MS Dhoni- The Untold Story * * * *

At the outset, I would like to bring to your attention the fact that I had kind of drifted away from Cricket given my indulgence into Football. But hey, this is India, even when you tell people you are agnostic, you do end up performing religious ceremonies. Even when you tell people you are not into cricket, you actually sometimes have to, as the rest of the country comes together to support the national team. It's something that brings us together. Anything for Nation-Building.

Having said that, perhaps I would have skipped this movie but for the director Neeraj Pandey. I mean just look at his kitty, "A Wednesday" and "Special Chabbis". Yes yes, he also directed "Baby", which was not bad but of course not at the same level as the other two, and hence the separate mention. But no doubt regarding the brilliance of the man.

Coming to the movie, well, we all know the story, don't we. But do we mind a beautiful portrayal of all those moments we have celebrated with our friends. Do we mind getting to know better Mr. Cool. Do we mind a sneak peak into his making years. Do we mind to relive the 2011 World Cup final. No, we don't. But the movie offers you much more than that.

Yes, he has achieved what only a few can. And will. But is he a single entity. So many people play a part in the making of one and they all have their significance. The love of the mother, the care of the father, the trust of siblings, the unshakable faith of friends, the power of being in love and the blessings of the teacher, all have a part to play. And the same has been wonderfully depicted in the movie.

Sushant Singh Rajput has pulled it off. Pretty neatly. And it takes a lot of effort to play someone who is known to the world. People have a pretty good idea, how he walks, how he smiles, what he comments and how he carries himself. And Sushant has delivered. Like Dhoni has done on the pitch. Inch perfect. But my personal favorite here has been the wonderful Direction of Pandey. There is a story, but the challenge these days is "how" you tell your story. And this guy knows all the tricks of the trade.

There are some wonderful examples you would come across in the movie. There is this one scene where the depressed Dhoni is sitting on a stranded platform. The camera focus is on his side face and the background is blurry hinting at the uncertainty of things we aspire. Suddenly there is a light in that blur. A train is approaching. It stops for you. There is no one is the train. Perhaps no one wants to travel this way because it's a gamble. But you hear something. That something is calling you. That something is a signal for you to take a leap of faith. Faith in providence. Beautifully depicted.

For authenticity sake, they have used a lot of original footage from the matches. And boy, what a neat work with the video editing as they flawlessly replace Dhoni's face with Sushant's. Wonderful work. Lastly, there is a lot of thought being put in how they would balance the personal side with the professional one. But the plot beautifully switches between the two not disrupting the flow of it. In fact, they both get so wonderfully linked as if they were two strands of the same thread. And please, do not get scared away with the 184 min time span, it is a sheer delightful watch.

Lastly, take a bow, to the man who has won it all, who has made us proud on so many occasions, who has risen from the very bottom, let's here it once again, DHONI! DHONI! DHONI! DHONI!

Manjhi: The Mountain Man * * *

Director: Ketan Mehta
My Rating: 3/5

There are some movies which become epics even before they hit the silver screen. They are born legendary. The idea itself is enough. And such was the story of Dashrath Manjhi. We all know about him. A man driven by the grief who stood against a mighty mountain, broke it down to pieces and eventually became the beacon of persistence, determination and strong desire.

When the trailer was aired sometime back, I am sure many like me decided then and there to go for  this one as soon as it hits the screen. This is what happens when an incredibly inspiring true story meets an incredibly talented actor. If it were up to me, I would give him the Oscars just for the little part which we see in the trailer. I mean how freaking amazing can one be! And it turns out that the trailer was merely a minuscule glimpse of the colossal potential that this guy has. It's a one-man show all across. It's him and him alone. Take a bow, Nawazuddin, you are just truly amazing.

Radhika Apte plays her bit with grace. She matches up to his levels when it comes to that. Their chemistry is immense and essential as it is very crucial to the core theme of the story. It is this eternal love that drives Manjhi to do such a gigantic task all by himself. No one can deny the fact that only love has that kind of potential to give you tremendous power to perform miracles. Other supporting roles perfectly complement the set up and the temporal demands of the script.

Talking of the direction, this guy has delivered some good stuff earlier, the likes of Mirch Masala, Mangal Pandey and also interestingly Maya Memsaab! Now, this was apparently a story with great capability, something which would be remembered for a long long time. But he has not fully succeeded in doing that. The non-linear nature of story telling somehow makes the flow of things very absurd. When you are just about to swing along with the pace of things, a small flashback kills the fun although it might happen to have a strategic significance to highlight the underlying emotions that are subsequently surfacing. At many times, you would feel, something bothering you in the flow of things. That is perhaps the only drawback. But not a minor one to completely ignore.

Overall, surely this is a story everyone needs to know. Leaves you convinced that anything is possible if you decide to pursue it with all your dedication. For achieving big things, you need to hold on longer, you need to have that belief and most importantly something driving you from inside, in this case love. It also highlights the destitution which is still widespread in our country and the apathy shown by those who are responsible for such sad state of affairs.

In the end, summing up in Manjhi's words "Shandar, Zabardast, Zindabad". Or maybe approaching to that effect!

The Imitation Game * * *

My Rating: 3/5

Another gem to the Oscar Collection this year is this period-drama-thriller biopic on Alan Turing who is credited with mainstreaming the idea of computing using machines ultimately leading to what they called then "Turing Machines" which we now a days call "Computers".  This one is set up deep in the first half of 20th century when Europe was in turmoil and the world on the verge of another mighty war which had the potential of an Armageddon.

It is a story of a boy who was not "normal" as most would say. But then the world has always seen changes courtesy such abnormal man. Normalcy is too cliched an idea when clearly we do fancy evolution. As a kid, he was an introvert but his mind, incredibly sharp and eventually he grows up to become one of the best cryptographers in the world. The British government assembles a team of such prodigies to break the code of the Enigma Machines deployed by Germany to send encrypted messages to its field formations during the second world war. The story revolves around Alan Turing and how he comes up with a brilliant idea to counter the German Machine, how he assembles his own team and how he has his own reasons for doing the most unexpected of things.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Alan Turing) has pulled off this extremely difficult portrayal with ease and with utter brilliance. And this coupled with the excellent supporting role played by the ever charming Keira Knightley. There are some lines in the movie which will take your breathe away. Very difficult not to mention those brilliant words here but hey, i am no spoilsport.Those are the ones which will always stay with you. Apart from the sheer brilliance of a cryptographer, the movie also presents some other social issues in a very subtle way. It depicts the harshness towards homosexuals in this period of time, it deals with the specially-abled people who have communication issues, it deals with difficult choices one has to make in his life.

The direction is engaging and the use of wit is ubiquitous. This is a story, i personally feel, everyone needs to know. People like Alan Turing must not be forgotten. He made a great contribution to the society and the advancement of it. Whatever was his personal nature should not concern us, confine us. "It's not who we are, but what we do, that defines us!". So, get entertained, learn and know Alan Turing. For this one, i insist that you "imitate" me by going to the cinemas!

Paan Singh Tomar * * * *

This is stuff we have been waiting for since long. A truly inspiring and touching biopic of a steeplechase legend who was forced by situations to run with a gun. And I know we all adore Irffan, but this outstanding portrayal of a rebel is surely taking him to the hall of fame. In fact, in Bollywood there have not been many  performances with such depth, conviction and intensity. All hail Irffan !

The story is set in the wild bihads along side the Chambal river where a local joins the Indian Army instead of the dacoit gangs. Soon his extra-ordinary running capabilities attract attention and he becomes the star athlete of the services grabbing all sorts of medals and world records in steeplechase. But things turn ugly back at home and he is forced to leave the army and comes back home to look after his kin and farm. Then the ugly becomes worse and he is left with no option but to use the power of the gun. The corrupt police and bureaucracy play a lead role as a catalyst to provoke the vengeance. Our runner turned Robin Hood takes his revenge and does a lot more for the poor people. Refusing to surrender to the useless government he is eventually killed in an ambush.

Mahie Gill who plays the wife has done well in her little space. The chemistry with Irffan is outstanding and a couple of their acts are absolutely hilarious and witty. The direction seems so international and the fast paced screenplay keeps you on your tips. Although, he could have shortened it a bit towards the very end. Irffan, right from the very first frame of his arrival brings in tremendous power and authority as Paan Singh. The authentic portrayal coupled with numerous punch lines in desi languageva & accentva is just perfect. This is a performance that deserves much more than a National. Oscar, here we come.

Although centered around the life of Paan Singh Tomar, this movie stands for so many people. The plight of the unsung sportsperson in our country who are not given the deserved attention. Many of these have died penniless and some due to insufficient medical attention. This is a real and painful story. The credits at the end of the movie dedicated to the unsung sportsperson of our country are equally painful. This film is about how rebels are born out of national heroes. An entertaining film with a strong message. Don't miss!

P.S. Respect to all the unsung sportsperson of India. You make us proud !

J.Edgar *

Well, not always can we expect a superb director-actor double to work. And certainly this biopic on John Edgar Hoover, the man responsible for the inception of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and also for taking it to an unprecedented level, fails to impress. Miserably.

Clint Eastwood's direction seems dull for most part of it and he stretches it too far at the end. And because of that, the result would definitely not fetch him Million Dollar Baby.  Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of Edgar lacks the charisma of the person who supposedly out rooted the seeds of communism in America. He was not that bad. It's just that he is capable of so much more. You find it difficult to resist from the glimpses of his similar portrayal of a famous man in the cult Aviator. And in comparison, Edgar clearly losses to Howard.

The movie uses the passe flashback cinematography to interlink various stages of Edgar's life. Set up in the backdrop of the rise of radical communists in America in the earlier decades of twentieth century, the plot revolves around the unshaken determination of a man to fight crime and to institutionalize the skills that developed in the due process. The problem here being that Clint decides to go micro on some of the issues and the audience fails to visualize the gigantism of this extra-ordinary man.

The highs of the movie- The speeches which Edgar makes to the Congress defending his Bureau, impressive depiction of the influence of his mother on his persona and powerful narration in the voice of DiCaprio. And yes, the part of Edgar's life, when he was gay. The bloody man-to-man lip-lock gives the audience something to talk about. At the end, it doesn't even qualify for a movie. If you missed the documentary on Edgar which was aired on History Channel, you can think about going. But even then, I would say, avoid it!