Thira Review from Rediff!

Malayalam film Thira fails to live up to Shibhana's standard, says Paresh C Palicha.

Shobana is both an actor and a star. She can pull crowds to the theatre, give depth to the characters she plays and make viewers root for her. 

Director Vineeth Sreenivasan tries to cash in on this quality of hers in Thira. 

She plays Rohini Pranab, a reputed cardiologist who also runs a shelter for young women she has rescued from trafficking rackets. 

Her journalist husband, Pranab (Ray) has died in police custody a fortnight ago under suspicious circumstances. He had been charged with paedophilia. 

It’s up to Rohini to clear his name and crack the conspiracy behind the killing. To make matters more interesting, she has the company of Naveen (Dhyaan Sreenivasan) whose sister is kidnapped in front of his eyes. 

The screenplay by Rakesh Mantodi takes a heavy subject like human trafficking and the conspiracies behind it involving the high and mighty. 

But it fails to involve the viewer and make him/her feel strongly about the subject, and banks heavily on Shobhana’s charisma. 

Shobana as the self-confident Rohini holds our attention. Dhyaan Sreenivasan is a foil for Rohini. He is a vulnerable boy, afflicted with asthma, but has the additional responsibility of doing the action 
sequences that the sari-clad Rohini cannot do. 

There are a few supporting characters but they don't get much attention in the story. The villain of the film does not have a human face as it is the system that the heroine is fighting against. 

Thira was marketed as Shobana’s comeback film. She has a central role, but the film fails to do adequate justice to a performer of her calibre.

Rediff Rating: **1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-watch-thira-for-shobana-south/20131115.htm

Thira Review From Veeyen!

Rating:**1/2

Vineeth Sreenivasan's 'Thira' is a thoughtful exploration of a theme that is often discussed in hushed whispers. It's quite resolute in its objective, is extremely detailed, is involving for its most part and is charmingly acted as well.

Dr. Rohini (Shobhana), a cardiac surgeon, who runs an NGO named Arpana for destitute children, is devastated by the murder of her journalist husband. She is further shell shocked, when the kids at Arpana are abducted by a mafia involved in human trafficking, that Pranab had been after for long. 

Thira Pictures   14 Pictures

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In another corner of the city, Naveen (Dhyan Sreenivasan), who arrives to meet his younger sister Riya (Amritha Anil), is stunned when she is kidnapped in the middle of the city, right in front of his eyes. With none to turn to for help, Naveen refuses to give up, and embarks on a hot chasebehind the abductors. 

The best moment in 'Thira' arrives when an exasperated and visibly disturbed Naveen asks Rohini, as to how such abuse could occur in broad daylight, in public spaces. Rohini's reply is serene and matter-of-fact. She merely reminds him that even those with eyes, see only that which they want to see.

More than 'Taken' or 'Amazing Grace', the film that springs to mind as you watch 'Thira', is 'The Whistle Blower' directed by Larysa Kondracki. Apart from the fact that both the film deal with striking similar themes, the chief protagonist in these films, happens to be a woman. 

The film does have its share of stunners, like the instance when Naveen walks into a hell hole to discover a young girl who is barely into her teens, tied up and terrified. She begs him not to hurt her, with sheer dread in her eyes, even as they simply refuse to shed another tear.

Characterization is perhaps the greatest flaw in 'Thira'. The narrative has plenty of hazy faces that are casually mentioned in undertones, but they never really appear on screen. A few sidekicks do make their appearance, but it never gets beyond that point. Perhaps the only argument in its favor is that it strives hard to be as real as possible, and in reality, many of these shady faces never emerge from the fog.

So it's a swift trail that Rohini and Naveen set out on, and as they run from pillar to post, the pace of the film is maintained almost even. It does whimper a couple of times, but changes gear again, and zooms to a halt at a predictable climax.

I'd say the writing in 'Thira' is patchy, though I admit it's no easy job to script a film that entirely depends on the actions of its two leading characters. The intention definitely is to steer clear of the road that is often travelled, and though it succeeds in parts, it cannot escape the jaggedness when it comes to holding the interest of the viewer.

Shobhana constantly reminded me of Rachel Weisz, which does not in any way diminish the efficacy with which she has essayed the role. 'Thira' does require an actress of her caliber, and Shobhana delivers an incredible performance as the gritty doc. Dhyan Sreenivasan makes a notable debut as well, though he does need to work on his dubbing skills.

Despite all its shortcomings, of all the three films that Vineeth Sreenivasan has directed till date, 'Thira' is my personal favorite. The young director seems to have much mellowed, and I'm sure it's gonna get only better from now on

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12991/malayalam/thira/4468/review.htm

Geethanjali Reviews From Veeyen!

Rating: **
 
Folks, the culprit in 'Geethanjali' is Nakulan (Suresh Gopi). Before you bawl that I have let out a spoiler, let me assure you that he has nothing to do with the story. But the man is instrumental in dragging Dr. Sunny (Mohanlal) all the way to Arackal Tharavadu from Machu Picchu, where he has peacefully been roaming around - an offence that in no way can be pardoned.

Geethanjali Pictures   14 Pictures

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Coming back to 'Geethanjali, we have Anoop (Nishan) in place of Nakulan, as the distraught youngster who has fallen in love with Anjali (Keerthi Suresh). The girl on her part, looks beautiful, but sees an apparition all around her, which is reason enough for the people around her to conclude that she has gone nuts.

It's here that Nakulan, a friend of Anoop's, offers to find out where Dr. Sunny is, and he soon arrives on a raining night, in true Sunny style. He still seems a bit of an oddball, and gets down to his business in no time.

'Geethanjali' falters big time, since the first half is wholly dedicated to building up the scares. The mystery of the ghost who passes by in a flash is there, and it happens ever so often that you wonder if the ghost never has some time to itself. It's everywhere, at the bath tub, on the seashore, on the ceiling fan, over the piano. Phew!

Arackal mansion, where the ghost has been having a gala time seems to be located at a place that is geographically unique. There is a shot of the couple driving through a rubber estate just before they reach the manor. There are dialogues galore that suggest that the rambling house is right at the top of a hill. And yet, the windows of the dwelling open right on to the sea!

Very rarely does the film rise above the conventions of a horror film that seem to be stuck on its back like a duct tape. Which is why, it does not succeed in shocking or terrorizing you. Instead, you keep thinking of where you have seen that shocker before.

The biggest disappointment is of course the climax, that follows a limping latter half, that could only be watched in dismay. Everything and everyone looks like having undergone some severe turmoil, and the acting as well as the dialogues go wholly overboard. 

Keerthi does make an impressive debut, and her feat has no traces of a debutante actress. Nishan and Swapna Menon lend ample support. It's wonderful to see Mohanlal playing that character whom we simply love, and yes, Innocent is amazing as well. 

And yet, no amount of incredible performances or stunning cinematography by Thiru can save 'Geethanjali' from collapsing into another cluttered film that bites the dust. The best thing would have been to let Dr. Sunny stay back at Machu Picchu. He simply deserved much better than this mishmash of a mystery to solve.

Insuppressible PS: 'Charulatha' of all films for Dr. Sunny to make a comeback?? How could one even think of doing this to him?! 

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/13439/malayalam/geethanjali/4467/review.htm

Geethanjali Review from Paresh C Palicha

Geethanjali is a lacklustre effort, writes Paresh C Palicha

The character of Dr Sunny Joseph from Manichitrathazhu is still remembered by Kerala audiences. Now, veteran director Priyadarshan has refurbished the character after nearly two decades in his new film Geethanjali.

Geethanjali is a psycho-horror thriller that has copied from many sources including the recent Kannada film Charulata that was inspired by a Korean film. .

Debutant Keerthy Suresh plays identical twins that are jealous of each other. Geetha and Anjali fall in love with the same guy, Anup (Nishan). The bad one, Geetha, supposedly commits suicide after losing the battle of love. But her spirit continues to trouble Anjali and others around the house. .

Anup calls in Dr Sunny Joseph to do something about this situation, as recommended by Nakul (Suresh Gopi in a guest appearance). .

It does not take much effort to guess where the story is headed. Among the many sources from which the film borrows ideas, the most striking is the K Madhu directed Nadiya Kollapetta Rathri (2007) with Suresh Gopi and Kavya Madhavan in the lead. .

Keerthy Suresh who makes her debut in this film has got a plum role but whether she impresses with her acting prowess is another matter. There is not much for her to do except look grumpy or innocent in the two roles she has throughout the film. .

The makers of the film insist that it is not a sequel to Manichitrathazhu, but Mohanlal is made to go through similar situations in this film, so the connection to the original Sunny Joseph is inevitable. .

Innocent enacts a comic role similar to the one in the original. But, his efforts go in vain as this film lacks the substance of the original. .

Geethanjali is disappointing. It is a lacklustre effort that is not a patch on the original. .

Rediff Rating: **

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-geethanjali-disappoints/20131115.htm

Ram-Leela Review Rediff!

Ram-Leela is a lavish visual spread and is filled with moments of thrill, ingenuity and splendour but falters somewhere due to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's confused priorities and half-hearted romanticism, writes Sukanya Verma.

Hues, so many hues, red crowned their queen here, dominate every single frame of Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela.

Seductive, screaming, sly there’s enough colour in this one film to both -- compel you to pack your bags at once and set off exploring Gujarat’s sweeping landscape or flee from its pulsating sound of blood-thirsty  bullets and bottles.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s pays ode to one of his favourite shades with bang, bluster (and blips) in a Romeo and Juliet-inspired fantasy about warring clans and star-crossed darlings set in a universe that is meticulously choreographed for cinematic perfection.

It’s a familiar, much-adapted scenario -- of rage, rivalry, romantic rebellion and immortal third act witnessed in films like Mansoor Khan’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and more recently, Habib Faisal’s Ishaqzaade.

Ram-Leela’s temperament is somewhat closer to Ishaqzaade but its soul wears the mark of extravagance one has come to expect from Bhansali’s school of drama and dynamism. Moreover, where Ishaqzaade faltered most – dumbing down its feisty heroine’s spirit, Ram-Leela devises a peculiar twist just to uphold it.

Its lavish visual spread is filled with moments of thrill, ingenuity and splendour courtesy Wasiq Khan’s dazzling art design and Ravi Varman’s blazing camerawork. Together, they mount a marvel out of Ram-Leela’s bold dalliance and Bhansali’s festive style making its first half a stupendous dream to behold.

Alas, those fine flaws that were previously (voluntarily) overlooked to partake in Bhansali’s eternal carnival of song and dance surface far too prominently in the second half to flout.

Every single sweeping romance on screen depends on the two actors to convince us they are madly in love and truly cannot get on without another.  

Ranveer Singh’s Ram and Deepika Padukone’s Leela demonstrate a personal connection and physical comfort in enacting their furious intimacy. Chemistry, however, is a special word. Let it not be concerned with its biological connotations alone. It was felt in abundance even though the characters didn’t share a single frame together in The Lunchbox.

This love-at-first-sight fallacy needs something more than burning expressions of lust to underscore its potency. It needs growing space and dialogue -- wonderful, quotable dialogue. Romeo and Juliet enjoyed that privilege thanks to Mr Shakespeare. Ram and Leela are left with cheesy lines, the kind you are spammed on SMS with, the kind you reflexively delete.

Let me throw light on the difference. In the celebrated play, Juliet tells Romeo, ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ Bhansali conveys it as, ‘Gulab ko pulao bulaaon toh khaoge kya? Naam mein kya hai

Apart from its clunky writing (Woh lover toh hum killer) teeming with sexual innuendoes, Bhansali’s fondness for indulgence and theatrics leads to frequent awkward displays of revolting chauvinism and contrived melodrama.

As a result, the strategically planned *epicness* of Ram and Leela’s romance is diluted in the excessive politics of endless revenge and mindless honour, which only takes a breather for one needless song after another (Priyanka Chopra stars in one such tantalising number).

Still, it’s ever so watchable for Deepika Padukone. If ever there was any room for doubt, Deepika cancels it with her recently acquired aura. She embodies the lack of reason, the all-consuming ‘junoon,’ the bitterness, the sauciness, the arrogance that constitutes Leela so effectively, the film could well be titled after her. Only her. 

As for the rest, Ranveer Singh’s energy is unquestioned but he plays Ram like a rambunctious tapori who appears to be channeling Govinda in wardrobe, Madhuri Dixit in dance, Dharmendra in anger and Amitabh Bachchan in comedy.

Supriya Pathak does a lady ogre in all her jeweled, kohl-ed glory with relish. If Agneepath makers ever decided to do a prequel, she’d be perfect to play Kancha Cheena’s mother. Richa Chadda doesn’t have a big role but she owns the scenes she walks in with her inbuilt fire. Gulshan Devaiah does well as a wily troublemaker.

There’s Raza Murad too. His presence somehow only highlights the silliness of the premise even further.

What began on a staggering note with stunning opening shots and rousing bottle-shooting sequence between boastful rivals somewhere is led astray in a Bhansali-constructed chaos of confused priorities and half-hearted romanticism.

Rediff Rating: **1/2.

http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/ram-leela-review-deepika-ranveers-romance-shines-but-doesnt-soar/20131115.htm

Ram-Leela Review from Yahoo!

Cast: Ran veer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak Kapur

Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Rating: ***1/2

So what do we know about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films? Bhansali creates a visual spectacle that (when done well) transports you to his make-believe world.

A viewer is overwhelmed by the opulence of the sets - the colour, the grandeur, involved in the tragedy that strikes the star-crossed lovers, ready to suspend rationale and inhabit the director’s universe for a few hours. The question is whether you remain engaged for all the time that you decide to suspend logic and participate in Bhansali’s flight of fantasy? While first half of ‘Ram-leela’ is an engrossing watch, the second half seems too long – the feuding families spend so much time trying to level scores that after a point you really don’t care.

‘Ram-leela’ is yet another Bollywood love saga inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. What really stands out in this one is how Bhansali has managed to deconstruct the typical Bollywood heroine – our female lead is aggressive and passionate. And it’s a pleasure to watch Deepika do away with the conventionally coy and shy and play the rebel.

Ranveer and Deepika and their smoldering chemistry make the first half immensely watchable. Their well-sculpted bodies as they romance and embrace is like poetry in motion. Torn apart by circumstances and years of hatred perpetuated between their families; it breaks your heart to see them apart. But then again, when actual tragedy strikes, you feel devoid of any emotion. Interim melodrama and the tedious pace of the second half robs you of any real pathos that you had felt for the ill-fated lovers.

The treatment for quite a few parts is reminiscent of what we had seen in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Devdas’. The ‘Nagada sang dhol’ song in ‘Ram-leela’ is like a remake of ‘Dholi taro’ song from ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, Ram’s (Ranveer Singh) drinking binge reminds you of Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Devdas’. Wasn’t Romeo’s greatest intoxication love? Surely a director of Bhansali’s caliber is capable of infusing his films with fresh ideas?

The item song by Priyanka Chopra, ‘Ram chahe Leela chahe’ is completely superfluous to the narrative. Not that Priyanka doesn’t look good in the song but the song seems inserted as an afterthought. A dance number by Deepika would have looked just as good and probably made more sense.

‘Ram-leela’ has strong females characters like Supriya Pathak Kapur, who plays the autocratic matriarch or Richa Chadda, who plays the feisty sister-in-law but the plot fails to do complete justice to their parts.

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-reviews/yahoo-movies-review-goliyon-ki-raasleela-ram-leela-121554207.html