Perspicuity1 Reviews

Chhaava (2025)

A decent film with some memorable performances.

[6/10 · 20 April 2025]

Chaava is a decent film with it's fair share of highs and lows. It's definitely not among the greatest of films ever made but it's always good to know about a historical character who hasn't received as much spotlight as others.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The performances by most actors were of top quality. The trailer gave a feeling that we might end up watching some over the top acting performances but the movie just didn't have any of it. Vicky Kaushal led from the front with a composed and powerful performance as Sambhaji Bhosale while Ashutosh Rana managed to shine and make an impact in a short role. Akshaye Khanna's portrayal of Aurangzeb is the stuff that gets an actor nominated for awards (well, the ones that care about acting that is). Although Akshaye Khanna didn't have a lot of dialogues but his body language, his expressions and the manner in which he delivered his lines made it feel like witnessing a masterclass in acting. Vineet Kumar Singh as Kavi Kalash was perhaps the most memorable performance of the film. This was something completely different from what Vineet has played in the past and by excelling so beautifully in it, he has once again showcased how capable of an actor he is. His final conversation with Sambhaji, which was just an exchange of poems, was truly outstanding.

2. The movie is well paced and for the most part remains quite engaging. Sambhaji's speech at Sangameshwar where he tries to motivate everyone was written very well and acted out brilliantly by Vicky Kaushal. The poetry competition between Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash towards the end was perhaps the most beautiful scene of the film and is guaranteed to move you emotionally.

3. Although A. R. Rahman's music was overall a mixed bag but there were a number of scenes where it was really good.

4. Cinematographer Saurabh Goswami has made sure that every frame of the film looks captivating. The night sequences have been captured so beautifully that you can see everything with complete clarity.

5. The make-up and prosthetics team did a great job in designing the look of Vicky Kaushal for the climax sequence.

WHAT'S BAD :

1. The climax went on for way too long for no reason at all. It seems the intention was to make it a long torture sequence that would deeply affect the viewers, but unfortunately they failed miserably because it just became boring after a while. I kept waiting for it to get finished but the movie just kept going on and on. Till that point, the movie had actually maintained a pretty decent pace and I never felt bored but the filmmaker just lost focus during the climax. Movies should end on a high and not on a low and that high moment was the final conversation between Sambhaji Bhosale and Kavi Kalash. The energy went down completely after that sequence.

2. The actresses were completely wasted in the film. The storyline of Soyarabai, played by Divya Dutta, went nowhere; the movie just mentioned her but didn't really go into any kind of details about her. Rashmika Mandanna as Yesubai plays the role of a devoted wife but doesn't really leave any impact as such. Diana Penty's role as Zinat is to just read her lines as a news reader, she doesn't have an arc of her own, we know nothing about her and to top it all, the movie didn't even need her because anyone from Aurangzeb's council of ministers could have informed him about what was happening around him. Diana Penty is such a beautiful and talented actress, it's a shame that the filmmakers of India don't really think about offering her roles of substance.

3. The background music by A. R. Rahman was a mixed bag. I was surprised to hear the sound of electric guitar in a number of scenes; why would you use an electric guitar for a movie set in the 17th century ? What could possibly have been the logic behind doing something so bizarre? The songs were fine, but it would be safe to say that this album is nowhere near the best of Rahman.

4. A key problem with biopics made in India is that they end up painting the protagonist as a godly figure, a person with all the ideal characteristics, a person who could do no wrong; unfortunately Chhaava is no different. In reality, most human beings are neither completely good nor they are entirely bad, the actual truth always lies somewhere in between. Most biopics try to whitewash the heroes highlighting and exaggerating their good qualities and hiding their weaknesses and all the negative things associated with them, but the thing is a hero will always be more relatable to the viewers if he or she is presented as someone who is capable of making mistakes, taking wrong decisions, learning from them and becoming a better human being. Sambhaji Bhosale wasn't a perfect man and that should have been shown in the movie.

It sounds good when after watching 'Chhaava' someone says that finally the film industry has the freedom to tell all kinds of stories, even the ones that filmmakers were earlier hesitant to make fearing a backlash; but then you see movies like "Santosh" and "Phule" still waiting for a release date and you realize that nothing much has changed, if truth be spoken.

House of the Dragon: The Burning Mill (2024) Season 2, Episode 3

Another engaging episode with great dialogues, visuals and music.

[8/10 · 11 April 2025]

When small tiffs go unchecked, they escalate into bigger disputes and before you even realize it, a war gets declared, thousands start fighting and killing each other and at that point no one would be willing to believe that it all started because of someone's bruised ego. The back and forth conversation between Rhaenys (played by Eve Best) and Rhaenyra (played by Emma Darcy) was written beautifully and it explained very well how wars take place. Perhaps Rhaenys would have been a much better leader of Westeros, if only the people of Westeros were sensible enough to realize it.

Daemon's arrival at Harrenhal was portrayed brilliantly. The art direction, cinematography and cgi were of top quality in that entire sequence. For once, a night sequence with a dragon was depicted with full clarity. We have often heard from various characters from the world of "A Song of Ice and Fire" about Harrenhal being a haunted place, so it was great to finally see as to why is it called so. Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers and Simon Russel as Simon Strong are great additions to the show. Alys Rivers had quite a sinister screen presence and for a moment I thought I am watching a horror show. Simon Strong was the complete opposite of Alys Rivers; his interaction with Daemon took me by surprise as I did not expect it to be filled with so much humour. We often compare the characters of this show with "Game of Thrones", and it feels like this episode gave us Melisandre in the form of Alys Rivers and Samwell Tarly in the form of Simon Strong.

The background score by Ramin Djawadi was once again on point and added more intensity to every scene. The ominous music at the very end of the episode was something new and synched perfectly with the scene. No more dialogues were necessary after that, the music expressed everything that was going on inside the minds of Rhaenyra and Alicent.

I did not expect the meeting of Rhaenyra and Alicent to take place in this episode; I thought the creators would stretch this out for some episodes. I am glad that finally Alicent and Rhaenyra had the conversation about the final words of Viserys; of course the snatching of power and war would have happened anyway but at least Alicent now knows how stupid she was to put Aegon on the throne. Olivia Cooke's acting in that scene when the realization strikes her was quite amazing.

I don't really understand the purpose of having Baela and Rhaena in the show. More often than not, the two characters just stand behind the main characters and say things that have no impact at all. On top of everything, even the actresses portraying the two characters don't seem like girls who were meant for the acting world. Simply put, Baela and Rhaena have been written quite poorly and the actresses playing them are also not quite up to the mark. The only logical explanation would be that perhaps Baela and Rhaena are irrelevant characters in the books as well and hence no major actresses were willing to accept the two roles, because for the most part the casting of this show has been spot on; if that is indeed the case then I wish the creators had omitted the two characters entirely from the storyline.

House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra the Cruel (2024) Season 2, Episode 2

The brilliance of Rhys Ifans overshadows everything else in this episode.

[9/10 · 13 March 2025]

Otto Hightower may not be as powerful or influential as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones but he definitely knows a thing or two about ruling the kingdom and always staying one step ahead of his adversaries. It's always quite fascinating to watch someone play mind games and make things happen purely through his intellectual capability. Otto Hightower was the star of this episode and Rhys Ifans played his part with absolute perfection. Otto's outburst scene with Aegon in the later part of the episode once again showcased what a prolific actor Rhys Ifans is. The dialogues in that scene were very well written and although Otto was raging with anger, the whole conversation made for a wonderful watch.

The funeral procession scene with Alicent and Halaena on a carriage was beautifully filmed and had me on the edge of my seat throughout wondering what might happen here. The music by Ramin Djawadi in that scene made it even more intense than it already was. The acting by Phia Saban, the actress playing Halaena, was on point in that scene; the discomfort shown by her in that scene looked very real.

Sir Criston Cole has had quite a transformation; he used to be a favourite of mine initially but now it's impossible to like him or even have sympathy for him. A notable aspect of this show is that every single character is grey, not a single one has redeeming qualities. There is no Jon Snow or Tyrion Lannister or Arya Stark or Danaerys in this show, who can be considered a heroic figure, a character the audience falls in love with. One moment you feel bad for a certain character and then the next moment he or she does something so terrible that you end up hating them. As a consequence of this, the events unfolding on screen do manage to entertain you but as an audience I refuse to take sides, I am not rooting for anyone really and because of that nothing would affect me the way events of Game of Thrones did.

This was quite an enjoyable episode with some fabulous acting performances, beautifully written scenes and as always Ramin Djawadi ensured that you end up watching the episode once again just to experience the scintillating background score that he has given in every single scene.

House of the Dragon: A Son for a Son (2024) Season 2, Episode 1

Good episode with a poorly written final act.

[8/10 · 9 March 2025]

Let's start with the most controversial part of the episode; the climax. Regardless of whether you have read the book or not, any person with basic common sense would find the final act a bit stupid. I wonder if the writers got confused while writing the scene and forwarded one of the drafts as the final script. The gold cloak and the rat catcher were instructed to kill a son if they couldn't find Aemond Targaryen, so they start looking for one; all good till now. Now when they find two kids sleeping in their bedroom, why did they have to ask the mother about their gender? Was it so difficult for them to figure it out on their own ? All they had to do was check their pyjamas! Now what did they do instead ? Put a knife to the mother's throat and ask her, "which one's the boy?" and then waited for her to answer. What were they waiting for? That whole scene made no sense at all. Even Hodor could have differentiated between a boy and a girl during that scene. Generally speaking, the writing in this particular show has been quite solid but the last twenty minutes or so of this episode made for a disappointing watch.

I did not expect to see Winterfell and the Wall in this show but it felt really good to revisit those Northern regions once again. Watching the first few minutes, I had the same thought which I had while watching Game of Thrones, that the North deserves it's own show. The Wall is such a mysterious place and yet the original show just couldn't explore anything despite teasing us for seven years.

The beauty of the dialogues made me wonder if George Martin himself wrote them. Apart from the final few minutes, the show completely immerses you in the world of Westeros with the help of some elegantly crafted conversations. This needs to be mentioned again and again because we were all disappointed with the writing of the later seasons of Game of Thrones and taking a note of that criticism, the creators have done some good work here.

The acting performances were very good in this episode. Not only the main leads but also the two supporting actors playing the roles of the Gold Cloak and Rat Catcher were quite brilliant. Tom Glynn, the actor who plays Aegon Targaryen, made sure that we all develop a dislike for him, that's how good he was. I thought we are going to see another Joffrey in here but Aegon doesn't seem to have that much hatred inside him. Ewan Mitchell looked quite sharp as Aemond; the casting team must be feeling proud of themselves for finalizing him for this role.

The background score by Ramin Djawadi was beautiful throughout the episode. He may not be an actor or a writer but he makes the show more watchable than it actually is. I am glad that they changed the opening credits this time because re-using the Game of Thrones visuals just didn't work for me, it felt too lazy. Now they need to create a new opening song as well; re-using the old music just because it's a tale set in Westeros is not the right way to go.

This was a good set-up episode that was engaging throughout it's runtime. The climax scene may not have been written very well but it did deliver the shock that it intended to.

Bad Newz (2024)

All that glitters is not gold.

[2/10 · 7 September 2024]

Yet another movie bites the dust after promising a fun feast through its trailer. I was interested in watching this movie because of it's impeccable star cast, director Anand Tiwari and a genuinely funny trailer, but unfortunately the movie turned out to be a complete waste of time.

A comedy movie should make you laugh, which 'Bad Newz' unfortunately fails to do. If you have seen the trailer then you have already seen the funniest scenes. Throwing in a lot of things in the screenplay and making characters behave like crazy maniacs does not increase the entertainment and engagement value of a film. You don't need to mix together hundred things in order to prepare a good dish, you just need the right ingredients and a good cook.

The script doesn't offer much to any actor apart from Vicky Kaushal, who goes over the top on numerous occasions. I wonder why Ammy Virk agreed to be a part of this film, considering he is already a superstar in the Punjab Film Industry and this movie treats him as a supporting character. The trailer fools you into believing that Ammy Virk plays a parallel lead but in reality he has been completely sidelined in the film in order to make Vicky Kaushal the centre of attention. Tripti Dimri shines as an actress in the limited opportunities the screenplay provides her with, but for the majority of the film her only job was to look beautiful. Neha Dhupia is completely wasted in the film; I just couldn't figure out what exactly was the purpose of her character in the story.

Anand Tiwari and Sumeet Vyas are old friends and looks like they exchanged notes for this film, because Vicky Kaushal's obsession with phone plotline is very similar to Mikesh's storyline in the third season of 'Permanent Roommates'. I wonder what stopped them from going for something new instead of taking the inspired route. Beyond that plot, the storyline is just ridiculous to say the least. A child with two fathers ? A woman who has sex with two men within a few minutes, does not bother to take the man's consent, forgets about using protection despite being a highly educated woman? What kind of bizarre storyline is this?

Tripti Dimri has played some memorable characters in movies like 'Laila Majnu', 'Bulbul' and 'Qala' but unfortunately all that people remember her for is the movie 'Animal', in which she was treated like a sex object and to take advantage of this new found popularity, the creators of this film have left no stone unturned in presenting her exactly like that once again. So many scenes of Vicky Kaushal and Tripti Dimri have been filmed in a way that make 'Bad Newz' look like a semi-porn film, which is just sad when you think of why exactly all this has been done. There was absolutely no need of such scenes in this film but that's how filmmakers sell their films, they know what kind of mentality the viewers have. Cinema has the power to transform a society but unfortunately most filmmakers take the easy route and feed into the depraved mindset of our society for their own advantage. I know the film industry has been unkind to Tripti the actress, just like so many other deserving actors and actresses, but I really hope she treads carefully from here on because there is a strong chance of her getting typecast and it won't be long before she finds herself replaced by some random new actress. It would truly be tragic if an actress like Tripti, who possesses so much talent, ends up wasting herself by doing films like 'Bad Newz'.

There is absolutely nothing in the music of Bad Newz, not a single song stays with you after you have watched the film. The whole concept of having multiple composers for a film is just stupid and wrong, but for some reason 'Bollywood' is not willing to change its ways.

This movie is a complete waste of time and there is absolutely no reason why I would recommend it to anyone.

Life Hill Gayi (2024– )

This is just an advertisement for Uttarakhand tourism and a boring one at that.

[5/10 · 4 September 2024]

Prem Mistry, the director of the show, was the only reason why I was looking forward to this show. He has previously worked in TVF and has proven his worth as a director. I was hoping to see another comedy show filled with jokes that would actually make me laugh, but unfortunately this show turned out to be nothing more than an advertisement for Uttarakhand Tourism.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The visuals of the show are spectacular. The entire region where the show has been filmed looks extremely beautiful and the cinematographer has done a splendid job in capturing the beauty of Uttarakhand. Perhaps more shows should be filmed in the hill stations and mountains as these kind of atmospherics add a lot of value to the story but are unfortunately very rarely used in movies and web shows these days.

2. All the supporting actors have acted very well in the show but Atul Srivastava and Annapurna Soni deserve a special mention as they managed to add some profoundness to the show with their fantastic performances.

3. The ghost episode with Badri was actually quite enjoyable to watch. It once again proves that horror-comedy is a genre that has a lot of potential but is not being explored properly by filmmakers.

4. Mukti Mohan has done a splendid job in the show as Hima. She has a charming screen presence and has portrayed her character with a lot of warmth. I just find it shocking that an actress of her caliber, who is so talented and looks gorgeous doesn't have a lot of projects in her filmography. Mukti Mohan brought life to every scene she was a part of and it goes without saying that among the three main protagonists of the show, she has delivered the best performance. I really hope some filmmakers come out of their bubble to see how many wonderful actresses are out there waiting for the filmmakers to notice them and give them an opportunity.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD :

1. The first episode is quite enjoyable thanks to a well-knit screenplay about a killer on the run and the jokes filled with satire, but after that the show just runs out of things to say. The show became extremely slow paced after the first episode with pretty much nothing happening anywhere most of the time, in fact all the content that was spread out in the last five episodes could have been shown in just about two or three episodes. It seems as if Prem Mistry and his team of writers did this show just for the sake of money, they weren't really excited to be a part of this, which is evident from the lackluster writing of the show.

2. There was hardly any comedy in the show, which was quite disappointing considering the director has previously directed 'Immature' (first season) and 'Campus Diaries'. Clearly not a lot of time or effort went into creating the screenplay as almost all the jokes were rather lame and the episodes were not engaging at all. I kept hoping for things to get better but they never did.

3. After a while in the show, the main lead Dev starts spending all his time with Hima, so much so that he starts working for her, completely oblivious to the fact that he has a hotel to run ! I understand the writers wanted to show two parallel tracks and they also had to develop a romantic relationship between Dev and Hima, but how could they forget that Dev needs to spend some time at the Hotel as well ?

4. Divyendu Sharma is a fantastic actor but I just didn't like the way he was acting in this show. He may have been trying to experiment a particular style but unfortunately it failed to intrigue me. His style of acing just came across as extremely casual in the show and I kept wondering why is the director making him act like this ? Kusha Kapila was acting as if she was making an Instagram video; you won't find any difference between the Kusha Kapila of social media and the character that she was portraying in the show. Filmmakers need to realize that Kusha is not an actress as she keeps repeating the same act in every single project of hers. I was quite surprised when I found out about her association with the show, not so much by her performance though. I wish the creative team had chosen a more deserving actress for this role. There is also a guest appearance by Aditi Govitrikar in the show and watching her performance would clearly explain to you the reason why her acting career went nowhere.

I had high expectations from this show but was utterly disappointed after watching it. This show is just an advertisement and a boring one at that. I won't recommend it to anyone.

Munjya (2024)

A complete waste of time.

[2/10 · 30 August 2024]

After all the praise that this movie received and the money that it made, I was highly optimistic about enjoying another horror-comedy after Amar Kaushik's 'Bhediya', but to my disappointment it was all just a sham. 'Munjya' is nothing more than a poorly made film with some terrible acting performances and to add insult to injury this movie is now part of the "Stree Horror Universe", so we will have to tolerate 'Munjya' in the 'Stree' and 'Bhediya' sequels as well ! It boggles my mind wondering how such scripts get approved.

WHAT'S BAD :

1. Munjya starts off decently giving us the background story of Gotya but then turns into a rather dull story with an extremely irritating villain who keeps repeating the same dialogue a thousand times throughout the film. The movie is not engaging at all and you will be forced to check the time on a number of occasions because of how boring the proceedings are. I wonder why this film calls itself a horror-comedy because there wasn't a single scene that made me laugh and not one that had me on the edge of my seat.

Movies based on folklore are always welcome, they easily grab my attention because they talk about a world very different than ours, a world where magic was still alive, but this story had no depth at all. What kind of villain did we have here ? A perverted kid who couldn't think beyond marriage, that's all. What's so special about this story ?

We all love to support the underdogs, but it's difficult to watch a hero who's scared of everything and can't even deliver a line properly. Throughout the film I kept waiting for Bittu to emerge out of his shell and scare the wits out of 'Munjya' because it just wasn't enjoyable to watch his character at all.

2. The romantic track between Abhay Verma, who plays Bittu, and Sharvari, who plays Bela, has been written in the most unimaginative way possible. The conversations between Bittu and Bela will make you suffer from a cringe attack and you would wish to erase them entirely from your memory. Also, Abhay Verma looks too young to be Sharvari's romantic partner, in fact every time both of them shared the screen, he looked like her younger brother. Bhagyashree Limaye, who plays Rukku, looked way better as a co-star of Abhay Verma. The scenes which had Rukku and Bittu were actually much more pleasing to watch; perhaps they should have been the romantic pair of the film.

3. It's frustrating to see a film that uses stupidity of characters to push through it's story. A mystery or thriller should always surprise its viewers, try new things and test their intelligence, not their patience. This movie uses the same old tropes that have been used a thousand times before by all the horror films made in the past and I just don't understand how anyone would still be intrigued by watching all this nonsense.

4. The acting performances of the lead pair, Abhay Verma and Sharvari, left no impact on me at all. The writing was a letdown no doubt, but the lead pair just didn't have the screen presence to hold my attention. This film will make you realize the value that Shraddha Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Rajkummar Rao, Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Banerjee bring to a film.

5. The music of the film is extremely forgettable. Even Sachin-Jigar couldn't inspire themselves to create anything magical for this film. Every single song in this film was completely unnecessary, even the one that came after the film came to an end. Filmmakers should always keep the theme of the film in mind before creating a song; the end credits song, 'Taras' felt like a song from a completely different film.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The acting performances of some of the senior actors and actresses is pretty good. Suhas Joshi as Ajii and Mona Singh as Pammi were wonderful in their respective roles and lent believability to the world created by the writers.

2. Exploring folklore is a refreshing change from the kind of stories being told through movies and for that the creators must be applauded, but they need to come up with a stronger screenplay.

3. The special effects were quite good in the film considering the budget with which it was made. The main villain, Munjya, was created entirely through vfx and that is truly commendable.

To conclude, in my honest opinion, watching 'Munjya' would be a complete waste of time. It's a half-baked product that is neither funny nor scary. I would strongly urge the producer of the film to not include this in the horror universe of 'Stree' and 'Bhediya'.

Bhediya (2022)

A well made film that is not only entertaining but also thought provoking.

[8/10 · 30 August 2024]

The trailer of the film was very impressive but a not so great response from the audience made me a little skeptical about the film, but after finally having watched it, all my fears have been put to rest. I guess you should watch any film if you want to, that is if the concept or trailer excites you; it's never really a good idea to rely on the verdict of the audience or the critics. This movie may not be at par with 'Stree' but it's a very well made film nonetheless.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The movie hooks you right from the beginning and never allows you to look away. The screenplay is extremely engaging and you can watch it in one sitting, just like myself. At no point did I feel like stopping the film as the story was quite exciting and I wanted to know what will happen next. 'Bhediya' has some comedy sprinkled here and there but it's largely a serious drama film with some important messages. For 'Stree', director Amar Kaushik had the support of Raj & DK but through 'Bala' and now through this, he has proved that he has some serious talent and is fully capable of creating movies that are not only entertaining to watch but also leave you with something to think about.

2. 'Bhediya' brings something new, something we are not used to watching in Indian films and that is truly remarkable because it's high time filmmakers step out of their comfort zone and try out something out of the box, something experimental. Most filmmakers are still stuck with the same old storylines that have been around since eternity because they are afraid to fail, so when someone shows the courage to actually do something new, we must appreciate the effort. This central plot of this movie is Werewolf, which has been done a number of times in Hollywood, but the good thing is that the writer and director merged the concept with an Indian folklore to bring novelty to the storyline. They are so many folklores waiting to be explored, so many adventure filled rides could be created out of them if only some filmmakers show a little bit of boldness.

3. The visuals of the movie are extremely beautiful. One must applaud the filmmaker and his creative team for finalizing a location in India to shoot the film; there is so much beauty in India yet most filmmakers choose to go abroad for some reason. Arunachal Pradesh has been beautifully captured by cinematographer Jishnu Bhattacharjee in the film. Every shot of the film is so breathtaking that your mind would start fantasizing about being there for the next holiday.

4. The director and his entire team has my respect for selecting actors that are actually from Arunachal Pradesh for the film. I wonder what went through the mind of the filmmaker when he finalized Priyanka Chopra for the role of Mary Kom. How can the people of the North-East consider themselves a part of India if Indians themselves don't make them feel as their own ? More and more films and web shows should be made in the North Eastern states of India and local actors and actresses from the region should be given an opportunity to act in the project. They may or may not be great actors but if we don't give them a chance then they will definitely not become one. Paalin Kabak, a local actor from Arunachal Pradesh, has actually done a splendid job as Jomin in the film.

5. All actors have performed beautifully in the film. I wasn't aware initially that Janardhan, played by Abhishek Banerjee, is the same character from 'Stree', so it was quite a surprise when I came to know about it. Abhishek was absolutely fabulous in every single scene and is guaranteed to make you laugh through his expressions and dialogue delivery. I am so glad the director didn't try to sideline Abhishek in this ensemble cast as he has truly marked his presence and empowered the film with his confident act. It's crazy to think that the same actor has done such a serious role in 'Paatal Lok'. I have never really considered Varun Dhawan to be a great actor as such, but in this film he has done very well. Perhaps Varun needs to find filmmakers who can guide him properly and encourage him to find his true potential as an actor. Deepak Dobriyal must be applauded for all the effort he must have put in to look and sound like an actual person from Arunachal Pradesh; he is just outstanding as Panda. Deepak is unfortunately one of the most underrated and underutilized talents of our country so it felt really good to see him in this film and as always he has nailed the character. Deepak had my attention when he was serious in the film and made me laugh with his comic act; he is an exceptional talent who deserves way more opportunities that he gets. Kriti Sanon looked gorgeous in the film; kudos to the think tank for giving her a new hairstyle. Kriti has been around for quite some time in the film industry and yet I never really had any opinion on her, I had no idea if she was a good actress or not, she couldn't really make a mark for herself in all these years but fortunately all that is changing now with the spotlight finally falling on her. I loved every single scene she was in; the emotional depth with which she delivered every single dialogue of hers moved me. I was quite disappointed by the length of her role but there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that this girl knows how to act!

6. The visual effects of the film were spectacular considering this being an Indian film; it would be stupid to compare it with some Hollywood film. I have never seen any Indian film with such clean visual effects. One look at the wolves and you would feel as if they hired some actual wolves to act in the film, that's how real they looked. The man to wolf transformation scenes have been done really well. One must applaud the efforts of the people who made all this possible and the creative vision of the people involved in the making of this film. We may not be at par with Hollywood yet but this film is a step in the right direction.

7. The background music of the film, composed by Sachin-Jigar, is very good and the song 'Apna Bana Le' is bound to stay with you long after having watched the film. 'Go Vishanu' song sung by Kekho from Arunachal Pradesh is quite enjoyable.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD :

1. The songs of the film were bad and unnecessary. Apart from 'Apna Bana Le', which is a great song, every single song composed by Sachin-Jigar was completely unnecessary in the film and is bound to test your patience. For once I am thankful they did not use the full length songs in the film.

2. The romance between Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon wasn't developed properly and felt extremely forced, as if they did it just to tick a box.

3. I would have loved to see more of Kriti Sanon in the film. I was quite surprised by the fact that she barely had any scenes in the film. Of course, there is something towards the end, but I wish they had figured out a way to keep her around with our main team.

'Bhediya' is not a perfect film, perhaps it is quite inferior to even 'Stree' but one can't deny that it is a good film that deserves to be watched. 'Bhediya' is not only entertaining but also thought provoking, a quality very rarely seen in movies these days. Of course, most of us watch movies just for entertainment, but cinema has the power to reach out to millions of people so it's always wonderful to see someone use that power with a sense of responsibility.

The Great Indian Kapil Show: Stars of Chamkila (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

Best episode so far but way too short.

[7/10 · 17 April 2024]

A 38 minute long episode ? Initially i thought it must be a mistake, but unfortunately it wasn't. At this rate, one day we will see some episode of 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' being uploaded as a short on YouTube, after all who has the attention span to watch anything longer than that these days, isn't it ?

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. Finally some good punchlines were thrown in this episode. Kapil seemed to be in good form and the writers too did a pretty decent job of writing jokes.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD :

1. Why was this episode just 38 minutes long ? I was really looking forward to this one as Kapil Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh are both entertainers and good friends as well, but Netflix had other plans. This episode just felt like a formality, where stars were forced to sit through and tolerate everything for the sake of promoting their upcoming film. Netflix really needs to understand that when we watch Kapil Sharma's comedy show, we expect it to be around 70 minutes, it makes no sense to edit it down to less than 40 minutes. This show is different from other web shows, it needs to have some funny gags, artists need some time to perform their act. There is hardly any time to ask questions and everything is done in a rushed manner. Whoever is running the show, clearly does not like Kapil Sharma's comedy.

2. Diljit Dosanjh's behaviour clearly implied that he did not wish to be a part of the episode. No actor or actress likes to be a part of movie promotions and it's understandable as well, considering they just have to keep repeating the same answers to every single journalist and channel, and on top of that it never really helps the movie, viewers watch something only if they feel connected to it, no amount of marketing can force them to change their mind, but generally celebrities are quite happy to be on Kapil Sharma's show. Diljit should have just refused to shoot on that particular day because clearly he was not in the mood to. Ultimately it affects the overall experience of the viewer as well.

3. Why do they keep playing the headphone game ? It's just a waste of time and evokes no laughter at all. The creative team should bring back the Instagram segment and use it to roast their guests.

4. What is the need of Archana Puran Singh in the show ? You have a proper live audience to laugh at your jokes, you don't need an additional person for that job. The most shocking thing is that Archana Puran Singh gets paid to just sit on a chair and laugh ! If you have so much money then why not bring in Chandan Prabhakar and Sumona Chakravarti instead, actors who actually made an effort to entertain the viewers. Archana Puran Singh's presence just brings irritation and nothing else.

I really hope Kapil Sharma and Netflix pay attention to the feedback being given to them and make the necessary changes to the show. It's a proud moment for everyone to see Kapil Sharma on Netflix, it would be heartbreaking to see his show end up as a failure.

The Great Indian Kapil Show: Cricket Fever - Rohit and Shreyas (2024) Season 1, Episode 2

Missed opportunity.

[6/10 · 17 April 2024]

I always look forward to the episodes where the guests are not from the film industry as we get to see a different side of theirs and i had really high expectations from this episode as the guest was cricketer Rohit Sharma, but unfortunately this one too left me disappointed just like the first episode. One of the best episodes of "Comedy Nights with Kapil" was the one with cricketer Virat Kohli; i just couldn't stop laughing throughout the episode, it was just too good; i just wished Kapil Sharma watched that episode before interviewing Rohit Sharma, because he failed miserably in conducting an entertaining interview this time.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The set looked beautiful and a few jokes made me smile but that's about it, there was nothing much to appreciate in this episode.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD :

1. I just couldn't understand the logic behind inviting Shreyas Iyer along with Rohit Sharma; what is the connection between the two players ? Rohit Sharma being the senior and more popular cricketer would obviously get more attention in such interviews, so why invite Shreyas with him ? I felt it was quite unfair on the young cricketer. A better combination would have been Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika Sajdeh; that interview could have been really entertaining to watch. Also, if they had to invite cricketers only then Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would have been an extremely deadly combination.

2. Once again the writing was extremely poor. Not a single joke was landing, not a single punchline made me laugh. Rohit Sharma looked bored throughout the episode and was even checking his phone at certain points ! I wonder what kind of brief was given to the writers that they managed to create such a dull and boring episode. Rohit Sharma has given a number of interviews on YouTube and it's easy to see that he has a great sense of humour and is always ready to play along if the host provides him with an opportunity, but unfortunately Kapil Sharma was completely out of ideas for this episode. The only point of excitement in the episode was when Kapil came dressed as Sidhu and Sunil Grover came in as Kapil Dev; their get up and mimicry was on point but unfortunately the writers forgot to give them funny dialogues.

3. Why is the duration of the episode going down ? This episode was 10 minutes shorter than the previous episode and was once again heavily edited. Why is Netflix doing this to us ? What exactly are they trying to create here ? It's not some regular drama series where every episode has to be around 45-50 minutes; viewers are used to watching 70-80 minute long episodes of Kapil Sharma's comedy show, why are you trying to change that ?

4. What is Archana Puran Singh doing on the show ? It's shocking to see someone get paid for just sitting on a chair and laugh. Archana Puran Singh adds only irritation and boredom to the show and nothing else; she has no reason to be on the show. You have an audience to laugh on your jokes and that too for free, you don't need an additional person to do that job for you. If you have so much money then you should just bring back Chandan Prabhakar and Sumona Chakravarti on the show, actors who actually made an effort to entertain the viewers.

I know they have just begun and it will take them some time to settle down, but i really hope Netflix and Kapil Sharma take the feedback from the viewers seriously and make the necessary changes to the show. Kapil Sharma's comedy shows have brought a lot of happiness in our lives and it's great to see him perform on a platform like Netflix, but at the same time I also wish that they don't destroy this opportunity and create a bad memory for themselves and the viewers.

The Great Indian Kapil Show: Ranbir - The Real Family Man (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

A decent start, but the creative team needs to put in some more effort.

[6/10 · 15 April 2024]

It was truly a proud moment to see our beloved Kapil Sharma on a prestigious platform like Netflix, but at the same time i was quite disappointed with the first episode.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The new set looked beautiful. I always wanted Kapil Sharma Show's set to have a grandeur at par with that of popular international shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Graham Norton, and this new show has done exactly that.

2. The coming together of Kapil Sharma and Sunil Grover would easily go down as one of the happiest moments of the year 2023. It was wonderful to see Sunil Grover return to the place where he always belonged. The anticipation to watch the show increased ten times just because of his presence.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD :

1. The most important thing about a comedy show is it's ability to make you laugh, and unfortunately this episode failed to deliver on that aspect. The jokes went flat, the writing was extremely dull, and Kapil almost turned the show into a boring interview with his monotonous questions. It's quite baffling that even after more than a decade in this profession, Kapil Sharma hasn't mastered the art of taking an interview. It was Ranbir who tried to infuse some humour into the conversation, otherwise Kapil and his team of writers were trying very hard to induce boredom into the viewers. Kiku Sharda couldn't crack a single joke in his segment as a Chef while Sunil Grover tried very hard but his act came across more as a show off than one designed to make you laugh. It was only Krishna Abhishek who managed to throw some life into an otherwise lifeless episode.

2. Why has Netflix reduced the duration of the show ? The episode felt heavily edited and just didn't have the feel of the previous shows done by Kapil and his team. Very little time was allotted to Krishna Abhishek and Kiku Sharda's act, which used to be the funniest segment of Kapil's previous show. These comedians need some time and space, along with a good script of course, to perform to their utmost potential; hoping for them to act like robots would be an extremely unfair ask. They are all terrific comedians but you need to allow them some breathing space. Almost every episode of 'The Kapil Sharma Show' used to be around 70-75 minutes long, while this episode wasn't even an hour long.

3. What is Archana Puran Singh doing on the show ? Every single person needs to ask this question to Kapil Sharma and Netflix. She has absolutely no contribution to the show, interrupts the proceedings unnecessarily with some boring questions and the worst part is that she gets paid for being a member of the audience ! Why do you need an irritating Archana Puran Singh when you have a massive live audience to laugh at your jokes ? I would seriously request Kapil and Netflix to remove her because she adds nothing to the show. Also, if you have so much money then its better to bring in Chandan Prabhakar and Sumona Chakravarti into the show, actors who actually made an effort to entertain the viewers.

4. Was Netflix trying to whitewash the image of Ranbir Kapoor with this episode, because it clearly felt like that on a number of occasions. I really hope the creative team doesn't end up killing the fun vibe of the show in an attempt to do such stupid things.

It's great to see Kapil achieving another milestone of his life, but he and his creative team really need to pull up their socks because as an audience we deserve something much better than what they put up in the first episode.

Theri (2016)

Simple mass entertainer. Keep your expectations low.

[6/10 · 7 February 2024]

'Theri' is a regular mass entertainer that follows a predictable path and might just disappoint you a bit if you go in with huge expectations, like me. I watched 'Mersal' and 'Bigil' before this film, both directed by Atlee and way more superior to 'Theri', and because of that I couldn't enjoy this film as much as I wanted to. This movie follows the standard pattern of an Atlee film and also a number of other Tamil films but doesn't have as much depth or layers in its screenplay as I was hoping for. It's an entertaining film for sure but don't go in expecting a 'Mersal'.

The movie starts off really well and the all the scenes involving Joseph and his daughter Nivi make for a delightful watch. The child actress who played the role of Nivi has done such a beautiful job that if an entire movie dedicated to the friendly banter between Joseph and his daughter is made, in my opinion it would be truly worth watching. The charismatic screen presence of Vijay and Samantha definitely added a lot of weight to every single scene of theirs. Vijay may not be a great actor but he knows how to steal the scene with his swagger and on the other hand Samantha portrayed her character in the most realistic way possible. Amy Jackson didn't have a lot to do in the film but she did look gorgeous in every single frame. Rajendran's comic timing was also on point and his scenes with Vijay were quite funny.

'Theri' is yet another vigilante thriller but it falls short in its screenplay department. Movies like 'Sivaji', 'Indian' or 'Nayak' have explored similar topics in the past but they were much more enjoyable to watch in comparison to this film. This movie too has some good messaging but that is not enough to save the film from being called mediocre. Songs of the film are average at best, I didn't feel like going back to any of them after finishing the film. Cinematography of the film is of top quality, every scene looks extremely beautiful. The action sequence at the beginning of the film is very good but the rest of the film is unable to match up to it. Actually the initial fight sequence between Vijay and the goons at his house is the point where the movie starts losing some momentum. It's a one-time watch kind of film, you won't really feel like going back to it again.

Pippa (2023)

Wasted opportunity.

[5/10 · 27 January 2024]

It was disappointing to see 'Pippa' getting delayed because the teaser looked very promising. 1971 war, the story behind creation of Bangladesh with A. R. Rahman's pulsating music; there was a lot to look forward to in the movie. I thought perhaps Ishaan Khatter is the reason behind the delay, considering he's not really a crowd puller, which is unfortunate because he is a pretty decent talent. However, after watching the movie it became quite clear as to why this film didn't find any buyers; it's because 'Pippa' is a film where nothing happens. Pippa remains in the first gear throughout its runtime and at no point develops into an engaging watch.

There is a sense of casualness throughout the film and it never offers the intensity that you would expect from a story like this. The movie has no twists and turns, surprises or layers in its screenplay, something that would have definitely helped in holding the interest of the viewers. The creative team selected a very exciting idea for the film but then it seems lost interest in developing a powerful screenplay for it. The first seven minutes of the film hold a lot of promise, when Ishaan's character gives us some background about the conflict between Pakistan government and the people of East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh, but for some reason the movie just lost focus from that point and went in a completely different direction. The scene where Balram walks by the Refugee camp and the background dialogue about refugees by his mother is extremely moving. There was so much potential in this premise but the director and the writers just didn't put enough effort into creating a powerful screenplay from it.

Among the actors, the best performances have been delivered by Priyanshu Painyuli and Inaamulhaq. The length of their role is not much but they have absolutely given everything to their respective roles. Ishaan Khatter is decent as Balram but a lot more is expected from him considering the talent that he possesses. I don't know why Mrunal Thakur agreed to be a part of this film because the screenplay offers no depth or detail to her character and reduces her to be a side character. I really hope the movie industry handles Priyanshu Painyuli and Mrunal Thakur better because there is a lot of potential in both of them.

A. R. Rahman's music is fine, some songs are good, some are strictly average; can't really blame him if the script itself is not very inspiring. The song 'Main Parwaana' has been picturized beautifully and is wonderful to watch as well as listen; Ishaan Khatter is clearly a better dancer than his brother Shahid. 'Rampage', the song that was presented to us through the teaser, is a brilliant song but has not been used properly in the film.

Gadar 2 (2023)

A long, boring and unnecessary sequel.

[5/10 · 26 January 2024]

Why did Anil Sharma decide to make a sequel of 'Gadar' twenty two years after the first film? Usually filmmakers would want to bring out the sequels quickly in order to encash the popularity of the first film. I don't think he was waiting to come up with the perfect script to carry forward the story or that he had an epiphany that the time has come to make 'Gadar' again. This movie is just a desperate attempt of a father to relaunch his son who was rejected by the audience the last time he showed up on screen. Unfortunately for Anil Sharma, this movie has once again exposed his son Utkarsh Sharma's lack of acting skills. Utkarsh Sharma needs to understand that cinema or at least acting is not his forte.

It's as clear as broad daylight that not a lot of effort went into writing the screenplay of the film. The first half of the film still makes for a decent watch, but the second half is just Tara Singh running around looking for his son Jeete and Jeete running around and looking for his father Tara Singh; this is not a joke, this is exactly what happens in the film. Not that the first half had some crazy level writing but the writers completely ran out of ideas in the second half.

Talking about the positives of the film, Sunny Deol is definitely on top of that list. This veteran actor still has it in him to induce goosebumps among the viewers with his powerful dialogue delivery. The movie becomes watchable every time Sunny Deol comes on screen to say something but becomes a very ordinary film as soon as he goes away. Regardless of what you may have heard about the film, the truth is that it never tries to belittle Muslims or spread any kind of hate for them. In fact, the movie doesn't even show the people of Pakistan in poor light; the hate is only reserved for the people running the affairs of Pakistan.

The music of the film is extremely beautiful. For once, the old songs have been used without a lot of remixing and the new songs composed by Mithoon are also extremely pleasing to listen as well as watch. The songs "Dil Jhoom" and "Chal Tere Ishq Mein" have been picturized very well and are bound to put a smile on your face.

The main villain of the film, played by Manish Wadhwa, is a complete disappointment. One note villains are never interesting to watch, but what makes things worse is when they are played by bad actors, which is exactly the case with this film. The action sequences of the film are so bad that you will end up laughing at them. It's Sunny Deol's play ground in which the Pakistani soldiers just keep standing in a line like wooden toys waiting for Sunny Deol to strike them down.

The success of the film has ensured that we will see more films in this series and Anil Sharma will continue to live under the illusion that there is an actor hidden somewhere inside his son; I am no one to stop him from doing what he wants to but I just hope that he has a decently written script in his hand before he starts of his next project.

Adipurush (2023)

Waste of time.

[4/10 · 20 January 2024]

'Adipurush' represents a confused mindset; the director is not sure whether he wants to showcase the story of 'Ramayana' as it is or tell a modern day tale using the core message of Ramayana, something what Mani Ratnam did through Raavan (2010) and as a result of which he has created something that is a bit of both, but unfortunately the movie falters on both counts and fails to leave any kind of impact on you and just bores you to death because of it's never-ending runtime. Also, it's better to stick to simple storytelling if your idea of taking creative liberty is to just borrow scenes from Hollywood films like 'Harry Potter', 'Game of Thrones', 'Planet of the Apes' etc., because that is the complete opposite of being creative.

I was super impressed by Prabhas after watching 'Baahubali', but now he is nowhere to be found. This Prabhas just sleep walks through his role, quite literally, and is extremely boring to watch on screen. Prabhas lacks the charisma that you would expect from the leading actor of a film like this. Sunny Singh, who plays Shesh, perhaps read a completely different script or had no interest in doing this film, because he was never in character. Sunny Singh's dialogue delivery reminded me of the character he played in 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety'; someone forgot to remind him that this is a different film. Saif Ali Khan is the only one took his part seriously and has managed to put up a strong performance as 'Lankesh'.

The visual effects of the film are good in some places and bad in some places. A large portion of the film actually looks like an animated film or a video game. The songs of the film are pretty decent.

Directors like Om Raut just blindly follow the old saying of "Make hay while the sun shines"; they are perfectly fine with a poorly crafted film as long as it fits well with the mood of the nation or the kind of movies that have worked of late, but this kind of thinking just reflects a lazy and ignorant mindset because the truth is that a well written story is always timeless. All you have to do is make a good original film that connects with the audience and moves them, but it seems like too much to ask from a filmmaker who finds solace in being banal.

ImMATURE: Is this how it ends? (2023) Season 3, Episode 5

Completely unnecessary season.

[4/10 · 8 January 2024]

The journey of 'Immature' was done and dusted in the first season itself and what TVF is doing now is just undoing all the good work done by Prem Mistry, Abhishek Yadav, Nishaad Javeri and Suprith Kundar, the original creators of the show. Why is it so difficult for TVF to understand that not every story needs to be told in multiple seasons ? Also, looking at the quality of the season, it's quite clear that the new writers are either not competent enough or don't have enough inspiration to carry forward the story.

The duration of an episode in TVF shows is normally just about half an hour, so the writing is always sharp, things take place at a decent speed and characters don't take forever to come to the point; but unfortunately that is not the case with the new season of Immature. The episode duration is still the same, but the screenplay just comes across as a deflated balloon. The pacing of the episodes this season is extremely slow and the events unfolding on screen just don't engage or excite you at any point of time. Also, TVF should stop calling this show a comedy because it had almost no humour in this season.

Omkar Kulkarni, playing Dhruv, is a good actor and has done a decent job once again, it's just that the script is a complete letdown; he deserves a better show that properly utilizes his acting skills and allows him to play his age. Kanikka Kapoor continues to disappoint in her role of Chhaya. Kanikka Kapoor's dialogue delivery is so bad that she single handedly brought down the entire energy of the show every time she came on screen and spoke her lines. Is she being offered roles just because of her looks being similar to Kiara Advani? TVF's casting team has become quite inconsistent these days. Naman Jain is quite likeable in 'Crushed', the other school show that he is part of, but here he feels like a complete misfit, simply because of the shoes that he has stepped into. The character of 'Susu' was immortalized by the outstanding performance of Visshesh Tiwari, it's just impossible to see any other actor portray that role. Chinmay Chandraunshuh's comic timing is pretty good, as was evident in the first season, but here once again he has been let down by a lackluster script.

Even though it seems like there is another season being planned, I would strongly request TVF to stop the production of this show and move on to something fresh. The creators have unnecessarily stretched this storyline way too much and even the actors don't look like school kids anymore! There is no point in recommending this season to anyone as it would just be a waste of their time. Immature came to an end after the first season, that's it.

Leo (III) (2023)

A thoroughly enjoyable film !

[8/10 · 19 December 2023]

I went in looking for an entertainer in this film and I wasn't disappointed. I found 'Leo' to be a thoroughly enjoyable action adventure that I would easily recommend to anyone and everyone.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. The movie wastes no time in beating around the bush and hooks your attention right away from the first scene itself. The pacing of the movie was so good that the first time I checked the time, forty minutes had already gone by.

2. The first three action sequences, the battle with the hyena, coffee shop fight and the attack in the market have been choreographed beautifully. Action sequences tend to get boring but if they are written creatively, you won't feel like moving your eyes away from the screen, something I experienced myself in this film as well.

3. I have always thought of Vijay as an entertainer, but through this film he has proved that he is much more than that. The bedroom scene where he has a heart to heart with his wife felt so real, it almost felt like intruding a private conversation; I did not expect this film to take such an emotional route. Both Vijay and Trisha acted beautifully in that scene and almost convinced me that my theory about Leo is perhaps not correct.

4. One might think that the first half an hour was pretty much meaningless in the overall context of the film, but that would be a wrong way to analyze the film, as everything that happens initially leads up to what happens later on, so much so that a surprise towards the end has a connection to the events that take place in the beginning of the film. The writing team deserves to be appreciated because they have done a wonderful job in his film.

5. When it comes to the background music, Anirudh just knocks it out of the park every single time, and in this film he has once again nailed it perfectly. I didn't enjoy all the songs that much but the score is outstanding throughout the film. Also, the Vijay title card during credits with Anirudh's phenomenal music was an absolute joy to watch.

6. The visual effects team did a phenomenal job in the hyena fight sequence as well as the car chase sequence. It is obviously not at par with the standards set by Hollywood, but it's definitely a major improvement from what we have seen in Indian movies in the past.

WHAT'S NOT GOOD :

1. The action sequence in the climax just goes on for too long. After a while the fight sequence just becomes boring and you wish for the movie to get going, but it just went on and on and on. The initial fight scenes of the film were terrific but I didn't quite like the climax fight sequence.

2. Sanjay Dutt always looks quite imposing on screen but i found it a little difficult to see him as the father of Parthiban and on top of that his voice was dubbed. I know they were going for a bigger audience with this film, but I just feel Sanjay Dutt wasn't the right choice for this role.

Permanent Roommates: Goodbyes (2023) Season 3, Episode 5

A new season that no one asked for.

[6/10 · 30 November 2023]

Why was it necessary to bring this show back ? Who asked for it ? This show was wrapped up quite beautifully in the second season and there was absolutely no need to extend the story, so why did TVF feel the urge to go back to this show after seven years? It's quite interesting to note, that on the day the third season of 'Permanent Roommates' came out, Sameer Saxena and Biswapati Sarkar, the original creators of the show, released Kaala Paani (2023), a first of its kind show in India; which tells you that while the original creators have moved on towards a new experiment, TVF has lost track of time and is still busy romanticizing the past, unwilling to move ahead, explore some new avenues and create some new stories.

The new season of 'Permanent Roommates' offers nothing new, everything just feels like something we have already seen a number of times. The only bits of this season that offer some sort of enjoyment are the scenes that involve the most memorable supporting characters of the show, like 'Purshottam' (played by Deepak Kumar Mishra), 'Leo' (played by Anandeshwar Dwivedi) and Choubey Ji (played by the amazing Sudheer Chobessey). It goes without saying that Mikesh and Tanya are very well written characters, but what's the point of visiting them again and again? For how long can you possibly milk them? When creators run out of ideas, they go back to old successful projects and start making their sequels to encash the nostalgia associated with them and as a result of that a substandard screenplay is turned into an actual film; I never thought that TVF would end up doing something like that.

We expect TVF to come up with revolutionary and path-breaking content but they just don't want to step out of their comfort zone and are stuck in a never ending loop of predictability. TVF really needs to do some self-introspection at this point and remind themselves of their own tagline, "lights, camera and experiment", because clearly they have forgotten about the "experiment" part.

Hostel Daze: Hostel Departure (2023) Season 4, Episode 6

Nikhil Vijay......Just remember the name !

[9/10 · 28 November 2023]

I am glad TVF took the criticism received after the second season seriously and put in some genuine effort to improve the quality of the show. The third season was a massive improvement from the disastrous second season and with this one they have completely outdone themselves once again. Of course, the first season continues to be the best one but full marks to the creators for this fantastic effort. This season not only entertains but also impacts you emotionally and is guaranteed to leave you with a tear or two by the end of the show. TVF has mastered this art of creating shows that make you laugh as well as cry but I wasn't expecting something like this from a show like 'Hostel Daze'.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. Unlike the previous three seasons, this season had a common thread that ran parallel to the central plot of every episode. This is what differentiates a web show from five random YouTube videos made for entertainment; this is what lends more believability to the universe being depicted in the show; something unique takes place in every episode, but the characters haven't forgotten the other things taking place in their life.

2. As always, Nikhil Vijay, the powerhouse of talent leads from the front in the acting department. Nikhil Vijay's performance during his monologue about placement to Shubham Gaur (who plays Rupesh Bhati) and his facial expressions after he gets placed hit you hard. I never thought I would cry watching a show like Hostel Daze, but that is exactly what happened during that scene. The writing and Nikhil Vijay's phenomenal performance ensure that you genuinely care for his character and his success felt like a personal achievement. Watching that scene, I felt happy not only for the character Jatin Kishore but also the actor that is Nikhil Vijay; this is the guy we have been rooting for since the first season, this is the guy we have enjoyed watching in so many YouTube videos, so watching him perform brilliantly on this big stage just fills you with pride. Hostel Daze would be nothing without Nikhil Vijay and the crazy character that he has portrayed in the show.

3. It's one thing to make a good season that entertains the viewers, but it takes a lot of effort to come up with a near perfect ending that leaves the viewers with tears in their eyes and a smile on their face, so kudos to the writers for achieving this rare feat. The final episode had already given us a solid ending with the farewell of Jatin Kishore but that final phone call between Jatin and Rakhi completely took me by surprise and made me so happy that I almost felt like standing and applauding for the legend that was Jatin. That ending may have felt bittersweet but it was a memorable one for sure.

4. One thing that I always look forward to in Hostel Daze is which actors are going to break the fourth wall while narrating the story of the episode. Thankfully, TVF did not break the tradition in the final season and we have a well-known face breaking the fourth wall in every episode. Among the guest appearances of this season, Gopal Dutt was easily the best. His acting was as flawless as always but the dialogues that were delivered by him were actually very well written.

WHAT'S NOT GOOD :

1. The songs were not at par with what we usually hear in TVF shows. The music of first season, composed by Vaibhav Bundhoo, was so good that it's remembered even four years after its release; I just wished the creators had asked Vaibhav to compose some songs for this season as well. The writing of the final few scenes was outstanding, I just wish the song that played in the background was equally memorable.

2. The twist added in the final few moments of the show was completely unnecessary and should have been avoided. The show was coming to a beautiful end, there was absolutely no need to take it to a completely different direction.

3. The selection of Utsav Sarkar once again raises the question as to what happened to TVF's impeccable casting team. Although, he was much more watchable in this season, it goes without saying that Utsav Sarkar's acting skills are not at par with the other actors of the show and he is definitely a terrible replacement of Adarsh Gourav. The only good thing is that he is no more the main lead of the show and has been reduced to a side character.

Now that this show is over, I really hope that TVF steps out of its comfort zone, because it's quite clear that they are stuck in some kind of a loop, where they just want to make the same kind of stories over and over again. The tagline of TVF has always been, "Lights, camera and experiment", I just hope the creative team remembers that as well.

Sex Education: Episode 8 (2021) Season 3, Episode 8

The writers need to hear it out that we need more of Otis and Ruby !

[8/10 · 4 October 2023]

So finally we got to see what we were robbed off in the finale of the second season, Otis and Maeve confessed their love for each other, but unfortunately it did not have the desired impact on me. This is what happens when you unnecessarily delay something purely out of greed. The creators realized that they had messed up in the final few scenes of the season 2 finale, a beautiful message written by Otis was deleted by Isaac before it could be read by Maeve, so they had to re-create that scene with Otis reading out everything that he had written, word by word, which was stupid, and then the much awaited kiss happened between Otis and Maeve, except that as an audience it couldn't give me the happiness that it should have, because the moment had passed and I was rooting for someone else to be with Otis.

In this new season, Sex Education continues to break boundaries, by talking about some more taboo topics like gender queer with a character like Cal Bowman. The show continues to make its contribution towards normalizing things that are often brushed under the carpet because they make people uncomfortable. This show presents itself as a test of how liberal are you, by showing you all the things that most people just don't want to talk about. Just imagine the plight of all those people who don't have the freedom to live their life the way they want to, with the person they want to. These people are not harming anyone, they are not terrorists and yet they are being treated like one. They don't find acceptance in the society, and two consenting adults have to seek permission from a third, fourth and fifth person in order to get married, and in most countries they don't get that permission. In some countries, they get a death penalty. This should make everyone understand the importance of Sex Education and what a commendable job they are doing. This show is not only entertaining you but also educating you.

It's not possible to mention the positives of this season without talking about Jemima Kirke. After watching the trailer, I got the impression that we will have an evil headmistress this season who all of us would end up hating, but surprisingly I fell in love with her ! In every single scene, she looks extremely beautiful and attractive. The way she talks, her dressing sense, her entire body language makes a striking impact on you, and as a viewer you can't focus on anything else when she is on screen. Forget about hating her, Jemima Kirke as Hope Haddon has such a scintillating presence, you just want to see more of her, wish for a woman like her in your own life. She is not exactly a negative character, she is just doing her job and in that process ends up taking some tough decisions. Towards the end, where she opens up in front of Otis (who else), you feel a lot of empathy for her. I really hope the writers bring her back in the next season, because Jemima Kirke literally killed it this season with her fantastic performance. Just imagine having a professor as sexy as Jemima Kirke, no student would be able to take their eyes off her !

The writers surprised us last season by introducing an unexpected friendship developing between Ruby and Otis. That story-line continued in this season but not in the way any of us would have liked. To watch Otis move around Ruby like her dog was unbearable, but thankfully all that was short-lived as Otis took a stand and called out Ruby for behavior. I felt really happy at that moment, and to my surprise something unexpected happened, Ruby didn't break-up with him, instead she decided to change for him. Finally Ruby found someone, who didn't like her for being rich, beautiful, hot and arrogant. Otis was honest with her and called out her fake attitude and offered his real friendship, which she happily accepted. And that's how it began, the most beautiful romantic relationship in all three seasons of Sex Education. The most memorable part of this season was the relationship between Otis and Ruby and the best episode was the third episode.

Finally we got to explore the other side of Ruby, her real side, something she had been hiding from the world. Till now, all the boys were attracted to her only for her beauty, they weren't really interested in knowing what kind of life she lived outside of School. But Otis never really believed in having superficial relationships, he always believed in developing connections and made an effort to know the real side of the person. While others saw Ruby as an arrogant beauty queen, Otis treated her as just another human being. This unexpected affection surprised Ruby, and allowed her to be vulnerable in front of him. Till now, all the viewers were rooting for Otis and Maeve to get together, but the bond developed between Otis and Ruby came out of nowhere. I had no idea, that this would be such an enjoyable thing to watch, and dare I say, I like the pairing of Otis and Ruby way more than Otis and Maeve. And that's why, it was heartbreaking to see what happened at the end of the episode. The reaction that Ruby (Mimi Keene) gave after her phone call with Otis was heart wrenching and I am pretty sure it must have melted millions of hearts worldwide. Her silent face spoke a thousand words. What's worse is that the writers somehow forgot about Ruby in the second half of the show. Asa Butterfield (Otis Milburn) has always been fabulous as far as acting performance is concerned, but what Mimi Keene (Ruby Matthews) did in this episode was quite a revelation, her portrayal of the Ruby that she had hidden from the outside world was just beautiful. I would love to explore more of her works and really hope that she gets noticed by filmmakers worldwide so that we get to see her in even better roles than this one.

I did not like the Maeve story-line at all this season. Otis and Isaac fooling around her and fighting like kids was plain stupid. You have created such a wonderful character like Otis, who is sensitive, intelligent and an introvert, well somewhat, so why would he indulge in such activities ? Why would he say things like that to Maeve ? Also, how could Maeve fall in love with Isaac so easily despite knowing what he did ? How did she lose her sense of judgement? All that just did not make sense to me, that was just bad writing.

The whole love triangle between Eric, Adam and Rahim is quite idiotic. First Eric and Adam were together, then Rahim came up and he and Eric got together, but in the end Eric broke up with Rahim and went back to Adam, and in this season Eric once again broke up with Adam and now Adam and Rahim are together ! What is happening here ? I didn't enjoy this storyline at all, because it felt like a repetitive storyline going around in a loop. There is a limit to everything and you must not stretch a storyline when you don't have a story to tell.

The storyline involving Michael Groff was quite tiring and sad to watch, but Alistair Petrie portrayed the role very convincingly. Towards the end you do feel bad for the character, but I also wish that the writers had given a little less screen time to his storyline. It felt like the writers were just filling in the empty spaces, but in doing that they completely ignored the revelation of season 3, Mimi Keene.

In conclusion, the third season of Sex Education was quite entertaining as usual, but it felt quite long this time as the writers didn't have a lot of story to tell, and the one story that they could have expanded was given an abrupt ending. I really hope they bring back Otis and Ruby together in the next season because that is the pair we want to see. I really hope that instead of trying to touch too many topics, the creators should focus on the key characters of the show and give them more screen time. It's great that you want to talk about everything, but in that process you can't really ignore the storylines of our favourite characters. No series should go on forever, and I firmly believe that the writers should starting thinking about the endgame of Sex education as well before the audience starts losing interest in it.

Sex Education: Episode 8 (2023) Season 4, Episode 8

Not the climax i was hoping for.

[4/10 · 2 October 2023]

At the end of this season, one does wonder as to what exactly was the point of this show? Why did they stretch this show to four seasons when clearly they didn't have anything new or interesting to depict? This season was a complete waste of time as there was absolutely nothing in it that stood out, it didn't say anything that hadn't already been said before and it didn't take the story forward in any way because by the end of it we are still where we were at the end of the last season.

A big problem with Sex Education throughout its journey has been that it tends to digress from its main storyline and pay more attention to the sub plots or the storyline of its supporting characters, characters that no one really cares for. Introduction of interesting new characters is always welcome, but the creators shouldn't forget the main reason why people watch this show. A number of new characters get introduced in this season as well, but the problematic part is that they end up getting more screen time than our central characters. Also, why do they dedicate so much time to social commentary? It's good to talk about social issues but after a while it just feels like force feeding. I felt like this season was more interested in male bashing than throwing some spotlight on the social issues ailing our society. In the name of feminism and liberalism, sometimes filmmakers overstep the line so much that they end up in the realm of absurdity and that is exactly what happens in this season.

Otis, Maeve, Ruby, Eric and Adam are the main characters of the show and I feel it would have been great if the creators focused only on them and not on some irrelevant characters that no one really cares for. In my personal opinion, Otis and Ruby should have got together in the end because they truly understand each other and never try to be pretentious in front of each other. Otis and Maeve had the chance of getting together in the first two seasons, but the writers got so greedy that I just lost interest in that relationship. Also, it was Otis who followed Maeve everywhere like a faithful friend and took care of her, Maeve never really cared for him, she just used him as and when she wanted to. On the other hand, Ruby underwent a major transformation in the company of Otis and revealed her vulnerable side to her because she found genuine warmth in his friendship. The relationship of Otis and Ruby was extremely delightful to watch on screen and easily one of the high points of this show, and yet the creators decided to destroy that beautiful relationship. Why did they have to do that? It's not like the viewers didn't want it, or there was some kind of outrage against it; in fact as far as I know most viewers actually wanted Otis and Ruby to be the endgame. So why did the writers give Ruby such a step motherly treatment? Even in this season, as soon as Otis and Ruby started working together, things became so much more interesting. I seriously wished for a show which only focused on their storyline because it was the most entertaining to watch, but instead the creators sidelined the character of Ruby Matthew, played wonderfully by Mimi Keene, and reduced her to a state of irrelevance, which was completely unjustified. In the overall scheme of things, it seems as if the Otis and Ruby subplot meant nothing to the writers, so what was the point of introducing a romantic relationship between Ruby and Otis ? The heartless manner in which the writers disregarded that relationship was quite shocking to see.

A television show is spread over multiple seasons because the entire story cannot be told in just one season, but in the case of 'Sex Education' I feel like the writers didn't have enough story and hence they kept circling around the same plot and created some uninteresting subplots just because they had to. For example, what was the point of 'Jackson' wondering about whether he had testicular cancer or not? That storyline added no value to the show, the sole reason for its existence was to increase the duration of the season. Why was so much screen time allotted to Roman and Abbi's storyline? I had zero interest in knowing the events of their life and yet I was forced to watch them as the showrunners treated them as the main protagonists of the show. Also what kind of people were Roman and Abbi? Two individuals who couldn't even properly decide if they wanted to live like a man or a woman? Is Netflix out to change the world with this show? Why is it so difficult for an individual to accept themselves as they are born? It is often said that excess of anything is bad and this show is a great example of that. Every sub plot acts pretty much as a filler, except that the screen time allotted to those subplots was way more than the main storyline of the show, the one that I actually cared about.

The most heartwarming thing of this season was Adam's reunion with his family. I was totally hooked into that storyline and felt very happy to see at least someone getting a happy ending in the show. The way divorce and multiple marriages have been normalized in our society, it came across as a pleasant surprise to see a family coming together for a change. I really liked Jem, played by the beautiful Bella Maclean, and found her track with Adam to be quite engaging. Ncuti Gatwa is an astonishing talent who has been consistently good throughout this series and in this season his performance towered above everyone else. Ncuti's portrayal of Eric has been thoroughly entertaining to watch and truly blessed are the souls who have a friend like him in their lives. Eric's final speech in the church, with him not only accepting himself as he is but also fearlessly announcing it to the world was very satisfying to watch.

Why are the creators scared of giving the viewers what they want to see in the final season? The most 'predictable ending' may not make everyone happy, but it would still be better than not making anyone happy. What is the need to experiment or shock the viewers in the final season, why can't the creators give us what we have been looking forward to since the beginning of the show? Why is it so difficult to give our lead characters the happy ending that they all deserve? In the end, the viewers are left with a lot of frustration and a number of unanswered questions, as yet another favourite show of theirs ends in a disappointing manner.

Friday Night Plan (2023)

Not a great plan.

[5/10 · 26 September 2023]

'Friday Night Plan' just feels like a lazy effort. It's easy to see why it got released on Netflix and not in theatres, what I don't understand is that why did they even make this movie in the first place? The creators of this film wanted to make something similar to Hollywood films like "Superbad", but were not creative enough to make it relatable for every student or at least the majority of them. Does 'Prom Night' exist in Indian schools?

The movie feels like a ride that remains in the first gear throughout its runtime. It seems as if the director wanted to copy a Hollywood movie but wasn't sure about the extent to which he should get inspired. One would expect the 'Friday Night Plan' to be one crazy night where the excitement level hits the roof, considering how eager the students were to be there, but the party just turned out to be lamer than the birthday parties of twelve year old children. Frankly speaking, that was just a boring party and I don't see how anyone would have a good time being there. It's safe to say that not a lot of effort went into writing the screenplay of this film, as it fails to intrigue you at any point of time and throughout the film I kept wondering as to how to do producers approve such projects?

Babil Khan made a fairly impressive debut in 'Qala' but he came across as slightly uncomfortable in this film. Babil has the advantage of looking almost exactly like his father, the late Irfaan Khan, but he needs to work on his dialogue delivery. On the other hand, Amrith Jayan, the actor who plays the role of Aditya, came across as a complete natural on screen. The confidence with which Amrith has portrayed his role, makes it difficult to believe that this was actually his debut film. Amrith's dialogue delivery, body language and expressions are just too good, and it goes without saying that he has outshined every other actor in this film. The two female leads of the film, Medha Rana and Aadhya Anand don't get to do any heavy lifting in the film, but showed a lot of promise in the limited screen time provided to them by the film.

'Friday Night Plan' is a mildly interesting feel good film that fades in comparison to even the YouTube videos we see on a daily basis to entertain ourselves.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

A long and boring lecture that just goes on forever.

[6/10 · 12 September 2023]

Through this film Karan Johar tries to teach his audience to be more progressive and let go of stupid old traditions because they were not right in the first place and have not improved our lives in any way. It's good to talk about all these things, I just wish Karan Johar himself followed what he has preached in the film, because looking at the title of the film, it seems Karan still believes that changing the spelling of a name will actually make his film a success.

WHAT'S GOOD :

1. Ranveer Singh was easily the best part of this film. His flamboyant portrayal of Rocky Randhawa was extremely entertaining to watch and the movie would have benefitted a lot if he was the main focus of the film. Not for a moment does it feel like Ranveer is forcing himself to act and also he never feels out of character. Once again Ranveer proves how good of an actor he is and it goes without saying that he is an absolute joy to watch on screen.

2. Every scene involving Dharmendra was truly worth watching. The veteran actor has a charming screen presence and even at this age can act better than most of his co-actors. The emotional impact of the dialogues delivered by Dharmendra was more than any other actor in the film; I just wish he had more scenes in the film.

3. Tota Roy Chowdhury's performance was easily the best among the supporting actors of the film. The scene where he reveals his story to Rocky was extremely heartwarming to watch and of course his dancing was phenomenal throughout the film. Aamir Bashir is an extremely underrated and unfortunately a very underutilized talent of our film industry; be it 'Inside Edge', 'School of Lies' and now this, he always delivers a top quality performance but for some mysterious reason remains under the radar. Jaya Bachchan as the evil mother reminded me of Amitabh Bachchan in [url=tt0213890] with some added goofiness. I didn't like her character at all, which only means that she played her role quite convincingly.

WHAT'S NOT GOOD :

1. The movie just goes on forever, as if it's on a mission to bore it's viewer to death before coming to an end. When the trailer itself has informed the viewers about it's central conflict, then why does the movie waste an hour to get there? Also, after the houses are interchanged, the movie just turns into a television show, with no real intention of reaching anywhere. There is absolutely no way this movie should have had a runtime of three hours; a ninety minute runtime was more than enough.

2. Karan Johar's films are known for their music but unfortunately this one has forgettable songs. A number of songs have been thrown into the mix, but by the time you are done watching the film, you don't remember any of them. Pritam has been delivering some beautiful songs of late, but it seems even he wasn't inspired to create some gems for this dull and boring story. Every single song of the film should have been rejected at the editing table.

3. The movie starts off nicely with some genuinely entertaining scenes thanks to Ranveer Singh's flamboyant portrayal of Rocky Randhawa, but soon turns into a lecture of morals and code of conduct with non-stop lessons being forced upon you in every single scene. Now it's a good thing to talk about social evils, but it has to be done in an organic manner and it definitely should not be the whole point of the film. Also, the movie gets carried away so much in some scenes while lecturing that it just becomes absolutely nonsensical. What was the whole point of that 'bra' shop scene? Was it really necessary for Ranveer to wear a bra to understand the point? Normally, people are hesitant in talking about their undergarments, they are not ashamed of it. That scene went unnecessarily over the top. Also, how is it wrong if someone is shy to talk about undergarments? That whole sequence felt like a case of feminism gone wrong.

4. The whole movie has the feel of an Ekta Kapoor soap opera, something that we stopped watching a long time back. Rich people dressed up all the time as if they are about to go for a wedding; mind games being played between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law; even the background music reminded me of the music that played during the Ekta Kapoor produced television shows.

5. The movie tells the story of two families, one of them being conservative while the other one being liberal and progressive. Now, it's completely fine for people to have different beliefs but to show one family as regressive while the other one as progressive is stretching it a bit too much. Life needs balance in order to function properly, you need to be progressive as well as a conservative; it makes no sense to declare one way of life as wrong because both of them have their downsides. Extreme form of anything will only lead you towards the realm of absurdity, where nothing good can ever exist, so it's always best to maintain a good balance in life as it allows us to take the most logical and sensible decisions in life.

6. Alia Bhatt wasn't a good choice for this role. Of late it has become common to push Alia Bhatt's name for every big project, regardless of whether she is suitable for it or not and this of course being a Karan Johar directorial, he was obviously going to take her considering the amount of love that he has for her; but unfortunately he took a wrong decision. From the very first scene, an attempt was made to portray Alia Bhatt's character as a very sexy woman, who wears sarees and has a voice of her own, but the director failed to do so convincingly, simply because Alia Bhatt wasn't fit for this role. Alia Bhatt's baby face and her voice completely takes you out of the kind of scene that the director was trying to showcase. This role required someone like an Aishwarya Rai or Kareena Kapoor or Kiara Advani. Even her acting felt forced on a number of occasions; she just wasn't cut out for this role.

7. I was hoping to find some comedy in the film, but apart from the "Big Boss" joke I didn't find anything to be particularly funny. Regardless of how we see 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Kal Ho Na Ho' today, one can't deny that they had a lot of humour.

I had high expectations from this one after all the praise it received from the critics, but I guess it was naïve of me to trust the judgement of critics in the first place. 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' is a long and boring lecture that just doesn't know that it needs to conclude things as well.

Bawaal (2023)

You don't need a hammer to slice tomatoes.

[5/10 · 21 August 2023]

Why did this film go for a digital release despite being directed by Nitesh Tiwari, who has previously directed 'Dangal' is a question that I am sure a lot of viewers must have pondered over. After watching the film you do get the sense as to why it couldn't gain the confidence of the exhibitors. Getting straight to the point, the connection that this movie tries to establish with Hitler and World War 2 is rather bizarre and fails completely in convincing the viewer to buy into that idea. I understood what the director wanted to say, that no matter how big you think of yourself and your problems to be, there is someone else out there who has faced something much worse and yet tried to live their life in the most normal way possible; there is no point in crying for what you don't have, just make the best of what you have because it could have been worse; but there was no need to integrate World War 2 to prove this point. Throughout the film the director failed to establish a meaningful connection between the events of World War and the life of our protagonists; the only thing that he managed to do was give us all a good history lesson.

The action sequences have been done very well, there is nothing to criticize in the production design and cinematography of all the flashback sequences, the only problem is none of it was necessary. Auschwitz is a rather disturbing chapter of world history, using it to resolve a trivial issue of a couple was quite stupid in my honest opinion; I don't think you need a hammer to slice a tomato. In one particular scene, an Auschwitz survivor talks about his love story, which was a poor attempt by the director to establish a connection between World War and the love life of our protagonists; the connection has to be organic, you can't force people to create one. Also, it was difficult for me to understand as to why was a girl like Nisha, with all the qualifications that she had, putting up with a guy like Ajay? The behavior of Ajay, played by Varun Dhawan, was a bit too much; I find it difficult to believe that an educated girl would tolerate so much humiliation. If Ajay had made it clear that he doesn't wish to be with her, then why was Nisha still living with him?

The movie doesn't start or end well, it's only in the middle that it somewhat redeems itself with some charming romantic moments between Ajay and Nisha. The sequences in which Ajay and Nisha roam around Europe and explore each other are easily the best and the most enjoyable part of the film. Janhvi Kapoor has never looked this beautiful in any film of hers, though as far as acting is concerned she still comes across as quite stiff. Varun Dhawan does not play a very likeable character but he is extremely believable as the moron that Ajay is. Only question is why would the School hire a History teacher with no knowledge of History?

One bad film does not make you a bad director and in the case of Nitesh Tiwari, he has already proven himself with "Dangal", but he needs to realize that this was a bad film and he needs to stay away from such stupid ideas.

Made in Heaven: A Taste of Heaven (2023) Season 2, Episode 7

Poor writing and unnecessary male bashing ensure that this season does not give you a heavenly experience.

[4/10 · 17 August 2023]

Most Indian web shows are not made with the intention of carrying forward the story into multiple seasons, and I strongly believe that filmmakers shouldn't go ahead with a new season unless they have an actual story to tell. After watching the first two episodes of this season, I just felt that perhaps this show didn't really need a second season. The first two episodes didn't leave any kind of impact on me as such and it felt like I was watching the show only because I had to and not because I wanted to. It was the third episode, where things finally got exciting. That's the magic of having a good director helm your show - Neeraj Ghaywan in this case - as they are quite capable of shaking things up and making the show more engaging for the viewers. I was thoroughly entertained watching the third episode and eagerly anticipated the next one as soon as this one came to an end. The writing on this episode was sharper, the pacing was fantastic and the actors finally made me believe that they wanted to be a part of this new season.

I was hoping that perhaps after a slow start this season would now pick it's pace, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Neeraj Ghaywan came back to direct the fifth episode and transformed 'Made in Heaven' into a completely different show once again. This episode was once again packed with some brilliant performances and very beautifully integrated an extremely relevant social issue in it's central plot. It goes without saying that the two episodes directed by Neeraj Ghaywan were the most praiseworthy episodes of this season, the only two that I would want to watch again. The rest of the season was highly problematic. When it happens in one or two episodes, you could say the creator just wants to highlight the problem because it's also a social issue, but if it happens in every single episode then you know that the showrunners have an agenda here. I felt like this season was more interested in male bashing than throwing some spotlight on the social issues ailing our society. In the name of feminism and liberalism, sometimes filmmakers overstep the line so much that they end up in the realm of absurdity and that is exactly what happens in this season.

In the first season I was more interested in the social issues being tackled in every episode than the events taking place in the lives of the main characters, and the showrunners also gave equal weightage to the two threads running in parallel, but in this season the marriage event takes a backseat and more attention is given to the lives of our main characters, which did not always make for a great watch because it was repetitive, boring and often frustrating. Even though this new season also takes up a number of social evils, but because the focus is primarily on the lives of our main characters, we are unable to fully invest in the issues being highlighted and as a result don't get affected as much as we did in the first season.

Made in Heaven made it quite clear in the first season that the protagonists of this show are grey characters, but with this season they have pretty much turned into Lord Voldemort, I just don't like them anymore. According to the showrunners, all the problems in this world are due to men, women are just victims, if a woman does something wrong then there is nothing wrong in it because she is just ambitious and wants to live her life independently, but if a man does something wrong he needs to be called out for it and punished severely. What kind of nonsensical ideology is that? How exactly are we supposed to empathize with 'Tara' in the final episode after the treatment she gives to Adil's mother? If the showrunners wanted us to hate 'Tara' after the final episode, then they clearly succeeded in doing that. It was such a relief to see Raghav parting ways with Tara in the end, no man deserves to be with a woman like that. This season feels like a case of feminism gone wrong.

Kabir and Jaspreet, possibly the most likeable characters of the show, had some beautiful scenes in the first season, but this season turns Jaspreet into a victim and paints Kabir as a bad person. It was mind boggling to see Jaspreet pointing fingers at Kabir even though every single one of those allegations could have been pointed at her as well! Kabir played by Shashank Arora was such a likeable character in the first season, but in this one he is hardly seen anywhere. Why did the writers destroy such a wonderful character? Why do the writers forget that Kabir is the one summarizing and narrating the story? How can a man who understands everything so deeply be so ambiguous about everything in his own life? Did the showrunners seriously ruin Kabir's character just because they had to show every man as a bad person?

This season also had two cameos by Jim Sarbh and Kalki Koechlin, yes the same two actors who were part of the main cast in the first season. Why were two amazing central characters given a treatment like this is a question that can be answered only by the showrunners. Jim Sarbh was brilliant as Adil Khanna in the handful of scenes that he was given this season, and it was frustrating to not see more of him. Were the actors not available for the filming of this season? Did the showrunners run out of ideas for them?

Mona Singh was the most notable new addition to the show in this season as Bulbul Jauhari and she did a fantastic job. Bulbul Jauhari was not only a very likeable character but the portrayal by Mona Singh was extremely believable as well. The track given to Karan and Meher in this season made me wonder, that is that all what their life is about? Looking for dates all the time, having sex with random people, taking drugs all the time? We got introduced to a new character in this season called Meher, who is so desperate that she is continuously swiping left and right, looking for hook-ups, even when she is at work; there was nothing else that the showrunners felt like telling us about her life. Also, the showrunners just casually ignored the fact that Karan stole eighteen lakh rupees from the company, he never gave an explanation for that and life just went on. The writing of this season was seriously messed up.

A couple of things in this season made me wonder if the showrunners are trying to cater to an international audience or they are completely out of touch with reality. While the first season was around 70 percent in English, this season was around 99 percent in English. It was fine in the first season because the rich and affluent people do tend to talk in English, but in this season everyone was talking in English all the time, including Ramesh Jauhari and his family, which felt extremely odd. Also, I could not understand the reasoning behind Ramesh Jauhari and his family eating food with spoons and knives. I don't think even a single middle class household in India eats their food like that. Who exactly were the showrunners trying to impress here ? Also has Zoya Akhtar and her team never met any normal Muslims? In the first Muslim wedding, alcohol was being served to everyone while the main Nikaah ceremony wasn't even shown, while the second one was a case of polygamy! It just reflects the major disconnect showrunners have with the culture.

Too much of anything can be bad and the final episode is a good example of that, where we see a rather bizarre wedding in which a bride marries herself. In the name of feminism and liberalism, sometimes filmmakers overstep the line so much that they end up in the realm of absurdity and that is exactly what happens in this episode and the season as well. By the time this season ends, one actually feels happy for Adil, his sister Gauri, his mother and Faiza; they may have lost their house, but at least they have each other; Tara on the other hand is left to live alone in that big house with her selfishness. How do the showrunners expect the viewers to root for the main leads after all this is beyond my understanding. Despite a longer runtime for each episode, this season feels extremely hollow and disappoints big time. Barring the episodes directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, there is nothing that I would wish to watch again from this season and I am certainly not looking forward to the next season.