dev_alok

A decent biopic of now a forgotten hero. India is not doing very well in football these days but it is good to see that there was a time when India was doing ok and could have become a powerhouse. The era shown in this movie is 1952 to 1962 which most will agree was the best showing of Indian football. Was good to see how a man determined to succeed had to fight against regionalism. Having said that I felt that casting could have been better. Ajay Devgan as the main hero was monotonous. He always acts the same and looks the same no matter what character he is playing. In the end credits we see a picture of S A Rahim and Ajay Devgan doesn't look anything like him. All the other actors had good resemblance to characters they played. Like any other formulaic movie they had to put a villain who the audience could blame. In this case that was a sports reporter played by Gajraj Rao. I did think that this character was superfluous and not needed. Overall a decent watch but lacking in few areas.

I am big fan of Alia Bhatt and I really wanted to like this movie but was sorely disappointed. Poorly developed characters and feel of a Netflix movie. Alia Bhatt is older sister of a boy who is due to be executed for a minor drug charge in a fictional country near Malaysia. Movie is about how far she is willing to go to get him freed. Plot has potential but is poorly executed. It is a really long movie with no good songs you would expect from a good Hindi movie. No good hero. Just a poor villain who keeps showing up everywhere. At the end I was just happy that the movie was over and I could move on.

This movie was a refreshing change from big blockbusters like, Pathaan, Jawaan, Animal etc, that bollywood has been churning lately. Movie is set in rural India and it captures the plight of people and specifically women in that area. Best thing about the movie is its casting which consists or virtual nobodies. Characters and actors reminded me of serial Jaamtara. Two leading ladies, Nitashi and Pratibha, played their part excellently and were well supported by everyone around them. Without giving any spoilers I can say that movie starts with misadventures of two recently married girls. There is an impending sense of doom and you continue to worry what could go wrong. Movie and supporting cast does remind you of what can happen to a young girl in India who is not accompanied by a male. For some girls life is worse when they are tied to a male also. Despite heavy odds our two leading ladies come out trups with help from most unexpected quarters in a convincing way and that is what sets this movie apart. You root for these girls and you worry about them. You shed a tear of joy when they make it to their destination. More power to producers and directors who make such movies.