Director: Vibhu Puri
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Sharda
In
1895, eight years before Wright Brothers achieved manned flight in
America, a Maharashtrian self-taught scientist named Shivkar Bapuji
Talpade achieved unmanned flight in Mumbai. He couldn't continue his
research further due to financial constraints and died an unsung hero in
the field of aeronautics. Hawaizaada is a highly fictionalised,
romanticised version of the events. Instead of making a proper biopic,
the director has erred towards making a musical.
The
songs, most of them unnecessary, add to the film's length. It doesn't
help matters that theatrics and melodrama were chosen over subtlety. The
most overused trope in the Hindi film history -- that of the golden
hearted hero falling for the chaste courtesan has been employed to bring
out the romance. The focus should have been on the protagonist's
maverick personality. But we don't get to see a man obsessed with a
dream, only his pale shadow.
Ayushmann gamely tries to rise
above the constraints and carry the story on his shoulders but is let
down by the erratic storyline. Mithun Chakraborty, as the genius who
takes Ayushmann under his wing holds the film together. His eyes convey
that inspired glint of madness and conviction that was so necessary for
the film. What an effortless actor he is and so criminally underused
nowadays.
The production design and the use of technology to
recreate old Mumbai are the pluses of the film. India has always been a
land of dreamers and more films should be made about them. The point of
such films is that they should inspire you to dream big but Hawaizaada
in its present form doesn’t inspire dreams, only ennui…
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Pulkit Samrat, Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma
Director: Abhishek Dogra
There’s
something irresistibly endearing about a fresh concept in a film. When
you see something new being played out in an original manner you are
bound to like it. Dolly Ki Doli is a story unlike any we’ve seen before.
A young woman swindles wealthy men and their families by marrying them
and scooting off with the loot on the suhaagraat. It’s a fun ride. But
on the flipside, it is extremely predictable. Once you get the hang of
the story, you can safely foretell how the rest would play out. It’s
well-made though and extremely likeable. There’s more of the Sonam
Kapoor we saw in Khoobsurat. And that’s a guarantee for popcorn
entertainment.
So the story deals with Sonam Kapoor playing
Dolly and cajoling a young jat played by Rajkummar Rao. Before you know
it, she’s taken off with the loot and a montage shows us she’s easily
capable of doing it to men and families from different religions and
castes with consummate ease. But, the life of crime catches up to her.
Thanks to the efforts of a cheeky character named Robin Singh, who’s a
police inspector with a moustache and a disposition that’s all too
similar to Chulbul ‘RobinHood’ Pandey from Dabangg. The first half
introduces you to the characters and that’s the most fun part. Bit roles
by the likes of Rajesh Sharma and Archana Puran Singh really stand out
and help the story motor along. There are situations and dialogue that
are genuinely hilarious. The introduction of Varun Sharma’s character
really livens things up. A well-written and more importantly
well-thought out comedy is a rarity in Hindi cinema. Dolly Ki Doli does
well on that count.
But things do go South in the second
half. Not that story takes a dramatic turn or that the screenplay veers
into clichés. But the soft climax is very predictable and almost
anti-climactic. What saves the day really is the acting. Sonam Kapoor in
more ways than one, is playing a character that’s almost like an
extension of the one in Khoobsurat. Dolly is bright, bubbly, full of
ideas and she’s got abundant charisma. Sonam fits in like a Dior
creation on a red carpet. She was tailor made for this role. Same goes
for Pulkit Samrat. In his performance of a good cop he’s channels the
kind of energy you’d usually associate with Salman Khan. While he’s not
as Dabangg as his mentor, he’s certainly adept at handling charm and
dramatic depth. Varun Sharma in a typical casting of an idiot is good.
Again, he’s building up to what he did good in Fukrey. Rajkummar Rao, in
a limited role, shows you why he’s the actor to reckon with. It boils
down to something as small as getting the jat accent right to
perfection. Rajkummar is really in a groove right now.
Decent
writing, good performances and an overall well-made film. There’s
nothing to complain about the camera work or pacing of the film. But the
one area where the movie suffers the most is its music. There are two
popular tracks Fashion Khatam Mujhpe and Babaji ka thullu. But none of
the songs really stay with you beyond a few minutes. Director Abhishek
Dogra had all the right ideas. He executes most of them pretty well too.
As far as popcorn entertainment goes, it’s only about the feel-good
quality. And on that note, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Dolly
Ki Doli.
