divyanshprakash Reviews

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024)

Unapologetic and moving

[9/10 · 31 March 2024]

Let me start by saying that the film could have been edited better - it could have been shorter, and have ended on a better note.

That said, the film is unapologetic in its portrayal of historical truths that have been swept under the rug. Examples are

• forgotten martyrs like Madanlal Dhingra
• truth behind Khilafat Movement
• forced conversion in Kalapani
• jailing of Savarkar by Congress in free India
• hypocrisy of Gandhi in sending Indian youth to fight from the British side in World Wars while preaching non violence at home,

and more.

The movie is extremely informative and some of its defeciencies can safely be ignored.

Must watch for patriots from Indian Subcontinent, and history buffs who want to know the past from as many POVs as possible.

Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers (2018)

Poor direction

[3/10 · 29 August 2023]

The film has the director at its center instead of the man it claims to study.

There are long scenes of the director pretending to talk on the phone or text people.

Bob's story is never properly told, and no evidence old or new is provided.

New outlandish claims are made instead, again backed by zero evidence.

Lazar makes sketches of UFOs in the film that are now being sold online.

This film feels less like a documentary and more like an attempt by Knapp and Bob to milk more money out of the Lazar story while involving and promoting a new face (Corbell).

The film has almost no artistic or entertainment value and is hard to sit through.

Kantara (2022)

This will be remembered as the Golden Age of Indian Cinema

[10/10 · 18 October 2022]

Very rarely do films succeed in transporting you so fully and completely into another world.

This film truly feels like a blessing from the gods.

I feel blessed to have seen it.

The film is not perfect, but its flaws are ultimately insignificant in front of its shining radiance.

If Tumbbad and Kantara are any indication of where Indian cinema is heading, then we are all very blessed indeed.

I wish this film reaches to the farthest corners of the world and is seen by as many people around the world as possible.

I can't imagine the kind of effort and dedication that must have been put into this film.

I have no doubt that this will be remembered as either the Golden Age of Indian Cinema or the Great Awakening or something like that.

Hats off to the entire film crew - for making this beautiful, amazing, divine film, and putting your heart and soul into it.

I still have goosebumps, and I will watch the film again and again and again and show it to as many people as I can.

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022)

Gross cultural appropriation

[2/10 · 9 September 2022]

It is clear that the crew (writers/director/actors/etc) is not connected to the source material at all.

When making a film related to Indic/Hindu subject matter, why discriminate against Indian languages? There are so many Indian languages to choose from, yet they chose to write dialogue and songs in Persian and Arabic?

The name of Astras are well known and available in Indian scriptures - a simple google search would tell you their names and qualities. But the writers decided to invent their own names and their own qualities, and stretched it to the point that Astras shown in the film bear no resemblance to the source material.

The story is lacking and drags on for too long.

Nagarjuna has a short, but the most well developed/played role.

Honestly, I felt uncomfortable watching the film because it feels like they discarded thousands of years of Indian civilizational and cultural history, and decided to fabricate their own.

Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)

Why does this film even exist?

[2/10 · 11 August 2022]

Is Bollywood completely out of ideas?

Why was this film made?

Who decided that we need a poorly made version of Forrest Gump set in India?

It is not even try to reimagine things in the new setting - it's just a dull scene by scene remake.

Dull film without a soul.

Hard pass.

Laxmii (2020)

Extremely boring

[1/10 · 11 November 2020]

No substance, only love jihad in the garb of a "story".

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1993)

Brilliant adaptation of the Ramayana

[10/10 · 3 April 2020]

Beautifully designed with moving dialogues. Possibly the best adaptation of Ramayana out there. A must watch for anyone interested in Indian culture and history.