Stories

26 Apr 2022
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Prime Video to Premiere Amazon Original Series ‘Modern Love Mumbai’ Featuring Stories From 6 Phenomenal Indian Creators

April 26, 2022 No Comments

Prime Video announced that Modern Love Mumbai, the first of the three localized Indian versions of the widely acclaimed international series will globally premiere on May 13, 2022 in over 240 countries and territories. Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, the new Amazon Original series will feature 6 heart-warming stories about discovering and exploring love in all its shades and emotions. The Mumbai chapter of the international franchise, inspired by the famous New York Times column, will bring home love this season with soul-stirring and uplifting stories that are rooted in the heart of the city of Mumbai. The anthology includes –

  1. RAAT RANI – directed by Shonali Bose, starring Fatima Sana Shaikh, Bhupendra Jadawat and Dilip Prabhavalkar
  2. BAAI – directed by Hansal Mehta, starring Tanuja, Pratik Gandhi and Ranveer Brar
  3. MUMBAI DRAGON – directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, starring Yeo Yann Yann, Meiyang Chang, Wamiqa Gabbi and Naseeruddin Shah
  4. MY BEAUTIFUL WRINKLES – directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, starring Sarika, Danesh Razvi, Ahsaas Channa and Tanvi Azmi
  5. I LOVE THANE – directed by Dhruv Sehgal, starring Masaba Gupta, Ritwik Bhowmik, Prateik Babbar, Aadar Malik and Dolly Singh
  6. CUTTING CHAI – directed by Nupur Asthana, starring Chitrangda Singh and Arshad Warsi

Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video said, “We are excited to bring forth Modern Love Mumbai, the first of our three local versions of Modern Love, our well acclaimed international franchise. Modern Love Mumbai features a bouquet of six heart-warming, lyrical stories that explore love in its many forms and together all the stories represent a unique love affair with the poly-cultural city of Mumbai. We are certain that these stories will add hope, humour and some sunshine into your lives. We are happy that Modern Love Mumbai further solidifies our long-standing relationship with our producers, Pritish Nandy Communications.”

“We are delighted to partner with Amazon Prime Video once again for a prestigious franchise like Modern Love which already has a massive fan base across the globe. We believe that just like New York, the city of Mumbai also has a mesmerizing charm, which we have explored and captured.” said Pritish Nandy, Producer, Pritish Nandy Communications. He further added, “With the most wonderful cast of masters and contemporary, Indian and international actors and some of the finest directors, writers and music creators that we have today, Modern Love Mumbai beautifully negotiates through the different shades of love that Mumbai, the city of dreams, throws up and celebrates. I am confident that every story in this anthology series will tug at and win the audiences’ hearts. Like they say, love makes the world go round and it’s been our absolute pleasure to partner with Amazon, John Carney and the New York Times in bringing to India these stories of every day love with every day people in a whole new normal kind of celebration.”

26 Apr 2022
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Ritu Soni: I’m so filmy, it hurts !

April 26, 2022 No Comments

My first memorable journey into cinema was watching the film Guide in Southall, London.

The packed cinema came alive as the film started. Big stars shone onto the screen and it had started. In each reel I lost myself.

A five-year-old in a foreign land with a very filmy family descended on the cinema to enjoy memories from home.

When the heroine danced her classical dance, my feet tapped alongside her.

I was too young to understand the story as its plot was quite out of reach for a small child but the songs were hauntingly beautiful.

From there, at the tender age of five, I had begun this journey into that beautiful world of Hindi films and memories of an India I didn’t know.

Poster of Guide

Locally, a cinema opened that saw the need to run a Sunday feast of 2 to 3 films back-to-back.

Samosas in our bags and tea in our flasks we descended on the venue and took our seats to be mesmerised by films like Aradhana and then to cry uncontrollably as the hero died.

Memories of this time flood my mind. And the journey into films continued at home through the vinyl record collections.

Those unknown films came alive through the covers of the records and the songs that played. We then had to wait for the video era to provide us with the next episode of movies memories

The first weekend we hired a video player and watched films back-to-back with crowds of family friends huddled around the ‘magic box’. Then we had our own video player and video hire became big business as did video piracy.

Poster of Aradhana

Soon we were watching films a lot more often and sometimes when the tapes would get stuck, we would untangle the tape and hope and pray it would still play .

From there to ultimate DVD collections and now constant streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to name a few !

Cinemas now show every release. Film festivals growing year on year satisfying our thirst for cinematic experiences. There is nothing we miss but I remember our journey into cinema and it still gives me a buzz and in all those years it hasn’t lessened at all.

I’m so filmy it hurts.

22 Apr 2022
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‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’ is the right slice of goodness

April 22, 2022 No Comments

Age is not a number. It is a word. Four letters full of drivel.

There have been an umpteen number of films milking the “it’s never too late” cash cow of philosophy. Most of them unfolding tales of great comebacks and attainment of glory. In this highway of heroic movies, Kaun Pravin Tambe? takes the cosy by lane. A 134 -minute story of a do-gooder with cricket at the backdrop by serendipity.

I say so because the film, despite of being a cricketer’s biopic doesn’t invoke it’s genre clause. It rather opts for the harder way to uncoil the story; in the absence of a great beyond.

Pravin Tambe’s entire journey has been a late blooming miracle. The film, however, intends to demystify its own premise lore.

Tambe’s middle class perils come forth but not as a curse but a predicament to levitate out of. His destiny is wired with mishaps, leading to awareness and not self-pity. He is the hero of his story and also the jester of the court called the society.

He’ll play with his friend’s son and make the former look like a million bucks; but slice his friend back to size in private. His falls and skylarking don’t make you feel sorry for him but yearn to walk through the screen and align him in the concerned direction.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

This film works as a biopic template of multiple levels.

First, it succeeds in representing empathy, compassion, gender neutrality and the malleable nature of our multilingual, multiracial and diverse social fabric without creating an orchestral brouhaha out of it.

Second, the writing maintains objectivity, understanding the characters world, pretext and equipping it with parallel characters. Those which complement the narrative and push forth the telling without posing like ancillary fillers to hoist Tambe as the phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Third, and by far the most delightful aspect, the film doesn’t get ahead of itself and turn idealistic or morally overbearing.

Precision comes from years of practice. Brilliance is born out of an aptitude moulded out of learnings from personal loss, injustice and dejection.

Kaun Pravin Tambe? does an impeccable job of presenting this concept of ‘fighting the battles’ necessary to hardened oneself for the longest of wars. Micro wars that people fight at the most elite stage of their careers, exhibiting high-functionality and core competence.

Over the horizon of two hours, we witness Pravin branch out from club level medium pacer to IPL clenching spin doctor.

The journey is the payoff. The conclusion, a bonus.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

Kaun Pravin Tambe? could have been a great, probably the best sports film offered by the Hindi film industry but the film has its own share own bugs and clogs.

The BGM is a bummer. They sound like free music temps available on YouTube. The soundtrack is dated and shoddy.

Songs sound like bad covers of tracks for the mid 2000s composed in 90s by some over enthu composer.

Perhaps due to logistical limitations, the whole process behind Tambe’s IPL selection is bypassed as the film rushes to the money moments. And, the shoehorned inclusion, or I should say, the transformation of Parambrata’s character Sanyal into an antagonist born out of envy. A weird cross between Boria Majumdar and Sanjay Manjrekar.

The film already had enough meat to be played around. Parambrata’s character could’ve been author backed better. That’s where the film serves its “Bollywood roots” and finds its aberrations.

But that doesn’t hold back Kaun Pravin Tambe? from being a good watch.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

With Shreyas Talpade and Ashish Vidyarthi’s firmly gripped performances and equal adages from the parallel characters, this film grows on to become a sleeper hit quite alike Pravin Tambe’s life story.

A screen representation that works as a spiritual sendoff to Talpade’s character Iqbal. The same Shreyas Talpade, who alike Pravin Tambe, has been adamantly successful in his kind of work. And visibly satisfied. For its not always about attaining glory but coming to truce with the flaming passion within.

Not everybody wants to be the king of the mountain. Some just want to soak in the sunrise around it.

Pravin Tambe’s inspirational and culture disrupting career will go into the books, not only as a miracle but as the gold standard of fortitude and perseverance in sports. A legendary career that, thankfully, gets creative justice.

In the current climate of manufactured hate, distasteful lows of discourse, virtue signalling and bigotry, Kaun Pravin Tambe? is the right slice of goodness to gravitate us back to our collective spirit.

It loops us back to a time and world that resonates more, for we relate more. Takes us back to a fine time when data, algorithms, views and numbers didn’t matter. And age wasn’t yet a scare.

‘Cuz age was never a number. It was a word. Four letters full of drivel.

Kaun Pravin Tambe? is streaming on DisneyPlus Hotstar.

01 Apr 2022
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‘Attack’ explores a refreshing concept that’s imaginative and exciting… for the most part

April 1, 2022 No Comments

How often do you watch a commercial Bollywood film and feel it’s genuinely different or noteworthy?

Attack falls in this bucket for exploring a refreshing concept that’s imaginative and exciting… for the most part.

The film centres around a terrorist attack on the Parliament of India and the rescue mission single-handedly managed by a “Super Soldier” Arjun Shergill (John Abraham). However, it doesn’t rely on the typical macho Bollywood hero to save the day.

Here, the hero is supported by an advanced artificially intelligent (AI) chip implanted in his body, called IRA, to give him the mental and physical strength to fight against all odds.

This is where Attack distinguishes itself from the run-of-the-mill action thrillers and sci-fi films. It brilliantly integrates the function of technology in 2022 and its potential purpose in the combat.

Abraham plays a strong and determined soldier whose suffering from the loss of his partner, Ayesha (Jacqueline Fernandez) in a terrorist attack, and coping with his disability that has paralyzed him permanently.

His situation makes him the perfect candidate to test the limitations and development of this AI technology invented by Dr. Sabaha Qureshi (Rakul Preet Singh).

Image from Attack

While the concept and premise are inspired and exceptionally executed with sharp VFX, the story went nowhere with it – which is also the biggest drawback of the film.

It lacks conviction to establish that such an event can occur in the capital of India, and that too at the Parliament (although it did happen 2001).

On one hand, the film fiercely celebrates the use of AI to fight crime, but on the other it conveniently ignores the same technology and security that could be protecting the Parliament in the same period.

… THE IRONY!

Moreover, the film constantly undermines its own characters especially the military forces and intelligence officers are who seemingly as gullible as a toddler.

Writers Lakshya Raj Anand, Sumit Batheja and Vishal Kapoor overlook the necessity of building the arcs of supporting characters in an attempt to hype the protagonist alone.

Chief officer V.K. Subramaniam (Prakash Raj) and the acting Prime Minister played by Rajit Kapoor offer solutions to resolve the matter and settle with the terrorists – all their conversations are not only laughable but test the intelligence and patience of the viewers as well.

Perhaps this was an attempt to mock how politicians really behave in crisis, but it certainly did not work in a slick film resting on such a clever subject.  

Image from Attack

Speaking of which, crafty cinematography by Will Humphris, P.S. Vinod and Soumik Mukherjee along with pumping music by Shashwat Sachdev are top-notch. The action sequences, though jarringly lengthy, are a treat for sci-fi and gamers with stylish visual effects, 360-degree camera-work, and electrifying music.

Final Verdict:

Attack wins on a fresh concept and exciting execution, but unfortunately falters in the second-half due to poor direction and hare-brained story. It does have a great potential for an entertaining franchise though!

Popcorn Rating –  [3/5]

Attack releases in cinemas worldwide on 1st April 2022.

03 Mar 2022
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ZEE5 Global announces Zindagi’s next original drama ‘Mrs. & Mr. Shameem’

March 3, 2022 No Comments

Having delighted audiences with critically acclaimed and path-breaking originals such as Churails, Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, Dhoop Ki Deewar, among others, ZEE5 Global has announced its next Zindagi original titled Mrs. & Mr. Shameem. The 20-episode series features popular actors Saba Qamar, of Hindi Medium fame and Nauman Ijaz, and is set to premiere on ZEE5 Global on March 11, 2022.

Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is directed by Kashif Nisar, who is known for his work on series like Dumpukht – Aatish E Ishq, and O Rangreza while the show is penned by Sajjad Gul (Saji) a contemporary play writer who is also known for touching upon social issues and psychological traits through his stories.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said, “Our audiences across the globe are always eager to discover all the contemporary stories that are coming out of South Asia. We are happy to now expand our rich content library with the upcoming Mrs. & Mr. Shameem, a story of two people and their unique love story.”

Speaking about her experience playing Umaina, Saba Qamar shares, “Umaina is fearless, strong and is not afraid to express herself. She is a true wild child. Playing this role was very exciting and challenging at the same time as it is very different from the roles I have played earlier. I think it’s time men and women are given the freedom to choose their path and not be restricted to play by the rules. Mrs. & Mr. Shameem demonstrates this perfectly.”

Talking about the show and his character Shameem, Nauman Ijaz shares, “Shameem is not like the usual hero you get to see in series and films. He is a soft-hearted, caring man. He redefines the portrayal of how an ideal man or man of the house typically should be. Throughout the show, you’ll see him practise respect, love and concern for his family and friends but unfortunately he is made fun of for being ‘effeminate’. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing this character, and I’m looking forward to the release of the show.”

A Zindagi original, Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is a distinctive love story of a pure bond graduating from friendship to growing old together and everything in between. 

Watch the official Mrs. & Mr. Shameem trailer here:

28 Feb 2022
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Trailer Launch – ‘Sutliyan’ is a slice of life family drama

February 28, 2022 No Comments

ZEE5 Global has launched many flagship original series which went on to become popular and iconic – such as Abhay, Rangbaaz, Sunflower, among others. Next up is original series, Sutliyan, a family drama starring Ayesha Raza, Shiv Pandit, Vivaan Shah and Plabita Borthakur which is set to premiere on the platform on 4th March.

A ZEE5 Global Original series, produced by Manor Rama Pictures, Sutliyan is a heartwarming story of a family where the adult children return to their family home in Bhopal, the city where they grew up, weeks before Diwali. As they meet after years, trying to come to terms with situations, they are burdened with emotional baggage from the past and unresolved conflicts as they undergo the challenging, yet necessary journey of emotional and spiritual cleansing.

Ayesha Raza shared, “Sutliyan was definitely one of my special projects as it gave me three beautiful children for the rest of my life. We had a lot of fun shooting for this series and I am sure that people will connect to our characters and feel the bond that we shared off-screen and  on-screen”.

Shiv Pandit shared, “Sutliyan is the perfect mix of meaningful & entertaining content. The show has the perfect dose of fun, banter, family values, emotions, drama and most importantly, it is an extremely positive show. We had a blast shooting for the series, and we hope that the viewers feel like a part of our Sutliyan family after witnessing our bonding on-screen”.

Plabita Borthakur shared, “Sutliyan will ignite that warm, fuzzy feeling in the viewers and hopefully, bring them closer to their loved ones. It is the perfect family drama which one must watch with their family. The show also talks about some real issues which we need to address together as a society, and I am glad that I got to front these conversations via my character”.

Vivaan Shah shared, “Sutliyan would not have been the same without the love and support from Ayesha Ji, Shiv and Plabita. These reel characters became my real family as we were shooting in Bhopal in the midst of covid and lockdown and I am glad that I got the opportunity to be a part of something so relevant. The show talks about the importance of family and I could not have been happier to be a part of something so emotional and fulfilling”.

Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com
.Watch Sutliyan exclusively on ZEE5 from 4th March

Watch the official Sutliyan trailer here:

28 Feb 2022
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‘Jalsa’ -Prime Video Announces the World Premiere of the Much-Awaited Drama Thriller

February 28, 2022 No Comments

Prime Video today announced the global premiere of the much-awaited drama thriller Jalsa. Directed by Suresh Triveni, Jalsa is jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar (T-Series), Vikram Malhotra & Shikhaa Sharma (Abundantia Entertainment) and Suresh Triveni. The film features a stellar ensemble of actors like Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Shafeen Patel, and Surya Kasibhatla. Suresh Triveni has earlier collaborated with Vidya Balan for the critically acclaimed Tumhari Sulu, and the duo is now coming together for the second feature. It also marks the third collaboration between Prime Video and Vidya Balan. Jalsa is the next step in the long-standing association between Prime Video and Abundantia Entertainment, following a celebrated content slate that includes Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii, Ram Setu, and the hugely popular Amazon Original series Breathe. Jalsa will have a global premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 18 March in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide.

“At Prime Video, when selecting stories, we look for authenticity and freshness.  Stories that are nuanced and beyond conventional storytelling are finding viewership world wide. In a fine blend of drama and thrill, Jalsa offers a truly differentiated story, made better by performances from a brilliant cast,” said Manish Menghani, Head, Content Licensing, Amazon Prime Video. “Jalsa marks another milestone in our long-running, successful collaboration with Abundantia Entertainment with titles like Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii and many more. We are delighted to play home to another one of Vidya’s stellar performances, that audiences are sure to love”

“Impactful storytelling blended with engaging entertainment is at the core of what we do at Abundantia Entertainment”, Vikram Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment said. “Featuring two of the finest actors of our times, Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah, Suresh has woven Jalsa into a brilliant narrative of complex emotions, well-etched characters and a gripping pace. I am also excited to extend our successful partnership with Prime Video after Shakuntala Devi, Sherni and Chhorii and look forward to the global premiere of Jalsa across 240 countries and territories across the world.”

“Jalsa is one of the most gripping and entertaining films that we’ve been a part of at T-series and I am thrilled that it is with one of our most trusted partners, Abundantia Entertainment.” Bhushan Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director – T-Series added, “We have had an extremely successful collaboration in the past with films like Airlift, Sherni and Chhorii and I look forward to recreating the same magic with Jalsa. I am excited for the film to premiere on Amazon Prime Video as it will allow the film to get a truly global audience as it rightfully deserves.”

Jalsa is a highly engaging and captivating tale of conflict, as shown through the life of a top-line journalist and her cook. Replete with spellbinding performances and a nerve-wracking storyline, Jalsa promises to keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you intrigued for more.

28 Feb 2022
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‘Love Hostel’ – It’s a slickly directed nihilistic gore-fest amounting to much of nothing

February 28, 2022 No Comments

A couple is on the run.

The man is from a Muslim background, has a dark past and is stuck making deliveries for a gangster. The girl comes from an affluent Hindu family. Her grandmother is also an MLA. The marriage won’t be accepted by the woman’s family, so the couple decides to run away after applying for registration of their marriage in court. They go to one of the numerous police-protected safe houses, affectionately called “love hostels,” where runaway couples are given sanctuary.

However, unbeknownst to our protagonists, the grandmother has hired an assassin to drag this runaway couple home, or kill them, whichever works.

As a premise and as a milieu-specific genre exercise, Love Hostel shouldn’t be anything less than a thrill ride. This is a special form of delectable dish made specifically for me.

A mix of neo-western and noir takes place in the Indian heartland. But where Love Hostel fails almost spectacularly is in not having much of anything to say.

Films dealing with honour killings, religious and caste differences need a form of sensitivity or nuance to at least cater to a discussion. In a post-Sairat world, it is almost impossible to even assume that there wouldn’t be a discussion about both sides of the equation in a far deeper and more nuanced manner.

However, the film sidesteps all of that, choosing to craft a story and just take the premise of honour killings and inter-faith issues as a premise to cast a gory and bloodthirsty western.

The “hero” of the film is Bobby Deol, and the film knows it. It revels in it.

Deol’s Dagar is like the Terminator, a no-nonsense flat-voiced hitman whose personal bigotry becomes “social services.” It is his job to kill these runaways as a moral obligation. These forms of revelation are terrifying and the decent aspect of the movie is also the lack of exposition.

Image from Love Hostel

Snippets of conversation between the couples reveal who they are piece by piece. Jyoti Dilawar (Sanya Malhotra) is an extrovert – the type of person who will not back down from a fight but is also optimistic about the future. Ashu Shokeen (Vikrant Massey) on the other hand, is cynical, apologetic, always on guard and yet soft enough to glimpse the boy yearning for love. The character traits revealed here are refreshing and the film’s running time of 100 minutes makes it feel even brisker than it already is.

The flip-flopping of tonality is what would cause whiplash and disconnect with the audience.

The violence is gore-heavy, almost signifying a horror bent. It makes sense because Dagar’s character showcases an almost skewed view of the world, the imbalance of evil over good. But the violence is also accompanied by moments that might reveal a form of dark comedy, but due to the rapid editing, it shows desensitizing of the violence.

Dagar’s backstory and the interconnected nature of these entire proceedings felt like the screenplay trying to comment on the cyclical or random nature of the violence, but it felt lazy. There are odd moments here where symbolism, having a homosexual couple or a peacock on a crane shows a movie bursting with ideas trying to break its seams, but it is constrained due to being a thriller for 90 minutes.

The biggest issue with the movie is that with all of the violence, gore, the interfaith marriage issue, and honour killings, Love Hostel doesn’t have much, if anything, to say.

Image from Love Hostel

Even the nihilism towards the end feels unearned and uninspired. This might be the only way the story could have ended, but in no way was it satisfying or profound. A lot of sound, fury, gunfire, bullets, Bobby Deol’s handsome chiselled face evoking a zealot in the finest role of his career, the cinematography highlighting the dark corridors of the government safe houses, a dog again showing off the kindness present in the deepest darkest corners of psychopaths – it’s a lot, but it doesn’t signify anything.

And that is the disappointing part.

Popcorn Rating –  [2.5/5]

Love Hostel is streaming on ZEE5 Global.

Watch an exclusive chat with Bobby Deol about Love Hostel & more here:

NOTE: THE VIEWS AND OPINION EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Edited by Nidhi Sahani

25 Feb 2022
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‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is a cinematic painting. It’s not a flawless film, but its worth a watch

February 25, 2022 No Comments

When the teaser of Gangubai Kathiawadi first dropped almost two years ago, we all had our doubts – will Alia Bhatt do justice to a character so mature and powerful? Is the film going to be a biopic? Is it about prostitution in mid 90’s, an empowered woman’s journey or is it another Sanjay Leela Bhansali musical?

Thankfully the wait is over, but was it worth it?

Image from Gangubai Kathiawadi

Gangubai Kathiawadi follows the life of Ganga Harjivandas (Alia Bhatt), an unsuspecting young girl who arrives in Mumbai with dreams of becoming a movie star, only to be sold into prostitution by her suitor.

The film is based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai which captures the life of Gangubai – her struggles, her strength, her willpower to fight against patriarchy and for equality for sex worker in the 60’s.

In the motion picture we see the journey of a girl Ganga of Kathiawadi becoming Gangubai Kothewali, the Mafia Queen of Mumbai and the powerful madam of the brothel in Kamathipura.

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali uses his signature style to present a visually stunning masterpiece by creating mesmerizing frames showcasing the city and his heroine. Cinematographer Sudip Chatterjee deserves credit for bringing a time in history to life.

Bhansali’s vision for Gangubai Kathiawadi is evident from a creative and inspirational standpoint, but it’s the narrative that fails to impress.

The film plays out like chapters from a book, highlighting different stages in the life of the protagonist mostly disconnected from one another. Unfortunately, the storytelling falters in most of its runtime as it plods from one issue to the next, constantly spotlighting Gangubai’s battles without allowing the viewer to feel any of the emotions.

The verbose dialogues, though poetic and stimulating, are ineffective owing to the lack of a crisper screenplay and perhaps a more impactful set up.

Image from Gangubai Kathiawadi

I have to admit, I didn’t know anything about the real Gangubai until this film. I’m not sure if she was an introvert, soft-spoken and reserved or was she animated, sociable, or boisterous?

And that’s where Bhatt’s performance becomes a talking point.

The actress has made a sincere attempt to immerse completely into the character – and a very challenging one, might I add. She shines in every frame.

Her efforts are visible and deserve praise for raising the bar as well as experimenting with her craft. However, in this case, something doesn’t feel organic about her portrayal.

To put it simply, it’s the opposite of being able to separate the actor from the character.

Speaking of the supporting cast, Indira Tiwari as Kamli does a stellar job of playing a sex-worker hopeful for a brighter future and confidant to Gangubai. Their friendship is heartwarming.

Vijay Raaz as a fierce Raziabai is brilliant and unforgettable, even in the limited screen-time he gets.

And Shantanu Maheshwari gives a charming performance of a man in awe of Gangubai.

The moments shared between them are mostly spent in silence, along with background music to portray their moods, which speak volumes about their chemistry and relationship. Watch out for the long one-take shot they share in a car ride… and Bhatt’s splendid performance feeling a rollercoaster of emotions within seconds. It’s remarkable!!

Image from Gangubai Kathiawadi

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a film that lives in those delicate moments. Whether it’s the moment when Ganga transforms into Gangubai, fights back after a brutal attack, loses her love, wins the election or gives an empowering speech.

I only wish those moments were written seamlessly into the screenplay to justify the character’s evolution and conviction.

The drawback is in the technicalities, which are far superior than the narrative and the subject.

Popcorn Rating –  [3/5]

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a cinematic painting chronicling the life of a fierce woman who dared to fight and change the system. It could’ve been a grander experience with a tighter script.

Is it a flawless film? – No. Is it worth watching? – YES… for Alia Bhatt!

Gangubai Kathiawadia releases in cinemas worldwide on 25 February 2022. 

Watch an exclusive interview with Dr. Jayantilal Gada - Co-Producer of Gangubai Kathiawadi, and the Chairman & Managing Director of PEN India Ltd: