(Continued from Movie Recap-Part 1)
July
1. Article 15
2. An Extraordinary Journey of a Fakir
3. Kavacha
4. Dumbo
5. Shaft
6. Ant-Man
7. Kalank
8. De De Pyar De
9. Kidnap
10. Aftermath
11. London Boulevard
12. The kid who would be king
August
1. The Mountain Between us
2. Monsoon Shooting
3. India's Most Wanted
4. Christopher Robin
5. Aladdin
6. Avengers End Game
7. Rustum
8. Mauruder
9. Ant man and the Wasp
10. Sonchiriya
11. Maharshi
12. Secret life of Pets 2
September
1. Hobbs and Shaw
2. Jersey
3. Batla House
October
1. Jabariya Jodi
2. Pailwana
3. Total Dhamal
4. Srinivasa Kalyana
5. Mission Mangal
6. Walk among the Tombstone
7. The next three days
November
1. Gubbi Mele Brahmastra
2. Arjun Patiala
3. Super 30
4. Need for Speed
5. Dream Girl
6. Asuran
7. Chhichhore
8. Saaho
9. Drive
10. Cold pursuit
December
1. Angel Falls
2. War
3. Kathasangama
4. Masquerade Hotel
5. Kingdom
6. Kumbalangi Nights
7. Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma
8. Nagarabavi
9. Bootayyana Maga Ayyu
10. Gemini Man
11. Section 375
At the risk of being tedious and boring I'm saying it once again. I love movies. That's it, that is the statement. One of the reasons I would like to live a healthy and long life is to watch as many films as possible. Only a fellow movie buff can understand this level of craziness. I was born to a cinephile parents and married to one. It goes without saying hubby is the comrade in this charade. without much fuss here is the list of films I've (We've) watched in the year 2019.
January
1. Genius
2. Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai
3. Periyeru Perumal
4. Kateyondu Shuru Aagide
5. Hebbuli
6. As Karala Ratri
7. Manto
February
1. Thugs of Hindostan
2. Beyond clouds
3. Batti Gul Meter Chalu
4. Zero
5. Jalebi
March
1. Vishwaroopam 2
2. 96
3. Uri
4. Green Book
5. Naticharami
April
1. Gully Boy
2. Photograph
3. Milan Talkies
4. Kesari
May
1. Kedarnath
2. Manikarnika
3. Ek ladaki Ko Dekha To
4. 2.0 (Robo)
5. Petta
6. Badla
7. Tumbaad
8. Aravinda Sameta Veera Raghava
9. Super Deluxe
June
1. The Hunger Games
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
5. John Wick
6. John Wick-Chapter 2
7. John Wick-Chapter 3: Parabellum
8. The Maze Runner
9. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
10. Maze Runner: The Death Cure
11. Madmax
12. Madmax 2
13. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
14. Mad Max: Fury Road
15. Kavaludari
16. Luka Chuppi
17. Student of the year 2
18. Nata Sarvabhouma
19. Bell Bottom
20. Chambal
21. Amar
21. Captain marvel
22. Hotel Mumbai
23. Killer Elite
I don't get up everyday just to go to work. It is given that it takes 1/3rd part of my day, and I would have slept a little longer if I don't have to go to work. However, there are other things which gets my attention and time, the things that keeps me very happy.
Films: Now I'm at the risk of being a bore who keeps repeating things. Everyone knows about my love for movies, which I inherited from my parents as both of them were cinephile. Another thing that worked in my favor is being born at the right time. Television was a novelty back then. As the millennial I get to witness the transformation from radio to tape recorder to black and white television to colour, doordarshan to cable channels, video cassettes to CDs. In the process I was fortunate enough to watch older movies of 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's. Still I have missed aplenty of classics. I have watched mostly Kannada and Hindi movies. Tamil movies started with Roja, and Telugu and Malayalam much later. And English movies once the HBO and Star movies came into existence in India.
Even today I get butterflies in my tummy until I reach the theater. And I've very little respect for people who are late to movies. Having a partner who is equally fanatic about films helps too. He introduced me to few genres like war movies, which I would not have ventured into if left alone and animation. I frowned upon people who said they loved cartoon films. Now I absolutely love both these genres. Watching movies isn't time pass for me. It's a cult and I'm an ardent follower. In a month I would watch at least 10 films and there are still so many thousands out there. As crazy as it may sound to others, this desire to see more motivates me. This obsession only a movie buff will understand.
Music: Who doesn't like music? Everybody does, right? So is in my world. I'm a music lover as long as I can remember. I was a great singer too according to me until sense prevailed. And good music was always appreciated at home, probably that is the reason we siblings have such a penchant for it. We were partners-in-crime in recording our favourite songs in audio cassettes. There was always music blasting from our home since the time immemorial. We weren't reprimanded by our parents to playing non-devotional songs early in the morning like my friends'.
Music evolves with time so my taste in them. Initially it was Indian filmi songs, folk, and light poetry. As I said earlier it was pre-google era and we couldn't get our hand on everything in a jiffy. Good songs are suggested and shared by friends and foes alike. Western songs became a rage with MTV India. I didn't grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bryan Adams, or AC/DC. They all came much later in life and when they did I lapped up to everybody like a true music lover. Needless to say one of the many things that draw to Hubby is his immense taste in music. It is he who nudged me to develop a liking for Sufi, Ghazals, and authentic classic. Till today we can sit and talk about music for ungodly hours.
Music is cathartic. It is like drug that keeps you always high and happy. People who think I'm an introvert haven't heard me talk about the word M. Like books and movies I need a daily dosage of music. I can't thank enough of the musicians and composers who created beautiful numbers that keeps billions of people happy and gay.
Film: Raazi
Directore: Meghna Gulzar
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shishir Sharma
Genre: Thriller
I have heard rave reviews about Raazi. When mother-in-law expressed her desire to watch the flick we decided to go ahead with it. Orion Mall's box office floor was jam-packed with people. I have never seen these many crowd before here. It almost gave the feeling of being in single theater. We would be disappointed if the tickets weren't booked online. The next to best thing is sitting and watching the upcoming movies, cast, and their release dates on screen. The best thing is obviously people watching.
In Nutshell: The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka's novel "Calling Sehmat", which is inspired by real events. Set during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, Raazi is a story of a young girl Sehmat whose father is a secret service agent for Indian government. He asks his daughter to carry on his legacy of being a spy when he learns he has lung tumor and a few days to live. He arranges her marriage to his friend, Pakistan's Brigadier Syed's son, Iqbal (Vicky Kaushal). Khalid Mir (Jaideep) trains Saimat to be a spy and she had to learn all the skills before the wedding, like code language, self defense, transmitting information, eavesdropping, and so on.
Sehmat comes to Pakistan as a coy bride and dutiful wife. She starts working and passes important information without being suspicious. She gets required help from other undercover Indian spies in her dangerous endeavors. She had to ruthlessly eliminate two members of her new family. By this time Pakistan government gets message that secret codes had been transmitted to India from Brigadier's residence.
Now Sehmat had to escape before she gets caught. Will she be rescued by fellow countrymen? Or will she die in Pakistan?
My Take: As it is based on true events chances are that Sehmat gets killed. The story is gripping, thrilling, and totally frantic. It is out and out Alia Bhatt's movie. The girl is super talented. When I thought she couldn't do a better job than Udta Punjab here she is playing Sehmat to a T. You feel her vulnerability, you sense her fear and dread, you heave a sigh of relief every time she manages to pull off a scary situation, and you cry with her breakdown. Vicky Kaushal is endearing as Iqbal. People who criticize him for his role, I have only a thing to say, "Please go watch Masaan and Raman Raghav 2.0 first". Then you maybe able to understand what a brilliant actor he is. In this movie he has few scenes and he downplayed without going overboard, mostly he let his eyes do the talking. Jaideep as Mir is wonderful. He is another bright actor and I hope this film gives him much adulation he rightfully deserves (for unknown he was in Gangs of Wasseypur and Vishwaroopam). Meghna Gulzar handled a rather controversial subject with utmost sensitivity without preaching or badgering us about patriotism. I genuinely believe every countrymen/women is patriotic. It is just that they don't have to wear it on their sleeve every single day.
The best thing I liked about Raazi is it takes no sides, that it shows humanity and ruthlessness exist in both the countries. Don't miss to watch it.
