Good lead cast, but the story became unbelievable very quickly. The final twist made no sense: there are story lines that are impractical but plausible, and then there is this nonsense.unanswered questions and large plot holes. Very underwhelming finished product given the star cast. Farhan and manav kaul acted well, Amitabh was over the top in this role, and Aditi Rao Hydari could have been replaced by a mannequin to deliver more or less the same results. Seema Pahwa is a treat to watch normally, but played too minor a role (an unwitting bumpkin) to shine through.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Highway
(I) (2014)
One of the best that Bollywood has to offer.
22 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Highway is a movie unlike any other Bollywood movie. An ultra-rich Delhi girl (Alia Bhatt) is preparing for her wedding, and gets kidnapped in a freakish accident, by some contract criminals. They did not intend to kidnap her, she just happened to be there. One of their leaders Mahabir (Randeep Hooda) carries deep bitterness in his heart towards the wealthy, and wants to deliver this goal to a brothel somewhere far away. He is angry and harsh always, and sets off with his 'cargo' and a few other goons on a journey across northern Indian highways. But they keep away from major cities, and spend time in dusty forgotten rural villages.
Over time, Veera accepts her fate, and shares something deeply personal with Mahabir. You realize as a viewer that both of them, for very different reasons, have lived their lives as tormented souls, and have deep traumas and regrets dating back to their childhoods. As the journey to the unknown brothel town continues, they form an unlikely friendship, and there are moving scenes where each let down their guard, and you want to weep for their lost childhoods.
Eventually, the brothel plan is abandoned, and not knowing how to conclude this journey, they become friends living weird childhood fantasies in a remote foothill of the Himalayas, in the north east. You know though that this Utopia is short lived, and you can sense impending doom. And it inevitable collapses, leaving you feeling sad. The story ends on a somewhat hopeful note, but you will realize as you switch the TV off, that there is a bitter taste in your mouth: you can blame some obvious villains but you will realize that is not the point of the story, the point of the story is the empty facade of the rich that shackles some unlikely prisoners, and the very real horrors of the poor, and why both can never be at peace with themselves.
The story was tight, with much needed comic relief in some moments and multiple emotions conveyed deftly in well written scenes. Several subtle scenes invite you to peel back the layers and understand characters' emotions - and question society, their sanity and even your own, in a few moments. The acting was beyond excellence, and Alia Bhatt is in a league of her own. Even Randeep portrayed a troubled man very well: you shrivel in disgust at the beginning, feeling fear and dread for the thug Mahabir Bhaati, but you turn to embrace him at the end for all that he has been through. There are moments in him when you see the human shine through, and that warms your heart like no other feeling.
Please watch this movie - it is one of the best that Indian cinema has to offer.
Over time, Veera accepts her fate, and shares something deeply personal with Mahabir. You realize as a viewer that both of them, for very different reasons, have lived their lives as tormented souls, and have deep traumas and regrets dating back to their childhoods. As the journey to the unknown brothel town continues, they form an unlikely friendship, and there are moving scenes where each let down their guard, and you want to weep for their lost childhoods.
Eventually, the brothel plan is abandoned, and not knowing how to conclude this journey, they become friends living weird childhood fantasies in a remote foothill of the Himalayas, in the north east. You know though that this Utopia is short lived, and you can sense impending doom. And it inevitable collapses, leaving you feeling sad. The story ends on a somewhat hopeful note, but you will realize as you switch the TV off, that there is a bitter taste in your mouth: you can blame some obvious villains but you will realize that is not the point of the story, the point of the story is the empty facade of the rich that shackles some unlikely prisoners, and the very real horrors of the poor, and why both can never be at peace with themselves.
The story was tight, with much needed comic relief in some moments and multiple emotions conveyed deftly in well written scenes. Several subtle scenes invite you to peel back the layers and understand characters' emotions - and question society, their sanity and even your own, in a few moments. The acting was beyond excellence, and Alia Bhatt is in a league of her own. Even Randeep portrayed a troubled man very well: you shrivel in disgust at the beginning, feeling fear and dread for the thug Mahabir Bhaati, but you turn to embrace him at the end for all that he has been through. There are moments in him when you see the human shine through, and that warms your heart like no other feeling.
Please watch this movie - it is one of the best that Indian cinema has to offer.
Karwaan
(2018)
Meaningless after a great start and premise
22 October 2018
The movie starts off well with fresh characters and a unique premise, but the story has many critical failings:
1. The premise of the 'road trip' becomes very unbelievable after a while. In an effort to stretch the story into a 2 hour movie, the road trip takes you through meaningless episodes, characters who serve no purpose, etc.
2. The age-old 'photography' vs 'software engineering' topic that supposedly is the reason why Dulqer Salman's character is an introverted and melancholy protagonist with bottled up angst towards his father - seems oversimplified and highly cliched. "I want to do photography for a career" and "I want you to do Software engineering" is how a 9th standard kid would think about following one's passion vs career stability. This is simply outdated and not applicable in the landscape of modern India.
3. Mithila Palkar does not act well in this role , and what's worse - her character seems lazily written, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. How anyone can stand that girl for more than a few minutes is beyond comprehension. As a viewer, you simply cannot empathize with someone like that.
All in all, this movie would get a < 4.0 rating if Irrfan Khan wasn't in it. He is as usual great, but one really wonders how he picks his movies these days. He is simply wasted in this role and needs to be more frugal with his time and movie selection.
All in all, this movie would get a < 4.0 rating if Irrfan Khan wasn't in it. He is as usual great, but one really wonders how he picks his movies these days. He is simply wasted in this role and needs to be more frugal with his time and movie selection.
Andhadhun
(2018)
Wasted potential
15 October 2018
The first hour of Andhadhun is absolute magic. The setting, the main characters, the acting and the unique storyline make you think you are watching a Bollywood masterpiece. Ayushmann is lovable as the cheerful blind musician, and Radhika Apte is convincing as usual. Tabu and other characters play their parts well, and the story is very engrossing.
However, the second half of the movie completely squanders the set up. An interesting story line completely devolves into several incredulous double crossings, needless plot points and characters, and an end that does not tie up all the loose ends: you will walk out feeling disappointed.
Also - I was surprised to learn Amit Trivedi composed music for this film: overall background scores and music in general seemed very forgettable and average. A rare failure for him, I think.
However, the second half of the movie completely squanders the set up. An interesting story line completely devolves into several incredulous double crossings, needless plot points and characters, and an end that does not tie up all the loose ends: you will walk out feeling disappointed.
Also - I was surprised to learn Amit Trivedi composed music for this film: overall background scores and music in general seemed very forgettable and average. A rare failure for him, I think.
Husband Material
(2018)
gripping and enjoyable
18 September 2018
There is a melancholy song at the beginning of the movie, that ponders the very nature of love: and states that our old definitions of love need to be updated with changing times, much like obsolete versions of software. This song and this particular point sets the stage for a very enjoyable movie: an 'updated version' of a very commonplace plot - a love triangle. The story isn't unlike Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam at the heart of it. But, it is to that movie what Dev D was to Devdas - a grittier retake grounded in the realities of 2018. Anurag Kashyap is a master at this genre, and this movie is no different.
Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal both deserve awards for exceptional acting: they deliver very admirable performances. Abhishek Bachchan is best utilized in roles that underplay emotion, and he delivers a good subtle performance too. The other actors are all strong, and the story is held together by tight editing - not a minute is wasted in needless song and dance sequences, or in scenes that add no value (e.g. - no lengthy wedding sequences, no highly dramatic sequences that do not serve to advance the plot, etc.). But most of all, the movie leaves you with a larger than life effect due to the music and background scores. Amit Trivedi is becoming to Anurag Kashyap was A.R. Rahman was to Mani Ratnam in the 90s, with gripping music in Manmarziyan that keeps viewers engaged through both dramatic and subtle scenes.
The story itself is extremely simple: Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) is a free-spirited woman who feels stifled growing up with her aunt, uncle and cousins amidst middle-class Amritsar. She is in a passionate but deeply dysfunctional relationship with her first love - a footloose charmer named 'DJ Sandzz' (Vicky Kaushal). DJ Sandzz is proud of his lovemaking ability, his career as a DJ (he is always one track away from stardom) and his fierce love for Rumi. Their relationship is a whirlwind of toxicity and mutual destruction, and forms the core of the story. Abhishek Bachchan ends up marrying Rumi though through an intricate web of arranged marriage facilitators, and though his character's motivations are never completely clear through the movie, it becomes evident that he loves Rumi too. How this mess is dealt with, forms the second half of the movie.
I loved it and highly recommend it for the insightful anatomy of a dysfunctional relationship, the music, and the acting.
Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal both deserve awards for exceptional acting: they deliver very admirable performances. Abhishek Bachchan is best utilized in roles that underplay emotion, and he delivers a good subtle performance too. The other actors are all strong, and the story is held together by tight editing - not a minute is wasted in needless song and dance sequences, or in scenes that add no value (e.g. - no lengthy wedding sequences, no highly dramatic sequences that do not serve to advance the plot, etc.). But most of all, the movie leaves you with a larger than life effect due to the music and background scores. Amit Trivedi is becoming to Anurag Kashyap was A.R. Rahman was to Mani Ratnam in the 90s, with gripping music in Manmarziyan that keeps viewers engaged through both dramatic and subtle scenes.
The story itself is extremely simple: Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) is a free-spirited woman who feels stifled growing up with her aunt, uncle and cousins amidst middle-class Amritsar. She is in a passionate but deeply dysfunctional relationship with her first love - a footloose charmer named 'DJ Sandzz' (Vicky Kaushal). DJ Sandzz is proud of his lovemaking ability, his career as a DJ (he is always one track away from stardom) and his fierce love for Rumi. Their relationship is a whirlwind of toxicity and mutual destruction, and forms the core of the story. Abhishek Bachchan ends up marrying Rumi though through an intricate web of arranged marriage facilitators, and though his character's motivations are never completely clear through the movie, it becomes evident that he loves Rumi too. How this mess is dealt with, forms the second half of the movie.
I loved it and highly recommend it for the insightful anatomy of a dysfunctional relationship, the music, and the acting.
BlacKkKlansman
(2018)
A very forgettable affair
19 August 2018
Someday, there will be a great movie made about this unbelievably true story. Unfortunately, this isn't that movie. Curiosity about this little known but interesting tale, and the relevance of the story to the times we live in, will bring the crowds in to watch the film. But other than these, the movie doesn't have much going for it. The screenplay, acting and direction were very average, and it is very likely that if this movie were made in more 'normal' times, the whole affair would be very forgettable.
Some positives were: I thought John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) and Adam Driver (Phil Zimmerman, aka white Ron Stallworth) acted well, and displayed good acting chemistry between them. The nightclub sequence with the dance played out well, and conveyed the racially charged yet simpler times of the 70s quite well. Topher Grace (David Duke) played the role well - his sophistication and polished language a sharp contrast to the rest of the simple and menial fools that make up the KKK in this film.
Other than these, the rest of the characters were pretty forgettable. The KKK and its member-characters do not deserve to be portrayed as more than one-dimensional shallow hicks in even the most thoughtful movie, and so that was fine. But somehow, they did not really convey the sense of dread and disgust they were supposed to, and came across more like villains more appropriate for a Dumb and Dumber than a film centered on a detestable sentiment like white supremacy. Secondly, the rest of the cast just seem like caricatures through the film, due to lazy writing that never really explores any possibilities with them. For instance, the wife of one of the clan members, Patrice (black student union president, and John's love interest through the film) and racist cops at the station - there were opportunities to make these characters more life-like and believable, but the movie squanders these roles. It also did not help that aside from Patrice, most of the smaller characters did not act well (especially the clan guys and said wife of one of the members).
The build-up and climax were disappointing, and while the movie invested a lot in building up towards the final scenes, the way it all winds down is pretty anti-climactic and incomplete. Again, lazy writing? Or was poetic justice not the point of the film (but then, what was?) Lastly, it was disappointing to hear references to current times (e.g. David Duke saying 'it is time to really Make America Great Again' on the phone, references to how America while never elect a racist to the White House, etc.) as these seem like little more than cheap tricks in the overall scheme of things. And it was a bit of a cop out to end the film with footage from Charlottesville: Were we expected to indulge in a goofy story that never really did justice to the gravity of the topic at hand, and then suddenly flip to more serious emotions at the end when confronted with the truth? The movie, if done well, could have stood on its own, without requiring these gimmicks.
Some positives were: I thought John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) and Adam Driver (Phil Zimmerman, aka white Ron Stallworth) acted well, and displayed good acting chemistry between them. The nightclub sequence with the dance played out well, and conveyed the racially charged yet simpler times of the 70s quite well. Topher Grace (David Duke) played the role well - his sophistication and polished language a sharp contrast to the rest of the simple and menial fools that make up the KKK in this film.
Other than these, the rest of the characters were pretty forgettable. The KKK and its member-characters do not deserve to be portrayed as more than one-dimensional shallow hicks in even the most thoughtful movie, and so that was fine. But somehow, they did not really convey the sense of dread and disgust they were supposed to, and came across more like villains more appropriate for a Dumb and Dumber than a film centered on a detestable sentiment like white supremacy. Secondly, the rest of the cast just seem like caricatures through the film, due to lazy writing that never really explores any possibilities with them. For instance, the wife of one of the clan members, Patrice (black student union president, and John's love interest through the film) and racist cops at the station - there were opportunities to make these characters more life-like and believable, but the movie squanders these roles. It also did not help that aside from Patrice, most of the smaller characters did not act well (especially the clan guys and said wife of one of the members).
The build-up and climax were disappointing, and while the movie invested a lot in building up towards the final scenes, the way it all winds down is pretty anti-climactic and incomplete. Again, lazy writing? Or was poetic justice not the point of the film (but then, what was?) Lastly, it was disappointing to hear references to current times (e.g. David Duke saying 'it is time to really Make America Great Again' on the phone, references to how America while never elect a racist to the White House, etc.) as these seem like little more than cheap tricks in the overall scheme of things. And it was a bit of a cop out to end the film with footage from Charlottesville: Were we expected to indulge in a goofy story that never really did justice to the gravity of the topic at hand, and then suddenly flip to more serious emotions at the end when confronted with the truth? The movie, if done well, could have stood on its own, without requiring these gimmicks.
Raazi
(2018)
A tight no-nonsense thriller with excellent acting
22 May 2018
Raazi does what very few Bollywood movies do right. It pulls off a tight script with good acting, and a realistic believable storyline that leaves you on the edge of your seat for two hours. The film also manages to maintain a tight pace while building up towards an impactful climax. In particular, I think three things made it unforgettable:
Firstly, the acting was on point, and made the movie what it turned out to be. Alia Bhatt is turning out to be an absolute genius, and has come a long way from her 'student of the year' days. There are very few in her peer-group that can do justice to these kinds of roles. Vicky Kaushal was good as the beguiled husband, and his restrained yet emotional male character (supporting a powerful female lead) is a Bollywood rarity, and was thoroughly enjoyable. The others are on point too, with minor actors like Jaideep Ahlawat and Rajit Kapoor delivering strong performances.
Secondly, the movie turned out to be tight and on point, with no melodramatic displays of emotion or sappy songs. The good old premises of a bride departing to her husband's household for (presumably) good, the arranged marriage with a virtually unknown man, and eventual marriage consummation were all present, in theory. These are all typically perfect opportunities to inject unnecessary bridal parting songs, lengthy wedding song and dance sequences (boy's side, girl's side, etc.) and the worst of all - a song balancing sleaze with "Indian culture" (read: censor board mandated restraint) that plays when the marriage is consummated (this is typically a couple kissing and rolling around in a bed, carefully clothing their privates with velvet or satin sheets). But Raazi eliminates all of this fluff and more, leaving you wishing more movies would do away with the crap in favor of keeping the pace of the plot.
Lastly, and most importantly, Raazi does justice to the complexity of the India-Pakistan conflict. The countries have a shared history which makes the war painfully more unique (e.g. Abdul, the oldest and most faithful caretaker in the Pakistani household is of Indian origin). The movie takes no sides, and shows you that humanity and ruthlessness exist on both sides. This is a significant departure from the patriotic films of yesteryear - we are habituated to seeing a good vs evil theme, and having Pakistanis depicted as soulless warmongers. And so, you are simply not prepared to empathize with Iqbal's (Vicky Kaushal's) gentle persona, and when you do, it his vulnerable humanity hits you like a truck. Conversely, the hardened Indian intelligence agent Mir is many things during the movie, but 'human' he is not.
I walked away from the theater understanding better the nature of such wars, and that the real conflict is not over Kashmir, or between two sides, or between ideologies. The real conflict is always fought within the human heart: between the ruthless imperatives of duty, and the very human urges of gentleness, mercy and love.
Firstly, the acting was on point, and made the movie what it turned out to be. Alia Bhatt is turning out to be an absolute genius, and has come a long way from her 'student of the year' days. There are very few in her peer-group that can do justice to these kinds of roles. Vicky Kaushal was good as the beguiled husband, and his restrained yet emotional male character (supporting a powerful female lead) is a Bollywood rarity, and was thoroughly enjoyable. The others are on point too, with minor actors like Jaideep Ahlawat and Rajit Kapoor delivering strong performances.
Secondly, the movie turned out to be tight and on point, with no melodramatic displays of emotion or sappy songs. The good old premises of a bride departing to her husband's household for (presumably) good, the arranged marriage with a virtually unknown man, and eventual marriage consummation were all present, in theory. These are all typically perfect opportunities to inject unnecessary bridal parting songs, lengthy wedding song and dance sequences (boy's side, girl's side, etc.) and the worst of all - a song balancing sleaze with "Indian culture" (read: censor board mandated restraint) that plays when the marriage is consummated (this is typically a couple kissing and rolling around in a bed, carefully clothing their privates with velvet or satin sheets). But Raazi eliminates all of this fluff and more, leaving you wishing more movies would do away with the crap in favor of keeping the pace of the plot.
Lastly, and most importantly, Raazi does justice to the complexity of the India-Pakistan conflict. The countries have a shared history which makes the war painfully more unique (e.g. Abdul, the oldest and most faithful caretaker in the Pakistani household is of Indian origin). The movie takes no sides, and shows you that humanity and ruthlessness exist on both sides. This is a significant departure from the patriotic films of yesteryear - we are habituated to seeing a good vs evil theme, and having Pakistanis depicted as soulless warmongers. And so, you are simply not prepared to empathize with Iqbal's (Vicky Kaushal's) gentle persona, and when you do, it his vulnerable humanity hits you like a truck. Conversely, the hardened Indian intelligence agent Mir is many things during the movie, but 'human' he is not.
I walked away from the theater understanding better the nature of such wars, and that the real conflict is not over Kashmir, or between two sides, or between ideologies. The real conflict is always fought within the human heart: between the ruthless imperatives of duty, and the very human urges of gentleness, mercy and love.
Simple and Messy - but very beautiful
11 March 2018
'Three billboards' isn't what you think it will be. IMDb calls it a 'crime/drama' film. I went in expecting a story centering on how a vengeful and distraught mother exposes laziness and/or incompetence in the police force, spurs action from the authorities, and through the sheer absurdity of having erected billboards, manages to achieve her objectives.
Unexpectedly, what I ended up seeing was an absolute masterpiece. It is something like this: Frances McDormand (Mildred Hayes) appears to be a resolute and stubborn character, that part was accurate. She lives in a small town in the 'heartland' of America. Her life and world are surrounded by broken, bumbling and childish characters, who react viciously and churlishly to her decisions throughout the movie. A chaos-infused series of events ensues (after the billboards are put up) and the movie is full of dark moments of humor. What happens in the end is not what you expect, but hopefully mid-way through the movie, you have realized that it isn't really a 'crime/drama' - it is much, much more than that and deserves to live outside of the traditional storytelling conventions.
Woody Harrelson was enjoyable as the police chief. You are so prepared to hate and despise him at first that you don't know what to make of it when you see his helplessness and earnestness come through, suddenly and completely. Likewise, Sam Rockwell delivers a masterful performance as a dangerously empowered man-child with a deep-rooted racial bias. Others come and go - Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes (haven't seen him in anything meaningful since 'eastbound and down') and - surprise surprise, Peter Dinklage. All of these actors do justice and more to their roles, and you end up being hungry for more from each one of them.
The highlight of course, is Frances McDormand herself and her portrayal of a hated woman. There is a particularly powerful scene at the end where she falls to her knees and breaks into tears. That is when you truly see her for what she is: a wounded and scarred woman, and a heartbroken mother acting out of sheer desperation. You badly want her to get justice, but after 1.5+ hours of 'Three Billboards outside...', you of course know by now that justice doesn't just get awarded to those who deserve it or appear to want it, or even need it. Justice is a meaningless term, and is most likely happenstance (as Woody Harrelson articulates well, in a surprising scene).
There is a big message in the movie though. It is woven in very subtly, but hard to miss once you realize what is happening. And the message is that small-town America is a complex and messy world, that should be taken for what it is. For those trying to idyllically glorify it by using poetic and dramatic terms - please learn from these characters, and their broken lives and mental frameworks. There is deep-rooted bias of every kind that appears institutionalized and very very hard to remove, and permeates into almost all walks of life, as shown by some of the leads in the movie. At the same time, for those dismissing rural towns' inhabitants as simple or menial fools, the earnestness and realism of these characters should hopefully change your view. Their lives, dreams, troubles and hopes hit you hard, and hopefully we take away lessons of our own from them.
Unexpectedly, what I ended up seeing was an absolute masterpiece. It is something like this: Frances McDormand (Mildred Hayes) appears to be a resolute and stubborn character, that part was accurate. She lives in a small town in the 'heartland' of America. Her life and world are surrounded by broken, bumbling and childish characters, who react viciously and churlishly to her decisions throughout the movie. A chaos-infused series of events ensues (after the billboards are put up) and the movie is full of dark moments of humor. What happens in the end is not what you expect, but hopefully mid-way through the movie, you have realized that it isn't really a 'crime/drama' - it is much, much more than that and deserves to live outside of the traditional storytelling conventions.
Woody Harrelson was enjoyable as the police chief. You are so prepared to hate and despise him at first that you don't know what to make of it when you see his helplessness and earnestness come through, suddenly and completely. Likewise, Sam Rockwell delivers a masterful performance as a dangerously empowered man-child with a deep-rooted racial bias. Others come and go - Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes (haven't seen him in anything meaningful since 'eastbound and down') and - surprise surprise, Peter Dinklage. All of these actors do justice and more to their roles, and you end up being hungry for more from each one of them.
The highlight of course, is Frances McDormand herself and her portrayal of a hated woman. There is a particularly powerful scene at the end where she falls to her knees and breaks into tears. That is when you truly see her for what she is: a wounded and scarred woman, and a heartbroken mother acting out of sheer desperation. You badly want her to get justice, but after 1.5+ hours of 'Three Billboards outside...', you of course know by now that justice doesn't just get awarded to those who deserve it or appear to want it, or even need it. Justice is a meaningless term, and is most likely happenstance (as Woody Harrelson articulates well, in a surprising scene).
There is a big message in the movie though. It is woven in very subtly, but hard to miss once you realize what is happening. And the message is that small-town America is a complex and messy world, that should be taken for what it is. For those trying to idyllically glorify it by using poetic and dramatic terms - please learn from these characters, and their broken lives and mental frameworks. There is deep-rooted bias of every kind that appears institutionalized and very very hard to remove, and permeates into almost all walks of life, as shown by some of the leads in the movie. At the same time, for those dismissing rural towns' inhabitants as simple or menial fools, the earnestness and realism of these characters should hopefully change your view. Their lives, dreams, troubles and hopes hit you hard, and hopefully we take away lessons of our own from them.
Breathe
(2018)
Meek show in itself, but brings in a new era for Indian TV
24 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Breathe is a confusing one to review. An Indian TV show produced produced by Amazon Studios to stream worldwide to Prime members. Herein lies the confusion: Should you compare it with the great drama shows of today's time - Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, the Wire, etc. that such audiences primarily indulge in? If you do, you're looking at a 4/10 review at best. BUT, if you compare it with all the other crap that Indian audiences have been fed on mainstream television over the decades, this would be a solid 8/10. I've merely averaged these two separate ratings, and that's the story behind my 6/10 rating.
Madhavan is the highlight of the show. He pretty much carries it on his shoulders, and does it effortlessly, in a way that is enjoyable to watch. I could almost instantly relate to him. If you are from any big city in India, you know exactly what I am talking about. How many mild-mannered, well educated, middle-class liberal leaning middle aged men do you know? Millions. As the soft-spoken, occasionally opinionated and the slightly out of shape Danny Mascarenhas, Madhavan embodies the man next to you in the Mumbai local, or your neighbor, or your kids' high school soccer coach in Bandra. He is what draws you to the show and keeps you in.
Also, Hrishikesh Joshi - a relatively unknown actor posing as sidekick cop Prakash Kamble, provides rare moments of brilliance here and there. He plays his role to hilarious perfection, and you end up wishing there was more of him, as his mid-life crises and day-to-day troubles provide a comically impressive but subtle undercurrent throughout the ten episodes.
Other than these two, the show doesn't have much going on. A lot of little story lines are started and go nowhere. The douchebag tattoo guy and his predictably unhappy girlfriend. Malvankar (a fellow deputy inspector) and his petty schemes. The retired police head who is now replaced by someone more intense and focused. Ria Ganguly's new suitor. Given season 1 ended without any allusion or room for a season 2, you wonder what was the point of all these characters and plots.
Amit Sadh as the grieving father is overdone as a character, and you don't end up empathizing with him at all. The plot itself, while managing to pull of a minor suspense here and there through the show, is filled with predictable holes and unbelievable story arcs (such as the mannequin 'reciting' the story to the blind children, the conveniently cooperative police cover-up in the end, and several others). The other characters like Juliet, the doctor Lady and Ria Ganguly (the main police protagonist's wife), just exist as plot fillers without much character development.
Madhavan's personal journey takes a predictable dark turn and he manages it well. A highlight is the scene where he thrashes the Tattoo guy's stereo with a rod, and even though you've seen it play out in Breaking Bad and a few other shows, it is always a fun one to watch. A meek and mild-mannered protagonist going off the edge in the face of personal tragedy and 'breaking bad' seems to be the recent favorite of TV-watchers, so it is easy to see Breathe can't go wrong with their portrayal of that character.
But all said and done, I am hopeful for the new era of Indian TV - where concepts like instant streaming video, and data-driven programming could lift up the quality of Indian TV content and bring it to comparable global heights. As Madhavan and Hrishikesh Joshi show us, there are both known and unknown stars - waiting to be brought to the global stage. I can't wait.
Madhavan is the highlight of the show. He pretty much carries it on his shoulders, and does it effortlessly, in a way that is enjoyable to watch. I could almost instantly relate to him. If you are from any big city in India, you know exactly what I am talking about. How many mild-mannered, well educated, middle-class liberal leaning middle aged men do you know? Millions. As the soft-spoken, occasionally opinionated and the slightly out of shape Danny Mascarenhas, Madhavan embodies the man next to you in the Mumbai local, or your neighbor, or your kids' high school soccer coach in Bandra. He is what draws you to the show and keeps you in.
Also, Hrishikesh Joshi - a relatively unknown actor posing as sidekick cop Prakash Kamble, provides rare moments of brilliance here and there. He plays his role to hilarious perfection, and you end up wishing there was more of him, as his mid-life crises and day-to-day troubles provide a comically impressive but subtle undercurrent throughout the ten episodes.
Other than these two, the show doesn't have much going on. A lot of little story lines are started and go nowhere. The douchebag tattoo guy and his predictably unhappy girlfriend. Malvankar (a fellow deputy inspector) and his petty schemes. The retired police head who is now replaced by someone more intense and focused. Ria Ganguly's new suitor. Given season 1 ended without any allusion or room for a season 2, you wonder what was the point of all these characters and plots.
Amit Sadh as the grieving father is overdone as a character, and you don't end up empathizing with him at all. The plot itself, while managing to pull of a minor suspense here and there through the show, is filled with predictable holes and unbelievable story arcs (such as the mannequin 'reciting' the story to the blind children, the conveniently cooperative police cover-up in the end, and several others). The other characters like Juliet, the doctor Lady and Ria Ganguly (the main police protagonist's wife), just exist as plot fillers without much character development.
Madhavan's personal journey takes a predictable dark turn and he manages it well. A highlight is the scene where he thrashes the Tattoo guy's stereo with a rod, and even though you've seen it play out in Breaking Bad and a few other shows, it is always a fun one to watch. A meek and mild-mannered protagonist going off the edge in the face of personal tragedy and 'breaking bad' seems to be the recent favorite of TV-watchers, so it is easy to see Breathe can't go wrong with their portrayal of that character.
But all said and done, I am hopeful for the new era of Indian TV - where concepts like instant streaming video, and data-driven programming could lift up the quality of Indian TV content and bring it to comparable global heights. As Madhavan and Hrishikesh Joshi show us, there are both known and unknown stars - waiting to be brought to the global stage. I can't wait.
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