one time wanderer

Miss you so much, Irrfan sir. Can't believe this was your second-last movie ever *cries in maqbool*. I feel as if something inside me has been hollowed out after finishing this movie- it has nothing to do with the movie itself, but everything to do with Irrfan Khan passing away. Sigh. Coming back to the movie though, this was the very definition of "heartwarming". Even though it was full of clichés, like the software engineer who wanted to be a photographer, the gen z gal who is "loose", and the road trip serving as an allegory for a journey of self-discovery, the overall effect was surprisingly sweet and funny. Karwaan was at its best though, when it was a farcical exposé of corporate inefficiency. The black comedy wasn't exactly the kind that'll make you laugh out loud- it'll more likely make you smirk and remember some similar incident that happened in your own life. And well, it was certainly a mood uplifter for me, for all these reasons and m...

Hmm, so technically I watched Athadey , the Telugu dubbed version (it was the only one I could find with English subtitles). At this rate, I'm going to have a decent understanding of Telugu by the end of the year. #blessed If this movie proves one thing, it's that Dulquer Salmaan is one of the best actors of his generation. He shines in all 4 segments, portraying 4 wildly different people in such a terrific manner. If I had to choose, my favourite would be Siva from the third segment. It's a treat- Siva hardly ever speaks, but his eyes, his body language, and his facial expressions tell you all that you need to know. My favourite scene from the movie is also from this segment- the one where the focus is on a man sleeping, and there's a young boy running on the road outside. I did a terrible job of explaining it, I know, but anyway, you won't get it unless you've seen the movie. Which you totally should, if you're a Dulquer fan. Otherwise, well, I'll t...

First things first: the audacity of casting Ramya Krishnan as Siddharth's mother, when she's ONLY 9 years elder to him. *screams* Honestly, I cared more about the Ramya-Prakash Raj dynamic, than the Siddharth-Tamannaah one, and this movie would have been tons better if they focused on that instead. I was waiting patiently for it to begin, but I felt very underwhelmed when it ended, only because the resolution was too hurried, and there was just not enough screen time given to them. Stop this ageism yaar Indian cinema. Plus it was so disrespectful to the people who were thirsting over Ramya- so not cool. The one saving grace would be the music, especially Evade Subramanyam. I'm gonna play it every time I'm forced to read something written by, or about Subramanian Swamy. It's truly the little things that give most joy. 

I knew I'd love this movie from the moment Sunil came in, waiting to receive Siddharth and his mother at the airport. Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (I love this name btw) is the perfect balance of everything- half the time, I was laughing hysterically, and the other half, I was trying to rein in my emotions. The music is GREAT, and the accompanying visuals make the songs even more memorable. There is something so magical about Chandrulo Unde especially; I can't wait to play it on the next rainy day and just zone out to it while drinking a nice cup of coffee (can't believe it took an actual pandemic-induced lockdown for me to learn how to make good coffee, a drink that basically constitutes at least half of my bloodstream). (I am drinking coffee as I write this, obviously). One thing that I particularly admire about this movie is how well it has aged. There was hardly any problematic or even cringe-inducing factor, except perhaps the bit where Santosh (Siddharth) makes Sir...

Really don't understand why this one got so much hate. It was a fun watch that required you to pay close attention, with some good music and jokes- isn't that enough? Honestly, the fact that it had like 3 different endings irked me a bit- the movie should have ended 20 minutes before it actually did, but that's not such a grave crime to commit. Saif was totally believable as the desi RAW James Bond, and Adil Hussain as Colonel was not your average movie villain (just like Satish Godbole tbh). The creepiest though, was Colonel's close associate Jimmy, played by Anshuman Ajai Singh. Kareena was... Kareena. Couldn't stop seeing one of my best friends in her, because she resembles her so much and I can't believe it took me 9 years to realise. Also, can I just say that I loved this movie the most for having a lot of gay energy, and never once turning homophobic? That's the kind of content I expect from Sriram Raghavan, and I'm glad to have given him righ...

It's not at all surprising, but very frustrating, to watch this movie more than 30 years after it was released and realise that few things have changed about the perils of opening and sustaining a small business in India. Revathi was easily my favourite part of this movie- even though she had a small role, she stood her ground against Mohanlal, who delivers an almost perfect performance of a Gulf-returnee whose initial enthusiasm and optimism about having his own business in his hometown slowly turns into a chaos of despair and anger when he finds out how selfish everyone around him is. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the core plot of the movie- I might have some issues with its labour politics, but I don't think I should comment on it, since I am in no way well-versed with the trade union history of Kerala. This also explains why I didn't find the movie as "cult comedy/satire" as I was expecting it to; probably because I am not aware of all the intri...

Watched this one in honour of Daniel Radcliffe's birthday, and man, what a wonderful gem did I discover! At first, I was scared of it turning out to be yet another boring rom-com, but it was so fresh and funny and insane, filled with moments that stay with you for a long time as testimony to what a good rom-com should be like. One thing that I really appreciated was the bromance chemistry between Wallace (Danny boi) and Allan (Adam Driver). The absence of friendships that come off as genuine has long been one of my complaints against the genre, especially male friendships, but this one felt so real. You just get why these two vibe so well, and honestly, I am here for it. I also really liked how they gradually built up Chantry (Zoe Kazan) and Wallace's friendship- not so slow that you lose interest, but not so quick that suspension of disbelief is impossible.  Alll the conversations in this movie are iconic, but not in an over-the-top kinda way; more like, the conversati...