Kapoor & Sons (2016)

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 are less for him in this movie. Really hating everything again because we won't get more of him in Hindi movies anytime soon. Bollywood's loss, honestly. No wonder the industry is ready to explode on itself. Thanks for absolutely nothing, KJo, I officially have beef with you now. 

Moving on- I personally related the most with Arjun, played by Sidharth Malhotra, who surpassed my expectations here. However, I would never fall for the manic pixie dream girl, that too one played by Alia Bhatt. No hate or anything like that for her, but I just don't think I'm a fan. Or that I can be one. But anyway, I found her character to be the weakest link in an otherwise strongly-written and executed script, and I honestly don't think we would have missed a lot by eliminating her. Just saying. Also, if you want to write "quirky" female characters, the least you can do is not make them completely generic and predictable and give them the worst lines. #feminism

Another huge plus point for me was the music- I have not stopped listening to "Ladki Beautiful" or "Bolna" since last night. God bless. 

In conclusion, more of this Bollywood, please and thank you. Also, beta tu bahar mil @ KJo.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shyam Singha Roy (2021)

There is honestly nothing more annoying than a movie that has flashes of being a good movie, but turns out to be a bad one anyway. Not only have you watched a bad film, but you have also been cheated of all hope and it's exhausting, to say the least.  Also, when this movie is a first day first show, you can't help but feel betrayed. Full "I trusted you!" moment only.  The first half was so tedious to sit through, I genuinely thought of leaving after the interval at one point. I didn't though, because Sai Pallavi only made her entry in the second half, and let's face it, she was the real reason for me to go watch it anyway. I mean, Nani was a huge pull factor too, but after Tuck Jagadish (2021) and V (2020), I was a little wary of trusting this man completely. As I should, because look what he made me sit through... again! (I swear to god, if the Nazriya film isn't good, I just might never watch a Nani movie ever again). Back to Pallu though- she is the onl
Read more

Aasai (1995)

My only regret is that I wish I knew absolutely nothing about this movie before watching it. I know I'm 26 years too late to the party, but honestly, not knowing the basic premise would have made things even more scary and messed up, not that there wasn't enough of those sentiments already. But to watch it unfold like the psychotic drama it was on the big screen, while innocently expecting another cute sweet love story featuring foetus Thala... I would give anything to have that experience. I know we love poking fun at Prakash Raj for being the evergreen villain, but it takes an Aasai for one to truly understand why he's earned that reputation. He really brings to life the evil but powerful psychopath who can manipulate people and situations to get what he wants, and I swear I was shaking a little when the movie ended because he is just that good at driving the point home. That's the thing about well-written thrillers- they work excellently as horror movies because you
Read more

Pokiri (2006)

Sairam, thank god I had forgotten the "twist", despite having seen Bhai's Wanted (2009) when it came out. Not only was I majorly zoned out (so much that I don't even remember for sure if I slept for sometime in the middle) but I have also actively tried to erase all memories of it. Which is why I was shocked enough to legit scream when the big twist came along.  From what I have heard about Pokiri , it sounds like some kind of cultural reset. And going by that, I must say that it totally lived up to that hype. Prince Mahesh seems to be at the peak of his career, and it's a performance that is memorable in more ways than one- he really shines through as the cool, stylish hero who outsmarts villains and beats them up. Of course, he needs a solid story and some killer dialogues as well, both of which are amply present here. I loved how understated his commitment dialogue was, especially in comparison to Bhai's exaggeration, the memory of which still gives me war
Read more