New Delhi: A bunch of Hindi and regional films compete with one big-ticket Hollywood flick in theatres this week.
Raabta, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon and directed by Dinesh Vijan, is too much fantasy packed into one film, says Gulf News. The first half is as old as the hills while the second is a bit confusing. The amiable whirlwind romance and physical attraction are sweetly explored but it’s the entry of the proverbial villain, played by Jim Sarbh, as an eccentric, wealthy liquor baron, that knocks you out cold. The climax—which sees the lovers save the day—is unintentionally funny, but the last scene puts a smile on your face. All that drama also makes you wonder how an unhinged man is allowed to flourish without any fear of authorities. Raabta has all the right ingredients of a much seen Bollywood film—the abs, the legs, the looks, the songs, the locations, a solo dance and the reincarnation story, says masala.com. For most of us, who have marvelled at the likes of reincarnation films such as Karz, Om Shanti Om, Madhumati, Mahal, Neel Kamal, Kudrat and Karan Arjun, and have laughed off Mirzya and Love Story 2050, Raabta comes somewhere in the middle. It tries to toe the line by not shrugging off reincarnation totally. This one’s a Sushant Singh film all the way and all those who like him will find it endearing and fun. For the rest, it is a chance you might want to take.
What romantic comedy Behen Hogi Teri, starring Rajkummar Rao and Shruti Haasan and directed by Ajay K. Pannalal, gets right is the idea of how rakhi and the concept of sisterhood is a terrible manipulation for young people unrelated to one another, says Firstpost. It also captures many subtleties of non-metro India and the preoccupations of local communities. Other pluses are a clever title, good production design and costumes, some finely edited scenes and yet another earnest performance by Rajkummar Rao. But the introduction of subplots is a diversion that makes you restless.
The Times Of India is less impressed. The writing shows potential, it says. Had the writers taken a dig at patriarchy and given the female characters some spunk, this film would have been hilarious. The only reason to smile is Rajkummar Rao. The movie is packed with performers of various calibers, but Rao—the only reason to even attempt this—is better than everyone and their brother.
For Hollywood fans, action horror film The Mummy, directed by Alex Kurtzman and starring Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella and Annabelle Wallis, comes to India this week. The film doesn’t so much bend to the auteuristic preoccupations of its lead star as fold them into its own dispiriting franchise game plan, says A.V Club. Though occasionally enlivened by Cruise’s willingness to endure a non-stop gauntlet of humiliation, this is a modern blockbuster in many of the worst ways; it’s noisy but rarely exciting, heavy on whizzing and whirling special effects but light on wonder.
The Guardian calls it a poorly bandaged corpse reviver, framed as more of a superhero origin movie than ancient curse mystery in which a messy plot unravels fast. In the end, having encouraged us to cheer for Tom Cruise as an all-around hero, the film tries to have it both ways and confer upon him some of the sepulchral glamour of evil, and he almost has something Lestat-ish or vampiric about him. Yet the film really won’t make up its mind.
Tamil crime drama Rangoon, starring Gautham Karthik and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, benefits from an interesting plot and Karthik’s performance, says pressks.com. The background music is a plus too.
Several releases this week haven’t inspired any reviews yet. These include Shabana Azmi-starrer The Wishing Tree, Tamil action drama Sathriyan, Telugu films Ami Thumi and Aarudugula Bullet, Kannada romantic film Noorondu Nenapu, Marathi movie Itemgiri and Gujarati film Band Baaja Babuchak.
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