ankuruk Reviews

Sixer (2022– )

TVF showing how its supposed to be done

[10/10 · 14 January 2023]

TVF Sixer is an incredibly accurate portrayal of the spirit of gully cricket that resides deep down within every cricket admirer in India.

The series does an excellent job of capturing the emotions that every Indian child who has played cricket must have felt at some point in their lives. One of the things that I appreciated most about Sixer was the attention to detail. From the cement pitches to the tribulations of bowling to hard hitting batsmen with and the tennis-ball-turned-cricket-ball contest. The acting by the entire crew felt really authentic. The series also did a great job of portraying the camaraderie and sense of community that is so prevalent in gully cricket, as well as the passion and intensity that players bring to the game.

Each character felt genuine and relatable, and I found myself rooting for them as if they were my own friends. The acting truly brought the story to life and helped to convey the emotions of the characters.

Overall, Sixer is a must-watch as it provides a fantastic window into the world of Indian street cricket. The series captures the spirit of gully cricket in India perfectly and allows the viewer to relive their own memories of playing cricket on the streets. I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a heartwarming and nostalgic look at their childhood.

Ram Setu (2022)

Bunch of trash stitched together from Whatsapp messages and Facebook posts

[2/10 · 29 October 2022]

The list of issues with the movie are way too long. But I'll try to restrict myself to the major ones.

First and foremost the plot of the film does no justice whatsoever to a topic that has the potential of churning out a blockbuster. The entire film revolves around a case in the Supereme Court that seeks permission to dredge a portion of the Ram Setu to create a new international shipping route that would make it easier for merchant ships to navigate the stretch of Indian ocean that lies between India and Sri Lanka.

The protagonist portrayed by Akshay Kumar and his sidekick team of researchers always manage to pull out anecdotal evidences without any solid research or fact finding.

Its almost as if the film desperately tries to play on the religious sentiments of its viewers to keep them interested but unfortunately the shoddy VFX and poorly shot action sequences overwhelm those efforts too.

Welcome Home (VI) (2020)

An absorbing and tantalizing thriller

[10/10 · 28 November 2020]

Seldom do you come across a Bollywood splatter film that delivers an astonishingly gruesome and thrilling plot with such grace. Mind you, the this film is not your average run off the mill bollywood thriller flick.

The plot centres around Anuja (Kashmira Irani) and Neha (Swarda Thigle) who are teachers at a government school in Nagpur. The two are appointed by government authorities to conduct a census survey of nearby villages. As they are about to wrap up their assignment, they land up on the final house on their list - an outlandish mansion situated in the middle of nowhere. With no neigbours for miles, the house is completely cut off from human civilisation. In spite of their misgivings, Anuja and Sharda decide to enter the outlandish mansion, only to realize that things are not as they seem as.

Debutant director Pushkar Mahal has done an outstanding job and never for once do you get the impression that this is his first feature film. Every character has a complex backstory which we learn as the film progresses. The entire cast delivers an exceptional performance but the lead actresses Kashmira Irani and Swarda Thigle merit a special mention due to their riveting performance. The background score is spot on and magnifies the bloodcurling intesity of the film. Overall, this is a thrilling entertainer and definitely deserves more recognition. Watch this if you are looking for a fresh breath of air.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Butter scraped over too much bread

[6/10 · 18 July 2019]

Barring a few shoddy fillers here and there, Marvel's Infinity War saga has been an otherwise enjoyable experience otherwise. However, Avengers: Endgame fails to live up to the expectations set up by its predecessors. The concept of time travel, while quite alluring is ridiculously tough to get right and the Endgame is brave but poor attempt.

The movie is riddled with plot holes and at many places the scenes just feel redundant. You could very well skip a decent part of the movie and trust me, it would hardly make a difference in the end. Major characters like Captain Marvel, Thor and Dr. Strange were underutilized and definitely warranted more screen time.

There are a few positives that would still keep you going. The fight scenes are great as usual. Characters like the Iron Man and the Hulk manage to salvage a decent part of the film. The ending is quite predictable so despite the great action scenes, it fails to leave any significant mark.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013)

A brave, but wasteful effort.

[6/10 · 12 January 2013]

Einstein once said, "A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem." Ironically Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola is plagued by the antipodal of this statement. Full marks to Vishal Bharadwaj for attempting a satire, a path rarely tread by Bollywood, owing to the complexities associated with one. And this film clearly picks out, What 'NOT' to do while attempting a pasquinade. Harry Mandola, (Pankaj Kapoor) is plagued by a disorder that eerily resembles a bi-polarISH disorder of some sorts. A rich industrialist, tired of his alcoholism and blinded by his rapacity for money, Harry shows his true empathic nature only under the influence of liquor. Bijlee (Anushka Sharma), Harry's only daughter is to be soon married off to her college sweetheart Baadal (Arya Babbar). Harry's trusted driver,Matru (Imran Khan), a lawyer by profession, on the other hand has fallen in love with Bijlee, head over heels. Barring Pankaj Kapoor and Shabana Azmi, the rest of the cast fails pathetically. The first half keeps getting more and more redundant as the film progresses. One can feel that the songs have been hammered into the script for cheap humor, except maybe one or two at the most. A satire demands a perfect balance between witty humor and the gravity of film. MKBKM lacks wit and is overly dependent on humor. The audience is left perplexed by the end of the film, having little clue as to what the director wants to show. No matter how weak the performance of the main cast, shoddy acting can always be compensated by some good cinematography, which again seems to be missing.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Good stand alone film, but falls short of the LOTR trilogy

[10/10 · 22 December 2012]

The dilemma of delivering movies of baronial proportions such as the Lord of The Rings trilogy is that the makers can seldom revivify their own brilliance. The same is the case with The Hobbit. Don't get me wrong, the movie is great, pacy, crisp. Cinematography is at par with the trilogy's predecessor and the 3D effects are an added incentive. However one is left desiring for more due to the absence of a pivotal character such as Aragorn. However given the fact that the book, The Hobbit itself is not as grandiose as the Lord of The Rings, Peter Jackson deserves a good deal of praise for his work. On the other hand, if you're one of the minority who are yet to witness the LOTR trilogy, this movie would be nothing short off breathtaking. The revolutionary 48 RED Epic digital cameras don't disappoint as well. Disregard all those skewed reviews which downplay the cinematography of the film. Martin Freeman just fits perfectly into the character of Bilbo and Ian McKellen is the best of the lot. His personification of Gandalf is as fluid and natural as ever. The only central character that falls behind is that of Thorin portrayed by Richard Armitage. Jackson should have dedicated more screen time, but then again we might get to know him better in the following sequels. Had this been released before the Lord of The Rings trilogy, the film would have received better appreciation. I've been to the theaters twice to see this film and trust me it gets better with each viewing. Probably another show and I might bump it to a 9!!!

Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012)

Failed to build up on an excellent Base

[6/10 · 16 June 2012]

So for the first time ever Sharman Joshi stars in the lead role and he manages to pull it of effortlessly.Basically this is a feel good movie and as usual he fits into the role of a comical simpleton perfectly. Debutant Ritwik Sahore gives a mature performance and Boman Irani is as splendid as every. In fact, every character in this movie has given his best. The cinematography is perfect and the crisp direction leaves little to be desired.

So what spoils this seemingly good movie? The biggest gaping hole in this film is its plot. The concept is good, but the movie is riddled with fundamental flaws (not giving any spoilers). The movie has been stretched on and on, making it really annoying at the end. The makers simply don't get it when the joke's supposed to be over. To summarize in Tolkein's words, "It's like butter scraped over too much bread."

Don 2 (2011)

Decent one time watch

[7/10 · 22 December 2011]

With all it's twists and turns, Don 2 marks a decent end to the year for Bollywood. The movie's strengths are action, plot twists and it's faced paced storyline which always keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Yes Don 2, does borrow from some Hollywood flicks like Mission Impossible, but it's neatly made and the plot fits in like a jigsaw puzzle at the end of the movie.

The only negatives were the touch of grey given to Don's character and the love story angle towards the end. A completely cold hearted Don, who's way beyond meaningless things such as love would have been more appreciated. The character could have been made much darker, which would have appealed more to the audience, but then again it's a Hindi flick, so such things are expected.

There are a few holes in the plot, but after all it's a Bollywood flick and no one expects it to be perfect.

I would say Don 2 is a decent one time watch and do watch it at the theaters as the cinematography is brilliant.