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Daawat-e-Ishq (2014)
Serving some well succulent kababs but alas! not a hot steamy Biryani !!
At one point in the film Gulrez tells the garishly flamboyant Tariq 'You are a high school drop out, your English is pathetic, you wear tacky shirts , chew paan and burp!'!!, well but that's not evident in the film though! And that's what was probably essential in Tariq's character that could have worked out more so if he was made more vacuous rather than the 'laugh a loud, good at heart lucknovi chap. Their hasn't been enough timing for the romance to develop between the lead players hence you don't feel bad for Tariq when he is betrayed by Gulrez Having said that, Aditya Roy Kapoor is likable & attractive,no longer camera conscious or droopy (like his previous projects), he shines as the robust kohl-eyed Tariq. Parineeti Chopra with her spontaneity & vivaciousness evident from her very first film is sadly restricted here within this regular glamor doll image with huge dollops of make-up, pan cake and flashy attire,not at ease ,at times, misfit to her character Gulrez! Save for that Hyderabadi accent slipping and falling back into place every now, the dynamics of Parineeti's role isn't all that we haven't seen before, but nevertheless, she is always a delight to watch! It's a light hearted film focusing on the menace aka dowry, the misuse of section 498A & a father-daughter duo's plan to con a rich guy who demands a hefty dowry forms the basic premise of the film. The actors should have undergone some strict workshop sessions to get their hyderabadi & lucknowi accent correct, or maybe a few lessons from Shabana Azmi's Mandi ! The father and daughter's big, well executed con job is lame and unbelievable! TV actor Karan Wahi is so bland in the film that one wonders whether he is just out of a drug rehab centre with that anorexic frame and excess baggage under his eyes. Anupam Kher is a delight to watch and it's good to see him in a charming role after a long time. The note able landmarks of Hyderabad like the Charminar (the film starts with it as the background), Hussain Sagar, Nehru Zoological Park making way for Lucknow's grand Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza and bustling Aminabad in the second half, unfortunately, hasn't been utilized properly by the DOP . Sajid- Wajid's dragging soundtrack, a reminiscence of the 90's tracks is such a waste barring the title track which has been utilized well into the narrative with some yummy cuisines on display. The film is surely one time watchable because of the sparkling screen presence of the lead cast and Anupam Kher . A much tighter screenplay could have made a lot of difference to the narrative.
Mardaani (2014)
Despite the flaws, it's an honest effort!
Underage girls from different parts of the country are being lifted, kidnapped, dozed off with drugs intermittently,stark naked,they are left for their 'buyers' to explore them quite mercilessly! The atrocities of the malicious & cruel business of child trafficking (which of course, is a worldwide concern!) is shown in the film quite brutally, raw & gritty, yet seems straight & very much realistic ,so much so that you can't stop thinking about the endless TV / newspaper headlines that pop up quite often, feeling helpless for the poor, hapless victims! Hence, the best part about the film comes towards the finale when the cop leaves it to the victims, letting the pimp getting kicked in the nuts & punched on the face by a bunch of girls he had sold into trafficking, that is when the film succeeds in getting the applause, whistles and claps from the audience that it truly deserves! Pradeep Sarkar tackles the issue quite sensitively, keeping the track focused & with as much 'realistic' approach as possible (given the banner!), without turning it too preachy or too melodramatic. Rani Mukherji after the brilliant Ajeeb Dastan (Bombay Talkies' segment) gets a role that did full justice to her craft (special thanks to the writer & director for not turning her into another 'Chulbul Pandey') & she plays it subtly without being too loud (like Meera of 'No one killed Jessica) Newcomer Priyanka Sharma is truly believable as the victim Pyaari while with just two or three scenes Mona Ambegaonkar is brilliant in her spine chilling act,specially when she turns from the hospitable host of the house at first to the vengeful lady. But the film did make more of an impact because of the perfect foil to Rani's cop act is the antagonist Tahir Bhasin, playing the cold blooded, 20 something,suave (video game addicted1) criminal maintaining a cool demeanor brilliantly! Same goes for the rest of the wonderful supporting cast. The film does slip in few occasions though with some minor glitches here & there, yet it turns out to be a thoroughly engaging, well made fare for sure! It might not be flawless, but yet it makes a long lasting impression than other recently released so called 'blockbucter' cop flicks like Dabanagg & Singham returns for sure!