Reviews

Badlapur is a noir revenge caper helmed by Sriram Raghavan that despite of being dark, gory is entertaining enough to keep you glued to your seats till the very end primarily because of brilliant execution and towering performances. When it comes to filming thrillers, Sriram Raghavan is a name to reckon with & he has proved his credentials in the past by making Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar n Agent Vinod. While his last flick Agent Vinod proved to be a damp squib at the box office but he is back with a bang with Badlapur. Badlapur has all the quintessential elements that an engrossing thriller needs ; eyebrow- singeing intensity, perfectly structured plot with several layers attached to it which keep on unfolding with due passage of time, well etched out characters and intriguing suspense. Badlapur is not usual good versus bad tale or a typical revenge saga as there are no set black or white characters in the movie. Though, the movie begins with an African proverb " Axe forgets but the tree remembers " clearly setting the tone for the movie to be a revenge saga but Raghavan has cleverly infused the stress on forgiveness also in the film. From the promos Badlapur seemed like a revenge driven saga with lot of gory bloodshed but the director has cleverly concocted the story in the form of Psychological drama. In fact, the first half of the movie is full of black and quirky humor which mainly flows from the mouth of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the revenge saga unfolds in the second half. The best part of the movie is its unpredictability which keeps the audience engaged as to what's gonna happen next. And, in making this movie engrossing Raghavan has been well aided by Varun Dhawan & Nawazuddin Siddiqui along with talented ensemble starcast. What works primarily in favor of the movie is its well etched characters as most of them are not what they seem. Badlapur comes with a tagline : Don't miss the beginning which is apt enough because the action that unfolds in first fifteen minutes or so is fantastic and sets the tone for the movie. Two robbers fleeing after committing a bank robbery shatter the life of the protagonist by killing his wife and kid. Badlapur is not only about how far would you go to seek revenge but also about if you can ever judge good and bad in a linear way.

Zed Plus is a classic, breezy, rib-tickling & meaningful Political satire that has come like a whiff of fresh air amidst the superficial potboilers that we are being subjected to watch these days and is a must watch for all real Cine-Maa lovers. Director, Chandraprakash Dwivedi has given Indian audience a masterpiece Political Satire which deals with the issues of a common man with a good dash of humor and entertainment which deals with the previously untouched intricacies and issues associated with the Z security provided by the Indian Government. The best part about the movie is that since the concept of the movie is totally fresh, it engages you into the proceedings right from the first frame but without thrusting itself upon you & entertains you to the core in the first half. No doubt, the movie dips a little in the second half & needed some editing there but still it is worth a watch for its simplicity & unique story telling. It is one of those rare movies which is able to convey the message that it wants to in a light hear-ted manner & without sounding preachy at all.

HAPPY ENDING is yet another attempt by director duo Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D.K. to offer Indian cine audience glistening, newfangled & avant-garde cinematic experience by making a Kickass Romedy (As per Govinda in the movie) but it fails to strike the right chords. If we look at their past directorial ventures, they have made contempo & modish flicks, be it their first movie 99 or Shor in the city and Go Goa Gone with the underlying tone of the movies being either satire or spoof. Happy Ending is an extension to that and in fact, it seems that this movie in a way represents their personal contemplative on the typical rom-coms that they have always shirked away from making. But yes, one thing is sure that despite this being their biggest big budget outing so far as this movie has it all ; picturesque locales, big stars n even bigger ensemble starcast, glossy frames and great technical finesse, it lacks the soul.