Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 161
July 7, 2023
‘Nadiya Ke Paar’ – Homecoming on film
1939 kilometres.
That’s how far my home is.
The first time I left that tiny town in Bihar was when I was 14. I moved to Delhi. I stayed at my Mama’s for a couple years. My parents and sisters followed. Over the years, we moved between small houses built in narrow lanes and noisy neighbourhoos and eventually found comfort in a house. I moved to Bombay then for a brief while, only to return to Delhi. Most recently, I moved to Bangalore about two years ago.
Amid all this flux, it feels as if I have forgotten what home feels like.
Long before all this movement in my life happened—a decade before I was even born—a film called Nadiya Ke Paar was made. A small film from a big production house (which allegedly was bleeding under debt at that time and hoping for a hit, which the film went on to become) It is one of the very few films that has a representation of my native land that doesn’t play on stereotypes, is crass or cringeworthy.
It’s set in a village in UP, which literally is Nadiya ke paar from my hometown, but the dialogues are laced with Bhojpuri words. Like babuni (girl), pahuna (brother-in-law), anjuri (palm) and kohbar, a term I can’t even properly translate. It has an idyllic rural setting with huge farms, meandering rivers, big aangans and tiny rooms—reminders of places I grew up seeing. It has an innocent Gunjan, played masterfully by debutante Sadhna Singh and a skillful Sachin who stuns you as an actor for acing what people now call the ‘Bihari accent’ that too for someone who is from Maharashtra. It also has my namesake director, Govind Moonis who I only found out about last night. And lastly, it has songs like ‘Kaun disa mein le ke chala re batohiya’ which is banter at its best, ‘Jogiji dheere dheere’ which is a traditional song sung in the month of phagun(the month when Holi falls) which is both bawdy and romantic and ‘Jab tak poore na ho phere saat’ which is a brilliant theatrical trope in the two weddings in the film.
As I rewatched the film, sitting in a city nearly 2000 kms from where I first saw it, I was awash with memories. I could distinctly remember it playing on a VCR while my dadi, maa, bua and I huddled around the TV. And in that brief moment, I felt as if I was there, watching the film, munching on laddoos made of jaggery, rich with a lingering aroma of camphor that still wafts in my mind. In that moment, in that memory, I was home again.
Munish Rathore is a full-time journalist, part-time dreamer and an aspiring writer. In his free time he can be seen curled up in front of the TV bawling over the latest tear-jerker.
instagram.com/munishrathore/
July 6, 2023
Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley Ep 1 Review
Indian Agatha Christie fans can rejoice! Vishal Bhardwaj’s 2023 web series, “Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley,” is an official adaptation of the mystery queen’s novel, “The Sittaford Mystery.” Set in the stunning Himachal Pradesh, the first episode begins on a chilly snowy night, where members of a family are gathered with a few friends in their hall, while an old eccentric man conducts a séance with theatrical fanfare. The ghost of a woman called “Lady Rose” possesses one of the guests and claims someone is dead.
With an ensemble cast that includes seasoned actors Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Gulshan Grover, the story is led by Wamiqa Gabbi, who plays the titular Charlie, a young woman who runs an organic farm and also plays detective in her free time. When Charlie’s fiancé, Jimmy (played by Vivaan Shah), is jailed as the prime suspect in his wealthy uncle’s murder case, she must prove his innocence. The ghost of Lady Rose talked about the death of the same man. And everybody in his family has a strong motive for killing the rich man. A classic Christie mystery, obviously.
While the cinematography is fantastic, the only annoying aspect is the fact that Wamiqa’s Charlie needlessly breaks the fourth wall to talk to the viewers about what’s going on in her mind. The technique adds a sprinkle of comedy but is largely unnecessary, as very few actors can pull it off with panache. I guess after reading all those Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple-led mysteries, I would’ve preferred an older, feisty detective. Perhaps having Neena Gupta or Ratna Pathak portray the detective could’ve been more fun and entertaining.
Regardless, the world-building in episode one has a lot of old-school charm, and the snowy towns provide a gorgeously engaging backdrop for the murder thriller. It remains to be seen if Charlie Chopra can live up to the expectations Agatha Christie fans will have for her or if she will turn out to be the weakest link in this mystery.
You can stream “Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley” on SonyLiv.
July 5, 2023
‘Vincent Van Gogh: Sadness Will Last Forever’ Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Three grieving figures stand over a tombstone: the parents and the younger brother of the deceased. The two share the same name, and the boy asks his mother if she named him so in expectation that he would replace his dead brother, Vincent Van Gogh. The famous artist was haunted by many things throughout his short 37-year-old life, but one of his earliest ghosts was perhaps that of his older brother.
The graphic novel “Vincent Van Gogh: Sadness Will Last Forever” by Francesco Barilli, Sakka, and Giulia Gabrielli attempts to capture the maestro’s life. However, it’s hard for such a small book (about 120 pages) to encompass all the complexities and dark shadows that plagued Vincent’s days and nights. Nevertheless, it remains a beautiful tribute to the historical figure, featuring riveting artwork. I loved the artwork and the fact that the creators didn’t simply replicate Van Gogh’s signature style for the graphic novel. Instead, they employed a nice dark gothic art style, and the first few pages looked like they were out of a Tim Burton movie. Imagine the animated movie “Corpse Bride” but with more color.
While the tale begins with Vincent’s affair with a pregnant, penniless prostitute, it eventually chronicles how his younger brother Theo stood by him through thick and thin, being a staunch supporter of his art. Even those who know very little about Vincent will be able to sense that his life was far more tragic and complicated than the pages make it out to be. For those who lack the patience for lengthy non-fiction books but would like to know more about the painter’s life, this graphic novel is definitely a great place to start.
The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.
Afwaah Review – Evocative Look At Rumor-mongering
Whenever we visit our hometown, it feels like stepping into a time machine and traveling to a distant era. It’s a small town where internet services were suspended and prohibitory orders were in place over a month ago due to protests over a murder case. We weren’t there back then, but many other family members and I are here right now because my grandmother passed away. With several people at home, the conversations range from the mundane to the bizarre. More often than not, marriage & religion always find their way into these discussions. So, I couldn’t have watched the 2023 movie “Afwaah” at a better time.
Directed by Sudhir Mishra, “Afwaah” literally means ‘rumor’ in English and has been written by Apurva Dhar Badgaiyan, Shiva Shankar Bajpai, and Nisarg Mehta. The film follows Nivedita Singh (Bhumi Pednekar), the daughter of a top politician, who runs away from home to avoid marrying her bigoted fiancé, Vicky Bana (Sumeet Vyas), a rising local neta who gains attention for giving an inflammatory speech at a rally, resulting in communal tension in their town. When Nivedita’s escape makes it to the news, both she and a stranger who helps her fight Vicky Bana’s goons become targets of a malicious online campaign to discredit them.
Set in a fictional town in the state of Rajasthan, “Afwaah” begins with a political rally led by Vicky Bana elsewhere, which quickly escalates into violence. The scene soon shifts and we are introduced to Rahab Ahmed (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), an advertising professional addressing a group of students before leaving to meet his wife. On the way, he runs into Vicky’s fiance while she is being chased by goons. Their paths soon become intertwined, and the rest of the movie traces a tense set of events unfolding in the same night. Rahab’s act of coming to Nivedita’s aid is twisted into a narrative of “Hindu girl entrapped by a Muslim man.”
The cinematography captures Rajasthan in all its facets, both its beauty and its ugliness. There is the witty juxtaposition of a literary festival unfolding at a fort, where the intellectual class blissfully enjoys dances and talks, while the world outside their walls burns in communal hatred. The creators skillfully portray how politicians manipulate the police, people, media, and everyone else around them to further their own agendas. “Afwaah” serves as a cautionary tale against blindly believing whatever one comes across on social media and is backed up by gripping performances by the lead cast. Sumeet Vyas is despicably good as a young politician willing to go to any lengths for power, while Bhumi Pednekar is feisty as the ballsy Nivedita who refuses to sacrifice her ideals. Nawazuddin Siddiqui subtly portrays Rahab, toning down his presence to fit the part of an unsuspecting man reduced to a political scapegoat. A parallel sub-plot about Vicky Bana’s fanatic sidekick Chandan (Sharib Hashmi) running amok and a corrupt cop trying to rein him in adds another intriguing layer to the tale.
For most of the runtime, the film is tightly paced and gripping. Although some scenes may not make sense initially, they eventually fit into the larger scheme of things towards the climax. The last few minutes are slightly over-dramatized and could have benefited from more nuance. However, overall, “Afwaah” is an excellent tale that explores the power of rumor-mongering and religious divides.
Stream the film on Netflix.
July 4, 2023
The Final Girls Comic Series Review
I don’t know if it was exhaustion or if my brain cells are dying at an exponential rate, but it was quite hard to comprehend what exactly was going on in the first issue of “The Final Girls” by Cara Ellison, Sally Cantirino, Gab Contreras and Joamette Gil. First off, the art style wasn’t exactly to my liking and the creators bombard too many characters into the story, most of who have weird-ass names, so it was harder to keep track of ‘who is who’. Half the time I was like “wait, I thought this was the other person”.
Plot overview – Not sure. I struggled to grasp the story’s essence even after reading the entire first issue. Attempting to read the second issue proved fruitless as my interest waned halfway through. However, according to the series’ blurb, it’s about a bunch of girl superheroes getting together against a powerful male hero.
“The Final Girls” was just not for me and because I couldn’t finish the entire series, which consists of five issues by the way, I am going to refrain from giving it a rating. If you are a fan of the superhero genre and too many characters in a story don’t confuse you, maybe give this series a try. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited.
The Luminous Solution Review – Vague At Best
Okay, so the last episode of this series was interesting! But until the climactic episode of 2023 Thai series “The Luminous Solution” (แสงส่องรัก), the plot is all over the place and will make viewers question their own life decision. Like why they are watching this, when they could watch something else?
Directed by Jane Kitt Botta, the six-episode series follows two couples, one still in school, while the other comprises of a busy doctor dating an office worker. The only thing these two different sets of people seem to have in common is that one individual from each pair makes a wish at a mysterious cafe run by a weird women who claims their wishes will come true.
While the fantasy premise of the “wish-shop” is intriguing, the lady who runs it stands out like a haunted doll from a different era, and her character feels out of place throughout the show. To add a comical twist (albeit unintentional), the shop only appears late at night for those in desperate need, and apparently, according to the show’s writers, a teenager’s wish to kiss their crush is of utmost importance. LOL.
Gun Napat Na Ranong portrays Doctor Phatis, whose relationship faces difficulties due to his lack of attentiveness towards his partner, Thana (Mig Teerapat Prongaroon). While it’s understandable for doctors to be busy, Doctor Phatis lacks even the basic courtesy of responding to messages or promptly taking calls, even while casually chatting with colleagues at the clinic. Some viewers might sympathize with Phatis’ character solely because Gun Napat Na Ranong looks endearingly vulnerable and sweet. However, both Phatis and Thana bear responsibility for the breakdown of their relationship. Besides, the onscreen chemistry between actors Gun and Mig failed to capture the natural comfort of a couple who have been together for ten years.
The secondary love story involving high school students Reaow (Bell Ratchata Kumsup) and Mai (Bhu Bhudis Viseshchitra) made very little sense. Their progression from initially hating each other to suddenly falling in love was simply bizarre. I couldn’t help but think that the makers should have completely scrapped their plot and focused on developing Phatis and Thana’s story more effectively. The explanation of Reaow and Mai’s presence in the show only came in the final episode. Surprisingly, the finale was slightly more interesting than the lack-luster episodes before it. While the cast was decent, the story is confusing and the writing needed a whole lot of work.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me. You can stream the series on YouTube.
July 3, 2023
Thrishanku – Quick Movie Review
A young couple’s plan to elope becomes complicated when the man’s sister runs away from home with her lover before he can execute his scheme. Directed by Achyuth Vinayak, the 2023 Malayalam movie “Thrishanku” stars Anna Ben as Megha, the daughter of a retired cop who she sneaks out of her house to catch a bus with her boyfriend Sethu (Arjun Ashokan) to skip town. However, Megha is dumbfounded when Sethu arrives to the stand with two uncles. The older men were definitely not part of the plan.
The primary premise of “Thrishanku” provides great material for a slice-of-life comedy film. It’s hilarious that both Sethu and his sister pick the same morning to leave home with their respective lovers. Now, Sethu finds himself searching for his sister, meanwhile Megha refuses to return home and follows him everywhere. What follows is a generous dose of co-incidences and comical situations.
Anna Ben is quite likable as the decisive Megha, however, Arjun Ashokan seemed a bit lost in his portrayal of the lead protagonist, Sethu. Besides, the writers fail to establish the reason behind the couple’s urgency to get married, especially considering their lack of employment and Megha’s ongoing pursuit of a post-graduate degree. Krishna Kumar was perfect as Megha’s father, a strict intimidating former cop, who immediately starts looking for his missing daughter.
The cinematography in “Thrishanku” is simple and realistic, with certain scenes almost resembling documentary-style footage. Certain co-incidences were far too unrealistic, and the events leading up to the climax slow down the pace of the story. With wittier dialogues and a slightly more charming actor in the role of Sethu, the film had the potential to become comedy gold. Nevertheless, it remains a decent one-time watch.
Stream the film on Netflix.
July 2, 2023
You Do You Review: Ahsen Eroglu Makes This Fun
It’s a little confusing to definitively rate the 2023 Turkish movie “You Do You” (Original title: Merve Kült), a romantic-comedy, that neither has a lot of romance, nor much comedy, yet, it has several fun moments, largely courtesy the lead actor Ahsen Eroglu’s bohemian charm.
Directed by Cemal Aplan and written by Ceylan Naz Baycan, “You Do You” follows aspiring designer Merve Kült (Ahsen Eroglu), who gets a job to save her family from eviction and starts falling for her mean boss Anil Gürman (Ozan Dolunay). However, unknown to Merve, Anil has his own nefarious motives for hiring her.
“It takes a little while for “You Do You” to become interesting since the first fifteen minutes make it look like a story about two spoiled brats getting attracted to each other. Merve lives off her mother’s money, has no clue they are virtually bankrupt, and thinks everything will be handed to her on a platter. Anil, on the other hand, is the clichéd “rich, handsome playboy” who doesn’t seem to respect women but begins to develop a soft spot for Merve for no good reason. As the plot progresses, the film becomes more about a young woman pouring in all her time and effort into her new job while also helping her friends develop a new dating app.
The cinematography is colorful, bright and pleasing. Merve keeps breaking the fourth wall to tell viewers what’s going on in her mind, a trope that is entertaining in some films but plain annoying in others. It’s the latter in this one. Regardless, Ahsen Eroglu slowly begins to grow on the viewers due to her perennially optimistic personality as Merve, who is constantly bullied at her new work-place, yet she keeps her spirits high. All the other characters are far less interesting and one-dimensional. However, the breezy tone of the story combined with Ahsen’s upbeat performance holds the film together.
You can stream “You Do You” on Netflix.
‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’ Teaser Out
Akira Tendo hates going to work and is living his life like the walking dead. However, when a real zombie apocalypse spreads through Japan, Tendo sees it as a chance to finally do the things he wants, since he doesn’t have to go to the office anymore!
Netflix has unveiled the teaser for “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead,” the live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga series by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata. Eiji Akaso, known for his roles in “Kamen Rider” and “Cherry Magic,” portrays Akira Tendo in this offbeat zombie-comedy. He appears hilariously entertaining in the short teaser as the elated office worker who creates a list of things he wants to do before becoming a zombie—an eventuality he has already come to terms with. Instead of adopting a dark survival mode, Akira embarks on a journey to do fun things before a zombie bites his head off.
The live-action adaptation looks promising and will be available to stream on Netflix on August 3.
July 1, 2023
Love Tractor Review – Sunny Romance
It’s weird how the romantic series “Love Tractor” begins more like a thriller film. In the first episode, the protagonist is driving to his village late at night when his tire gets punctured, and a mysterious man, dressed like a serial killer, comes to his aid. The episode does a rather ineffective job of establishing the tone for the subsequent sweet-cute plot.
Directed by Yang Kyung Hee, who is also known for titles like “The Director Who Buys Me Dinner” and “Kissable Lips,” the eight-episode-long Korean series “Love Tractor” stars Do Won as Seon Yun. Seon Yun is a promising young man who abandons his plans to study law at Harvard and instead goes to his grandfather’s farm in a small village. It is there that Seon Yun meets the boundlessly optimistic Suh Ye Chan (Yoon Do Jin), who assists the city boy in adapting to rural life and learning about the spirit of their community.
The cinematography beautifully captures the charms of rural life, even though it’s not as easy as the creators make it out to be. While Seon Yun is the typical serious broody protagonist, Yoon Do Jin is an energetic gust of fresh air as the simple, sunny, hardworking Suh Ye Chan. Ye Chan is like a big adorable Labrador, who immediately grows fond of people and is straight-forward when it comes to expressing his love. The character of the village head, played by an actor who appeared Caucasian, seemed a bit random, but it was amusing to witness him speaking fluent Korean with a distinctive non-native accent.
The gradual friendship and romance between Seon Yun and Ye Chan is genuinely endearing. However, the development feels somewhat rushed, with half-baked subplots involving Seon Yun’s strained relationship with his father and his boyfriend. Perhaps a few more well-written episodes would have enhanced the charm of “Love Tractor.” Anyway… it’s still a pretty good choice if you’re seeking a light romantic show to enjoy over the weekend.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
