AIRLIFT..An Uplifting Human drama

I belong to the generation(now nostalgically famous) of Indian kids of 90's. Early nineties, Akshay Kumar was trying to break into the film industry, and me into this new world. Late nineties, I knew Akshay Kumar but never heard of Kuwait evacuation of 1,70,000 stranded Indians by our hit and miss government. A number big enough to propel this writer to present the figures numerically instead of words. But not big enough to find mention in our history books. Out of the two, one thing kept changing during the last twenty five years(you know it and agree with), my view of Akshay Kumar. Not only mine but anyone who has been watching Bollywood movies would agree to the ever changing onscreen avataar of this man. From an action king to comedic king and now a superstar foraying into the world of meaningful cinema, he has always grown through the years. An indication of life well lived. But it took a man named Raja Krishna Menon(just two film old) to make us all aware of this historic feat, an evacuation of 1,70,000 people from a war torn country in just 59 days. Thank you, Sir.

So now when we are done with a bit of history, lets talk about the present. An Akshay Kumar film always manages to draw the attention of audience but to create the hype/buzz, a strong trailer is must today when on an average four films are releasing every Friday. Airlift teaser released in Nov 2015, was one of the best of the year. Building up with the hard-hitting dialogues to the sight of goose-bump-inducing Indian flag, we all were sold. Dialogues were strong(not the cheesy ones we usually get in Bollywood) and emotions even more stronger. Nothing but the feeling of being Indian brings us together so strongly, and deservedly Airlift became one of the most anticipated films of 2016.

Watching Airlift in theatre on Republic day made for the perfect outing. Except for the songs, movie was strongly rooted to the reality. Raja Menon presented the story strictly in a manner which was required, not a tear-jerker or a melodrama but an inspiring tale of human spirit in crisis time. From writers point of view, its very difficult to write a story which finds very few mentions in the records, so cinematic liberties are forgiven. Of course the character of Ranjit Katiyal was the driving force but other characters of like Amrita Katiyal, George, Ibrahim, Sanjiv Kohli, Major Khalaf Bin Zayad and many more completed the whole spectrum of mankind and its spirit. The situations and the little talks between the characters made the story compelling and touched the right spots of human heart.

Why do crisis brings people close to each other ? Will to phase out the bad times, believe in Unity in Strength, true spirit of humanity, realization of being small in front of time & course of nature or just survival instincts. Combination of these, maybe. But I have a very pessimistic view about it. When you are the only one experiencing rough weather, the others won't take notice of you as they have to come out of their bubble of happiness. Of course you will return the same favor. But when in crisis, when everyone is being hunted down, when everyone is in the same boat, only then and then people held onto each-others hand genuinely. As shown in the film Ranjit Katiyal lost the power his name commanded and he was just an Indian, helping his fellow brothers and determined to fight the crisis and survive it. It is just an irony that you can truly differentiate the right from the wrong, only in such times. Maybe we should test the waters more to get the better perspective of human life. We can keep on creating hierarchies but it would take just one blow from the Mother nature to remind us all that we are just a damn human in the end.

A big applause to the guy who conceived the idea of making this film, for now we know what importance one's motherland holds in one's life. Barah Aana(2009), by Raja Menon was a fair attempt but inconsistent in parts but here in Airlift, his direction works big time. Airlift should not be compared with Argo, as the latter was thriller and the former is pure drama. Priya Seth's exemplary cinematography is visible in war scenes and aerial shots. Background music is okay. For me, this is Akshay Kumar's best. Vulnerability is something we can all identify with and Akshay brought it alive onscreen impeccably. 


“In every crisis, doubt or confusion, take the higher path - the path of compassion, courage, understanding and love.” 
― Amit Ray, Nonviolence: The Transforming Power

Rustom review

Matlab baazi jeetne se hai, phir chahe Pyaada kurbaan ho yaa Rani, was the most powerful dialogue of Rustom's trailer but the game which was played to symbolise this dialogue was utter nonsense. Though the audience won't mind it(because they won't get it), an average chess player will laugh inside. The game showed that Inspector Vincent Lobo, just knew the rules of the game but not the tactics and strategy. Or maybe Rustom Pavri was over-confident to assume that the poor chap has never played chess before. But criticising director for this would be really harsh, as he has only two and a half hour to tell the story whereas Vishwanath Anand and Magnus Carlsen can keep on going for six hours and still come up with a draw. So I am actually not complaining but setting you up for right expectations from Rustom. Script definitely had promising elements but alas those were not developed to the potential.

Why this story has to be based on 1959 KM Nanavati murder case? The only reason can be to insist the audience on believing such a plan(well planned murder) can be successful. KM Nanavati case was famous for the role of media, that successfully swayed the sympathy of  commoner, jury alike in favour of the decorated Naval Officer. This could have been used to understand the people, society structure and institutions of India in post freedom period. How psychologically and institutionally India has changed since then. Indians who had Ram and Sita as their idols were shocked to hear about the affairs of such high profile people. Even in an era devoid of social media, this news became a part of household discussions. How such a big loophole in judiciary system was exposed? Well, some of them are addressed. Yes. Even in those times, news were not provided but sold. Newspaper was the only source of information and if you want a first hand account of a case then you line up on the premises of the courtrooms. People at high posts were corrupt. Scams took place. Use of the Uniform and the patriotic card to gain the sympathy was for everyone to see. Disgusting look on women's face for Cynthia without knowing the background of her story was evident. Wife felt guilty, confessed to her husband and the thing which we don't see today.. the Man pardoned her. 

Now coming to the film and the performances, Akshay Kumar is a complete actor. By now, one must not doubt the above statement, not even for a second. Two things make Rustom a good one time watch -  first, there is no melodrama(credit to Tinu Desai)  and second, the terrific Akshay Kumar. Body language(he has the personality of a man in uniform) and dialogue delivery aside, the emotions and sincerity towards his wife is remarkable. Even when you as an audience don't feel for Cynthia, you can see Rustom's love for his wife. Yes, you can see. He never speaks but his eyes convey it all the time. This is what screen presence is, you speak all the time. Sometimes lips and sometimes eyes. You always look at him, whenever he is in frame he holds your attention. And one more thing, Rustom is Akshay's preparation for Jolly LLB sequel(watch it to know why). Ileana is not a seasoned actor to handle such a role, flawed characters are not easy to play and she is a total miscast. Esha Gupta, plays sister of Vikram Makhija who is reduced to a caricature of sort. Kumud Mishra as a newspaper editor is fantastic, he provides comic relief along with Jamnabai. Pawan Malhotra as Vincent Lobo is good but his role could have been given more importance. Sachin Khedekar aptly presents an unintelligible lawyer or a besharam lawyer. Arjan Bajwa works well as a seducer and perfectly cast. 

Courtroom drama is good but lacks the punch of Jolly LLB kind. Jury discussion is so lame, actually it was not shown properly. 12 Angry Men, a 1957 film is a benchmark of how a jury discussion is done. No points were made and the matured members were fighting like emotional kids. The classified document thing does not integrate well with the main plot. Don't have high expectations and you can enjoy it. At least, an Akshay Kumar performance makes sure of that.

What Indian TV shows are scripting

Future of Indian television media is uncertain with our country sprinting towards Digital India goal. The online media provides the diversity in subjects not only to the viewers but also to the actors, who are more than eager to switch from never ending melodrama to more relatable stories. Just for watching few advertisements, the YouTube webisodes are absolutely free to the viewers. Yes, we have to pay the internet bills but then we don't use internet for just YouTube! From interacting with friends to paying all kinds of bills, we rest on internet. Few gaps left by YouTube are sealed by Netflix. And then we have the daddy of all things, that ever existed digitally, the Torrent. We are always going to have more Friends, Breaking Bad, The Game of Thrones than TVF Pitchers, Permanent roomates or Girls on Top. One thing is certain, that one won't eat the othet but will continue to co-exist and keep our minds always in two. It will be interesting to see how Indian television would transform in coming years, to accommodate the generational shift. 

From Kyunki...saas bhi kabhi bahu thi to present day shows, the only change is the addition of supernatural(read black magic) elements in the story. One hit show Naagin and suddenly we have dozens of channels coming up with snake sagas. We should not feel offended if someone still calls us, a country of snake charmers. When everyone followed the formula, there was one show which chattered into an altogether different territory. Inspired from a Telugu movie, Eega, Sasural Simar ka introduced us to the world of flys, yeah makkhi. In one of the episodes of Diya aur Baati, lead actress being an IPS officer was trying to quash the attempt of Nuclear attack on her home city by a local gang. Seriously! In times when very few countries have nuclear capabilities, the local gangs of a very small city in India are having their own Nuclear weapon. What if we don't have enough shows like 24, we always have shows like Sasural Simar ka and Diya aur Baati to boggle our mind. These shows makes you laugh and cringe, both at the same time. 

If you turn away from these escapist dramas, then also reality is not promising. The kind and quantity of reality shows on television today, makes you really wonder about the founding principle of these talent shows. Nobody can say with full conviction that these reality shows started with the aim of finding and promoting a talent. It was always for entertaining the audience with scripted emotions. Just give a thought to the business model of a reality show, the producers get real performers for a very small production cost(not talking about Big Boss kind of shows). They only have to pay for food and accommodation of contestants, a small daily allowance and in the end a winning package. They make crores through sponsorship deals, voting carrier charges and small earnings through auditioning fees. Contestants are more than happy to showcase their talent for once, for a non-existent fee. Instead of going to circus, the circus is coming to us, that is what reality is and that is what reality shows feed on.

Shows like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Office Office, F.I.R, TMKOC, Bhabhiji ghar par hain, 24 have provided some relief from time to time. One year old Epic channel is easily the best we have right now. The content this channel is bringing to Indian audience must he applauded, the variety of subjects and the simplistic presentation, works wonderfully. Stories by Rabindranath Tagore provided us with so many gems, there are so many good stories to be told but we are still stuck in saas-bahu sagas. With Dharmakshetra and Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik we got a new perspective towards Indian mythology, one look at these shows and you know the focus here is solely on content. No show off. Wish, Epic becomes a huge success and a benchmark for content on Indian television. Instead of delivering continuous long running shows, a fragmented-season format would keep the interests alive. TMKOC and Comedy nights with Kapil Sharma have lost their sheen tremendously in last few years due to their continuous exposure to the audience. And there is Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, a show that everyone wants back, somehow. 

Another area in which we can see huge change is animation. By now we all know about Chhota Bheem, but there are hosts of other Indian animated shows making impact on young minds of our country. Shiva, Motu-Patlu and Chor Police have also become favourite among children. Though these shows suffer from stereotyping of characters, the graphics and storytelling projects significant improvement over the animated shows of yesteryear. Earlier only Ramayana and Mahabharta were attempted for animation but now we see these toon characters solving day to day life problems and at the same time, also familiarising the children with global issues that the world is facing today. Indian animation industry has a long way to go but they are on the right track and eventually in future world standards will be achieved. 

We are already witnessing the kind of production scale being attempted, the narration style being used and the subjects taken in Bollywood in recent years. Our animation industry is also doing good. Why? The competition from other countries have brought these changes. Hollywood has forced Indian film industry to change its ways, Japanese anime and American superhero toons have nurtured our animation industry. Today on Internet, we know what we have on offer and we are not ready to settle for anything less, thus there is a need to match up with global standards and hence these improvements in our entertainment industry. To accommodate this new audience, the channels will have to revise their strategy and bring shows which can really hold our attention like those American shows does. Idiot box, please do this small favor to us. 

Kangana is making all the right sounds

Kangana Ranaut is one of the fiercest performers in Bollywood today. She has proved herself in movies like Gangster and Fashion but she truly became a force to reckon with the success of Queen. What equally exciting about her, is the strong character she comes across even in real life too. Though sometimes over the line, her brashness in interviews must be applauded. To be so confident in a male dominated industry sets her apart. We have had superstar actresses but none as outspoken as Kangana is, about the industry and its people. Today we see Raveena Tandon supporting Kangana and talking about other issues but in her heydays she walked quite. Commercial cinema actresses like Kareena, Deepika, Katrina and others have hardly spoken about the industry in a genuine way. Every word from their mouth comes sugar coated with appreciation for everyone. Solid performers like Vidya Balan and Tabu have rarely made it to the headlines for their wonderful performances, let alone for speaking on the women empowerment issues. Kangana's conviction comes from the fact that she has achieved everything, critical as well as commercial success, on her own without working with the top-shots of the Bollywood. If SRK can be talked about his self-made superstar journey then why not Kangana!

If you notice, for most of the big stars there was one movie which proved to be a game changer. Zanjeer, DDLJ and Maine Pyar Kiya comes to the mind instantly. For Kangana, Queen proved to be that game changing moment of her Bollywood innings. Queen gave Kangana, not only a solo-film success but a role that made people fall in love with her. In her earlier films, she played very few likable characters but the innocence of Rani in Queen was enough to melt the hearts of everyone. There were many powerful moments in Queen but the scene which stood out was where Rani got drunk and sobbed out her life story. As an actor, she never struck a false note in that scene and the same can be said about the film too. Not only Rani broke through the shackles of a typical Indian girl life but also, Kangana from the mediocrity of female roles in Bollywood. Today we are seeing a lot of women-centric films like Mary kom, Gulaab Gang, Highway, Neerja and many more. Who can forget Vidya Balan in Kahaani and The Dirty Picture, movies that started this trend.

Revolver Rani faltered at the Indian boxoffice but Kangana still shined. As if to prove that Queen was not a fluke, Kangana returned with Tanu weds Manu sequel. Without a conventional Bollywood lead, the film went on to do more than 150 crores at the boxoffice. Kangana in a double role and especially as Datto, was pure magic. From her Haryanvi accent to the body language of an athlete, she stamped her acting prowess over her contemporaries. A National award win in spite of losing at other popular film awards(read fake), confirmed the above statement officially. Very few of our leading ladies have been able to do comedy. Juhi Chawala and Kajol have showed their funny bone from time to time and often stole the show in their films. Kangana as Datto in TWMR manages to do the same. She simply owns the film, period. 

She has interesting projects like Rangoon with Vishal Bharadwaj and Simran with Hansal Mehta. Given the track record of both the directors, expect a quality story from both the films. Kangana is at her peak and we should hope it continues, more than an average Indian actress career allows for in India. Rise of female power in industry will open up a lot of subjects for film-makers and writers. Bollywood needs fresh scripts and this is where from it will emerge. For industry people to have confidence in such subjects, we need Superstar actresses who can guarantee a recovery. My money is on Kangana, the Queen.

MOHENJO DARO and RUSTOM

Mohenjo Daro and Rustom, both were on my watchlist since their respective announcements. One presents that chapter of history which we all have read in our elementary history books and the other one brings a case that changed the Indian judiciary system forever. Without a doubt, both the subjects are fascinating and deserves a Big screen appearance. But what these two subjects also deserve, is an expert film-maker. Someone who can capture the nuances of these two events in a subtle and genuine way.
When it was announced both the films are arriving on the same day, I was truly happy. We don't get to see a good Bollywood film for months usually, so two good potential stories in a single day is a treat for cinema lovers. What really bothered me were the directors of both these projects. Ashutosh Gowariker, a good director with movies like Lagaan and Swades in his filmography, is also susceptible to a love story narrative for his films. Our period films like Ashoka(SRK), Jodhaa Akbar(Hrithik) and more recently Bajirao Mastani(Ranveer), have adopted this narrative to tell the tales of these great emperors. Hence, my doubt. A new director in Tinu Suresh Desai, provided a glimmer of hope for new gen style of film-making or an eye for realistic cinema, but 1920 London trailer quashed that hope vehemently. A two and a half minute trailer is good enough to showcase your ability as a film-maker. There was not a single imaginative(read original) shot in the trailer, all it looked was a recipe followed to the tee by the film-maker.

The next thing to look forward to, was the trailer of these two films. Mohenjo Daro trailer was released on June 20 and I saw it within few minutes of its launch. Things did go according to what I feared, damn typical love story as the driving force of a powerful civilization! So I had factored that part in advance and had already made my mind to not feel disappointed by love story angle but still trailer didn't moved me. There was no feeling. It was flat, absolutely pitch perfect flat. It really didn't brought the feelings of an epic adventure film, as it should do. Baahubali was far from perfect with those unwanted love songs and item number but still it had those wonderful war scenes(the best Indian cinema has seen). All historical blunders aside, story is not looking impressive and now everything depends on what elements and situations Ashutosh Gowariker can create to swept the audience off their feet. Hrithik Roshan is a good actor but his speech modulation still irritates sometime. Hrithik is good for the role as only he can woo a Princess just by his looks. Not everything is lost, just the forecast is not good for the journey.

Rustom has an interesting story to tell as it will give us a look at India of the 1950-60's. How was the society structure and what were their moral principles. How a media house influenced the sentencing of a convict and instead turned him into a hero. The trailer of Rustom was strictly okay, sometimes it did give the feel of an Ekta Kapoor film(read OUATIM, Azhar) due to the setup, background music and also the characterization of protagonists and other important players. The story has been given way more commercial touch then it required, thus some of the characters didn't looked solid. Akshay Kumar is a perfect choice for these kind of roles, he looks every bit a no nonsense soldier. I hope he doesn't overdo it because too much of anything is always bad. Rustom does appear to have an ace up its sleeves, with classified documents of national importance coming into play.

What looked impressive on paper, has been lost in transition to screens. Those who know about these two stories will have very few things to get surprised about. All depends on the directors and what novelty they can bring in these two films. Before the trailer, both were on equal footing(story-wise not boxoffice collections) and after the trailer too, the standings remain same. Mohenjo Daro and Rustom both have average trailer and good music album. So currently its the battle of averages. Lets hope if not both then atleast one of them comes out good.

What fans want from Akshay Kumar

For fanatics, one year is a hell long wait for their favourite star's movie. For they have to satiate their tummies from leaked on-set photos, movie posters, teasers and songs. Or discuss old gems. And to get their daily dose of Revital, have fan wars on movie forums. All these things help fans in going about their life just fine. But Man, if you are an Akshay Kumar fan, life becomes so much easier. This man treats his fans with not one but four movies every year and what makes it even more interesting is the diversity of genres he has started attempting. This is what we fans expect from our beloved Superstar..

Uno - In diversity their is beauty and strength

Who knows diversity better than we Indians do and what beauty it holds. Not only we get to mix up with people of different cultures but we also have the highest number of public holidays than any other country in the world. From a spy/espionage thriller like Baby to full-fledged slapstick comedy Singh Is Bling, from a heist movie like Special 26 to family-sports drama Brothers, Akki paaji just keeps on being the flavor for all seasons. 

Dos - Never seen before avatar 

Just as Airlift saw you play a real life character, we hope to see more of your never seen before avatar in Rustom and the biggest Indian sci-fi film Robot 2. Especially Rustom presents you with an unique opportunity as Nanavati murder case is the most intriguing courtroom drama in the history of Indian judiciary system. Even though KM Nanavati murdered his wife's lover Prem Ahuja, whole India was behind Nanavati, a man of honour. Other women wanted to marry him thinking he will divorce his wife and had the crowd knew, they would lynch the sole jury member who was not in favour of pardoning Nanavati. From 1959 to 1962, this case captivated the whole nation and I hope in 2016 Akshay's performance  will do the same. 

Tres - Do a period/fantasy film

A bit hard to imagine but at the same time it will be quite exciting to see him mouth those period film dialogues. An actor's job is to adapt to any kind of character and the kind of versatility Akshay has, he can surprise one and all. But will anyone ever cast him in such a role? If Robot 2 can happen then maybe... 

Cuatro - Only one comedy per year

If not all, we love a fair share of Akshay Kumar comedies. Movies can be repetitive but his antics are still refreshing and together with Ritesh Deshmukh most of their scenes are knockout. I want to see Akshay and Ritesh bromance in other genres too, these two can set the house on fire. Stay away from directors like Sajid, Farah Khan, Prabhudeva and all, who keeps on remaking their own previous movies. We also hope you are not doing Awara Pagal Deewana 2 with some choreographer turned director Ahmed Khan. Priyadarshan comedies are enjoyable and a bit sensible too. 

Cinco - A horror movie

Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a psychological thriller, so there is a room for a true blue horror movie from Akshay Kumar. In the name of horror movies we only have regular Vikram Bhatt films, but something on the lines of The Shining would definitely give boost to horror genre in bollywood. Bipasha Basu did well but it would take a mainstream actor and an able director to bring this genre to a big audience.

Seis - What about a Road Trip !!

Self-realization through a road trip has been done many times, why not a dark thriller to make the concept enticing for a larger audience. On the run, a journey through India, using places and their traditions as some kind of element in the story will be a riveting stuff. Right now at the moment we are witnessing a lot of real life stories, which is good but at the same time we need writers who can come up with good fictional movies too. A lot of genres still remain unattempted in India, hope we have more path-breaking films like Bahubali in Indian cinema.