Rohit Shetty is known for his star studded cast, comedy capers which are stuffed with silly jokes, senseless scripts, unbelievable coincidences and over-the-top blasts that fling vehicles in the air. Whenever Shahrukh Khan and Kajol have appeared together on screen, the audience has burst with love. The new box office records are a testament to that.  The duo’s popularity is reminiscent to that of Amitabh Bachan and Rekha. No other on-screen couples  have been adored by fans as strongly as these two. The young and multi-talented heartthrob Varun Dhawan is considered the next big “entertainer” in B-town. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Publicity[/caption] Now that I’ve given you the facts, can you imagine what the end product would be when these elements are put together? Let me break it down for you. “Dilwale” (as the name suggests) is all about love and people with huge hearts. The movie revolves around the life of Raj (Shahrukh Khan), a motor mechanic, and his life revolves around his younger brother Veer (Varun Dhawan). Veer falls in love with Ishita (Kriti Sanon), who is younger sister of Meera (Kajol). Meera and Raj, in the past, had some conflicts, and the movie is about the events that unfold when all these characters meet. Rohit Shetty’s “Dilwale” is an adaption of 1991’s blockbuster “Hum” (Amitabh Bachan, Rajnikanth and Govinda). Kali from “Dilwale” and Tiger from “Hum” have similarities in characterisation. The movie is a visual delight, with bright fluorescent colours in every frame, witty dialogue and silly humour. One particular factor that doesn’t sit well with the audience is the overacting that the actors have indulged in. The comic scenes are loud and the emotional scenes are too intense. Anyone watching the movie would think: This does not happen in real life. Now let’s talk about the performances of Shahruh Khan and Kajol. That’s what everyone is eager to see. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Publicity[/caption]   The real charmers in the film are Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. Dhavan’s comic timings, action scenes and dance moves are laudable. The part where he describes modern day romance is particularly riveting. In addition to him, Sanon has a strong screen presence and has a knack for captivating the audience. The highlight of the film, however, is Johnny Lever. Lever is today’s Mehmood; the only comedian who can comically compete with the main leads of the movie. Furthermore, Mukesh Tiwari’s performance stood out well.  His narration of the flashback of Ram Laal and Pogo is flawless. The extended cameos of Vinod Khanna, Kabir Bedi, Boman Irani and Sanjay Mishra, however, did not leave much of an impact. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] On the whole, “Dilwale” is entertaining for families. The jokes are not ratchet or cringe-worthy. This is movie that can be watched with family, for sure. I would rate it three out of five.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one, of a handful filmmakers, who has the talent to create a larger than life experience for his viewers. The cinematic prowess he displayed in “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and “Devdas” was exemplary. His latest endeavour, “Bajirao Mastani”, however, has surpassed even his own tremendous standards. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f3g2b_bajirao-mastani-official-trailer-with-subtitles-ranveer-singh-deepika-padukone-priyanka-chopra_shortfilms[/embed] Ranveer Singh is a prolific actor eager to take on many different roles. His ability to appropriate every character he plays is quite impressive. If you are still in awe of his depiction of Ram from “Ramleela”, prepare to be blown away by his newest venture. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Deepika Padukone is, as expected, a box-office queen. Today, her name possesses the capability to generate as much revenue as the three Khans. Priyanka Chopra (you might know her as Alex Parrish these days) is also one of the most bankable actresses of B-town. With these three actors at the helm, “Bajirao Mastani” is sure to rake in a lot of success. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] A tale of romance, patriotism and relationships, Bajirao (Ranveer Singh) is a Maratha and is selected as the Peshwa (leader). He is married to Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra). Soon after becoming the Peshwa (leader), Bajirao is approached by Mastani (Deepika Padukone) to help save her kingdom. After saving Mastani’s kingdom, love blossoms between the two, and a riveting story unfolds. I’m convinced that Singh must have done extra research into his character. His diction, form, tone and confidence make him stand out amongst other actors of his generation. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Chopra showcased, love, jealousy and courage, with a dash of innocence, in Kashibai’s character. She’ll definitely sweep you away with her performance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="417"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Padukone as Mastani is very believable. She relayed her character's strength effortlessly. I cannot imagine any other actress performing this role. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Aditya Panscholi is effective in his role as Pratinidhi. Milind Soman performed adequately and Mahesh Manjrekar could have done better. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the three big names in the film (Singh, Padukone and Chopra) should be credited with carrying the film to success. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] The music from “Bajirao Mastani” is hummable. In relation to direction and cinematography, it is a classic and will be remembered for years to come. Sanjay Leela Bhansali deserves to walk away with multiple awards for his latest creation. If you are looking for a grand cinematic experience with elements like love, conspiracy, courage and patriotism fused together then “Bajirao Mastani” should definitely be your pick of the lot, without a second thought. I would rate the film a solid four out of five.

2015 was a mixed bag of a year for Bollywood. On one hand, we saw a lot of new-age filmmakers come up with some really off-beat stuff, while on the other, we were subjected to some same old, regressive, masala films. The classic confusion that every movie critic faces in picking the top films of the year is whether to go with flicks that have Box Office tills ringing or go with movies that set one’s own heart fluttering. I have simply avoided the whole dilemma by including both. So without any further ado, here are the top five popular movies of the year: 1. Tanu Weds Manu Returns: Banno tera swagger is the sexiest! As the old age saying goes,

“Marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightening.”

“Dil ka bhanwar kahe sun saathiya, chup na dupatte me tu o chhaliyaa”

Wazir is one film that proves that, if made well, a good movie has the power to possess its audience. With flawless acting from Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, Wazir is one emotional rollercoaster ride. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cvwkq_wazir-2015-teaser-trailer-ft-farhan-akhtar-amitabh-bachchan-aditi-rao-hydari_shortfilms [/embed] There is no question that, even at the age of 73, Amitabh Bachchan's acting is unparalleled. Farhan Akhtar, remaining true to his legacy, gave a performance par excellence. So it is no surprise that this movie is the exemplification of the perfectly synchronised dance of two seasoned actors. You will have to see it to believe these words though. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="403"] Photo: Wazir Facebook page[/caption] Bachchan plays the role of Pandit Omkarnath Dhar, a crippled chess master. Pandit is confined to a wheel chair; however, this does not dampen his spirits or hinder Bachchan’s entrancing screen presence. As a Bachchan fan, I felt like his performance rekindled my romance with the cinematic maestro. Farhan Akhtar, on the other hand, plays the role of Danish Ali, a remorseful father and policeman who is seen broken after a personal tragedy. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Wazir Facebook page[/caption] The movie is woven around a game of chess – the dialogues, the screen and the characters remain loyal to chess metaphors. The rules of chess are used to explain life’s lies and truths. This is done brilliantly by director Bejoy Nambiar. Nambiar has proven that Bollywood filmmaking has gotten over its infatuation with item numbers to make movies sell. The friendship between Pandit and Danish is strengthened by the various tragedies each of them have gone through. The movie opens with lyrics of love and romance, celebrating the idyllic life of Danish and Ruhana, Danish’s wife (Aditi Rao Hydari). Though the mood changes extremely quickly, lending to the fast pace of the movie. Pandit’s clever use of words and Danish’s vulnerability end up making Danish Pandit’s pawn. Danish somehow ends up feeling responsible for Pandit and makes it his mission to save Pandit from Wazir, played by Neil Nitin Mukesh. Manav Kaul (Yazaad Qureshi), who plays the villain of the story, managed to play the role of an evil individual under the guise of a saint brilliantly. Unfortunately, I felt his role lacked meat and hence was under-utilised. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="517"] Photo: Wazir Facebook page[/caption] The emotional scenes in the film, for example parents coming to terms with the loss of a child, are tinged with humour but beautifully expressed. There is just the right amount of humour and action to lighten the emotional burden. Towards the intermission, the audience struggles with numerous questions that are eventually very artfully answered. For example, is Danish responsible for his daughter’s death? Will Danish and Ruhana get back together? Who is Wazir? Will Danish be able to save Pandit from Wazir? Will Yazaad’s true face be revealed? Will both Dhar and Danish find justice? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="532"] Photo: Wazir Facebook page[/caption] Interestingly, Wazir does not take pride in its plot; it takes pride in its script. Each scene is beautifully scripted and executed. The dual meanings of the dialogues are not lost and one yearns to hear them again. In my opinion, no other actor could have replaced Big B in his role as Pandit - no one else could have pulled it off with such aplomb. I do not, in any way, mean to discredit Farhan Akhtar’s performance, which was executed impeccably as well, but the award definitely goes to Mr Bachchan, hands down. Wazir’s weakness lies in the numerous twists sometime going a little overboard and defying logic. The movie, however, does end up saving itself immaculately. It manages to keep the audience’s curiosity peaked throughout. To the delight of many of the female audience members, I could tell that John Abraham cameo appearance managed to enchant the audience with his good looks yet again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo: Wazir Facebook page[/caption] Fortunately for the director and cast, Wazir’s achievements outweigh its flaws greatly: 1. Spectacular performances by Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar 2. The rare celebration of the drama/thriller/mystery genre by Bollywood 3. Manav Kaul’s splendid performance – very few Bollywood villains have managed to invoke emotions of hate within me, and he has managed to do that 4. The rebirth of Neil Nitin Mukesh – he created his magic by changing the plot of the movie with only a few minutes of screen time 5. Amitabh Bachchan’s famous baritone voice For me, the aforementioned reasons are enough to make Wazir a must watch. Salman Khan’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Bajrangi Bhaijaan may have ruled the box office in 2015, but Wazir has bagged the title of being the game changer of 2016. This movie will overshadow the aforementioned movies in the critically-acclaimed department. With thrills and chills, Wazir incites the right amount of adrenaline. It is solid entertainment, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. The cherry on top is Amitabh Bachchan’s duet with Farhan Akhtar called Atrangi Yaara. [embed width="620"] http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jdeyb [/embed] The review is over, go grab your tickets now! You will not be disappointed!

This past few years, it is an undeniable fact that Akshay Kumar falls under the category of the most daring and bankable actors of Bollywood. This has enabled him to act in diverse genres, ranging from senseless and cheesy comedy flicks, to sensible and thought provoking movies. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2m6lt0[/embed] This time around Akshay Kumar has teamed up with debutante Raja Krishna Menon to highlight a real life incident back in 1990; the Kuwait crisis. Airlift is a true story based on Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It revolves around Indians residing in Kuwait during that time and how Ranjeet Katiyal, (Akshay Kumar) along with his family and friends help evacuate 150, 000 Indians from a war-torn Kuwait. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="442"] Photo: Airlift Facebook page[/caption] Airlift is based on raw emotions, hope, political procrastination, dedicated officials and the transformation of a shrewd businessman who ends up becoming the nation’s only hope. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="337"] Photo: Airlift Facebook page[/caption] Ranjeet Katiyal’s character is definitely not an easy character to portray but Akshay Kumar has proven that the character was tailor-made for him. I feel this is one of Akshay Kumar’s most prominent performances. The character required a mature, sensible, quick-minded and arrogant person who turns into a soft hearted individual – and Akshay Kumar has delivered all these traits remarkably. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Airlift Facebook page[/caption] The remaining cast has done justice to their characters as well, starting with Nimrat Kaur, playing Ranjeet’s wife, Amrita Katiyal. She exudes confidence and elegance along with sheer talent. It can be said that she is extremely selective in her choice of films, since this is her first movie after Lunchbox (2013). If she remains to be this selective, she will soon be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shabana Azmi and Tabu. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Airlift Facebook page[/caption] Inaamulhaq, who plays the role of Major Khalaf Bin Zayd is a delight to watch. He has acted with gusto and managed to display a range of shades in his character, which does nothing but impress the audience. The supporting cast did their job well. Purab Kohli as Ibrahim proved to be reliable actor. Prakash Belawadi as George is fun to watch and portrays his finicky character outstandingly. Kumud Mishra as Kohli attested to the fact that he is an incredible performer. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Airlift Facebook page[/caption] Direction wise, Airlift is average, nothing to write home about. Its saving grace, however, is the script along with the power packed performances making the movie engaging. The songs are nothing great either. Soch Na Sake is a slow and melodious song whereas Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi reminds the audience of a 90s Arabic hit, Di Di Wa by Cheb Khaled. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ivgb9[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jfxnk[/embed] I would rate Airlift a good 3.5 out of 5 purely based on brilliant story-telling and over-the-top yet believable performances.

“Acting is the ability to live truthfully under the given imaginary circumstances.”

The recently released Bollywood movie Airlift, based on the evacuation of Indians residing in Kuwait during the Gulf War of 1990, has won much acclaim in both India and Pakistan. Rightfully so, for its brilliant cinematography, outstanding performances by all the artists (especially Akshay Kumar who has steered away from typically playing romantic comedy or action roles) and its excellent screenplay. The tragic scenario of a war zone and how it can take away everything you have is depicted in a heart-rending manner, along with how man’s survival skills are put to the test. The apathy of many politicians and bureaucrats, as is expected in our part of the world even in times of such dire crisis, has been highlighted very well. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement to the effect that this part of the film is untrue, even though the party in power back then was different from the current one as some critics have pointed out as well. The film also demonstrates how such situations ignite the sensitive or empathetic side of some people, not seen in them earlier. As an Indian, I must say that one of the Indian things that many Pakistanis, along with many other South Asians, do identify with is Bollywood. I remember back in 2003, I had gone with my family for a trip to Mauritius. While waiting in the lounge, we noticed Akshay Khanna there too, as did several others in the lounge. Interestingly, one of India’s pharmaceutical giants Mr Yusuf Hamied who runs the company Cipla was also present there. My father and I decided to take a stroll at the airport, as our flight was delayed and we stumbled upon a young Pakistani who asked us if there was any Bollywood hero at the airport, for he had heard something to that effect. I mistakenly told him that Akshay Kumar instead of Akshay Khanna was in airline lounge. He thanked me and rushed to procure his autograph. Later in 2006 some students from the Lahore Grammar School visited my school in Delhi (Modern School Vasant Vihar) in an exchange programme and even attended our student-organised farewell party for the batch that was to graduate. They danced to Bollywood songs, mouthing the lyrics with utmost ease. These instances constituted my initial exposition to the level of popularity that Bollywood enjoys in Pakistan. Later I learnt that Bollywood actresses such as Juhi Chawla and Kareena Kapoor had even done Pakistani television advertisements. Yes, Bollywood, like any other film industry, has produced the trashiest of films. Personally, I regret having watched the likes of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Ek Deewana Tha, but it has also produced many excellent films such as classics and other critically acclaimed films like Airlift. Apart from this, it has produced other light films that are fun to watch and overall aren’t bad at all. Bollywood has also been a symbol of Indian pluralism, even more than our cricket team. It has more appeal across the gender divide and provides opportunity to Anglo-Indians, such as Barry John, India’s tiny Jewish minority, those from certain provinces in India’s north-east where cricket isn’t particularly popular, for instance Danny Dengzoppa and even the Indians who are inherently Chinese, like Chang. A few Bollywood films have had very jingoistic or derogatory remarks towards Pakistanis as people, which is completely wrong. In most cases the expression of the patriotic Indian sentiment and the presentation of an Indian narrative (be it war movies or any other genre) while being very critical of the Pakistani establishment, doesn’t translate into bigotry for the average Pakistani. This can be seen in movies such as Border which shows the hero saluting both the Indian and Pakistani flags and wishing for peace to prevail, as well as Gadar which shows the protagonist as willing to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ (but refusing to say ‘Hindustan Murdabad’). This movie also presents a Pakistani Muslim friend of his being of great help. Even the movie Phantom features Pakistani Muslims helping Indians in fighting terrorism without any incentives. Main Hoon Na showed Indian security forces combat Indian jingoists obstructing a peace initiative with Pakistan. Besides, many other movies like English Vinglish, Namaste London, London Dreams, Goal and several others have showcased friendships between those hailing from India and Pakistan among those settled overseas. The movies Filmistaan and Kya Dilli Kya Lahore have focused on the theme of peace and friendship between Indians and Pakistanis and both the movies are absolutely brilliant. Bajrangi Bhaijan, in fact, went to the other extreme of trying to convince Indian Hindus to abandon any form of radicalism and embrace peace (overlooking the biases that it can subtly feed in Pakistani/non-Indian audiences) by exaggerating every practising Hindu character in India as casteist and Islamophobic. As a Hindu, this made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, although I know that the intention was not to offend. The Pakistani film Khuda ke Liye was highly acclaimed in India. I have watched the movie four times over, in spite of my reservations over some dialogues. One dialogue refers to when the innocent Pakistani musician, on being asked by an American official why all terrorists are Muslims, goes on to describe all Muslims globally and as a nation being singularly subjected to injustice. As if no non-Muslim has ever faced injustice anywhere and as if to rationalise to a certain extent (definitely not justify) terrorism. He does this instead of rebutting the fallacious notion of terrorism being a Muslim monopoly. Though, on the whole, the film offers a brilliant take against terrorism and religious autocracy. I even made it a point to show it to a devout Muslim gentleman who is an alumnus of the Deoband Madrasa and who comes to my home to teach me Urdu (a language that I wish to learn out of sheer interest), and he loved the movie overall too. Ramchand Pakistani and Bol were also acclaimed in India and again, rightly so in my opinion. I personally found the Pakistani movie Shararat (2003) pretty decent. From Pakistan, more than films, television serials have become a talking point in India and Zindagi, a channel showcasing Pakistani serials, has been a massive hit, as have been some serials in earlier times too. Pakistani comedians such as Shakeel Siddiqui and Umer Shareef have also won the hearts of many Indians. These films and serials have played a positive role in highlighting our similarities in leading day-to-day lives and dispelling prejudices about ‘the other’. For instance, a fellow Indian who had never travelled abroad and who didn’t go to a very elite school once related an incident to me. He saw a certain Pakistani serial depicting a jeans-wearing, married, working Pakistani woman with male friends which he had thought of as unimaginable, but the serial changed his perception for the better. Personally, I am not very optimistic about dialogue between the governments of India and Pakistan until some structural changes take place in governance patterns so that horrendous occurrences like the militant attacks at Gurdaspur and Pathankot do not keep recurring. But I do believe that person-to-person contact and cultural exchanges must be allowed to continue, as far as possible, for a brighter future. There are those creating obstacles in the same, like the Shiv Sena in India, but I believe that their goons do not represent the spirit of Mumbai. The spirit of Mumbai is better represented by the many Mumbaikars crowd-funding the medical treatment in a Mumbai hospital of a Pakistani girl Saba suffering from the Wilson’s disease. Similar humanity was exhibited by the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan, which took care of the disabled Indian girl Geeta. She was left behind in Pakistan and this particular Pakistani trust even constructed a Hindu temple which also paid the ransom for the release of Indians to Somali pirates. In fact, even in the context of the relatively recent controversy about Ghulam Ali’s concert; while the recent actions by Shiv Sena are undoubtedly condemnable, why overlook his numerous concerts in India over the years, or an invitation for a concert in Delhi by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting him? Although I am not an uncritical admirer of Modi, I would like to point out his victory in the national elections with a vote-share of less than 40 per cent was a result of a very justifiable anti-incumbency sentiment. This was a result of Indians being upset over the increasing inflation and unemployment, coupled with him portraying an image of embracing religious pluralism, leading even a sizable number of Muslims to vote for him. However, over 60 per cent of Indians, irrespective of religion, did not vote for him but were not united on an alternative. This also reminds me of how Shiv Sainiks’ opposition to the movie My Name is Khan, owing to Shah Rukh Khan’s remark on Pakistani cricketers vis-à-vis the Indian Premier League, didn’t lead most Indians to boycott the film. The boycott calls from sections of the Hindu right for Haider and PK hardly had much impact either, though I appreciate them not resorting to vandalism on these occasions. My name is Khan proved to be a blockbuster, just like Indian films continue to be popular in Pakistan, despite the rants of some extremists. And yes, in this regard, the official ban of Haider in Pakistan came as a shock to me. It was screened in India peacefully, despite being very critical of human rights violations by rogue elements in the Indian security forces within Kashmir, which certainly deserve condemnation. Similar allegations exist regarding Pakistani security forces in Balochistan, levelled by the very same international human rights organisations that level them for their Indian counterparts. Believing only what we would like to in either case would be sheer confirmation bias. This also made passing references critical of Pakistani policies and the criticism of Pakistani policies is indeed genuinely advanced by Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC. I, for one, like very many other Indians, am a fan of Atif Aslam. The memory of a night in February 2008 will remain amongst my most pleasant ones. I had attended a certain concert of his in Ahmedabad with college friends. I am indeed glad Bollywood gave Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Zafar and Fawad Khan a chance to showcase their talent. Ali Zafar won me over when he was moved to tears over a question put forth to him. He was asked about the love he received from the people of India and Pakistan and what he makes of the hostility between the two countries. He gave a fitting response to a Pakistani actor when asked why he works in an enemy country. His reply is indeed worth pondering over, which was we should strive for less bloodshed and more music. Yes, indeed.

All right, I am holding my hands up and I admit I was a homophobe back in the day. Like any typical Pakistani youngster, a lot of my cussing and swearing involved slurs against the gay community. Even the word ‘gay’ itself turns pejorative since it’s used with a derisive attitude in our society and considered as a general term of disparagement amongst Pakistani youth and ashamedly, I was no different. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JezwsQKpXuU But for me personally, my days as a typical homophobic youngster changed for good when I happened to stumble upon Brokeback Mountain (2005). I am not a big fan of movies belonging to the genre of romance but director Ang Lee’s love-drama centred around a secretive relationship between two cowboys just radically shook my beliefs regarding an individual’s sexual orientation. Brokeback Mountain was numbing, but not like when you watch a typical Bollywood eyesore. Au contraire, it was thought-provoking to such an extent that it haunted me into researching extensively about this whole phenomenon that is homosexuality. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger combining together in a taboo relation was one of the most fascinating emotional rides I had while absorbing a film and I experienced a cinematic déjà-vu recently, while watching another pair in a movie based on homosexuality. Which brings me to Aligarh, in which Manoj Bajpayee, playing the real life Dr Shrinivas Ramachandra Siras, a reluctant poster boy for India’s LGBT rights movement who was hounded out from the titular university for being a homosexual, shares a similar rapport with Rajkummar Rao who plays a young, fire-in-the-belly journalist, Deepu Sebastian. The couple, although not involved in the same sort of relationship dynamics as Gyllenhaal and Ledger, managed to evoke a similar visceral reaction out of me as the Brokeback Mountain duo; that of mind provocation, if you were not following. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpayee.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] 2016 has been a year of biopics for the Indian cinema so far, with Airlift, Neerja and now Aligarh hitting the theatres with aplomb. The film revolves around Bajpayee who, with method acting at its peak, is a mild-mannered professor of linguistics at the Aligarh University and a homosexual sexagenarian. Spending his solitude listening to old melodies of Lata Mangeshkar and sipping whiskey, Dr Siras’s life is turned upside down when his privacy is invaded in a sting operation where he is filmed in bed with a rickshaw driver. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] What follows is a hideously concerted campaign by the university authorities to oust the professor and break his spirit for his sexual preference. Enter Deepu, the idealistic rookie journalist who helps Siras fight the battle to have his job, home and dignity restored. Long story short, Aligarh is Siras’s and Deepu’s poignant journey. Forget Sardar Khan from Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Bhikhu Mhtare Satya (1998), Siras is by far Bajpayee’s best work. An enthralling performance with a compendium of raw emotions mainly love, warmth and agony showcased so profoundly that  it is hard to look away from him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Manoj Bajpayee.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] He is crown jewel of the melancholic splendour that is Aligarh. What Bajpayee does in this film is so reluctantly courageous, so honest and so transcendental that his Siras is on way to becoming a point of reference not just for us but for generations to come. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Manoj Bajpayee.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] In Bollywood, where homosexuality is an object of mockery or contemptuous gags and caricature, Manoj Bajpayee champions LGBT community’s cause without resorting to melodrama and in the process along with the movie itself, manages to reinforce the fact that everyone is entitled to their own sexual preference. Aligarh is not just a powerful character study; it is also a razor-sharp social commentary, sensitively making use of a real life tragedy. Also the self-appointed generals of the moral brigade need not worry, since the film does not ‘promote’ homosexuality per se. If anything Aligarh is about human rights, right to privacy and equality for all. Goes without saying, that includes gays as well. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpayee.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] One wishes that it has the same kind of influence on the public of the sub-continent as Brokeback Mountain and Philadelphia (1993) had with the western world with regards to understanding homosexuals’ plight. Aligarh might never achieve worldwide recognition as the aforementioned two but it surely is one of the most profound films ever to grace cinemas in our part of the world. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Manoj Bajpayee.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Manoj’s Siras remarks,

“Kavita shabdo ke beech ki khamoshi mein hoti hai, har koi umr aur paristhiti ke hisaab se uska matlab nikalta hai.” (The poetry is in the silences between words; its connotation depends on the age and circumstances one is in.)

All right, now here is a definitive list of all the people who under no circumstances can miss out on the chance to watch Kapoor & Sons while they can. The perfect elder child - Rahul Kapoor (Fawad Khan) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Koimoi[/caption] If you are tired of living your life under the weight of all the expectations that come your way for acting to fulfil the ‘faultless child’ tag that you are burdened with and need to break free from the shackles of being eternally considered responsible. The quintessential black sheep – Arjun Kapoor (Sidharth Malhotra) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Koimoi[/caption] If living forever under the shadow of a successful sibling, always thought off as second best and immature has worn you out. The estranged couple - Harsh Kapoor (Rajat Kapoor) and Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] If constant bickering about anything and everything, right down from a leaked pipe all the way up to the serious business of household finances, is slowly eating up your already gone sour relationship. The happy go lucky daddu (Grandpa) – Amarjeet Kapoor (Rishi Kapoor) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] And finally, if you are a weed-smoking, porn-watching octogenarian who is acting as the glue for a family slowly crumbling under the load of anger and resentment, then you better stop whatever the hell it is that you are doing right now and go grab yourself a ticket, because nothing can be as bizarrely therapeutic as watching the latest release from Dharma productions, Kapoor & Sons. [embed width-"620" height="348"]https://vimeo.com/154953351[/embed] It’s not just what has been noted above that will help all of you out there in a similar predicament to empathise with in the film. The fact every member of the Kapoor clan has additional skeletons in their respective closets is what makes this dysfunctional family such a curatively riveting watch. As for the rest of you, I bet you all have personal demons of your own that Kapoor & Sons can surely help exorcise. On the face of it, it is a relatively simple drama. Kapoor & Sons is the story of a mercurial Punjabi khaandaan (family) where the ever squabbling pair of ageing parents (Rajat and Ratna) have two sons, Rahul and Arjun who are not on the best of terms with each other. With such strained relationship dynamics this ought to be a recipe for dinner table disaster. But fear not, things aren’t coming to a head any meal-time soon since the brothers are living entirely separate lives in London and New Jersey. The perfect elder one, Rahul, is a bestselling novelist based in London. While the younger one, Arjun, is a struggling writer and a drifter, currently working as a bartender in New Jersey. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] One fine day, the quirky grandfather (Rishi Kapoor) whose favourite prank is playing dead, actually suffers a heart attack and the separated siblings are summoned back home to be by his side and all familial hell breaks loose. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] What follows is a household that’s teetering on the brink. Seething with bitterness, yet busy with the daily chores of life – like all dysfunctional families – the Kapoor clan too is always just one dinner-time talk away from reconciliation, but yet at the same time, also just one small act away from completely unravelling into total disintegration. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] But there is still one person who is obliviously enjoying the reunion: daddu. Now having experienced death at close quarters with the attack, the eccentric patriarch of the family has a simple final wish. A family photograph! But amidst all the Kapoor madness, this straightforward desire turns out to be anything but. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Ndtv[/caption] This could be the account of any family anywhere and that is what makes Kapoor & Sons special. The drama is a bitter-sweet slice of your own life. It could have been Sardar & Sons or even Khan & Sons. Heck! ‘Put your own family name’ & Sons, could very well have been the title of the movie, for each of you would find your life parallel to the narrative of the movie at some indeterminate point. The tale is fascinatingly engaging despite being rooted in the everyday. You might even describe the plot as wafer-thin but what sets it apart from others is the command that Shakun Batra, the director has on the art of storytelling. Watching the trailer you could be forgiven for confusing Kapoor & Sons as yet another archaic love troika from the stables of Karan Johar. Despite Alia Bhatt’s introduction as a potential trigger to the ticking time bomb that is the edgy Kapoor siblings’ relation, the film steers clear of the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) variety of regressive storytelling. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Alia plays her hyper, ditzy, blonde girl act yet again and along with Sidharth Malhotra, the duo is the weakest of the lot in terms of acting. It actually might be a little harsh to bracket Siddharth with Alia, mainly because he was saddled with a one-toned character and would have performed a lot better had his younger-brother character been crafted in a layered manner. https://www.instagram.com/p/BCHkccAtLCm? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] But there were no such characterisation issues with the elder sibling, Fawad Khan who owns the movie with his nuanced performance. His range of complex emotions is a total show-stealer and without giving too much away, hats off to him for displaying some real artistic cojones, playing a complex multi-layer character that no other leading Bollywood actor would have dared touched with a barge pole. Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah play the almost alienated couple with much ease. The pair manages to showcase love and resentment in a marriage so well, that they will remind you of your own parents. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Rishi Kapoor with all the prosthetic work, as the slightly naughty, partly grumpy and completely hedonistic grandfather, lusting after Mandakini in a wet sari from Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), is the cherry atop this captivating familial cake. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The choice of setting, the town of Coonoor is a spectacular idea and the cinematography does the hill station full justice by capturing the freshness with frames where you can, well, almost smell the greenery. https://www.instagram.com/p/3yoFcZC-7W? Dialogues are as un-Bollywoodish as you can imagine with a lot of subtext and nothing silly, forced or fake about the lines. Speaking of lines, there is one in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina regarding families.

 “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

I was in my kitchen the other day and while washing dirty cooking utensils, I was cursing the time God decided I would be born a girl. I was using a Lemon Fresh long soap bar and suddenly all my dishes started dancing to a beautiful tune. All the cares of the world were forgotten and within five minutes, my incredibly filthy utensils were sitting in their respective places; squeaky clean and I was looking as beautiful as ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GcXGVXeWO8 After having washed the dishes, I went for a long drive but the roads were jam packed with cars. The sun was shining in all its glory and the heat and dirt were proving to be an excruciating for all the commuters. And then out of nowhere, we came across the best mango juice anybody could have ever had. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvIQqpOukNw&index=16&list=RDsH5M1Iv2xf0 So the most obvious thing we did was get out of our cars and start dancing and swirling. Elders, along with the traffic police, were no exceptions to this crazy fiesta. But all good things come to an end. The lights turned green, everyone got back into their cars and drove on happily to their respective destinations. As soon as I got home, I discovered my face was covered in dirt and my hair was literally a mess. And suddenly, after viewing myself in the mirror, I remembered I had some hair oil in my bag, capable of performing miracles, and a beauty cream named after a woman, which would transform me into Cleopatra within minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfgKIwqHNLM I solved five of my problems with one solution, imagine. Then I challenged women all over the world and asked them if they had more fair and lovely skin than I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYQ37Jfcohk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvs6lRVj4Wg A perfect end to a perfect day. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this is where the Pakistani advertisement industry is headed. When was the last time we came across an ad that may have changed our mind-set about a social issue? Clean sweep your memory and you will find nothing. All we come across is overly glamourized photo shoots at exotic locations and a bunch of happy people dancing in the streets. Furthermore, our ad industry is way too focused on girls deprived of marriage prospects due to their dark skin, women experimenting with different soaps to get baby smooth skin or couples trying to get rid of dandruff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq-RUzel3aY From caring and loving moms in milk ads to talented bahu’s in Banaspati commercials and finally to genius children eating milk biscuits, the standard of our ads is slowly deteriorating. And don’t even get me started on a kung fu style dancing Pakistani chewing a gum or a beautiful housewife not sparing a saalan ka daagh (curry stain). While there are various brands that have started to take initiatives on different matters through advertisements, the remaining are still oblivious to how great and impactful ads are made. Beloved advertisers, Pakistan and our cultural values have changed quite a lot. Trends are now changing and rigid societal roles are disappearing. This is the best time for you to break stereotypical barriers. Explore our culture, update yourselves on various social issues including the role of the gender in our society, along with other issues. We’d rather have ads that make an impact over exaggerated ads that only waste our time. Please stop wasting air-time. Thank you, A fed up Pakistani.

Ever found yourself involved in a heated debate where the arguer is trying to prove his point by being obnoxiously loud, regurgitating the same information over and over again and, worst of all, diluting his own case due to a total lack of subject comprehension by providing supporting arguments that totally fly in the face of what he is arguing for. This is precisely how I felt watching Ki & Ka, where Cheeni Kum (2007) famed director R Balki completely soured an intriguing premise of gender role reversal by a mishmash of a screenplay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2fxtycjf_I Ki as in larki (girl) as in Kia (Kareena Kapoor) is a ‘corporate robot’, who is hell-bent on being top dog of a company, rather than be queen of the kitchen, thus a conventional Bollywood caricature of a hard-core feminist. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Bollywood Curry[/caption] Ka as in larka (boy) as in Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) on the other hand, is a topper from India’s version of Harvard Business School and also heir to his father’s successful business empire. But since he is so fond of his late mother he wants to be like her, and what better way to pay homage to your late mother than to be exactly what she was; a housewife! [poll id="495"] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: India Forums[/caption] Ki and Ka’s meet-cute fittingly happens in a flight since the writing takes a massive nosedive after this particular point. They meet, they click and they get married. The pair agrees that Kia will continue following her corporate dream and be the breadwinner while Kabir will do all the household work; something he always wanted to and be the breadmaker. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Over time, the role reversal puts the focus on Kabir and jealousy starts to rear its ugly head. This is precisely the point where the big idea of reversing conventional roles starts losing its hook and all is downhill from here. Credit where credit is due, the film’s concept deserves a huge round of applause. The movie had so much potential to steer away from your typical Bollywood garbage but filmmaker’s failure to delve deeper to understand the real issues surrounding gender equality proves to be the bane of this potentially promising fare. Arjun Kapoor’s character had the potential to be truly revolutionary. Here is a guy who willingly wants to stay at home and unconditionally supports the career ambitions of his wife, but then all of this comes crashing down when the film bewilderingly paints Ka with a Bollywood brush. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] His not so subtle insistence on his house-husband tendencies to not be considered gay is borderline homophobic while not liking the colour pink possibly inferring that a particular hue can in any way be emasculating, is just plain shallow. For the record, one my favourite wardrobe items is a button-down which is, yes you guessed it right, ‘pink’ in colour. Haters gonna hate! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] To further add insult to the dim-witted injury, there is a totally random scene where to prove Ka’s masculinity, he thrashes a couple of baddies in front of Kia and consequently turns her on. It’s as if this film can’t possibly imagine a guy being masculine who doesn’t want to stress himself with the corporate rat race and instead prefer being a stay-at-home husband. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Ki & Ka pretends to be avant-garde with its commentary on gender stereotyping, but what it does not realise is that it requires a certain level of maturity to deal with this sort of subject, which it clearly lacks. The movie might even have a good message at the end of it all but screaming it right in our faces starts reinforcing the very stereotypes it set out to negate. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] As for the discussion on the lead actors, Arjun Kapoor must be commended for selecting a role that on the face of it was ground breaking. But unfortunately for him, turns out he was saddled with yet another trite Bollywood character. Kareena looks like Kareena, which I reckon is bad news for any typical B-Town lady since their whole career in the industry is solely based on physical appearance. And that’s the thing with looks, unlike acting there is only so much variation you can up with in this regard before you are dated. And sadly for Bebo, she is already way past her sell-by date. There is, however, one evergreen couple that the movie can boast of, that of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan. The pair appears in a cute cameo discussing the complexities of gender equality evoking memories of Abhimaan (1973), one of the best Indian films made on the aforementioned subject. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan.
Photo: Facebook[/caption] It is so unfortunate seeing a film with such a progressive outlook on man-woman relations resorting to regressive Bollywood clichés to elicit emotions out of the audience. But still the peculiarity of the idea makes Ki & Ka noteworthy, but that regrettably is damning it with the faintest of praise. [poll id="496"]

A disclaimer of sorts before I begin this piece; I have never been a huge Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) fan (no pun intended).  Au contraire, even back in the day when everyone and their dog was drooling over his excessively exaggerated psychotic characters in Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993), Anjaam (1994) and Ram Jaane (1995), I found Shah Rukh Khan’s quirkiness more exasperating than endearing. I mean, okay I get it – you pulled off a deranged anti-hero successfully once, but why in God’s name would you don the same eccentric avatar over and over again that is bound to be milked dry in no time? Fortunately for SRK, these zany characters were counterbalanced by another sort of character that he so nauseatingly loved to repeat, that of a lovable idiot. Long story short, if he wasn’t hamming his way out as a manic  ‘K k k Kiran’ stalker, he most certainly would be found playing an adorable simpleton like Sunder in Chamatkar (1992), Raj in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and Sunil in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Giphy[/caption] But back then SRK could still be called an actor, albeit a moderately talented one. A one-trick, or at most, a two-trick pony that didn’t have versatility in his repertoire. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="245"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Giphy[/caption] Then SRK struck gold with Dharma Productions and Yash Raj Films by playing an overdose of single-faceted Rajs and Rahuls in some of the most Bollywoodish rom-coms like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Mohabbatein (2000), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="460"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Giphy[/caption] Fortunately for Shah Rukh Khan, people in our part of the world had no issues lapping up mediocrity under the guise of acting and he emerged on top of B-Town, with an audience all high on senselessly drinking the same old wine from new but shamelessly similar bottles. But all bad things, like good things, must come to an end and Shah Rukh Khan’s baffling rise was halted right in its track when he started pairing up with equally limited directors in Farah Khan and Rohit Shetty in some extremely direly scripted flicks such as Chennai Express (2013), Happy New Year (2014) and Dilwale (2015) to name a few. So Fan is King Khan’s way of reaching back to his acting roots and trying to salvage whatever is left of his rapidly depreciating career as an actor. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="426"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Tumblr[/caption] Fan is Shah Rukh Khan attempting to marry the only two characters he could act out, the wacky (Darr etc.) and the silly (Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa etc.), before he became the irritatingly tiresome Rahul and the tediously boring Raj. It’s a film that’s all about a fan’s pursuit of the star and then the star trying to hunt down the fan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Fan is Martin Scorsese’s King of Comedy (1982) meets Stephen King’s Misery, with a bit of Tony Scott’s The Fan (1996) thrown in for flavour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkS_Ar0Yad0 Gaurav (Shah Rukh Khan), a lifelong fan of fictional matinee idol, Aryan Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan) also happens to look like him. He has put his uncanny resemblance to good use by channelling his obsession into a trophy-winning tribute act at the local talent competition. After getting tired of winning the top prize at the said show repeatedly, he decides to present his latest award to his idol as a birthday present. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] With this thought in mind, Gaurav embarks on a pilgrimage to Mumbai to meet his celebrity-god. Once there, he realises that there are millions of others like himself and begins to feel neglected when he turns up at Aryan’s doorstep. In order to grab his hero’s attention and meet him personally, Gaurav hatches a sinister plan which backfires spectacularly when his first encounter with his obsession turns ugly. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] When slighted by his idol, Gaurav, owing to his striking resemblance, vows to make the narcissistic star chase after him and engineers a bitter confrontation that plays out in London, Dubrovnik and Mumbai. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Fan is not a great film. Well, heck, it’s not even a mediocre one! What it is though, is a brave film. With an intriguing premise devoid of any conventional Bollywood song, inexplicably shot at exotic locales and lacking an established eye-candy in the form of a leading B-town lady, the movie certainly deserves credit for being audacious by breaking all the rules of archaically commercial filmmaking. But the outrageously flawed script and the logic-defying drama in the second half puts a stop to all the brownie points that Fan earned for a uniquely daring concept. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] I am still trying to wrap my head around how a common fan can become so adept at dangerous Parkour stunts and death-defying intercity chases. Not to mention, a super star running after a common fan, who bizarrely turns out to have all the unlikely resources at his disposal. Strangely, no personal body guard or cops step up to take the responsibility. Talk about taking a huge leap of faith with cinematic liberties. Other than the first half an hour, with the precise Delhi detailing that Maneesh Sharma is so good at, the Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) famed director fails at every single turn in telling a story that had so much potential. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Maneesh Sharma.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] For instance, he could have worked harder on developing the real conflict in the plot instead of concentrating on the ridiculous chases. The narrative could have been a lot more captivating if he had focused on making the cat and mouse chase more difficult for the unresourceful Gaurav instead of the have-it-all Aryan. The leads were so shoddily written that even when you are supposed to be empathetic towards one and judge the other, you couldn’t quite decide. Frankly, I personally couldn’t even care! This is a testament to how emotionally disengaging the doppelgänger duo were as characters, in terms of both scriptwriting and acting. A saving grace of sorts is the top tier special effects work from world-renowned makeup artist and nine-time Academy Award nominee Greg Cannom who has also contributed his expertise to Dracula (1992), Mrs Doubtfire (1993) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Greg Cannom and Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] If there is one thing I have learned over the time as an avid movie watcher, it’s not to have any high hopes from a film that has anything to do with SRK. With a tremendously promising concept, Fan could have been a whopping shot at redemption for SRK. Alas, the nauseous glorification of King Khan by the filmmakers in the most melodramatically Bollywood way possible made sure that never happened. The King of Bollywood is almost dead, long live the King! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="245"] Shah Rukh Khan.
Photo: Giphy[/caption] [poll id="524"]    

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was recently put on sale on eBay by one frustrated Pakistani who was sick of all the nuisances cluttering up his life. The move was applauded by many world over but mostly in Pakistan, and it occurred to me that this ‘spring-cleaning’ of our country should continue well beyond the realm of prime ministers that have time and again failed to deliver. Here are ‘for sale’ advertisements for other aspects of Pakistan: 1. The judiciary [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sindh High Court
Photo: Online[/caption] The corrupt judiciary is only good for long marches and works with a special starter key of either monetary or political clout. The source of entertainment is reliable (even without the key) because the whole thing erupts like a pack of wild animals if disturbed, but be sure to only poke with a long stick or some suitable implement that will keep you at arm’s length because it bites. The product is useless as a guard animal as it’s extremely fickle.  *Starter key not included. 2. Full set of Federal and Provincial Assemblies (*complete attendance not guaranteed) [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Punjab Assembly
Photo: Online[/caption] Here is a special mind blowing offer on all five assemblies. The set has three modes of operation: debates on nonsensical issues, incoherent yelling of foul words in Urdu and every regional language and walkouts. Impossible to select modes at any particular time, but excellent language learning tool for young children (my nephew can now say ‘Wh***’ in Sindhi and Punjabi). It’s not very good for anything else and takes up a lot of closet space. Prayers are an acceptable mode of payment. 3. ‘Dr’Amir Liaqat [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="369"] Sex symbol, Dr Aamir Liaqat Hussain
Photo: Online[/caption] I bought this because the box also contained a really provocative female robot voice, but the voice only knows one sentence and it refuses to flirt with anyone but the good doctor. Hoped that the doctor’s weird clothes would still make a good conversational piece, but he keeps yelling and jumping up and down. Has the tendency to insult people for no good reason. A parrot can do the same, but it’s harder to teach a bird to say “Dr Sahab, ab bas bhi karain” (Doctor, please stop now), with exactly the right inflection. Sexy, female robot voice not sold separately. 4. Cable news [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Politician A accuses Politician B and his party of rampant corruption, mismanagement, theft, coupled with whatever is the soup of the day
Photo: Imaan Shaikh[/caption] Has a knack for emitting a constant stream of frantic yelling and Bollywood music (not sure how that counts as news). My cousin could connect it to a laptop and use some kind of DJ wizardry to combine the music and the yelling into catchy dance beats, but he has moved to Canada now. If you understand how that works then you can have it for all the years of my life that I’m never getting back. 5. The religious right [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Anti-domestic violence law to protect women is un-Islamic, Pakistani advisory group rules
Photo: AFP[/caption] My parents got this to teach us about Islam, morality, tolerance and how to be a good human being, but I think it’s broken because it doesn’t do either of those things. It completely ignores my brother and screeches at me if I so much as move a muscle. Excellent as waste disposal; for example, give it an apple and say “this apple is against Sharia”, then watch it tear the apple apart into a million little pieces. Reason for sale: a paper shredder is less noisy. 6. Morning show hosts [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Morning TV shows are all identical
Photo: File[/caption] This set of 1,000 dolled up women used to be good at keeping irritating viewers occupied, but now they’re giving them far too many stupid ideas (like its okay for an adult to play celebrity guessing games). If you run a mental asylum, you can use it to occupy the patients, since asylum attendants have straitjackets handy if things get too rowdy. 7. Punjab Police [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Those Police officers who were able to reduce waists by two to four inches will be given another chance.
Photo: Online[/caption] This is literally good for nothing. Not one thing. The main reason for selling is that maybe someone else could use it for target practice or to prop up furniture. Willing to exchange for a Doberman or Alsatian. I’d put up more items for sale but once I started digging, the sheer enormity of the dead weight pulling down on our lives broke me. I’ve set everything on fire and am moving to the mountains to live as a hermit. I’ll have Wi-Fi for as long as it takes to sell the above. Let the bidding begin.

Excuse me? Are we back in the 90s now? Because I clearly missed the memo, notifying us mere mortals of this monumental time travelling feat. So thank god for the team behind Baaghi, since had it not been for them, I still would have been ignorant to this glorious accomplishment of temporal displacement that even Marty McFly and Doc Brown would be proud of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HQIKJBUsQk I’m sure that back in the day, ‘koi achi si fighing wali filum de dayn (give me a nice film with a lot of fighting scenes)’ would have been a pretty popular line to be heard in video stores all across the country. Only second to ‘woh wali movie chaiyay (give me ‘that’ movie)’, if you ask me. I, personally have been on countless of these film rental trips with my cousins or friends where, along with occasional requests for behind-the-shelf ‘woh’ variety, we ended up asking the ‘video walay uncle’, if he had a ‘naye karate, kung-fu filum (new karate, kung-fu film)’. Keeping in mind humankind’s proclivity for violence, it was no surprise that back in that decade even C-grade foreign action heroes like Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme were household names in our part of the third-world. But that was regressive 90s at its best and unfortunately for Baaghi with its archaic sensibilities, we are currently living the relatively enlightened twenty-tens. A rehash of a Telugu film called Varsham (2004) and an Indonesian thriller, The Raid: Redemption (2011), Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor starrer is a jaded love story muddled with martial arts mayhem. Ronny (Tiger Shroff) a rebel (just don’t ask why!), visits South India to undergo formal training in Kalaripayattu (a Keralese martial arts style) in order to fulfil his father’s dying wish. En route he meets the irritably chirpy Sia (Shraddha Kapoor) who seems to be smoking some really s***-a** stuff that makes her character go bonkers; talking to the clouds, and dancing at the first sign of rain. Boy meets girl, exchange a few words and are in love – if only finding true love was that frikkin’ simple! https://www.instagram.com/p/BEFr1RAqDS_? https://www.instagram.com/p/BD5_7wSqDZ9?   But like every typical Bollywood love story, there must be a major obstacle on their way to the ‘happily ever after’. So after a period of Ronny’s Karate Kid inspired training at the Kalari academy, as if on cue, enters Raghav (Sudheer Babu), an equally formidable fighter and the villainous son of the protagonist’s guru, who also falls for Sia. Raghav abducts Sia and takes her to Bangkok, where he is a mafia kingpin. Ronnie sets off on their trail and singlehandedly takes on an army of henchmen employed by the antagonist. https://www.instagram.com/p/BE2oFsZFsyH? Ronnie manages to liberate our ‘damsel in distress’ a couple of times, but in both instances they are instantly caught again because instead of escaping, they break into a song to celebrate their reunion. https://www.instagram.com/p/BEaLfVIyptb? https://www.instagram.com/p/BEsj4DOFs_-? After a certain point, Sia’s rescue gets so insufferable that you hope the lead pair actually succumbs to all the havoc and we can all go home. But sadly they don’t! https://www.instagram.com/p/BDBTV5Aypox? https://www.instagram.com/p/BC2xJ8SypiP? Credit where credit is due, the fight sequences are extremely well-choreographed, but there is only so much meaningless bone-crunching that one can endure before it gets excruciatingly monotonous. https://www.instagram.com/p/BEsVbgFSplp? https://www.instagram.com/p/BEjTcKFSpmN? Bottom line, the movie has no story to tell, only action to showcase. With a plot as wafer-thin as this, I’d rather watch WWE with all its faux drama, if I am looking for senseless action. Low on genuine drama, Baaghi is only as engaging as a shoddily designed video game. https://www.instagram.com/p/BEYsMo8Spmu? https://www.instagram.com/p/BDukqvPSppC? The songs are great, but only for your mid-film loo breaks. https://www.instagram.com/p/BD8SvLSSpn3? Cringe-worthy comedy is inserted via Sunil Grover and Sanjay Mishra’s characters. And if a blind man mistakenly feeling up a woman’s legs is your idea of comic relief, then the director has got what he wants. Regrettably, I am a philistine and don’t really share the filmmaker’s fabulous sense of humour. An absurd masala potboiler, the only thing Baaghi is rebelling against is reason, logic and common sense. If you ask me, I’d say go watch a ‘woh waale filum’ rather than wasting your time with this sequence of disjointed stylised action scenes.

This Mother’s Day I took my mother out on a date to watch Pakistani cinema’s latest flick Mah-e-Mir. Luckily, it has not been banned as yet. I am not a movie buff per say, but I do end up going to the cinema every other week to take a break from reality. So, I hardly ever read movie reviews before watching movies. I like to watch a movie with a blank mind, having nothing to compare it with and judge it based on the entertainment value. I went in judging from the title that Mah-e-Mir would probably be based on the life of one of the Urdu poetry giants. The first 15 minutes passed by and my mother nudged me with a big sarcastic grin on her face and whispered,

“Can you understand what they are saying?”

Bollywood has had its own share of fascination with biopics and sports movies alike, and most of the films in both genres have suffered from various problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGf8j9Fxn4w Biopics have suffered because of the glorification of the heroes, making them much larger than they actually were in reality. This is evident in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, The Dirty Picture or the countless Bhagat Singh movies. Even though Milkha Singh won accolades and awards across the country, the exaggeration in his character development was painfully evident. Sports films, on the other hand, have suffered from the lack of technical knowledge of the sport itself. Goal made a mockery of football and Kai Po Che did not even know the field placements in cricket. Even Aamir Khan, the perfectionist, overlooked the fact that English cricket used a five ball over in 1893 and moved to six ball overs in 1902, even though his film Lagaan is set in 1893. Never mind Awwal Number. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Emran Hashmi in Azhar (2016)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] There are exceptions such as the biopic Paan Singh Tomar and sports movies like Chak De India, but then there are also accidents in Bollywood. Azhar is a combination of a biopic and a sports movie; which means the producers face the challenge of glorifying the life of the lead and technical aspects of the sport as well. The question is whether Azhar is an exceptional film like Paan Singh or does it just add to the list of hyperbolic biopics from Bollywood? By the end of the review, we will have the answer. Concerning technical parts of cricket, it’s a hit-and-miss. Mohammad Azharuddin’s statistics have been accurately shown, including his first three centuries. The transition of cricket kits is an interestingly picked detail, as trousers have moved from button to string over the years. But at the same time, showing a white ball for ODIs during the 80s in the sub-continent is a big miss. The cricket bats in question have thick blades with curved tops which have only been a phenomenon of the last decade, after Azhar’s retirement, not before his international debut. Though the real problem lies in the glorification of Azhar’s character, played by Emraan Hashmi. Not being impartial in one’s biography is one thing, blatantly depicting him as an angel is another. Azhar is not just a good cricketer and leader; he is also a saviour of damsels in distress and knows how to con the criminal bookies; all of which is proven by gutsy hard hitting dialogues. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Emran Hashmi as Mohammad Azharuddin and Prachi Desai as Naureen in Azhar
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Interestingly though, it is not only Azhar whose character has been glorified. Sangeeta Bijlani (Nargis Fakhri) is shown nothing short of a saint in the film, which is highly debatable. Azhar’s first wife, Naureen (Prachi Desai), is also shown as the most accommodating person ever, even during the time when the mistress comes in, while in real life Azhar had to part ways with a bit of cash surplus and real estate to close that particular chapter of his life. I have nothing against Sangeeta or Naureen, but showing them in a real light would have added a realistic touch to the film which was completely missing in the biopic. Yes, it was a biopic, but with a handful of believable parts. Debutant director Tony D’Souza has picked up Ekta Kapoor’s usual suspect in writing, Rajat Arora who also penned The Dirty Picture and Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, both of which were biopics. This time, though, Rajat has gone too far with creative liberty. The script is weak in general and knowledge of the subject matter, cricket, is shaky and the sincerity towards all angles of Azhar’s court drama is incredibly biased. Even the way the dots of the script were connected is extremely chaotic. The movie hardly opens any new perspectives to the viewer other than simply showing Azhar’s perspective. The courtroom scenes are flat, uninteresting, lengthy and quite fake. To add salt to the injury, the narration is not simple either and is webbed with flashbacks and the present timeline. The climax is weak and hasty, if the conclusion was as simple as shown, the case would not have continued for years. Tony’s treatment of the screenplay is shaky and requires a lot of refinement. The film has a strong premise of courtroom battle proving Azhar’s innocence or guilt; however, it has been made like a love triangle and patriotism drama. Azhar could have actually been shot entirely in court, like Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs. That is, obviously, too much to ask for from a Bollywood masala biopic. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Emran Hashmi as Azhar and Nargis Fakhri as SAngeeta Bijalni in Azhar (2016)
Photo: http://azharmovieboxofficecollection.com[/caption] Characterisation is also a mix of ups-and-downs. While Manoj Prabharkar’s portrayal is excellent, Ravi Shastri’s is good; Kapil Dev’s is rather uninspiring. Sangeeta Bijalni had a lot more aura and charm than Nargis Fakhri can demonstrate in her entire life time. The biggest failure was Azhar’s lawyer, a nonsensical comic Andhra character called Reddy, played by Kunaal Roy Kapoor. Lara Dutta’s portrayal of Meera, the prosecutor of the courtroom drama is yawn inducing and wasted. Make-up and costumes are poor in general and show no progress over a period of 30 years from the 80s to 2011. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Azhar first look: Emraan Hashmi's birthday gift for ex-cricketer
Photo: Hindustan Times[/caption] Emran Hashmi’s work needs praise. He has mastered Azhar’s body language to perfection. His signature walk coupled with neck movements, raised collars and use of barray bhai, just like the real Azhar; make for a very precise depiction of the cricketer and shows that some research has been put in developing the reel Azhar from the real Azhar. Despite the good work, there is still a question of the best possible casting. Hashmi did not copy Azhar’s vocal tone that well; the real Azhar speaks much faster. Also, Hashmi is also approximately four and a half inches shorter than Azhar. Perhaps Akshay Kumar would have done it better than Emran? I guess we will never find out. Azhar might bring in numbers, but on the whole, it’s a hit and miss film with a lot of things going against it. Watch it if you are an Azharuddin fan, don’t watch it if you are a cricket fan. [poll id="556"]

The geopolitical tension between India and Pakistan has resulted in numerous cinematic potboilers that have all the ingredients of tragedy, jingoism, xenophobia and grief. Sarbjit is no different. The movie is based on the real-life account of the ill-fated Sarabjit Singh who was arrested by Pakistani police on the Wagah Border in 1990. This unfortunate Indian or dumb scout (as some conspiracy theorists allege him to be) was accused of being an Indian spy who had orchestrated terrorist activities in Lahore and Faisalabad. He was eventually thrown into prison. In between the capricious rapport shared by these two countries along with cross-border political stiffness, Sarbjit is an extremely dramatic tragedy. Charged with heated radical debates and peace lectures, the movie depicts the struggle of a sister trying to save her brother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1kYpWU7apI [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Randeep Hooda
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Sarbjit (Randeep Hooda) is a happy-go-lucky man and a family-oriented farmer. He is very attached to his sister, Dalbir (Aishwarya Rai) and his wife Sukhpreit (Richa Chadha). One day Sarbjit crosses the India-Pakistan border in a drunken state and gets arrested by the Pakistani forces. They end up putting him behind bars, charging him on account of five planned bomb blasts in Pakistan. The real drama kicks off when his sister Dalbir starts a relentless campaign to free her innocent brother from Pakistani prison. Consumed by love for her brother, she tirelessly campaigns for him, along with jarring the corridors of power and preaching peace to people. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Randeep Hooda with Omung Kumar
Photo: IMDb[/caption] A helpless family foiled by decades-old heinous animosity between two countries, moves the viewers to tears. This movie is all about a woman being challenged and rising against destiny to fight for her family. The plot does have its fair share of anti-Pakistan sentiment but showing that people help Sarabjit on our side of the border provides a buffer against the bitterness. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Aishwarya Rai
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] As Sarbjit, Randeep Hooda was phenomenal. He actually transformed his entire look, stature and accent for Sarbjit. This was his most prominent role by far. Sarbjit offered pitch perfect performances by Hooda. As Dalbir, Aishwarya was commendable. She was brilliant from the word go. Sarbjit, performance wise, is a career-defining film for Aishwarya. She breathed life and fire into the character of Dalbir and impressed in almost every scene. The accent, however, sounded a bit out of place, and thus gave her away in places. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Randeep Hoods and Aishwarya Rai
Photo: Twitter[/caption] Richa Chadha was more occupied passing out at any opportune moment. She had very few dialogues in the movie, but it was her silence that made her presence felt. This is very rare quality and Chadha is definitely gifted with it. Darshan Kumar (as Owais Sheikh) was laudable. His acting came as a surprise and was different from what he showcased in Mary Kom (2014) and NH10 (2015).  He is an optimistic, full-of-hope individual, despite unavoidable misfortunes. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Richa Chadha
Photo: IMDb[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Richa Chadha
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Sarbjit is Omung Kumar’s second movie and he proved yet again that his film-making style is based on reality checks. Whether it’s Mary Kom or Sarbjit, he manages to display minute elements of distress and joy with utmost ease and impact. There are numerous scenes where viewers become extremely emotional because of the way scenes are filmed. They are highly emotive and touching. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Aishwarya Rai
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The dialogues of Sarbjit are written smartly; are simple and easy to understand, which makes it an impressive watch. Screenplay and dialogues are worth a standing ovation. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Randeep Hooda
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Aishwarya Rai
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] On the basis of engaging content, intense performances, amazing music and top-notch direction, Sarbjit can easily be ranked amongst the top movies of the year. [poll id="569"]

Aksbandh, Lollywood’s first-of-a-kind horror movie, which has been inspired by the found-footage format in American supernatural horror movie series Paranormal Activity, hit cinemas on May 20, 2016. The movie, which is also similar to the Final Destination series, was made in partnership with Hum TV, Urdu1 and Express News, and has been directed by Emram Hussain and co-written by Ayaz Samoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYzGKZFF7CE The story revolves around a group of amateur college-going film-makers who wish to make a movie of their own. To shoot their project, they decide to go to the Mangrove forests of Larkana (Sindh). The group starts its adventure in a frenzy of excitement. However, as they go further onto their expedition, their fervour begins to waver. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] The movie starts with the main characters, Ayaan (Daniyal Afzal Khan), Saadia (Shehzeen Rahat), Alia (Mahrukh Rizvi), Raheel (Bilal Yousufzai), Shehzad (Saud Imtiaz) and Sunny (Ayaz Samoo), introducing themselves on camera. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Ayaan and Saadia are the directors of the project; Alia and Raheel play their roles in scene one. A dog-tired comedy but reasonable wit also weaves its way through the ‘very horror’ (pun intended) film as Alia is asked,

“What kind of boys do you like?”

How is it even possible that you go watch a movie with zero expectations, but yet walk out of it feeling utterly let down. And that my friends, is precisely the kind of feat the third instalment of the Housefull series managed to pull off. Promoted as a rib-tickling screwball comedy, the only reaction Housefull 3 got out of yours truly was that of head-scratching. It surely must be a record of some sorts making a 145 minutes long comedy where not a single joke lands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlZM9kuqw38 So in between all the failed attempts at humour, there is this laughably ridiculous plot where you have got three greedy men who hope to strike it lucky in life by marrying wealthy women. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Abhishek Bachchan), Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Now these rich lasses all happen to be offspring of an affluent Gujju businessman in London, Batuk Patel (Boman Irani). Now this Batuk chap doesn’t want to marry off his three supposedly sansakri (cultured) daughters – Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati (Jacqueline Fernandez, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakhri respectively) – because of some ludicrous curse that spells doom for the family. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Boman Irani
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lisa Haydon, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] But there is more to the girls than meets their papa’s eyes and that amongst other things is to have a boyfriend each. A footballer called Sandy (Akshay Kumar), a rapper called Bunty (Abhishek Bachchan) and a car racer called Teddy (Riteish Deshmukh). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Akshay Kumar
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The boys do manage to gain entry to the girls’ mansion but by playing crippled, mute and blind. But there is another twist to this already dreadfully twisted fare when there is a shuffle in role playing. The crippled has to turn blind, the one playing mute has to become crippled and the blindness faking guy now plays mute, because of a big baddie, Urja Nagre (Jackie Shroff) to whom their girlfriends’ dad owes a king’s ransom. What follows is some more senselessness to an already absurd premise. The jokes that form the basis for the Housefull 3 script have shamelessly been picked up from WhatsApp groups and Facebook memes, but the worst part is that the filmmakers weren’t even competent enough to copy the better ones. Oh, and it took three people to write this movie. Three people. Yes THREE! That is three fully formed human beings, with Rajan Agarwal credited as the Additional Screenwriter completing the troika along with the director and the writer duo of Sajid-Farhad. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Housefull 3 Official Facebook[/caption] Now, put any three people in a room for a few hours, let alone individuals who are actually paid big bucks to write and chances are at least one of them will come up with at least one usable joke. Hell, put three monkeys in a room and you are likely to get one funny gag at the very least. And yet this never happened once during the scripting of Housefull 3. A hundred and forty-five minutes and not one good punchline! How is this even humanly possible? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Riteish Deshmukh, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] A 10-year-old equipped with a WhatsApp enabled smartphone would have written a more humorous script than the trio! No one would go looking for logic in the Housefull franchise but motivating madness and sublime stupidity is definitely worth demanding. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Riteish Deshmukh
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] A lot of people would find cracking jokes at the expense of physically challenged, different coloured etc. tasteless and crass of which there are aplenty in this particular fare. I admit I am not that overtly sensitive, but what I am is someone who simply won’t put up with an extremely lame sense of humour, something that this movie brazenly throws at us. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Abhishek Bachchan and Nargis Fakhri
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Did they really expect us to laugh at this juvenile attempt at comedy where three silly girls are inanely translating English phrases into Hindi; ‘Hang out’ becoming “latakte hain”, “Naukri neeche” meaning ‘Calm down’ and “Paal-pos ke oopar ja” translating into ‘Grow up’! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Abhishek Bachchan.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Then there is Ritesh Deshmukh’s character Teddy who keeps mixing words because of the persistent slip of the tongue – wife turns into tawaif (courtesan), virodh (dissent) becomes nirodh (condom) and jawab (answer) converts to julaab (laxative). Even kids will find this brand of hilarity babyish. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lisa Haydon, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nargis Fakhri
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Akshay Kumar
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Akshay Kumar is known for his impeccable comic timing. But there is a thin line between acting and loud acting and his character’s split personality act which takes cue from Fight Club’s Edward Norton goes overboard and is just plain obnoxious. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Akshay Kumar
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Riteish Deshmukh has only played this kind of comic role for the millionth time while Abhishek Bachchan is just awkward [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Riteish Deshmukh and Boman Irani
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Abhishek Bachchan
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The ladies, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lisa Haydon and Nargis Fakhri have nothing to add but to look pretty and act dumb. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nargis Fakhri, Jacqueline Fernandez and Lisa Haydon.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Boman Irani once again wears a bad wig and is donning an accent whereas Jackie Shroff’s character displays more personality than the rest of the cast put together, wish there was more of him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Boman Irani.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Jackie Shroff
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Housefull 3 is simply a joke of a film where the joke isn’t even funny. It is so unfunny that there should probably be a law against seeing it. The penalty: seeing it again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Nargis Fakhri and Abhishek Bachchan
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] And if you are still hell-bent on watching this woeful Housefull, check into one of your WhatsApp groups instead. You would find it more cheerful!  [poll id="592"]

Now You See Me: The Second Act is a 2016 American heist movie directed by Jon M Chu of the Step Up series. In this movie, the quartet known fittingly by their stage name, Four Horsemen, are on the run after pulling off a robbery in a casino in Paris.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InqU8CLwbPg These gifted Las Vegas illusionists played by actors Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Lizzy Caplan (substituting Isla Fisher from the prequel) must now expose the immoral and corrupt practices of a tech tycoon Walter Mabry played by Daniel Radcliffe. Walter is pressurising them to steal a device so powerful that it is capable of manipulating and controlling all the computers in the world and can decrypt any computer program on earth. A bit too farfetched, right? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] When talking about The Second Act, it would be best not to look for logic in the plot but rather concentrate on the magic tricks (misdirection, mostly) and the cast performances. This movie is more ambitious than its prequel in every way; every single stunt and act is grander and more spectacular, thanks to CGI effects. However, the mystery and wow element in it does not match the expectations that its prequel had generated, thus it may serve as disappointing. Don’t get me wrong! It’s there, but less in comparison. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] The movie’s pace is also much slower. It takes time to unfold, introduce new characters and set the stage for the movie’s action and magical sequences. Kudos to the acting prowess of the antagonist of the movie – Radcliffe delivers a commendable performance that is part comedic and part megalomaniacal, but fully entertaining. He does not waste his allocated screen time and makes each scene count. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Daniel Radcliffe.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] One of the movie’s subplots is that of revenge. Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) swears a vendetta against Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). But this revenge spree becomes so convoluted and overly complicated that at one point you can’t help but think that the movie would’ve been better off without this added story line. However, Freeman and Ruffalo reprised their roles splendidly as their performances are only second to none. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Morgan Freeman
Photo: IMDb[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mark Ruffalo.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] If one wishes to enjoy this particular movie, they must put logic aside. After all, when we witness a magic trick, we subconsciously know that there is some kind of deception that we haven’t yet figured out and the same principle applies here.  This movie is far from perfect and coherent in its narrative, but it is a fun diversion that you will enjoy with your friends and family. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] I would have preferred the movie without that CGI overkill. It’s too in your face. But just when you think that this is getting out of hand and entering the realms of fantasy, the director manages to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in order to keep the audience hooked. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Eisenberg, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and Dave Franco.
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Now You See Me 2 tries to fit itself into the same category of acclaimed theft movies such as Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) and The Italian Job (2003), but ends up falling short in comparison to these cinematic masterpieces. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Watch this movie for its fun yet logic defying magical acts, the glittery casino life of Macau and well-choreographed action sequences.  [poll id="607"]