Rajeev Masand – movies that matter : from bollywood, hollywood and everywhere else

April 28, 2017

King’s welcome!

Filed under: Our FIlms — Rajeev @ 6:00 pm

April 28, 2017

Cast: Prabhas, Rana Dagubatti, Ramya Krishnan, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Nasser

Director: S S Rajamouli

The answer to that burning question – you know which one; the one that has spawned innumerable spoofs, memes and gifs – comes nearly an hour and forty-five minutes into Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. To be honest, you can spot it from a mile away. But it’s a testament to director SS Rajamouli’s unmatchable storytelling skills that he ensures the film is about a lot more than just the revelation of the suspense behind that punchline.

In 2015, Rajamouli’s sweeping epic Baahubali: The Beginning became the highest grossing Telugu film and one that effectively achieved what few regional films have, namely extraordinary pan-India success and popularity via its dubbed versions. We were instantly seduced by the story of Mahishmati’s princes Amarendra Baahubali and Bhalaldeva, by the conundrum of Sivagami who had to pick the future king between the two men, by the unflinching loyalty and subsequent betrayal of Katappa, and by the arrival of Mahendra Baahubali aka Shiva who freed the long suffering Devsena and learnt the truth about his identity.

Baahubali 2 is a king-sized sequel expressly designed to be a blockbuster. The clash between Baahubali and his cousin Bhalaldeva (Rana Dagubatti) is still at the core of this story, although everything here is bigger – from the sets, to the muscles in leading man Prabhas’ back. The comedy, mostly featuring Katappa (Sathyaraj), is squarely lost in translation, and romance remains the weak link in the Baahubali movies with way too much screen time committed to the blossoming of the relationship between a young Devsena (an impressive Anushka Shetty) and Amarendra Baahubali. Still, it’s never gratuitous like the frankly pointless courting of Tamannah’s character by Shiva in the earlier film.

Devsena, in fact, is a crucial player in the new film, a skilled warrior and, admirably, a fiery feminist who won’t let others make life decisions for her. As is often the case in stories involving kings and kingdoms, the woman is a catalyst for much of the drama that unfolds. In this case it’s two women: Devsena, but also Sivagami (a terrific Ramya Krishnan) whose character, unfortunately, ends up being a bundle of unconvincing contradictions. A solid, headstrong woman who can stand up to any man in the palace, but who nevertheless falls prey to hearsay.

The simplistic, predictable story is the chink in the film’s armor. But it has to be said here that Rajamouli is a consummate craftsman who sweeps you up in the filmmaking. He skillfully uses every tool at his disposal, including rousing background music, slow-motion technology, clap-trap moments, and fantastical flights of fancy to transport you to the world of his characters. It’s impossible not to be impressed by a magnificent, larger-than-life coronation sequence. It’s hard not to cheer when a key character avenges an insult to a woman’s honor. There is also a ship that flies, a stampede of bulls with horns on fire, and palm trees that are used as catapults in a battle scene. There is virtually no stopping Rajamouli’s incredible imagination.

The other big draw, and frankly true of both films, is the committed, extraordinary performance by Prabhas, whose sheer physicality and intensity is a sight to behold. That key moment he shares with Katappa is milked to great emotional effect.

Baahubali 2 has better special effects and bigger battle sequences but its success lies in Rajamouli’s ability to turn a frankly standard story of sibling rivalry and revenge into an entertaining and consistently watchable film. Despite its running time of 2 hours and 47 minutes, I was never bored.

I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five. The last film felt more organic, this one throws everything at the screen, and it’s hard not to submit.

(This review first aired on CNN News18)

April 7, 2017

Death becomes them

Filed under: Our FIlms — Rajeev @ 9:00 pm

April 07, 2017

Cast: Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl

Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani

Death, and the awareness of one’s mortality are key themes in Mukti Bhawan. Yet the film is a surprisingly charming father-son story filled with laughter and unexpected moments of tenderness and humanity. Co-writer and director Shubhashish Bhutiani eschews melodrama, opting for everyday realism and understated humor to narrate the story of an over-worked middle-aged man who must take time off from his demanding job to accompany his elderly father to Varanasi to breathe his last.

77-year-old patriarch Dayanand Kumar (Lalit Behl) announces at the dinner table one evening that he believes his time has come and that he wants to travel to the sacred ghats to achieve salvation before he passes. His son, Rajiv (Adil Hussain), has a lot on his plate – mounting workload at the office, and preparations to make for his daughter’s wedding – but he agrees to take his father when it’s clear the old man won’t budge.

The ‘Mukti Bhawan’ in the film’s title refers to the ramshackle lodge that the gentlemen check into when they arrive in the holy city; an establishment that houses elderly people at the end of their lives, with a strict 15-day residency limit. Daya settles in immediately, making friends with a kind widow who, as it turns out, has been staying at the lodge for some 18 years. Rajiv, torn between his responsibility to his father and anxious to get back to work, is deeply distressed.

Expectedly the film casts a sharp eye on the strained relationship between father and son, who, as co-inhabitants of a small room in the lodge, are now thrown into the deep end, left to address unresolved issues. Bhutiani reveals a gift for finding beauty in everyday situations, and for creating fleshed-out characters that speak and behave like real people; recognizable folk with relatable conflicts.

Adil Hussain is in excellent form as a man struggling to make sense of his priorities. It’s a fine, measured performance and the actor conveys so much subtext with such little outward expression. Lalit Behl, in the role of his stubborn old father, is very good too, as are Geetanjali Kulkarni and Palomi Ghosh who play Rajiv’s wife and daughter respectively. The acting is top notch, and the performances power the perceptive writing.

Mukti Bhawan is as much a celebration of life – complete with all its complexities and paradoxes – as it is a meditation on the harsh realities of getting old and dying. It is both poignant and uplifting.

Beautifully shot and although languidly paced, Bhutiani delivers an evocative drama that has surely got to be one the best films you’ll see this year. I’m going with four out of five.

(This review first aired on CNN News18)

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