Dono, Review: Between Dono and Donot It takes two to get married. Three into two won’t go. So how about four? That’s a no-no. No, not four persons getting married ensemble, but the bride and the groom, plus two heart-broken souls. That sounds an interesting premise. Even as the couple are preparing to exchange vows, there is a man around, who secretly loved the bride-to-be, and there is a woman, who has broken-up with an abusive and domineering boy-friend, who is around too. Nothi...

Chup: Revenge of the Artist, Review: Critickill analysis Film critics, run for cover! Better still, seek police protection. Take a cue from the one renowned film critic already has police protection, and comes to our press previews with an armed escort, in uniform. The reason for this shield is not known to me. But all the other reviewers are mere mortals, some senior, some junior and some newbies. Some of them are well paid, some are paid much less than what they deserve, some are well-to-do...

Radhe Shyam, Review: Goodness gracious, how flirtatious! At its core, Radhe Shyam rakes-up an interesting debate, between destiny and those exceptions who surmount their pre-ordained destiny, and, in some cases, defy it. For destiny, read ‘predictions based on palmistry’. And yet, it tilts the balance strongly in favour of destiny, putting forth emphatically the theory that 99% of us cannot escape what has been written on our palms. Had this been the track that the screenplay deve...

RIFF 08, 2022, 02: N. Chandra to get Lifetime Achievement Award The 8th edition of the Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) will be organised by RIFF Film Club, during 25-30th March, 2022, and it will also celebrate Rajasthan Diwas (Foundation day of Rajasthan State). Somendra Harsh, Founder and Festival Director of RIFF, stated today that this year, the LifeTime Achievement Award will be given to the renowned Writer, Producer and Director Chandrashekhar Narvekar, better known as N. C...

Velle, Review: R4=Raw, rash, rant, rabble When you have to wait for an hour to see a film like Velle, it is like rubbing salt into wounds that have yet to be inflicted. That it lasts a mere two hours and five minutes is among the saving graces of the film. Touting a poster that says ‘phasey’ (meaning ‘phansey’ or trapped) and a middle finger rising up, you should probably be able to guess what the film might be like. After seeing the film, you will still not have any i...

Mohalla Assi, Review: Holy river, unholy Babas He’ll get there, eventually. Beginning with the TV serial Chanakya (321 BC-283 BC), about the life and times of the master strategist in the Maurya dynasty period (322 BC-185 BC), Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi gave us a good follow-up in the form of the feature film Pinjar, set in India’s partition, circa 1947.  After three more period dramas, largely unseen, he now lands up in more recent history, with the 2004 story published in 2...

Yamla Pagla Deewana--Phirse/3, Review: YPDP 3, Y indeed? Is good judgement failing the Deols? And did any well-wisher not bring to their notice that the story and screenplay of Yamla Pagla Deewana Phirse/3 is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? Or is it both? Whatever the reality, fact is that we have the Dharmendra Deol, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol starrer released this week, a weak exercise in futility. He Man Dharmendra, probably the first hero to show off his rippling muscles bare-...

Poster Boys, Review by Siraj Syed: The Half Monty Actor Shreyas Talpade’s directorial debut vehicle Poster Boys is a remake of his Marathi hit, Poshter Boyz. It also carries an elaborate scene towards the climax which reminds you of the British cult movie, The Full Monty (1997), wherein three unemployed men decide to strip on stage to earn some much needed money. Well, an Indian movie has a chance and a half of pulling off such show of skin on screen, either sex, so they decided to meet...