Baby Movie Review

Action thrillers in Bollywood aren’t many in number. And even when they come, they are spoiled by amateur execution or the forced infusion of commercial ingredients in order to break even at the Box Office. Neeraj Pandey is one of the very few directors who thought otherwise. Instead of following the tried and tested route, he upped the ante with a stellar cast and near perfect narration which left you on the edge of your seat. His latest offering Baby, is no different.

Baby is the story of an ATS group who are lesser known to the common public and work to prevent attacks and blasts in the country. When everything seems to be going right, things turn complex in a mission and it’s up to them to set it straight. Though the story looks simple on paper, the script is built with lots of facts, figures, subtle humour and a lot of logic. One must appreciate Neeraj for his clarity and the knack with which he manages to keep the audience guessing, pinned and smiling at the same time. Though the film is a little lethargic in taking off, it picks up pace post interval and finishes on a high. The final forty minutes are a treat to watch, albeit possessing traces of Ben Affleck’s Argo.

Akshay Kumar walks out of ‘Ajay Singh’ from Special 26 into the ‘Ajay’ in Baby. His script selection has become something interesting to watch out for, as he is ostensibly following the one-entertainer-one-thriller pattern. Present in almost every scene of the film, he comes up with a praiseworthy performance, full of guts. The rest of the cast are used very tactically by the director, with a scoring moment for each. While Rana Daggubati’s macho rises the tempo, Taapsee kicks some ass in her short but stamping role. Anupam Kher’s comics do bring in the occasional laughs as well as Danny and Kay Kay who fit the bill.

Swooping into Baby technically, one cannot help but notice the proficient cinematography with the right use of aerial angles. The chase sequences too, deserve a special mention for both the camera and the stunt choreo. The one and only negative in Baby is the background score which is stale and doesn’t aid the proceedings much.

Neeraj Pandey seems to be getting better and better with every film and Baby has turned out to be one of Akshay’s best too, if you manage to get yourself into the mood. The intensity and thrill has been maintained throughout, resulting in a fun and fulfilling cinematic experience. Watch off, immediately.

Verdict: Baby is both a must-watch and a masst-watch. Outstanding cinema.

4 / 5 

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The Crying Need for Subtitles

Being an ardent moviegoer and an individual who understands the language pretty well, one does not realize the true value of subtitles. But then, why do the majority of the lot run to SPI Cinemas Chennai on Thursday to watch Telugu, Hindi or English films? Yes, subtitles (or subs are they are colloquially called) are an important element to make you understand better, more than just comprehending the gist of the film.

With this write-up, I wish to throw some light on the importance of subs in regions outside Tamil Nadu and overseas centers, and also stress on the types of subs and the added reach that they take the film to. Now, put yourselves into the shoes of a viewer who wishes to watch Tamil films on the big screen but does not understand the language. There are a truckload of such people round the globe who want to watch Tamil films, as the changing age in Tamil Cinema does bring up the excitement thanks to the innovative storylines and rich visuals that Kollywood has now started to serve.

But problems begin right from the word go. On one side, there is the problem of the DCPs being dispatched without the subtitle files. On the other, there is the choice between the single sub and dual sub, which is ultimately in the hands of the producer. To add fuel to the fire, there exists cases where the subs are horribly synced, or are lost in translation. Let's dive a little deeper into these issues.

Prints arriving without sub files - This usually happens when the producer is either unaware or unperturbed over the importance of subtitle files in overseas prints. The DCP arrives at the destination without the file, and has to be resent upon personal request. The end result, is the subtitle arriving late or in a worse case where they are hurriedly written with a lot of errors. In such instants, the subtitle is discarded without notice and the film goes onto be screened without the subtitle.

Single sub and dual sub - This is a sad case in world subtitling where all the effort put in by the subtitlist goes in vain and doesn't find its place on the screen. In countries like UAE where Arabic subs are mandatory, the only way for the English subs to appear onscreen are if they come in a dual sub format where subtitles can be projected in two languages, one on top of the other. In case the file is sent in a single sub format, it is directly discarded in order to make place for the Arabic subs. While the dual sub format was employed in UAE for films like 7am Arivu and Lingaa, a majority of the films made it with the Arabic subs alone. It's high time the producers realize the importance of dual subs which will definitely pull in a larger audience who would like to watch the film with its original vocals, rather than a dubbed version.

Lack of synchronization or bad writing – This is a case which is worse than the two mentioned above. In the above cases, someone who is interested can enquire with the theatre on the availability of subs and proceed to buy their ticket. But in this one, the viewer is presented with subtitles which are not perfectly synced to the dialogues onscreen, or are wrongly penned, thereby resulting in a forgettable movie experience.

Other smaller issues – There are a lot of other issues such as the theatres forgetting to screen the subs, incorrect coloring or unreadability. Though these are rare, the occurrence of such problems are nothing less than frustrating.

My fingers aren’t enough to count the number of friends, colleagues and common public who have enquired about the availability of subs for films in the UAE, and returned with a frown. While Hindi films have kept up their promise and continue to add dual subtitles to all their releases, Kollywood is yet to adopt the practice and still has to realize the importance of subtitles to be screened (not only sent) in the overseas shows.

With the rising worry for the unavailability of subs and the inconsistency to release the DVDs and the Blu-Rays just because they will be ripped and uploaded on the net the very next day, where does a non-Tamilian go to watch a film which interests him? The answer lies on the bottom of the screen. Fill that space up. 

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I Movie Review

Shankar is probably the only director in South India who has the talent and the expertise to churn out a perfect mix of story, dialogues, casting and grandeur. But unfortunately, I got only two out of the four from his latest offering – I.

Right from the start, the film rides on the performances of the lead pair – Vikram and Amy Jackson. Be it the localized bodybuilder, the model, the beast or the disfigured Koonan, Vikram has nailed it with a knockout performance which deserves awards. The level of dedication he has put in for I is herculean, and that is evident onscreen as he swoops into the skin of the character he portrays. The scene where he imitates Kamal and the near perfect Madras slang are some highlights of this career defining act. Yet again, Vikram puts his life into a film, only for a director (Shankar out of everybody) to come and topple things. Amy Jackson is perhaps the perfect pick for the role, she looks absolutely stunning and complements Vikram pretty well in terms of her performance. Thankfully, Santhanam’s comics don’t turn out stale, and do evoke laughter at regular intervals. Apart from these, there is not much of praise to gift the cast with.

I promises you of some world class visuals, thanks to the superior cinematography by PC Sreeram. The song and stunt visuals do bowl you over with some spectacular slow-mo shots which are a delight to watch. The veteran has stamped his class with innovative camera placements and must be lauded for showing the disgusting Koonan in the best possible way. Barring the China fight sequence which was an epic fail, all the stunts in the movie are rip roaring, aided well by AR Rahman’s stellar background score. Roping in Hollywood experts for CG and make-up has worked wonders as there not a single blip at any point. At a lengthy 180 odd minutes, I becomes a tad too long at the end and calls for immediate trimming.

Contrary to his entertainers which come hard bound with strong social messages, I is more of a romantic thriller. Stepping into something different, the director has failed to fulfil the towering expectations which rose up thanks to the stalwarts on board. This time, he has to take up most of the blame. With a long list of unnecessary snippets, I begins to crawl towards the end where it gets too predictable and cliché ridden. The poorly sketched villains add fuel to the fire, with the progressions falling flat at vital moments with scope to score. Shankar truly misses the writer in Sujatha and we do too. The overuse of ‘Adhukkum Mela’ says enough about it.

Coming to a conclusion, I has everyone except Shankar and writers Subha doing their job well. But yeah, what’s the point of cheese without the bread?

Verdict: Shankar’s least enjoyable product, still worth a watch for Vikram and the visuals.

3.25 / 5

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Tevar Movie Review

Tevar happens to be the first notable film to hit the screens in 2015. And to be frank, it is not a bad start. Brimming with punchy dialogues, heroism, loud fights and the clichés, the film provides what it promised to.

With the basic story grid taken from Mahesh Babu’s Okkadu (which was also remade in Tamil as Gilli), Tevar tells you the story of Pintu (Arjun Kapoor) and his encounter with Vijender Singh (Manoj Bajpai), who is forcing Radhika (Sonakshi Sinha) into an unwanted marriage. One-liners and stunt sequences galore, Tevar travels on a predictable path which is a squirm-less sitting thanks to its main starcast.

The film seemed like a cakewalk for Arjun Kapoor, who is tailor made for the role of a young lad from Agra. With his kiddish expressions and musings, he does know how to leave the audience asking for more. And it wouldn’t be wrong if I said that this is Sonakshi’s best outlook since Dabangg. Matured and trendy with a lovable charm, she fills up the eye-candy quotient albeit her role being a touch inferior to the others. The show-stealer however, is Manoj Bajpai who tears the screen apart with his menacing performance. See-sawing between fun and fury, the actor fits the bill to perfection, for if Tevar does go onto become a hit, he will be the main reason. Raj Babbar scores where he has to, especially a scene in the pre-climax sequence which surely did excite the audience.

Technically, Tevar has decent cinematography which is appreciable in the songs and stunts. The film would have been a yawnfest if not for the superior stunt choreo, which does up the ante at the right moments. Luck favoured the average songs which received grand picturisation, therefore saving you from the eyesore.

If you walk into Tevar expecting something out of the box, the joke is on you. But if you are looking for entertainment, this might be the go-to. Amit Sharma makes a passable debut, and he must thankful to his cast who have pulled it off with some style, if not much.

Watchable Bollywood masala.

2.5 / 5

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Looking Back at 2014 - Personal Favorites of the Year

2014 has been a decent year for Kollywood, where debutant directors have stepped up and carved a niche for themselves in the industry. Following the yearly practice, I've come up with my list of twenty personal favorites of the year. The films are 'ranked' according to my liking alone, and do not include the Christmas releases as I was not able to watch them.

1) Jigarthanda

High: Simha. Siddharth. Santosh and Subbaraj.

Low: That 'something missing' feeling.

2) Madras

High: Karthi's performance and Santosh's music. Also, Blue Boyz.

Low: Wish the climax had been a subtle one.

3) Goli Soda

High: Gritty, aggressive and real.

Low: Chinna pasangalukku heroism ah?

4) Sathuranka Vettai

High: Vinoth's dialogues, Natty's act.

Low: Melodrama in the second half.

5) Inam

High: A-one technical values.

Low: Yaaro poatta kodu.

6) Thegidi

High: Infusing lovable romance into a crime thriller.

Low: Predictable climax.

7) Arima Nambi

High: Superbly crafted action thriller.

Low: Except the climax.

8) VIP

High: Lovely mix of the 'Dhanush the star' and 'Dhanush the actor'.

Low: Run of the mill plot.

9) Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavanigalum

High: Screenplay. Screenplay. Screenplay.

Low: Deja-vu.

10) Kaththi

High: Nice tightrope walk between being preachy and massy. Also, Jeevanandham's characterisation.

Low: First 40 minutes. Yawn!

11) Vaayai Moodi Pesavum

High: Heights of creativity.

Low: Lil bit of a sloth.

12) Jeeva

High: Vishnu's commendable performance.

Low: Tepid love track.

13) Poriyaalan

High: Interesting twists and turns.

Low: Takes time to take off.

14) Poovarasam Pee Pee

High: The budget.

Low: The budget.

15) Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

High: Lot of heart.

Low: Its a Padmini, it will move slow.

16) Vallinam

High: Believable basketball. And Thaman did a good job.

Low: Heroine and whatever she does.

17) Naan Sigappu Manidhan

High: So bold. So bold.

Low: Goes haywire with the flashback.

18) Mundasupatti

High: Muniskanth.

Low: Lot of people say "perusa onnum illa".

19) Nedunchalai

High: First twenty minutes. Last twenty minutes.

Low: Everything in between.

20) Veeram

High: Exciting mass scenes.

Low: Commercial films have their limits.

Justu Missu - Kochadaiiyaan, Saivam, Ra, Naaigal Jaakiradhai, Kadhai Thiraikadhai Vasanam Iyakkam.

There ends my list for the Top 20 films of the year. If you think that I'm someone who has gone bonkers and would like to debate on this, feel free to catch me on Twitter. Wishing you a Happy New Year :)

Kaaki Sattai (Music)

Kaaki Sattai is the third album for the SnA combo. People expect entertaining songs from this combo, let's see what this one is upto.

Kaaki Sattai: Singer – Vishal Dadlani

Anirudh’s combo with Vishal Dadlani has always rocketed the mercury, and this one is no different. Though the title track isn’t the duo’s best, it does chip in with some much needed excitement to kickstart the album.

Kadhal Kan Kattudhe: Singers – Anirudh, Shaktisree Gopalan ( PICK )

One track where everything falls into place. Shaktisree bowls you over with her vocals, which work in tandem with Anirudh’s effortless rendition. Guitars and accordions come to lovely use here, this track will go on to top the charts. 

The Trooper: Theme Music

A snazzy theme track from the composer. Anirudh brings in the dubstep flavour to this minute-long music bit which will surely set the screen on fire.

Im So Cool: Singers – Anirudh, Sivakarthikeyan ( PICK )

Be it the foot tapping beat, the funky vocals or the catchy tune, Im So Cool is the next craze wave to hit Kollywood. With the flawless sound mixing, Anirudh’s vocals and Sivakarthikeyan’s funny one-liners make this an absolute belter to listen to. 

Kaaki Sattai: Theme Music

Featured in the motion poster, this one is a good go from Anirudh. Put your freaking hands up!

Kattikida: Singer – Anthony Dasan, Manasi, Anita ( PICK )

Being a commercial entertainer, a kuthu track is inevitable and here it is. Anthony Dasan’s lively rendition will keep you hooked to this one, which is otherwise just a passable number.

Shake That: Singer: Singer – Anirudh, Brodha V

Anirudh introduces a new bloke in Brodha V, along with whom he churns out a rip roaring party track. Sure to blast away in all pubs and discotheques, Shake That is a scream. 

Anirudh’s music has evolved over his albums with impressive variety and sound mixing. The composer delivers yet another exciting album for Sivakarthikeyan.

Energetic patrol beats!

3.5 / 5