Tag Archives: Irrfan Khan

The Best of Bollywood In 2018

Listing the ten best films I have seen emerge from Bollywood last year could be a little deficient as I could not get around to watch a few generally acclaimed films like 3 Storeys and Love Sonia in time. Nevertheless, here’s my list of 10 best films that were made in Bollywood in the year gone by.

Honorable mention goes to Rajkumar Gupta’s Raid for an engaging account of a…raid and Hichki where Rani Mukherjee overcomes a clichéd script to deliver a watchable movie.

                                                                10. Kuch Bheege Alfaz
I am not a big fan of coincidences as a plot point, and the entire premise of KBA rests on coincidence. But if you are willing to look beyond that, this is a nice, gentle romance. Bollywood specializes in this genre, but rarely do you feel the romance yourself. A combination of good writing, direction and acting achieve this rare feat.
(Disclosure: The writer of this movie Abhishek Chatterjee also contributes to this website)

9. Stree
Horror and comedy often go together by in most cases, the end result is a spoof of the horror genre. Rarely do they complement each other. The horror in Stree follows the standard tropes expected in a film like this, but it’s the funny bits in between that make the movie. The film features good performances by everyone, including Shraddha Kapoor. A confident feature debut by director Amar Kaushik.

8. Raazi
The one flaw that I thought Raazi had was that the husband’s character wasn’t developed strongly enough. With a capable counterpart, Alia Bhatt’s spy would have seemed more credible. But this minor quibble apart, Raazi is a good watch with an apt balance of drama and thrills. Surely, Alia Bhatt can do not wrong from this point on in her career.

7. Sui Dhaaga
Having sort of honed his skills paying a small town bumpkin in the Dulhania duology, Varun Dhawan lends a humane touch and some maturity to his character here.  He is ably supported by Anushka Sharma. The story of the triumph of the underdog may have been done many times in the past, yet Sharat Katariya’s take on it makes for an interesting watch. If nothing else, I hope it puts Raghuvir Yadav back in the reckoning as a sought out actor.

6. Karwaan
While watching this movie, I was constantly reminded of Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying where three individuals carry a dead body across a road trip. The more showy role here is played with aplomb by Irfan Khan. Dulquer Salman, in his Hindi debut, is the under playing anchor of the ship and Mithila Palkar is the loose cannon who makes the age gap seem obvious. This is a nice feel-good black comedy. 

5. Veere Di Wedding
Four friends at different stages of matrimonial life is a premise for some witty writing. Add to that good performances by the four leading ladies (Swara Bhaskar steals most scenes) under Shashank Ghosh’s able direction and there isn’t a dull moment in this film.

4. Manmarziyan
The story of the woman settling for an arranged marriage despite a passionate affair is a template already covered by the Woh Saat Dins, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanams and Dhadkans of the world. Yet writer Kanika Dhillon and director Anurag Kashyap find ways of adding complications to the story. Not all of it made sense to me but then I don’t suppose it was meant to. Superb acting by Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan; in fact this must be Bachchan’s best role in years. He is more suited to these ‘serious types’ than comedy.  

3. Badhaai Ho 
This is a perfect example of choosing the right actor for the right role. What an ensemble cast this is! A late and unexpected pregnancy puts everyone in the household in an embarrassing situation leading to much mirth. Is this the same Amit Sharma  who directed Tevar a few years ago? You don’t say!

2. Kaalakaandi
I laughed so much with this movie my sides hurt. Three stories run parallel over the span of one fateful night. It’s a no brainer that they will come together at some point. This union is completely forced but by the time it comes, you are beyond the point of caring. Akshat Verma, who wrote the no-holds barred Delhi Belly, makes his directorial debut with even an even more ribald comedy. Sad it barely got noticed at the time of its release.

1. Mukkabaaz
By now it may seem that I am an Anurag Kashyap fan boy. But really, what’s not to like about this story about a boxer who has to rise above caste politics to claim his right to fight. As always, the dialogues in Kashyap’s films are peerless. No one gets these North Indian landscapes right better than him. Vineet Kumar puts in a performance that should make all filmmakers sit up and take notice of his raw talent.

 

Qarib Qarib Singlle Movie Review: Door Door Tak Boredom!

There is something to be said about the durability and versatility of the road movie , a genre like no other, for the way it lends itself to so many different interpretations. It can be used as an allegory for a character to either find oneself through the journey, or even lose oneself. Sometimes, it’s about the destination, and sometimes it’s about the trip. And it is a genre that allows for a certain amount of meandering, so to speak , not to mention the delicious prospect of an interaction between differing characters, from varying walks of life. So, as one walks into the theatre on a Friday evening, the only question is, what does Qarib Qarib Singlle have to offer the viewer?Continue reading “Qarib Qarib Singlle Movie Review: Door Door Tak Boredom!”

Madaari Movie Review: Why not stay with Irrfan and his haunting eyes? Revolution could have waited.

If only a gifted actor and a promising idea could guarantee an engaging film – Madaari would have gone down as a winner. But alas, gifts and promises are not always a precursor to happy endings. Are they? And in that sense, films and relationships have so much in common.Continue reading “Madaari Movie Review: Why not stay with Irrfan and his haunting eyes? Revolution could have waited.”

The Different Shades Of Irrfan Khan

Actor Irrfan Khan ​who turned 49 ​years old recently​, has gone through some major transformations on his looks for different films. The actor has not let his versatility limited to his acting, he has appeared in various different roles in different looks, making it look more real and natural.

Irrfan Khan colleage

Lets take a look at Irrfan’s some major roles for which he transformed his look:

The Warrior

Irrfan did a major transformation on his looks for his British-Indian film – The Warrior. He played the role of a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up his sword.​The actor grew long hair, dust-stuck face, and ​wore ​a warrior outfit in the entire film.

Qissa

Irrfan played a Sikh Man ‘Umber Singh’ in Qissa, the film was set in the 1947’s partition backdrop. Irrfan ​played the role of a stubborn Punjabi man who wants a son to carry forward his legacy of a strong hunter. ​Irrfan carried the look to its authenticity. He made his character come real with his efforts and attire.

Talvar

The actor played an investigating CBI Officer solving a mysterious murder case in the film. He played the character so intriguingly not just by the way he acted but also by his looks. He actor donned shades in the entire film. His look was quite different and added to his character in the film. Apparently the actor liked his shades so much that he asked the makers if he could keep with him.

Paan Singh Tomar

In this biopic, Irffan played an athlete who later turns a dacoit, both his looks were special and the efforts he put for his looks were visible in the film. Irrfan’s body looked that of an athlete in the first half in the latter he was seen wearing a Khakee outfit and carrying arms as a dacoit. 

The Lunchbox

Irrfan played the role of an about to retire, widower man, older than his real age in this film. He had put on some greys to go with his acting of an older man. Irrfan played the character to its best. Definitely proving that the actor is capable of pulling off any role. 

Talvar Movie Review: Is it sharp enough?

This review comes in a bit late and by now most of you have figured out what the movie is based on. For those who haven’t been in touch with the digital world for the past week (like me), Talvar is based on the 2008 Noida “double murder” of Arushi Talwar and Hemraj ( Get the title now? So so subtle right ?. More on the title later). I had seen the promos of this films a while ago and to be frank they didn’t quite impress me. It seemed like one of those films whose whole purpose was to cash in on the hype. But back then I didn’t notice that it was written by Vishal Bhardwaj, for whom I have high regards. If that was not compelling enough, the movie has got some good reviews overall. So coming to the question that matters,is this Talvar sharp enough to make the cut ? Read on to find out.Continue reading “Talvar Movie Review: Is it sharp enough?”

Talvar Movie Review: Oh, What A Film!

I wanted to take some time out after watching Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj’s Talvar earlier today before I write about it, just to consolidate my thoughts. Now, we all are very well acquainted with the Aarushi Talwar double murder case of 2008 which is still ongoing. Her parents are still in jail and fighting for innocence largely due to a botched up crime scene and lack of factual evidence. If anyone has not heard about it, it is might as well suggested to take the subscription of latest newspaper daily with immediate effect, or alternately, just open your eyes and ears to the world. Continue reading “Talvar Movie Review: Oh, What A Film!”

Box-Office Analysis: Lessons from TWMR and Piku Success Stories

The Hindi film industry can’t hide its excitement. Almost like a young girl going out on her first official date with her childhood crush. The buzz in Mumbai is that ‘Acche Din’ are finally here and there’s now no looking back at what has been a disastrous, to put it in polite words, first few months of 2015 at the box office. With not a single ‘Super Hit’, forget about Blockbusters, and hardly a couple of clean ‘Hits’ in the Jan-May period, the industry was clearly looking down the barrel in terms of business and revenue. But, with Tanu Weds Manu Returns (TWMR) getting a phenomenal response from the audiences all across the country, we are all set to witness the first Blockbuster of 2015. Yes, you read it right. That elusive blockbuster is finally off the block!Continue reading “Box-Office Analysis: Lessons from TWMR and Piku Success Stories”

Piku Movie Review: “Bhaskar nahi, Bhaskor!”

Recently, I’ve been playing this game on facebook – in which I say my favourite thing about the people who ask me to. It is lovely, emotionally draining and cathartic. More relevantly, though, it has become a parade of me asking myself, why am I sad I’m not this person? Why can I not even conceivably be this person? And that is usually my favourite thing about that person; this is not an accident – Elementary‘s Sherlock Holmes agrees with me:

one of the things I’ve gained from our collaboration is a working definition of the word “friendship.” Friendship, I’ve come to believe, is most accurately defined as two people moving towards the best aspects of one another.

Not long after I played this game (well, began playing this game; I still have two people left), I was watching Shoojit Sircar and Juhi Chaturvedi’s Piku.Continue reading “Piku Movie Review: “Bhaskar nahi, Bhaskor!””

Piku Movie Review: ‘Motion Se Hi Emotion’ an Honest Tagline for an Honest Film

Imagine you are on a date with someone, perhaps this is your first date with him/her and unfortunately you go on to discuss things related to excretion and bowel movements due to some unavoidable reason right in front of the person. How do you think the date would work out? In Shoojit Sircar’s Piku there’s a scene when Piku (Deepika Padukone) meets a guy (Akshay Oberoi) on a date and later leaves the place frustrated along with her friend and business partner, Syed Afroze (Jisshu Sengupta). Piku confides in Syed that she didn’t like the guy whom she met for dinner and states reasons like he doesn’t watch Satyajit Ray films 🙂 etc to support her decision, while Syed only asks her one question-did she talk to her dad while her date was on? You will need to watch the film to understand why such a simple scene like this clearly conveys the crux of the tale so wonderfully.Continue reading “Piku Movie Review: ‘Motion Se Hi Emotion’ an Honest Tagline for an Honest Film”