Tag Archives: Richa Chadda

Chalk n Duster Movie Review : Noble Intentions, Shoddy Execution

Chalk_and_Duster_PosterThe number of private schools in Mumbai is burgeoning rapidly; and privatization means cut throat competition and no job security. Chalk and Duster attempts to throw some light on the plight of teachers in private schools who are paid far less than their counterparts in public schools but face a lot more work pressure along with the constant fear of losing their jobs. The film also tries put across the nobility of the profession of teaching and how it does not get its due in today’s world.

Now, the storyline does not sound too bad and the competition between private schools in Mumbai has seldom been explored on screen. But you just have to see Chalk and Duster to know what a royal mess the film is.Continue reading “Chalk n Duster Movie Review : Noble Intentions, Shoddy Execution”

Main Aur Charles Movie Review: Suave and Stylish, but Where is the Substance?

MAC 1Director Prawaal Raman’s Main Aur Charles is riddled by an inherent dual conflict. As a viewer, if you are familiar with chronicles of the (in)famous ‘bikini killer’ or ‘the serpent’ Charles Shobhraj, you will find Raman’s film to be devoid of sufficient thrill and excitement. On the other hand, if you are ignorant about Charles Shobhraj, you will find Main Aur Charles to be confused, incoherent and incapable of providing any deep insight into the life and times of perhaps one of the most dreaded serial killers in recent times. It is this ambivalent nature of Main Aur Charles that eventually pulls it down, even if it does have its share of merits and a great degree of style and charm.Continue reading “Main Aur Charles Movie Review: Suave and Stylish, but Where is the Substance?”

YFR launches Man’s World, for Gender Equality at 6th Jagran Film Festival: The biggest multi-starrer series on the internet

Y Films, the youth division of Yash Raj Films, India’s leading movie studio in association with India’s largest travelling film festival, the 6th Jagran Film Festival, in a unique initiative, is premiering the biggest multi-starrer series on the internet, Man’s World, on September 29, on YouTube. The trailer of the four-part series launches today on YouTube.com/YFilms.Continue reading “YFR launches Man’s World, for Gender Equality at 6th Jagran Film Festival: The biggest multi-starrer series on the internet”

Gulshan Devaiah and Radhika Apte to star in ‘Hunterrr’ sequel

After the success of Hunterrr, the lead duo, Gulshan Devaiah and Radhika Apte, have been approached for the sequel to the film. Harshavardhan Kulkarni who also directed ‘Hunterrr’, will direct the sequel.

Commenting on the sequel, Gulshan Devaiah said, “I was really happy with the response ‘Hunterrr’ received, so when Harshavardhan approached us for the sequel I immediately said yes. My character, Mandar, was a terribly insecure man in Part 1, till he found Tripti (Radhika Apte) who accepted him with all his flaws. In the sequel we will not go down the rocky track of the married couple fed up of each other. We saw that already in Tanu Weds Manu Returns.”Continue reading “Gulshan Devaiah and Radhika Apte to star in ‘Hunterrr’ sequel”

Ghosts of Ganga and the Dazzling Display of Death in Masaan

When I try to paint a picture of the Ganga in my mind, I mostly imagine a pristine river with the rising Sun at the horizon. That’s how we all have been conditioned to imagine the holy river. Ganga stands for purity, tranquility and piousness; a river that may have been abundantly polluted over the centuries but, as per the millions’ belief and reverence, still holds the magical power to purify the polluted. Neeraj Ghaywan’s Masaan paints such a contrasting picture of the holy river and its mythical home –Varanasi that it shakes your conscience and unravels the ghosts that lie quietly somewhere deep inside the river bed.Continue reading “Ghosts of Ganga and the Dazzling Display of Death in Masaan”

In Conversation with Neeraj Ghaywan: On the Making of ‘Masaan’ and More

Neeraj Ghaywan, an engineer and an MBA, moved on from his corporate career in 2010 to pursue filmmaking. He has assisted renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on the two-part film, Gangs of Wasseypur and was the second unit director for Ugly. He has also made two short films The Epiphany and Shor, the winner of the Grand Jury Awards at three international film festivals in New York, LA and London. However, at this point of time, he is best known for the man who gave us “Masaan” – the film that won FIPRESCI prize (International Jury of Film Critics prize for the Un Certain Regard section) and the Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, 2015.

Here’s the excerpt of the conversation I shared with him on Masaan and more…(Spoiler Alert-note the conversation includes some heavy spoilers,so ideally it is advisable to read this if you have already seen the film)Continue reading “In Conversation with Neeraj Ghaywan: On the Making of ‘Masaan’ and More”

In Conversation with Richa Chadda: On Masaan and More

For a person who regaled us with her performance in her debut film (Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye) and kept enthralling us with each of her performance since, Masaan’s success is just another feather in Richa Chadda’s already crowded Cap!

On behalf of MAM I had a chat with her recently about the film, her journey and what can we expect from her from here on.Continue reading “In Conversation with Richa Chadda: On Masaan and More”

Masaan: Poetic Closures

As human beings, I find it impossible for us to not seek closure. In every aspect of our life, there is a desire to connect all the dots and conclude. Without conclusions, we hang free, unable to move forward or finish a part of our life, a relationship or even a simple task. The greatest of closures is death which guarantees flight from every open problem. Masaan or crematorium is the home for the ultimate closure. Neeraj Ghaywan’s debut feature, deals with life in a small town – Benares; through two tales. It is about love, heartbreak, morality, casteism, small town modernity and also about closure.Continue reading “Masaan: Poetic Closures”

Masaan Movie Review: From the Heartland with a lot of Heart

If you are a movie buff then it’s highly unlikely that you’ve not heard of Neeraj Ghaywan and his debut film Masaan which has released today, after all the film has been in the news right from the very beginning. Be it for winning the 2014 Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award or much later for making it as an official entry to Cannes this year under the Un Certain Regard section where it even won a couple of awards, Masaan or (Fly Away Solo as it was called earlier) has been making the right kind of moves everywhere, not everything by design of course. It isn’t often that a filmmaker manages to make his debut with all these aspects. Added to it is the fact that the film has an impressive cast and crew and is supported by producers who make things matter. So eventually it won’t be surprising when you hear people interested in knowing if Masaan deserved all this and if Neeraj Ghaywan has made a convincing debut, after all its to do with human nature.Continue reading “Masaan Movie Review: From the Heartland with a lot of Heart”