Jawan - Janta would not fall for it

Jawan's story would take you to 80-90's, when the heroes of movies were demigods; they could accomplish any Herculean feat. The film flaunts typical "Bollywood coupled with SOBO" activism. It focuses on their favourite topics - farmers, the environment, and of course, women empowerment. The irony is that people born with a silver spoon pretend to be the champions of communism in India, just to score points in their restricted social circles. 

The movie doesn't miss the opportunity to ride the borrowed trend from woke (and going broke) Hollywood of showing women as protagonists. 

Switching back to the messiah movie stars, visualise this - a man draped with ointment-soaked mummified clothes (covering the entire body) jumps out and kills more than a dozen men with a spear. Action scenes are comical. In one scene, Shah Rukh attempts to throw a spear, but in the next cut, he is impaling someone with it. What happened to the continuity? 

After elevating colleges (and whatnot) Shah Rukh, in this movie, takes Indian jails to another level. Maybe you have seen cooler prisons only in porn. Music is a mix-bag; for example - Zinda Banda would bore you, whereas Chaleya is cool. Though the song "chaliya" elevates the mood, but it is not timed properly. No way there was any spark between the couple. They were trying to initiate something only for the sake of the child. 

The film never lets the audience forget that they are watching an SRK movie. In the background, the voiceover kept announcing - King Khan of Bollywood (or some silly chant in praise of SRK) throughout the supposedly cool action cuts. LOL! 

Nayantara looks more like a glamorous doll, with her botoxed looks and vibes, than a kick-ass babe. 

By the way, the lady who played Shah Rukh's mom, looked younger than him. Sorry Shah Rukh, the popped-up veins in your arms don't half your age automatically. 

The only good thing that touched the heart was the little girl who played Nayantara's daughter. In sync with the story, her screen presence kept me glued.

 

Another out-of-place thing is negotiators (both Nayantara and Sanjay Dutt) also act as their respective action-team leads. I have seen maybe 1000s of action movies (mostly Hollywood). Negotiators are altogether different professionals than men in action. 

The idolatry of SRK continues throughout the movie. When SRK gets into trouble, another avatar comes to save him. Of course, no one is allowed to take the limelight. 

The icing on the cake is that the older version (Vikram) calls the younger version (Azaad) "handsome". I'm not sure, but it sounds akin to an ad. 

Deepika dazzles as the eye candy (especially in sarees). However, her allure fades when the camera zooms on her face. Deepika's acting, especially in mother's form, seemed relatively better than others.

Vikram Setupathi looks menacing in some scenes as the antagonist. However, Hindi doesn't sound apt coming out of him. For instance, he calls Rathod "Rathud" or some weird pronunciation.

An example of how much the scriptwriters and directors are disconnected from reality is that Vinod Rathod (older SRK) smokes a cigar while doing some woodwork in a remote village. He also assists a doctor in the jail in trying to resuscitate Laxmi (a team member of Azaad). Guess, a hero doesn't need a nursing certification. Also, the younger SRK (Azaad) would preach to you how and whom to vote for. 

The media may announce it as a blockbuster; however, hardly 30% of seats were filled on the second-day first show (2:30 pm) in the multiplex I visited. 

If you like to read a video version (on YouTube) in Hindi, you may check out Pratik Borade's review here.

#SatyapremKiKathaSucks

#SatyapremKiKatha sucks sachi! I can barely see the movie which is in the typical mold of the 90s. A typical commoner chases a crazy rich gal. Sure shot till Bollywood exists, they would make a fool of the populace. Barely 10 minutes into the movie, I finished two chess games (blitz) and started reviewing the movie (just to distract myself from its boringness). And yes, in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, there are three songs; unfortunately, all of them suck. The movie has got a Gujarati background, and sometimes it is a bit difficult to understand the local lingos. Kiara must belong to the inner circle; otherwise, it would be impossible to keep on getting continuous opportunities, keeping in mind her horrible acting capabilities. Kartik tries to pull the movie on his shoulders. The only twist that can be noted is that the girl's parent pushes her into the marriage.

 

Cons/Illogical

1) Hero drives a scooty before marriage and afterward he starts driving a car. When did he learn how to drive?

2) The action was pathetic, and even a kid can understand the hits were not real.

3) In a movie with a Gujrati story and Kashmir as a backdrop, a Punjabi song was played.

4) The protagonist says that he and the rapist are the same as both have imposed their will on the heroine. That's Bollywood's fake way of siding with the #Me2 movement (though most revelations were against so-called stalwarts of this industry).

5) Too many mediocre songs

Pros

1) Supriya Pathak - Whether as a vamp or consoling mom, she excels in all situations.

2) Apart from Kiara, no other actor has a dwindling effect.

Is The Gladiator A True Story?

Anyone who has witnessed the unfolding of Ridley Scott's magnum opus- Gladiator would most probably have gone through a pendulum of emotions. The movie is a gripping tale of the two central personas- Maximus (played by Russel Crowe) and Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix).
Not only do the actors of this historical epic take us back to the Roman era, courtesy of their meticulous acting, but they were also aided by the meticulous movie setting of the movie.

 

Historical Parallels 

Prior to taking a delve into the differences, let's take a peek at some prominent parallels. As a film based on History, it has some obvious similarities with the original characters. Both Commodus and his father Marcus Aurelius were, in fact, real historical characters.
Marcus Aurelius was the famous philosopher emperor, one of the last Roman emperors to have a stronghold over the empire. He was also able to keep the barbarians at bay.
If you think the Commodus, as depicted in the movie, was villainous, well, the historical Commodus was far more callous and crazy.
It is also true that Aurelius was at the war front when he breathed last. Despite only forging a treaty with the German hoards, Commodus returned to Rome with a "Triumph," usually reserved for a triumphant victory on the battlefield. Crazy about Gladiatorial games and shrewd enough to utilize them to his advances, he facilitated these games to distract the populace from his failures and popularize himself among them.

Notable Incoherences

Maximus Decimus Meridius

The most major eye-soaring difference from a historical perspective was Maximus, the main protagonist. There are no records for Maximus in Historical records. Most probably, Scott may have been inspired by Marcus Nonius Macrinus. He was a Roman general and senator. Furthermore, he was also an advisor to Marcus Aurelius, and Aurelius, akin to his fictitious self in the film, liked Macrinus. However, the resemblance stops here. Unlike in the movie, wherein Maximus's family was killed and he was enslaved, Macrinus lived a full and successful life.

Commodus

In contrast to what was shown in the movie, the original Commodus most probably didn't require to commit patricide to seize the throne. He was already a co-emperor for three years when his father, Marcus Aurelius, the reigning emperor, took his last breath. In fact, Commodus was also killed by his wrestling partner Narcissus in a bathtub, far from the gladiatorial arena.

#Bala

Till now seen only the first part of 'Bala.' Another great movie by the phenomenal- Ayushmann Khurana. The movie is absolutely hilarious! A must-watch! If you are losing hair or aging, you would definitely connect with the movie! The actual hero of the movie is- Niren Bhatt, the dialogue writer and the kudos must be directed to him... Awaiting for the second half...
The second part states a terrible truth that women get undue attention due to their looks irrespective of their talent or other virtues. It is high time that society changes its point of view. Everyone should be judged solely on the basis of their nature and performance! #bala #BalaReview

#GoodNews

Akshay is spontaneous and sarcastic. Diljit is the chord that ties the movie together. The choreography sucks, so to are the songs (apart from the trendy 'Chandigarh mein).' The Bhangra performed by the heroes together makes for the best scene in the movie. Karina delivers the strongest of the dialogues and emphasizes what a woman has to go through while being pregnant...

#UdtaChaman

Watched #UdtaChaman yesterday. A superb script and an extraordinary story. Accolades must be directed to the original writer- Raj B. Shetty & Danish J. Singh (scriptwriter). Pretty similar to 'Bala' this movie would make the watcher realize that the problem is not with the people who tease you coz of your perceived limitations but with you if you accept and try to cover it. The shallowness of society, especially the youth is well exposed in the film. Two things that are of prominence are - Acceptance and ignorance. Accept your flaws (or, whatever the society points out), and wear it like a badge (in Tyrion Lannister's words), and the wolves would be helpless in front of you. Ignorance - Ignore the wolves, remember they can only howl in packs. Segregate them, and they would run with their tail between the legs...If you have been ever called out by so-called social wolves, this movie is a #MustWatch for you...

Baahubali: The Conclusion

The ending of “Baahubali: The Beginning” left us on the edge of our seats. It was a masterstroke by the magician S.S. Rajamouli to let the viewers crave more. The following plot has been sketched upon the brilliant first part.

Let us start with the final scene of “Baahubali: The Beginning”. Kattappa confesses at the end that it was he who killed Amarendra Baahubali. Thus, it automatically sets up beautifully for the second part to reveal the secrets.

Of course, the story will start with Kattappa explaining the reasons behind the murder of Amarendra Baahubali. Analyzing the character of Kattappa one can find a resemblance of Bhisma from Mahabharata. Though in his heart, he longs for the righteous side, he still clings to the throne of Mahismati. Like Bhisma, he lived in the past, honoring the ritualistic slavery which his ancestors set themselves up to. Thus, it can be safely assumed that he stabbed Amarendra Baahubali on the instructions of the Mahismati ruler.

At the end of the war with the Kalakeya tribe, Amarendra Baahubali was announced king by the reagent Sivagami. Kattappa portrayed as a servant to the throne was not supposed to harm Amarendra Baahubali as he was ascending the throne. That clarifies that Amarendra Baahubali was not the ruler of Mahismati when he was killed.

Sivagami was the pivotal character in the first part. She saves Amarendra’s infant son, Mahendra Baahubali(Sivu). She pleads to God to save Sivu’s life in exchange for her. Also, she states that by saving Sivu she was trying to repent for her sins. That indicates that she was a conspirator in the killing of Amarendra Baahubali. It is hard to relate her to the backstabbing of Amarendra Baahubali, as she was portrayed as just and wise in the first part. To find why she betrayed Amarendra, one has to fathom her priorities. As per the first part, she lives for the Mahismati Kingdom and its people. So the only reason she will betray Amarendra Baahubali would be to serve her citizens.
At the beginning of the first part, a map was shown containing Mahismati Kingdom, Kunthala Kingdom, Singapuram Bandit’s fort, and Kunthala’s Hideout.

Avanthika (Mahendra Baahubali‘s love interest) and her group that tries to rescue Devasena (Mahendra Baahubali‘s mother), seemed to belong to the Kunthala Kingdom. In fact, Devasena is proclaimed as the Princess of Kunthala.



The first part shows that the two cousins (Amarendra Baahubali and Bhallala Deva) also compete for Devasena apart from the Mahismati throne. It indicates that Devasena chose Amarendra Baahubali over Bhallala Deva which had resulted in getting her imprisoned after Amarendra’s Death.



Bhallala Deva was shown as a passive-aggressive character while dealing with Amarendra Baahubali. Though he comes out as equal in competitions, still he seems to be hesitant to assert himself directly in front of Amarendra. Most probably he ordered Kattappa to backstab Amarendra. The only reason Kattappa would follow Bhallala Deva’s order is if he rules Mahismati. So it can be assumed that by the time Amarendra was assassinated, Bhallala Deva was the ruler of Mahismati.



Amarendra Baahubali might have chosen Devasena between the throne of Mahismati and her. In fact, his son Mahendra Baahubali is also portrayed as a reckless lover. It seems to be a scenario of “like father, like son."
The first part hints that both Kunthala kingdom and Singapuram Bandit’s fort have been destroyed by their absence in the movie. Amarendra Baahubali is shown to be killed during a battle. Most probably this is the battle between the Bandits and the Kunthala Kingdom.



Devasena chooses Amarendra Baahubali over Bhallala Deva in the Swayamvara. The Kunthala king puts a condition for the marriage, Amarendra Baahubali has to accept the position of Crowned Prince (Yuvraaja) of the King of Kunthala kingdom (as he has no male heir). That means Amarendra Baahubali has to vacate the Mahismati throne.

Amarendra Baahubali agrees to the proposal angering Sivagami. Sivagami resists the proposal and states that it is not justified for a king to leave his kingdom and people to pursue his own self-centered love. Amarendra justifies it when by thinking naively, that in a way Mahismati will be more powerful as he will now have the forces of the Kunthala kingdom at his disposal. He states that no enemy like Kalakaye would dare to attack them in case both the kingdoms can come to the battle together. He sees the possibility of such strong ties between the two kingdoms if Bhalla Deva rules Mahismati and he rules the Kunthala kingdom.



Bijjala Deva supports Amaredra Baahubali’s statements knowing that it will pave the way for his son Bhalla Deva to rule the Mahismati kingdom. Amarendra Baahubali was always oblivious of Bhalla Deva’s treacherous schemes. Sivagami puts a condition that out of the sons of Amarendra Baahubali and Bhalla Deva (among all of her grandsons), the most deserved one would rule a combined kingdom with its capital at Mahismati. Everyone has to agree with her condition to receive immediate benefits. However, not everyone was happy thinking about the long-term consequences of Sivagami’s condition.
The Kunthala king thought that his kingdom would dominate the regions by the inclusion of a mighty warrior like Amarendra Baahubali. The Kunthala king asks him to take the universal pledge of loyalty to the Kunthala kingdom prior to marriage. Amrendra Baahubali accepts the crown of Yuvraaja and vows to protect the Kunthala kingdom from all possible enemies. He gets wed to Princess Devasena.
Bhallala Deva ascends to the Mahismati throne. He is still jealous of Amarendra Baahubali for winning Devsena. He and his father Bijjaladeva plots against the Kunthala kingdom. They instigate the bandits to attack the Kunthala kingdom. The Kunthala king tries diplomacy and paying tributes to the bandits. Meanwhile, Amarendra Baahubali uses that time to train the Kunthala soldiers. He plans to attack their fort and banish them for good.
Sivagami gets concerned about Amarendra Baahubali‘s actions. Mahismati kingdom has always supported the bandits through the back door. It helps them to balance the regional powers and portray their superiority to the neighbors. Sivagami knows that with the fall of the bandits and with Amarendra Baahubali at the helm, soon Kunthala kingdom will dominate the neighborhood.
Sivagami gets into a fix on how to tackle this new circumstance. Bijjaladeva and Bhallala Deva suggest that they should attack the Kunthala kingdom in support of their bandit allies. Sivagami asks Kattappa for his thoughts. Kattappa says candidly that another major war with the Kunthala kingdom will be catastrophic for the Mahismati kingdom in terms of both military and economy. All of them agree that outright war is not possible.
Bijjaladeva chalks out a plan to tackle the situation. His plan will enable the triumph of the Mahismati kingdom. According to his plan, Mahismati will support both sides. Mahismati will support the bandits like they always do through the back door. They agree to send a small troop proactively in Kattappa’s lead to help the Kunthala kingdom. To ensure Mahismati’s superiority Bijjaladeva proposes that during the battle, Kattappa should assassinate Amarendra Baahubali. His logic was that after the fall of the Kunthala kingdom, Mahismati will easily dominate the regions. Sivagami with tears in her eye accepts the proposal. She now prays for Amarendra Baahubali’s son to be worthy enough so that he can rule the combined kingdoms.
Kattappa protests, but he was overruled by Bhallala Deva. As the king of the Mahismati kingdom, he orders Kattappa to kill Amarendra Baahubali. Kattappa goes to the Kunthala kingdom with a small band of soldiers. As he reached there he gets the news that Mahendra Baahubali (Sivu) is born. He knows as per Sivagami’s words; Sivu might one day rule the Mahismati kingdom and hence as per his family traditions; Kattappa places the infant Sivu’s feet on his bald head.
In the heat of the battle, Kattappa eventually kills Amarendra Baahubali by stabbing him in the back. The Singapuram Bandit’s fort has been sacked, and they vanquished. By the time Kattappa re-enters Kunthala kingdom, he sees the Mahismati flag flying. While the Kunthala army was busy fighting the bandits, Bhallala Deva attacks and capture the Kunthala kingdom without any resistance. Once he receives the confirmation of the killing from Kattappa, Bhallala Deva announces the death of Amarendra Baahubali.

As the entire Kunthala kingdom mourns for Amarendra Baahubali, Bhallala Deva orders Devasena to be prepared for marriage. He kills the Kunthala king when he protests against this atrocity. When Devsena refuses, Bhallala Deva orders her to be locked up. The entire Kunthala kingdom rebels against Bhallala Deva’s orders. Brutal Bhallala Deva gets the whole kingdom razed to the soil. Most of the rebel population gets killed or arrested. The arrested people were taken along with Devasena to Mahismati to be whipped and enslaved (shown in the 1st part of the movie). Some remaining soldiers and residents flee to the Kunthala hideout near the huge waterfall. They take an oath to get their princess Devasena freed from the clutches of the tyrant Bhallala Deva.
Sivagami is shattered by the way Bhallala Deva treats the people. She asks him to fix his ways. Bhallala Deva tells her as he is King now, he no longer needs to heed to her. Sivagami at once realizes her mistakes. Bijjaladeva supports his son. He does not want history to be repeated. He instigates Bhallala Deva to kill Shivu, the infant son of Devasena and Amarendra Baahubali. Sivagami overhears their conversation. She takes the oath to save Shivu. Kattappa suffering from the guilt (of killing Amarendra Baahubali) wanted to join her. She dissuades Kattappa. She asks him to do his duty and look after Devasena. She, however, asks him to assist Shivu if he ever tries to take vengeance. Kattappa promises to aid Shivu to gain the throne of Mahismati. Bhallala Deva sends soldiers to kill Sivu. Sivagam flees through the secret tunnel along with Sivu. She was hit by an arrow while escaping.
Once Kattappa has explained the reason for the killing of Amarendra Baahubali, Mahendra Baahubali announces that he will end the tyranny of Bhallala Deva. Mahendra Baahubali with Kattappa and Sardar (leader) of the rebels debate and try to sketch out a plan to defeat Bhallala Deva.

To defeat the forces of Bhallala Deva, the rebels will require a lot of weapons. The rebels and soldiers loyal to Kattappa will form the bulk of the forces. The weapons will be acquired from Aslam Khan, Kattappa’s friend.
After realizing that Kattappa has switched sides. Bhallala Deva starts to distrust his own soldiers. He strikes a deal with the Kalakaye tribe. The Kalkaye tribe had already accepted his suzerainty as their previous ruler was killed by him. This is the traditional way to get crowned among the Kalkaye tribe. As an incentive, he also offers them the region of the Kunthala kingdom to pulverize if they fight on behalf of him. His actions further antagonize the loyal forces of Mahismati and the populace. Once they hear about Mahendra Baahubali (the son of Amarendra Baahubali) they flock in masses to Mahendra’s camp.
The final battle lines have been drawn. The majority of Mahismati soldiers are in Mahendra’s camp. The numerical supremacy of Bhallala Deva’s camp is clearly visible with the Kalakaye tribe joining him. He has their natural respect as he had killed their best warrior and ruler (Kalakaye). The epic battle has started. Bhallala Deva and Mahendra Baahubali approach each other. One wants to avenge his son, another his father.



Mahendra Baahubali jumps over the blades of Bhallala Deva’s chariot and topples Bhallala Deva from the chariot. Bhallala Deva extends and swings his mace. Mahendra Baahubali dodges the mace and cuts the chain with his sword. Bhallala Deva jumps and punches Mahendra Baahubali. Mahendra Baahubali loses his sword. Both fight each other now with their bare hands. Bhallala Deva has the upper hand initially due to his might. He, however, lost his edge to Mahendra Baahubali’s energy and swiftness (due to his youth). Mahendra Baahubali finally kills Bhallala Deva by beheading him with his sword. The scene is similar to the scene of Amarendra Baahubali trying to behead the Kalakaye king. Only this time the Baahubali manages to finish his job. The Kalakaye tribe once again runs away from the battlefield.
Mahendra Baahubali enters the Mahismati kingdom with his soldiers. He notices that Bijjaladeva is waiting along with the Mahismati crown. He seems to be happy. Bijjaladeva calls Mahendra Baahubali his grandson and moves forward to hug him. Kattappa smells foul. Kattappa warns Mahendra Baahubali against the treacherous Bijjaladeva. He moves parallel to Mahendra Baahubali. Bijjaladeva hugs Mahendra Baahubali. He takes the dagger out of the crown to stab Mahendra Baahubali in the back. Kattappa chops his hand with a quick movement of his sword. With the next blow, he presses his entire sword into Bijjaladeva’s abdomen. Bijjaladeva dies on the spot.
Mahendra Baahubali frees Devasena. He asks her to look over the state as Raajmataa. She fills the throne of Sivagami. Mahendra Baahubali ascends to the throne of the Mahismati kingdom. The entire kingdom celebrates his ascension to the throne.
Mahendra Baahubali marries Avantika. His courtiers urge him to turn the golden statue of Bhallala Deva into his image. He melts the golden statue to return the gold to the citizens. He rebuilds the Kunthala kingdom to settle the rebels and prisoners (enslaved Kunthala people). He makes Sivagami’s dream true by ruling both the kingdoms with Mahismati as the capital. Kattappa informs him that the Kalakaye tribe has accepted his suzerainty. He asks Mahendra Baahubali to contemplate performing the Ashvamedha yagna. Mahendra Baahubali replies that he already had his share of war and glory. He values peace, stability, and prosperity higher than the formation of an empire.

The End