Simran

Simran is a commentary on the lost American dream, the societal lookout on an independent Indian woman and the misplaced fear on brown people post 9/11.

The main supporting characters are all one note – the frustrated father, the emotionally fragile mother, the caring partner, the stereotypical colleagues and such caricaturish villains that it is hard to care for any of these people. And this is where Simran falters.The film struggles with identity crisis- it can't seem to decide if it wants to be a comedy or a serious film and this is most evident in the second half when things become so absurd that you will find your eyes rolling.

https://commentatorship.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/movie-review-simran/

I don't know where to begin. I watched this movie after reading some unfavorable reviews and knew what I was up against. I had zero expectations and decided to catch a screening only because I had time to kill and this movie had the best ratings out of the many that were being screened. Unfortunately, I underestimated the true potential for Indian cinema's bizarrely terrible mainstream products. This was perhaps the highlight of amateurish modern-day direction and the writing was only a shade better to begin with, but oh boy, did that change fast.

I'd hate to spoil the movie for you, but let me just say that there is plenty of action, all of which is the most non-sensical bullshit produced this year. There is plenty of drama; perhaps a tad extra for my taste but nothing out of the ordinary for a Bollywood film trying its best to be serious. There is plenty of humour, all of which is wrought with so much cringe that your face hurts from contorting it into odd shapes and forms. And then there is the absolute insanity that is Kangana Ranaut's performance as a five year-old child.

But hey, maybe you enjoy shitshows like the vast majority of Indian audiences that patronize cinema halls across the country. Maybe you enjoy shoddily written character plots, bad acting, abysmal direction, and the occasional racial stereotyping portrayed so conveniently. Maybe you just love seeing glimpses of a foreign country you've never been to and dream of settling down in for god-knows-what reason and seek inspiration only through fictional films that have no semblance of reality. But hey, maybe you're just an idiot.

In short, Simran was a traumatising experience and I doubt I could watch another Bollywood film this year because I might have just developed a new phobia.

Okay, Simran tells the story of its eponymous 'heroine', a young Indian immigrant in the US who becomes a serial bank robber to repay her debts following major losses in a gambling bout. Once she performs successfully her first robbery there's no looking back for her. Said to be based on the true story of Sandeep Kaur, a young Sikh immigrant in the US who made headlines following a number of successful robberies, this crime comedy is not just about the protagonist's crimes but also her life in general. It is with the robberies that the film picks up a little but sadly it is really poorly executed and there's some sort of amateur feel to it which is very present all along and is hard to shake off. Especially for those who watch American films of the sort, even the low-budget independent ones, the film's flaws and inept handling especially of the criminal activities and characters become more strongly evident. The American actors in the bit parts are also very poor. This is not to say the film is not good at all, it is watchable although it lacks this special something that would captivate. And it's a shame when you have a leading lady who is as strong as Kangana Ranaut. She is effortless in the part, playing it with a nice touch of self-deprecation and managing to evoke some empathy from the viewers in light of her impossible tribulations. Sadly, the material lets her down and the entire thing is not fully realised. Simran is not a terrible film, for sure. It is enjoyable in parts, it is funny in others, and Ranaut does make up for some of its flaws, which is enough for one watch but doesn't call for more.

I walked into the movie theatre with no preconceived idea of the movie. The ticket was just 90 bucks and it had Kangana as the lead. How bad could it be? Very Very Very bad.

It is very easy to shake of a bad 'commercial' star film. Almost all of them are bad and no one really takes them seriously. However , it is much more frustrating to watch an amazing performer like Kangana get caught in an awful script which she apparently wrote herself!

The movie starts of very nicely. Watching an independent , hardworking NRI woman let her hair loose in Vegas was immensely fun. If the film had followed that path of her balancing work and play we would have all had a good time.

The films plot goes awry when our heroine loses all her money to gambling and ends up owing money to a shady gangster type person. Instead of trying to work for it or report to the police about the goondagiri of the moneylenders she decides to coerce her father to give money. When doesn't work out she plans to rob a bank acting like she is carrying explosives.

Read more in my review here:- https://assortedboxblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/oye-simran-arey- kingsman/

If I had not known that this film was loosely based on real events,I wud have found it incredulous and just a star vehicle.The fact that a Punjabi girl did manage to pull off some of such stunts in the US is worthy of respect.I dunt know why the director switched her regional identity from Punjabi to Gujarati,and if that has worked perfectly.Sure,with Gujjus in the mix,u can drop words like investment,stocks,fafda and thepla,and u can also take liberties with the accent.Besides,Kangana played a Punjabi girl in Queen as well,and this must have necessitated a change in the identity. KR has a raw charm.She bares her soul on the camera.She is not afraid of coming across as uncouth and unsophisticated.Even when she overacts,she has the charisma to get away woth it.And of course she overdoes her part a lot of times,but it doesn't hurt the film.Its her show,and u dunt mind watching.

As for the character she plays,Lipstick Bandit is out-of-control.Its one thing to rebel,quite another to be a gambling and alcohol addict.And then to rob banks to pay off ur debts ! U might love KR,but u have mixed feelings about Simran,and that is where lies the brilliance of the actress.There is definitely a story to tell,and it is told with doable sincerity.Yet the screenplay cud have been a tad tighter,and other characters made rounder.KR floats alone amidst a crowd of caricatures.Now we know that the west is paranoid after 9/11 but then u cant just present the cops as retards.

This film can be watched for KR.Its not a boring film.But why shud HAnsal Mehta (Aligarh,shahid,city lights) waste his time here ? well,I have heard he and Rajkumar are ready with Omerta .Simran must have provided some comic relief in the interlude.