REVIEW
1) Thappad
Rating : 2/5
Duration: 140min.
Producer :Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anubhav Sinha.
(It’s a story about a women who decides to divorce her husband after he slapped her).
PLUS POINTS:
1)Taapsee Pannu (Saand Ki Aankh, Mission Mangal, Badla) is impressive. However, it is difficult for her to deliver a solo star hit (like Kangana Ranaut’s Panga & Deepika’s Chapaak were recent disasters). Her husband, Pavail Gulati, played his role well. There are too many characters which were not needed. Dia Mirza, Ram kapoor, Manav Kaul, Tanvi Azmi, Kumud Mishra etc. who failed to perform their half-baked roles. Maya Sarao (lawyer) is strictly ok.
2)Story (Anubhav Sinah & Mrunmayee Lagoo) highlights an important social issue about domestic violence which is prevailing in our society.
3)Cinematography (Soumik Mukherjee) is good. Locations of Delhi are perfect. All other production values are of good standard as well.
MINUS POINTS:
1) Majority of viewers may not accept the concept of this film which portrays men’s character negatively (The recent release “Kabir Singh” conveys that hitting your lady love is justified and it turned out to be a super-hit). The story shows that almost all women goes through some struggles in their life (whether it’s her brother’s girlfriend, lawyer, servant or herself) because of men in their lives. In spite of making a socially relevant film, it fails to connect emotionally with viewers, even the females for that sake.
2) Concept of making this film is still unclear. Even after it ends, there are so many questions left unanswered. We are placed in a modern era of 2020s where we support women empowerment and believe women can balance their homes and career together but Director (Anubhav Sinha) has shown Taapsee leaving behind her career, being a homemaker which is hard to digest. Even after the Thappad Incident, Taapsee continues with the same routine which she follows everyday which is weird. If she felt that it was wrong, she should have reacted immediately rather than waiting for days. Even the Thappad as rightfully said was not anything personal between the couple, it was an uncalled behavior of the husband when she intervened in a fight between his colleague and him. Had it been due to their personal issues, the Thappad would have been justified. He never had a history of violence and the slap was a result of his professional frustration.
I fail to understand the context of her filing for divorce when all her well wishers insisted not to! It’s just not practical.
3) Director Anubhav Singh (Article 15,Mulk) disappoints in making a hard hitting film with the most relevant subject in todays time. Storyline (which has been stretched like a rubber) itself is thin and therefore, there’s not much he could do with it except to cash Taapsee’s herione status.Had he made this one ten years earlier, it’d have connected but times have changed. There is no entertainment value and it appears like a documentary.
4) Editing (Yasha Ramchandani) is pathetic. Length should be trimmed by at least 30 minutes. First-half is slow and has nothing interesting to keep you glued. Dialogues are weak for a subject like this. It’s a repetition of old times lines. Screenplay is weak too, and has many sub-plots.
3) Music (Anurag Saikia) is passable.
BOX OFFICE:
Mr Anubhav Sinha you are here to entertain and if you would love to preach u can do it in an entertaining way(Taare Zameen Pe,Nil Battey Sannata)
It may connect with the female audience. With all the pre-release reviews, it might work at multiplexes with very elite audience but the same can’t be said about single screens.
BOX OFFICE RATING: 2/5
2) Doordarshan
Rating:2.5/5
Producer: Ritu Arya & Sandeep Arya
(It is about a broken family which goes back in time recreating the Doordarshan era leading to many hilarious events).
PLUS POINTS:
1) National award-winning veteran actress Dolly Ahluwalia is amazing and so are all the other characters. Manu Rishi and Mahie Gill are good. Manu Rishi’s on-screen son and his friend have done a fabulous job.
2) Film has managed to tickle the funny bone. With its quirky one-liners and unexpected twists, it has a good dose of 90s nostalgia. In an age of remixes, this glimpse of Chitrahaar is winning a lot of praises. Finally there's something new to watch.
3) It is inspired by an award-winning German movie, "Good Bye, Lenin!". It’s fun to see an Indianised version of the same.
4)Director (Gagan Puri) has done a good job.
5)Story (Gagan Puri) is well written. Dialogues are funny and make you laugh throughout. Screenplay is quite interesting as well.
MINUS POINTS:
1) It doesn’t have any face value. Had it been made with known faces, it would have reached to another level.
2) There is no buzz around. Promotions are laid back with people hardly being aware of the film.
BOX-OFFICE
Sadly with no buzz along with a ordinary starcast, it will fail to get audience’s attention. However, due to good word of mouth it, may get decent foot falls.
Other releases:
3) Guns of Banaras
Producer: Ashok Munshi & Shaina Nath Taldar
Director: Shekkhar Suri
Music: Sohail Sen
Starring: Karann Nath, Nathalia, Abhimanyu Singh, Shilpa Shirodkar
(This was supposed to be Late Vinod Khanna’s last film for which he shot for almost 12 days, where he played Karan Nath’s father. It’s a remake of 2007 Tamil film “Polladhavan” starring Dhanush. Karann Nath is making his comeback after 10 long years (Tera Kya Hoga Jhonny-2010). Story revolves around a young man’s love affair with his bike, and the hardships that he is forced to undergo when it gets lost.
Thanks & Regards
Narendra Gupta
1) Thappad
Rating : 2/5
Duration: 140min.
Producer :Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anubhav Sinha.
(It’s a story about a women who decides to divorce her husband after he slapped her).
PLUS POINTS:
1)Taapsee Pannu (Saand Ki Aankh, Mission Mangal, Badla) is impressive. However, it is difficult for her to deliver a solo star hit (like Kangana Ranaut’s Panga & Deepika’s Chapaak were recent disasters). Her husband, Pavail Gulati, played his role well. There are too many characters which were not needed. Dia Mirza, Ram kapoor, Manav Kaul, Tanvi Azmi, Kumud Mishra etc. who failed to perform their half-baked roles. Maya Sarao (lawyer) is strictly ok.
2)Story (Anubhav Sinah & Mrunmayee Lagoo) highlights an important social issue about domestic violence which is prevailing in our society.
3)Cinematography (Soumik Mukherjee) is good. Locations of Delhi are perfect. All other production values are of good standard as well.
MINUS POINTS:
1) Majority of viewers may not accept the concept of this film which portrays men’s character negatively (The recent release “Kabir Singh” conveys that hitting your lady love is justified and it turned out to be a super-hit). The story shows that almost all women goes through some struggles in their life (whether it’s her brother’s girlfriend, lawyer, servant or herself) because of men in their lives. In spite of making a socially relevant film, it fails to connect emotionally with viewers, even the females for that sake.
2) Concept of making this film is still unclear. Even after it ends, there are so many questions left unanswered. We are placed in a modern era of 2020s where we support women empowerment and believe women can balance their homes and career together but Director (Anubhav Sinha) has shown Taapsee leaving behind her career, being a homemaker which is hard to digest. Even after the Thappad Incident, Taapsee continues with the same routine which she follows everyday which is weird. If she felt that it was wrong, she should have reacted immediately rather than waiting for days. Even the Thappad as rightfully said was not anything personal between the couple, it was an uncalled behavior of the husband when she intervened in a fight between his colleague and him. Had it been due to their personal issues, the Thappad would have been justified. He never had a history of violence and the slap was a result of his professional frustration.
I fail to understand the context of her filing for divorce when all her well wishers insisted not to! It’s just not practical.
3) Director Anubhav Singh (Article 15,Mulk) disappoints in making a hard hitting film with the most relevant subject in todays time. Storyline (which has been stretched like a rubber) itself is thin and therefore, there’s not much he could do with it except to cash Taapsee’s herione status.Had he made this one ten years earlier, it’d have connected but times have changed. There is no entertainment value and it appears like a documentary.
4) Editing (Yasha Ramchandani) is pathetic. Length should be trimmed by at least 30 minutes. First-half is slow and has nothing interesting to keep you glued. Dialogues are weak for a subject like this. It’s a repetition of old times lines. Screenplay is weak too, and has many sub-plots.
3) Music (Anurag Saikia) is passable.
BOX OFFICE:
Mr Anubhav Sinha you are here to entertain and if you would love to preach u can do it in an entertaining way(Taare Zameen Pe,Nil Battey Sannata)
It may connect with the female audience. With all the pre-release reviews, it might work at multiplexes with very elite audience but the same can’t be said about single screens.
BOX OFFICE RATING: 2/5
2) Doordarshan
Rating:2.5/5
Producer: Ritu Arya & Sandeep Arya
(It is about a broken family which goes back in time recreating the Doordarshan era leading to many hilarious events).
PLUS POINTS:
1) National award-winning veteran actress Dolly Ahluwalia is amazing and so are all the other characters. Manu Rishi and Mahie Gill are good. Manu Rishi’s on-screen son and his friend have done a fabulous job.
2) Film has managed to tickle the funny bone. With its quirky one-liners and unexpected twists, it has a good dose of 90s nostalgia. In an age of remixes, this glimpse of Chitrahaar is winning a lot of praises. Finally there's something new to watch.
3) It is inspired by an award-winning German movie, "Good Bye, Lenin!". It’s fun to see an Indianised version of the same.
4)Director (Gagan Puri) has done a good job.
5)Story (Gagan Puri) is well written. Dialogues are funny and make you laugh throughout. Screenplay is quite interesting as well.
MINUS POINTS:
1) It doesn’t have any face value. Had it been made with known faces, it would have reached to another level.
2) There is no buzz around. Promotions are laid back with people hardly being aware of the film.
BOX-OFFICE
Sadly with no buzz along with a ordinary starcast, it will fail to get audience’s attention. However, due to good word of mouth it, may get decent foot falls.
Other releases:
3) Guns of Banaras
Producer: Ashok Munshi & Shaina Nath Taldar
Director: Shekkhar Suri
Music: Sohail Sen
Starring: Karann Nath, Nathalia, Abhimanyu Singh, Shilpa Shirodkar
(This was supposed to be Late Vinod Khanna’s last film for which he shot for almost 12 days, where he played Karan Nath’s father. It’s a remake of 2007 Tamil film “Polladhavan” starring Dhanush. Karann Nath is making his comeback after 10 long years (Tera Kya Hoga Jhonny-2010). Story revolves around a young man’s love affair with his bike, and the hardships that he is forced to undergo when it gets lost.
Thanks & Regards
Narendra Gupta