Aum Mangalam Singlem - Fun, Funny & Fiesty

Who enjoys a Single life, Boys or Girls!! Watch AMS & find out. 

One of the challenge that is delaying the revival of Gujarati Film Industry is also that good quality film-makers are not making enough films with their teams. I understand it is not an easy process but spacing films this far-out, especially good films, is not fair to the industry.

Yes, yes, let me get it out in the beginning, just so that the hero and heroine’s expression and beauty is caught, they don’t wear helmets!!! If Daaru is banned in Gujarat, where do they  get the Daaru and why is it part of films (with a disclaimer!)

Now, let us speak about the popcorn, samosas and drinks that has become the norm with movie premieres. Actually, no, I don’t remember the taste of the same because they were served in the first half and I was too busy laughing, enjoying the word-fest. However, post interval I could focus on the after-taste and realized the samosas were a bit too salty and the pop-corn bland.

Aum Mangalam Singlem’s (AMS) trailer really got me thinking on how would it be to be single (hope my wife is not reading this, can’t afford to get her to think that!!). It actually made me think of all the fun I had being single and much more, so the anticipation of the movie was high, very high. Not to mention a tried and tested team of winners was making it. The movie did not take my being single too far. Telling you why.

But first, one aspect of the film which no one speaks about. Promotion. I loved the fact that it was quick, crisp to the point and only informed and did not impose. Generally promotions as so in your face, so forceful so pushy. None of it happened here.

So, about the movie. There are four Heroes of the movie.

Dialogues: Mitai-Nehal seem to have hit the groove big time. They seem to have the midas touch with words and have really touched the right cords all the time. They seem to have a chemistry with Malhar’s comic timing. Each word hits bulls-eye with him. Focus on the spoken and acted words you would love it big time all through.

Music: What amazing refreshing scores by Sachin-Jigar. They seem to always reserve their best for Saandeep-Aarti. Sawariya just takes off many a times in the film’s narrative. Latko is my personal favourite, Niren Bhatt has worded it perfect too. Khune Khune thi, Sahiyar too complete a great album. It is pleasing to see that directors like Saandeepbhai are focusing on the music to make the film memorable.

Malhar-Aarohi: They are a fluid pair. Pick any emotion and they seem to get it right. Perfect chemistry, great understanding and comforting body language makes them super. Malhar is extremely normal in his comedy skin and excels big time. Aarohi just can't seem to do anything wronng (including her natural talent of dancing).

Cinematography: Well, I have a bias towards Tapan Vyas for the absolute quality of his craft. He makes the film extremely rich, flawless & jerk-less. You feel rich watching AMS, the scenes, the close-ups and the overall emotions are so beautifully captured.

Well, the story is about two school-hood sweet hearts who grow up, finish college and are slotted to be married when they realized they have yet to live a life without each other. So, they take a pause and decide to prepare a singlenaamu and live a life (in the same city sic!). What follows, and everyone knows will happen, happens. Yeah yeah no twists and turns (or are there T&Ts, well you will have to watch the movie and find out).

One gets a feeling that once the core concept was frozen the story, especially the last part was forgotten. It leaves one with so many questions?

• If there are no rules then where did the rules come from?
• Why is it that its always the girls who are right?
• Why do the boys always have to be seen as guilty?
• Girls kare toh vaandho nai, guys bole toh vaandho!
• Anyone can come into the society, shout our daughter's name and sell Soda!
• How easy it is to stop a very determined girl going to London?
• How many Pounds would the father have lost in the cancelled admission/tickets?
• Why does Malhar look like Ranbir Kapoor when he cries?
• Why does a film have to show a happy Malhar crying, he just can’t do it!

The other cast too have good roles to play, especially Bhamini Oza Gandhi & Darshan Jariwala. Tatsat Munshi in his maiden appearance impresses but lack the meat to his role. Again am biased towards Sanjay Galsar’s craft, he too did not have much to do.

All in all, AMS is a movie that starts extremely fantastic then goes into predictable lines and ends happy.

A good family watch.

PS: Yes, seeing Ashish Kakkad and hearing his baritone sure leaves you sad.

Go Watch it, Saandeep-Aarti rarely get it wrong, be it daughters (Aarohi -acting & Sanjana – costumes) and then this second film in their version  2.0.

 

 

Vickida No Varghodo – A Comic Timing Fest

I  would have married all three, but Vickido is not like me.

Vickida no Varghodo has been hard for me. It is a film which has made me re-evaluate my unconditional love (spanning more than a decade) for Monal Gajjar. I might be falling in love with Mansi Rachh and her performance. But that for later.

Here are some observations though:

1.      Directors are brave people who are not scared of being Badnaam, producers are, they will never try anything new – This has nothing to do with the movie but to do with a power couple. Yes, this is a private joke - #myblog #myjoke #myspace #taareshu?

2.      I like director Rahul Bhole’s confidence, English subtitles and all, he is confident the product will go big on OTT and other languages…great great

3.      Because this is a comedy film the sub-titles to have to be funny:

Mindha – Mr Foxy

Ganthiyo – Smart Pants

Hari Hari – Hail Lord Ram…and many more 

4.      Gujarati films too are following Hollywood patterns with too many title slides.

5.      How do you know Rahul is from Vadodara? Well, Comedian Manan Desai features in his films!!

6.      Why do Gujaratis never win at badminton – they play in the open, without sweating!

7.      Pretty impressed that they made Salman Khan speak Gujarati dialogues from Tere Naam.

8.      This film confuses us about schools in villages – The Collector’s daughter studies here (has to be a good school), Yet they have just one teacher for Science and Maths and other subjects!!

9.      Villages have so much space for couples to meet, wonder why they still come back to schools in the evening to meet?

10.   Want to know more about a love drug – Phenylethylamine – watch this movie.

I don’t know about you, but I feel Malhar Thakar has given his best performance in recent times. Or shall we say this movie brings out the right combination of great dialogues, fantastic cinematography, beautiful casting and the right amount of logic for Malhar to excel.

As the name goes, the film is about a great comic timing walo Malhar (Vickido) who is to get married. And to attend his wedding comes his school love played by Jhinal Belani (looking very fresh and beautiful). So, you go into a school flashback with amazing comic timing friends and parents and innocent love and badminton in the open and one teacher teaching it all only for it to all end.

And the college love begins with Mansi Rachh (Wowow, you just fall in love)!. Fresh, lively, bubbly and oozing with great confidence this love story progresses. Only for us to come back to Vickida no Varghodo where Monal Gajjar (the eternal beauty) re-makes an entry with Mareez ni kavitao.

It all boils down to who will Vickido marry? Thankfully not a Salman-like situation here.

I repeat, Malhar has excelled in this role, with full credits to himself. Guess it needs two directors & writers to get the best out of him. Rahul Bhole and Vinit Kanojia have shown brilliant sense of timing in their screenplay and dialogues. The beauty of this film is that even the cinematographer Suman Sahu contributes to some great comedy moments. But Rahul Bhole, deserves this box office hit after a badly marketed classic, Chor Bani Thangat. Rahul has shown that he has the mettle and come back stronger.

Special mention to Anurag Prappana for carrying out the role of Vicky’s father. He too contributed flawlessly to the humour (watch out the ladder scene).

While, Monal Gajjar still ranks my favourite, she did not get enough screen time to really justify her role. Yet, when on screen she just amazes with the fluidity of her essay.

Mansi Rachh simply steals the heart with her performance. Watch out her command over her craft in the pre-kiss scene. Wonder where was she all the time! 

Jhinal Belani too does a natural job and justifies her cute looks by carrying off the school girl role well.  

The music is great, personalized (Heer toh badi sad hai - vibes) and really hits well. Draksh Khaati song probably keeps the humour quotient as well as the pace (giving Rugamiffin Manan good entry points). 

And yes, I was told to write this, Kairavi Buch is one of the singers of the song Kaanha Re 😁😀(Family First). 

But Seriously, Amar Khandha, his team of lyricists and singers did a good job.

All in all, a fantastic family watch, full of laughter and funny moments.

A tad bit long, but then you don’t mind it. 

So, I leave you with a question that Chirayu Mistry (what a great actor) asks in the movie, If suicide is a crime, who gets punished?

Watch Vickida no Varghodo, TODAY.

 

 

Sonu Per Bharoso Karai

Sonu Tane Mara per Bharoso Nai Ke

A TV from Chor Bazaar can make you chaotically rich

Honestly, considering the name, I was confident that this would be one of those regular slapstick movies that come about. I have known the director Henil Gandhi to be good with stories, I have known Ragi Jani to be a fantastic actor, Off late Malhar's choices of films too have been pretty good, yet this movie. I was mentally prepared for one more disappointment.

But what I saw completely floored me. Of course, not before it had its disappointments.

The Story is straight simple situational. A middle class family lose their TV (in an unbelievable and painful fashion) and decide to go to Chor bazaar to buy a new one. What they discover in the TV is much more than just gold, but confusions, honesty, murders and much more chaos.  

Let us handle Disappointments first:

The first 25 mins need to be endured. It is something that shakes your faith.

Again the villain and the Hindi saga continue. Why do villains have to speak hindi? We are not South India! 

Some dialogues and narratives are more confusing than funny. 

The background music initially was just too loud, it only levelled out later...

There are some scenes which kill the entire flow and have no relation and could have been chopped especially the salon lady and the gangster meeting and seeking help (no this is not a spoiler). It is just there, doing nothing. Adding no value.

Now let us come to the Good things:

Dialogues: Punchy, funny and a lot of time PJs by Suraj Baraliya are rocking. They elevate the movie and take it from slapstick to outright funny in situations.

Ragi Jani: Take a bow. You just took the movie to great heights. There were shadows of Siddharthbhai, still the movie is all standing on Ragibhai and he carries it well. Actually very well. Always talented, he just proved himself all over again.

Malhar: He is himself and that matters. He does a good job at being goofy, funny and likeable. This is one good movie to headline.

Ditto Jayesh More: His chemistry with Ragi is just a treat to watch. Both veterans elevate the movie.

All other support characters fit in fine.

The title song, rocks. What a catchy song. Rahul Munjariya takes it a notch higher. Not to mention the Song in between, again very classy.

All in all, it is an enjoyable movie to take the family out to. Henil Gandhi, welcome to the Good Cinema club. You have actually found Gujarat it very own Priyadarshan. More power to you.

And yes, Malhar's head is more important than that of Nijal because he was wearing a helmet (honestly, a good start).

Golkeri – Awesome Foursome

Jignesh Vasavada

4 (.5 for Mansi)

Life ends one Saturday evening and toils through the entire Sunday before coming to a full circle in the evening. Yes, 24 hours of love, life and relationship is a delightful Golkeri.

Now here is the fear. Good movies just don’t get the right promotions and thus there is a fear of them missing out. Golkeri producers, guys, please go all out, you have a good product. Many a movie, earlier, has messed up with poor no promotion.

What is!

Well, this is a sweet gargle-your-way-to-a guy’s-heart love story (read Gujarati re-make of the Marathi Muramba) of a boy Sahil (Malhar) & girl Harshita (Mansi) which begins with a Break off (not Up) and traverses through Divorce (there is a difference here) and then ending with a Patch up (yeah the same thing).

Yeah yeah, once you settle into the movie you know how it is going to end, but the beauty of the story is in the way it folds, unfolds, re-folds and finally packs up. Honestly, I was waiting to see the climax hoping it would be a taxi-wala-taking-police-wala-helping-aircraft-stopping or simply running with the train ending. But the climax is truly a nice anti-climax.

Here Sahil and Harshita are aided by Sahil’s affable parents played by Sachin Khedekar and Vandana Pathak. The story, screenplay is a delightful journey of values, love, upbringing, generations and the bond called love. Good Movie.

All that is Wow

All four lead actors, simply rock.

Mansi Parekh, take a bow. What a performance. Brilliant portrayal of a stand-up comic going off and on, all the while alternating between being a girl-friend, would-be bahu and a girl. She really connects and takes the movie to an altogether new level.

Vandana Pathak, a veteran, who just keeps getting better and better. She is literally the life of the movie.

Malhar Thakar, yes, not the star Malhar, but the actor Malhar who has been emerging with movies, breaking his stereotype since Sharto Laagu excels in a great portrayal of a scared genius in love. His classical punchy style lends the much needed humour and life to the narrative. He infuses the pace and helps keep the interest alive.

Sachin Khedekar (also acted in the Marathi original), in a brilliant light portrayal of a loving, understanding and evolving father steals hearts. He too binds the narrative and is crucial in some situations where the story needs the push.

DoP, Vikas Joshi paired with the Art Director keeps the film clean and fresh. Despite very limited location you are captivated by the way the scenes have been captured.

Dialogues, by Viral Shah also add the delta in the movie’s Gujaratikaran. Most, other language re-makes miss the mark in this department. Viral has kept it real and Gujarati.

All that is Saav

Background Music alternated between being jarring, loud and sometimes forced. This department could have done with mellowing down.

The Story, while was a huge challenge, could have done with a bit of trimming and appeared to slow the pace at times.

Some scenes really looked like they were an after-thought and the green screen was visible.

Low focus on marketing would really cause a scare for an otherwise good product.

Do not miss moments

Read this more than once. Manan, aapno comedy factory waalo, hosts daaru parties where girls come home late night, drunk. Why didn’t I know of this earlier? Why did I have to learn this from a movie?

The four-seater-scooter is a nice side kick which has a maruti car’s key-chain!!

So, our hero kick-starts his bike with a slight stubble, travels few kms the stubble grows thick and then becomes light again at the end of the journey.

Looks like there is a lot of money in the spectacle shop, simply going by their bungalow.

Jenga, the game, mends relationships, yes, it is true.
Giving out Golkeri bottles, what a great PR victory!

Blatant favoritism by the producer ensures that his wife is always wearing a helmet and the hero is not :))

 

The Verdict

Oh, please go and watch it with your entire family. It is a nice delightful fun foursome ride of relationship and love. You might even end up thanking god for not making you a gold-medalist or a ranker.

Ventilator -Breath Gujarati

The Story of a large family that appears United yet stands Divided (No reference to Congress)

3 Stars

Jignesh Vasavada

I am cursed to have watched the original Ventilator in Marathi, and now when I watched the Guajrati re-make, I just couldn’t help making comparisons. Just couldn’t help being happy and unhappy.

Few Observations (Please bear with me the comparisons, because they are bound to happen):

1. Why are we Gujaratis portrayed so loud? Apple to Apple, Marathi villagers seem a quieter lot and the humorous scenes hit well there.
2. What would it feel to debut at 90 years? The grandfather in the film, at 90 made his debut in films. Watch out for him, he gives magnificent performances.
3. No one wears helmet in Gujarat, it has to be noted film after film.
4. What is the  Dr Juhi Chawla doing there? Amusing herself and having a ball in a situation which should evoke anger. So misplaced completely avoidable.
5. I was bribed black coffee to say this. The background score was magnificent, flawless and very lucid. It must be noted, Parth Bharat Thakkar has been choosing seats next to me only to influence my decisions for two movies in a row. I must be really important. Its just that the background score here is actually fantastic. Blends very well. Parth you need not have taken so much trouble of stalking me.
6. Manan Desai has never called me so many times to know my view of the film (suddenly I feel so good). Manan too does a fantastic single expression role.
7. Did I actually read Ordertory and idoltory in relation to Mataji and navratri offering?
8. Jai Shri Krishna is not Good Morning. Interesting subtitle issues galore.
9. You can perform in a hospital, the guard stops you yet you continue. Wow.
10. Do notice, Jackie Shroff’s lips are saying something and his dialogues something else.

Well, I admit, I was emotional towards the end. Ventilator, a name that would send shivers down your spine, here is light, rib-tickling, painful, stretched and tear-jerking in various parts. 

Lyricist Niren Bhatt. Pic Coutesy Buddybits

To be honest, there is no clear male/female actor hero of the movie, instead the real heroes are Niren Bhatt (Lyricist), Parth Bharat Thakkar for music (no, not because of the coffee) and the writer (Rajesh Mapuskar).

Gijukaka a father figure is on ventilator and the entire family from Mumbai to Chorwad to Mehsana to Ahmedabad rally around to visit him at the hospital and pay their respects (with a feeling that they may be for the last time). 

Parth Bharat Thakkar with Umang Vyas and Aditya Gadhvi

The film is a magnificent display of emotions excellently captured enough for each viewer to relate/identify with some character or the other in the film with some relative/friend in his/her life. It captures small nuances like the need to repeat the same story over and over again to every new visitor (this too sounded far better in Marathi). Captured also is the excitement of an impending death in the family, the selfishness of self above all else, the Mumbai and small town divide, the relations between father-son, the vast difference between the nature of relatives in villages and city-bred. It is all there. And sorry if I may say a large chunk is captured naturally in Marathi. Sadly in Gujarati it just does not flow well.

Ashutosh Gowarikar giving the Muhurat Clap. Pic Courtesy TOI

Jackie Shroff, personally I think, was a perfect misfit when it comes to dialogue delivery. The entire involvement, natural accent  was missing, killing the purpose. Characters don’t blend as well as they need to. Ojas Rawal a powerhouse of all things funny is completely wasted as is Jayesh More. Pratik Gandhi stands out like a perfect hero. He delivers where it matters. Mitra Gadhvi too does a consistent good job. Sanjay Goradia, a natural comic, after a point becomes cacophonous and unbearable. Why do they have to be so loud.

While the first half is loud and stretched, the second half has all the emotions. Some scenes really stand out as Jackie begins to take control. The scene with Archan Trivedi melts your heart. All the ventilator scenes be it the Grandfather touching the screen or the siblings and even Pratik Gandhi talking to his father are teary ones. You will be left with a lump in the throat and you will have none but Niren Bhatt and Parth Bharat Thakkar to blame.

Do not miss the cameo by Emotions Salesman Malhar Thakar, am saying it after long, he was good. Juhi Chawla is just a pure misfit.

Manan Desai with Director Umang Vyas

Songs are just well blended and would do well. Bhada na Makan ma, Amba Re Amba all stand out.

Well, if you ask me, do not miss this movie. And if you have Netflix or any other service please watch the Marathi one too. I promise you that you will want to re-read my review and agree with my angst.

Watch it, watch it.

Shu Thayu - Bus Kai Nai

Shu Thayu…Saheb…Tamne Shu Thayu

Jignesh Vasavada

2.5 Stars 

Ahmedabad: August 25, 2018

Expectations are sure a huge burden to carry. The shoulders of Krishnadev Yagnik and team sure seem strong to have been sculpted to carry the same.

So, when Shu Thayu was announced, it was a weighed with the huge burden of the comeback team of Chello Divas (yes, the same film which has more than 25 different versions disguised as Urban Gujarati cinema). Did it really carry the burden well, or are the team themselves saying, Shu Thayu?

Read on, but not before my mandatory 10 observations.

1. Has Malhar lost age and Kinjal gained glamour? My God, what good and nice looking pair!!!

2. The premiere was like a rich wedding party with a proper colour theme. You could actually see bystanders asking, Shu Thayu?

3. Looks like the sequel of Chello Divas is such a huge burden that they even gave Michael the same quantum of role as in the original film.

4. So, there is progress. Helmets are visible with bikes. Only that the heroine’s head is cheaper and less important than the hero’s because only he is wearing the helmet.

5. Every scene is a magnificent product placement. You can actually count the brands, the locations and the products that make their appearance and disappearance.


6. Malhar desperately needs a dialogue (delivery & content) makeover. The stereotyping is also stereotyped.

7. What is By Swear of your mom? I assume, Maa Naa Sum? Dal is lentil soup (for the puritan English speaker) not curry.

8. Over-ambition or pure confidence, the film has sub-titles with the hope of targeting non-Gujarati audience.

9. The producer seems to have used the Karsandas location for a hospital, looks more like a swasthya kendra with MRI facility.

10. So, what is finally the heroine’s name, Deepika, Dipali, or Dipli? You keep wondering all the time.



The madness begins from the word go. The loud gets louder and the overacting gets exaggerated and the film commences. But then you have been promised an unFORGETable laugh riot, so you begin adjusting and taking in, as Manan expresses his love and intention to marry 3D (Deepika/Dipali/Dipli) to her father. A street smart, smart alec fast forwards us through his funny journey of love and acceptance and manages to get a yes and the film begins.

Few situations later our man hits his head on the stone and the audience too feels the pain, all the way to the end. The injury is multi-pronged, the dialogue writer’s head too seems to have been hit, the screenplay writer’s head too, the location guy’s head as well as the gag writer’s head. All of them suffer amnesia/loss of memory, speed, innovation, flow and the product goes for a toss.

In the state of forgetfulness and foolhardiness, Manan’s reception and marriage take place (yes, in the same order) and his friends help him through the entire journey.

What was being built up for a laughter riot, emotion of friends, ingenuity and love turns laborious, unbearable and sometimes funny. There are occasions of laughter and some real good slapstick but most times you are engulfed by the lack of innovation in the scenes and dialogues. The film gives you fun in installments like the Reception sequence, the initial falling in love scene, most of the interactions with Mitra Gadhvi and the friends.


Malhar sometimes even seems to be mumbling dialogues. While he does put on good acts, it just does not add up, after all there is only this much you can do with 4-5 dialogues that have been written for you. Mitra Gadhvi (Chikna) excels in a great performance. His character, his performance, his timings are just spot on. Aarjav Trivedi, drooling in his delivery is pretty artificial, Yash does a good job while the beautiful, glamorous Kinjal Rajpriya is under-utilized. Rest of the characters have a forgettable outing.

The screenplay, the story, the dialogues fall very short of expectations not giving us enough meat to chew on for the 2hrs plus something time. Music is present but nothing stands out. Songs, have good lyrics but not very hummable, at least not in the first go. 

Krishnadev Sir, Chello Divas rocked, Karsandas super rocked, even Vandha Vilas, I personally found it hilarious, but Shu Thayu forces me ask, Saheb, Tamne Shyu Thayu?