FILMY BOLI

2.0      2.5 Sci-Fi Cast:  Rajinikanth ,  Akshay Kumar , Amy Jackson , Sudhanshu Pandey , Adil Hussain Director: S. Shankar Story:   After mobile phones start mysteriously disappearing from the city of Chennai, its up to Dr. Vaseegaran and  robots Nila and Chitti to find answers. Review:  You want to use great VFX and CGI and make the film a visual treat for the audience, then please go ahead, I have no complaints. However, in doing so if you want to show us a man with wings flying around and stealing the cellphone’s of every single person in the city to get his revenge or teach them a lesson or whatever.. then that’s where you have lost me. A lot of research has gone into making this film and that shows. While researching about the concept of this film if a little research was done on how to hold the audience’s attention it would have been highly beneficial for some of us who fell asleep towards the end. (Or was it j...

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald  4 Fantasy Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Zoe Kravitz, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler Director : David Yates Story : Dark Wizard Grindelwald is hell bent on killing all non- magic people (muggles) and it is up to Newt Scamander and a handful of wizards to stop him and restore peace in the world. Review : The Harry Potter Series has been an absolute rage with people from all age groups knowing the charms and spells taught at their favourite Hogwarts on the tip of their tongues!  Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald takes us back to the Wizarding World that we can never seem to get enough of!  With swishes of wands,  flying chariots and escaped prisoners the film starts off with a bang!  Some well known characters from the Harry Potter World resurface here, Albus Dumbledore being the most prominent and judging by the applause, the most loved as well! Amidst  the humorous one- ...

Sui Dhaaga              3 Drama Cast:  Anushka Sharma, Varun Dhawan, Raghubir Yadav, Yamini Das Director:  Sharat Katariya  Story:  With the support of his wife, a man leaves his job, where he is constantly disrespected, and tries to start his own small  tailoring business, facing flak, humiliation and betrayal along the way. Will he succeed? Review:  While there have been a truckload of films with characters based in small towns in Bollywood recently and there have been many attempts at picking up the dialect  of the  concerned regions as well, most of those films have been somewhat glamorous. The characters are glorified and even get to wear stylish and spunky outfits and dance their sorrows and pain away! Sui Dhaaga’s strength lies in its simplicity and rustic charm. The characters shown here are believable, A husband and wife  struggling to make ends meet by finding a job where they are ...

Gold 3.5 Drama Cast: Akshay Kumar, Amit Sadh, Kunal Kapoor,  Mouni Roy, Vineet Kumar, Sunny Kaushal, Nikita Dutta  Director: Reema Kagti Story: An account of ‘Free India’s ‘ victory in the 1948 olympics and the struggle that made it possible. Review:      Gold starts off at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, where India is playing in the final. The first 10-15 minutes of the film are quite melodramatic and I guess the makers realised that because the melodrama got turned down a few notches after that. Akshay Kumar plays the patriotic manager of a hockey team who claims that he can lead the ‘free India’ team to victory. He expects people to believe him and they mostly do. When they don’t, he becomes a stumbling, fumbling alcoholic who comes back home haggard and miserable much to the dismay of his wife.       Also, I don’t know which accent Akshay Kumar was speaking in, but it wasn’t Bengali. His bad attempt at the accent r...

Dhadak  3.5 Romance, Drama  Cast: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, Ashutosh Rana, Ankit Bisht, Shridhar Watsar  Director: Shashank Khaitan  Story: Parthavi and Madhukar fall in love but are held back by societal norms and caste restrictions and have to elope in order to be together. Review: With stunning locales ( courtesy the gorgeous Udaipur), soulful songs and expressive actors the first half of Dhadak paints a pretty picture. The experience of watching the film’s first half can be compared to eating a cake. When you take your first bite it is delicious but by the time you dig into it, you start feeling a bit full. Though vibrant and somewhat glamorous the first half of Dhadak lacks the charm that Director Shashank Khaitan’s previous films, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaia and Badrinath ki Dulhania had in abundance. Just before the interval there is a particularly thrilling scene that helps the film pick up its pace significantly. Post interval the setting of ...

Veere Di Wedding    3.5 Comedy  Cast: Swara Bhaskar, Shikha Talsania, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja  Director: Shashanka Ghosh  Story: Four friends living in different parts of the world get together to attend Kalindi’s (Kareena Kapoor) wedding. What follows is loads of drama, a few tears and a whole lot of chaos. Review: After 105 years of its existence , the Indian film industry has finally come up with a commercially viable female friendship film in the form of veere Di wedding. I will not say that the film is hilarious, brilliant or the work of magicians but  I will say that it is brave. At the risk of sounding over the top I have to say that it is so refreshing to see women drinking, smoking and hurling cuss words at each other on screen. All of which was considered a male dominated department up until now. I never found any of it too extreme , in fact I could not even understand the films A rating. However this film is not a co...

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom   4   Thriller Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, chris Pratt, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Jeff Goldblum  Director: J.A.Bayona Story: Claire and Owen must rescue the dinosaurs from the fictional Island of Isla Nublar before a volcano erupts causing the extinction of all the species.  Review: We are back to the world of terrifying, screeching dinosaurs and greedy, malicious humans. Unlike its prequel and more like the first ever film in the Jurassic park franchise , Jurassic world: Fallen Kingdom focuses quite a lot on fear; fear of the audience. Dinosaurs unexpectedly shoot up from the depths of the sea, open doors with their blood thirsty claws and bite off human heads like they are their midday snacks. Spanish Director J.A.Bayona makes sure that we are sitting on the edge of our seats throughout the run time of this gripping motion picture. Even the weather; stormy , rainy and unpredictable is used to bring out the situa...

Avengers: Infinity War          4 Fantasy  Cast: Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Hemsworth , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo , Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Chase Olsen, Josh Brolin Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Story:  I rather not but ...The avengers plan to defeat the mighty Thanos.  (That’s about all I can reveal)  Review : So the cinematic ‘marvel’ which has created an unimaginable hype finally graces the silver screen. Well, graces is a gentle word ... It blasts it’s way through the silver screen. This film is any MCU fan’s paradise!  The characters have smashing entrance scenes ( because some of them literally smash things when they enter) , the entertainment quotient is super super high and the cheers and moans (during some sad scenes) from the audience are deafening. Seriously if you just hear a recording of the audience’s reaction during the film you will get ...

Celebrating Bollywood And One Year Of Filmy Boli  I started this blog as a hobby, you see I love everything about the movies! Today as Filmy Boli turns one 1 and I complete 23 posts I have to thank everyone who clicked that link and read this blog, commented on it or even talked about it. Never had I thought that this hobby of mine will last even for one year. Thank you United States , Indonesia, Hong Kong , United Kingdom, Singapore, Poland, Australia, United Arab Emirates, France , Bangladesh, Greece , Mexico , Russia and most importantly India!! Thank you for the love!  Since this blog was originally supposed to be about Bollywood and not just film reviews let’s talk Bollywood! The past year has been quite a filmy one for the Industry. With Controversies, shocking surprises and a rise and fall at the ticket window this year has been quite the sensation! We look back to mid Feb last year when the infamous Kangana - Karan spat was at its peak. It all started at Karan ...

Baaghi 2              3 Thriller   Cast: Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda, Prateik Babbar , Manoj Bajpayee, Deepak Dobriyal Director: Ahmed  Khan Story: Ronny gets a mysterious call form Neha four years after they parted ways, asking him to help her find her missing daughter. Things , however are not how they seem. Is Neha telling the truth? Review: We dive right into a world of rebels, drug addicts and vulgar corrupt police officers and are taken close ( a bit too close) to the hub of everything illegal ,Goa. According to the film, in Goa you are either a drug smuggling murderer or a shell shocked victim, there is no in between. Baaghi 2 makes an effort to create a story which is a good thing though I'm not sure how successful they are. The story gets carried away and in an attempt to look stylish and slick it ends up looking illogical and frivolous in places. Also I would like to know what was going on in the minds of...

Padman 4 Drama Cast : Akshay Kumar , Radhika Apte, Sonam Kapoor Director: R.Balki Story: Padman is the on screen adaptation of the true story of  Arunachalam Muruganantham , a man who invented low cost sanitary pads ( for just 2 rupees) on being acquainted with the unhygienic conditions in which the women in his village, including his wife, live during "that time of the month."  Review : When a female centric film can be made with a man in the lead we know our industry has finally arrived.   This film is an honest attempt to eradicate/ abolish the taboo surrounding menstruation. I will admit I was a bit hesitant before seeing this film as I was unsure of how the " female problem" will be portrayed on the big screen. Given the fact that it is hushed up and hidden beneath the sheets (literally) every month. I was very glad to find out that the whole topic is handled very well. For those of you who feel this film will make you uncomfortable , having see...

Padmaavat  3.5 Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone , Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor , Jim Sarbh , Aditi Rao  Hydari Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali  Story: Alauddin Khilji's obsession with the queen of Chittor , Maharani Padmaavati paves way for war, destruction and desperation. Review: After the most elaborate disclaimer at the start of the movie , clarifying everything the film does not support  , the magnum opus that has been the talk of the town for so long finally unfolds. I have never really admired the  "Sanjay Leela Bhansaliness" of movies where he often mistakes exaggeration and overdoing things for a so called "magical effect". Padmaavat is no exception to Bhansali's trademark style of storytelling. That being said , this film could not have been visually grander. Everything from the costumes to the make up to the sets to the stunning stunning jewellery and every attention to detail is spot on. The grimy dark sequences , the chilling ...

The Greatest Showman   4.5 Musical  Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson  Director: Michael Gracey  Story: A period drama narrating the story of PT Barnum , the first man ever to form a group of 'curious' people and put together a circus.  Review: This is a film about making your dreams come true. It is about following your desires to whichever unexplored corner they take you to, and most importantly this is a film about being yourself!  A visual spectacle, "The Greatest Showman" tells the touching tale of a man who opened the first ever circus! A unique yet simple story put together on screen with so much grace and all heart is so refreshing. The effortlessly thrilling narrative is just lovely! Foot tapping music helps in driving the marvel of a story forward. Mostly , all the artists in the circus were simply dancing and it would have been nice to see them trying their hands at different stunts...

Tiger Zinda Hai  4 A ction Cast:   Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif , Anupriya Goenka, Sajjad Delafrooz   Director: Ali Abbas Zafar  Story: Two agents, from enemy nations have been called back to work for their countries , leaving behind their lives of comfort . Their mission is to rescue 40 nurses who have been kept hostage. Review: The "Tube Light " has fused and now "Tiger  Zinda  Hai" aur ek baar yeh "Jasoos Jag" gaya toh aap bas "Baar Baar Dekhte" reh jaaonge! Tiger is back and with such a tiger around there is no fear of extinction!  Every scene in this movie is so well explained . Carried out with gusto and obviously ample of swag, mostly owing to Mr Khan's charisma, this film will be included in the list of the better thriller films that have released in a while. it has action but it doesn't seem too much thanks to the stylish music which complements the scenes.  This is a Salman Khan show but Katrina Kaif is...