one time wanderer

The only reason I didn't leave this movie midway was because of Dulquer Salmaan. Even Sai Pallavi could do nothing for me this time- I don't know if it's because of the way her character was written or what, but she just didn't bring what I have come to expect from her to this role. Everything else was... boring. That's it. The last movie I watched was Pa Ranjith's Sarpatta Parambarai and there I was speechless because it was so good that I couldn't stop thinking about it long enough to pen down coherent sentences. This one I'm speechless for because I just couldn't care about anything. Not even Sid's anger problem. Which was the main point. And hello, making me uninterested in a character called Sid with anger issues?? That's both rude and offensive and I think I dislike this movie even more now.  Also, Sai Pallavi and Dulquer Salmaan had no chemistry whatsoever. If ONLY they had cast people with good chemistry, this could have been easier t

My only regret with this movie was that I couldn't watch it in one sitting. The way both Kabilan and Arya evolve throughout the movie, the way the movie is shot, the way the women characters are written, the way the supporting cast just kills it in every single scene- it's probably my favourite 2021 movie so far, and I will not stop whining about how it should have been experienced in the theatre. It's also easily one of my favourite sports movies, and I just know it's going to get better with every rewatch. I don't even grudge it its almost 3-hour long runtime, every minute of Pa Ranjith's story was worth it.  I guess I really don't have much to say, because I am still overwhelmed by the journey Sarpatta Parambarai took me on. I guess I'll have more concrete thoughts once I rewatch.

The way this movie begins, with Srividya's character singing "Yezhu Swarangalukkul" in Vani Jairam's beautiful voice, I fell in love right there. There was something so ethereal in the way this movie was shot, I completely lost myself in its world. On top of it, Srividya and Kamal Haasan's chemistry... my god, the word "insane" was probably invented for it. And the way this movie is so full of sexual tension that it's tangible after a point?? Like I said, it's hard not to get sucked into it.  I don't really have any more thoughts, except that the music is too good, and that Srividya-Kamal Haasan... I really hope they got together or something, I don't care. And Rajinikanth!! In his very first appearance in a movie!!! This movie was just meant to be a classic, and that is it. 

A perfect example of a pure, commercial entertainer that doesn't pretend to be more than what it is. A major bright spot is how the acting performances elevate the movie, especially Suriya's, who as the leading man gets the lion's share of screen-time and does most of the work in keeping you invested throughout the run-time. I simply LOVE how the man can act with his eyes, and I hope his upcoming projects really bring out the actor in him in a way we have never seen before.  Back to Aaru  though- despite all the problematic gender dynamics and even r*pe jokes, I couldn't find it in myself to hate the movie. I don't know okay, maybe I am problematic!! This is to clarify I didn't find those "jokes" funny at all, I actually hated them so much that I vowed I wouldn't enjoy the rest of the movie, but... it was just the kind of mass I need right now. I'm sorry. The main conflict was so well done, and Suriya-Ashish Vidyarthi really brought the anger t

I'm gonna be real: the only reason I had for watching this movie was the fact that as of now, it's the only one that has both Vijay and Ajith in it. And despite that being the "only" reason, my expectations were quite high, not gonna lie. Don't ask me why, I just love the 90s. And Vijay. And Ilaiyaraaja. And the film mostly lived up to them.  Let's start with the first of the three things I mentioned above: the 90s. This is such a typical 90s part-melodrama part-action part-romance part-bromance full-entertainment package. I knew how everything would play out 5 minutes before it did, but that has its own charm when done well. As for the second reason, I really don't think I have it in me to ever hate a Vijay performance (I feel like I've written this elsewhere too, had a very strong sense of déjà vu) (oh wow, that rhymed). But no, he just carries the movie on his beautiful shoulders so well and I enjoyed watching him immensely. Also, his chemistry with

This movie felt like a warm, cozy, and cleansing hug at the end of a long, exhausting week. I loved its gentle pacing, I loved the music, and I loved how real Taeko and the people around her felt. The movie's treatment of both the vagaries of growing up and the dilemmas faced by someone looking back was incredible- even though I am closer in age to the older Taeko, I still felt all the pain, embarrassment and joys of 10-year old Taeko keenly. As for the older one, I feel like I am in a whole other existential crisis quite different from hers, so I probably couldn't relate to her so much. Yes I know it's futile to carry your own baggage to "reviewing" movies but give me a break. It's been a long time since I have related to a character in a movie, that too female, and I will talk about it.  Anyway, this movie is as close to a "must-watch" as it gets for me, and I think all women my age should watch it. And all Beatles fans too! The references made me

Nothing like extreme tone-deafness from your favourite actor and his producer brother to ruin a movie you've been waiting to enjoy for months. I mean, why would you remake a movie that is EXPLICITLY about caste conflict and not even have a single mention of the word "caste" in your own product? What were those hints about being related to someone? We are way past that. And that bit in the opening that said a poor person has no caste or religion... okay, I don't even have the mental energy to comment on it because it is just wilfully ignorant. It's almost as if the movie is mocking generations of oppressed people who have been trying to achieve justice, since one clearly cannot count on the oppressors to hand it over.  I will take a breather now and comment on how insanely good Venkatesh is as the eponymous character. Truly, one of his career-best performances... but at what fucking cost?? His own relative was involved in the Karamchhedu massacre (please read up on

Thank you Tamil cinema, for always coming through whenever I need a solid melodrama. This movie was so good with its over-the-top emotional intensity, and as much as I hated Karthik's character in the first half, I have to say that I warmed up to him nicely in the second, thanks to his fabulous acting. However, it's Soundarya's flawless performance as Chinthamani that won me over to this movie: so much so that I even went and rewatched some scenes right after I was done. Soundarya's performance in the second half reminded me a lot of Sridevi in Sadma . I was crying in some scenes and was just really rooting for a happy ending for the lead pair. If that isn't what a romance is supposed to make you feel, I don't know what is. Ilaiyaraaja's music, it goes without saying, is a winner, and definitely makes the movie better than it would have been without it. King, legend, everything.  Extra love for the protagonists and how much love they filled in my heart right

I was really craving a melodramatic movie, one that was honest and didn't try to be anything else. Fortunately, Neela Malargal fit the bill perfectly, with the added bonus of Sridevi looking cute. And blowing me away as always, this time with her performance as a blind orphan girl.  The story is pretty straight-forward and like I've mentioned already, full of melodrama. There's nothing unpredictable or innovative about the plot- the way it progresses even feels comforting weirdly because you can easily tell what's going to happen next. It's the actors who elevate the narrative, by giving it their all and making the movie worth investing your attention in. The songs are also amazing, with 'Ithu Irava Pagala' and 'Maadham Oru Poo' standing out. I loved little Kannan and his bonding with everyone. Damn it, that kid really did spread happiness wherever he went, including my heart. The comedy track was equally good, and served as an effective foil to the

If they had managed to make the second half as good as the first, Fitoor  would probably have ended up being one of the more interesting movies to have come out in recent times. It's still interesting though- Tabu is the star of the show (obviously) and gives a performance that gets under your skin; Katrina is fabulous as Firdaus, if a little lacking in the emotional scenes; and the way the director transports Dickens' classic (and my favourite of his work from what I have read till now) Great Expectations in contemporary India is quite good. However, the loose ends are many and the film just doesn't hold up the way you'd like it too. My first problem is the lead pair. There was absolutely no chemistry between them, which is the first thing you need in a romantic drama. So many weak plots have been saved by an absolutely insane chemistry between the leads. But here, things fizzle out so quickly you start wishing Noor (Aditya Roy Kapoor) starts pining for Begum Hazrat Ja

I don't know what it is, but none of the "mass" Malayalam movies that I have seen till now have worked for me (not counting Nivin's mundu scenes in Premam ). I'm still not writing the genre off though, because I still have a few movies on my list. Also, none of I.V. Sasi's movies have worked for me, but let's not go there.  I read in a few places that this was one of Mammukka's defining mass roles, and I can see that. But everything was just so pathetic after his entry, that I couldn't find anything redeeming after it. This entry and Geetha ma'am's performance (so soulful and sweet) were the best parts of the movie. The latter though was quite wasted here, if you ask me. I would have loved to see a more nuanced movie with her as the prostitute with a heart of gold, but this is an I.V. Sasi movie. You can kiss your expectations of nuance goodbye. As for Seema, I am not at all surprised that she spent most of her career working in her husband

I went in with a lot of expectations, and I was quite disappointed to say the least. It's not the movie's fault though, I suppose, since it's a sequel to a movie I haven't seen (I did not know this before I started watching it) and very few comedies have the ability to surpass both the culture and the time divide. I was not alive to see this movie back when it released, nor am I a Telugu so I guess this just wasn't meant to be. I tried really hard for Brahmanandam though. And the part with Urmila Matondkar and Jagapathi Babu revived my interest for a while, but... nah. Better luck next time. PS- Just saw this is the same guy who directed Sisindri . Of course. World makes sense again. 

Not to indulge in hyperbole, but every single second of Revathi in this movie is simply flawless. I'm afraid she has quite ruined the original Hindi movie Arth (1982) for me, because I really can't see anyone doing justice to the wife character like she did. Rohini ma'am is in top form too- I loved the intensity she brought in to the role, and was terrified of her in a lot of places. Not because she was "mad", but because she looked so close to a breakdown that I was both scared of her and for her. I also couldn't stop thinking about how Revathi and Rohini had a completely different dynamic in Magalir Mattum which released the very next year. It's something quite special that they pulled off in both the movies, which reminded me of what I myself have been saying for years now- women are the backbone and everything else of cinema!! We wouldn't know how to appreciate a movie without them, for real. Arvind Swamy was perfectly cast as Gowri Shankar, and I

Mathilukal is one of those rare movies which are slow, heavy and full of depth, and yet feel like a wholesome hug, but you also never forget the grim realities of life. There is so much beauty in every frame of Adoor Gopalakrishnan's, while also never hiding the fact that the movie is taking place within a prison, a place where no one actually wants to be ever. I'm not going to try and pretend that I understood everything, but what I will say is that it touched me in a way that will make me think about it for a long time to come. Mammootty as Basheer is what cinematic dreams are made of. He imbues the role with gentleness and determination that makes one adore him unconditionally. The movie shows the struggles that he faces in prison with a poignancy- we are always all too aware of how Basheer is on the cusp of losing his humanity and humaneness, but he perseveres to not let the external world get the better of him. I can't stop seeing the shot where he is walking in the pr

Fair warning: this movie will try its hardest to suck the feminism out of your system, but you'll still enjoy it because watching Madhubala as Anita Verma is all kinds of joyful, and because Guru Dutt and Johnny Walker have arguably one of the best bromances of all time. Indeed, it's their chemistry more than Guru Dutt and Madhubala's that kept me engaged and entertained throughout the film. Actually it's just Johnny Walker ji (no offence to Dutt saheb): that man could liven up anything and everything, it seems. If I'm being 100% honest, I will have to admit that my primary motivation for wanting to watch this movie was the song 'Jaane Kahan Mera Jigar Gaya Ji', picturised on Johnny Walker and Yasmin, who unfortunately never acted in a movie again. I say "unfortunately" because I quite enjoyed her performance as Julie, and would have liked to see her in more films. As it is, however, Mr. & Mrs. '55 ended up being her first and last film, an

What I loved most about Mani saar's masterpiece Mouna Raagam was how it was a collection of all my favourite romance tropes done exceptionally well. There was not one twist or turn that didn't hook me even further to the story, and the way Mohan looked at Revathi had me melting everytime. As for Revathi, she was just flawless. I wanted to know every thing that went through Divya's head, I wanted to sit down for a cup of coffee with her and talk to her about everything under the sun. Damnit, I would have shown her around Delhi and taken her to all my favourite spots. The way Revathi plays the role, it is hard not to fall in love with Divya. No wonder everyone calls it one of the best performances of her already distinguished career. For once, I don't really have any complaints with Mani saar. I mean, I'm sure I do, but I was so taken by the romance and with Ilaiyaraaja's music that all the "problematic" bits just didn't register with me. I only wish

TW: s*icide. Hrishikesh Mukherjee displays in his very first film a sensitivity and maturity interlaced with gentle humour that would soon become a trademark of his filmography, and more importantly, become the main reason why his films remain the ultimate comfort decades after their release. Musafir also marks the first time Dilip saheb sang for a film, a lovely duet with Lata Mangeshkar- the two of them would eventually go on to refer to each other as "brother" and "sister", with Lata tai tying a rakhi around Dilip saheb's wrist. To the best of my knowledge, this is probably the only film starring both Dilip Kumar and Kishore Kumar, and it is a bit of a regret that the two legends never got to share screen space with each other.  There is so much in this film to decipher, but last night, I simply let myself soak in the deep layers of its simplicity. I fell in love with Suchitra Sen even more- the way she speaks and emotes is exceptional, and I loved the heavy

This movie is messy from start to finish (and especially at the start and finish) but you know what? It is so perfectly and gloriously messy that I do not mind it a single bit.  The music is fabulous, (but what else do you expect from the Ilaiyaraaja, S. Janaki, and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam combination?) and is the main reason for me enjoying this film. All the songs are classics, and there is a very special place in my heart for baby Shobana singing 'Chukkalanti Ammayi' for the kids. I love watching her with children so much, it is peak wholesome cinema for me. The dramaTM was also pitch-perfect: not a single boring moment, with everyone being appropriately emotionally intense always. And honestly, that's the kind of exaggeration I needed as a pick-me-up that day, so win-win. Plus, it goes without saying, SHOBANA MAAAAAASSSS (especially because she doesn't die and looks super cute and has a lot of footage AND gets her man). The ending will probably haunt me for years as b

What can I even say about a movie that, apart from being a beloved classic from my childhood, is also freaking iconic from the beginning itself: as my movie partner pointed out, the removal of ritualistic items (and may I add, positioning them as an object of mirth) is symbolic of the post-90s liberalisation, globalisation and westernisation that was at its peak when this film released.  Rhea Prakash is easily in my Top 5 Rani performances, while Karan Kapoor is definitely my favourite Saif performance. They have such amazing chemistry, which is the most important thing in any rom-com. I love their enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline, I love the power with which Rhea gave her coffee order (I wish that was me), I love the Dimple Kapadia reference, I love the entire album (no skips!!), I love Shenaz Treasurywala's cameo, I ESPECIALLY love Jimmy Sheirgill as Mihir, I love the way Rhea's mom roasts the French language while living in France, I love how every woman who came in co

There are so many layers to Satyajit Ray's narrative that I can easily watch this 4 more times and always find something new to marvel over. One of the movies that will continue to age like fine wine as the time passes because it is one of the most honest portrayals of not just stardom and how people react to those considered "larger-than-life", but it also a truthful document of just how obsessed Indians are with their cine idols. Manik Da really knew what was up when he wrote and directed this.  Also, Uttam Kumar?! He has got to be one of the most visually arresting people I have ever seen. He's the kind of actor and star whose screen presence automatically transports you to a cinema hall. I don't know how else to explain it. It's so easy to feel as convoluted as he does in the dream sequences: not specifically because they're relatable, but by this point in the narrative, you have accepted Arindam Mukherjee as THE superstar. What a brilliant performer,

The best part about this movie was the line- "Pyaar aur pimple kabhi nahi chhupte" (love and pimples can never be hidden). And that's pretty much. The story was infuriatingly bad, and just kept getting worse. On the surface it looks like a harmless college rom-com from the early 00s, back when India's economic liberalisation had just begun to spread its wings fully- but dig a little deeper, and it's just another karwa chauth propaganda film wrapped in fancy wrapping paper from Archie's.  I was only thankful that this was not one of the Shahid films I grew up watching a lot ( Jab We Met supremacy ONLY) because it truly has the potential to screw your life forever. No, Payal, DO NOT ASK HIM IF HE'S OKAY HE TRIED TO MOLEST YOU AND WAS LATER SHAMELESS ABOUT IT IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE. LITERAL BULLIES WERE KINDER TO YOU THAN HIM, WAKE THE FUCK UP. This self-destructive behaviour reminded me a lot of certain friends, and friends of friends, etc. because we clea