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‘Bloody Brothers’: Laced with wry British humour and grit

Naturally, things do not go as planned. Daljeet receives a call telling him that his wallet was found in Mr. Alvarez’s house, so when he goes to retrieve it, he meets Sophie, the old man’s niece…writes Troy Rebeiro

(Streaming on Zee5). Duration: Approximately 37 minutes per episode (six episodes in all), Director: Shaad Ali. Cast: Jaideep Ahlawat, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Tina Desai, Shruti Seth, Maya Alagh, Mugdha Godse, Satish Kaushik and Jitendra Joshi. (Rating: **1/2)

‘Bloody Brothers’, produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India, is the Indian adaptation of the British mystery thriller ‘Guilt’.

Set in Ooty, the series opens with brothers Daljeet (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) and Jagjeet (Jaideep Ahlawat) Grover driving drunkenly home after the wedding reception of Daljeet’s ex-girlfriend. On a deserted, residential street, they accidentally run over Samuel Alvarez (Asrani), an elderly man, and kill him.

While Daljeet is torn between guilt and morals, his older brother Jagjeet, a lawyer, tells him that the repercussions of reporting this accident would go against them. So, they physically carry Alvarez from the accident spot and place him in his living room, but before leaving the premises, they find a medical report that suggests that the deceased had cancer.

So, they leave his house with the hope that his death would be considered natural.

Naturally, things do not go as planned. Daljeet receives a call telling him that his wallet was found in Mr. Alvarez’s house, so when he goes to retrieve it, he meets Sophie, the old man’s niece.

Explaining his association with Alvarez, he lies, and thus to save one lie, he gets drawn into the quicksand of deceit. Things get complicated when Sophie starts questioning him. Other secrets gradually surface, exposing the brothers, thereby complicating their relationship.

Daljeet appears as a soft-spoken, poetry-loving, harmless harum-scarum guy who lacks confidence. He manages a cafe-cum-book store owned by his older brother. Zeeshan Ayyub essays Daljeet with natural ease. Jaideep Ahlawat, who plays Jagjeet, the street-smart lawyer who invariably is connected to the underworld, also slips into the skin of his character with ease.

The duo is ably supported by Tina Desai as Alvarez’s niece Sophie, Jeetendra Joshi as the private detective Dushyant, Maya Alagh as the unscrupulous neighbour Sheila David, Shruti Seth as Jaggi’s wife Priya, Narendra Sachar as the lawyer Jayant Mehra, Satish Kaushik as the local gangster Handa, and Mugdha Godse as the gangster’s moll. They all deliver good performances, but their characters appear forced to complicate the telling.

On the directorial level, the blocking of the frames as well as the dialogue delivery appear very theatrical and staged. Also, the plot, laced with wry British humour and grit, begins on a breezy note, meanders at a leisurely pace, digressing at moments to convolute the narrative.

The story gradually gathers momentum but doesn’t build tension, and yet the series possesses a core of human feeling, ending with the warped relationship between the brothers, which only surfaces in the last episode, by which time it is too late to appreciate the series.

Nevertheless, with the rift between the two brothers and their edgy relationship with the rest of the cast, the series ends on a promising note for Season 2, where we hope to see the true colours of the ‘bloody brothers’.

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‘Apharan 2: A frothy potboiler that keeps you glued to screen

Overall, if you are looking for some meaningless and convoluted drama, ‘Apharan 2 – Sabka Katega Dobara’ is for you. Moreover, the soundtrack that accompanies the end credits is infectious and entertaining…reports Troy Rebeiro

(Streaming on Voot Select), Duration: About 24 minutes per episode (Total 11 episodes), Director: Santosh Singh, Cast: Arunoday Singh, Nidhi Singh, Sannand Verma, Ujjawal Chopra, Pankaj Bhatia, Snehil Dixit Mehra, Sukhmani Sadana, Aditya Lal (Rating: ***)

Designed on the lines of director Manmohan Desai’s films, ‘Apharan 2 – Sabka Katega Dobara,’ is a frothy potboiler that keeps you glued to the screen.

This eleven-episode series takes off from where it left in the previous season. In this season, we have Rudra (Arunodaya Singh), the six feet five inches tall rustic cop, who is sent on a mission to Serbia to eliminate Bikram Bahadur Shah aka BBS (also essayed by Arunodaya Singh), a dreaded criminal who, over one month, killed nine agents of RAW – India’s external intelligence agency.

How Rudra, who is besotted with his wife Ranjana (Nidhi Singh), is forced into this assignment, sent to Serbia along with Gillauri (Snehil Dixit Mehra), as his ‘pretend wife,’ where tables turn and he is abducted by the criminals only to return to India to finish what he was assigned for, forms the crux of this narrative.

Bikram Bahadur Shah’s motive is to lay his hand on ‘Code-X,’ which will help him destroy the country.

In this series, you get a double dose of Arunodaya Singh who plays the protagonist as well as the antagonist. And as Rudra, when he is in a confused state of mind, is told, “You are a small pawn in the big game, understanding it is beyond your comprehension. I have just one word for you, die.”

But dying is not on Rudra’s agenda.

Setting the logic aside, the plot manoeuvres effortlessly with all the strappings of racy masala films which include songs woven into the narrative, sequences in sleazy clubs with high octane music, and action-packed sequences. The dialogues too replete with cuss words make for an amusing watch.

Arunodaya is charming and sincere in his delivery, your heart bleeds for him as Rudra, and at the same time, you cringe when he is on screen as BBS. But the series is supercharged with live-wire performances from Nidhi Singh, Snehil Dixit Mehra, and Sannand Verma as Ranjana’s ex-boyfriend Dubey. The trio stays in your memory space much after you binge-watched the series.

Of the remaining supporting cast, Sukhmani Sadana as BBS’s moll Nafisa, Aditya Lal as BBS’s right-hand man Surajbhan, Ujjawal Chopra as Rudra’s handler Bandari, Palash Mech as Rudra’s contact in Serbia, and Pankaj Bhatia as RAW officer Jagtap Singh, they are all sincere but stereotypical in their approach. Nevertheless, they do have their moments of on-screen glory.

Jeetendra appears in a cameo, a McGuffin role that has been directly lifted, from earlier films.

Overall, if you are looking for some meaningless and convoluted drama, ‘Apharan 2 – Sabka Katega Dobara’ is for you. Moreover, the soundtrack that accompanies the end credits is infectious and entertaining.

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‘Deep Water’ takes you to the age of erotic thrillers

The film works on a superficial level where it is fascinating to watch this unique couple go about their lives. They are a good-looking couple, but their souls are as dark and dank as the bottom of a snail’s terrarium…reports Troy Rebeiro

(Streaming on Prime Video), Duration: 115 minutes, Director: Adrian Lyne, Cast: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Jacob Elordi, Rachel Blanchard, Michael Braun (Rating: ***)

Directed by Adrian Lyne, who had earlier given us ‘Fatal Attraction’, ‘Indecent Proposal’, and ‘Unfaithful,’ this film anchored by strong performances from Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, is based on author Patricia Highsmith’s fifth novel, ‘The Dog in the Manger,’ which was first published in 1957.

Its narrative sways between a domestic drama and a psychological thriller, inside the marriage of picture-perfect Vic and Melinda Van Allen to discover the dangerous mind games they play and what happens to the people who are caught between them.

Ben Affleck plays Vic, a successful software developer, and Ana de Armas essays his wife Melinda, a stunted housewife who misses her freedom. They portray themselves as an ideal couple but beneath their glossy veneer lies the fact that their loveless marriage is held together only by a precarious arrangement, whereby to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to indulge in extra-marital activities, as long as she does not desert her family.

Vic accepts this without fault, and their relationship starts to strain when Vic begins to resent the guys his wife dates.

When Vic becomes fascinated with the unsolved murder of one of Melinda’s former lovers, he takes credit for the killing to discourage her current fling. While Vic’s claims are interpreted by his friends and the community as a dark joke, Melinda is wary, especially when her lovers inexplicably desert her.

Her doubts magnify when her current boyfriend Terry the Pianist, dies in their friend’s swimming pool during a house party. How their marriage crumbles under the weight of resentment, jealousy, and mistrust, forms the crux of the narrative.

The film works on a superficial level where it is fascinating to watch this unique couple go about their lives. They are a good-looking couple, but their souls are as dark and dank as the bottom of a snail’s terrarium.

The low-key Affleck portrays Vic in the similar masculine ambiguity that worked so well for him in the first half of his film ‘Gone Girl.’ Similarly, Ana de Armas is persuasive as the self-centered wife who lives the life of a singleton who drifts through her domestic life when it seems to suit her and may or may not be aware of the potential danger she is provoking.

The duo is aptly supported by the promising supporting cast, which includes Tracey Letts as the aspiring screenwriter Lionel, Jacob Elordi as the Pianist Terry, Lil Rel Howery as Vic’s buddy Nash. But the one who steals the show is the little girl who plays Vic and Melinda’s daughter. She is truly adorable.

Mounted with decent production values the film is enjoyable as a popcorn thriller, with intermittently erotic, tense, and creepy scenes, but unfortunately, never is there a moment of nail-biting tension.

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‘Jhund’ is replete with life’s lessons

Post Interval, the pace picks up and unknowingly sucks you into the lives of its characters and their aspirations, making you empathise with them. Characters overcoming their obstacles and making it to the finishing line engrosses you completely…writes Troy Rebeiro

(Running in Theatres). Duration: 178 mins, Director: Nagraj Popatrao Manjule. Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Chhaya Kadam, Priyanshu Kshatriya, Akash Thosar, Rinku Rajguru, Kishor Kadam and Ankush Gedam. (Rating: ***)

Retired football coach Vijay Borade’s (Amitabh Bachchan) ability to spot talent in a bunch of youngsters in the slum nearby and his conviction that they could form a formidable football team, not only to represent their country but also channelise their energy to better their lives by giving up violence and drugs, and how he succeeds in his goal, forms the crux of this three-hour film.

Nagraj Manjule’s ‘Jhund’ is not just a motley crowd of talented football players residing in a slum, but real people with real dreams and aspirations. Not ones wallowing in self-pity even though their lives are full of hardships, they are portrayed as a lot- who are ready to seize the chance that life offers them. Their sincerity and ingenuity as the characters they essay are palpable.

Yes, the stories are sad and their struggles highlighted, but merely to inspire as the film is replete with life’s lessons.

While in his treatment of the subject, Manjule is focussed and does not waver, with unnecessary backstories or entertainment gimmicks. He spends too much time painstakingly detailing their lives and milieu and making them look unbelievably real. In the bargain, these make for tedious viewing.

Post Interval, the pace picks up and unknowingly sucks you into the lives of its characters and their aspirations, making you empathise with them. Characters overcoming their obstacles and making it to the finishing line engrosses you completely.

The film may be termed as a Sports film but is in reality, it is an inspirational one. It arouses patriotic fervour, focuses on emancipation, and has a feel-good factor throughout.

Imbued with several emotional moments the film is all heart. The adrenaline rush in the college versus slum dwellers football match is as real as the time when Don aka Ankush Meshram, receives his passport last minute and dashes to the Airport in the nick of time.

Although subtle references are made to the Dalit inhabitants of the slum, especially in the celebration’s scene, nowhere are the caste aspects dramatically highlighted.

Nowhere does Vijay Borade appear larger than life. He is immensely relatable. Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Borade, a character based on the life of a retired sports professor Vijay Barse, who founded an NGO called Slum Soccer, strikes a chord in your heart. Not only is his portrayal natural, but immensely believable and endearing. His emotional appeal to the Lady Judge on behalf of the slum dwellers is achingly reminiscent of his charisma and oratorical skills.

All the other ensemble cast deliver pitch-perfect performances, given the characters they are playing. They look and feel their parts effortlessly. Ankush Gedam as Don is lovable owing to his vulnerability, displaying versatility as an actor. Akash Thosar- is presented in a new avatar, and Rinku Rajguru too makes her mark.

The music effectively captures and enhances the essence of the film and is almost characteristic of Manjule’s films.

Overall, ‘Jhund’ reinforces that if the intent is good and convictions strong, the impossible can be achieved, and as the slum kids leave for the world championship league abroad, you no longer view them as just a crowd.

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‘Parallel Mothers’: Ordinary one, yet rich and compelling

(Running in Theatres), Duration: 123 minutes, Director: Pedro Almodovar , Cast: Penelope Cruz, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Julieta Serrano, Rossy de Palma, Daniela Santiago (Rating: ***1/2)

Visually, in the maternity hospital, with tight closeup frames of the mothers in agonising pain, the film highlights the drama of birth…writes Troy Rebeiro



While on the surface, director Pedro Almodovar’s ‘Parallel Mothers’ is an ordinary story of two women who became mothers on the same day at the same hospital and how their lives intertwine. But, if you look deeper into the narrative, you will find stories of many more mothers, including grandmothers, thus making the film rich and compelling.

The film begins with Madrid-based Janis (Penelope Cruz), a middle-aged and successful professional photographer doing a photoshoot with forensic anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde) for a magazine article. After the shoot, she seeks his help in securing permits and funding from a historical society to excavate a mass grave in her ancestral village, where- according to her family- the body of her great grandfather was dumped during the Spanish Civil War. Janis and her relatives hope to exhume the dead to give them a proper burial.

During this period, romance brews between Janis and Arturo, and an ecstatic Janis finds herself pregnant. She decides to go ahead with the pregnancy and be a single mother.

In the labour room of a maternity ward, during the final stages of her delivery, she meets Ana (Milena Smit), a rebel teenager who, given her circumstances, is anything but happy about having a baby. Janis and Ana bond while their daughters owing to some health issues- are isolated in the observation room, after which they go their separate ways.

Janis names her baby Cecilia after her grandmother. And Ana names her daughter Anita.

While Janis has the support of her dear friend Elena (Rossy de Palma) and an au pair, Ana has Teresa (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), her actress mother, who promises to help raise her granddaughter.

Janis and Ana lead their lives independently as conscientious mothers till fate reunites them to propel the narrative forward.

Visually, in the maternity hospital, with tight closeup frames of the mothers in agonising pain, the film highlights the drama of birth.

And similar to the drama at birth, the film ensures a rhythmic progression that leads to the inevitable resolution. But unlike the high-pitch drama of childbirth, the tension and suspense in the plot are subtle and low-keyed.

Penelope Cruz is spot on as Janis, who is willing to bend her principles to protect her happiness. Similarly, Smit as Ana is commendable. She is radiant in essaying her role as a vulnerable and anguished teenage mother, who is all out to put her stamp on motherhood.

Aitana Sanchez Gijon as Teresa is equally compelling, offering a different dimension to what a conventional mother should be.

Rossy de Palma as Janis’ flamboyant friend Elena, and Israel Elajalde as Arturo are prominent despite having miniscule roles.

Overall, ‘Parallel Mothers’ is an engaging film. You would appreciate it more, only if you knew the customs, traditions, and history of its cinematic universe.

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‘Dog’ struggles to be a goofy road film, missing depth in emotions

The trip involves a 1,500-mile drive down the Pacific coast, and it is a combination of a ‘Buddy’ cum ‘Road’ film. Its plot chronicles the series of misadventures the duo face and how they gradually bond over some time…writes Troy Rebeiro

Film: ‘Dog’ (Running in Theatres); Duration: 101 minutes, Directors: Reid Carolin, Channing Tatum, Cast: Channing Tatum, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Ethan Suplee, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Q’orianka Kilcher, Nicole LaLiberte, Luke Forbes, Ronnie Gene Blevins (Rating: ***)


The premise of this film, ‘Transporting a PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) canine to her former handler’s funeral conjures an image of a sentimental and emotion-laden film. But alas! ‘Dog’ struggles to be a goofy road film of a human and a dog, who are a lot alike, at least in their mental state.

Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, an Army Ranger who is desperate to get back into action after getting sidelined by a brain injury that induces seizures. His desire to return to the service only intensifies after the death of Riley Rodriguez, a Ranger and one of his best friends. Briggs pleads to his former commanding officer to recommend that he – be allowed to return to the service.

So, to be in the good books of his commanding officer, he accepts an assignment to drive Lulu, an Army dog who served in Afghanistan, so that she may attend the funeral of her late handler in Arizona, and later to deliver her to an Army base near the funeral site to be euthanized, as Army dogs with PTSD are not fit for adoption.

The trip involves a 1,500-mile drive down the Pacific coast, and it is a combination of a ‘Buddy’ cum ‘Road’ film. Its plot chronicles the series of misadventures the duo face and how they gradually bond over some time.

Their trip begins with Lulu destroying the interior of Briggs’ lovingly restored utility vehicle. This sets the tone of what lies ahead for them. With Lulu being a complicated dog and Tantum having his complications, both need healing in one form or the other, but the narrative chugs along with other insensitive portrayals and half-hearted sentiments.

This includes; Briggs’ ill-fated romantic encounter with a pair of aging wanton women, then becoming captive of a suspicious marijuana grower (Kevin Nash) and his psychic wife (Jane Adams), followed by getting arrested for impersonating a blind man to get a complimentary stay in a fancy hotel, and the list continues.

In short, the script progresses dispassionately in an episodic format that oscillates between social drama and broad comedy as the two of them encounter numerous obstacles and a variety of eccentric characters, stretching the credibility of the narrative along the way. Also, the tonal imbalance and mismanaged themes make the entire trip appear perfunctory. It is only in the last twenty minutes of the screen time that the sentimentality of the journey sinks in, but by then, it is too late.

Mounted with moderate production values there is nothing to write home about the performances too. Tatum and the entire cast are just average in their delivery.

Overall, the film is technically well-made but lacks depth in emotions and gravitas.

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Rudra: A psychological thriller appeal to Devgn’s fans

Rudra, meanwhile, encounters Alia Chokshi (Raashii Khanna) an intelligent and beautiful lady whose parents and dog have been murdered, the first of the many gruesome cases in the series.
writes Troy Rebeiro

Series: ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’ (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar) , Duration: Approximately 55 minutes per episode (Six episodes in all), Director: Rajesh Mapuskar, Cast: Ajay Devgn, Esha Deol Takhtani, Raashii Khanna, Satyadeep Misra, Ashwini Kalsekar, Atul Kulkarni, Milind Gunaji and Rajiv Kachroo. (Rating: **1/2)



With an exhausted and worn-out premise — a bright but emotionally troubled police officer hunting hardened criminals, ‘Rudra — The Edge of Darkness’, which is an adaptation of the British TV show ‘Luther’, is pretentiously intense.

Designed as a psychological thriller, Ajay Devgn’s ACP Rudraveer Singh- is introduced chasing a suspect who ends in the hospital in a comatose state. Months later, he is reinstated in the force following an investigation into what transpired, but the time away takes its toll on him.

His wife, Shaila (Esha Deol), a humanitarian lawyer, has left him for Rajiv (Satyadeep Misra), causing Rudra’s fragile psyche to begin fraying. His mental state is of concern to his colleagues, but being a perceptive investigator, they nevertheless rely on him, especially his departmental head Deepali Handa (Ashwini Kalsekar) and his teammates who are in awe of his gut feelings.

Rudra, meanwhile, encounters Alia Chokshi (Raashii Khanna) an intelligent and beautiful lady whose parents and dog have been murdered, the first of the many gruesome cases in the series.

Being perceptive, Rudra gathers that Alia is a psychopath when she stalks him and tries to complicate matters between him and Shaila. Yet he turns to her for assistance and thus intertwines their lives in the six-episode drama, which takes several unexpected twists, some involving a bureaucratic hierarchy that does not know quite what to do with Rudra.

While this may sound simple, the unpredictable game of cat-and-mouse hunt between Rudra and the sadistic criminals is far from convincing, as the plot moving at a slow pace, is simply liberal and laden with ample cinematic liberties.

Also instincts or “proof nahin hain, gut feeling” seems to be Rudra’s mantra that keeps him ticking. Apart from this, his character is unconsciously crafted, and the emotion is missing.

Also, Alia Chokshi’s character simply does not jell in the narrative because it is not well-etched according to the Indian milieu. Plus, she effortlessly flits in and out of Shaila’s boyfriend Rajiv’s house.

With his brooding, intense demeanour, Ajay Devgn appears sleepwalking through this author-backed role. We have often seen him perform similar characters, and as Rudra – the tortured, rule-bending lawman who never lied to his wife, offers nothing new.

Raashii Khanna is effervescent as Alia Chokshi. She is charming and has a striking screen presence. She effortlessly portrays her character despite it being unrelatable.

KC Shankar as the artist Siddheshwar Kumar and Amaraa Sangam as the young mother Shenaz Daruwala are brilliant. They stand out with their fine performances.

Ashwini Kalsekar, Atul Kulkarni, Rajiv Kachroo as Rudra’s colleagues, and Ashish Vidyarthi as the Inquiry Commissioner are bland and stereotypical in their delivery.

Esha Deol Takhtani as Rudra’s ex-wife Shaila seems like an oddball in the series with an equally miss-matched partner in Satyadeep Misra’s Rajiv.

Overall, the series may only appeal to Ajay Devgn’s fans.

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‘Jugaadistan’: Decent capturing of the ethos and ethics of students

Set in Northern India, ‘Jugaadistan,’ which means the abode of ‘Makeshifters’ (fixers), is the coming-of-age story of a diverse group of university students…writes Troy Rebeiro

Series: ‘Jugaadistan’ (Streaming on Lionsgate Play), Duration: Approx. 41 minutes per episode (eight episodes in all), Directors: Akarsh Khurana, Adhaar Khurana, Cast: Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Sumeet Vyas, Arjun Mathur, Rukshar Dhillon, Smil Lukram, Gopal Datt Tiwari, Keith Sequeira, Priyanka Tomar, Himika Bose, Ahsaas Channa, Kavya Trehan, Danish Sood, Taaruk Raina and Zarin Shihab (Rating: ***)

There are numerous portrayals of student life dramas on the OTT platforms, but very few series have attempted to capture the ethics and ethos of the students and the society they live in. This is one of them. Yet, technically the series, full of fluff but relevance, is not an eyeopener. It is a fictional drama.

Set in Northern India, ‘Jugaadistan,’ which means the abode of ‘Makeshifters’ (fixers), is the coming-of-age story of a diverse group of university students.

The series aims to capture the universal feelings of the transition years of the students during their college days as they try to fix the missing elements of their lives to survive and shape their futures.

Without getting into caste, creed, and class divide, the series focuses on how a group of students, some with good intentions and others for greed, are drawn into the quicksand of corruption that surrounds them, mainly entrance examination, admission, and recruitment scam. These scams involve academicians, local politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen who employ imposters to write papers, manipulate examination arrangements,and supply forged answers.

Apart from this, there is a fair dose of – ambition and friendships, crushes, and heart-breaks.While the first episode lays the foundation of the narrative, the plot propels after Tarush Khetrapal (Arjun Mathur), a senior journalist at Modern Times, and his colleague Aditya Sikka (Keith Sequeira), try to investigate the death of Priyanka Tomar (Yashika Gor). She is a bright student whose life was cut short and dismissed as a suicide case.

Running parallel to this plot are the tales of; Ruhi Sada (Rukshar Dhillon), Devika Nambiar (Zarin Shihab), Laxman aka Lucky Kohli (Taaruk Raina), friends and bright students of City University, Ayesha Rehman (Ahsaas Channa), an aspiring journalist and Kenny Laishram (Smil Lukram), a student from Manipur. How their lives are intertwined with that of Gaurav Bhati (Sumeet Vyaas), the General Secretary of the Students’ Union of City University, forms the crux of the narrative.

Parambrata Chattopadhyay plays the concerned and conscientious professor Bijoy Das who smells a rat when he finds his bright students gradually losing focus.

The plot of the first four episodes meanders playfully with twists and turns, but the timelines of the sub-plots and the editing are askew. They temporarily throw the viewer off-gear- a case in point is the scenes involving Aditya Shikka.

While most of the scenes are well-written and they capture the moments precisely, there are a few inciting moments within the scenes- that are brushed off lightly. If you blink, you would miss what disrupts Mika Singh’s show in the fifth episode.

It’s only after the fifth episode that the narrative gets intense and hooks you big-time.

In the seventh episode, the series offers little bits of advice and life lessons, and by the end, we learn that wrongdoings never pay off.

Overall mounted with good production values and sincere performances from the efficient cast, the look, and feel of the series, is very relatable and thus engaging.

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Turning Red: Amusingly heartwarming coming of age film

The script, unlike any Disney film, is strangely bold and edgy. The narrative flows smoothly, and the dialogues are never over the top, but some of the humour goes places that one would have never expected in a Disney or Pixar film…writes Troy Rebeiro


Director: Domee Shi, Voice Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, Lori Tan Chinn, Mia Tagano, Sherry Cola, Lillian Lim, James Hong, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell (Rating: ***)

This 2D animated film – ‘Turning Red’ is an amusingly heart-warming coming-of-age film about mothers and daughters- and growing up to celebrate a growth mindset in accepting who you are.

The story follows an intelligent Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian, who has been brought up with the notion of “honour your parents.” But now, eager to experience what life has to offer her as a teenage kid, Mei finds herself at cross-roads especially – when it comes to her over-protective and concerned mother.

Not wanting to hurt her parents, and at the same time, her pent-up angst literally transforms her into a huge grizzly, red Panda. Mei experiences this whenever she is in an agitated mood or feels a strong emotion, which as a teenager, is quite often. After a shocking revelation about her ancestors, Mei realises that her transformation has more to do with her genes. But this does not stop her from doing what she wants to do. The narrative takes a fantasy route when Mei utilises her mystical power of transformation to further her teen cravings.

Written and directed by Domee Shi, who had earlier directed the sensitive short film ‘Bao’, this is her maiden feature film. She has done a commendable job. There is a lot of cultural representation among the characters in the film, like Mei’s friend Priya who is of Indian Origin and a Sardar Security guard, but they do nothing creditable to enhance the story.

The script, unlike any Disney film, is strangely bold and edgy. The narrative flows smoothly, and the dialogues are never over the top, but some of the humour goes places that one would have never expected in a Disney or Pixar film.

There is no slapstick comedy that could entice the younger audience, but there are plenty of scenes with physical comedy that will make you chuckle, especially when Mei – as the red panda tries to escape from her friends.

Visually the computer-generated animated images are striking. The animators have painstakingly ensured that the facial expressions sync well with emotions, and the fur of the Panda looks real. Each frame is vibrant, with a vast array of colours that would mesmerize you.

What elevates the viewing experience is the voices of the ace star cast which perfectly match with that of the characters.

Ludwig Goransson’s background score is lively and foot-tapping. The soundtracks, which include a few songs, aptly fit into the narration. The lyrics are unpretentious and engaging, especially the song, “I’ve never met anybody like you.”

Overall, the film is refreshingly delightful for adults and children alike.

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Valimai: A fifty-fifty action package from director Vinoth and ‘Thala’ Ajith

A good 20 minutes into the film, you actually get involved in the story and are ready to forgive the slow start the film has had…writes Manigandan K R

Duration: 179 minutes, Director: H. Vinoth, Cast: Ajith Kumar, Karthikeya Gummakonda and Huma Qureshi, (Rating: **1/2)

‘Valimai’ can best be described as an action film, the first half of which belongs to director H Vinoth, and the second half, to actor Ajith.

In other words, ‘Valimai’s’ first half offers a plot with the same class and brilliance that one witnessed in earlier films of Vinoth such as ‘Sathuranga Vettai’ and ‘Theeran Adhigaram Onnu’ while its second half provides what fans of actor Ajith would expect in an Ajith film.

The city is reeling under a series of chain snatching incidents and the police department assigns the case to a ‘Supercop’, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Arjun (Ajith Kumar). It doesn’t take long for him to figure out that there’s a sinister connection between chain snatching cases and the sudden rise in sales of a particular type of motorbike on certain days every month. What’s more, he also smells a link between the chain snatchers and drug dealers.

Arjun finds out that the crimes are all being committed by the same gang which identifies itself as Satan’s Slaves. The gang’s head (played by Karthikeya) firmly believes the police force is not equipped to track him down and even if they do, are not capable of matching either his speed or the speed of his bike-riding gang, which primarily comprises of misled youth. But his hopes are dashed when Arjun tracks him down and even nabs him. What happens then is what the film is all about…

A good 20 minutes into the film, you actually get involved in the story and are ready to forgive the slow start the film has had.

The intensity of the plot picks up and by the time the first bike stunt sequence appears, you actually find yourself rooting for ACP Arjun. The bike sequences in the first half don’t disappoint one bit and you experience a rush of adrenaline when witnessing them.

The first half is just a delight to watch and that is primarily because of director Vinoth, who manages to surprise you with his thinking and narration. For instance, an open challenge that the villain throws to the hero and the manner in which that challenge is acknowledged and handled is just refreshing.

Vinoth’s strength lies in surprising you and he does that consistently and cleverly all through the first half. By the time, the first half finishes, your expectations have risen. However, it is then, that the problem begins.

The second half has quite a bit of sentimental drama. First, there is a sequence in which Arjun’s mom pleads with him about the safety of her third son, Kutty. Then, there is another sequence in which Arjun pleads with his mom, asking her to have food and then, a third sequence when the mother offers herself to be killed for the sake of her third son… The melodramatic sequences are just endless in the second half and they make you roll your eyes.

This apart, what makes the second half difficult to digest is the fact that the action sequences too don’t work. The action sequences that you see in the second half fall desperately short of the high standards you’ve begun to expect of the film. Forget measuring up, they don’t look convincing at all in the first place.

As if this wasn’t enough, the villain, whose character in the first half appeared intelligent, strong and capable, comes across as being weak and immature in the second.

The climax too doesn’t work for a number of reasons, both at a logical and an emotional level.

One could go on, but to simply cut a long story short, ‘Valimai’ is a film that manages to initially impress but is unable to sustain the charm till the end.

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