Khoobsurat : Movie Likeable in parts and lacks the character magic

Hrishkesh Mukerjee's  Khoobsurat  (1980) is often referred to as a cult-classic. I've never been quite sure the kind of criteria one would put, but to call some movie as cult-classic. However, that was a feature that certainly generated a buzz when it came out some three decades ago. It belonged to the period when girls and bahu's' of the family were supposed to change the entire family with new ideas love and freshness they carry subsequent to the marriage. Khoobsurat movie  is a similar concept. A beautiful doctor changing a royal family rules and win their hearts with fun and love..!  

Khoobsurat movie is one more story where a middle-class professional physiotherapist enters a 21st century king's house to  provide treatment to the king. She became affable with Prince and to conclude prince proposes her. Two lead characters, Sonam kapoor's style is loud, and Price's character is quiet." A silent protagonist is more effective than compelling protenist. " This was quite well achieved by the director here. The person (Fawad Khan ) who has fewer expressions and few emotions have actually played a silent hero, and he has done better job as per me.  

About script, script-writer does excellent in parts and fails to achieve a consistent humor. By the way, if you ask a question, whose story is it? Answer is Sonam Kapoor/ Lady doctor. Then why she carries few emotions and only few jokes? Any story is not a good story when you talk about back-story (Past) but you don't  show it. Here, Script-writer gives evidences of past and he doesn't take you there. Don't verbalize the past, show it to the audience boy..! ( Look at Raju Hirani or Suraj Barjatya movies ! )  Displaying few recent events  would have helped  this movie, and probably that would have gripped audience most.  

Another part is character development. Sonam is loud and found herself misfit in the royal house. She realizes that rules and emptiness in the house can be only changed with fun and love.  Now, you got a story in your hands, as characters don't agree..! At this juncture, the biggest opportunity named  "burning character limitations" has been lost by the writer. Character changing views can be done in dramatic style gripping the audience and having soaring humor. Director attempts the equivalent and achieves a limited success. Prince, king and every character change their view, but way they do it, it lacks the heart..!  

Core of the movie is, innocence and romance, the scriptwriter tries to build up the love based on pure simplicity and one kiss. Prince loves her  because she cares for everyone in the family, and she creates fun at home. Good job done there, however writing lacks the personal touch. More events displaying hero, and heroine shades would have helped the script.  

Music and songs are average part of the movie. Songs like 'Engine Ki Seeti,' 'Preet,' 'Naina' and 'Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai' are ok but not absorbing. 

 The positives are; it manages to keep you on your seat. You can watch the movie with family. It makes you laugh in bits and pieces. Sonam Kapoor looks pretty, and Fawad holds the ground. Director Shahshank Ghosh seems to have done better job in parts. Characters are flexible and change their views with fewer emotions. 

Screen-play is elegant, and background score of the movie looks average.

Overall, I would rate it as 2.5 out of 5.

Director: Shashanka Ghosh

Music composed by: Sneha Khanwalkar

Disappointing tribute to the most Inspiring leader of the Nation

The Light : Vivekananda is biopic based on the life of Swami Vivekananda. The film intends to pay tribute to Vivekananda on his 150^th birthday.  

The Light : Swami Vivekananda Movie is the lifeless portrait of the most inspiring leader of the nation. The movie misses the mark altogether in all departments. Movie delivers an emotionless messed scripted events and completely boring screenplay. Spoiled by technical heavy-handedness as well as tonal flaws and a narratively disjointedness throughout, the film can’t live up to any promise.

As we know, Vivekananda continues to inspire generations with his thoughts after 100 years. Hence there is a huge expectation from the movie. The painful feeling is “most powerful spiritual leader of the nation” is being presented in such a weak manner. Film should focus how he achieves the enlighment, his thoughts and how he becomes the saint and how his thoughts are relevant today?  The film doesn’t deliver any integrated effort to achieve the above. 

 Movie has too many songs in first half and they don’t grip the audience at all. The major important part of his life was his own self discovery phase where he questions everyone “have u seen the God?” and his conversations with Ramakrishna.  All of these have been presented in the awful manner. The actor who plays Ramakrishna has been below par and delivers monotonous performance.  Audience waits and keeps on waiting for message to evolve and powerful person to awaken our scenes via dialogues and screenplay but it just doesn’t happen. 

Scenes like Vivekananda meeting kings and being there for a music ceremony adds to the failed direction and audience ends up losing interest in the movie. Art direction and sets of the movie is another letdown of this uninteresting epic. Deep Bhattacharya who plays Vivekananda only becomes tolerable in second half. The Chicago conference 10 minutes is the only acceptable part of the movie. 

The movie's inability to showcase its greatest assets which are “teachings and thoughts of Vivekananda” and this is the biggest failing. If it had demonstrated them via right dialogues, its other shortcomings would have got un-noticed. To summarize, the creators' hearts just weren't in this thing while making a movie. 

If you want you kids to know about Vivekand, then read books or follow something else but not this movie for sure. Few things which I recommend, if newcomers don’t know how to make movies, Please don’t touch big historic characters and present them with your little knowledge of film making to the world. 

I rate move as  1 out of 5. 

I think, we need knowledgeable and intellectual writers to present Vivekanda’s thoughts infront of this world! Till then final thought from Swami Vivekananda.

“You have to grow from inside out. None can teach you. None can make you spiritual and no other teacher then your own soul”. 

Director: Utpal Sinha

Cast: Deep Bhattacharya, Premankur Chattopadhyay, Piyali Mitra

Lunch was never so fascinating and full of hope

Lunchbox is a love story of two solitary people who have nothing else in common apart from loneliness. The two people who are living a deserted life and finding a hope of new life with a stranger whom they never met.

This is simple movie which makes a huge impact on audience by beautifully crafted screenplay and humor at right place. The realistic story of the movie takes you through local trains, Mumbai roads and the chawls and holds the audience breath. Protagonist of the movie is Irfan Khan who is widower and is about to retire in a month, comes in a contact with a lonely lady by wrongly delivered dabba.

The communication starts via the letters in the dabba.The secret of communicating with another person is to communicate with his “own thought image”. The moment you do it, you start communicating with person as a whole and touches the heart and mind as well. If the communication has that impact then the medium of communication doesn’t matter whatever it may be.  In this case the medium which is “Dabba” starts becoming tasty and loveable as well. Screen-play and dialogues of the movie does the same.  

 The friendship started by complimenting the dabba goes on day by day. Audience can easily sense the initial tension and concern with first 2 letter as they both are talking to a stranger.  Later on they trust and share their challenges and pain and start respecting each other views and insights.  The realistic bond which has all the truth, care and love has been formed.  

Lunch box brings care and feeling of attachment in the life of story leads Ila (Nimrat Kaur) and Saajan (Irfan).  It gives them hope that someone they never met, cares for them and this hope generates the dreams of a new life..! 

Primary part of the movie is a Character’s honesty. All characters express themselves clearly with no masala and no intent to impress and it creates a wonderful memorable love story. One of the most entertaining part of the movie is role of “Nawaz” who plays a newly joined person who is supposed to take hand-over from Irfan after his retirement.  Nawaz brings humor to the story and bit of cheer to the audience. He remains ground to earth and a friend to Irfan. 

Beautiful script and carefully constructed dialogues shows “how memory and age impacts the love”? We all recall pain and pleasure of our life when similar moments happen. The Old Irfan remembers his wife and shares a word of wisdom to Ila and even shares importance of spending time together.  Age does have an impact the way Irfan thinks and it shapes his actions towards the love which he found at his retirement. 

Screenplay required that Irfan to be straight and a serious in his role and he does exactly the same. Irfan delivers one more awesome performance of his career. Ila the leading lady and mother of a child is a housewife and dependent on her husband for everything. She plays role brilliantly and make you believe in her role. 

Director Ritiesh Batra has great attention to detail and his set shows it. He has done a terrific job here.

Lunchbox makes you laugh, it makes you feel the care and it keeps you involved. I definitely recommend this movie.

I would rate it as 4.5 out of 5. 

Direction: Ritesh Batra
Actors: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui