Rani told the female officers of Maharashtra Police at a special screening, “We wanted to show it to you first. I am happy that all of you could come to watch this film.”

MUMBAI: Actress Rani Mukerji, who plays a cop in “Mardaani 2”, has urged women of the country to join the police force in large numbers.

“I want more and more girls and women of our country to choose the police department as their profession because personally as a citizen of this country, I feel that there aren’t better police officers than female police officers,” said Rani, at a special screening of “Mardaani 2” for female officers of Maharashtra Police in Mumbai.

The film is a sequel to the 2014 film “Mardaani” with Rani reprising her role of Superintendent of  Police Shivani Roy. The new film is set in Kota, Rajasthan, and it revolves around Shivani trying to nab a 21-year-old villain played by Vishal Jethwa.

About the screening, Rani told the female officers: “The film releases on 13th December but we wanted to show it to you first. I am happy that all of you could come to watch this film and give me your feedback. I will try to do more films like this in future.”

The trailer of “Mardaani 2” has received over 10 million views on YouTube since its release. Asked what kind of response she expects from the audience, Rani said: “Now they (the female police officers) have watched the film and we have got good feedback from them. This has increased my confidence. I now pray that once the film releases on Friday, everyone will react in the same as these police officers.”

While Rani plays the fearless cop Shivani Roy in “Mardaani 2”, her old friend and co-star of several films, Salman Khan, will hit the theatres a week later as the maverick Inspector Chubul Pandey in “Dabangg 3”.

“Chulbul Pandey is a male officer and Shivani Roy is a female officer. Both of them work for the police. Shivani Roy is a superintendent of police, so I am his (Chulbul Pandey) senior. He still has two stars (sub-inspector rank). That’s the only difference,a Rani quipped.

“Mardaani 2” is directed by Gopi Puthran and produced by Rani’s husband Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films.

The Salman Khan -Bigg Boss connect seems to be stronger in his upcoming film, Radhe, which will be directed by Prabhu Deva.

The Salman Khan-Bigg Boss connect seems to be stronger in his upcoming film, Radhe, which will be directed by Prabhudheva. Former winner Gautam Gulati has been roped in to play a role in the film, which is set to hit the screens Eid 2020. 

Although Gulati, who’s previously worked in Azhar and Behen Hogi Teri, said it was too early to talk about his role in the film, he expressed his gratitude about getting to work with Salman.

In a statement, Gulati said, “I am fortunate and blessed that I am a part of his film and th egreat thing is he is concerned about my work and guiding me. I am just shocked with happiness and joy because I never expected this coming my way.”

Radhe stars Salman in the titular role, and will mark back-to-back collaborations with Prabhu Deva, who has also directed Dabangg 3, which is slated for a December 20 release. Radhe also stars Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff. 

Despite a number of cringe-worthy dialogues in the name of humour appearing intermittently in the movie, the one factor that remains consistently sincere and funny is Akshay Kumar.

Is there a point expecting logic, sincerity, and political correctness from the Housefull franchise? Haven’t we learnt anything over the past nine years and three films? The latest instalment sticks to the Housefull template of mounting a comedy of errors on a flimsy premise, which is held together by a series of unending gags, irreverent humour, which more than just borders on the offensive, and Akshay Kumar. After a series of nationalistic movies that saw Akshay champion various causes, he returns to a film that has him getting slapped around, kicked in the nether regions, and even unabashedly rolling in shit, literally. If this latter is courtesy a group of pigs in 1419, it is pigeons who do the needful in 2019.

After a series of nationalistic movies that saw Akshay champion various causes, he returns to a film that has him getting slapped around, kicked in the nether regions, and even unabashedly rolling in shit, literally. If this latter is courtesy a group of pigs in 1419, it is pigeons who do the needful in 2019. The film is about three brothers Akshay, Bobby Deol, and Riteish Deshmukh, who are in love with Pooja Hegde, Kriti Sanon, and Kriti Kharbanda, respectively… or are they?

Basically this film is what will happen if SS Rajamouli made Magadheera within the Housefull franchise. Just like Magadheera, Housefull 4 also uses reincarnation and ‘sachcha pyaar’ to sell us an outlandish story, which begins in London, and for the most part, happens in the princely state of Sitamgarh.

What’s Housefull without running gags? There is one involving Riteish Deshmukh, his effeminate characteristics, an unnecessary speech conundrum, and of course, homophobic humour. Then there is an English-speaking Johnny Lever, who later becomes Giggly, the Sitamgarh girlfriend of Akri Pasta (can there be a Housefull franchise without Chunky Pandey going ‘Mamma Mia’), and of course, transphobic humour. There’s yesteryear actor Ranjith, and of course, sexual innuendos aplenty.

The heroines hardly get to say anything except an exasperated “Shut Up” here and a “Yeh kya ho raha hai?” there, and of course, zero character development. There is the random breaking of fourth wall, misplaced pop culture references in the 14th century, and of course, Dharmendra being referenced while talking about Bobby Deol. But again, what do you expect out of a franchise which perennially aims at the low-hanging fruit? Housefull 4 is a worthy addition to the franchise known for its slapstick humour and below-the-belt jokes. Of what worth this franchise is in the first place is a different question altogether.

Despite a number of cringe-worthy dialogues in the name of humour appearing intermittently in the movie, the one factor that remains consistently sincere and funny is Akshay Kumar. While I am not a big fan of Sundi/Sandy from the previous instalment, both the roles in Housefull 4 give enough for the actor to ply his wares, and he does so with considerable elan. As Harry in the 2019 timeline, Akshay plays a man who forgets things when he hears loud noises, a “London ka Ghajini”, and he shoulders the responsibility of the film, almost singlehandedly in the second half.

However, the real show-stealer is Akshay as Rajkumar Bala Dev of Madhavgarh. The actor lets his hair down in the role of a scheming bald prince, whose characterisation is very reminiscent of General Aladeen from The Dictator. Remember the Akshay from films such as Singh is King and Rowdy Rathore? He is back in familiar territory after a prolonged break where he tried to save a lot of things, including the Indian legal system, Indian women, and even the Indian space research.

In between all this, there is Rana Daggubati, whose inclusion also brings in the mandatory Baahubali references. Look out for his present-day avatar, where Rana has the most unlikely profession. Such is the randomness of his profession that the only thing more random than that is the presence of Nawazuddin Siddiqui grooving to an item number along with the entire cast of Housefull 4. Such moments of ingenuity and wackiness manage to balance, albeit temporarily, the outrage the film induces otherwise.

Writing credits of the film are shared by six people, and it really does feel like a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the biriyani. However, the actors, including Riteish and Johnny, ably support Akshay in his endeavour to solve all the confusion by incessant hamming, as does the over-the-top staging.

Some might argue that the presence of this franchise is a farce and not the best thing to have happened to Bollywood. Others believe there is a huge market for such mindless entertainers. Some others are of the opinion that comedy is a subjective thing. To be honest, I related to all these opinions at various points of Housefull 4. Are certain dialogues abysmal? Yes. Is the presence of Sajid Khan’s name in the credits disheartening? Yes. Did I laugh out loud when they break into Soldier Soldier song in 1491? You bet I did! Did I give a half-smile when they decided to rhyme “Exorcism” with… Sonu Nigam? Definitely. So, that brings me to the most important question that came up after watching Housefull 4. Do we need a Housefull 5? Well, as Akshay repeatedly says in this film… I don’t know.

shaheen raaj

Hindi Film Review

Batla HouseBy: Shaheen Raaj
“Batla House Is A Powerful Warfare Saga”

Banner: T-Series, Emmay Entertainment, Bake My Cake Films & above all John Abraham Entertainment

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Divya Khosla Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Monisha Advani Madhu Bhojwani, Sandeep  Leyzell & above all John AbrahamStar Cast: John Abraham, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishen, Manish Chaudhari, Rajesh Sharma, Sonam Arora, Sahidur Rahman, Kranti Prakash Jha, Alok Pandey, Faizan Khan, Niranjan Jadhao, Chirag Katrecha, Yatharth Kansal, Utkarsh Rai & even Nora Fatehi 

Director: Nikhil Advani

The films based on or inspired from true incidents always have an edge, especially if it is made well. A recent classic example being that of Article 15, loosely inspired from Badaun rape case & Una flogging incident & which became a commercial success. Now Nikkhil Advani attempts to unravel the mystery behind the more than a decade old Batla House encounter in his flick, also titled Batla House.

So the scripted scenario of Batla House reveals the story of an upright cop caught in a sticky situation. The year is 2008. The Indian Mujahideen has conducted a series of blasts across the country. Their latest attack is in the capital city, Delhi, on 13^th Sept, 2008. ACP Sanjay Kumar (John Abraham) is having trouble in his marriage with Nandita (Mrunal Thakur). On 19^th Sept, 2008, he is informed by his team that the terrorists responsible for this blasts are holed up in a flat in L-18, Batla House in the Okhla locality of the city. Before Sanjay Kumar could reach the site, his junior officer K K (Ravi Kishan) orders the team to engage with the occupants of the said house. The occupants who are Okhla University students fire at the cops, injuring K K grievously. Sanjay Kumar meanwhile reaches on the spot & he along with the rest of the police team eliminate the shooters. One of them, Tufail (Alok Pandey) is arrested. Even before the cops could leave, the residents begin raising slogans against the police. Soon, the media & even the political leaders blame the police for staging a fake encounter. K K on the other hand passes away in hospital. Sanjay Kumar meanwhile finds it difficult to prove that he’s right & that these residents of Batla House were indeed a part of Indian Mujahideen. He also informs the police department that there were 2 more guys in the Batla House flat who escaped, one of which is Dilshaad Ahmed (Sahidur Rehman). He escaped to Nizampur, Uttar Pradesh. Sanjay Kumar’s senior Jayvir (Manish Chaudhari) sternly tells Sanjay Kumar not to head to Nimzapur to arrest Dilshaad. Yet, Sanjay defies the orders and heads to nab Dilshaad with his team. In Nizampur, he encounters hostile residents & a leader of a political party who tell him to back off. Yet, Sanjay Kumar goes ahead & attempts to take Dilshaad back to Delhi. The locals on one hand are baying for his blood. On other hand, Jayvir & other senior cops are slamming Sanjay Kumar for his irresponsible action. What happens next forms the rest of the crux of the film.

Ritesh Shah’s story is well researched & gripping. Moreover, it’s extremely relevant in today’s times. Many might not be aware of this case & how it led to such a huge controversy at that time. Hence, the novelty factor is also there. Ritesh Shah’s screenplay is captivating for most of the parts but is shaky in the 1^st ever half. The film should have been simpler yet thrilling & devoid of too much of docu drama feel, for a better impact. However, there’s no doubt that some scenes are exceptionally scripted. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are acidic & sharp. The one liners in the climax also work very well.

Nikkhil Advani’s direction is simply brilliant. He understands the material he has in his hand & its sensitive nature. He has even handled some scenes deftly & shows his brilliance in the interrogation scene in the 1^st ever half & later in the courtroom sequences. Also, the Rashomon effect works well here to make the audiences wonder as to which version is correct. However, a few scenes in the 1^st ever half are not up to the mark. Some scenes might even confuse the viewers. For instance, it is bewildering why Sanjay Kumar switches off the camera during a crucial interrogation. Thankfully, the plusses outweigh the minuses by a huge margin here.

Batla House’s 1^st ever half is decent but one misses the overall “Wow” factor here. The reason behind the straining of relations between Sanjay Kumar & Nandita is not explained properly. The encounter is only partly shown & hence, one remains confused as to what exactly transpired between the police & the students. Also, Sanjay Kumar’s constant hallucination sequences become a little too much after a point. But on the positive side, a few scenes are quite promising. The film picks up in a big way when Sanjay Kumar quotes from the Holy Quran while interrogating Tufail. This powerful scene will surely be greeted with claps & whistles & it also proves how vested interests smartly misinterpret religious texts for violent gains. The Nizampur episode is a bit over the top but is quite thrilling. The intermission point also comes at a great moment. Post interval, the interest levels increase as Sanjay Kumar gets determined to nab Dilshaad. The entry of Victoria (Nora Fatehi) adds charm to the film. But the best is reserved for the last 35 to 40 minutes. The courtroom drama is quite exhilarating & even claps worthy. Also, once the entire scenario becomes clear, the film becomes simpler.  As a result, audiences would be even more interested once they know the complete picture. Sanjay Kumar’s monologue at this hour ensures the film ends on a high.

Songs aren’t memorable except of course “O Saki Saki”. The item song is quite entertaining but it starts off quite suddenly though. “Rula Diya’” & “Jaako Rakhe” are okay. John Stewart Eduri’s background score is subtle yet adds to the impact.  Adil Shaikh’s choreography in “O Saki Saki” is visually great.

Soumik Mukherjee’s cinematography is topnotch. This is especially in the interior scenes of Batla House flat & even in the chase sequence in the small town. Priya Suhas’s production design is quite realistic. Amin Khatib’s action is thrilling & yet not gory or disturbing at all. Maahir Zaveri’s editing is razor sharp in many scenes & also stylish. But this kind of editing also affects the impact in some of the scenes in the 1^st ever half.

Performance wise Batla House belongs to John Abraham, without a shred of doubt. He is not just playing a brave, decorated police officer. He also essays the role of a person who is abused & slammed from all quarters. No one wants to know or believe his version of truth. The trauma he faces is brought out beautifully by John Abraham. Also, he’s 1^st rate as expected in action scenes & also in dramatic & even the confrontational sequences. Mrunal Thakur is letdown a bit by the script as the back story is never revealed. But she gives a decent performance. In the 2^nd half, she impresses even more as the woman who stands up for her husband. Ravi Kishan leaves a huge mark in a small role. Manish Chaudhari is efficient. Rajesh Sharma as advocate Shailesh Arya is quite scathing, as per his character’s requirement. Nora Fatehi provides the much needed sizzle in the film. Her character has a small but important role in the film. Alok Pandey, Sahidur Rehman & even Faizan Khan play their respective parts with earnest. Pramod Pathak as the defense counsel P Krishnan has a late entry but makes an impact. Others also do well.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Batla House is a powerful warfare saga which is sure to spark off discussions & debates. The relevant plot, the watertight screenplay, the clap worthy moments & the terrific performance by John Abraham makes Batla House as one of the finest films of the year.

At the box office turnstiles, Batla  House  will have a promising run. Strictly Recommended!

On the work front, Ranveer and Deepika are shooting for ’83’, which traces India’s historic victory at the 1983 cricket World Cup.

MUMBAI: Ranveer Singh has shared a love-filled video of his actress-wife Deepika Padukone who has all of the actor’s heart.

Ranveer took to Instagram to share the video in which Deepika – who is wearing an all-black ensemble, sun glasses and a pair of sneakers – is standing in front of a store which says “All Of My Heart”.

In another post, Ranveer can be seen smiling gleefully as he is “sandwiched” between his sister Ritika Bhavnani and Deepika’s sister Anisha Padukone.

Sharing the picture, the “Gully Boy” star captioned it “Sista Sandwich” with a bunch of heart emojis.

On the work front, Ranveer and Deepika are shooting for “’83”, which traces India’s historic victory at the 1983 cricket World Cup. While Ranveer portrays the team’s captain Kapil Dev, Deepika plays his wife Romi.

This is Ranveer and Deepika’s first film together after their wedding last year. The couple previously co-starred in megahits “Padmavat”, “Bajirao Mastani” and “Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela”.

“’83” also features Saqib Saleem, Adinath Kothare, Chirag Patil, Harddy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Jatin Sarna, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Dinker Sharma, Jiiva, Sahil Khattar, Dhairya Karwa, Nishant Dahhiya and R. Badree.

The film is presented by Reliance Entertainment and is scheduled to release on April 10 next year in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Last year, Kajal Aggarwal was part of the National Award-winning film, Awe, which was critically acclaimed.

It was in 2008, a year after her debut in the Telugu film, Lakshmi Kalayanam, that Kajal Aggarwal made her way into Tamil cinema. Since then, she has not only balanced Telugu and Tamil films, but made a brief foray or two into Bollywood too.

Every year since then, she has been a part of at least 4-5 films across industries. It seems she is at a crossroads now. “I feel like the whole chirpy girl image doesn’t work for me anymore because I am not that person now. I was younger then, but I can’t fake it now. Things have changed,” she says.

“I have always been vocal about my likes and dislikes, but now, I am more at ease in determining my script choices. I have more freedom of choice now. Apart from content, which is of primary importance, I now look at other aspects like the character I’m doing, how I fit into the entire script, etc…”

So, what drew her to Comali, in which she has very limited screen time? “The content. I know it is a cliched answer, but it is true. Comali is a different sort of film. It is a satirical take on evolution, and the boon and curse of technology,” she explains. “It does not focus on nostalgia per se, but it is a relevant take on how, as humans, our priorities have changed. Social media has taken over our lives. Why do we feel the urge to wake up in the morning, and go to Instagram to check what someone wore last night? It also touches upon relevant issues from the recent past, including the Chennai floods, and water crisis.”

Last year, Kajal was part of the National Award-winning film, Awe, which was critically acclaimed. She was not the lead, however. Even in Comali, she is said to have limited screen time. On the other hand, she is headlining a film like Paris Paris, the Tamil remake of Queen. Looking at her films of the recent past, one can’t help but notice a marked shift when compared to the roles she was doing, say, a couple of years ago. “I have made a lot of mistakes, but looking back, I genuinely think they were learning steps. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have known my strengths. Now, I am looking for scripts that challenge my limits.

About screen time, I have done characters looking at the project in totality, like in Comali. I have done films where I am not the stereotypical commercial heroine,” says Kajal, and is quick to add that this doesn’t mean they aren’t enjoyable ventures.

“I like the jhatkas, dressing up nicely etc… I like to balance meaty content with films that I do just for cinematic joy.” Kajal’s career can be said to be on an upswing, considering her upcoming projects include Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2, and the much-anticipated English-Telugu film, produced by Vishnu Manchu. While she remains tight-lipped about the project, which requires her to learn Kalaripayattu and horse riding, Kajal assures it will be very different from what she has done so far in her career. It is satisfying that she thinks of each of her upcoming films of hers as different, including her upcoming English-Telugu project.

“More than a Hollywood film, I would call it a global film that is very Indian. We are projecting this story in world cinema and are planning to release it in Mandarin and Cantonese too. They want to release it in time for the Berlin Film Festival,” says Kajal, who credits working with global technicians in this film, and also in Indian 2, for helping her look at acting in a different perspective.

“There is a lot of learning and adapting to different styles. I feel as Indian actors, we are in our comfort zones, but in these two films, the team is international, and they are the best at what they do. They have proven it with their work, and don’t believe in compromising,” says Kajal, who believes that as a spontaneous artiste, the first few takes are always her best.

“In the English-Telugu project, I am the only common actor in both films, and I have to do multiple takes. It does take a toll, but I’m all about pushing boundaries now, and I’m loving it. I feel I’m starting my life all over again and unlearning everything.” This unlearning of Kajal, it seems, is happening at an important juncture of Indian cinema when boundaries between the film industries are gradually blurring.

One of the first films to do this was her very own Magadheera. Is Indian cinema slowly moving towards pan-Indian content? “I agree. I feel regional cinema is not regional anymore. With the influx of digital portals, everyone is watching everything. We are not defined by boundaries. Our audience is at a stage where it wants things done differently. Our nation is curious,” says Kajal, who remains non-committal about rumours regarding her entry into the digital space with a webseries directed by Venkat Prabhu.

Fifteen years in the film industry, and over 50 films, Kajal hasn’t always found the going easy, and yet, Jayam Ravi, her costar in Comali, said recently that she is a bundle of positivity. How does she manage to keep herself so? “Detachment. I am very attached to the process of filming, but only till the film is made. I am concerned about the results of the film, but don’t get invested in it. This detachment has worked for me. It helps me be normal.”

HYDERABAD: As fans are taking to social media to pay their tribute to Sridevi on her 56th birth anniversary, the one question that many still search an answer for is why Sridevi never stepped into politics despite her stardom.

Sridevi was considered as the odd one out in the tinsel town given her disinclination towards politics, despite an illustrious career spanning four decades on the silver screen.

As far as the film industry is concerned, particularly Tollywood and Kollywood, every successful actress, like their male counterparts, try to test their luck in politics during the fag end of their film career. 

Many of the yesteryears female protagonists on the celluloid not only departed Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, but also other celebrated star heroines like Sharada, Jamuna, Vijaya Nirmala, Vijayasanthi, Jayaprada, Jayasudha, Jeevitha and Roja have entered politics.  

While some of them succeeded in their new endeavour, some others remained as big flops in politics. For instance, Sharada, a three-time National Award-winning actress, was elected as an MP from her native town of Tenali on TDP ticket in 1996. 

In more recent examples, Jayasudha became an MLA on Congress Party ticket in 2009. Likewise, Vijayasanthi, more popularly known as Lady Amitabh, left her mark on politics in Telugu land by floating her own political party supporting Telangana movement in 2007. She is now with the Congress though politically not active.

Jayaprada, who too reigned in Bollywood at around the same time when Sridevi was at the height of her film career, and was considered as the latter’s rival in the tinsel town, was an MP from Rampur of Uttar Pradesh from 2004 to 2014.

When Sridevi was asked about politics a few years back, the ‘English Vinglish’ actress stated that she was busy building the career of my two daughters.

“I focused my entire attention on carving my career. After stopped acting in movies, my focus was shifted to my children. I am now busy with building the career of my two daughters. I have no time to think about other things,” Sridevi had told a Telugu channel.

shaheen raaj

Hindi Film Review

Khandani Shafakhana

By: Shaheen Raaj

“Khandaani Shafakhana Is An Interesting Film Based On A Taboo Topic Of Sex”

Banner: Sundial Productions & T – Series

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Mahaveer Jain, Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, Divya Khosla Kumar & Krishan Kumar

Director: Shilpi Dasgupta

Star Cast: Badshah, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Sharma, Anu Kapoor, Priyanshu Jora, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajesh Sharma, Nadira Babbar, Rajiv Gupta, Diana Penty, Suniel Shetty & above all Raveena Tandon

Music: Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, Payal Dev, Abhishek Nailwal & Badshah

It has happened for the 1^st ever time in the history of Bollywood that the trailer of Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Sharma & Badshah’s recently released movie Khandani Shafakhana was released just a day before the film’s release & created a buzz within no time. Those who had seen the trailer already know that the movie is based on the subject of sex & all the abnormalities attached to it.

Incidentally speaking movies like Vicky Donor & Shubh Mangal Savdhan also dealt with the very same subject. So Khandani Shafakhana has given more poised treatment to it & not to forget that the protagonist in this film is a female, namely Sonakshi Sinha.

The one liner of the film reveals that Khandaani Shafakhana is a film about a Punjabi girl named Babita Bedi alias Baby, enacted with a lot of spunk by none other than Sonakshi Sinha, who has to run a fertility clinic. She will have to face many obstacles of this society that is conservative towards women.

So with Khandaani Shafakhana Sonakshi Sinha has pledged to fill you in with some Sex education in a super subtle way. And she indeed proves to be a winner all the way. It is a bold step taken by Sonakshi Sinha, which no other Bollywood actress has done so far, but certainly not the 1^st ever risky character enacted with élan by her. This is also one of her bold roles enacted by her. Earlier on Sonakshi Sinha had done a film titled Akira, where she stood strong as a solo lead with a very different theme. Then with Ittefaq, she showed the dark side of her acting. And at the same time, in movies like the “Dabangg” franchise, she allowed her beauty to settle in the most subtle way.

Apart from the fact that this is her 1^st ever female centric film dealing with the subject of sex, what interests us more is the unexpected combination of the main leads. While Sonakshi Sinha enacts a docile albeit a middle class Bedi girl who’s trying to manage her uncle’s old pharmacy house. On the other hand Varun Sharma tickles the funny bones with his own brand of humor as an innocent “virgin” boy. Moreover, Badshah making his 1^st ever Bollywood debut with the movie simply adds another feather in his hat.

Tail Piece: On the whole a film like Khandaani Shafakhana will certainly be appreciated more by the single theater audience than the so called intelligentsia audience belonging to the multiplex class.

At the box office turnstiles the film will slowly generate a good business at the cash counters. Period!!