Category Archives: Films & Tv

Vikram – An Utter Mass-Action Punch!! IMDb 9.3

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Vikram is a Tamil movie directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj released on 3rd of June 2022 in theatres. This movie has a tremendous cast which includes Kamal Hassan, Surya,Fahad Faazil, Vijay Sethupathi, Narain, Swathishta, Gayathri. The film is set to be the return of “UlagaNayakan” Kamal Hassan to the industry after a long gap of 4 years and we couldn’t ask for a better comeback than Vikram. For those who haven’t experienced the massive perfomance of Kamal Hassan in theatres, Lokesh has brought that experience to us through Vikram. The film deals with a general plot, ‘The fight for a Drugs-free world’ but, as we say its not about the story its about the presentation, and Lokesh kanagaraj just nailed it. The theatre experience was honestly marvellous and breathtaking.

As we mentioned earlier Vikram is about the brawl in opposition to the Drugs, which is quite ordinary. But the perfomances and the direction made it extra ordinary. Anirudh again proved to be a maestro with his stupendous BGMs in Vikram.The BGMs helped to elevate all the mass and fight sequences. The Stunt Masters Anbu and Arivu has also done their part superbly. All the action scenes were truly world class. The cinematography by Gireesh Gangadharan also requires applause.The plot becomes quite generic after some time. The screenplay also was just ok. The story also has got connections to 2019 movie Kaithi directed by Lokesh himself which is quite impressive. Each and every Kaithi reference was accepeted by the audience with massive plaudit and everyone is hoping for the return of Dilli (Lead role in Kaithi played by Karthi). The interval scene is simply a powerful punch but the climax feels more similar to Lokesh’s Master.

Kamal hassan

When we come to the acting department, it is almost a Kamal Hassan Show. He plays the role of Karnan aka Vikram and is going to one of his career best. Fahad Faazil(as Amar) and Vijay Sethupathi(as Santhanam) who plays the other lead roles in the movie has also performed exceptionally well. Another remarkable perfomance in the movie was by Vasanthi who plays the role of agent Tina. She goosebumps us with extraordinary action and mass sequences. The main attraction of the movie before its release was the role of Surya. The Cameo played by him just added more flavours to the film and was indeed terrific.

According to us Vikram is an Ardent Mass Action Flick which has to be experienced in theatres itself. The film was truly up to the Hype. And all we can say about the so called LOKESH CINEMATIC UNIVERSE is Aarambhikalangala!!

IMDb – 9.3/10

NDTV – 3/5

Our Rating – 4/5

Bro Daddy Review – A Moderate Family Satire

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Bro Daddy is a Malayalam movie directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran released on 26 January 2022 on Hotstar. The movie features Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Meena, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Lalu Alex and Kaniha as central characters. The film deals with family relations and sentiments. Mohanlal is like the pulse of the film. His role was energetic and quite engaging. Lalu Alex also did his part beautifully in this movie. The film is a clean Family comedy-drama but there is uncertainty about, does the movie managed to entertain the targeted audience. Mohanlal’s and Prithviraj’s Dad-Son combo scenes were quite appreciable.

Prithviraj & Mohanlal in Bro Daddy

The plot of the movie talks about a family whose life gets unexpected twists and turns. It deals with how a father becomes a brother and friend for his son and solves his problem as the film proceeds. The film has got mixed reviews. The main negative of the movie we feel is the duration. Some of the Cliche and Cringe scenes could be avoided. Moreover, the Film has got many promotions inside it which wrecks the decorum of the movie feeling. Soubin’s role was quite irritating and cringe. The climax also was a platitude.

Bro Daddy

Prithviraj’s Direction is decent, which is the main factor that makes this movie a watchable entertainer. The frames by Abinandhan Ramanujam was upstanding. The songs too didn’t have much effect on the movie but were catchy. The screenplay is also laudable. According to us, the film is a one-time watchable average flick. But the film would be accepted and liked by most family audiences.

IMDb – 8.2/10

binged – 2.7/5

Our Rating – 2.5/5

Minnal Murali – A Superhero From the Mollywood Cinematic Universe!!

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Minnal Murali is a 2021 Malayalam movie directed by Basil Joseph released on 24th December on Netflix. The Hype this movie got was bloody real!!. It feels like a career-best project from Basil Joseph and the entire team. Even though the film is a Superhero Centred one, anyone can emotionally connect many scenes. The movie features Tovino Thomas, Guru Somasundaram, Femina George, Harisree Ashokan, Baiju, Aju Varghese. Tovino and Guru’s acting proved to be absolutely exceptional. The VFX and background scores were also appreciable. Without any doubt, we could certainly say that it is yet another blockbuster from the Tovino – Basil combo after Godha.

Tovino as Minnal Murali

Minnal Murali talks about 2 lads in a 90’s village (Kurukkanmoola) struck by a lightning at the same time, one turning into a hero while the other turns into an antihero and the movie forwards with their life adventures. Still the story emotionally supports the anti-hero character. As this movie comes under the superhero genre, it feels a little predictable. But the direction and making are truly amazing so that we don’t feel much lag. As Tovino said Even if the superhero element was removed from the film still it feels like a flawless movie.

Minnal Murali

The cinematography by Sameer thahir was exemplary. Several characters in the movie have got almost nothing to do which is a negative. The songs too didn’t make quite an impact. Even though it’s not a throughout-Humour film like Kunjiramayanam or Godha, the humour sequences were too good. Apart from a few editing errors, we feel the film is quite perfect. The effort the entire team has given to this movie deserves standing applause. According to us, the film is a must-watch family Superhero entertainer from Basil Joseph. Anyone watching this movie would definitely miss the theatre experience for sure.

IMDb – 9.4/10

The Indian Express – 3.5/5

Our Rating – 4/5

Watch Minnal Murali on Netflix

Marakkar Review – an Overhyped bummer/A Decent Success ?

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Marakkar – The Lion of Arabian Sea is a 2021 Malayalam movie directed by Priyadarshan released on 2nd December. After the first day, the film has got mixed reviews all over Kerala. The film has got a mega cast Mohanlal, Arjun Sarja, Hareesh Peradi, Prabhu, Sidiqque, Manju Warrier, Pranav Mohanlal, Jay J Jakkrit. Marakkar is a historical film with about 40% historical facts and 60% fantasy. According to the director, the film is an emotional drama but the script itself failed to connect the emotions with the audience. The film speaks about the Mighty marakkar family and their freedom fights against the Portuguese.

Mohanlal as Marakkar

Marakkar is a completely historical slow-paced film. Kunjali Marakkar is an icon in the history of Indian independence. The movie has got a duration of 3 hrs. Most Ship and war scenes were of top-notch quality but some lacked even basic quality. Even some scene-to-scene transitions were also not up to the mark. There were some Mis castings too but Arjun sarja, Hareesh Peradi, Jay have just stolen the show with their incomparable acting skills. Pranav Mohanlal also improved a lot from his older films. . The film’s first half feels more engaging than the slow second half. The songs too didn’t quite make the impact on the film.

Marakkar

The major negative reviews of the film include bad quality of script and dialogues, substandard BGMs, poor editing in some scenes etc. which we also feel like a drawback of the film. The costume department has to be given appreciation for their fabulous work in the Pathan-style Clothing of the earlier 1400s. The Visual Effects (VFX) used in the movie was also upstanding. According to me the film is indeed a pure Priyadarshan Masterpiece but had some issues here and there. Overall the film is a one time watchable decent historical family drama. Anybody who watches the film can see that the degrading the movie has got is of no value. The film should be experienced in the theatre itself.

IMDb – 6.4/10

Times Of India – 2.5/5

Our rating – 3/5

KURUP – a Compelling Biopic of a Criminal

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Kurup is a Malayalam movie by Srinath Rajendran released on 12th November 2021. The film was released on about 400+ screens and was hyped as the comeback of the theatre industry after the Covid Lockdown imposed on Kerala. The Movie features Dulquer Salman, Sobhita Dhulipala, Shine Tom Chacko, Indrajith Sukumaran, Sunny Wayne. The film revolves around the life of Sudhakara Kurup (Dulquer Salman) and his cunning techniques of earning money. Dulquer, Shine tom and Indrajith performances were exceptional. The BGMs from Sushin Shyam and dialogues from KS Aravind was also up to the mark.

Dulquer Salman as Kurup

Sudhakara Kurup (Originally Sukuamara Kurup) is a well known and most wanted fugitive ever in the history of the Kerala Police Department. He is a man who has a never-ending thirst for money. The story is a little bit hard to tell but the film fills each and every audience with suspense and thrill. The movie goes on with the conman kurup’s various crooked methods to earn money and his exceptionally brilliant plans to escape from the cases thus created. The film is set on the timeline of 1970-1980s and progresses till the early 2000s. The movie shows the story of Kurup, who, after escaping from an army camp, becomes a well-paid emigrant and later a fugitive. The Vintage Disposition of the movie also feels perfect.

Kurup Poster

Before the release, the film had faced many negative comments as it was about to Praise a Deadly Criminal but the film has completely overthrown all such kinds of perceptions. Even if the movie is a biopic it has got lots of fictional elements. Those who have finished watching the movie can realize that no part of kurup movie turns out to be complimenting the Real Culprit, Sukumara Kurup. The climax of the movie ignites many uncertainties in the minds of spectators but turns out to be quite an appreciable work from the director and scriptwriter.

Kurup is a movie that can be a compulsive watch. It’s an above-average movie that has got a slow-paced first half and an engaging second half. Other than a few Screenplay errors the Technical Department of the movie is exceptional. Songs and DOP also got a positive impact on the movie. According to us, the movie is a well-packed crime-thriller that deserves a theatre watch.

IMDb – 8.9/10

Times Of India – 3.5/5

Our Rating – 3.5/5

Kaanekkaane Malayalam Movie Review – An Emotional Family Drama

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Kaanekkaane is a Malayalam movie directed by Manu Ashokan released on 17 September 2021 on SonyLiv. The movie stars Suraj Venjaramood, Tovino Thomas, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shruthi Ramachandran, Prem Prakash . The film shows the tale of human relationships and emotions. The film makes way for the reunion of the Director Manu Ashokan and scriptwriters Bobby – Sanjay after ‘Uyare’ and is considering to be their comeback film.

Kaanekkaane Malayalam Movie Poster

Suraj plays the role of a Deputy Tahsildar (Paul Mathai) who arrives in Ernakulam for some court matters. He is well-received by his son-in-law Allen (Tovino). Wondering when he would see his grandson again, Paul is leaving Allen’s home, when something strikes his eye. There comes a shift in the lives of the characters in this film. It leads to an emotional and thrilling journey for all of them. Suraj showcases his versatile acting again in this film. Tovino and Aishwarya also play out their roles beautifully (especially the combinational emotional scenes of Suraj and Tovino). The director has created an immersive experience for the audience by displaying the characters’ layered emotional graphs.

Kaanekkaane is a complete Family drama. It has scarcely an amount of mystery but was mostly predictable. The Film gets an emotional score and is a bit thrilling as the story moves forward. According to us, the film feels like a slow paced ordinary movie with a one-time watchable storyline. Cast selection is also good. The movie has a positive ending which can be easily guessed. The background scores also helped to intensify the emotional scenes. The screenplay is also appreciable.

OTTPlay – 3.5/5

Times Of India – 3.5/5

Our Rating – 3/5

#Home – Malayalam Movie Review, IMDb 9.1

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#Home is a Malayalam movie directed by Rojin Thomas released on Amazon Prime video on 18th August 2021. It is a simple feel-good movie. The film stars Indrans, Sreenath Bhasi, Manju Pillai, Vijay Babu, Naslen, Deepa Thomas. The film has got positive reviews from everywhere. It is purely an Indrans show. The film deals with the story of a modular family which talks about whom we must care about the most? It depicts the tight and loose chords of family relations. The film also talks about a major subject, Mobile Phones and Us. The characters played by Johny Antony and Vijay Babu also requires a special mention.

#Home Movie Poster

The story goes on with a father, Oliver Twist(Indrans) tries to connect with his elder son Antony(Sreenath Bhasi) who doesn’t care much about his family’s existence. To avoid a lag feel in the film, the director has added many simple jokes that fill our minds with joy and keep us engaging (duration:161 minutes). For most of the youngsters, the Film has got some deep connections with their the life and will surely help to know at what position they are at now and that is simply the success of this movie. The movie goes on with some events happening in the life of Antony who is a movie director. Even though the climax is cliche, it deeply affects our emotions. The film features the concept of generation gap and importance of one’s mental health quite remarkably.

Indrans as Oliver Twist

According to us #Home is a Must watch, a simple, soulful Family movie which our whole family can laugh and cry happy tears through together. The songs and backgrounds scores are also excellent. The Cast selection also feels perfect.

IMDb – 9.1/10

Times Of India – 3.5/5

Our Rating – 4/5

Ajeeb Daastaans Review – Is It Worth Watching? IMDb 6.8

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Ajeeb Daastaans is a Hindi anthology of 4 short films released by Netflix on 16th April 2021. Shashank Khaitaan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani are the respective directors of four stories namely Majnu, Khilauna, Geeli Pucchi and Ankahi. The anthology is produced by Karan Johar. The film’s cast includes Jaideep Ahlawat, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Inayat Verma, Abhishek Banerjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul.

Each story brings a shocking/heartbreaking feel to the audience. From the title song itself, we can clearly understand that the movie is a female-focused Anthology. According to public opinions, Geeli Pucchi and Ankahi is the heart of the anthology as Majnu and Khilauna were not up to the mark.

Majnu

The first Film of the Anthology, Majnu(lover) tells the story of a couple who has led a loveless marriage life. There is also a saying that Majnu has got little inspiration from the Mirzapur series. The talented actors Fatima Sana Shaikh(Lipakshi) and Jaideep Ahlawat(Babloo) were not at all utilized to bring their full potential in this film.

The film deals with a wealthy old man who is absent in bed and lacks romance is forced to marry a young beautiful woman who is tired of her husband’s behaviour searching for love and flirts with almost every man she meets. The film becomes more enthusiastic with the entry of Babloo’s driver’s son who works as an accounts manager. The film has got a revenge twist at the climax and it may deserve a one-time watch

Khilauna

The second film, Khilauna (Toy) tells the story of a housemaid Meenal (Nushrratt Bharucha) who works in homes of a housing colony to pay the school fees of her little sister(Inayat Verma). They live on the outskirts of the colony stealing electricity.

This film wanted to show clear discrimination between the rich and the poor. But the director has sexualized Meenal instead of humanizing her which is a great drawback. When they lose power connection Meenal tries to get it back by working at the home of the colony Secretary where also she is treated sexually. However, the film has got a terrifying twist at the climax which may not be digested by the family audience.

Geeli Pucchi

Listed third in the anthology but deserves first place overall is Geeli Pucchi (Sloppy kisses). Here also the main theme is caste discrimination which still exists in many localities in India.

The film speaks about the life of a Dalit lesbian woman Bharti (Konkona Sen Sharma) who works as a factory worker who dreams of an accountant job in that office. She never even stand a chance to prove her capability as an accountant even though the fact that she is qualified for the job only because is a Dalit (Lower Cast). Even when the job vacancy is available, it is given to Priya (Aditi Rao Hydari) who is a brahmin. At first, Bharti hates her but slowly due to Priya’s soothing attitude towards her make Bharti fell in love with her.

The film has a got a positive review over Majnu and Khilauna. Konkona Sen Sharma delivers great acting throughout the film. After all the film got a dream come true climax for Bharti.

Ankahi

The last film in this anthology, Ankahi (Untold) deals with upper-middle-class housewife Natasha (Shefali Shah) who is struggling to maintain peace in her family. Her small family consists of a teenage daughter who is losing her hearing and a husband who is busy with work and never have time for his child.

The story goes on as she accidentally bumps into a photographer, Kabir (Manav Kaul) who is hearing impaired, the two develop a friendship that blossoms into love, all while communicating using sign language. Ankahi also gets good reviews unlike the first two and the casting is also perfect. The film has got a heart-breaking climax and was perfectly presented by these two great actors (Shefali and Manav) with just expressions.

Conclusion

As the name suggests Ajeeb Daastaans is a collection of Weird Stories. It has main a theme of fractured love and a sub-theme of discrimination too. In the anthology ‘Geeli Pucchi’ and ‘Ankahi’ make an impact, ‘Khilauna’ and ‘Majnu’ end up being shockingly bad. According to us, the film is a unique, one-time watch Hindi Anthology.

IMDb – 6.8/10
Times of India – 3.5/5
Our Rating – 3/5

Paava kadhaigal – Review, A Must Watch

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Paava kadhaigal is a Tamil edition Netflix anthology mini-series (each episode has a different story) with four episodes, each less than 40min duration. Paava kadhaigal was released on 18th December 2020, after the release of the official teaser on 27th November 2020, and the official trailer on 3rd December 2020. It is currently streaming in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and in English. Paavai kadhaigal is a criticism on irrelevant social norms and social stigmas that causes pride, sin, prejudice, honour and hostility which inturn affects relationships. The title track “Kanne Kanmaniye” preceding the four-episodes creates a melancholic uneasy feel in the viewers, the red colour in the title song shows the transformation of a daughter from childhood to marriage, the song creates a rough picture on what to expect in the coming four episodes. Here is a short review of each episode.

Thangam

The first episode among the four is “Thangam” directed by “Sudha Kongara”. The story is about a trans villager who has been excluded by the public, faces bullying and attack from the village Hooligans. Actor Kalidas Jayaram as ‘Sathar’ a Muslim trans woman, gave a wonderful performance. His character is successful in showing a transgender’s identity crisis and emotional feeling of hurt. The story takes place in a small town in Kovai district. The background music in this episode intensifies the emotions in the story. The story mainly focuses on the social stigmas and taboos on transgenders and intercaste marriage.

Love Panna Uttranum

“Love Panna Uttranum” is directed by “Vignesh Shivam”. The story is about a village landlord Veerasimman(Padam Kumar) seemingly having a negative view on love relationships and marriage, which causes fear in his two daughters Aadhilekshmi and Jothilekshmi. They also feel restricted from telling their father about their relationship. The story portraits conservative thinking of village people, it also shows the lifestyle differences in a village and town. Unlike the other three episodes, this story has a happy ending with brilliant humour.

Vaanmagal

“Vaanmagal” was directed by predominant Tamil cinema director and actor “Gautham Menon”. The story is about sexual abuse faced by “Ponnuthaayi”, the youngest daughter in a middle-class family. Satya(Gautham Menon) and Mathi(Simran), the middle-class couples, and their three children Bharath, Vaidehi and Ponnuthaayi, are playing the key roles in this story. Both Gautham Menon and Simran show their stunning performance. This story projects guilt, anger and social stigmas in the family in an intensive sensible way.

Oor Iravu

“Oor Iravu” was directed by “Vertrimaaran”. Similar to that of “Thangam” and “Vaanmagal”, “Oor Iravu” is also an emotionally disturbing episode. The story focuses on Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) and Hari (Harikrishnan) who loves each other, eloped and alienated from her family. When Pregnant Sumathi went back to her family for her baby shower, her father Janakiraman(Prakash Raj) shows hostility towards her. This story illustrates the stigmas of intercaste marriage with a tragic end.

Conclusion

All four episodes are based on socially relevant issues mostly found in a country like India. This series portraits how Sin and social stigmas restrict one’s personal choices and interests. Even though we are in the 21st century, most of rural India is not likely to accept transgenders, gays or lesbians as normal humans. Lower cast people are still considered as low in their status, even though they have a good education and high collar jobs. Intercaste marriage is considered a sin by society.

The courage to take such sensitive themes and successfully organise it in an awesome way is quite appreciated. This series allows us to break our limits of thinking, and can also create a deep painful scar in our heart. Under the direction of Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan and the excellent performances of the cast: Kalidas Jayaram, Shantanu Bhagyaraj, Bhavani Sre, Anjali, Kalki Koechlin, Padam Kumar, Simran, Gautham Menon, Aadhitya Bhaskar, Prakash Raj, Sai Pallavi and Hari Krishnan, made Paava Kadhaigal a best-rated mini-series.

Soorarai Pottru – Review, Must watch Family Action-Drama IMDb 9.3

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Soorarai Pottru is a Tamil movie directed by Sudha Kongara released by prime video on 12 November 2020. Soorarai pottru comes under the action-drama genre. The movie revolves around a man nedumaaran rajangam who dreams of making every common people fly and the obstacles he had to overcome in order to reach his goal. He dreams of running a lowcost aeroplane so that even poor people from the rural areas of the country can experience the feel of flying. One of the most appreciable thing in this movie is the casting. Suriya, Aparna Balamurali, Urvashi, Paresh Rawal, Mohan Babu had done sincere performance in this movie.

Soorarai Pottru Poster


The plot of the movie is inspired by Captain G.R Gopinath, founder of Air Deccan. His role is played by Suriya (Nedumaaran Rajangam/Maaran) in an extraordinary manner. Even though the film is a complete Suriya Show, Aparna Balamurali(Bommi), Urvashi(Maaran’s mother) has also done brilliant and sensible acting. The bommi-maaran relationship is a major strength of the movie.
The film clearly shows the domination of Capitalists over the common people. It also shows how the Capitalist egos crush the big dreams of common people.

Surya in Soorarai Pottru


The movie is widely accepted all around and being referred to as the Best OTT release of 2020. According to us it the best movie of Suriya in a decade. Other than the mistiming of several songs, there is nothing negative in the film. It is a must-watch complete Family movie.

Our rating – 4/5
IMDb – 9.3/10
Firstpost – 4/5