Movie Review on Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

This is not a movie review that I usually write, this is a personal feeling while watching this most-relating and a genuinely moving emotional drama.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil touched all my hidden-emotional chords and blew me away with its top notch storytelling. Writer-director Mr. Karan Johar has done the most compelling and the most mature work in the recent times. In this film the director Karan Johar, left the writer in him behind. He gave great direction to this film and kept its narration interesting till the end. This can be the freshest and the newest concept of a love story that exists nowadays in real life too.

There are two types of good films- one which are just for entertainment and passing your time but these are the easily forgettable. Second one are those which are not just for entertainment but touches your soul too and to which you can relate yourself with, these films remain in your heart forever. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is this rare second type of film for me. It's an intense love-story, which is honest, real, heartbreaking and yet beautiful in all the right ways. I have been thinking about this film for hours after watching it. Most importantly it doesn't have that usual bollywood co-incidences or extra melodramatic scenes that could have made this movie a usual one.

The actors in the film are the perfect. Ranbir is literally the soul and Anushka is the heart of this film. Ranbir is in almost every frame and brings every emotion possible to life. And I am very happy to say that this ranks amongst his best works. Anushka is equally convincing. Her character in the film is the most complex, freshest and best written character, and she does complete justice to it. Aishwarya Rai Bachan looks devine and delivers a mesmerizing performance. So, everyone did a splendid work and did full justice to their characters and I can't imagine anyone better than these to do the respective roles. Alas, apart from all others, Shah Rukh Khan gave a cameo worth thousand lead roles. In his short span on screen, he conveyed everything that one could say about unrequited love in a lifetime. He not only influenced Ayan(Ranbir's character), but made a deep impact on me too. The music of the film is this year's best. And the songs in the film are either heart-wrenching or rocking. Every song heightens the narrative and adds fun or an emotional quotient to it.

For me this film is undoubtedly a gem, but had to face the same fate that "Tamasha" faced being a different and complex love-story from the usual one's. I feel that this can also be one of the most underrated love-story like Tamasha. Alas, it's not all perfect movie as there are some weak moments too. The last 20 minutes do make this film bit different but failed to make it an unique one. The film falls in the clichéd trap towards the end but does give an emotional closure to this gorgeous tale of friendship over love. One thing that me and my friend felt missing is the individual connection for any one character. I felt that the director concentrated more in the story-telling than on exploring the characters of the movie.

Now, as far as the rating is concerned I will give it 8.5 stars out of 10. This film has been something else for me. I may be exaggerating and you may not feel the same like i did but if you know anything about unrequited love or gone through that phase, you'll feel this right in your bones.

"Ek tarfa pyar ki taqat hi kuch aur hoti hai ... auron ke rishton ki tarah yeh do logon mein nahi bat'ti ... sirf mera haq hai ispe... sirf mera..."

Movie Review on Ron Howard's "Inferno"

There is a switch. If you throw it, half the people on earth will die, but if you don't, in 100 years, the human race will be extinct. You are humanity's final hope.

With such powerful phrases you might think that there's nothing that could go wrong in this movie, but there are some places where this movie do disappoints a bit. Director Ron Howard's "Inferno"- final instalment of the Dan brown trilogy is finally here in India, this time with our own indian-jewel Irrfan khan as one of the main lead. So, Irrfan Khan and my love for its previous movies, made me damn excited for inferno since its trailer release. And after finally watching it first day first show, I felt that although my hopes for this were bit too high but movie didn't disappoint, it showcased mystery, facts as well as Irrfan brilliantly.


Inferno starts off with quick edited sequence which is used to elaborate Robert Langdon's (Tom Hanks) confused mind, which was shown very creatively but also confuses the viewer and for sometime it gets hard to follow. The stage is set too quickly, which do not let the characters breath. So, the first half is bit confusing and less-pacing but the second half picks up the dull tone of the movie and makes it pacing. Apart from Tom Hanks the appearance of quite well acted cast, which include famous names like Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy, Fellicity Jones and Ben Foster lifted this movie. Each has done quite nice work in the movie, especially Ben Foster and Irrfan Khan. Irrfan's quirky-nature adds up the humour in the movie.


Then, the climax arrives, and this is where things hit the roof and the movie reaches at its peak. The build up to the climax may have been dull, but the climax is very intense and full of thrill. And at last, movie ends satisfying. Ron Howard's direction is quite weak, he could have done better with such a grand plot. The screenplay is interesting and impressive as it builds mystery needed for the movie brilliantly. Hans Zimmer's background score is not up to its mark,but it sure does matches with the movie and stands out towards the end to give thrills. Dialogues are average but some quotes were so awesome that I couldn't get over them.

I haven't read any of Dan Brown's books but after watching this awesome trilogy, I can't stop myself from reading all of his books. As, I too believe that reading is way better than watching. Overall, Inferno got great suspense, mystery and obviously a great cast to look out for. Inferno is obviously a great thriller, and it's much better than Da Vinci Code but fails in matching the pace and thrills of Angels and Demons. But as far as the suspense and the scale of the events are considered Inferno leads. It is not a perfect film. It will not leave you in awe but what it will do is entertain you. If you can look past the many minor issues then you will hopefully enjoy the bigger picture. Atleast, watch it for Irrfan!!!

I'll give this mystery thriller 7 stars out of 10.

"Greatest sins in the human history are committed in the name of love"

A Movie Review on Abhishek Chaubey's "Udta Punjab"

A bold film which should be praised for its genuine and brave attempt. Salute to it's makers. 

"Udta Punjab" is worth all the hype as it's genuinely an eye-opener which spreads awareness about a very important issue i.e.- 'Drug addiction in the state of punjab' in an entertaining manner. The film is also quite hilarious at many parts mainly because of  it's language and dialogues which are purely in local panjabi. "Udta Punjab" is a story of 4 people from different classes whose lives have been influenced by the drug menace that is going on in the state of punjab. It brilliantly connects their story at the end. It shows how the different plots got emerged into one plot.

"Shahid Kapoor as Tommy Singh"

The movie is full of powerful performances by the lead protagonists. Among the four main protagonist, Alia Bhatt steals the show. The gifted actor is simply superb as Biharan who lands herself as a migrant ( though she is state-level hockey player). Alia Bhatt is a way to go actress and is phenominal. Watch out for her when she kills the guy responsible for her messy state by continuously venting out her frustration. Shahid kapoor as Tommy singh was just perfect in every way and this is definitely the performance that i have been expecting from him after 'Haider'. Kareena Kapoor was subtle as Preet. I like her when she plays more simpler characters. Diljit Dosanjh was a good surprise. The Punjabi superstar manages to make an impression inspite of his first Bollywood film.

"The real charmer Alia Bhatt from the movie"

Director Abhishek Chaubey, previously helmed the projects like Ishqiya and  Dedh Ishqiya, now he took a step forward and created a niche subject never been attempted on Indian cinema before. Hats off to the director and definitely to the producer Anurag Kashyap for taking his stand through out the controversies surrounding the film. The cinematography is creative as it shows everything wonderfully that this story requires. Background score is good. Music by Amit Trivedi is impressive as it further sets the mood of the film.

"A still of Diljit Dosanjh from the movie" 

The film is a brave attempt and has nail-biting moments which mostly occurs with Alia Bhatt when she meet Shahid Kapoor. I also liked the chemistry between Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor which can be one of the main highlight of the film.

"Their Chemistry"

I'll give this gritty and dark film 8.5 stars out of 10. The film is a brave attempt which should be appreciated for its solid facts and phenomenal performances. It's astonishing but also brutly true. Do watch this movie, Don't miss it!

At last my message would be- Don't ever take drugs, though it may look cool but it has brutal consequences. 

Movie Review on James wan's "The Conjuring 2"

Redefines the 'horror' genre as we know it! All credits goes to the Director 'James Wan'.

The Conjuring 2 doesn't waste time in bringing the scares in the movie. From the first scene itself i.e.-after 2-3 minutes movie will get into its business that is "Horror". So, YES! it's scary. Under James Wan's direction, even the most clichéd haunted-house plot of the movie looks genuine. It got a great-touching story, awesome visual-effects, good amount of  genius scary moments and one of the best camera work that I have ever seen. So, I can call it as an instant classic of the horror genre.

"Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren at her best"

This is one of those rare movie which is consistently intense and never boring. The family in the movie is incredibly charming and likable, and the acting, especially the main girl character, I found it quite impressive. Vera Farmiga was superb. Her presence was so strong, and powerful that she managed to pull the viewer through all kind of emotions. Patrick Wilson was also wonderful indeed. Rest of the cast also did their jobs well and acceptable. There are also some scenes in the movie which made me quite emotional, which surprisingly happened for the first time ever in any horror movie. So, this movie do connects with you.

"Madison Wolfie as Janet Hodson"

While The Conjuring is definitely being remembered as one of the most excellent horror movies in decades, its sequel does even a better job by providing some extra well-done scenes that are not normally seen within the gerne.The scares come a bit more frequently than in the first movie and do manage to build a lot of tension, even if you've seen the original, so well done to 'James Wan' for that. When it's intended to scare in the movie, it really does. And this means a real deal.

"Patrick Wilson who plays Ed Warren with Director James Wan"

I'll give this Gerne-bending, ground-breaking and an absolute horror classic 8 stars out of 10 in all, but if to be considered only in the horror genre- it deserves a perfect 10. It focuses on scaring the audience, it succeeds, wildly. "The Conjuring 2" is an excellent example of what more sequels should aspire to be.
At last, my advice would be if you want to have a good scare and have goosebumps running down your spine? Go watch this movie at any cost while you still have the time.

"Just loved their chemistry- a perfect cast" 

Movie Review on Sabir Khan's "BAAGHI-A Rebel For Love"

They made a martial arts movie, but with same typical story!

This movie's plot is similar to those of the Indonesian film The Raid: Redemption(2011) and of the Telugu movie Varsham(2004). They mixed two very different films in one. I must say that its a very brave attempt but it sadly got failed in my view. The main problem with the movie is that it got torn because of its many bits and it was not concentrated on any one. I think that's why we should not make movies by taking inspiration from 2-3 movies instead, make a remake of one movie. But, its nice to see that Bollywood is pushing their limits in action.

"An high-octane action scene by Tiger Shroff from the movie."

Talking about the cast, Tiger Shroff  has done a impressive job, his martial arts and kicks are quite appreciable whereas his acting was just acceptable though he tried to give his best. Shraddha Kapoor was also quite good but considered more as sweet face of the movie. But i must say, it was an superb performance by Sudheer Babu in Villain role as i truly liked his action sequences.

"Loved this jump by Sudhir Babu"

The one thing that touched my soul in the movie was the little boy saying "ya ya-ya ya" but got to know that it was also inspired by a movie Hatya(1988), I mean is there anything good in the movie that's not copied or inspired? Now coming on direction, it's well directed by Sabir Khan that keeps you connected in the first half. But since there was no desire to do very good, it turned out to be just an average effort.

"It got some romance too- (A still from a song 'Sab Tera')"

I'll give this inspired movie 6 stars out of 10. I gave this rating which i think is also more for this movie just because of its action sequences which are quite new for Bollywood and also for Tiger Shroff for doing them flawlessly. So, its just a one-time watch movie but do watch it at-least one time for sure.

Movie Review on Maneesh Sharma's "FAN"

Well! This movie is something else... It touched all my emotional chords. One of the best ever by Shah Rukh Khan in years!

"FAN"- one of the most anticipated movie of this year from Bollywood is finally here. It's a film for each one of that person who is or has ever been any star's 'fan'. Every FAN has their own personal relationship with their hero - it's almost a Love Story. The concept of the film is simple "The fans maketh the star", and this movie succeed in showing this concept brilliantly but with some loopholes. This is a must-watch film  for all cinema enthusiasts. At first, I thought it to be a inspired movie but its undoubtedly a unique one.

"This is what being a true fan looks-like"

This film is all about Shah Rukh Khan and his pure masterclass acting skills. There is a reason why Shah Rukh Khan is known for his intense roles. This film brings back the menacing Darr-Baazigar SRK back. Its just when you thought Shah Rukh Khan is losing edge in acting skills, he makes a comback. With the actor playing the two main characters in the film, especially two that are at such odds with each other, it can’t be easy to keep a smooth narrative but the director did it very well. I just loved the VFX and make-up detailing in the movie.

"SRK at his best playing Gaurav Chandna"

Hats-off to writer- director Maneesh Sharma as he did a extraordinary job. His writing was tight but the execution was bit complex. The script and screenplay of the film are quite close to everyone's lives, and this to helps to connect with the film. I realized that during the emotional scenes, I too went emotional and felt some tears in my eyes. The cinematography of this movie is great. Frames are good, and they tried things that made the movie look really good visually. The technical aspects are top notch. The action sequences of this film are engaging and well shot from beginning to the end.

"SRK as Superstar Aryan Khanna"

The chase sequences are well executed but it get bit tiring as the sequences seemed quite long. First half of this movie is quite gripping, strong and touching but second half losses that grip, some unreal stuff happens but I can live with that because who knows, maybe this events could happen. Lastly, I think the climax may receive bad opinions, but I personally loved the ending.

"It's SRK vs SRK chase sequence"

I would give this emotional-thrilling movie 9 stars out of 10. Shah Rukh Khan is a sheer genius, his charm is un-matchable. You may love him. You may hate him. But you can't help but admire the guy's acting ability. Films like these are not made for Huge Box Office Collections, they are made for sheer uniqueness. If you are looking for a reason to watch this movie, he would be enough for you.

"WOAH! That's his star power"

You may agree with me. You may disagree with me. But, you can't deny his star-power. For all those who still hates SRK and are giving the bad reviews- "Rehnede, Tu Nahi Samjhega". 

Movie Review on Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Epic, Astonishing, Awesome and Action-Packed. It felt like our all comic book dreams came true...

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"- It's one of the most anticipated and the biggest film of 2016 or we can even say of all time. My expectations from this movie were way too high. After watching this film on its first premier show itself, I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint me. In some cases this film even surpassed some of my great expectations. It's a complete action-packed movie.  The fight between Batman and Superman was amazing. The way the fight was choreographed was beyond anything we've ever seen before. It's like fan's dream come true.

"Teamed-up for a battle against the evil"

The opening sequence of the movie was one of the best thing of the movie, it's a visual treat and shows Snyder's visual creativity. Talking about the performances everyone (literally each-one of them) gave their 100% best. All the actors exceeded in terms of expectations. Ben Affleck's performance as Batman was just amazing and totally believable but you will definitely gonna miss Bale's Batman somehow. Jesse Eisenberg's performance as Lex Luthor was brilliant and will give you goosebumps.  Henry Cavill's performance as Superman was pretty much the same as his performance in 'Man of Steel'. His performance as Clark Kent was very accurate to the comics. How can I forget Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman? (the best thing in the movie) She gave us the Wonder Woman performance we've all been waiting for. She owns the role in every way possible and delivered an unexpected and fearsome. Every other member of the cast did great, too, but these were the performances that stood out.

"Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in a still from the movie"

The story is well-woven. The direction is absolutely fantastic. Zack Snyder brilliantly blends shots in a poetic way. The pacing is absolutely better than other comic book movies. The flow of the narrative is smooth. There is humor as well as sadness in the movie. You will feel many, many emotions while watching this. The cinematography used in the movie is fantastic. Dialogues are strong and intelligently-written. Kudos to Hans Zimmer. His score is both haunting and epic at the same time. It's a quite dark film but not as much as I've been expecting. Though, It had some surprise elements but it's bit predictable. I want to compare this movie with 'Avengers' but, I sure won't.

"He looks so bad-ass in this pic"

I'll give this much-needed DC's film 8.5 stars out of 10. As I have said earlier this movie is like a dream come true for DC comic's fans as some of the greatest moments in the DC's comics are brilliantly brushed onto the canvas of this movie. I can happily say I will be seeing this again and again, hopefully I did not spoil anything as I want to everyone to have as good as a time as I did. Now, do any of you even need my advice to watch this epic film? Just GO FOR IT!!!

"It may not be that movie that we really wanted but, It's definitely a movie that we needed."

"Do I really need say anything?" O_O