French Documentary on Kerala Blasters (with Subtitles) ✔

Name : Bend It Like Kochi

Oru Muthassi Gadha - REVIEW

The group of grandfathers and grandmothers are getting vanished from the scene of late. I am taking about cinema where it is very rare these days to find a grand father or a grandmother as the storyline now do not have any space for them. Jude Anthony Joseph who had previously directed Om Shanti Oshana comes up with his second film titled Oru Muthassi Gadha. The presence of Muthassi is not just limited to the title alone as OMG has the lively presence of Leelaamma, a grandmother and infact she is the backbone of this movie.

About the film, its a simple film with a wafer thin storyline that spread lot of goodness, makes you sad and at the same it has lot of fun and sentiments involved. The trailer of the movie was conveying the vanishing of the older generation from the movie scene in terms of characters and in OMG, there are not many of them justifying the trailer but Leelaamma is enough to fill the void of so many as her acts and screen presence compensate for the absence of a few more of them.

We have a family of Shiby and Jeen along with their elder daughter and son but in the family, its Sibychan's mother Leelaamma who is ruling the roost. She has anger at the tip of her nose and makes the life of others in the family a miserable one due to her strictness and involvement in each and everything that comes up before this family. Unexpected arrival of Jeen's mother create a different atmosphere at home and uncover another face of the old woman which is narrated quite well by Jude in his second film.

We find the helplessness of Sibychan many times and the screenplay conveys them in a funny way. The sentimental presence along with humour also helped the movie to sustain its life for the entire running time of one hundred and forty four minutes. The problems especially the isolation that the older generation gets is treated in a lighter way here with humour and fun. That helped in enjoying the film to a great extent as the film takes a serious tone in only limited scenes that too as per the demands of the situation.

Jude has left some messages and also some thoughts for the present generation. Older people enjoying the company of people of similar pages, a thought endorsed by one of the characters in the film was a nice thought but for that pushing the old people to old age homes for that is something that cannot be sided with. The movie wants to convey something good which we will realise in the second half through very lighter and emotional moments. The storyline as such is quite simple and at the same time a threadbare one but ultimately what matters is the presentation and in my opinion, the director has succeeded in conveying what he wanted through his movie.

Suraj Venjaramudu and Lena plays husband and wife and they were apt in their respective roles. Suraj these days is trying roles that has something in it to perform instead of going for the length and number of scenes involved. The selection of the character of Sibychan is yet another example of this. Though he is the hero of the film, the character vanishes after halfway mark and doesn't have a major role to play thereafter but nevertheless what he performed in the first one hour was enough to make his presence felt. Lena also played her part quite well.

Aparna Balamurali had dual roles to play and she was convincing as Leela as well as Alice. Dubbing artist Baagyalakshmi appear as Susamma towards the latter stages in an important role and makes it perfect. Pisharody and Vijayaraghavan were also fine along with that Bengali character whose name I am not aware of. Vineeth Sreenivasan makes a cameo appearance which is limited to a song and a few scenes. Jude himself appear in a humourous role towards the latter stages.

The star of the show is definitely the sixty five year old Rajani Chandy. She was a perfect choice for Leelaamma. Her mannerisms, dialogue delivery and acting gave full life to Leelaamma and once we finish watching the film, we realise that she has perfectly fitted into the shoe of Leelaamma as per how Jude has visualised that role.

Cinematography is neatly handled by Vinod Illampally. Shaan Rahman is the music director. Though none of the songs stays in our mind, the one pictured on Vineeth and Aparna was good to watch as the visuals added extra colour to the song. Background score was synching well in creating the right mood for each and scene.

The story inspired from what actor Nivin Pauly told in a discussion with the director though a very light one gets a good treatment by Jude who have added the right ingredients required for the plot to make it watchable. Though the older generation is getting very little presence in today's movies, just like how they are sidelined by today's youth, these types of subjects depicting the dream and wishes of our grandfathers and grandmothers can atleast open up our eyes for the good.

Rating - 3 / 5

PINK Hindi Movie Review

Courtroom dramas have always found a special place in Indian movies. With the intensity and excitement these genre offer along with the thrill, suspense and twists they provide to the audience, courtroom dramas is one of my favourite genre. Movies like Jolly LLB, Oh My God, Jasbaa, Aitraaz and No one killed Jessica are few examples that are flashing in my mind and belonging to the genre that have impressed me in the recent past. Malayalam film Melvilasam is also a powerful film that holds a special place within me that stood out in the way it was presented.

Now coming to PINK, here is another movie wherein bulk of the events unfold inside a court. But Pink is not just another movie. It is much more and way above that. A powerful, intense and hard-hitting drama that shocks and touchés you, Pink belongs to the must watch category and tells what it wanted to say straightforward without going for the shortcut route.

Three girls Minal, Falak and Andrea based out of urban Delhi during a night party with three boys gets involved in a messy situation as Rajveer, one among the boys try to molest Minal. As a self defence, she bashes his face with a bottle injuring him very badly. Little did the girls realise that this incident will have a nightmarish outcome on them as the boys using their powerful political influence turns the case upside down which is infact a familiar thing for the common people. Enter Deepak Saighal as the defence lawyer and from there the courtroom drama and the case takes a new shape.

Pink questions many things in the process. It questions the society and its mindset for numerous things when the defence lawyer puts it across as a set of rules. Women partying, traveling at night, when she touch a man and give a smile, when she stays separately from family as an independent women. In all these cases, the society has a predetermined rules which are not applicable to men. Strange indeed but thats the reality and thats what the film questions and emphasise that when she says NO to anything irrespective of whether she is a wife, a sex worker or anyone for that matter , it is a NO and no one has the right to outrage her modesty for saying a No.

The movie is so intense and touching for an engaging watch. The way they have presented it with the seriousness involved, it has a lasting effect and makes for an engaging experience without affecting the viewing pleasure. A short first half of just an hour is followed by a much lengthier post intermission portion. The courtroom proceedings actually happens only in the latter half as the plot gets into the thick and thin of the plot in the beginning with the girls being followed and hunted thereby making life miserable for them.

Performances, I should say is topnotch. Amitabh Bachchan plays the Defense lawyer Deepak Saighal, a man suffering from bipolar disorder. No words can describe the intensity he has shown in presenting this character by going one step ahead. Anyone who has serious doubts over his acting credentials, then go and watch Pink. Why I raised this point is because couple of my friends during our informal movie discussion have debated with me on this.The answer to them have been given by the actor many times before and here too it is no different. We have one more addition to that elite list of movies that due to his sheer abilities is taken to another level.

Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang plays Minal, Falak and Andrea respectively. The girls were equally competitive conveying very well their helplessness in court especially the first two. Supporting casts were equally good and among them, Piyush Mishra who acted as prosecution lawyer was impressive. Angad Bedi playing Rajeev was also notable. Dhrithiman Chatterjee as the judge was appropriate for that role.

The film gives an impression of going through high level of detailing making it almost perfect and the story as such and what it wanted to raise its hands for have been given an apt treatment. All credits to director Anirudha Roy Chowdhary and his team. Cinematography and the colour time used matches with the dark subject. Editing is fine. Background score is used only in a limited way and it was effective in conveying the exact mood of each scene. Infact the film uses silence at times to convey many things. One song that gets repeated on couple of occasions was noticeable conveying a totally different feel. Writing is clearly done with utmost care and dialogues have so much depth in it making us think.

Shoojit Sircar's presence is there on the story side as I saw him credited for that along with two others. Also he is involved in the production side too. He can be proud to say that he is part of PINK, a film which gives a tense and gripping feel right from the start till the end credits wind up. A must watch movie at any cost is what we have and cheers to the entire team for boldly depicting a plot and seriously questioning some valid things in the process.

Rating - 4 / 5

Train to Busan - REVIEW

I am a total novice as far as Korean movies are concerned. Of course I do have information about the richness in content and quality of films from Korea through my friends who are active followers of films emanating from that part of the world. After getting recommendations from my friends, I decided to watch Train to Busan which is my first Korean experience. The experience turned out to be a highly rewarding one and I regret that I am too late in stepping into the world of Korean films, so now lot of catching up to do. Thanking everyone who gave the green signal in nominating Train to Busan, let me try reviewing this movie.

Well, having seen many English movies in the Zombie-horror genre, even though hearing positive feedbacks didn't shake my mind before watching the movie as I was expecting just another film from the zombie world. But the movie proved me big time wrong in my perception towards it. It was a thrilling as well as an emotional rollercoaster that kept my focus right from the very beginning till the final scene.

As the title suggests, its a bullet train journey starting from a local station in Seoul to Busan. Among the people who board the train, the ones occupying pivotal roles with dominating presence are; a fund manager who is a divorcee and his little daughter, a pregnant lady and her husband, a high school baseball team and a homeless man. How their journey to Busan turns out to be a painful and frightening one is what that forms the basic crux of the story.

The harrowing experience that the travellers pass through is captured very well. The thrills, the horror and fear factor are all present and intact for a zombie film. But where the film score apart from the thrills is the sentimental presence in the story. The characters have so much depth and have blended so well making us really feel for the plight of the people on board.

The little girl and her relationship with her workaholic father who finds very little of his time to care for his daughter though he loves her, the love for the man towards his pregnant wife and his excitement of awaiting his baby are all well placed and connected in the plot even if the thrill and horror factor holds the upper hand in such plots which is something commendable. We should not be selfish just looking on our own things but rather should reach out to any extent to help others when they are in distress. I think this is something the makers wanted to convey and they have achieved the desired end result in conveying that simple but all-important thing.

At the same time, the film never fails to entertain and satisfy us and makes for a thoroughly engaging and touching experience. It may have similarities with a movie like a World War Z or some other movies of the genre but Train to Busan has a heart at the right place and an extra element of emotion that connects so well with the main subject making it more special as far as entertainment and thrill goes. On the performance side, its a team effort as everyone who is part of the ride has chipped in with extra efforts.

The colour pattern they have used , cinematography, cuts, sound design and high quality background score have all helped in making the ride to Busan an overwhelming experience as far as the making and technical side goes. Moving at a breathtaking speed just like a speeding train, Train to Busan is one movie that in the end has a penetrating feel as the curtains finally comes down through the final scene.

Rating - 4.5 / 5

Dulquer Salman Lovers watch this for GOOSEBUMPS

Dulquer Salman is definitely the next superstar Kerala is going to have. The new bread of Malayalam actors including him is definitely going to take the Malayalam film industry to new heights. Dulquer salmaan is blessed with fans all over India. This video will be a treat to watch for any movie lover who likes Dulquer and his movies.

BAAR BAAR DEKHO Review

Given a chance, we all would like to travel back in life to make the necessary corrections for whatever wrongdoings we have done. Baar Baar Dekho has such a story where life gives a second chance to its hero to correct himself for the wrong way he chose. Time Travel as a concept and thought is a good choice but when it came to this movie, apart from the interesting concept, there is nothing else in it. BBD is uninteresting, lacklustre and lacks energy in it. A dull film with no life in it, the movie by all means is an underwhelming experience.

Jai Verma and Diya Kapoor are the two people whose life is discussed in the movie. They are childhood friends and decides to get married though the male protagonist had some confusion over his future on starting a new phase in his life. On the eve of his wedding, Jai gets into a minor fight with his fiancee and gets drunk.

The next day, when he wakes up, to his utter dismay finds that ten days have already elapsed since he got married and he is now in Thailand spending his honeymoon. This process continue and moves ahead to another thirty years as the movie shift from past and future based on the time travel concept.

The present generation doesn't care for certain things in their life considering those as unimportant. But actually those minor things will have far-reaching consequences in our life. It is this aspect that the makers have tried to say in a dull manner.

Idea of time travel is quite good on the story part but the screenplay doesn't have the punch in it to make a pleasing experience while watching the movie. Literally it is a weak and lifeless script that provide a bad experience. What the movie wanted to convey was appreciable but how it was showed didn't have that flair in it to give a much needed facelift to BBD. Characters lacked any depth in it while the dialogues were overly dramatic at times.

Sidharth Kapoor plays Jai Verma and Katrina Kaif fills the role of Diya Kapoor. The character of Jai is a confused one and the role gets aged too with the passage of time. Apart from doing extra make-up for looking aged and matured, the actor in Sidharth was found wanting in many areas on the acting part. Just like his confused character, the acting also was in a confused state. There was something missing in his performance. Katrina Kaif was okay as Diya though we have seen her doing much better. Sarika plays Jai's mother while Ram Kapoor plays Diya's father and even though both of them had only minor part to play, their efforts were noticeable.

Ravi.K.Chandran is the man who has handled the camera department with elegance. The frames and visuals had a rich tone in it. Music was also good with few peppy numbers. Same goes for the effective background score which was used only in a limited way.

The settings have a glossy feel, thanks to the beautiful camera work, the concept looked good and the music scene came up with some fine tunes but there ends the positive side of Baar Baar Dekho. Nitya Mehra who was part of few Hollywood flicks (Life of Pi is one among them) as an assistant gave more focus on the visual beauty of the film than the presentation of the story thereby making her debut experience as an independent director not a sweet one.

Rating - 2 / 5

Oozham Malayalam Movie Review

Post Drishyam, the biggest challenge before director Jeethu Joseph is of quenching the expectations of the audience. Irrespective of the genre, audience expect a thriller with suspense and unexpected twists in his movies. So the director is forced to make statements clarifying what the audience can expect from each of his release. This happened in Life of Joosootty and also for his latest release Oozham wherein he had to make it clear that there is no suspense and heavy twist in the film and the film belong to a different genre than Drishyam.

Oozham is more of a revenge drama than a suspense thriller with the familiar cliches that we normally come across in movies of this type. But the presentation and how the movie is built or constructed by Jeethu and his screenplay makes it a pretty nice movie good for a watch.

Krishnamoorthy is a Health Inspector and he is settled in Coimbatore with his family consisting of his wife, daughter and adopted son. His elder son Soorya is employed in US and he is an expert in Controlled Explosion, something which is not that popular in this part of the world. Its nothing but destroying old buildings after their life and conditions have become unsafe for a living. An unexpected turn of events affect the existence of Krishnamoorthy's family and Oozham shows the investigation by Soorya to find the perpetrators responsible for destroying his family and subsequently taking revenge.

The movie begins with the happenings inside this small family and showing the deep bond they share. Then we are shown a group of goons hunting down Soorya and at the same time a parallel narration where the protagonist along with his brother and fiancee looking for the whereabouts of the criminals and doing the revenge part is also part of the storytelling.

Jeethu on his part ensured that even though the story lacks any freshness, the execution side doesn't go waywardly by smartly showing the revenge part with little bit of twist to make the movie in a safe zone. The director has a knack of handling suspense films and thrillers and uses that skill here to portray a familiar story land safely without any sort of roadblocks.

Prithviraj plays the character Soorya very smartly. Actually the role is nothing new for him as we have seen him doing this angry young man character in some of his past movies. Oozham's character is just an extension of those. Neeraj Madhav as Ajmal, adopted son of the family was notable while Divya Pillai as Gayathri, the female lead also did her part. Rasna played the sister character to Prithviraj and she was quite impressive.

V.Jayaprakash, the pharmaceutical giant and villain was a correct choice for the role but it would have been better had he dubbed himself. Pasupathy appear as an aid to the villain and it was a clean act from the actor. Balachandra Menon, Irshad and Anson Paul did their small roles effectively as per the demands of the character.

Visuals from the camera department were pleasing for the eyes. The usual way of cinematography in previous Jeethu Joseph's movies like using lot of aerial shots are there in Oozham too and they added in giving a different dimension to this area. Edits were okay while the music department had done their job on the songs part. Background score was quite impressive suitable for a film of this genre in giving that extra punch.

This is no Drishyam or Memories. If you accept that fact and goes to watch the film with lesser expectation, I am sure you would find Oozham an engaging movie without any boredom or uneasiness.

Rating - 3 / 5

Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho - Malayalam movie Review

I cannot remember a movie in the recent past that made my eyes wet. Sidhartha Siva's curiously titled Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho had many emotional and sentimental scenes forcing my eyes to shed tears. The movie is beautiful and simple. At the same time it is inspiring as well as a motivational tonic with a good message in it.

Ayyappa Das fondly called Appu is the central character around which the whole plot is built. The little boy has a dream of travelling in a plane and the movie takes us to a remote village in Idukki where rest of the plot unravel. Whether he can achieve his long cherished dream is shown in KPAC with lot of sincerity.

Those who have followed the career of the director will know what kind of movie he makes. It will have a minimum standard in it with values attached. He has a knack of telling simple stories with a simple narrative. KPAC is no exception but the difference from his earlier movies here is the presence of little dose of the so called commercial flavour in it making it a pleasing movie watching experience for any class of audience. I for one have watched a couple of his earlier flicks and at the same time unfortunately missed a couple. The making style is simple and straightforward, very much common in his movies which has become a trademark style for him.

The story as such isn't that heavy but it is the presence of lighter and emotional scenes that have helped in conveying the right mood and elevating the movie to the next level. If you have a dream and is passionate and honest about it, the whole world and even the nature will stand with you for realising that dream. This thought is often stressed and quoted in the movie on numerous occasions by Kochavva, the character played by Kunjacko Boban. Kochavva reference this quote to Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelo and his novel The Alchemist.

In KPAC, Ayyappa Das is ready to go to any extreme to make sure his dream one day turned into a reality. The plot connect this thread to a sporting activity and that's how the characters of Kochavva and Ayyappa Das gets involved with each other. Infact, this aspect is delivered in a convincing and believable format. Certain things which I cannot reveal at this point can be questioned considering the practicality of the situation, those things can be ignored considering the noble cause and values for which the movie stand out.

Kunjacko Boban played the character of Kochavva and have come out in flying colours. His character is an innocent person who is very sincere at heart and cannot withstand the pain and helplessness of others. The actor has done what he was supposed to do in the best possible way. Nedumudy Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Suraj Venjaramudu, Muthumani, Irshad, Muthumani, Aju Varghese and Mukesh were the actors who impressed me among the supporting actors. Some had meaty roles while others like Mukesh and Irshad didn't had a major part to play but nevertheless acted their part in a neat fashion. Anusree as the female lead was okay in a brief role.

The movie is incomplete without Master Rudraksh who enacted the role of Ayyappa Das. He was so natural that it didn't look like he was acting. With due respect to all the actors and their performances in KPAC, I would say Rudraksh was the best for me in the movie with the way he has expressed himself supported by his natural dialogue delivery. (I assume he has dubbed himself)

Dialogues, performance and background score are three areas that have immensely helped the film to achieve a positive end result. Touching and emotional scenes as I said before makes you sentimentally attached to the film. Bijipal has given a score that aided in lifting the spirit especially in the critical scenes. Visuals of the village in a background surrounded by nature added extra value to the movie and all credits for that goes to Neil D'Cunha the cameraman. Songs were also have come out well tuned by Shaan Rahman and Sooraj S Kurup.

Udaya Pictures considered to be the first production house of Malayalam film industry makes a return to production through Kunjacko Boban after nearly three decades of hiatus and have wisely chosen a project which no one can complain about. Return on investment is a different thing but the quality of the film have not been compromised here. Based on the satisfaction it gave to me, I am going with four out of five and a thumbs up to Sidhartha Siva and his team.

Rating - 4 / 5

Welcome To Central Jail - Malayalam Movie Review

It has been twenty years since Sundar Dass directed his very first movie. The movie was Sallaapam that happened way back in 1996 and as we all know, Sallaapam was a hit movie that gave Dileep a much needed break. Now the duo reunite for another film with the humour genre with a screenplay written by Benny.P.Nayarambalam. Barring a few successful jokes, Welcome to Central Jail is a disappointing film. Very little of the comedy part have been able to create genuine laughs leaving the film on a sticky wicket.

Unnikuttan, that's the name of the character that Dileep plays in the movie. Unnikuttan was born and brought up inside the jail premises since his parents were serving sentences. So he considers jail as his ancestral home and gets involved with petty crimes to return back to his 'home' after releasing. This situation continues until he meets and falls in love with a girl who also lands up in jail.

A major portion of the film except the first half involves Unnikuttan's desperate attempt to prove the innocence of the girl and get her released. The first half just wander without much focus except those lacklustre comedies that doesn't have any standards at all. You can close your eyes on that saying it is a Dileep movie which is primarily intended for a target audience who may like it. But I am afraid to say, WTCJ doesn't have the stuff in it to entertain the audience.

With a threadbare storyline and quite a lot of double meaning dialogues and situations, the movie except for a couple of occasions has humour which was more or less being forced upon the audience. Even when critics were panning Dileep's previous flicks for their content and quality, those movies could set the cash registers ringing since they had some stuff on the fun side for entertainment. But the situation in Welcome to the central jail is worse. It is all the more disappointing to note that people like Sundar Dass and Benny.P.Nayarambalam having years of experience in the industry are responsible for inflicting this torture on the audience.

Dileep repeats what he has been doing for years. While some of his humour acts was okay, many others were far from convincing with the actor at times doing overacting. Vedhika, the female lead didn't had anything to perform as such. Aju Varghese, Renji Panicker, Sharafudeen, Sidhique, Vinayaprasad, Shajon, Kochupreman, Haresh are all part of a long line up of actors to support.

Cinematography and editing were just okay. The making and presentation had an outdated feel while the music department, be it songs or background score, none of it could do anything substantial.

Overall, the movie is a washout. Except for a few pieces of comedy to laugh at, as a total picture, Welcome To Central Jail is a forgettable movie that will have a tough time fighting against the other three festive releases all of which have garnered good word of mouth publicity as well as thumbs up from critics.

Rating - 1.5 / 5

Documentary on Kerala Blasters by French Journalist ● Trailer

India is a newcomer on the soccer planet for the first time in its history. The same ball, the same rules, but it’s a kind of soccer you never witnessed before. We lived one month with the Kerela Blasters, a team that will succeed until the final game, to realize an original documentary. Renaud and Julien are the only French journalists that stay that long on the field. From Marco Materazzi to the Indian stars, they just talked to everyone ! Discover how the country of cricket fell in love with soccer, it’s fresh and fun !

Allu Arjun says he loves Malayali Girls ✔

Watch the interview where he talks about Malayali girls.

Oppam Malayalam Movie Review

There are different ways of presenting murder mysteries. The two most common methods are; to reveal the identity of the murderer quite early in the film and then gradually reach to the murder and the modus operandi of the crime. The second method is where there is good amount of suspense till the very end without revealing the identity of the person who committed the crime pushing the audience tomake their guesses and ultimately removing the mask of the criminal. Both has its pros and cons but ultimately what matters is how the presentation goes taking enough precautions in covering up the loopholes, if any.

Priyadarshan for a change attempt a genre he has not attempted before in Oppam, his latest flick with Mohanlal in the lead. Now the question is to which category of murder mystery Oppam belongs. Well, it is the former category to which the film hold its side where the director reveals who commits the crime quite early through the film itself and slowly but steadily reveal his true intentions. Priyan himself has revealed this in one of his recent interviews and Oppam justify what he said.

About the film, the execution considering the nature of the story here occupy paramount importance and Oppam is presented in a flawless manner through a well written screenplay. The combination of Priyan and Mohanlal which was fading Into oblivion mainly due to some duds from this combination in the recent past can rejoice atlast with what they have achieved through this film.

The story has Jayaraman, a blind person who is a lift operator in a high-rise apartment sharing a good relationship with a retired chief justice. Priyan here narrate a cat and mouse game between this blind man and the criminal with a slow paced thriller.

A reasonably good first half gets a different shade just before the halfway mark and from there on its a chase where the murderer wants to hunt down Jayaraman and Jayaraman on his part wants to catch hold of the antagonist. But Jayaraman has his limitations in the form of blindness and whether the two of them can succeed in their objective and who wins the race is narrated in a believable manner in Oppam.

For Priyadarshan, I assume this is a new genre. Something which he hasn't tried out before. But he has succeeded in this attempt with a film that has few subplots in it. The main plot gets a slow build up as the subplots gets into the action for quite some before the film takes a turn to show us what the real intentions are behind the story. Story and screenplay both played its part and to be effective for these two areas to work, it requires a clean execution and this is what has helped the film to be a convincing one.

Playing a blind character is no mean task. The role has numerous challenges with minute expressions and mannerisms holding high importance. Mohanlal, playing a full length blind character with majority of scenes focused on him with lot of close up shots has accepted the challenge with a believable and convincing act in front of the camera. Considering the challenge he had in presenting this role, for me this is one of the best from him in the recent past. A single dialogue scene where his sister character played by Anjali Upasana seeks his blessing was a touching one that had his major contribution to make that scene a successful one.

A high number of supporting actors are there in the film. People like Innocent, Nedumudy Venu and Maamukoya are some of the familiar faces in a Priyan film but barring Maamukoya, the other two doesn't have a meaty role at their disposal. New generation actors like Aju Varghese, Chemban Vinod and Hareesh are also part of the cast and among them Chemban had a good screen presence when compared with the other two. Tamil actor Samuthirakani is the antagonist and he was very effective in that role.

Vimala Raman and Anusree are the ladies in the party and their performance is nothing commendable. Renji Panicker as the police officer was effective. Arjun Nandakumar and Bineesh Kodiyeri are also there in small roles.

Background score has played a very important part for Oppam with tunes that matched the scenes. Songs especially the minnaminugu one is already on the hit charts. First half had three songs which was slightly higher and acting as a speed breaker but those were placed at the right places. Decent cinematography and neat edits to complete the technical side which has too many unfamiliar faces unlike earlier Priyan films.

In a nutshell, I would say, Oppam is a good thriller. Priyadarshan Mohanlal combination which were once money-spinners at the box office should be able to collect some good return through this film as the spark that was missing in their films for the past few years have come back and they have regained that magic touch once again in a new genre for this combination.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Akira Hindi Movie Review

If the strength of Akira, the latest A R Murugadoss flick is the performance of its lead actress and a surprising but effective act from Anurag Kashyap, the weakness lies in the screenplay and story. A remake of 2011 Tamil film Mouna Guru, Murugadoss when he adapted the film to Bollywood replaced the male version with a female oriented subject that has a martial arts trained Akira quite impressively portrayed by Sonakshi Sinha. Though the product is not bad, it could have been far better had it converted the sincere efforts of two people in front of the camera into something convincing.

A sincere family man and a loving father could not see her daughter Akira becoming a victim of eve-teasing and acid attacks at the hands of men. Unlike her female friends who learn dance and moves ahead in life in an orthodox fashion, Akira is taught martial arts at the instance of her father as a self defence mechanism and for reacting against any sort of injustice and harassment.

The film begins with a shocking scene and takes us to fourteen years back where the young girl Akira grows up in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The family consisting of the lead protagonist and her mother moves to Mumbai at the instance of her brother.

Reluctantly Akira relocate to Mumbai and pursue her studies but unfortunately gets embroiled in a cover-up led by four corrupt police men lead by ACP Govind Rane. What happens to her, how she fights against the people who have plotted the evil plan against her and how those cops without any level of mercy try to ruin the life of this young girl form the crux of the storyline.

The beginning portion especially the pre-intermission portion shows lot of promise and is very much engaging with life in it. But the latter half question the senses with too much of unconvincing things happening. Murugadoss has tried his best in lifting the film to the next level but the weakness in screenplay acted as a thorn in that mission. A better packaging and treatment after the halfway mark could have done wonders for this film but unfortunately the director could not perform anything magical to lift the sagging film out of doldrums.

Giving a welcome change to the usual pattern in Bollywood where the male hero fighting against the bad people through a role reversal by casting a female for that duty is noteworthy but that itself doesn't make up for a overwhelming movie experience. Couple of instances where the director attempting to convey relevant messages to the public is praiseworthy. But the script lacks the firepower in it to retain the energy till the very end as the steam is almost lost by midway through the cat and mouse game between Akira and cops.

The backbone and soul of the film without any question is Sonakshi Sinha and Anurag Kashyap. Stunning acts from both of them as Akira and ACP Govind Rane. Sonakshi has definitely put on extra efforts into the action side apart from bringing out a solid act as the protagonist with dual shade in the character.This should rank among one of her best performance after the intense Lootera. Well for Kashyap, I hope that he gets more such performance oriented roles to showcase the other side of his newly discovered talent apart from direction.

Konkona Sen Sharma as investigating officer Rabia seems to be a poorly etched out character. Though she has tried her best, the script hasn't given her ample space to display her acting talents. Among the other supporting actors, the three cops accompanying ACP Rane were apt in those roles.Camera work was good. Sreekar Prasad's editing kept the flow and movement from each scene intact. Background score was effective and music was just okay.

Overall, Akira is nothing more than an average film which is backed by notable performances. I would recommend the film only for Anurag Kashyap and Sonakshi Sinha's efforts. But the sad part is that their notable acts have gone wasted and has contributed more or less for a lost cause.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Don't Breathe - Move Review

The title of the film conveys it all. Don't Breathe, doesn't give a breathing space either to the three youngsters who hatch a heist operation nor to the audience watching it. A spine-chiller, with lot of thrills, Don't Breathe is a well executed horror film that gives a different flavour to horror. There is no place for any ghost, spirits or unusual presence in a haunted home but the film makes you hooked on to the sceen for the entire ninety minutes of its running time with chilling and tension gripping moments.

Directed by Fede Alvarez, who is the man behind the film Evil Dead, Don't Breathe has three friends Rockey, Money and Alex who plan a heist operation in a middle-aged blind man's (Norman who is an army veteran) home and gets trapped inside with no one to call for help. They thought the entire operation would be a cakewalk for them based on their past experiences but what was waiting for them was something they didn't expect.

The film is smartly executed with lot of thrilling and nerve cracking scenes that makes for an engaging watch without any boredom. The script is tight with no place for loopholes and the presentation gives a gripping feel to the audience for the entire duration.

The nightmare, the tension and the anxiety that the three youngsters goes through is very well conveyed by the three actors who have given life to the roles of Rockey, Alex and Money. Same goes for the actor who portrayed Norman. As a blind man he had his limitations that was effectively conveyed through his face. At the same time when he goes on the cruel mode, his face and facial expressions was creating real fear for the three of them as well as those who are watching the film. Technically, fine camera work has added extra dimension to Don't Breathe. Sound effects also was perfect for the mood.

Overall, this is a must watch film if you love the home invading genre. With ample dose of thrilling moments to create panic and fear among the audience, Don't Breathe is a film that stays with you for quite sometime after the end credits complete rolling down.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Tribue Song to the Hero of Emirates Crash

Janatha Garage Review - Malayalam Version

Films often loose their feel, life and completeness when dubbed to other languages. Dubbed films lacks something even if the dubbing part is done with reasonable perfection. If you are ready to accept this fact, you will find Janatha Garage, a Malayalam film dubbed from Telugu a decent watch. Even though the story does not have any freshness or suspense in it, the film is a mass entertainer with heroism, action, dance and family sentiments in it.
The story revolves around Janatha Garage, a mechanic shop and a family surrounding it. This family is headed by Sathya and has his wife, brother Siva and son Rahul along with Sathya's close group as members of the garage. Janatha Garage is a car workshop at the first look but it is much more than that as anyone who needs help and is in distress can approach them for support. Film shows how the family gets on with the business with Anand, an Environment and nature lover also joining the party.
What you expect from a mass movie is there aplenty here. Forgetting the logic part and some questionable things that happen later on, Janatha Garage is a watchable film even though seeing some Telugu speaking actors speaking in Malayalam was creating an odd feel. As said earlier, if we are to forgive and accept the dubbing side of the film, Janatha Garage is a decent mass movie which I found enjoyable. Infact this is one film that has done a pretty good work on the dubbing part when compared to some other films dubbed into our language.
I was expecting another Jilla where Mohanlal would be sidelined giving more prominence for Junior NTR. But Janatha Garage proved me wrong. Unlike Jilla, where he was completely sidelined after Vijay takes over that disappointed everyone of his fans back in Kerala, Janatha Garage has given ample opportunity to the actor as per the demands of a mass movie with a powerful character that doesn't gets forgotten after the arrival of another actor. Infact the pre-intermission portion is more focused on the character of Sathya and even after Junior NTR explode in the second half with action and heroism, Sathya is very much in the scheme of things and Mohanlal gets his due share of screen presence.
As far as the acting goes, its not that easy to judge when it is a dubbed film. Still I feel he has done his job in each and every scene he was part of. His voice dubbed by himself to Malayalam was also good. I am watching Junior NTR on the big screen for the first time and I am impressed with his action and dance. People who have already seen him in Telugu films will find it hard to digest his voice in Malayalam but leaving that part aside, he has a commendable screen presence overall.
There is Mollywood connection on the supporting actors side as we have lot of familiar faces like Unni Mukundan, Rahman, Nithya Menon, Sithara and Devayani all doing important roles quite well. Unni Mukundan plays Rahul, son of Sathya and he is a baddie who always goes against the wishes of his noble father. The film might open up and give him a chance to do more roles from other south Indian languages. Aashish Vidyarthi gets nothing to perform while Bollywood actor Sachin Khadekar plays one of the antagonist character.
None of the female characters have any importance and are just casted for namesake, be it Samantha or Nithya. While the former has an appearance in one of the songs, the latter has nothing on that front. Kajal Aggarwal appears in an item song and vanishes from the scene. Songs are peppy and foot tapping ones that are good to watch on screen along with their dance visuals. Duration of more than two and a half hours is slightly on the higher side as the film has an extended second half that needed some fine tuning. Cinematography was okay.
Director Koratala Siva has added the right ingredients required for a mass entertainer. I think the original Telugu film would do a good business looking at the overall packaging. Being a dubbed film, Malayali audience might have some inhibitions to watch the film but considering the presence of Mohanlal in a decent role, I would say you can head in to watch Janatha Garage, a film for the masses with the right combination of flavours added in it to make it watchable.
Rating - 3 / 5

Best Acting Moments Compilation ● Mohanlal ● The Complete Actor

Different acting moments of Mohanlal in a 4-minute video. Why is he a major figure in Film Industry? Versatile ● Humour ● Sentiments ● Song Sequences ● Dance ● Mass Dialogues ● Romance ● Classical Dance ● Fight Sequences ●