To do justice to its lofty ideas of gender discrimination, blurred lines, rival perspectives and workplace power dynamics, a film like this demands nuance and sophistication. Failing that, to do justice to the bare basics beats of a thriller, it simply demands that it not be dull. Unfortunately, it fails on all counts. Accused struggles to work as a relationship drama, a differing perspectives thriller, or even a competent investigation narrative. The promising territory of watching Geetika liberally gaslight as a selfish partner and questionable boss who’s backed into a corner, instead results in a character that’s little more than whiny, defensive and irritating. You don’t root for her or feel for her. The writing makes damn sure of that.
As a one-off set piece in a historical epic, perhaps it works, but for a viewer expecting to get even the simplest of glimpses into war-time strategy, it’s disappointing. The set pieces of this guerilla warfare are more impressive in their execution but appear disjointed because we have no idea of how or why they came to be. And that’s because the film isn’t interested in painting a story, it’s interested in the reverence of a ruler and that doesn’t make for an interesting film. There’s a clear hesitation to actually delve into the life of its subject and that’s why, the more the film tries to tell you this story in its way, the less inclined you are to trust it.
The problem, however, is that this central love story is never fully convincing. Bambba and Lakshya share chemistry for sure, but Khan—who has co-written the series with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan—does not give us many scenes of them actually in love.
Ishq Vishk Rebound is not a horrible movie – it has some of its better moments. There are times when the dialogues get an unexpected laugh out of you even as they remind you how inconsistent the writing has been. The songs, even though not memorable, are enough to get you tapping your feet to the rhythm (that doesn’t intentionally sound like a Katy Perry lyric I promise you). The camerawork, however, uses way too many close-ups, all the time. It’s one of the reasons why the ‘design’ becomes very obvious – you can almost see the filmmaking happen which isn’t the best look for this particular film.
That is both the film’s win and pitfall. Chopra, with films like Parinda, Khamosh, and 1942: A Love Story, is no stranger to ‘cinema’ and he has the means to simply build a massive set if he so pleases. While the film accurately captures that aspect of his work in 12th Fail, the look into his anxieties about the film feels comparatively superficial. The shift from ‘Nobody believed in this film’ to ‘Director saab will handle it’ doesn’t happen as seamlessly as it should because a nuanced study of the man behind the camera feels absent. While Chopra’s quick wit and Rangarajan Ramabadran’s (aka Ranga) ingenuity are fascinating to watch on screen, you can’t stop seeking something more complex. This documentary doesn’t have place for ‘interviews’; instead it stays in the ‘creative’ as long as possible, with voiceovers leading the audience through the narrative.
Alas, the film’s music is nothing to write home about. The duo, Anurag Kashyap and Amit Trivedi, have earlier created unusual and exceptional soundtracks before but fail to make a mark this time.
For a film dealing with hefty issues like the adverse effects of unprotected sex on women's health, it tries too hard to be comedic. Lochan Kanvinde's sound design doesn't do a lot in enhancing the film and the music, too, is unmemorable. Whether it's Rishi's strict, conservative, elder brother (a compelling performance by Rajesh Tailang) or the volatile shopkeeper, triggered and upset by men buying and using condoms for the sake of their wives - the film is clear in its messaging that the audience neither has to root for the sexist men on screen nor have they been provided with any form of a redemption arc. The pacing of the film is quite well-maintained, with Shruti Bora's editing seamlessly holding it all together. When Saniya's "secret" is revealed, she faces every degree of misogyny and ostracization.
The action sequences are true to the film's tag line- fasten your seat belts. Behind every successful clichéd Hindi hero and villain is a good fight, and I assure you, you can bet your money on Pathaan. Kudos to the writers, Sridhar and Abbas Tyrewaala, and director Siddharth Anand for giving us an out-and-out entertainer, peppered with the right dose of emotion, energy and glamour. Quite a few of the dialogues might make you frown, you have to forget that physics even exists in some scenes, the hero must take down a whole army and emerge as good as new by popping a few painkillers and the plot derails at times, but the cast is here to remind you how sheer performances can shoulder an entire film.
While the show does suffer in pacing towards the end, sometimes spending too long on an arc, Trial By Fire is one of the best examples of telling such a story.
The larger idea of a man hating a dog but ending up loving the latter more than himself is cliched and the film even loses its grip as it moves towards the climax, but the way 777 Charlie is pictured lets you get past those distractions. Special credits to cinematographer Aravind Kashyap in making that happen. The snow-capped Himalayas, especially the climax sequence, will be etched in your memory. It is commendable that the crew has excelled in presenting a heartwarming tale by taking up the challenge to capture the innocence, mischievousness and the intense emotions of Charlie. The film reminds us about pet adoption and points out as to how, when people indulge in inbreeding, it has a detrimental effect to the dog community. Even if you are not a pet lover, 777 Charlie will turn you into one.
An Action Hero makes fun of everything it can get its hands on while weaving a story worthy of its strong cast. Jaideep Ahlawat remains an actor who steals the scene every time and Ayushmann is still a star who knows how to keep the audience watching.
They work mostly because we are blessed to have actors like Sheeba Chadha, Seema Pahwa, Nitesh Pandey and Loveleen Mishra, who manage to keep things buoyant even when there isn’t much novelty in the way the roles are written. Gulshan Devaiah comes in as a cameo appearance and rules every frame he is a part of. As for the lead, Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao are solid performers and play their parts with the flair of consummate actors. Rao, in particular, with his vacant impassive expression makes you realise how stifled he feels in a police uniform, all the while yearning to own his truth openly. Bhumi’s aching grief as she looks for support from her father in a crucial scene is delicately and sensitively done. These are moments when Badhaai Do shines, when it tells the story for what it is and not “perform” it due to its eagerness to give a message and deliver a PSA.
As the story moves ahead and events unfold to acquaint us to Agni's tragic background, you want to feel attached to her, but you feel nothing. Not because I am cold-hearted, it's just that it doesn’t hit home. Even though Agni nails the action sequences, her character isn't well-sketched. The film is mores style than substance. Even though Agni delivers blows and wields guns with much ease, but the dull script, weak characterisation and direction ensure that the movie never takes off. The script falls short in the story line and screenplay. This 2 hour and 10 minute-long movie felt longer than it actually is. Sharib Hashmi, Agni’s work associate, and Saswata Chatterjee play their roles with ease. Dhaakad’s climax also does nothing for the film because it lacks logic and sounds laughable.
