The Kashmir Files

 

Watched Gangubai Kathiawadi today on the big screen. Total waste of time and money. Too much of hamming and unnecessary melodrama. The only thing that captured my interest was the dances and the location they showed. The Kamathipura red light area was beautifully portrayed. I was in that area during one of my walks and it was a close representation. The storyline was not engaging enough and the characters were nearly reduced to caricatures due to the over the top acting. I like Alia Bhatt but here she looked too artificial and forced. Ajay Devgn is good but could not save this film. The lone saving grace was Jim Sarb and the television heart throb Shantanu Maheshwari. They were splendid in their short but important roles. Shantanu is really adorable! The luxury cars looked spectacular and the dances were amazingly picturized.

I have nothing against the real life shero who fought against the oppressors and made life more bearable for the prostitutes and challenged the people who exploited their miseries. She was an iron lady who led by action and was admired by one and all for her guts.

I feel the casting was too far-fetched. Aalia Bhatt did not look convincing enough in this role. The story dragged in many places. Probably an actress who is a bit more mature in this field would have done an outstanding job according to me. It's not just about the age as we have seen Anupam Kher shine the brightest in his role of a grieving father in the movie Saraansh. I am talking about maturity in acting that Aalia Bhatt lacked for this particular role. She is undoubtedly an amazing actress otherwise.

My verdict, please give this one a miss. I regret watching this one. I nearly dozed off three times!

Hridayam

 Hridayam is a romantic musical with a twist. It stars Pranav Mohanlal, Darshana Rajendran and Kalyani Priyadarshan who are the parts of the love triangle. All the three leads have a magnetic screen presence and have played their roles superbly. The story begins in the college years where the lovers meet and break up only to meet once again at a turn in life.

The best part of the movie is that this is not just about romance. This is a movie that is inspirational and make us think about our life goals. It is a slice of life movie where we change along with the growing years. Somethings that fascinate us when we are younger may not hold the same charm for us as years progress and we have new priorities in life. Throughout life there are people and instances that change us for better or worse. Life, after all, is all about the experiences we have and the people who impact us. 

This story takes us back and forth in different time zones to tell us the story of the two friends who met in college and broke up only to get back together under different circumstances later on in life. The two female leads are truly gorgeous and have their own charm. The male lead is adorable and all of them do a fantastic job with their honest portrayals. The Secret Alley has a mystery of its own. It is a room where the college students are allowed to go only after they graduate. I loved that concept!

What can I say about the location and the music! The background score and the songs were melodious and peppy. All of them were beautifully picturized. The locations were breath-takingly beautiful as they usually are in these Malayalam films. It was specially spectacular when they follow Arun Neelakandan (Pranav Mohanlal) when he is on his travels with his camera for company. This is a heart-felt film with some touching moments. The storyline is engaging and it moves at a steady pace. This is a good movie that you cannot miss.