A Missed Opportunity To Give Unsung Heroes Their Due |
Mission Raniganj's lacklustre screenplay does a disservice to all its heroes, including Akshay Kumar, writes Arshia Dhar. |
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THE good thing about rescue thrillers based on real life events is that in most instances you know exactly how the story ends. You are well prepared for the shocks in case you’re faint hearted. However, it is also its biggest affliction, since now, the only way a recreation of it can feel novel is if it allows you to live through those shocks, making the experience immersive. Director Tinu Suresh Desai’s Mission Raniganj recreates the catastrophe that befell the Mahabir Colliery in West Bengal’s Raniganj back in November 1989. With 71 miners stuck in the death trap of a flooded quarry leaking poisonous gas, their saviour became a turbaned messiah from Amritsar, Jaswant Singh Gill, an official of Coal India, played by who else but Akshay Kumar, Bollywood’s trusty commander-in-chief of the biopic machinery. For the uninitiated, 65 of them were rescued, which undoubtedly was no mean feat, especially when set in the context of a corrupt system where even a button can’t be pressed without jumping through insurmountable red tape like circus monkeys. But Gill—both the real and the reel one—remained undeterred in the face of challenges that seem infuriatingly familiar, yet resolvable, since we all go in knowing the outcome. The cracks, however, begin to show elsewhere, when the heightened drama, often frivolously written dialogues—which even borders on comical with toony background music to boot—coupled with a lacklustre, unidimensional screenplay does a disservice to all its heroes, and not just Khiladi Kumar. |
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The Road: A Couple Of Solid Twists On This Eerie Journey |
THERE’s a cardinal rule in commercial filmmaking — if you want your protagonist to shine, write an antagonist worth their time and effort. If it is a female protagonist, invest some more time, so that no conflict appears too easy, too contrived. The Road director Arun Vaseegaran has learnt that lesson well. So, you understand why Meera (an effective Trisha) goes after the people who bring her life to a grinding halt. Arun creates in writer-researcher Meera a loving wife to Anand (a pleasant Santhosh Pratap), and mother to Kawin. Even if some of the mother-son interactions seem cheesy, they don’t irritate you. You feel the love Meera has for her wildlife photographer husband, and the chemistry they share. And you just know that she will go out and look for answers. — SUBHA J RAO |
| Chaaver: Style Over Substance In Kunchacko Boban-Starrer |
PERHAPS as a one-liner, Chaaver had some heft. The grand idea was to give viewers a peek into the lives of the faceless foot-soldiers of political parties. What goes on in the minds of these henchmen who have pledged to kill for an organisation that has always made them scapegoats for their political vendettas? But this intriguing thread is never explored beyond the fringes in this film written by Joy Mathew and directed by Tinu Pappachan. Instead what we are served is a tiresome, weakly written narrative executed by a woefully self-indulgent filmmaker. We get a hint of Tinu’s fixation with stylish, pretty frames right from the beginning. The night shots are tinted in red, with a smattering of neon leading us to a gang of men fleeing after committing a brutal murder. — NEELIMA MENON |
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Dono: Barjatya Baton Passes To A New Gen In Breezy Debut |
IT is always interesting to see a familiar voice reinventing themselves. Earlier this year with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Karan Johar examined his pro-conservative legacy through the premise of a disruptive love story. Something similar is afoot with Dono, the latest film bankrolled by Sooraj Barjatya. Directed by his son Avnish, the outing witnesses the passing of the baton in more ways than one. Apart from being helmed by someone who represents a new generation in what is inherently a traditional production house, Dono marks the debut of Sunny Deol’s son Rajveer and Poonam Dhillon’s daughter Paloma. On the surface, things look like an extension of everything we are familiar with. The narrative centerpiece is occupied by an elaborate arranged marriage. The people are nice, the couple is in love (think: Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath-Saath Hain, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Vivah, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo). But in the background something else is brewing. — ISHITA SENGUPTA |
| Raththam: This Drama Needed Better Actor Than Vijay Antony |
DURING a promotional interview, CS Amudhavan said Raththam is his first “serious film,” a clear departure from the comic spoofs that he is known for. He also calls it his “homage to Spotlight.” And then he ropes in Vijay Antony — who has at best only one stock expression throughout the film — to play the role of a former daredevil investigative journalist. You would think he was joking. No such luck; this time, the director doesn’t even try to squeeze in comedy anywhere in the narrative. It’s a pretty straightforward investigative drama that pivots around hate crimes in the country. There is a bit of everything in here — though it doesn’t work for the most part. A murder (staged without any subtlety) in Chennai leads to the introduction of the main character. The first thing you notice is Ranjith Kumar’s (Vijay Antony) awfully fitted beard which is in danger of shedding. And his blank stare. The narrative picks up momentum when Ranjith is forced to investigate the murder of his friend Chezhiyan. — N.M. |
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#ICYMI | Khufiya: Vishal Bhardwaj's Spy Saga Is Sweeping In Scope, But Runs Out Of Steam |
VISHAL BHARDWAJ’s Khufiya, his first feature film in five years, is a lot of things. It is an espionage thriller unfolding against a turbulent political backdrop. It is a story about a woman coming to terms with herself through the demands of her profession. It is about a mother willing to stake everything for the sake of her child. It is about two women helping themselves by helping each other. It is also about a man who believes he is a patriot even when his actions might make him a traitor. What Khufiya is not, however, is coherent, compelling, and a film that rewards investment. — I.S. |
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