NOVEMBER 2015 - Movie Of The Month

During November 2015, it was Tamasha film that managed to spark a winning outcome from the main competitive film release in the month. 

TAMASHA directed by Imtiaz Ali, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. Now this film never appealed to me at first, but having watched the film, it was very thought provoking. I needed to sit back and re-evaluate the film because it does become a bit of a bore at first but as the film developed, the act that Ranbir Kapoor delivered was exceptional. That kept me wanting to watch the remainder of the story that unfolded.

As for the storyline, the film tends to drag heavily leaving a viewing experience disrupted mainly in the first half. As the second half is showcased, it really keeps you gripped to the relationship between Tara (Deepika Padukone) and Ved (Ranbir Kapoor). The film portrays a mixture of emotions hence the reasoning behind the gradual headway of the film. The slow start eventually picks up pace to keeping the viewers lured within. Imtiaz Ali has managed to keep an attractive screenplay which may raise doubts at first but the audience possibly would get proven wrong.

Performance wise, both the leads put in a notable effort that you cannot raise fingers upon. Ranbir Kapoor nails it with his scenes ranging with a variety of changes in mood. His character is one that you would prefer seeing much more of and when not in the scene, then he is heavily missed. The dialogue delivery and change of character during segments in the film helps to instigate a praiseworthy visual for the viewers. Deepika Padukone puts in a good chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor on screen. Her character helped nurture the film from an art to a romantic angle and that dictated the Tamasha to be carried out.

So what I would take from Tamasha is the strong subject of playing with feelings, this is the conclusion that I managed to figure out from watching it and I actually enjoyed it once it began to progress further. The acting was the standout with some fantastic scenes that stood out from the rest.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo was the major movie to challenge Tamasha during the month of November. It had a good concept with some parts being likeable, but it just never gave me as an audience something new. Whilst Tamasha had more of a significant script it had to be perfected to portray a worthy film.

FEBRUARY 2016 - Movie Of The Month

During the month of February 2016, the film that stood out for me the most was Sanam Teri Kasam as this film managed to reveal all the right cords for a modern love story. The movie showcased a bit of everything, love, hurt, sadness and tragedy. The film is directed and written by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, starring Mawra Hocane and Harshvardhan Rane in the lead roles.

The story becomes a cycle, when a religious family see their daughter Saru (played by Mawra Hocane) with a gangster Inder (played by Harshvardhan Rane) living in the same apartment block. This causes the parents to break all relationships with Saru who is heartbroken as nobody wants to marry her, as she is not the typical modern type of girl. Inder helps turn her fortunes around but even their fascinating love story has to come to an end one-way or the other.

What I liked about this film is that these actors looked so natural in their respective roles, making this film look realistic especially with the strong subject matter being engaging.  A very dramatic storyline placing obstacles in front of love, but the film shows to never give up despite the film never getting a happy ending.

The cast performed well in keeping you on a standstill focusing directly to the film and not drifting away. The biggest highlight from this would be the performances delivered by the actors, being on screen made it seem as if this is not a movie but a daily life of two people whom face cultural beliefs and parental authority as a struggle. It is very convincing; Mawra does great in being the not-so-glamorous girl in society, but yet showing courage to become something to help make her parents happy. Harshvardhan delivers strong expressions perfectly and at the right time. Nothing was over the top by these two and that was notable throughout the film.

I highly recommend this film as a must watch. The music is brilliant, the acting was fantastic and the storyline is impressive. The social message is important in this one and shows how one deal with such society and strict parental issues.