one time wanderer

As messy and dramatic as it was, I didn't really hate it. Or rather, I couldn't bring myself to hate it- Baby Shalini being the prime reason for this. She was way too adorable and precious in this, and I loved her acting and dancing a lot. Her bond with Mammukka warmed my heart up, especially when I remembered that they would later go on to do Kaliyoonjal (1997) together. Mammootty himself was as brilliant as always. I bought whatever he was selling, just because it was him, and more importantly, him in the 80s, when he literally could do no wrong in the looks department. I liked Saritha too, which was a pleasant surprise, since I don't think I have seen her anywhere else. Sukumaran as always was all guns blazing the life of the party, and you know what, I love him for it. Someone's gotta pop up and spice things up, and Suks takes up that responsibility with commendable ease and finesse. Seema though, was a bit of a disappointment. She was either over-acting, or being t...

It hurts to know that neither Venkatesh nor Soundarya got a National Award for their performances in Raja . They were insanely good and convincing; so much so that if the storyline, screenplay or whatever had any flaws, I didn't notice them. I was fully immersed in these two and their journeys, and rooting for them to get their happy ending. I don't know if it was because of the kind of headspace I was in or some other reason, but I was practically sobbing almost throughout the movie- especially whenever someone even hummed "Edo Oka Raagam" or it played in the background. In fact, I listened to both versions again after finishing the movie, and I was full-on crying by the time they ended. It is such a beautiful film, and the two protagonists make it even better.  However, I don't want to give the impression that the movie was a sob-fest all the time. The first half was lots of fun and wholesome too, and I just adored Soundarya's bonding with the kids. HEART RE...

One of the best Bollywood movies from the 80s by a long shot, all thanks to Sridevi and Amrish Puri. It was practically impossible to take your eyes off of Sridevi, she was so good and earnest and all things mesmerising. Yet again, she proved that she could take the most cliché-ridden and cringe roles possible, and create magic out of them.  The writing is tight and dramatic enough for one to easily slip into suspension of disbelief. The movie is not too long, which is a relief considering how much movies from that era tend to drag on. The cherry on top of the cake though is undoubtedly the dynamics between Sridevi amma and Amrish ji. They really do have one of the best protagonist-villain chemistries, and it is such a treat to watch them, even after so many years. And honestly, you can't miss this movie if you're a fan of either or both of them. The entire movie is basically a build-up to the "Main Naagin Tu Sapera" song, and it is so totally worth it. Even the ...

This was so hard to sit through... that I didn't. The concept was amazing I guess, but everything reeked of misogyny and there was too much whining by a man-child from the first scene itself got on my nerves. Plus, the main "twist" aka the premise of the story took way too long in arriving. I had to suffer an hour of pointless women-bashing to get to the main point. I thought it would get funny after that; and it did, for like one and a half scenes. Following them, it was back to "man I wish I was watching something else" hours. The psychiatrist bit could have been really funny and honestly saved the movie for me, but it was mega cringe and plain bad. Zero points. In conclusion, I'm glad they put Sonali Bendre's item song in the beginning only, so that I didn't have to sit through more than an hour of this mess. 

The older I get, the more I despise David Dhawan and his brand of cinema. There is something so deeply cringe about that man, it makes me feel weird to know that once upon a time I used to find his movies entertaining. But well, we grow up I guess. Thank God I did, at least in this context. To begin with, my problem with this movie mostly lies with how under-utilised Juhi Chawla was. This is her forté- a good old 90s rom-com with heavy emphasis on the comedy; and yet, we barely get to see her doing anything fun. Her outfits were all amazing, but apart from that, nothing. On top of it, the rest of the movie was quite underwhelming. Anil Kapoor and Govinda did not have any sort of comic chemistry whatsoever, and their scenes and characters were so sloppily written that it wasn't even hilarious in the wrong way- it was just boring. Thank God for Johnny Lever though, he managed to slip in a few laughs here and there. True king. Rest everything, progressively pathetic. I don't even ...

Easily the best of both Shahid Kapoor's and Vishal Bhardwaj's careers. Shahid's acting prowess is on a whole other level here, and I really can't wait for the day my man starts doing good films again. Yes, I said my man- I am unstable enough to revive my long-suppressed crush on Shahid Kapoor. What about it? As for Vishal Bhardwaj: first of all, I cannot help but admire him for choosing this story to tell. I cannot think of a mainstream Hindi movie that presents such an honest picture of Kashmir, and seeing how things are right now, I don't think we'll get such honesty anytime again soon. Technically too, he is in full control of the narrative, and takes his audience along with him so effortlessly that despite all the horrifying things happening on screen (sometimes graphic in nature), you really never want to look away. Everything else comes together beautifully too- the music is just perfect, and every single person in the cast gives it their 100%. Tabu as Gha...

The way this movie completely lost me in the last half hour is truly legendary. I mean, you would have expected something better from a movie featuring three great performers (Nedumudi Venu, Swathi Reddy and Fahadh Faasil) but nah (special mention to my man Sreenath Bhasi, the real scene-stealer always). Better never to expect anything only, even from a movie that starts off so strongly.  I guess the major reason why I felt let down (apart from the disservice done to the actors) was because of how mental illness and health were treated. I genuinely thought there was going to be some healthy discourse on the topic, but it was tediously run-of-the-mill, and like I said, a great disservice to how good FaFa was as Harikrishnan. I also felt like Swathi and Venu sir were grossly under-utilised: if they weren't gonna give Harikrishnan a full-fledged arc, the least they could have done was to cover it up with the other two solid actors. And the supporting cast... they had Geetha AND Sreena...

Cinema Bandi is a classic example of a movie whose intentions are infinitely better to their execution. I loved the concept of "everyone is a filmmaker at heart" and I loved the idea of an honest depiction of a culture so in love with cinema- but everything just fell flat. Don't get me wrong, there were funny and heartwarming moments here and there, but they simply weren't enough, and everything that happened in between was not very well done at all. My main problem with the movie though was that it tried too hard to be both thought-provoking (in the social justice warrior kind of way) and quirkyTM. Let's look at the first one: since the movie takes place in a village, it is obvious that it will raise certain issues that rural India faces on a chronic basis at this point in our history. However, the way the movie dealt with said issues felt like they were just ticking points off of a checklist, and trying their bare minimum to be organic about it. As for the secon...

Orange Mittai is exactly the kind of slice-of-life films that I enjoy watching: it has an excellent comedy track, realistic but entertaining characters, and most importantly, it refuses to take itself too seriously. I absolutely adore Vijay Sethupathi's deadpan comic delivery, and I was so not let down here, especially considering that he was the primary reason for us to watch this movie in the first place.  My biggest complaint with this movie was that at most times, the background music felt really intrusive and unnecessary. It didn't even make sense from a narrative sense half the time, and got quite annoying to put up with by the end. Speaking of the ending though, I loved how sweet and gentle it was, and how there was no exaggerated drama about the reunion of father and son or whatever. It was what it was, as it was supposed to be. I guess that's also the best way to sum up this movie. In conclusion, VJS probably has the best range out of all actors working in India to...

Paddayi has reaffirmed my belief that no one does Shakespeare adaptations better than Indians. The way this movie managed to get to the heart of what Macbeth stands for, and why it remains literally an evergreen story is truly exceptional. I'm surprised that this movie isn't already the underrated darling of Indian film bros, because it seems to be the best version of everything that they like in their movies. It's gritty, it is full of masculinity, there's a feeling of brotherhood involved, and most importantly, the scenes depicting the crimes are gruesome and realistic.  However, since I have already mentioned masculinity, I must emphasise that it is not of the typical kind (which I usually detest anyway). It is presented in a very non-glorifying way: in fact, this is probably why I love this movie so much. It glorifies nothing, just depicts it in the most natural way possible. It almost feels like a beautifully shot documentary of a tragedy that befalls two very ordi...

It will never cease to amaze me just how brilliant a performer Shobana is. She didn't exactly have a long role here (I think she entered somewhere around the one-hour mark) but for me, she definitely stole the show. Her character Radha not just acts as the moral backbone for Dasan (Mohanlal) but also makes him realise his deep-seated psychological issues in a way that doesn't take away from her own personality and identity, which is the case with... well... most women who aid in men's transformations in films written by men. I'm not saying Radha is the best-written female character or anything, but considering she's from 1987 and she still feels fresh and relevant in 2021, it's either that she's very remarkable or that society (men) still don't know how to write women properly. And honestly, I think it's 80% the latter and 20% the former reason. Coming to Nadodikkattu  though, I can't remember the last time I laughed so much, from start to finish...

There was something so soothing about this film- the way it was paced, the background music, the overall vibes- that I was not prepared for the emotional onslaught that happened in the second half. I was constantly on the verge of tears and heartbreak, and all I wanted was... I don't know, a little break maybe to collect myself and think a little more deeply about the events and occurrences in the movie. But that's not what cinema is for I guess- you're supposed to be in the moment with the characters and see things as they do. Which is why we form bonds with people we've "known" for a couple of hours at most, and why we carry them with us for years afterwards. Another reason why this movie will be memorable to me is because I started off by rooting for the male protagonist... only to realise later that you literally can never trust a man. The main characters were both realistically, yet beautifully written. I was so intrigued by Sruthi Hariharan- her talent a...

Sunil's comedy track in Sontham  is legendary among Telugu audiences, and rightfully so. My face hurt after laughing long and hard at every single scene he was in, especially the infamous "jihad" scene (now that's how you make a non-Islamophobic jihad joke), which is a masterpiece on its own. His chemistry with M.S. Narayana is brilliant and together, those two are nothing short of magic.  As for the rest of the movie, it is a very typical early 00s rom-com. Every single moment is predictable, but entertaining in its own way. I personally did not care for the main couple at all, since from their very first scene together it was apparent how it was all going to go down. However, I was pretty invested in the Bose-Sowmya storyline, and that sustained my interest in the movie even when it became clear that Sunil's scenes were pretty much finished. The songs were also nice, and to be honest, everything except the comedy scenes do work as wonderfully comforting backgrou...

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it- I think Attlee anna could have made this much more entertaining than it was. The criminally long run-time would probably be the same (if not more), but at least he'd have filled it up with spice, spice, and more spice.  Thalapathy delivers as always, and it's really just comforting to watch him on screen at this point in my life. The way this man has made 2021 better for me is unmatched. Vaathi-yaru? THALAPATHY! Apart from him though, I found Kajal Aggarwal a bit extra, but maybe that's more because of how her role was written? Actually no, I think I found her a little annoying because she kind of reminded me of the other roles of hers that I've seen earlier... well, one of the two anyway.  In conclusion, VJ talking in Hindi was hotter than I thought was possible. And in other news, I'm going to start learning Tamizh asap now. 

If it weren't for the fat-shaming, gay caricatures and Salman Khan, this movie could have been one of my favourite cinematic masterpieces from the 90s. Not that I don't love it anyway, but well. Madhuri deserved better honestly, and so did the album. However, can we talk about Mads though? She truly did own that decade with her effortless charm and general queen behaviour. Here too, she was badass, hilarious, dancing queen, and completely adorable all at once. How does one not simp?? I swear, every day I come closer to feeling what Rani Mukerji felt when she literally fell down at Madhuri's feet after announcing "Madhuri Dixit, Madhuri Dixit, MADHURI DIXIT!!" on that dance reality show.  In conclusion, all I want in life is for Madhuri to be my dance instructor. Or Shobana. Those two are literally the best, everytime I watch them dance, I feel like dancing myself. If that isn't the mark of legends, I don't know what is.

Parts of this hit very hard... but parts felt equally shallow. The harsh reality of geriatric care was adequately expressed, and yet, not explored thoroughly enough. I feel like the filmmaker lost hold on the narrative a little too easily, and the ending just didn't feel as impactful as it deserved to be.  However, it does work well as a social issue drama. I can only wish the second half didn't feel quite as superficial as it did. 

Everything in this movie started off as the most deliciously complex and layered narrative point... only to be completely undone by an overly-simplistic resolution. I would have loved to see the conflicts between the various characters materialise into something more than plot devices there just to drive the story forward.  The main premise itself was the kind of stuff I usually enjoy- lots of family drama, strong female characters, and rural Tamil Nadu. And honestly, this was not a bad watch at all by any standards. I just wish the narrative had a more consistent approach towards its nuances and character development, instead of trying to be halfway realistic and halfway a typical feel-good film. The story lost itself somewhere in that binary, and I wish it had stuck to its guns a little more. What really saved the movie for me were the performances: each and every actor excelled in their roles, and made the movie more memorable than it would have been otherwise.  In conclusi...

A simple, feel-good story about a young adorable leftist James McAvoy who has his coming-of-age moment in university, supported by an excellent cast and "quirky British humour" writing: what's not to like? I honestly did not know how badly I needed to see a nerdy James McAvoy, but now that I have, there can be no turning back. I am even more in love with him than I already was. Apart from him, Catherine Tate reminded me again of why she rocks, and I couldn't stop marvelling at what a fine performer she is. Most importantly though, it was my discovery of Rebecca Hall here that made this experience even better- I came for James and Catherine, but stayed for Rebecca. Even though none of the roles were written with any discernible depth, it's the acting performances that elevated them and made them memorable. I liked Benedict Cumberbatch too, but since his character was mega annoying, I don't really want to talk about him. Also, this was one of the rare white movi...

Raees is nothing else but a testament to Shah Rukh Khan's insanely good looks and equally insane acting skills. Apart from these very important aspects, I'm afraid to say that it falls rather flat- it tries to be both a proper mass movie and also a slick gangster epic, and doesn't manage to do justice to either. In its attempt to be the former, the grey shades of the protagonist aren't explored as well as one would hope; and in its attempt to be the latter, the massy elements like the romance and the songs only act as an annoyance to the audience that is finally sinking its teeth into the gritty drama. I wish the director had had a more coherent vision of what he wanted his movie to be- or more likely, I wish SRK's larger-than-life persona hadn't acted as a hindrance to this vision. It's incredible how his fame and stature haven't stopped him from constantly improving as an actor, and from always attempting different things. It's a lesson I wish more...

This was so boring that I couldn't even finish it. I had gone expecting a young love, feel-good story but... I honestly don't even know what happened. The plot seemed to be all over the place, and it was hard for me to be invested in any character enough. Also, it was so slow that my efforts to watch it with any kind of attention wasted away.  Here's hoping I have more success with my next Punjabi film.

I knew from the beginning of Cake itself that it would resonate with me, because the first scene is literally how I imagine what it would be like if I still live with my parents 10 years down the line. I also suspected from the start only that Zareen (Aamina Sheikh) was a middle child, and well, not surprising that I was right since it was a scarily accurate representation- so much so, that I wanted to cry at one point. The strongest aspect of this movie are the performances- it's very easy to tell that every actor has given it their all, resulting in wonderful dynamics between each of them, and added nuance and layers to the story. As for the story, it is so relatable and realistically written that I couldn't help but be fully engrossed in it. Every character felt like someone I knew (except Zareen, because Zareen was me), and their journeys were all too familiar. I appreciated how no one was a villain and everyone was treated with empathy and love. I do wish the movie had exp...

No thoughts, just Nivin Pauly in a mundu. And Koya and Shambu being absolute icons and owning the movie. And Nivin Pauly in a mundu. And the sights and sounds of rural Kerala captured so beautifully. And Nivin Pauly in a mundu. And the tender but overwhelming obsession of falling in love for the first time... and also the second time, because you're basically a kid when you fall in love for the first time and you need to experience it again when you're not exactly a kid, but also not smart enough to be a fully functioning adult aka when you're in college so your second love is also technically your first love. And did I mention, Nivin Pauly in a mundu? Everything is so wholesome (except Celine's fiancé) in Premam that your heart will feel ready to burst by the time you're done. I loved how George, Koya and Shambu were surviving and thriving on one shared braincell, that's the kind of non-toxic male friendship we need to see on screen. I also appreciated how desp...

It's hard to believe that Chashme Baddoor  completed 40 years on May 8- it remains as fresh and delightful as it was when first released, if not more. Personally, this movie holds a lot of nostalgia for me because it's set in and shot in North Campus, Delhi University, a place that is full of the loveliest memories for me. I too fell in love there, and it felt so special to watch it all being played out again on screen through Sai Paranjpye's eyes.  Apart from the DU vibes, what I loved most about this movie was how it was peppered with meta Bollywood references. Speaking of which, Ravi Baswani and Deepti Naval have got to be the most underrated pairing in Hindi cinema, thanks to the "Karna Tha Inkar" music video. They accomplished so much in that tiny space of time, it's amazing. Legends only. Leela Mishra as always made the movie a hundred times better with her presence, it's such a treat to have her around. Another little thing I appreciated was how eve...

I had expected a lot from Thirakkatha - I usually enjoy watching movies about movies even if they're not that good, there's just something about that vibe that I adore. But this one was such a mess from start to finish. Not one character felt real, not one situation felt as if it had not been directly taken after fishing from a giant jar labelled "clichés to use when you don't know how to continue your story". The worst part was that the protagonist Malavika (Priyamana) was simply not given enough screen time. I couldn't be invested in her story because it seemed like the least of the writer and director's concerns. So much time was wasted on other characters that even the little interest I had in Malu's story evaporated. Also, the actor playing Ajayachandran, Anoop Menon, just could not match up to Priyamani. There was zero chemistry there, and it was quite uncomfortable to watch them together. If you're making a romantic drama, the most basic req...

I should have known from the premise itself that this was not going to be necessarily "good", but I watched it anyway because I read on Wikipedia that Ilaiyaraaja waived his fees for this movie because he was that impressed with the storyline. While I do not regret watching Sammohanam , I can't say I enjoyed it either. Raaja's music was probably the highlight of the film, along with the ever-beautiful rural Kerala locations. Acting-wise, nothing touched me enough to leave an impact, barring the chemistry between Nedumudi Venu and Archana. Had the entire movie been a love story about them, I suppose I would have liked it more. Apart from this, the feminist undertones of Archana's character were interesting- had they been explored more in context of her identity as a tribal woman, this movie could have been a milestone in intersectional feminist politics. As it stands though, her position as a tribal woman is used as a mere plot device and the story doesn't real...

Heard it being referred to as the best baava propaganda film, and I must say that I agree partially- hey, nothing beats  Ninne Pelladatha , but this one is a close second. I did find myself getting quite emotional about the main couple at one point; baava propaganda: 1, A: 0. My favourite part in this romantic comedy was undoubtedly the comedy. I loved how ridiculously petty Balu was, I loved his meltdowns, and of course, the fact that he had "crying time" in his time-table. If he wasn't such a stubborn and incurable misogynist, I would have included him in my list of most relatable characters of all time. I had (and still have) reservations about Naga Chaitanya's acting abilities, but mashallah, he worked well here. And so did Tamannaah, who was just perfect as Mahalaksmi in all her phases. The supporting cast was of course the real hero here: Naresh as Balu's dad was the best man in the entire movie; M.S. Narayana sir who stole the show with his few scenes, and ...

I can't believe I'm doing this for a Sibi Malayil film, but my god this was such a drag to sit through. I lost all patience as the story progressed. I'm sorry but I just did not get the point of this movie at all. What exactly were they trying to say? That... prostitution is bad? Mental illness is bad? Society brings us down to our knees till we're nothing but animals? What?? I'd also heard a lot of praise for Mohanlal's acting in this movie, but I just did not have it in me to sympathise with him at all. Yeah, he tried to his best for the girls, but... murder? How do I excuse it in my brain? It's messed up and problematic on so many different levels, and what doesn't help is that there are heavy traces of his character being glorified. I don't care how accomplished his acting was, I could not get over the cringe politics and implications- not going to talk about them though, might have an aneurysm. In conclusion, what will it take for "cinephil...

For quite some time now, I have been trying to begin my foray into Satyajit Ray's filmography, but understandably felt too intimidated everytime. So I'm very glad that Agantuk ended up being my first movie by the legendary director, because it has so many elements that I am fond of- people disappearing, seemingly into thin air; long-lost family members; high-level drama; the shaky uncertainty that makes you look at things just a little more closely than usual; and of course, great performances and writing. Speaking of the performances, my favourite has to be Mamata Prakash as Anila. To overshadow Utpal Dutt in one of his career-best performances could not have been an easy task, but she makes it look effortless. Not that Utpal sir is lacking in any way- being the titular character, it is but natural that most of the attention will be on him, and in his unrivalled manner, he also makes sure that the attention never wanders off. I kept on searching his face for clues about his id...

As one of my besties once said about another movie, "this movie felt like one of those typical 2000s film that you can’t enjoy in 2021 unless you watched it as a kid and have nostalgic connections with it." Lesa Lesa starts off in the best way possible, with the title track,  but the way it goes downhill is the stuff of legend.  The first half of the movie was funny in places, and structured in such a way that I was genuinely interested in the characters and what would happen to them. However, what seemed like a promising madcap comedy turned out to be such a big old mess that I couldn't wait for the film to be over pretty soon into the second half. Plus, all the comedy sequences that were just rich people being the absolute worst did not appeal to me in the least, and were partly responsible for me disliking the rest of the movie. The flashback portion got on my nerves, and along with the climax, was my least favourite part of the movie.   The only saving graces wer...

I tried really hard to like Ponthan Mada - this was one of the two movies for which Mammootty won a National Award in 1994 (the other being Vidheyan ), and the premise seemed promising. But it just didn't work for me, mostly because of its pace. It's probbaly a me thing, but I just couldn't understand why the film moved so slowly that I had to concentrate really hard on keeping track of what was happening.  Apart from this, I failed to decipher the motivations of any character. I wanted a more thorough exploration of Ponthan Mada's (Mammukka) psyche, but all I got was... I don't even know. Don't get me wrong, Mammukka's acting was on point even here- the way he transforms effortlessly into all his characters is always a sheer delight to witness and appreciate. You would never imagine that the same actor played a tyrannical landlord in Vidheyan , when he is so convincing as a so-called lower-caste man who is always ready to please his "master" here....

I was quite intrigued by the premise- over the years, I have heard a fair bit about South Korea's obsession with plastic surgery, and this narrative felt like a good way of exploring its potential as good storytelling. However, I felt severely let down by the writing, especially of the female characters. There was hardly any subtlety or nuance to be found, and even without checking, it was very obvious to me that this was written by a man (it really was). And this happened very soon into the movie, so you can imagine how pleasant the rest of the experience was. Credits where credits are due- the story works much better than I expected as a thriller. I was constantly wondering about what I had just seen, and how it will impact the rest of the movie. Once I forced myself to get past the weirdly-written women (not very hard, since weirdly written women are the norm anyway), I started to be seriously invested in the characters' actions and motivations, and stayed that way till the ...

I cannot stop marvelling at how seamlessly Simran and Ajith transitioned from playing a cutesy romantic couple (Priya and Shiva) to a creepy, obsessive stalker (Deva) and the newly married bride who quickly finds herself in the most hopeless situation possible. Such amazing performances so early on in their career, I can't help but be in awe of them. Another thing I can't stop thinking about is how Ajith straight up played both his and Prakash Raj's characters from Aasai (1995) and made it seem so effortless. Even though I was sceptical at first, I must say Ajith did full justice to the double role, making it not just one of his most memorable performances ever, but also one of the best of its kind.  Coming to the movie itself- I think this must be one of the finest thrillers ever made in mainstream Indian cinema. I was so freaked out in certain places that I had to take pauses, and you know a movie is good when it makes you do that. The first half was super adorable and fu...

What this movie desperately needed were better villains. It started dragging pretty early on, and there was just no redemption after that. The characters weren't engaging, the love stories were quite random (the pairings had absolutely no chemistry as well), I still don't understand why there was the need to connect past & present, and what exactly were Arya and Vidya Balan doing?! I honestly don't even have anything to add, except that Tabu's cameo appearance was the highlight of the movie for me. And her less-than-a-minute moment with Prithviraj had more chemistry, electricity and intrigue than everything else in this movie.  In conclusion, Prithvi x Tabu romantic drama when?!