Drishyam 2

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Often sequels disappoint when compared to the original, but Drishyam 2 is one of the rare exceptions to the rule. In another departure (as sequels can have only a tenuous connection to the original), the film continues the events depicted in Drishyam, where Georgekutty was under suspicion for the disappearance of the local IGA’s son. Each piece of the puzzle is meticulously crafted to seamlessly follow on a few years from where we left the family and the police investigation. The twists and turns are excellent, and the story is put together with a good blend of emotion and character development underlying the plot. There is a core of logic that ensures everything that happens is indeed possible, even if not probable, and it does all make sense. This is smart filmmaking and with such an excellent cast reprising their roles, Drishyam 2 is a sequel not to miss.

The past 6 years have not been kind to Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his wife Rani (Meena) despite growing his business and opening a movie theatre. While initially the townspeople were supportive, there is developing resentment of Georgekutty’s financial success. Rani has been affected by the police investigation and is constantly fearful, asking a neighbour to stay with her when Georgekutty is away from home overnight and always seeming to watch over her shoulder. Their eldest daughter Anju (Ansiba Hassan) suffers from PTSD and epilepsy after the events of Drishyam, although younger daughter Anu (Esther Anil) is happily getting on with her life. Georgekutty has worked to develop his business while also working on writing and producing a film with screenwriter Vinayachandran (Saikumar). But despite his outward success, the police haven’t given up on the case of the missing, presumed murdered Varun, and IGP Thomas Bastin (Murali Gopy) is continuing investigations quietly in the background. This leaves Georgekutty anxious and vigilant even though he tries to carry on life as usual.

The film plays heavily on emotions when Varun’s father Prabhakar (Siddique) approaches Georgekutty and pleads for the body of his son, so that they can bury him and have closure. Naturally Georgekutty denies that he knows where Varun’s body can be found, but the scene is so well written that it seems possible that Georgekutty will crack and reveal what happened on the night Varun disappeared. Also notable is the subterfuge around the family where neighbours aren’t quite what they appear and even Anu’s college friends are secretly reporting back to police. Suddenly Georgekutty’s paranoia about discussing anything to do with the case is shown to be a wise move as a possible witness comes forward and the police pull the family back in for questioning.

What works well with this sequel is that it fits seamlessly into the narrative from the first film. Neighbours and friends who were initially backing Georgekutty and his family after the brutal interrogation of Anju and Anu are now sure that the family is guilty, and that Varun was innocent. In the local café, although owner Sulaiman (Kozhikode Narayanan Nair) is convinced of his innocence, the local auto drivers discuss rumours of murder openly and are convinced that Georgekutty is guilty. While Georgekutty’s success as a businessman seems to be behind some of their enmity, for many it simply appears that there is no other explanation for Varun’s disappearance, so the family must be guilty.

The story develops slowly, with most of the focus on the fear and guilt suffered by Rani and Anju. Despite no guilty verdict ever having been reached, the family is punished every day for Varun’s disappearance. Anju’s inability to cope with the outside world, Rani’s continuing fear and even Georgekutty’s paranoia have trapped the family in a cycle of anxiety and uncertainty which seems more profound than the distress suffered by Geetha (Asha Sarath) and Prabhakar. In contrast, the police investigation this time seems more targeted and less emotional, and although IGP Bastin is a friend of Geetha he brings a methodical and reasoned approach to the inquiry. As the tension mounts, Georgekutty has to defend his family once more as the evidence piles up against them.

Mohanlal is the standout performer here with the entire film hinging on his ability to deceive everyone and come up with a plan time and time again. He’s calm with the family, but Mohanlal ensures that his eyes show just how much stress Georgekutty is suffering and at times how trapped he feels. It’s a well nuanced performance that brings together bravado, intelligence and fear as the key elements defining Gerogekutty’s continued attempts to deceive everyone, including his own family. While the narrative may be of a man driven to extremes to defend his family, there also appears to be an underlying satisfaction with being able to outwit the rest of the community. The complex characterisation of Georgekutty is perfect, and Mohanlal pulls it off effortlessly in every scene. Meena too is excellent and shows her fear, anxiety and confusion with her hunched shoulders and dropped eyes as well as with her dialogue and expressions. I loved how well her relationship is developed with her next-door neighbour Saritha (Anjali Nair), particularly in how she stands up to Saritha’s abusive husband Sabu (Sumesh Chandran). I enjoyed the contrast between how she can stand up for Saritha but seems unable to show the same courage in her own life, presumably because the years of uncertainty are weighing her down. 

The slow build-up has a terrific pay off and the climax is as convoluted as any aficionado of detective fiction could want. Even if the events seem almost too impossible, there is still the slight chance that they could indeed have occurred. This is a film that cleverly tells a story but which also manages to explore emotions and delve into the consequences of getting away with murder. Well worth the 8 year wait, don’t miss this chance to catch up with Georgekutty and his family. 4 ½ stars.

Pushpa: The Rise

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Although Sukumar’s recent films haven’t inspired me too much, he was responsible for my favourite Telugu movie Arya 2 which also stars my favourite Telugu actor Allu Arjun. So, the prospect of the two working together again in Pushpa was a real draw, even though the film has an almost 3 hour run time.  And although there are shades of KGF (mostly because the story follows the rise of a gangster), I really enjoyed the film. The fight scenes are stylish and despite the curly mophead look, Allu Arjun dominates the screen in every scene. It’s not going to topple Arya 2 as my favourite Bunny film, but it’s good enough that I’m eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Pushpa’s story.

The film is narrated by Kesava (Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari), a teaseller who decides to follow Pushpa (Allu Arjun) as he recognises early on that Pushpa is destined for greatness. Initially this doesn’t seem all that likely since Pushpa mainly stands out for his arrogance and belligerence. However, these are good traits for a wannabe gangster and having decided to pursue 1000 rupee work (illegal) rather than 100 rupee work (legal), Pushpa’s life of crime begins. A convoluted animated back story over the opening credits explains that red sandalwood only grows in the Seshachalam forest in Rayaleseema, making it highly desirable and a key target for smugglers. This is the work that Pushpa finds, labouring to cut and carry the trees down out of the forest. The Reddy brothers, Konda (Ajay Ghosh), Jaali (Dhananjaya) and Jakka (Shanmukh) run the smuggling operation, selling the wood on to the head of the smuggling syndicate, Mangalam Srinu (Sunil).

Pushpa quickly makes a name for himself by coming up with novel ways to hide the smuggled wood from the eyes of DSP Govindappa (Shatru). The success of the smugglers does require some suspension of disbelief, but the battle between Govindappa and Pushpa leads to some excellent fight and action sequences, mostly shown in slow motion, which allows for a true appreciation of the choreography. Lakshman Chella, Ram Chella and Peter Hein have come up with some amazing stunts and fight sequences that allow Bunny to showcase his fighting chops while the sheer physicality of the moves is impressive.

Pushpa takes it up a notch when he takes on Mangalam Srinu, his vengeful wife Draccha (Anasuya) and her violent brother Mogilesu (Raj Tirandasu) who is Mangalam’s head enforcer. Sunil does a good job here as the head of the smuggling syndicate, and there is excellent tension between Pushpa and Mangalam which spills out into the syndicate later in the film. It took me a minute or two to recognise Sunil as I’m so used to him playing the comedy track, but he is just as good playing a nasty and corrupt smuggler as with any of his previous comedy roles. The rest of the syndicate, with the exception of local MP Bhumireddy Siddappa Naidu (Rao Ramesh), are mainly faceless thugs who have little say in the proceedings and there is nothing new or different in the various struggles to win control. The Reddy brothers are fleshed out more, but essentially most of the villains are two-dimensional and mostly just a temporary roadblock on the path to Pushpa’s future prosperity.

While the story is familiar, the success of the film lies in the characterisation of Pushpa, and in this Allu Arjun is simply brilliant. The character is a departure from his previous stylish roles, and he uses a number of ticks and habits to illustrate a poor man who has not had an easy life. Bunny is always good in action roles, and with less romancing, and shockingly, also less dancing, he really impresses with his total commitment to each aspect of the character. As a child Pushpa was shamed for being the illegitimate son of a rich family in the village and develops a raised left shoulder, which is used to excellent effect in the song Srivalli. Only Allu Arjun could carry this off with such style!

Bunny keeps all these ticks and character traits throughout the film, making them all essential parts of the role, just as much as his long curly hair, overgrown beard and growling speech. It’s an excellent performance that really brings Pushpa to life and ensures investment and belief in his story. Hopefully in part 2 we will get to learn just why his half-brother Molleti Mohan (Cinemachaat favourite Ajay) is so determined to ostracise him from his father’s family, but whatever the reason, the lack of family support is effective in understanding why Pushpa pursues a criminal career.

There is a romance track, but although Rashmika Mandanna is as charming as always, she has very little to do and her character Srivalli is kept one-dimensional and out of most of the action in the film. Her introduction seems to suggest she will have the confidence and resolve to balance Pushpa’s dominant personality, but Srivalli quickly fades into the background and, like many Telugu heroines, becomes a reason for Pushpa to demonstrate his fighting prowess rather than being able to deal with the situation herself. Still, Rashmika makes the most of what she is given and is good at conveying her emotions even with the minimal time she has onscreen.

Although there is less dancing from Bunny, the ‘item number’ with Samantha is excellent and I really enjoyed her performance. The lyrics, sensuality of Samantha’s dance moves and the baying crowd of men all make a statement about the male gaze and I have to congratulate Sukumar for taking this step, even though I suspect the hypocrisy will have passed by the target audience. Impressively, Allu Arjun keeps his left shoulder elevated throughout the dance sequences, which ensures that even in the songs, Pushpa’s character is maintained. Overall the soundtrack by Devi Sri Prasad is really good and the songs are well placed throughout the film, but the choreography is a little disappointing. Perhaps I expect more because it’s a Bunny film, but apart from the quirky moves in Srivalli, I thought the rest was rather routine.

One of the most frustrating things about the film is the terrible subtitles, which right at the beginning describe a Japanese shamisen as a violin and it goes downhill from there. I know I shouldn’t complain, because watching Telugu films with subtitles is still a novelty, but when so much money has gone into the production, it is incredibly frustrating that the same care and attention to detail wasn’t given to subtitling. Below are just some examples, and please Sukumar and other Telugu film makers, I’d be happy to review the spelling and grammar just to avoid the frustration of being taken out of the story due to mistakes like these!

Pushpa succeeds as an action film, but also works as a character film even if it’s only the lead character who is fully developed on screen. The mix of action, dialogue and to some extent suspense ensures that the long run time isn’t an issue and it’s almost a shock when the film ends. The rise of Pushpa is well worth watching and hopefully the next installment is just as good. 4 stars.

Atrangi Re

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So far I haven’t been a huge fan of Aanand L. Rai’s films but Dhanush is a big draw card (and Raanjhaana wasn’t completely awful), so I thought I’d try Atrangi Re. But again, I’m left thinking that there is too much that is problematic for me to really enjoy the film. There is a lot that works well, but sadly, there is a lot more that doesn’t. The good is the music, most of the first half and Dhanush, who really is excellent despite playing a rather shady character. The film also looks great and it’s a shame I couldn’t see it on the big screen since the sets and the staging are amazing. But the bad unfortunately hits around the end of the first half, and from then on, it’s frustrating to watch some good ideas smothered under the weight of poor portrayal. Be warned that there are spoilers here as it’s difficult to discuss the problems without revealing the twist in the film, so if you don’t want to know the major twist, skip past the pictures of kittens when we get to that part!

The film starts with Rinku (Sara Ali Khan) running from her abusive family to elope with her Muslim boyfriend, whose name she steadfastly refuses to reveal. The family catch her at the train station where Vishu (Dhanush) and his friend MS (Ashish Verma) have arrived for a medical camp and they see the drama unfold. To solve the problem of Rinku continually trying to elope, her grandmother Rajjo (Seema Biswas) decrees that the family must kidnap a groom so that they can get rid Rinku and all the trouble she causes. But the family mistakenly kidnap Vishu who is supposed to be getting engaged himself to the daughter of his College Dean in just a few days. After being drugged though the wedding, Rinku’s family put the newlyweds on the train to Delhi, where Vishu is studying to be a surgeon. Luckily for Rinku, she finds out about Vishu’s upcoming engagement which give her the perfect opportunity to leave him for her Sajjad (Akshay Kumar), the long standing fiancé whose name she reveals to Vishu.

So far so good and the confusions and potential love triangle are (mostly) dealt with well. Dhanush is excellent as the earnest and slightly nerdy doctor, but Sara Ali Khan’s Rinku comes across as more forced and manic rather than someone desperate to escape an intolerable situation. But once in Delhi, the true situation is revealed and that’s where the film slides off the rails. 

Despite having a fiancée at home in Chennai, Vishnu seems to fall instantly in love with Rinku even though there is no real reason for him to do so. Vishu knows about Sajjid immediately after the forced marriage as Rinku immediately tells him about her fiancé while Vishu seems to be happy with his fiancée Mandy (Dimple Hayathi) given his many attempts to call her while in Bihar. At the very least, as a Tamilian she is at least able to speak the same language. On that point, I do like listening to Dhanush speak Hindi which he enunciates clearly meaning that I can actually understand what he says for the most part. My Hindi is pretty limited so it’s always extra enjoyable when I can understand the dialogue without subtitles. 

This instant love affair is annoyingly unrealistic but even more problematic is that once Vishnu finds out more about Rinku, he manipulates her into staying with him. His love for her apparently means it is OK to lie at every turn to make sure that she stays with him. It’s frustrating that the original sweet, slightly geeky doctor becomes a rather creepy, obsessive stalker, although Dhanush at least is convincing in the role. We get happy, awkward happy dancing Dhanush (my favourite), emotional Dhanush declaring his love and practical and resourceful Dhanush capably manipulating the situation in his favour. The performance is perfect, but the character of Vishu is so fundamentally flawed that it’s difficult to accept that he does actually love Rinku.

Skip past the cute kittens if you want to avoid the more major spoilers. Less spoilery review resumes after the second set of kittens.

What really annoys me with this film is the terrible way Vishu and particularly MS treat Rinku despite knowing she has a mental illness. One which is so extreme that she is hallucinating and convinced that what she sees and hears is real. Bollywood has rarely treated mental illness well, but the jokes at Rinku’s expense and the farcical way she is treated is the worst I have seen for a while. Both Vishu and MS are doctors (albeit students) and should know better, but so much of what they do is simply wrong and made me really mad!

I can cope with Akshay Kumar being Rinku’s love interest since once we know exactly who he is, it makes sense of much of Rinku’s earlier behaviour and the way she treats Sajjad. I also like that in the flashback sequences Akshay is made to look young and happy, while in the sequences with Rinku he looks old and tired. I don’t find this relationship as problematic as Vishu’s with Rinku, because here Rinku is in the driver’s seat. It’s her hallucination, her psychosis, and the reason she thinks of Sajjad as her fiancé is because she needs him to be her hero. And right now, the person she needs to take her away from her family is a husband, so naturally that is how she thinks of him. Here, where Sara Ali Khan could legitimately get away with manic behaviour, she dials it back but still seems to force much of her performance. Her character is such a mass of contradictions, that I blame much of her issues on the writing and direction. She is better when she plays the second role of her mother, but these are ‘blink-and-you-miss-it’ moments that don’t make much of an impression. Between Sara Ali Khan’s over-acting and Dhanush’s manipulative character, by the end of the film I really had had enough of this irritating couple!

End of major spoilers

A.R. Rahman’s soundtrack is a real plus for the film and I really enjoyed the songs. I also found the interplay between Dhanush and Akshay funny with some good comedy in the various looks and side glances between the main characters. Perhaps it’s because he’s not in the film all that much, but I found Akshay much less irritating than usual, although the OTT touches with the tricks and performances did wear thin very quickly. How come no-one’s hero is ever a car mechanic or something more normal in these films?  But by far and away the main reason to watch Atrangi Re is Dhanush. Despite playing a selfish and inconsiderate character, he is as charming as ever and ensures we are invested in his story. I just wish it had been more sensible! 3 stars (all for Dhanush!)