Badlapur

Directed by: Shriram Raghavan

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Sidiqui, Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautam, Divya Dutta

Released: 2015

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

A bloody revenge movie is a tricky thing. You need a lot of strong points. Reason for revenge. Believable acting. Arevenge which leaves you with a feeling of gratification or at least understanding for the hero. And most importantly a sense of compassion for the avenger. Not all real-life situations, during which a man (or a woman) takes law and revenge into their own hands are like that, but in the film world should, at least in my view. Badlapur does have believable acting, it has a powerful trigger to start off, unfortunately the compassion is missing entirely.

Varun Dhawan shakes off the cute image he has had by embracing a character much darker than Aamir Khan from Ghajini or Shahid Kapoor from Haider. Starting off as a tragedy-stricken young man he turns into an avatar which is more repulsive and awful than the villains who took the life of his family in the first place. Acting-wise he nearly pulls it off. As a character Raghu is possibly the worst lead protagonist I can think of. Repeatedly raping a completely innocent woman, threatening another one with the same, only to murder her in cold blood and most horrifying manner cannot be excused or put down to any inner pain or turmoil. Not even the popular "eye for an eye" theory fits, since the lovely Yami Gautam and her child were killed pretty much by unwanted accident. One has to wonder what kind of person Raghu is, if he is capable of such things as rape and abuse of trust. No matter how loveable he seems to be in the flashbacks, Raghu remains terrifying and disgusting. Perhaps more character development could have done the trick and show his personality alternate, but instead the makers decided to simply jump ahead 15 years (during which nobody but Nawazuddin Sidiqui seems to have aged). Furthermore the movie ends on a very anti-climactic note, with no justice served to anyone at all, not even greedy bribe-mongering police officer.

Performances on the whole are all good, but none outstanding. I cannot help but to compare Badlapur with last year´s Ek Villain, which starred Varun´s debut co-star Siddhart the Visually-perfect. While Siddhart has shown less ease in his acting, Shraddha Kapoor was not as half as natural as Yami and the film lacked logic, it still managed to make me cry and feel for the characters. Badlapur made me sick. No wonder, when the rape-victim announces to the her rapist and a murderer that of all the people involved in this messy story he is the one who has been given the second chance.

In conclusion from technical point of view there is nothing too wrong with the film, except perhaps the way the script looses pace and becomes boring as soon as, ironically, Raghu finally confronts his wife´s killer outside the jail walls. Some ends feel loose. Perhaps more soulful and more strategically used music (again like in Ek Villain) could have done make things better. For all its worth though I cannot recommend watching Badlapur to anyone. Not to people like me for all the reasons stated above. Not to lovers of thrillers because there is not enough thrill to justify other things. Not to fans of psychological movies because no development is shown in anyone.

Talaash

Directed by: Reema Kagti

Starring: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Released: 2012

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

There couldn´t be a better title for this film, because it is indeed primarily a movie about searching, where every character is on a lookout for something else. Ad to it that the full titles is „Talaash – the answer lies within“ - and wah! Rarely you stumble upon a title summing up the movie as perfectly, yet not revealing anything, just capturing attention. And the movie itself proves to be just as captivating. Before I go on, talking about the story and such, better be warned: if you have not seen the movie yet, and actually want to enjoy it, stop right here. I know what I´m talking about. This is one movie, that spoilers not only „spoil“, but extremely take away from an impact that the movie has a potential to make otherwise. I was, unfortunately, not lucky, and knew beforehand what the twist was. Talaash still made for an engaging and even thrilling watch. But I can just imagine how much more I would be taken by it if it wasn´t for some people who enjoy spoiling fun for everybody else.

"Who posted the spoilers on Twitter?"

 

In the dead of a night a fast speeding car, just like that and seemingly entirely without reason it takes a sudden turn and crashes into the sea. The driver, a famous actor, drowns. And so police inspector Surjan starts his search – for the reason of the tragedy, because nothing indicates a sabotage neither a suicide. The case doesn´t seem to have a satisfactory explanation, and the more police knows, the more mysterious and tangled it all looks. Surjan spends his days and nights at work. Not only he is driven by desire to solve the thing, but he is also trying to escape his own personal pain. He has lost his 8 years old son in a tragic accident some time ago. His shattered wife is only slowly trying to recollect her life. Her search is for the lost understanding with her husband. 

 

Surjan´s investigation brings him into the red light district of Mumbai, where he meets Rosy, a prostitute, who gives him some truly invaluable information. And more. Her presence seems to calm his nerves. He cannot talk to his wife, but he feels free to do so with Rosy. With her, he can finally rest for a few moments, without nightmares. Even Rosy is in search of something. She is searching – for justice, a revenge for her own death...

Spooky! That Talaash is a ghost film becomes apparent quite some time before Surjan himself realizes the truth behind Rosy, her tales of a lost prostitute three years ago and also a „special place“ she leads him to. Ad to it communicating with dead son through a medium, and you could almost classify the film as a horror. But the supernatural is not really the core of the film, neither is police investigation, nor are small episodes of side characters, who are also searching – pimps for wealth, prostitutes for freedom, and a crippled crook for a decent life of the woman he loves. Ultimately Talaash is a human tragedy and coping with the greatest loss a parent can bear. Whatever Surjan goes through, every person he meets, all that is slowly leading him to forgive himself and breathe freely again in the end. His search is for inner peace.

"And for that T-shirt. I love that T-shirt."

Talaash is not the best film of the last year, but it could be ranked among top 10. The concept is not entirely new overall, but it is new for Bollywood. It is different and well made. Performances are very good from everybody. There is both subtlety and realism to all of them. The film has three major stars, but none of their auras and personalities overshadows the film, making it a background to their own shine. If anyone around you is in search for a don´t-leave-your-brain-at-home film, Talaash might be what they are looking for.

Kahaani

Directed by: Sujoy Ghosh

Starring: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Released: 2012

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing 

Is anyone actually going to believe me that what happens in the end was actually my very first thought of how it´s going to be at the beginning? The revelation at the ending was a crowning jewel of Kahaani, but my own suspicion took away a bit from its impact, that would make it a really „wow“ film for me. Even so Kahaani is among the most quality stuff we have been served in a long while and it is probably the best movie of 2012 so far. It is different in more ways than one (from „usual“ stuff Hindi cinema produces). There are no lip-sync songs, there is no love story, there is, actually no dominant male hero. Not that I don´t love all those, after all why else would one watch Bollywood.

Vidya Bagchi, a heavily pregnant woman, arrives to Culcatta and with her priorities sorted out she goes straight to the police station, demanding the force starts looking for her missing husband. But as it turns out quite soon, this is no ordinary case. Not only the person is missing, but everything suggest he never existed either. Then again here is a woman pregnant with his child and with his photo and information one could not just make up. And things become even more mysterious when secret government agents step into it all, trying to convince Vidya to stop looking. However she is obstinate and determined and with a help of a police officer Rana, who is nurturing tender feelings for her, Vidya is slowly uncovering an elaborate plot of happenings and connections...

*One does not simply walk into Mordor* in Vidya Balan style

Kahaani has possibly the best (read the most „have a heart-attack dear viewer“) intermission scenes, which really has you cursing the pee break in the film, ever, and if there would still be the Best Villain award, then this year Rishi Kapoor would have had a serious competition from Saswata Chaterjee as „Namaskar. Bob Biswas. Ik minite.“ guy, who has to be one of the most freaky and scary cinematic bad guys in the world. Hidden in a plump body and behind strong glasses, there is a vicious and cold blooded killer hiding within a seemingly completely ordinary average insurance agent. 

Namaskar. Do not trust insurance agents. They might be like Bob.

Overall Kahaani is a very good movie that at times seemed too slow, but the ending made it all justified and definitely lifted it up. The suspense was there as well as thrill and grip, but it was not over done or over-dramatized. Up until I read some other reviews I didn´t really even think about plotholes, which seem minor anyway. It is a film that has you thinking, not just feeling – the latter being much more essential to Bollywood movies in general. 

In case you won´t find your hubby, I am here, fluffy, cute and in love with you.

Brilliant cast of largely unknown actors is dominated of course by Vidya, that gorgeous woman who had won me over a long time ago. Here she is definitely more sensitive than in pretty much overhyped The Dirty Picture and much much more moving than in rather boring NOKJ. Her performance deserves a serious praise, although yet again Parineeta stays unconquered. She represents so many elements within the film. Helplessness, inner strength, determination, and then also turning ill-treated and finally punishing the sinners, taking in a way a form of Goddess Durga, who is also present during the whole finale thanks to the setting of the movie. I really loved the atmosphere and portraial of Culcatta. I have never been to that city or India even, yet the movie provides what seems a very genuine representation of it. At times one can almost be under impression you can smell and breathe the air of the town, which thus itself becomes a performing artist. What is admiration worthy is also the fact that apart from being well cast and well acted, the film is also wonderful and polished from all technical aspects too. The camera angles, the lighting, the editing, blending of the music score, some really powerful yet not larger than life dialogues.... Kahaani is a film Bollywood can be proud of.