one time wanderer

Uppena  is by no means a perfect film; however, it has given me quite a lot to think about, despite its predictability and age-old story of a romance between a girl from an honour-obsessed "upper-caste" household, and a boy from a "lower-caste" community. That the boy is Christian complicates matters a little bit more, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The movie is absolutely deranged, from start to finish. Its commitment to that level of insane and intense drama is just what I needed: after a long time, I watched a movie entirely in one sitting, despite my high levels of exhaustion. I loved how both Aasi and Bebamma were written, and how their love seemed like a natural reflection of their personalities. The way Aasi matures from a daydreamer who is content to love someone from afar into someone who is acutely aware of his responsibilities and wants to do the right thing is exactly the kind of journey I love witnessing in cinema. Similarly, the way Bebamma grows

Content warning: two excruciatingly long scenes featuring Jackie Shroff on the toilet. I'm a Tabu stan. And I will pretty much enjoy anything she looks cute in, and has a semi-decent character because let's face it, she can elevate even the semi-decent roles into decent ones. The same logic applies to this movie as well, despite Jackie Shroff's annoying presence. I love to see her being a comedy queen too, so as far as Queen T is concerned, I won. As for the story... ummm. Let's not. It is so convoluted, especially because of the unnecessary non-Tabu comedy tracks (I'm looking at you, bromance between Jackie Shroff and Rajat Bedi) that by the time the "main" (I don't even know if it was the main one, I'm just assuming here) twist comes, you are sick and tired of the whole thing and wish Tabu and Dimple Kapadia had chosen another movie to co-star in. Oh yes, they also get a scene of one-on-one interaction, which lasted about three minutes but will l

The one thing I will remember from this movie is Ilaiyaraaja's amazingly on-point background music. That man just never misses, it seems. Apart from that, there's not much to say except that it was an entertaining 2.5 hours of young Chiru wilding. I swear, it was semi-cathartic to see him be the angsty youth I feel like currently. Silk Smitha ma'am was probably my favourite here: she easily outperformed everyone, and I wish she had been given more screen time and a better written character.  The subtitles disappeared for some time while I was watching, but I honestly didn't mind. The story was chaotic enough to hold up on its own. Classic Kodandarami + Yandamuri stuff. Finally, I just want to say that the Chiru-Suhasini pairing is one of the cutest ever. I would have enjoyed their chemistry more if the movie did not choose the "girl pls save me from myself" nonsense. Pack it up, Tamasha (2015) lite!!

More than anything, Nallavanukku Nallavan felt like a predecessor to Padayappa  (1999). And yes, Ramya Krishnan's presence was keenly felt.  However, my streak of excellent vintage Rajini entertainers was thankfully not broken with this one. I loved his chemistry with Radhika ma'am the most, especially when they were a middle-aged couple. I know they were both quite young when this movie first came out, and the movie is not technically romance, but I am still going to count this as "middle-aged romance" because WE JUST DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT GENRE. Also, their transformation into the older couple was pretty convincing and went beyond the grey hair, so plus points for that. Karthik was only halfway convincing as one of the villains though. I wish his character was written better, because I can honestly see him doing a villain role with ease.  In conclusion, no one can top Ramya ma'am as a Rajini movie villain, and that's her power!! Maybe I'll rewatch P

In the quickest and most precise way possible, this "review" can be written as: Take Salman Khan out of a film, replace him with a genuinely talented actor, and see the difference.  I know the ending is also different, but my god. And yes, maybe I am a little (or a lot) biased because I love Venkatesh; however, it simply cannot be denied that what he adds to this story is unmatchable. His pairing with Revathi became an immediate favourite: so young, fresh and pretty, how do I not lose my heart over them?? Ilaiyaraaja's songs are the cherries on top of a very delicious cake, and each one is a bop, a jam, a banger and everything else. Oh, and SPB here is a total cutie, his bonding with Venky is too precious for words. Mostly though, it's the protagonists' 'prema' that filled me up with warmth and nostalgia for that feeling of falling in love madly for the first time. The way the songs are picturised make it even more endearing, and despite the depressing end

Despite the 1.7 average rating on Letterboxd, I kept an open mind when I started Villu . Firstly, it's because I'm a Thalapathy simp, and secondly because 'Vaada Mapillay' has been on my Spotify On Repeat playlist for months now. Also, Vijay replacing Bobby Deol? How could it go wrong?  Boy, was I wrong. I somehow ended up hating it more than I hated Soldier (I didn't even hate Soldier , I disliked it). I only managed to get through this because of Vijay, that's it. Speaking of him, I know dad Vijay is one look that will live rent-free in my head, but WHY DIDN'T PRAKASH RAJ RECOGNISE HIM IF HE HAD THE EXACT SAME FACE AS HIS FATHER? How did that gigantic plot-hole go unnoticed? And Nayanthara? What did she do to deserve such treatment? Preity Zinta's character in the OG had some depth and some layers, but paavam Nayan had nothing. She looked smoking hot in every single scene, but at what cost??  The album deserves all the appreciation in the world though.

Mann  starts off in the strongest way possible: a fun song featuring 90s Rani Mukerji and Aamir Khan. Everything else that follows is also good enough, but man, what a beginning. I really don't know how else to describe this movie apart from "romantic melodrama with no dull moments, but lots of weirdly problematic ones". At first I thought I wouldn't enjoy this movie at all and wondered how I would survive the next 2 hours 45 minutes, but it somehow grew on me? Aamir Khan was fully obnoxious in the beginning, but Manisha Koirala had my heart from the very first moment. Of course. When have I ever resisted the charms of a talented and beautiful actress? Anyway, like I said, there was nothing boring about the movie, and since I live for the drama, I even managed to sit it in one sitting. Also, there is nothing quite as infectious as Anil Kapoor's energy in the whole world. What was going on with Sharmila Tagore's make-up though?? I couldn't even believe it w

The first thing that struck me was how effortlessly Mammootty pulled off two distinct body languages: one of a young, energetic man who is waiting for all that life will bring him, and the other of a world-weary and grieving old man who had everything but lost it. Apart from being yet another testament to Mammukka's brilliance, Manivathoorile Aayitam Sivarathrikal is also special because of Fazil's direction. The vibes are immaculate and the cinematography is a beautiful experience, and you can forget with ease that the plot drags a bit and the conflicts, while psychologically interesting, are a tad bit overblown. Suhasini is precious as Neena, and her daughter is every bit the precocious but wise motherless child we love to see on film. Who cares about the story?? I just want to spend more time with these people, and cry with them because life can be really too much sometimes. Finally, the music is as gorgeous as the movie itself. Suhasini and Mammootty singing among flowers?

Sridevi gives such a terrific performance as Selvi that it's easy to forget she was just 13 in this movie. She manages to overshadow both Kamal Haasan (who was quite a big star by then, if I'm not wrong) and Rajinikanth (who is exceptionally good as the villain). If she had not made the transition to Telugu and Hindi cinema full-time, and stuck with Tamil movies, her filmography might have been less cringe and more content. Even that is wishful thinking, but whatever. Everytime I start thinking I should finish her filmography some day, I remember all those movies with NTR, Rajesh Khanna, etc. as her co-stars. How will I survive those?! Anyway, back to Moondru Mudichu : K. Balachander pulls off an emotional drama with intense psychological conflicts like no one's business. I knew the "main twist" in advance, since it has been talked about the most, and I do wish I didn't know about it. It would have been quite the shocker. Despite all this though, the way the t

First things first: Shashi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore make an insanely good-looking pair. Secondly, "tum kaun ho, tum mera pyaar ho" in Mohammad Rafi's voice JUST HITS DIFFERENT. That's two winning points right there. The story was a usual melodrama of boy meets girl, boy is already betrothed, boy's father tries to separate boy and girl, eventual happy-ever-after. Very typical, and kind of boring in some places. But each and every romantic scene of the lead pair was intense and their chemistry was off the charts (Sharmila ma'am is probably one of those actresses who has amazing chemistry with everyone), which made the boring bits easier to deal with. The Kenyan backdrop was beautiful too, and so was that 'power-couple' ending shot. All in all, a decent movie, even though it could have been better written and executed.. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of Shashi Kapoor and/or Sharmila Tagore though, because they literally carry thi

There is something so magical about Madhubala: I am only recently delving into her work, and I can't help but be astounded by how she managed to eat up all her co-stars, no matter who they were. And yet, all of them positively glow in her presence! Her screen presence was so unique, and no matter how bad a film was, she could manage to light it up in her own special way. Truly a queen! Another pleasing part of the movie for me was the music: none of Shankar-Jaikishan's songs miss, and add a lot of fun where things might get a little boring or whatever. And on top of that, you have Shammi Kapoor's mad energy levels to ensure that you never really lose interest in what's going on. The story is pretty staple and predictable, but a lot of fun anyway, thanks to the lead pair and the music.  Oh, and how could I forget: there's foetus Dharmendra here too! I only wish there was a better print available to appreciate Madhubala's beauty even more. 

Now this is the "new-age" Telugu content that we all need. I was honestly not expecting  HIT  to be so good (I think one of the long-lasting effects of watching  Navarasa  in its entirety is that you feel every movie is going to disappoint you), but this was a solid thriller that stuck to its narrative with zero distractions, a rarity in itself for Indian cinema. Vishwak Sen holds the entire thing together with his performance as the protagonist Vikram, and despite most of the supporting cast not matching him, the film does not feel like it's lagging at all. The red herrings are neither too ingenuous nor too shoddy, which makes for perfect viewing when you want to use your brain but not too much.  As a potential franchise, they played their cards well: the universe the movie creates is ripe enough for more thrillers to happen, and I am genuinely curious about what turn the sequel starring Adivi Sesh is going to take. Just hope they keep the momentum and feel of this one i

I was completely floored by this one! To be honest, I was a little afraid that it might come off as gimmicky due to all the hype surrounding it last year, but thankfully that was not the case at all. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt reassuringly realistic for a film that exists on various computer/mobile screens. Maybe it's the pandemic that makes me feel this way: 90% of relationships have occurred on one screen or another since March 2020. This movie felt like an honest document of our times, in that sense. The first (and probably the finest, once Bollywood gets its hands on this format) of its kind, C U Soon is both invigorating, and something that offers a sense of relief. However, it's not just the format that works here: the narrative works superbly as a thriller, and after a long time, I saw something that made me lose touch with reality for a hot second, because I was too busy being engaged with the twists and turns happening here. Fahadh Faasil is in go

Usually while "reviewing" an anthology, I like to talk about each segment separately and then talk about it as a whole. I can't do that with Navarasa , unfortunately: not because it has 9 segments and it would take me a lot of time to write about each at some length, but because I simply do not care about it enough.  I was so excited to see Revathi and Vijay Sethupathi together in Edhiri (with Prakash Raj as a bonus) but Bejoy Nambiar just had to come and work his magic. I tried really hard to be into the story, but it was as boring and pretentious as an academic lecture by someone who has not set foot outside into the normal world in years. The fact that VJS himself was responsible for the dialogues made me feel even more enraged: just stick to your acting man, you're so good there. As for Nambiar, till now he has ruined one Tabu movie, one Dulquer movie, and one Revathi & VJS movie. When will it stop? When will I finally be free? The one story (out of 9) that w

It's not that I hate the film... Rajiv Menon does a good job in directing, the entire cast is fabulous, A.R. Rahman of course delivers a GOAT album, and everything is just so pretty to look at (including Kajol's dresses)... and yet, something was missing and I just couldn't bring myself to love the film. Probably because the story didn't do justice to any of the elements that I mentioned above. It's hard to pick one favourite acting performance here, but Arvind Swamy's character annoyed me the most, so I guess he deserves a special mention. Kajol shines through as Priya: I had my doubts about whether she could successfully carry off a character who wants to be a nun, but as always, she surprised me. Girish Karnad and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam added so much comedy with their father acts, and made the story seem funnier than it was. I honestly don't even know what to say about the story: my problem isn't that it was predictable or clichéd, but how weirdly it w

I am probably in a minority here, but I really did not mind the length of the movie at all. It's the pacing I had a problem with, and how it affected the tone of certain scenes. Another "unpopular" opinion is that I didn't really find anything wrong with this movie, especially considering how it was being trashed in certain sections of social media. Fahadh is amazing as Sulaiman, and I was hooked to every scene with that man in it. His chemistry with Nimisha was intense, and as with most gangster films I have watched and liked, their romance was the high point for me. Certain parts were quite predictable (never trust a politician, an insecure man is easiest to manipulate, etc.) but they were done well enough to not come off as cringe. Considering how low my standards are for contemporary Indian cinema (except Tamil, I suppose), that is an achievement in itself. In conclusion, I want a proper love story with FaFa and Nimisha next. Please. 

Meena ji and her music videos exist on a different plane than the rest of the movie. She was so wonderful as Kiran, one of her rare non-tragic roles (and hence, one of the least talked about). Dev Anand is quite good too, with his nuanced portrayal of a himbo. Meena ji and Dev didn't really have much of a chemistry, but Meena ji's screen presence is enough to take care of that.  Tamasha is a delight in the technical aspect too. I don't know much about cinematography and all that jazz, but I did appreciate the overall aesthetics of the movie a lot for some reason. That's pretty much it. Oh and let me just say that this one deserves all the clout that Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha has. Don't fight me on it!! And Meena ji deserves more recognition for her comic and non-serious side. She might have been the best "tragic queen" Hindi cinema ever saw, but she was also way more than that. 

I had quite high expectations from this one (rookie mistake, I know) because Wikipedia said it was one of the most influential Tamil thrillers of all time. However, I don't know if it's because of a culture/generation gap, but I couldn't enjoy the movie all that much. Sathyaraj was fantastic as the villain though, so I don't really regret watching it, but the rest of the movie was a solid meh. On top of it, the rape scenes were too much for me to handle. I can't believe movies in the 80s just got away with that kind of depiction. In conclusion, I have realised that even if I don't like a movie, I will still like Ilaiyaraaja's music. He balances it all out. Raaja raaja than!

Once again, I marvel at how good 90s Telugu cinema was at remaking movies. I really liked how they adapted Tagore's story to local and contemporary settings, making it seem as believable as a native story.  The plot was honestly quite messy- but entertaining anyway. And I did cry a lot during the climax and after the movie ended, so nothing to complain about. Both Jagapathi Babu and Indraja played their roles well, with the supporting cast also doing a good job. The real hero of the movie for me though, the reason why I will think of it with fondness, is the song "O Manasa Thondara". It is such a delightful tune, and the music video filled my heart with warmth and all kinds of lovely feelings. I watched it multiple times after finishing the movie, and it is probably going to end up on my Spotify 'On Repeat' playlist very soon. Nothing beats the K.S. Chithra-S.P. Balasubrahmanyam combination in making gloomy days better, for sure. In conclusion, the way Jagapathi B