‘LUNCH BOX’- Movie Review

 

 

 

 

 

Starring :- Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Director:- Ritesh Batra

 

 

 

LUNCH BOX was conceived as a documentary film on the Mumbai’s famous dabbawala’s but was later turned into a feature film. (It does not lose the feel of a documentary) 

                                                             Lots of creative people has backed the project right from UTV to Karan Johar, to NFDC, to ROH Films (Germany), to ASAP Films (France), to the Cine Mosaic (United States), to DAR motion pictures, to Sikhya Entertainment, (too many cooks spoil the broth?) NO WAY! Indeed Ritesh Batra like a master chef has delivered a super delicious khane ka dabba.

                                         The film has all the ingredients that makes it a simple but a great film. Right from the camera placements to stupendous acting (Body language!) by Irrfan, amazing acting by Nawazzzudin Siddqui and a very honest enactment by Nimrat Kaur takes your heart away!

                                   It’s a very simple and unconventional love story when a lunch box is erroneously delivered by dabbawala. (Remember the idiom? ‘the way to man’s heart is through his stomach’!) The story then travels the by lanes of human relations, explores the loneliness of a middle age wife and an about to retire accountant.

                               Irrfan talks with his eyes and Nawazzudin’s character adds a tadka of comedy (No Vulgar Jokes, Mind you! a lesson for people who think a good laugh can only be obtained by telling below the belt jokes!). The writing is brilliant, couple of philosophical takes when Irrfan's character watches the TV show again and again, when his character goes through a realization in bathroom and later in a bus.

                                                                                                                            The love story ends leaving a sweet ache in the heart. But Guess that’s the way it was supposed to, a bitter sweet dish to a very indulging feast!  

 

Score Stack Up:-

+ ive:-  Brilliant performances, great screenplay

-  ive:-  might put you off by the sluggish pace of the film.

 

Box Office, Paisa Vasool Rating:- 3 out of 5

Tanmay's Rating : 4 out of 5
 

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Scores Classifications- 

(5)  Very Good, Must Watch 
(4)  Good, Should Watch 
(3)  Almost there;
(2)  Could have been much better; 
(1)  On your own risk;  

 

   

PHATA POSTER NIKHALA HERO- Film Review

Starring:- Shahid Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz, Padmini Kolhapure, Saurabh Shukla,
                              Sanjay Mishra, Darshan Jariwala

Director :-     Rajkumar Santoshi

 

 

 

 

PPNH which not only draws its filmy title from one of the dialogue of Naseer saab’s forgetful film ‘Hero Heralal’, but is also a true ‘filmy’ film. It has a hero who dance well, flies and kicks the bad man's A#$, do comedy, romance the skinny heroine (Ileana d’cruz, she has ‘toned’ her look so much that in the process lost her cuteness and her bones are ready to come out from her face), dance in the item song (Nargis Fakri, the song whooshes away, what a waste!)

             Hang on before you think the ‘filmy dose’ is over there is more to come in terms of emotions with a hard working Mom (Padmini Kolhapure) who wants her son to become a imandar police officer and yes there is this age old lost and found formula also, with a villian ka adda, (they offer a comic relief), a ticking bomb and the story ends with our hero winning against all odds!!

                                                                  Rajkumar Santoshi after his last successful outing (Ajab Prem…Gajab Kahani) brings a similar action comedy (most of the supporting cast is also similar) with most of the known tricks in the trade. The cinematography and editing in the film is notably good. Dialogues are comical; Shahid Kapoor looks good in emotional and action scenes (can’t say the same on romantic scenes though!) Ileana tries hard to be funny; the supporting cast of Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla & Darshan Jariwala is funny. The film is dipped in the chashni of comedy, with foot tapping music to support the cause.

                          And Don’t Miss Salman khan in a special appearance giving hints about Andaz Apna Apna 2 !

 

All in all a funny affair like a masala crispy chips which is not spicy enough!

 

 

Score Stack Up:-
 
+ ive:-  Descent Music, good comedy and good performances.
 
-  ive:-  Half Baked Characters, and shallow screenplay

 

 

Box Office, Paisa Vasool Rating:- 3 out of 5

Tanmay's Rating : 2.7 out of 5
 
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Scores Classifications- 
 
(5)  Very Good, Must Watch 
 
(4)   Good, Should Watch 

(3)   Just made it
 
(2)   Long way to go; 
 
(1)  On your own risk;  

 

 

 

 

SHUDHH DESI ROMANCE: Film Review

 

Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh, Parineeti Chopra,   

                Vaani Kapoor

Directed by:- Maneesh Sharma

 

 

 

 

 

Jhoote Samajo mein, Jhoote Riwajo mein; Liye hi Jai Koi Chance ...Shudh Desi Romance…(Kamine Hai Re ! Sharam Na Aaye Re! ) are the lines of the title song of the film that echo the uninhibited, devil may care attitude of  these earthen characters who exhibit the aroma of what can be defined as a new age love story of next door boy and Girl.

 

Maneesh Sharma’s ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ gets inspired by the thought of ‘freedom from society’s way of living’ and seeks new vistas in expressing self and being true to oneself.’ So is this a rebellious love story, is this a love Triangle?  It is a love-story of free spirits who are confused or should I say do not dare to get married and get ‘trapped’. They are unapologetic about each other’s affairs of the past; they have nascent attraction towards each other and take pleasure in kissing and caressing!

 

Sushant Singh as street smart Raghu from Jaipur (reminds of Ranvir Singh of Band Baja Baraat) plays an orphan who’s part time job is attending weddings as a hired baraati. By playing a hired baraati who sees khokhlapan in all dikhawebaaji in these marriages, he is afraid of getting married and then starts a love triangle where everyone comes close to each other & then runs away from each other!

 

Parineeti plays her natural self (bit repetitive I must say like her previous films) a carefree girl who smokes and talks about her ex openly. Sushant Singh too is good and at times cute and funny as a confused boy. New Comer Vaani Kapoor oozes confidence and her smiling act is a huge relief. Veteran Rishi Kapoor (salute to him!) once again plays a different character and is like a prop in the entire film who holds the young actors nerves together and guides them.

 

The narration of the film involves the lady characters explaining themselves and their deeds on the screen to the audience {guess it was necessary for the director to explain their so called bold / blunt acts or irrational acts as per dakiyanoosi society norms,(pun intended as per the film) after all who would accept somebody’s ex with a smile or which girl would bluntly say will you be my boyfriend!}

 

Gulabi song is beautifully picturised and captures the essence of being crazy in love and almost pays tribute to the ‘pink city’ Jaipur.  Jaideep Sahni’s dialogues are funny eg tum paida hi chalu hue the; ya koi infection lagi hai and picks up the lingo and jokes of the region very well. The narration of story is such that it draws a complete circle in the end ( at times repeating dialogues and jokes!) and gives a feeling of emptiness or lack of depth in the way characters think and act, guess that was the way director wanted it, complete madness!

 

All in all a nicely cooked half-fried omelet!!

 

Score Stack Up:-

 

+ ive:-  Diff story and treatment, Good performances, comic content and light music

-  ive:-  Loose Screenplay, No Popular Music, Not good handling of the complex plot

 

Box Office, Paisa Vasool Rating:- 3 out of 5

 

TMA’s Rating : 3 out of 5

 

 

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Scores Classifications-

 

(5) Very Good, Must Watch

(4)  Good, Should Watch

(3)  Almost made it;

(2)  Could have been much better;

(1)  On your own risk;