Happy New Year 2024

Dunki #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Dunki Cast: #ShahRukhKhan #TaapseePannu #VickyKaushal #BomanIrani #VikramKochhar #AnilGrover #JyotiSubhash Director: #RajKumarHirani Rating: * * * Runtime: 160 mins #RajKumarHiraniFilms #SpicePR #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody @followers #followers #JyotiDeshpande #JioStudios #RedChilliesEntertainment #GauriKhan

An intermittently rib-tickling, emotional roller coaster, this film, typically dripping with melodrama, patriotic fervor, sentiments and underscored by fantasy, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and co-written by #AbhijatJoshi, #RajkumarHirani, and #KanikaDhillon, has a narrative that bemuses with its simplicity and ability to hit on the right tone and momentum and messaging to keep the audience enraptured. Heart-touching performances from Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal and great support from the rest of the cast, help keep the interest going even when its stridently make-believe. Discrimination in immigration laws against the poor and uneducated, the world is one family, borders were not meant to be, are some of the themes that Hirani chooses to highlight here. #Pritam’s songs and #AmanPant’s music may not have individual brilliance but it certainly helps augment the mood here.

Chamak #OTTseriesReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #Chamak Cast: #ParamvirSinghCheema #MukeshChabbra #IshaTalwar #SuvinderVicky #SiddharthShaw #GippyGrewal #PrinceKanwaljitSingh #ManojPahwa #NavneetNishan #AnkitaGoraya #AniruddhRoy #DhanveerSingh #KunwarGrewal Director: #RohitJugraj Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 6 Episodes/45-60 mins each #OTTSeries #AvianWEPR #SonyLiv #Everyone #Everybody #Followers @followers @everyone @everybody

Chamak is powered by music - folk to Sufi to Punjabi film songs but the helming is such that the thrills are woebegone. Cheema doesn’t have the presence to come anywhere close to the slain folk singer Chamkila (Amar Singh) who was slain along with his wife, during a concert in Punjab. Though claimed as a work of fiction, this series obviously takes it’s inspiration from that incident and Kaala the central character is a singer himself and son of a slain musician. The tone fails to be distinctive, the tempo is slack and there’s no punch in the telling. The songs have meaning and are worthy of a following though!

The Archies #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTFilmReview

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #TheArchies Cast: #AgastyaNanda #KhushiKapoor #SuhanaKhan #AditiDot #LukeKenny #VinayPathak #AliMerchant #KamalSidhu #TaraSharma #VedangSharma #MihirAhuja #YuvrajMenda #KoelPurie #DelnaazIrani #KulpreetYadav Director: #ZoyaAkhtar Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 143 mins #OTTMovie #Netflix #GraphicIndia #TigerBaby #Everyone #Everybody #Followers @followers @everyone @everybody #NikosAndritsakis #ArchieComics

Nostalgia inducing, retro driven US comic book adaptation transposed to a desi anglo-Indian set-up in a 1960’s North Indian Riverdale, this film has little going for it other than the skillful camerawork, art direction, production design and locales. The debutante actors don’t have the performance ease to make this look convincing. The music is peppy but forgettable. Agastya appears to be a chip off the Bachchan block but has a long way to go before he can make it big while Khushi looks a lot like Sridevi and that might be her biggest and only draw so far. Imminently forgettable, bordering on tedious, this one is hard to sit through…

Chaapa Kaata #MarathiFilmReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #ChaapaKaata (Heads or Tails) #Marathi Cast: #MakarandAnaspure #TejaswiniLonari #MohanJoshi #ArunNalawade #VijayPatkar #PankajVishnu #ReenaMadhukar #RiturajPhadke #SushrutMankani Director: #SandeepManoharNavare Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 113 mins #SushilkumarAgrawal #UltraEntertainmentPvtLtd #RamKondilkar #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody #Followers @Followers #BombayBarodaWebTalkies

Typically old fashioned comedy drama about a brother pulling off a con just to get his sister married, this film delivers a fair amount of laughs even though the presentation lacks finesse. The writing is fluid enough even with all the complications that arise from the central conceit. The story may not have anything new to tell but #MakarandAnaspure and #VijayPatkar are in their element delivering laughs through delayed punchlines and effective comedic timing.

Kadak Singh #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #KadakSingh Cast: #PankajTripathi #SanjanaSanghi #JayaAhsan #ParvathyThiruvothu #PareshPahuja #VarunBuddhadev Director: #AniruddhaRoyChoudhury Rating: * * Runtime: 128 mins #Zee5 #ThinkinkCommunications #AvianWEPR #FirstStepMovies @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #Followers @followers

A sloppily structured, sluggish mystery thriller, this film fails to appeal because of its messy, rather incoherent narrative choices and stilted uneven performances. The narrative tries to incorporate as many themes as possible including bad parenting, suicide, drug abuse, second chance at relationship etc. and fails to stay focused on the main theme of chit-fund scam operated with the involvement of corrupt Govt employees. Too ‘Kadak’ to make sense!

Kastoori The Musk #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Kastoori ( #TheMusk) Cast: #SamarthSonawane #ShravanUpalkar #AnilKamble #VaishaliKendale #Jannat #KunalPawar #Jaybhim #VijayShikare Director: #VinodKamble Script/Dialogues: #VinodKamble #VijayKarde Editor: #ShrikantChaudhari Rating: * * * Runtime: 97 mins @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #Followers @followers #InsightFilms #DrPayalDhoke #AnuragKashyap #NagrajManjule

Set within the prism of caste prejudice this is a heart-touching story of resilience, hope and friendship. This film’s depiction of real dilemmas faced by the young coming from poverty stricken backgrounds, rings true. It’s really tough to watch a kid of 10-11 yrs help his father and mother do post-mortem cuts, burials and manual scavenging/toilet cleaning jobs. This film has endearing performances embedded into its gritty and realistic narrative. Worth watching!

Dhootha #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #AmazonPrime Film: #Dhootha #DubbedTeluguOriginalSeries #Tamil #Malayalam #Kannada (8 Eps/ 45-60 mins app each) Cast: #NagaChaitanyaAkkineni #ParvathyThiruvothu #PriyaBhavaniShankar #PrachiDesai #TharunBhascker #ChaitanyaGarikipati Director: #VikramKKumar Rating: * * #SharrathMarar #NorthStarEntertainmentPvtLtd #everyone #everybody @everybody @everyone #followers @followers

Paranormal pickings set in incessant rain, this narrative with supernatural elements fueling the so-called suspense feels unrealistic and terribly contrived. There are no nuances here just obvious, clumsy attempts to steamroll the story through unbelievable events. The suspense is mediocre, tension is slack and cinematography led atmospherics fail to sustain mood. Journalist Sagar(#NagaChaitanya) has little to do other than look harried and stressed out. Even lowly cops behave abnormally. It’s all so sloppily orchestrated that the 8 episode series is only likely to heighten your disbelief. There’s really no edge-of-the-seat thrills or excitement to lure you in.

Animal #PIcksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Animal #CommuniquePR Cast: #RanbirKapoor #RashmikaMandana #BobbyDeol #AnilKapoor #ShaktiKapoor #TriptiDimri #PremChopra #SureshOberoi Director: #SandeepReddyVanga Rating: * 1/2 Runtime: 211 mins

@everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody @followers #followers Targeted at the animal in you, this film thrives on excess. The needlessly bloated, thinly constructed vengeance spiel reveres toxic masculinity, regressive representation of women, hyper-sexuality, brutality, pointless sex talk, senseless ridiculous action, fuzzy dialogues, and distasteful and highly offensive gore. It’s an altogether shrill, brash and bestial, totally twisted and unhinged Alpha male eulogy - Unpalatable, incoherent and traumatic to the sensitive viewer. #RanbirKapoor manages to stay unsullied with his rousing performance though!

SamBahadur #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #SamBahadur Cast: #VickyKaushal #SanyaMalhotra #FatimaSanaShaikh #MohdZeeshanAyub #NeerajKabi Director: #MeghanaGulzar Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 150 mins

#HYPEPR #SamBahadur @meghnagulzar @ronnie.screwvala @rsvpmovies @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody @followers #followers This biopic on India’s most decorated war hero, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (1914-2008), is a chequered one, interspersed with war scenes and political maneuvering - highlighting those turbulent years fraught with tension from our immediate neighbors. While the performers (#VickyKaushal especially), do well to look and act like real-life characters, the real essence of the persons they are representing is missing. It’s the writing that is faulty here. To make Maneckshaw look larger-than-life heroic, the screenplay does a deliberate disservice to all the other political stalwarts (Nehru and Indira Gandhi especially) represented here. The music is distracting at best. Archival footage helps keep the narrative tethered to reality but the sketchy representations and episodic leaps don’t allow any fleshing out of the central character through forty years of his life story and achievements. This adulatory romanticised approach fails the real person that Sam Maneckshaw was.

Farrey #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Farrey #CommuniquePR Cast: #Alizeh #PrassanaBisht #ZeynShaw #SahilMehta #JuhiBabbar #RonitRoy Director: #SoumendraPadhi. Rating: * * * Runtime: 114 mins #SalmanKhanFilms #ReelLifeProductions #MCStan #SachinJigar #MaanuniDesai #AlviraAgnihotri #AtulAgnihotri #NikhilNamit #NaveenYerneni #YRaviShankar #SunirKheterpal @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #followers @followers

A hip,youthfully charged, tense, thrill-a-minute exercise on the cheat code, this film centred on young aspirants from across the great economic divide, aiming for higher education abroad (STIC), is well-made, superbly acted and sharply executed. The omissions and commissions in the scripting notwithstanding, there’s a wellspring of talent here that should not be overlooked. #Alizeh lends steely resolve to Niyati’s raw culpability while #PrasannaBisht shows off Chhavi’s sophisticated meanness to great contrasting effect. Both girls are bound to vow you with their performances.Go for it!

Khichdi2 : Mission Paanthukistan #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Khichdi2MissionPaanthukistan Cast: #SupriyaPathakKapur #FloraSaini #JamnadasMajethia #KritiKulhari #VandanaPathak #FarahKhan #RajeevMehta #AnandDesai #AnantVidhaatSharma #PratikGandhi #PareshGanatra Director: #AatishKapadia Rating: * 1/2 Runtime: 121 min #UniversalCommunications #ZeeStudios #ChirantanBhatt #RajuSingh #HatsOffProductions #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody @followers #followers

Desperately seeking comedy in stilted unbecoming form, this one is a disaster for the big screen. Baffling storyline, amateurishly put together sequences, comedy routines that fail to click, lacklustre random storyline, utterly lacking in logic, creativity and coherence. This sort of nonsense is better suited for the Idiot Box.

Tiger 3 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Tiger3 #YashrajFilms Cast: #SalmanKhan #KatrinaKaif #EmraanHashmi #Revathi #RanvirShorey #AamirBashir Director: #ManeeshSharma Rating: * * Runtime: 160 min #AdityaChopra #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody @followers #followers

#YRFSpyUniverse has lost its way. Cliched and problematic, this sequel to #TigerZindaHai, 5th instalment of ‘Tiger’ super spy series creates a fissure between #India #Pakistan (#RAW #ISI) but fails to find stable ground to whet the audience’ appetite. Action feels toonish, nothing fresh here - with predictably boring diplomatic fracas and some stale family histrionics.

Aarya Season 3 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Aarya #Season3 #DisneyHotstar #HotstarSpecials Cast: #SushmitaSen #IlaArun #SikandarKher #IndraneilSengupta #VikasKumar #MayaSarao #GeetanjaliKulkarni #ShwetaPasricha #VirenVazirani #PratyakshPanwar #AarushiBajaj #BhupendraJadawat #VishwajeetPradhan Directors: #RamMadhvani #KapilSharma #ShraddhaPasiJairath Co-Producers: #AmitaMadhavni #RamMadhvani #RamMadhvaniFilms #EndemolShineIndia Writers: #KhushbooRaj #AmitRaj Rating: * * Runtime: 35-46 mins/ Episode (4 episodes) #MoesArt #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody #followers

The #sherni epithet has been rendered flaky, the writing has lost its edge, and the series has lost its cool quotient. And what’s with the ‘Mother protecting her children’ by killing others and facilitating drug abuse, What part of women’s empowerment is this? The moral schema is threadbare and fanciful. #SushmitaSen looks ill and seems to be flying at half-mast. It’s a pity that #SikanderKher isn’t getting bigger roles. He has a gravitating screen presence and enough talent to score it big in the OTT space.

Three of Us #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #ThreeOfUs Cast: #ShefaliShah #JaideepAhlawat #SwanandKirkire #KadambariKadam Director: #AvinashArun Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 98 mins #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody #followers

Stuttering and floundering in the wilderness of memories, this film fails to draw us in. A story about searching for closure leaves the viewer with flighty ponderous moments of ingratiation. It’s the actors who shine above the meandering plot and unevenly paced narrative.

Aankh Micholi #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #AankhMicholi #UniversalCommunications Cast: #PareshRawal #SharmanJoshi #AbhishekBanerjee #MrunalThakur #AbhimanyuDasani #DivyaDutta #VijayRaaz #DarshanJariwala #GrushaKapoor Director: #UmeshShukla Rating: * Runtime: 144 mins

@everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #followers A dumb, ineffective, sloppily executed and clueless, hopelessly mistimed attempt at slapstick comedy, this one is a complete no-brainer!

12th Fail #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #12thfail #SpicePR #SpiceBhasha Cast: #VikrantMassey #PalakLalwani #MedhaShankar #SukumarTudu #SanjayBishnoi #PriyanshuChatterjee Director: #VidhuVinodChopra Rating: * * * Runtime: 147 mins #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody #VinodChopraFilms #ZeeStudios

A ‘Tarrific’ #VikrantMassey takes #VidhuVinodChopra’s long-winding but sensitive directorial effort, based on #AnuragPathak’s novel, to emphatic new heights! His performance has nuance, myriad expressions and layers that keep you gripped throughout. Trust Vidhu Vinod Chopra to get back into auteur groove with this story that goes from the deepest depths of the Chambal to the venerated, glorious and rarefied heights of Indian Public Service!

Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #SajiniShindeKaViralVideo Cast: #NimratKaur #RadhikaMadan #Bhagyashree #SumeetVyas #SohamMajumdar #SubodhBhave #ShrutiVyas #RashmiAgdekar #LeenaSharma Director: #MikhilMusale Rating: * * Runtime: 114 mins #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody #HYPEPR #MaddockFilms #DineshVijan

‘No one wants to die. They only want to kill the pain’ -Making a mystery out of travesty, this film hyper-ventilates in 307/309 zone as it tries to find the whereabouts of Sajini. The set-up and dialogues sound alien, the narrative feels misrepresented, the twists and turns appear contrived and forced, the zealous lady cop’s efforts seem out-of-place and the end-play comes across as rather tame and mystifying after all that brouhaha.Not quite the ‘Happy Teachers Day’ scenario we envisioned. It’s great to see #NimratKaur in a badass cop role on screen, though!

Tejas #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #Tejas #SpicePR #SpiceBhasha #RSVPFilms Cast: #KanganaRanaut #AnshulChauhan #VeenahNaair #VarunMitra #RohedKhan Director/Writer: #SarveshMewara Rating: * Runtime: 118 mins #Everyone #Everybody @everyone @everybody #RonnieScrewala

This film tries to fly high on #KanganaRanaut’s persona of a brash, cavalier, fake pop-patriot given to daring, jingoistic, disconnected verbosity, tedious sermonising and faux valor aided by tacky VFX and immature helming and inevitably, it crashes and burns in a bonfire of all her vanities. Do we even dare to wonder why our nation is under threat???

Yaariyaan 2 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Yaariyaan2 #CommuniquePR #DivyaKhoslaKumar #YashDaasgupta #PearlVPuri #AnaswaraRajan #MeezaanJafri #PriyaWarrier Director: #RadhikaRao #VinaySapru Rating: * * Runtime: 160 mins #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody

This friendship/bonding story between cousins fails to make it to entertaining. The actors lack presence and the direction is too wayward to curry favor. Even the music doesn’t have the same attachment as the first!

Maujaan Hi Maujaan (#Punjabi with #English Subtitles) #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #MaujaanHiMaujaan (#Punjabi with #English Subtitles) Cast: #GippyGrewal #BinnuDhillon #KaramjitAnmol #TanuGrewal #JimmySharma #HashneenChauhan #YograjSingh #NasirChinyoti #BNSharma Director: #SmeepKang Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 110 mins #1HMedia @everyone @everybody #everyone #everybody #OilPicturesLtd #RribadaFilms #SRRPictures #AmarinderGrewal

A silly, rather stupid comedy that makes disabilities the butt of its jokes with loud, exaggerated fervor and overdone performances. This one’s funny enough. It’s also colorful, has a candy colored palette and a bearable runtime.

Ghost Kannada film with English Subtitles #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Ghost (#Kannada film dubbed in Hindi) Cast: #ShivaRajkumar #AnupamKher #PrashantNarayanan #MGSrinivas #Jayaram #ArchanaJois Director: #MGSrinivas Rating: * 1/2 Runtime:110 mins #CommuniquePR @everyone @everybody #everyone #everybody

A stiff #Jayaram, Shadowy #ShivaRajkumar, MIB aping #AnupamKher in a Scrambled narrative about a heist from jail, with loud, showy, unbelievable, sloppy action and confused dubbing make this production prime for a drubbing at the Box Office.

Sultan of Delhi #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Title: #SultanOfDelhi (9 eps/35-45 mins each) Cast: #TahirRajBhasin #MouniRoy #AnjummShharma #VinayPathak #NishantDahiya #AnupriyaGoenka #HarleenSethi #MehreenPirzada Directors: #MilanLuthria #SuparnSVerma Rating: * * #DisneyHotstar #HotstarSpecials #Dreamers&Doers #RelianceEntertainment #ThinkinkCommunications @everybody #everybody #Everyone @everyone

This Gangster drama series set against the backdrop of the 60’s era, comes at a time when we are up to our ears in gangster dramas. It’s definitely not the worst but it tends to go through the same rigmarole we’ve seen before. Save for the cast, the rest is passe. Based on a book by #ArnabRay, there’s not much intensity, pace or gritty realism to be had here. Feels like a 70’s hindi film in sepia tones minus the entertainment value!

Guthlee Ladoo #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

Guthlee Ladoo #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas Guthlee Ladoo #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title : #GuthleeLadoo Cast: #SanjayMishra #DhanaySeth #SubratDutta #KalyaneeMulay #HeetSharma Director: #IshratRKhan Rating: * * 1/2#GuthleeLadoo Runtime: 104 mins #AltairMedia #AshwaniShukla #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody

It’s an antiquated story about caste oppression and denial of education to manual scavengers’ children and not without flaws, but the performances by kids #DhanaySeth, #HeetSharma, parents #SubratDutta, #KalyaneeMulay and sure-footed helming by #IshratRKhan makes this gritty empathetic outpouring against unfair discrimination worth a watch!

Loki Season 2 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #LokiSeason2 (2 out of 6 episodes/35-40 mins each) Cast: #TomHiddleston #OwenWilson #SophiaDiMartino #WunmiMosaku #EugeneCordero #KeHuyQuan #RafaelCasal #GuguMbathaRaw #TaraStrong #JonathanMajors #KateDickie #LizCarr #NeilEllice Director: #DanDeleeuw Rating: * * 1/2 @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody #DisneyHotstar #LokiS2onHotstar #ThinkinkCommunications #RuderFinnIndia

Season 1 was intriguing but Season 2, the 2 episodes so far, have not really picked up the pace. There doesn’t seem to be much of a mystery going on either. Kang as the villain is so wishy-washy that there’s no drama to be had. Loki’s magic also appears to have lost its charm. I am sure there’s a lot more coming in the future episode releases but so far it's been a case of taking it forward rather plainly!

Hum Tumhein Chahte Hain #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Title: #HumTumheinChahteHain Cast: #JanmejayaSingh #RituparnaSengupta #GovindNamdev #AnupJalota #RajpalYadav #ZakirHussain #AnusmritiSarkar #ArunBakshi #SurendraPal #TinaaGhaai #AnilNagrath #KaushalShah #SangeetaSingh #HiteshSampal Music: #BappiLahiri, #RemaLahiri #BappaBLahiri, Directed: #RajannLyallppuri Rating: * Producers: #GovindBansal #RemaLahiri #SRGFilmsInternational #ParulChawla #PictureNKraft @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody

A biographical drama, old-fashioned love triangle tragedy this one lacks craft, has a storyline that is stale and unappealing and actors that just don’t register their presence on screen.An easily forgettable experience this !

I Killed Bapu #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #IKilledBapu Cast: #SameerDeshpande #RajeshKhatri #AkshayVerma #NageshMishra #ZaffarKazmi #MukeshKapani Director #HyderKazmi Rating: * Producer #SarlaASaraogi & #RahulSharma Legal Advisor #AshokSaraogi Writer- #AdeshKArjun #VikasProduction #ParulChawla #PictureNKraft #SanjayBhushanPatiyala #HungamaMedia

This film that claims to present convicted murderer #NathuramGodse’s point of view is an insult to our collective intelligence. Consisting of long-drawn courtroom monologues the film which openly sympathises with the felon’s point of view is a tedious bore. The writing lacks basic logic and the understanding of history and context is sorely missing.

Dono #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Dono Cast: #RajveerDeol #PalomaDhillon #KanikkaKapur Director: #AvnishBarjatya Rating: * * Runtime: 156 mins

The #GenNowRajshriScion goes #oldschool in his attempt to keep the #weddingVideoCinemaFamilyTradition going. It’s tiresome and futile even with some fairly good music and performances - save for #RajveerDeol who gets his expressions right but fails in dialogue delivery badly. Don’t know why the Deols or the Barjatyas did not think it necessary to get him some voice training? #communiquePR #RajshriPictures #SoorajBarjatya #SunnyDeol #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody

Thank You For Coming #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #ThankYouForComing (#SpicePR) Cast: #BhumiPednekar #ShehnaazGill #ShibaniBedi #DollySingh #KushaKapila #DollyAhluwalia #SushantDigvikar #AnilKapoor #PradhumanSingh #NatashaRastogi Director: #KaranBoolani Rating: * * Runtime: 118 mins

Raunchy, crass, extremely crude, smutty and punny sex comedy where Kandu Kanika goes bedding men in search of the big ‘O.’ It’s totally illogical, irreverent and distasteful - neither funny nor likeable! With Bhumi’s unflattering close-ups staring you in the face, you’ll find it difficult to think of this as an amiable exercise in female sexual liberation. Even the redux version of #SunitaRao’s iconic #PariHoonMain can’t save this film from a drubbing at the Box Office! #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody #SpiceBhasha #EktaaKapoor #RheaKapoor #AnilKapoorFilms #BalajiTelefilmsLtd

Mission Raniganj The Great Bharat Rescue #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #MissionRaniganjTheGreatBharatRescue Cast: #AkshayKumar #RaviKishan #KumudMishra #ParineetiChopra #DibyenduBhattacharya #PawanMalhotra #RajeshSharma Director: #TinuSureshDesai Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 138 mins

Despite over-stating the obvious, this filmed version of a dramatic true story of an evacuation from a collapsed underground mine, delivers some fair moments of entreaty. There’s no subtlety here - just gung-ho heroics and hyperventilating emotions on display. More Melodramatic than thrilling, this one might have found an audience if the producers had made a sincere effort in promoting the film! #SpicePR #SpiceBhasha #everyone @everyone #everybody @everybody

Mark Antony #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTFilmReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #MarkAntony (#ReliancePictures) Cast: #Vishal #SJSuryah #AbhinayaVedhavalli #RituVarma Director: #AdhikRavichandran Rating: * * Runtime: 120 mins #AyngaranInternational #everyone #everybody @everyone @everybody

Antiquated quirkiness buffooning around as a 70’s south- styled masala potboiler, this film has elements that can be laughed at but it’s a little hard to appreciate something that is so tacky and unaccomplished in structure and design. Toonish performances add to the misery here.

Fukr3y #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTFilmReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #Fukrey3 #SpicePR #SpiceBhasha Cast: #PankajTripathi #PulkitSamrat #RichaChadha #VarunSharma #ManjotSingh Director: #MrighdeepSinghLamba Writer: #VipulVij Rating: * * Runtime:147 mins #FarhanAkhtar #RteshSidhwani #ExcelEntertainment @everyone @everybody #everyone #everybody

Distasteful, tasteless, irksome antics gets passed off as slapstick comedy in this threequel that plays out like a humourless comic strip and eventually comes unhinged in its attempts to score laughs. #VarunSharma gets tiresome, #PulkitSamrat continues to ‘pout’ nonsense, #RichaChadha and #ManjotSingh are bearable while #PankajTripathi is the only one who shores up the narrative with some wily timing and wit.

The Vaccine War #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTFilmReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #TheVaccineWar Cast: #NanaPatekar #PallaviJoshi #RaimaSen #GirijaOak #NiveditaBhattacharya #AnupamKher #MohanKapur Director: #VivekAgnihotri Rating: * Runtime: 160 mins @everyone @everybody #everyone #everybody #SpicePR #SpiceBhasha

This film supposedly based on the book by Prof #BalramBharghava of #ICMR is more interested in tom-tomming highly questionable Govt efforts than in praising the Medical professionals and researchers involved in preparing the indigenous #CovidVaccine. What else can one expect from the chief propagandist of the current Govt? It’s a long-drawn saffron wash all the way through and there’s no hiding away from the straightforward anti-media, pro-govt bias depicted here.

Tum Se Na Ho Payega #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTFilmReviews

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTFilmReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #TumSeNaHoPayega (#DisneyHotstar) Cast: #IshwakSingh #MahimaMakwana #GauravPandey #AmalaAkkineni #GurpreetSaini #ParmeetSethi #MeghnaMalik Director: #AbhishekSinha Writer: #NiteshTiwari Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 120 mins #StarStudios #RSVP #RoyKapurFilms #EarthskyPicturesProduction @everyone @everybody #everyone #everybody #ThinkinkCommunications

This feel-good light-hearted piffling comedy has a message for aspirational youth. With competent, likeable performances from its lead actors #IshwakSingh and #GauravPandey this film manages to make its conflict regarding challenges (career and love life ) youngsters face today, worthy, but the ‘Business’ end is a little flaky and simplistic. Worth watching for its amiable approach

Kaala #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTSeriesReview

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #DisneyHotstar #Thinkinkcommunications Title: #Kaala Cast: #AvinashTiwary #RohanVinodMehra #NivethaPethuraj #TaherShabbir #JitinGulati #ElishaMayor #HitenTejwani #MitaVashisht #ShaktiKapoor #AjinkyaDeo Creator/Director: #BejoyNambiar Rating: * * * Runtime: 8 Episodes/ 30-50 mins each Producers: #BhushanKumar #KrishanKumar #BejoyNambiar @everyone #everyone @everybody #everybody

Bejoy Nambiar’s busy crime series ‘Kaala’ is yet another attempt to milk the patriotism angle by intermingling the army within this so-called powerplay of money, crime, and corruption. It’s about the persistent investigation of a reverse Havala racket by an IB team. It’s not exactly intelligent but is immersive enough and has quite a few tense moments thanks to a bustling momentum, surprise reveals, plot twists, a contra-twist, and some standout performances by #AvinashTiwary #RohanVinodMehra and #JitinGulati. Gulati’s nuanced essay of a queer man owning up to his identity while wreaking havoc on the world around him/her is the best performance in that space, yet.

Jawan #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Jawan Cast: #ShahRukhKhan #VijaySethupathi #Nayanthara #DeepikaPadukone #SanjayDutt #SanyaMalhotra #PriyaMani #SunilGrover #GirijaOak #LeharKhan #SanjeetaBhattacharya #AaliyahQureishi #SeezaSarojMehta #EijazKhan #RidhiDogra Director: #Atlee Rating: * * Runtime: 170 mins #RedChilliesEntertainment #SpicePR #everyone @everyone #Everybody @everybody

This one is where ShahRukhKhan as Father and son apes the #VishalDadlani look and #KamalHassan’s chameleon act in #Indian while trying to rectify the ills of society by heading an army of skilled women who are in jail for crimes that were meant to save society. It’s his show all the way, the swag, the romance, the action, the dialogue ensures that its him hogging the limelight. Everyone else is just window dressing and even the villain comes across as a caricature. In fact Atlee’s film feels more like a comic strip than a cinematic adventure. The narrative is strip happy, the performances are stylised and unrealistic and the action feels contrived and fake.And the loud melodramatic turns are pitiably ineffective. Even though the film tries to address current ills like farmer suicides and electoral malpractice, there’s no emotional connect driving it forward. What’s with the bandaged look? Doesn’t make sense whatsoever. Atlee and S Ramanagirivasan’s screenplay lacks cohesiveness, Sumit Arora's dialogues sound vacuous and the songs are imminently forgettable. This film doesn’t have staying power!

Haddi #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Haddi #ZeeStudios #ChaseIndia Cast: #NawazuddinSiddiqui #AnuragKashyap #MohammedZeeshanAyyub #IlaArun #SaurabhSachdeva #RajeshSharma #ShriidharDebey Director: #AkshatAjaySharma Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 134mins #everyone @everyone #Everybody @everybody #ChaseIndia #ZeeStudios #AnanditaStudios

A gritty but also grisly, gory, macabre tale of revenge and retribution boxed within the world of transgender people, ‘Haddi’ flirts around evil politicians and vicious goons who also appear to have some linkage with the ‘Kinnar’ world. Ultra-violent, bestial, and off-putting, the narrative devolves into confusion and mayhem as the Kinnars take on the Politician in a lesser evil versus greater evil fight for cadavers and human remains. #AnuragKashyap appears to be having a ball and #Nawazuddin makes a sincere effort to look and feel the part but the narrative’s obsession with the gruesome and the ghastly makes it hard to appreciate anything here. There’s neither subtlety nor nuance to be had here

Made in Heaven Season 2 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTSeriesReview

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #MadeInHeavenS2 #TBCnetwork #AmazonPrime #Primevideo #everyone #everyone #MadeInHeavenOnPrime Cast: #ArjunMathur #SobhitaDhulipala #MonaSingh #TrinetraHaldar #ShashankArora #JimSarbh #KalkiKoechlin #ShivaniRaghuvanshi #VijayRaaz #MrunalThakur #RadhikaApte #ShibaniDandekar #SarahJaneDias #NainaSareen #ElnaazNorouzi #IshwakSingh #SamirSoni #SanjayKapoor #NeelamSoni #KallirroiTziafeta #ZaynMarieKhan #SheenaKhalid Directors: #ReemaKagti #ZoyaAkhtar #NityaMehra #AlankritaShrivastava #NeerajGhaywan. Rating: * * * 1/2 Runtime: 7 episodes /60-65 mins each @excelmovies @tigerbabyofficial

Made in Heaven Season 2 delves deeper into the complexities of organizing and celebrating big fat Indian weddings. The narrative is nuanced and heart-felt and encompasses various social prejudices while revealing the dichotomy of tradition, modern aspirations and belief systems. Compelling episodic storylines, great production values, accompanied by brilliant involving performances, this dark depiction of wedding finery intermingling with Indian societal and social intricacies makes you sit up and take notice. The show addresses issues and topics that are usually brushed under the carpet- while touching upon themes like casteism, physical abuse, color discrimination, same sex marriages and polygamy. It’s a thought-provoking and socially relevant viewing experience.

Commando #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #Commando Cast: #Prem #AdahSharma #VaibhavTatwawadi #ShreyaSinghChaudhry #AmitSial #Mukesh Chhabra #IshteyakKhan #TigmanshuDhulia Creator/Director/Producer: #VipulAmrutlalShah Rating: * * Runtime: 4 Episodes/ 25-40 mins each #everyone @everyone #Everybody #DisneyHotstar #HotstarSpecials

Yet another attempt by Vipul A Shah to rouse the latent sentiment of fake armchair patriots, this so called ‘tales of valour, Patriotism for the country’ is entirely fake and contrived and runs like the regular pop-patriotic mass formulaic Hindi film. The thankfully ‘short or runtime’ series has a fresh faced young cast and also includes Shah’s recent muse #AdahSharma ( #TheKeralaStory fame) in a principal role. The narrative is woefully short on genuine ideas and relies entirely on Indo-Pak antagonism to score with the ideologically indoctrinated audience that is it’s core target!

OMG 2 #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #OMG2 Cast: #PankajTripathi #AkshayKumar #YamiGautam #PavanMalhotra #AarushVarma #GeetaAgarwal Director: #AmitRai Rating: *** Runtime: 156 mins #Viacom18studios #CapeOfGoodFilms #Wakaoo #HypePR #everyone #everyone #Everybody

The first half trails a trivial pursuit in ‘masturbation’ even while bigger issues like ‘invasion of privacy’ and ‘Bullying’ get blown aside… before coming good through courtroom histrionics involving a reformed Brahmin Mahadev bhakt egged-on by his deity's human avatar, detailing a fervent appeal while making a strong pitch for the inclusion of sex education in school curriculum. While the premise is unbelievably silly, the result is not. The post interval half uses humor, a stirring tongue-in-cheek performance from #PankajTripathi and a playful one from #AkshayKumar to kerfuffle the audience. The contrived and peculiar courtroom arguments might not sit well in a court of law but they are guaranteed to get the audience to vote in OMG2’s favor!

The Jengaburu Curse #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview Title: #TheJengaburuCurse Cast: #FariaAbdullah #SudevNair #Nasser #MakarandDeshpande #DeipakSampat #MelanieGray #AaryaBhatta #RBadree #ShrikantVerma #ManineeDe #HiteshYogeshDave #PavitraSarkar #SukumarTudu Director: #NilaMadhabPanda DOP: #PauloPerez Editor: #JabeenMerchant Music: #AlakanandaDasGupta #DurgaPrasadMohapatra Sound Design: #BobyJohn Screenplay/Dialogues: #MayankTewari Rating: * * * Runtime: 40-50 mins /7 episodes #MoeArt #StudioNext #SonyLiv #SPE #everyone @everyone

Nila Madhab Panda’s OTT debut series is a passionate ode to Tribal welfare. The fictional story featuring the Bondia tribe, is set in Orissa, and is about mining for uranium at the expense of human life. The narrative is taut, hard-hitting and fairly intriguing and the performances, camerawork, editing, direction and music add tremendous depth to the telling. The film encompasses dirty politics, tribal rights, green cover conservation and environmental activism while making singing indictments against rabid avaricious development displacing rooted tribal inhabitants.

One Friday Night #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #OneFridayNight Cast: #MilindSoman #RaveenaTandon #VidhiChitalia #AmbrishSaxena #HemantGaur #TriptiSaha Director: #ManishGupta Ratimg: * * * Runtime:92 mins #Jiocinema #Jiostudios #JyoiDeshpande #ManishTrehan #everyone @everyone #RM

This is a fairly engrossing Drama about a middle-aged adulterer getting his comeuppance. Was it an accident or murder? His Gynaecologist wife and young mistress are in the hot seat…More than the fluid narration it’s the atmospherics that grab your attention. The cinematography of the rain drenched Western ghats during mumbai and neighboring regions’ flooded out (26/7) moments makes for a compelling backdrop. https://jiocinema.onelink.me/fRhd/ilrd43dx #raveenatandon #milindsoman #vidhichitalia #onefridaynight #jyotideshpande #jiocinema #jiocinema

Kaalkoot #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #OTTSeriesReview #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #KaalKoot Cast: #VijayVarma #SeemaBiswas #TigmanshuDhulia #ShwetaTripathiSharma #YashpalSharma #GopalDutt #SuzanaMukherjee #SudevNair #AshokSeth #HibaQamar #EnabKhizra #NeetaMohindra Director: #SumitSaxena Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 8 Episodes/34 -40 mins each #TippingPoint #viacom18Studios #AjitAndhare #ArunabhKumar #Jiocinema #Jiostudios #PRPundit #everyone @everyone

This crime drama series that has high-faluting ambitions of mirroring the flaws in society and incorporating social understanding of the reasons behind crimes and criminal intent, is deeply flawed and inept in narration. The tension is missing and the so-called investigation on the acid-attack crime lacks a tight, concerted track as far as the scripting is concerned. The performances though are fairly elevating. It’s nice to see talented, not-so-well-known faces taking centre stage here and grabbing your attention just by their gravitating performances.

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmYyNjNhZTEtZDYxNS00MTBjLWEwMWQtZmZiOTEyNzgxYjkyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUyNjIwMDEw._V1_FMjpg_UX1148_.jpg #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani Cast: #RanveerSingh #AliaBhatt #ShabanaAzmi #Dharmendra #JayaBachchan #AamirBashir #TotaRoyChowdhury #JayatiBhati #ArunBijlani #VarunDhawan #NamitDas Director: #KaranJohar Rating: * * * Runtime: 166 mins #HypePR #DharmaProductions #Viacom18MotionPictures #FridayEntertainment #PharsFilm @everyone #everyone A glossed out, loud, hyperventilating, melodramatic romantic comedy drama espousing the power of family, serenaded by grandstanding background music and masterful histrionics by an A-list cast, this film has what it takes to become a hit among the general public. #KaranJohar appears to have regained some of his mojo after some major confidence destroying flops and a 7 year long hiatus…and it’s a welcome change for sure. The narrative is way too long in the tooth but the casting choices, the sizzling chemistry between the lead pair, some witty, funny dialogues, gorgeous art design and lavish scale, make up for all the other negatives including an overly familiar pastiche story and overlong narration that tend to drag it down.

Minus 31 The Nagpur Files #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #OTTFilmSeriesReviews

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews Film: #Minus31TheNagpurFiles Cast: #RaghubirYadav #RuchaInamdar #RajeshSharma #NishaDhar #JayaBhattacharya #SantoshJuvekar #PranjalPateriya #GirishDeshmukh #RiturajWankhede #DebashishNaha #KaamBhaari #KunalPangdagale Director: #PratikMoitra Editor: #AbhishekSharma Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 134 mins

#OrangePixelStudios #DragonwaterFilms #CommuniquePR #ZeeMusic #DarshanaEntertainment @everyone #everyone An original story, an investigative thriller in the making, gets the lazy, belabored treatment and loses steam along the way. Set in Nagpur, during the height of the oxygen and Remdesivir shortage crisis, in Corona Times, this story had the kernels for a great investigative murder thriller. Sloppy scripting and laggard editing compound the issue here. The slow, raw, and unpolished narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Even the performances lack ameliorating craft.

Chandlo #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews Film: #Chandlo (#Gujarati) Cast: #ManavGohil #KajalOzha #ShraddhaDangar Director: #HardikGajjar Rating: * * Runtime: 112 mins #JioCinema #PictureNkraft #ParulChawla #JioStudios #BackbencherFilms #HardikGajjarFilms @everyone #Everyone #ParthGajjar #PoonamShroff

A progressive effort for a Gujarati film, this narration of a 54 year old widow Meera, (a professor), becoming the love interest of a celebrity Ghazal singer 10 years her junior, who her widowed daughter-in-law also covets - may have forward-looking intent but the treatment is very much stereotypical, hackneyed and bordering on melodrama. Its basically #EkNaiPaheli without the fourth quadrant in the story.

Trial Period #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews Film: #TrialPeriod Cast: #GeneliaDeshmukh #ManavKaul #ShaktiKapoor #SheebaChadda #GajrajRao #ZidaneBraz #GaganAhuja Director: #AleyaSen Writer: #ShivSingh Rating: * * Runtime: 126 mins #JioCinema #PRPundit #JioStudios #ChromePictures #ColorsCineplex @everyone #Everyone

This story about a man desperately seeking employment being hired as a father-for-hire for a 30 day trial period feels contrived and unbelievable. The film tries to sincerely navigate challenges of an unconventional family dynamic but fails to make it convincing. But despite those imperfections, the narrative manages to hold your attention thanks to the low-key treatment and amiable performances. #ManavKaul is convincing and #Genelia and #Zidane shoot-up the cute quotient. A fairly heart-warming watch this!

Bawaal #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #OTTFilmSeriesReviews Film: #Bawaal #AmazonPrimeVideo #SpicePR Cast: #VarunDhawan #JahnviKapoor #ParthSidhpura #GunanJoshi #AnjumanSaxena #ShashieVermaa #MukeshTiwari Director: #NiteshTiwari Producer: #SajidNadiadwala #AshwinyIyerTiwari Rating: * * Runtime: 122 mins #NadiadwalaGrandsonEntertainment #EarthskyPictures #Tseries #everyone @everyone

This film is a rather illogical effort to connect a troubled marriage to the World War II-linked horrors of the Holocaust. The script uses history lessons as a catalyst for a change of heart. A small-town teacher, a braggart of sorts suddenly finds himself out of his depth and strays from his promise to his new wife. Thereafter the narrative takes its unbelievable turn in a futile effort to save a marriage and career that never should have been. Varun is efficiently earnest in trying to make sense of an unbelievable role and Jahnvi, though sincere, fails to make her presence felt

The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhoka #PicksAndPiques #OTTSeriesReview #JohnsonThomas #Internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#Internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Title: #TheTrialPyaarKaanoonDhoka Cast: #Kajol #SheebaChaddha #JisshuSengupta #AlyyKhan #KubbraSait #AamirAli #AseemHattangadi #GauravPandey #AtulKumar #KiranKumar #ShrutiBhisht #SuhaniJuneja #RiturajSingh #BeenaBaneree Showrunner & Director: #SuparnSVarma Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 8 Episodes/40-50 mins each #DisneyHotstar #HotstarSpecials’ @everyone @everyone #BanijayAsia #AjayDevgnFFilms #ThinkinkCommunications #ScottFreeProductions #KingSizeProductions #CBSTelevisionStudios

A rather flaky adaptation of #TheGoodWife, this Indianised version has consummate performer #Kajol in the titular role but the series that highlights the lead track of a corrupt judge/philandering husband face charges in the media and court of law, while his non-practicing lawyer wife struggles to get back into lawyering groove - fails to present a strong enough case for garnering audience affection. The scripting feels rough-hewn. The courtroom dramatics ( though the cases chosen have links to current newspaper headlines) are rather feeble, fragmented and unsubstantiated. The inter-personal familial hysterics lack finesse and the narrative spiel falls back on melodrama rather than grit, sharpness and edge. The background score makes a strong attempt to heighten the drama but it feels overdone rather than facilitating.There are far too many loopholes plaguing the narrative. Can’t believe a woman struggling to stay in a job has enough moolah to pay for a plush apartment in a high rise but is unable to pay the fees for her two daughters schooling since 8 months. Kubbra Sait is the standout performer here even though her role as a so-called consultant( liaising with police and all sorts of corrupt individuals) in a top law firm, defies all logic.

Neeyat #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Neeyat (#MoesArt #AmazonPrimeMini) Cast: #RamKapoor #VidyaBalan #ShefaliShah #NikkiAnejaWalia #ShahanaGoswami #DipanitaSharma #NeerajKabi #DaneshRazvi #RahulBose #ShashankArora #AmritaPuri Director: #AnuMenon Rating: * * Runtime: 110 mins #everyone @everyone #AbundantiaEntertainmentProduction

Anu Menon’s Neeyat is cut-off from reality by its storm in a tea-cup sort-of, rather unoriginal storyline. A #VijayMallya-like flamboyant billionaire is having a birthday bash in an isolated castle in Scotland and the invitees, a chosen handful, are there for reasons best known to him. The best thing about this movie is the character of the billionaire and his quirky similarity to the ‘real’ absconding liquor Baron.The rest of it is sloppy balderdash. The murder happens on a cliff and only three people had the chance to go outside the castle yet everyone is made to be a suspect.The characterizations are silly, the reasoning doesn’t hold water and the tempo fails to generate affect. The narrative is sloppily orchestrated with bloopers and loopholes galore. Rahul Bose who is falteringly campy and Vidya Balan, though earnest, fails to make this experience believable or interesting.