Phillauri

Successful fantasy dramas in Bollywood are a rare phenomena. With Amol Palekar's Paheli (2005) as a solid benchmark, it can be difficult to create an interesting film, as this ambitious project by a debutante director shows.

Kanan (Suraj Sharma) is a young man who arrives from Canada and is taken by his parents straight to his would-be-fiancée and high school sweetheart Anu's (Mehreen Pirzada) house for their engagement and subsequent wedding which is scheduled a week from now. Already mad with the swift turn of events and unsure about the whole marriage thing, Kanan tries to speak his mind, but it all falls in deaf ears. Things move at a faster rate as he is directed by the family pandit (Hindu scholar) to first marry a tree so that he can get rid of his astrological curse. No prize for guessing, but Kanan soon finds out that the tree that he married the previous day contained the ghost of a woman named Shashi (Anushka Sharma) who now believes and takes him to be her lawfully-wedded husband. A shaken Kanan tries to avoid her, but for how long? And how is he going to explain it to Anu, who now thinks that Kanan has changed from a genteel lover-boy to a weed-smoking hipster who plays around with women's feelings...

If there is a thing called convenient filmmaking, then this is it. With the setup of a big Indian wedding that reminds me of a yesteryear Malayalam-language film, Anwar Rasheed's Ustad Hotel (2012), used to introduce the characters, the film makes a promising start. Superstitious families, an over-attached girlfriend, and a mysterious ghost from the previous century - the film has everything a Bollywood film could ask for. And for some time, it even manages to entertain. However, the level of quality and entertainment soon falls when you realize that the humor is forced and the drama unceremonious and inconsequential. Kanan is a 26-year old man and his encounters with Shashi are so childish they are cringe-worthy. Suraj's portrayal as the helpless guy does not work either, even when he is supported by a talented supporting cast.

The only positive element that works for the film is that the suspense about Shashi's past stays strong throughout the film, mostly because it is explored non-linearly and is only dug deeper in the final 30 minutes. The base is quite similar to Palekar's 2005 SRK-starrer, with the exception of disappointing performances from the lead cast. Suraj sports a single expression throughout the 2 hours of running time - whether it is him flirting with his would-be or being terrorized by Shashi. Anushka does not do much for her character other than lazing around from point A to B looking like she hasn't a clue. All excuses defending her character should be attributed to bad writing. Pirzada is a cutie, but needs to improve her acting chops if she wants to stay. Diljit Dosanjh is the only main character who gives out an authentic performance, and we cannot thank director Anshai Lal for that. The direction is overall average, with Lal using tried and tested methods to narrate his story and still failing to impress. The fitting and well-crafted background score and few hummable songs further accentuate the film as a one-time watch.

With laudable CGI for a Bollywood film and the fact that the romance in the film is tied to an important part of Indian pre-Independence history, this second production by Anushka Sharma is a watchable but average affair. Go for it if you have nothing else to do.

BOTTOM LINE: Anshai Lal's "Phillauri" is a ghost story that flip flops between romance, fantasy, and comedy with these genres providing entertainment in the descending order. It is high on romance thanks to the backstory set in the 1910s, but is pretty low on comedy, no thanks to the writing. Watch it on TV.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Last week we saw the release of 'Beauty and the Beast,' a fairy tale romance with magical elements. Interestingly this week's Hindi release 'Phillauri' is a fairy tale in its own right. Phillauri is a brave movie because we don't tend to give stories that stray from the norm an equal chance. We call them different or 'hatke' and that defines their success. It doesn't matter if they're good or bad because they're termed as different and set aside. Phillauri is unique, certainly, but aren't all good movies?

Anushka Sharma was the youngest actor-producer in Bollywood when we she decided to back and act in 2015's 'NH10'- a courageous decision and even braver film. Two years later she's back with her second outing as producer with Phillauri. While polar opposite to NH10 in terms of story and tone, the bravery is still present. First, if you never saw NH10, do. And then give Phillauri a chance.

Phillauri begins with a young groom, Kanan, (played by Suraj Sharma) forced to marry a tree because he's 'mangilk' (possibly cursed) before he can marry his longtime girlfriend. While both families are relatively modern thinking, superstition runs deep. Soon after his nuptials with said tree he's haunted by a ghost named Shashi (Anushka Sharma) who claims he married her and not the tree. These first few moments evoke a few chuckles. The plot is slow to pick up but eventually tells us about the ill fated romance of Shashi and Phillauri (Diljit Dosanjh) in early 1900s Punjab. The movie tells two vastly different stories about a present day couple having wedding jitters and star-crossed lovers from a time long gone. Personally, I enjoyed the scenes in Punjab tremendously. Anushka and Diljit share an easy chemistry and both are incredibly likable in the movie. The present day portion isn't anything special but watching the couple be 'haunted' by Shashi is amusing enough.

Lead actor and producer Anushka Sharma walks away with the meatiest role and does full justice to her part. You're rooting for Shashi the whole way. Diljit Dosanjh, who we last saw in Udta Punjab, is equally convincing as a carefree singer who wears his heart of his sleeve. Suraj Sharma of Life of Pi fame and newcomer Mehreen Pirzada, who plays his fiancé, are fine in their respective roles but don't leave a lasting impact.

First time director Anshai Lal is unpolished but handles a few sequences well. The music is a highlight and gels perfectly with the screenplay. Every song is heavily influenced by Punjabi folk music which might not appeal to everyone but I've been listening to and enjoying the soundtrack for a few weeks now. The portions in Punjab are shot with great care and the flavor and culture is enchanting.

You may have seen pictures of Shashi the friendly ghost making appearances all over the world and throughout history as part of the Phillauri promotional campaign. It was a brilliant marketing strategy that stays true to the nature of the film. Honestly, the promotional campaign was better executed but this is still a light and feel-good movie that blends old fashioned romance with a fairy tale narrative. Watch it for Anushka and Diljit who light up the screen with their charm. And kudos to Ms. Sharma, please continue breaking barriers and taking risks.

https://stuffiwatchblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/phillauri/

These ghost/friendly spirit films make me cringe a lot especially when I saw Urvashi Rautela in Great Grand Masti. This film is basically a loose adaptation of Tim Burton's The Corpse. When I saw the trailer of this film, I didn't expect much from it.

So the movie revolves around a NRI westernized slacker named Kanan who has plans of marrying his love life Anu. Based on his Horoscope, he is forced to marry a tree to avoid giving any bad luck to his fiancée. While sleeping, a friendly spirit named Shashi comes to haunt Kanan and after a few mishaps, she manages to tell Kanan that instead of marrying the tree, he married the spirit who lived inside that tree. Knowing the truth behind the ghost's past and fixing it is basically what this film is about.

Honestly, this film is highly average at best. The story and screenplay is decent which makes the gripping factors of romance very consistent but this is only during the 1st half of the film. Post the interval makes it too far-fest and uneasiness starts to creep in especially during the climax.

It did become a bore to such extent when it came to the music which didn't do any justice to the film.

The performances were strong which made it a paisa vasool.

Anushka Sharma as usual has given a brilliant performance but the comedic factors in her role was a bit cold at times.

Diljit Dosanjh in Udta Punjab was commendable and so for this film when he played a poet from Phillaur.

Life of Pi was a benchmark with Suraj Sharma's performance. His debut in Bollywood was decent and charming. He is good which did make me laugh alright during some times in the movie.

Mehreen Pirzada was also decent and she started off well in this film but could've been better.

In contrast, there are issues in the film which compromised the depth of the film.

The music is average and no song really stands out as such especially when getting new composers for such movies.

Although Sahiba is a light hearted and kindling soundtrack but still the music is the culprit behind the snooze-fest elements in the movie.

The movie does stretch another 15-20 minutes making the climax very crass with alleviated grips.

Overall, the movie could've been better in terms of avoiding a predictable plot, music, and direction making it a bit rather underwhelming but the earnest performances kept the movie alive.

2.5/5- just save your money this weekend unless if you're craving to see Anushka Sharma's commendable acting chops.

#Phillauri : @AnushkaSharma proved with her last production venture that a girl can make a film. She can produce a full length feature film. NH10 received good applause from the critics as well as the audiences. Now, Anushka is producing her second film, Phillauri.

I was curious after seeing the trailer of this one. Diljit Dosanjh is my favorite after Udta Punjab. Sahiba song is also praiseworthy. And friendly-ghost story of Anvita Dutt made me to go to the theater on day one.

As I was curious to know which work was not completed of Shashi (the ghost), I enjoyed the film and the process to reach the final stage. Pre-interval portion is majorly in 2017, showing the wedding ceremony of the couple. There are some light moments. But, if you are not be able to listen and see whatever the film is giving to you, then it will be a problem for you to sit about an hour. Though the flashback story is also going parallel before 20 minutes of interval. No happening is there in the interval moment.

After the interval, first major twist takes place. It was like wow. Songs come in picture. I must tell you that the costumes and sets are very well designed. Each frame is so much colorful. Punjab of now and then, looks beautiful. As well as, Anushka looks so pretty in the flashback story. And the ghost image has been created really well. Yes, then the story has its flow. So much is happening in this portion. You will never think about anything else, just open your heart, see the screen and listen melodious tunes. This is the second half.

The climax is so pure, that I'm 100% that many will loose their command of their bodies towards the seat. I mean, many will not get what it is offering. Mostly the climax would be seen slow-paced and long. But, according me, I've never seen such kind of purity in any recent or last year movies. Kudos to the last twist! Anushka is superb. As usual. As a producer too. Diljit Dosanjh is superb, he is my idol. Suraj Sharma perfectly plays his role. He can make the people laugh whenever required. Anu is also fine. Supporting cast is also good. The actor who plays the role of Shashi's brother is very good. We have seen him in Udta. Here, I like his role very much, especially, in that scene when he reads the letter and starts crying.

Music is perfect for the film. Sahiba, Dumb Dumb kind of songs are test cricket songs, which will last long. Lyrics are also containing same purity which the film offers.

Director Anshai is very well. I think, this is the debut. And I would definitely love to watch more.

Somehow, this film will not run at B.O. But, who will go to the theater to watch this, will come out with a great satisfaction of viewing or witnessing a new concept or an unusual story. Anvita Dutt and Anushka Sharma deserve a good amount of appreciation. Kudos!

Funny in parts, sad in parts, entertaining in parts, boring as a whole. Anushka Sharma keeps a great body language to carry this character successfully. Other actors, Director and script are just below average. USP of this film lies in its Editing. Scenes are connected very beautifully throughout the movie.

Storyline Rating: 2

Acting Rating: 2 Anushka Sharma: 3 Diljit Dosanjh: 2 Suraj Sharma: 2

Direction Rating: 2

Music Rating: 2

Cinematography: 3

Editing: 4