a cutie. Her expressions were killing me with their adorability. Also, "Phir Chhidi Raat" is such a beautiful song. It made me cry a little when I heard it later. I said this before, but Farooq and Supriya real...

This movie meant everything to me as a kid. I have seen it more times than I can count, both by myself and with my family (I could hear my father's laughter during the Qureishi scene), and rewatching it as an almost 24-year old, I could identify so many parts of my personality that have come directly from this movie. And Ms. Rani Mukerji too, but that's a given.  It's honestly one of the best rom-coms that ever came out of Bollywood, and I can't believe I didn't rewatch it for a long time because I was afraid of a #childhoodruined moment. It has aged incredibly well, and remains as entertaining as it was 16 years ago- if not more, because Hindi movies stopped being funny some time ago. Also, I was so soft for Rani and Abhishek, it's not even funny. They had such amazing chemistry, and it makes me sad that we won't get another movie again. Sigh. Coming to Rani Mukerji aka the actual queen- this is one of my favourite movies of hers ever, and everything about ...

If there's one thing this film gets right, it's the typically desi dysfunctional family and its petty and not-so-petty conflicts. I could relate to so much of the drama, and I'm sure others could too, which is why you see it being considered as something of a modern classic. Also in an era where "woke" movies are preachy about their "message", Kapoor & Sons believes in the philosophy of "simple is always better" and never tries to take the moral high ground with any character or their story. There is no good or evil here, just humans who make mistakes and live with them. And with the mistakes of others too, because well, such is life.  Ratna ma'am, I only have the one heart, how many times are you planning on stealing it? Seriously though, I can't stop thinking about how she enriched this movie with her presence- a sublime yet impactful queen. I also LOVED my boy Fawad here. Brilliant, sensitive, funny, lovely, brave; all adjectives...

Spoilers ahead: It's been more than 24 hours since I watched Renuka Shahane's Tribhanga , and I am still falling short of words to describe how much this movie meant to me. It picks up a heavy-loaded term like generational trauma and uses it to weave a story that touches one's heart and soul. A huge round of applause is also due for the cast who did such a fabulous job in adding so much warmth to their characters, and made them that much more relatable. Honestly, every time I try discussing this movie, all I can come up with is "Renuka Shahane's BRAIN" because that's literally the MVP in this situation. Despite the narrative being so tightly paced that we don't even get an Odissi dance performance by Kajol (yep, I'm just the tiniest bit salty about that), the film still manages to pack in many delicious layers, each more "Renuka Shahane's BRAIN"-inducing than the last. I loved all the attention to details, the tiniest bits that made t...

First of all, HATS OFF to Anirudh Ravichander for blessing us with yet another zero skip songs album. The man, the king, the absolute legend. Secondly, half the reason why I wanted to watch this movie was because of the Vijay-Vijay Sethupathi chemistry and holy shit, it was totally worth it. Thirdly, this was my first movie in a theatre post the mess that was most of 2020 (a mess in which I mostly watched movies in my room and missed cinema halls terribly at times), and honestly, more than anything, I am so glad that this was my return to the theatre life. There were enough people in the auditorium to get Thalapathy masssss feels (not a worrying number, but just enough, especially considering that I don't even live in south India).  VJS easily steals the show- he was just too damn good in every single scene, and reminded me very seriously of Amrish Puri's Mogambo at times. Not in the sense that the two characters are similar, but more like similarly iconic. It felt so good to s...

Probably one of the best performances of Tabu's career, which is saying something since Queen T brings so much to every movie she is a part of, good and otherwise. But she is so captivating here, so in her element that you never really question Maqbool losing his mind over his Nimma. It's also amazing how Irrfan Khan and her seemed to be communicating with their eyes, and how much of the film's magic resided in those moments between them.  As for the story part- Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Macbeth (incidentally my favourite Shakespeare drama)   not just uses the source material's best parts buy also improves upon them. Combined that with stellar performers like Irrfan (I miss you), Tabu (the real gangsta), Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, the film is a hugely enriching experience for someone as addicted to escapism like myself. I couldn't help but lose myself in the psychological intricacies of the characters and their relationships, just like the...

This was one of the last movies I watched right when it came out before I took a "break" from actively following Bollywood for a couple of years (it was a "break" because I didn't plan on having one, it just happened by itself), and well, I have to say that I love it as much, if not more, as I did back then. It clearly holds up well as a classic Bollywood romantic drama with good music and absolutely insane chemistry, with the added treat that is Supriya Pathak, a woman so underrated it hurts.  Anyway, I remember having a sExUaL aWakENiNG while watching it on the big screen at the age of 16, and well, what can I say- I had another one while watching it 7.5 years later. That's just how powerful it is, and also red hot Deepika and Ranveer are together. And yes, that is a big reason for me loving this movie as much as I do, and considering it an important part of my journey as a teenager. The song 'Laal Ishq' is literally one of my favourite songs of al...

Easily one of my favourite Shobana movies yet, and probably for all time. Both her character, AND the story were good?? Blessed to see it.  Another reason why I loved this movie was that it was peak 90s feel-good romantic comedy (till it wasn't), with heavy emphasis on the comedy, thanks to the kids, Mohanlal, and Jagathy Sreekumar. I laughed out loud multiple times, which is quite rare for Malayalam cinema. I was also quite touched by the story, which I did not expect at all after reading the premise. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see this being counted amongst Priyadarshan's best films.  In conclusion, 90s truly was a superior decade for Indian rom-coms. Also, my love for Shobana got another excellent kick, which is just what it needed. All hail the Queen!

A proper mass movie that thankfully pretends to be nothing other than that. I saw a lot of people on social media trolling it by calling it a "2 and a half hours long hero introduction shot", but I honestly don't see what's wrong with that? For once, I wasn't thoroughly bored and frustrated by an action movie, and was invested enough to care about the hero's motivations and think about them once I was done. I also appreciated dialogues like "Congratulations, I love you" because of course I do. The story is also gripping enough to make me want to look forward to the sequel. In other words, I am looking forward to the sequel, and I hope it's even more entertaining than this one. Long live mass movies! 

I felt so much while watching this movie, so I might get a little incoherent while writing this "review". Warned you already. I think the most important lesson I learned from this movie was that the burden of feminism cannot be left on women alone. Of course, we must empower ourselves and learn to be our own unique individuals, but at the same time, it's impossible to do an of that without a strong support system. Let's face it, no one can be strong always- there will be moments when you feel too weak to uplift yourself, and that is when you need your people who will help you back up on your feet and remind you to be brave. The movie doesn't emphasise on the romantic partner fulfilling this role too- it sends out the message that we all must be that support for someone, and that is the only way we can truly move forward as a society. It is such a relevant and relatable message that I personally would recommend people to watch the movie just for that, despite its f...

The best of Bollywood, literally and philosophically. Not a single dull moment to be found, with the added bonus of catharsis. Who hasn't fallen in love with someone they have only seen on-screen; and away from the eyes of the world, spun out elaborate fantasies where the object of their affection loved them too? And on top of everything, there are the 100 meta layers that make this movie more delightful with every rewatch. I think I caught 5 references this time around that I hadn't noticed earlier, which just added to the overall feeling of entertainment.  The real backbone of this movie are, of course, the songs. No matter how many times I watch the music videos, I just don't get tired of them! And for some reason, I got extremely emotional watching the 'Deewangi Deewangi' video this time. Maybe it's the fact that I only recently fell back in love with Bollywood, and this song took me back to the glory days of my Bolly-trashness. Or maybe watching Shah Rukh b...

Good old TFI, back at it with the comedy sequences that make my jaw hurt like nothing else. The train sequence in this movie alone is worthy of multiple awards. Easily one of the funniest comedy episodes in cinematic history. And of course, the plot twist- I gasped out loud, did not see that one coming at all.  Let us now talk about the legend himself, Brahmanandam garu. Just one twitch of his eyebrow is enough for me to scream with laughter. If that isn't worthy of the National Award for Best Actor, I really don't know what is. The way I was focusing on him even when he was in the background of the shot- your fave wishes they had the power. The term "legends only" was coined for Brahmi garu, and I will not listen to any arguments about it. Period.  Ravi Teja was also fab with his comic timing and dialogue delivery, and it was his portrayal of Venky that made me so hooked to the story even though the subtitles failed me and I could not understand major chunks of what ...

Ah, starting off my 2021 film journey with this forgotten classic. Proud and happy for myself. Yes, I know it's problematic and misogynistic, but give me a break. I'm an adult, and this movie was released a year before I was born. I really couldn't care less about, or be "influenced" by its preaching on women and what they're supposed to do- I'm here for the entertainment and 90s SRK. Not just 90s SRK, but 90s SRK in a triple role. TRIPLE THE FUN BITCHES! The music is good, Sonali Bendre is cute, the child actor is not annoying, and there are some genuinely good bits of comedy. Perfect way to start this new year, if I may say so myself. And yes, the 90s are superior, but my new goal for this year is to prove that movies made in 1996 are next level. Onwards and upwards, my friends. A very happy new year to all of you, my best wishes always. May I amaze all of you even more with my fab "reviews" <3 Yes, that is going to be my new energy for 2021...

My very last film of the year that was 2020, and a fitting end to it, I must say. There is a separate essay I must write about how my relationship with cinema in 2020, how I sought comfort in it, and how I understood parts of myself better through watching movies and stanning my faves- but for now, I will just say that I am overwhelmed by how much art and artists save our souls, especially in the darkest of times. Thank you to so many people for existing. Your existence has helped me cope more than you'll ever know. Now, coming to Bulbbul : it was a good attempt at horror, but I felt it oversimplified things so much that the scary aspect got a little subdued. Tripti Dimri was absolutely spectacular, and in control of what she wanted you to see and what to feel. That kind of talent will take her far, and I am very excited to see her evolve as an actor. If only this movie had been a little less predictable, and kept to its tone of being a gets-inside-your-skin-and-terrifies-you-for-d...

Not a perfect film, but an important film nevertheless. My major complaints with it include the problematic class politics (the trajectory of the maid character) and how the sub-plots, especially Dia Mirza's, didn't really add anything substantial to the main storyline. Otherwise, Thappad is a must-watch. It gives out a very strong message of emancipation- specifically the kind that we must seek for ourselves as women living in a deeply patriarchal world. Taapsee does a brilliant job as Amu, and I could feel myself rooting so strongly for her in a way that rarely happens with such self-consciously "feminist" films.  As usual, I had no choice but to stan Ratna Pathak Shah- that woman can literally do any role to perfection, making one forget where exactly they had seen her last. I also liked how Kumud Mishra's character was written. Yes, even the nice, progressive men have flaws, and no, it's never too late to try and rectify them. The music was not an annoying...

Easily up there in the Top 5 Worst Films I Have Ever Seen. I watch-partied with 2 friends, and at one point, N & I were so done that we sent gifs on our group chat instead of trying to pay attention to the movie. Needless to say, those gifs were far more entertaining than anything that was going on in the movie. The few times we did zone back in, we realised that we really weren't missing out on anything (plus A was updating us anyway, an angel) so we just continued sending gifs and making each other laugh. We thought we would "roast-watch" this movie but the joke was on us- we couldn't even watch it. Legends like Johnny Lever, Javed Jaffrey and Rajpal Yadav were completely wasted in this brain-rotting snooze fest. And as if that wasn't enough, Varun Dhawan and his potential to become a decent comedy actor were tragically under-utilised by the script. It was painful to watch him carry the entire movie on his shoulders, and I really wish that he refuses to make...