Bangalore Days

Hi, I'm from Tamilnadu (Tamilian). I can very much speak & understand Malayalam. One thing I want to highlight a point is that Malayalam Film industry especially in the past one decade has gone to the height of World classics... Anjali Menon's contribution to Malayalam Film industry is one of the remarkable count. Yes, she does it again with Bangalore Days... Kudos to her. I have seen this Movie, yesterday at Chennai. Very pleasant & enjoyable ride.... All the actors did their best. Especially, Fahad Fazil,Dulquar Salman,Nivin Pauly & cute smiling angel Nazriya does their roles perfectly. Once again, Anjali keep rocking. I love to watch all your future movies .... Rgds, Hari. (Your Tamilian Fan from Chennai).

Bangalore Days opens with a narrative style of Navin Pouli - the story is about 3 cousins and their different temperaments and lives.Though each personality is very different from one other, their bond which is portrayed through an excellent screenplay is what makes the film special. In these days where own families do not support each other when things get tough, this movie portrays how these 3 cousins stay together through thick and thin.

Coming to the characters: Divya/Nazriya - Resilient, sharp witted and independent in the true sense; is exceptional. Her portrayal of how a modern Indian woman is expected to conform is spot on but her free spirit is destined to do much more.

Kutta/Navin - The quintessential small town software engineer, who wants to explore new places, earn money but finally wants a homely girl who will cook for him and serve him.

Arjun/Dilquer - The romeo, the free spirit who doesn't care for rules or perceptions. Extremely impulsive, he does what his heart tells him to do. This character is the glue in the 3 lives, and brings the whole story to life.

Finally, Mr. Das/Fahd - the brooding/depressed/chauvinistic husband who is actually not any of the above but his past has made him who he is today. Well portrayed by Fahd.

The RJ and short appearance by Menon along with all the supporting family members add to the chutzpah of the movie. This movie will make you laugh and cry.

Go watch it, its 3 hours long but you would never look at your watch once and its worth every penny. I give it a 7.5 as some of the sequences could have been more real.

Bangalore Days movie clearly entertains all kinds of age groups with a simple yet interesting storyline never making you check the time. It is a top to bottom fun filled movie with certain good message to the society,certain satirical sequences and moreover with lots to laugh out your brains. Apart from the story lagging a bit after the interval,which it picks up very soon you have nothing to be called negatives. Pairing of actors is done perfectly creating correct combinations. With very good camera work and direction, the movie also attains technical perfection. Songs and Choreography adds up to the merit of this movie. So as a whole its a very entertaining movie which you never want to miss..

No, its not a bad movie, but its definitely not worth the hype. First things first, the movie is blessed with an awesomely energetic cast. The first 20 minutes were a breeze, thanks to the lightheartedness, the mockery of our Nair Tharavadus and Nivin Pauly, this despite that wedding song (Thun thuna ney na... and than thana ney na... where do you come up with such deep lyrics I wonder!). It feels like Anjali Menon is picking up from where she left us at the end of "Manjadikuru", letting us know what happened to those cousins as they grew up.

The movie follows three (and a half) different story arcs of the three (and a half) main leads connected by their intermittent get-together at Rasta Cafe (I give it to them for their will to drive 50 KMs routinely through the Bangalore traffic for some coffee).

Dulquer plays the cool dude, the biker, the rebel, the go-to guy, the RJ stalker among other things with a look that has become quite a regular with him now. He might soon start getting type cast. But then he carries it off so well. Nivin plays the simpleton trying to get along with the city life. However caricaturish the role and performance, I just loved the character and this was the track I liked the most. Nasriya plays the lighthearted girl who gets into an arranged marriage way too early and to someone who doesn't make it easy, played seamlessly well by Fahad, despite the boring/unconvincing character (and that's where we get the half character and story arc).

Of the 2 other main characters, Parvathy gets a meaty role and plays it to perfection, while Isha gets a role that suits her very well - of looking good and breaking hearts (with none of the innocence of her earlier role in a thattum). And then there is Kalpana who cracks us up in the second half and of course Vijayaraghavan in that one scene where he is only heard...brilliant! Nithya Menon in her cameo is, well, BAD and yes, it does breaks my heart to say that.

Despite the superficiality, the movie entertains in parts, but not as a whole. It stretches so, especially the Nasriya-Fahad track which is the least convincing and boring. Dulquer's track is predictable till the entry of Parvathy Menon. She has a very interesting character to play and without giving away any spoilers, keeps things from going downhill. Coming to the highlight of the movie (to me), its Kuttan, played by Nivin Pauly. That innocent, simpleton who finds it almost impossible to get along with the new lifestyle, the one who gawks at people kissing in public, but can't accept it. The reason behind the mallu hypocrisy which many fail to see.

The movie handles the arranged marriage, the transition of a naive young boy to the city lifestyle and such nuances very well. Music is just about good, the background score though should not have been so obviously plagiarized. Scenes and locations are great, after all, the movie focuses on good looking faces and places. Like my cousin's 5-year old said, "Wow! No garbage on Bangalore roads!!!" You need some serious cinematography talent or CGI to achieve that.

At the end, Bangalore Days, ends up being a Malayalam movie in Bollywood format, a "Dil Chahta Hai" for us. You got the multi star cast, you got the good looking people and locations, you even got the wedding song and dance... its got the works. A"Karan Johar"-ization of Malayalam cinema (of course at a much better quality). You know the kind, where someone, who is seemingly an entry level employee at an IT services firm (which has a training center at Mysore...now which one was that?) but lives in a fully furnished Confident group ka flat, all ALONE (no roommates and no scope to share rent). He hasn't even been onsite yet!! Since when did they start paying so well??? Come on guys, please set realistic expectations. Anjali Menon, you should make more responsible movies. Now, how am I gonna explain to my relatives that we don't live like that here! Finally, did I like the movie? Well, I've got a love-hate thing going for "Bangalore Days". Loved that someone attempted a decent "Dedication to Bangalore from a Malayalee" and Hated that they deviated mid way. Loved the cousin camaraderie and Bangalore parts, Hated that it turned into a candy-floss, cliché' ridden, Bollywood-ization of Malayalam Cinema. Loved the Nivin Pauly character and the half-decent Dulquer track, but absolutely Hated the Nasria story.

Bangalore days is full of life. The movie talks about the tale of three cousins who travel to Bangalore in the pursuit of chasing their dreams.

The story revolves around the journeys of these three twenty- somethings and how each one of them cops up in accordance to the twists and turns in their individual lives. Because it consists of a prestigious star cast, the expectation bar among the viewers regarding the flick was too high. And let me tell you, it is unmitigatedly worth the hype! The film is incorporated with appreciable transitions, commendable drollery, a congenial run time of 170 minutes and one of the most pleasurable story lines. All these factors bolstered by exquisite performances add to the film's charm fashioning it into a complete package.

Kudos to the person who took the task of assembling such an effulgent movie troupe. Nivin Pauly, as one of the three main leads, was as natural as he could have been. Also, the way he narrates their journey diversifies the script making it even more delectable. Nazriya, as the main female lead is creditable. She is much blessed with the skill of exhibiting emotional scenes and is bound to get better with age. Out of the three leads, Dulquer Salman's portrayal was paramount. Enacting the character of a rowdy biker driven by complex emotions is not a piece of cake, but Salman has hit the spot effortlessly. Fahadh Fasil has been the cream of the crop while enacting his part that of an angry young husband, his performance was just simply flawless! Parvathy Menon as RJ Sarah was like a cherry on the top, she definitely managed to make an impression. Other minor roles played by Isha Talwar and Kalpana were mediocre as well.

Anjali Menon has unambiguously managed to make a hit with her 2nd major directorial venture. Also, a distinguished and wondrous screenplay leaves you mesmerized. Editing and Cinematography departments have definitely aced at their respective jobs. All the locations from Kerala and Bangalore have been impeccably put on the big screen. Music and other background scores by Gopi Sunder too were very much above average.

Summarizing everything, Bangalore days is a perfect blend of meritorious drama, affable romance and rollicking comicality. Lovely is the word for it! People who take pleasure in watching jolly youth dramas and love stories will surely fall in love with this one.