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Reviews
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
A must-watch, filled with aesthetics!
Primarily, justifying why the audience regarded this movie as 'flop' and did not enjoy it much - it is well-known to all that Indian audience still considers cinema as a source of entertainment ONLY. However, this movie, being a slow-paced and 'boring' account of a very sensitive topic, was rather filled with 'content' than with entertainment. And this exactly is why it failed to receive an initial positive response from the general public, who rather dismissed it by saying "dekhte dekhte neend hi aa rahi thi." Moreover, the movie speaks about certain POVs regarding legalizing prostitution, that might be offensive and controversial, as they "seemed" to be against the general norms of the society. However, one should be mindful of and realize that it is not the makers' intentions to foster prostitution in India; the movie is just a portrayal of a personality who supported prostitution backed-up by law.
Speaking of the positives first. Alia Bhatt was just PHE-NO-ME-NAL in the titular role and her performance is undoubtedly the best of hers till date. Having said that, I personally also feel that Kangana Ranaut deserved this role more than Alia did, and would definitely have performed it better than the latter. However, Alia Bhatt justified the role 100%, while Vijay Raaz's performance was commendable too.
The one thing I love the most about Sanjay Leela Bhansali is that except acting, he does EVERYTHING in his movies - direction, screenplay/writing, production, music composition and editing. This helps him have complete control over the project, and gives him a much stronger vision about the movie. And this happened in Gangubai Kathiawadi as well! The direction and screenplay were well done (with a few flaws which are mentioned in the later part of this review); with the dialogues being MIND BLOWING. And when I say mind blowing, I mean mind blowing. The music, as usual, was top-notch, and it definitely had to be so as it came from one of the best music composers of BWood.
Bhansali is well-known for his beautiful presentation of aesthetic visuals, and yet again he proves why he's the best at it. The entire white-theme was a treat to the eyes, while the protagonist's costumes (and physical look) being beautifully dressed. Special mention to the ending scene where thousands of strips of white paper are showered upon Gangubai to celebrate her! It ought to leave you astonished.
Special mentions also to be given to the entire one-shot scene of the song "meri jaan" which was performed exceptionally well by Alia and Shantanu. I love how that 2 minute sequence shows every single emotion Gangubai has in her heart - right from the "brutal acceptance of her fate" to "the pleasure of actually falling in love with a person rather than just satisfying someone's lust" the song covers a diverse set of emotions.
The monologue at the end was again well written and performed; however this is where the controversy might be triggered.
As I said earlier that the movie might seem to be boring, here comes the negative aspect. No matter what, I am adamant about the fact that Bhansali always ends of messing somewhere or the other. The movie was VERY slow-paced, and it majorly lacked the excitement of what-would-happen-next that we all have while watching any film. Moreover, the transition between one major segment of the movie to another one was very erratic. It was as if the next part came out of nowhere, without giving a proper conclusion to the previous part/scene. This hampered with the smooth flow of events in the movie, and it rather felt as if 5-6 major parts of Gangubai's life were adapted and just put together in the form of a movie, without any proper link or transition between 2 parts. This could be the result of flaws in editing process of the movie. Lastly, the movie also contained some strong anti-social statements.
Having said ALL OF IT, Gangubai Kathiawadi is unquestionably a movie that one should not miss. It showcases a completely new and unique perspective about prostitution (and its legalization) in India, and portrays it effectively through the character of an eminent personality who worked towards the dignity of sex workers. Reiterating, the movie is filled with A LOT OF content and aesthetics, that you should not miss.
Definitely a must-watch!!
Chhichhore (2019)
Masterpiece!!
Simply FLAWLESS!
Speaking about a need-of-the-hour topic "how to accept failure" this movie is bound to impress you, with all of its minor and major elements. Strongly presenting the idea of "life must go on" (and the optimism that accompanies it), this movie will undoubtedly make you FEEL EVERY EMOTION that's inside you. All of us have had failures and will definitely relate with the movie. Moreover, the setting of a '90s engineering college in the movie also adds a nostalgic touch to it.
Direction - 10/10.
Screenplay/Plot - 10/10.
Dialogues - 10/10.
Acting - 10/10.
Comedy - 11/10 period!
Casting - 10/10.
Music - top notch.
Names of the characters - I love them!!
The flow of the movie and transition between the scenes/parts of the movie were smooth as well, while it also strictly stuck to its plot.
I do not understand why and how would anyone penalize this film (under any sort of criteria). First Dangal, and now this!! Director Nitesh Tiwari just exactly knows how to win hearts!
More than "loved-it."
Must watch!! More like Yeh nahi dekha toh kya dekha ;)
My Name Is Khan (2010)
A beautiful first-of-its-kind movie. Must watch!
"My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist" What a dialogue!!
Lets speak about the positives. First off, what a brilliant performance by SRK. Hats off! Just loved his accent and expressions. And the dance of course. Yet again he proved why he's the "king" of bollywood. And this, no doubt, is SRK's best performance ever!!
Direction by KJo was definitely impressive, the movie is a necessary and very innovative take on an unspoken controversy. A commendable job done on the screenplay and dialogues. The music and songs are to be praised as well. The first-half was undoubtedly very entertaining, however I felt that in the second-half, the movie was falling apart from its original track. I suppose the entire Wilhemina part shouldn't have been extended so much. Instead, the movie should have stuck to the determination of Rizwan Khan to meet the US President and change people's perception in regards to islamophobia, and should have portrayed his journey and struggle even more. The makers could have shown the 'humanity' of the protagonist in a way other than prolonging the Wilhemina case. Moreover, I would also love to see an emotional monologue by Rizwan in the end where he would try to break stereotypes regarding islamophobia.
The movie can be penalized for the above mentioned reasons. Apart from that, it is unquestionably a must-watch movie. Loved it!
Bholaa (2023)
Great performances by the cast; visuals and direction will definitely impress you.
The film's storyline was innovative, while it strictly stuck to its track. Visuals (and the entire dark night theme) were definitely a treat to the eyes. Special praises to the truck-bike action sequence and the action with the Trishul. The direction and cinematography were top-notch (yet again, Ajay Devgn proves his vision and direction are exemplary). Casting of the villains was well done, with impressive performances by all of them (especially the MADNESS Deepak Dobriyal has in his character!!!). The movie can be penalized for the bad VFX and certain cringe elements here and there; music could definitely have been better. Personally also felt that there was scope for better BGM. Can watch if you're a fan of cinematography, visuals and action sequences.