Tag Archives: Hindi movie

Baahubali – The Beginning Review

Baahubali – The Beginning Review – Baahubali – The Beginning is a Telugu is a historical fiction movie released in 2015. The film is the first of a two part series. Shivdu is found on the riverside and is raised by a small tribe family; he always wants to climb the big mountain near the village against the wish of his mother. He is able to do it when he grows up; this leads him to his roots from where had come from.

5 tablespoons of Mahabharat, one tablespoon of Ramayan and one tablespoon of masala ingredients from high packed action movies mixed well together. The dish that comes out of the above ingredients is what is Baahubali in a nutshell. Although it is made of the ingredients that we have tasted before, the dish is well prepared and fulfills our appetite like a grand feast. Director SS Rajamouli has dreamt big and kudos to him and his team to bring such a visual grandeur to the silver screen. The breath taking visuals, a native story, stunning fight choreography, powerful characterization all these make Baahubali a very compelling watch. The movie stays true to its promotion and what it had promised to offer; a historical fantasy story painted on an expensive canvas. Every frame has visual grandeur in it, right from the formidable falls to the large battlefield. Many of the characters and situations resemble many of the Indian mythology stories you would have heard but putting them in this combination is interesting. Prabhas, Anushka, Sathyaraj, Nassar, Ramyakrishnan, Rana Daggupati, Tamanna all of them have performed very well. Peter Hein’s stunt choreography is one of the highlights of the movie.

High Points: The narration, visual effects and characterization of Baahubali, Bhallala Deva, Kattappa and Sivagami shine in this first installment. The interval block for the movie was really powerful and is the high point in the movie for me.

Low Points: There are definitely some low points. There is very less differentiation between Shivdu and Baahubali. You don’t feel they are two different characters. There have been some sequences to please the fanfare on the opening day of the movie, which could have been avoided. The background score for such a visually stunning film was a bit let down for me.

Overall Baahubali is a visual treat, though it is a story you would have heard a million times still it is very interesting when SS Rajamouli narrates it. This one is a milestone in Indian Cinema and a Must watch for all Indian movie lovers.

Must Watch

Raanjhanaa

Raanjhanaa (Amibkapathy – Tamil) –  A local boy in Varanasi falls in love with a Muslim girl since his childhood… Soon he finds rest of his life, aspirations, dreams, love, pain everything limited to her (Bas Tum Tak…!)

Anand L Rai has given a very good story that is just not limited to a puppy love story. The first half of the movie is colorful and enjoyable, the cinematographer Natarajan Subramaniam brings the lively colors of Varanasi in front of your eyes… the second half of the movie has a serious tone and through the journey of Kundan and Zoya the director takes you through the current political affairs in the country. Love prevails in the end and stays immortal. Dhanush is a very appropriate selection for the movie and has essayed his character very well, Tamil audiences might have watched this in many of his movies. Abhay Deol is charismatic in the portion he plays. Anand hasn’t let any star cast over shadow the plot and the screen play but has the story lead the way all through. The life and soul for the movie is A.R Rahman’s musical score. Raajhanna would make you laugh, cry and think. It is a wholesome entertainer that will keep you engaged throughout… Go for it!

Must Watch

Ghanchakkar

Ghanchakkar – An expert in opening lockers and stealing money goes into retirement. He is affected by partial memory loss and one of the things he forgets is where he has hidden the money from his last heist.  He has to remember this and find the money as it also has the share of his accomplices.

Ghanchakkar is a slang word commonly used to refer to a dumb person although its literal meaning is to spin fast. The movie is crazy and dumb in parts as its title. If you go in with the expectation of a ROFL comedy you would be disappointed. Ghanchakkar is one such movie which comes once in a while completely whacky in the way it is executed and catches you off guard. . The movie is brilliant in parts particularly the heist sequence and the characters of Emraan Hasmi and Vidya Balan. The pace of the movie is slow, it gives you enough time to savor the humor as you move along. Many of which you might miss as they are subtle. Despite its slow pace the McGuffin  (I had written about this in my Friday Facts) keeps you engaged with the script. The ending is completely unexpected and be ready to be caught off guard… Overall the movie is all about the journey not the ending… Soon you would find two groups of people who would just love the movie or those who simply hate it… If you are open for “not the usual script with song and dance” then Ghanchakkar is watchable…

Watchable – for its difference from the usual!