Once Again (2018)

Despite the cliché and unbelievable plot, what works for Once Again is how poetic it is and how real it feels because of its sincerity. And of course, Shefali Shah's and Neeraj Kabi's incredibly earnest chemistry. I am personally a huge fan of mid-life romances (someone wake up Venky mama to the fact that he needs to do one each with Tabu and Shobana) and Once Again reminded me of all the reasons I have for loving them. The beauty of finding love when other things have taken precedence in life, the slow hesitation, the ifs and whys- they are all so wonderfully captured here, and not just in dialogues, but in the acting and direction as well. 

The film is also a visual treat- one gets tired of seeing Mumbai over and over again in our Hindi movies, but here it has somehow been captured in a much more personal way that felt refreshing to see. It's almost as if Kanwal Sethi made the city a character without telling anyone, a story that unfolds along with the protagonists' and enriches it. The food shots were also brilliant- I could smell Tara's restaurant and food, and if I closed my eyes, I swear I could have imagined myself sitting there, waiting with a friend and complaining about how hot and humid everything is. Oh, and the dancing!! I am glad they chose the dancing sub-plot instead of a long monologue for Amar, it really added more depth to he was as a person outside of his romantic interests, and how it wasn't just his broken marriage that was leading to a sense of mid-life crisis and stagnation. More men being in touch with their artistic sides in a non-toxic way please!! (Imtiaz Ali, kindly leave the chat forever.)

In conclusion, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see Shefali ji thriving after playing Canadian Kumar's mother (and AB's wife) in that movie. She deserves all the recognition and love she's been getting recently, and we're here for it. You go slay, queen!

PS- apparently her metoo accused husband directed that movie, and if that sentence isn't enough evidence that she needs to leave him asap, I honestly don't know what is. 

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