Laal Kaptaan
Director: Navdeep Singh
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Zoya Hussain and Simone Singh
In the last few years, Saif Ali Khan has tried to alter his thinking when it comes to his picking his projects. The actor does not believe in playing it ‘safe’ anymore and instead looks for roles that satisfy his cravings to experiment as an artist. His last few projects like Sacred Games and Kaalakaandi proved the same. Now, with Laal Kaptaan, the actor is seen as a Naga Sadhu who’s sole mission is to avenge his father’s death. This Bollywood movie is set in the eighteenth-century India which sure was not a nice place to be with the Marathas, British and Mughals constantly at war to secure power.
Laal Kaptaan is a revenge saga in which Gosain (Saif Ali Khan) is shown to be chasing the cruel overlord Rehmat Khan (Manav Vij) for years for reasons revealed just in time for the closing credits. The film suffers of constant repetition which results in the viewer loosing interest over time in the plot.
Laal Kaptaan has special appearances by Sonakshi Sinha (as a nautch girl) and Neeraj Kabi (in the role of a rebel warrior) as well as strong performances from Manav Vij, Zoya Hussain and Simone Singh. The biggest plus however in the film is Saif Ali Khan. He completely immerses himself into his character. The actor sports an elaborate makeup, complete with kohl-lined eyes giving him a completely new avatar. However, Saif’s heroics alone are not enough to save the Bollywood movie.
P Se Pyaar F Se Faraar
Director: Manoj Tiwari
Cast: Bhavesh Kumar, Jyoti Yadav, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sanjay Mishra, Girish Kulkarni, Zakir Hussain, Akhilendra Mishra and Kumud Mishra.
Time and again we’ve seen stories in Bollywood movies that showcase the struggles of a couple due to different cultural, social or economical backgrounds. P Se Pyaar F Se Faraar is another film with a similar story. Suraj Maali (Bhavesh Kumar) is a shy and reserved man belonging from the lower strata of the society. Janvi Singh (Jyoti Yadav) on the other hand, is a split and bratty woman who comes from a powerful political family. The two are aware that society will not accept their love and are shown to run away from their homes which also comes with its own set of struggles. P Se Pyaar F Se Faraar is more than just your usual love story as the film tries to bring in many social issues that exist in our society to light. The Bolllywood movie does not aim for subtlety as it straightaway jumps into issues like caste discrimination and honour killings.
However, it tries to do too much and that is where it suffers. For example, it throws in the issue of politics in Indian sports out of nowhere and the plot doesn’t seem to derive at any conclusion. The roles of Sanjay Mishra and Brijendra Kala, two seriously talented actors, seem to be thrown into the plot without any purpose. The one positive about the Bollywood movie is the acting. Lead pair and debutants Bhavesh Kumar and Jyoti Yadav render honest performances and do a decent job in showcasing the irrationality you’d expect from two 17 year olds in love. Jimmy Shergill is impressive as usual with his role of the supporting uncle for the couple. Even though the runtime of 131 minutes is not too long by today’s standards, it does feel stretched in certain sequences. While the film does have its heart at the right place, it tries to do many things thus failing to connect with the audience on even a single subject well.
Ghost
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Cast: Sanaya Irani and Shivam Bhaargava
In the past, Vikram Bhatt has directed various successful horror films. So, when news broke that he’ll be returning to the genre with Ghost, people were naturally excited. However, looks like the Bollywood movie has not come through on the expectations. Ghost is about Karan Khanna (Shivam Bhaargava), a politician based in London. He is accused of murdering his wife but he pleads innocent and claims that she was killed by a ghost. Simran Singh (Sanaya Irani) decides to fight the case for Karan and soon love blossoms between them.
During the course of the investigation, the two discover some shocking facts and that forms the crux of the film. Even though the film is named Ghost, there aren’t many scary scenes in it which is obviously a disappointment. Sanaya Irani delivers an excellent performance and looks gorgeous in ever frame. However, the Bollywood movie is nothing more than an average horror flick.
Yaaram
Director: Ovais Khan
Cast: Prateik Babbar, Siddhanth Kapoor and Ishita Raj Sharma
The charismatic Rohit Bajaj (Prateik Babbar) is forced to undergo an arranged marriage under the pressure of parents. He finds happiness in the relation and is later shown to head to Mauritius to meet his college buddies Sahil (Siddhanth Kapoor) and Zoya (Ishita Raj Sharma). The two were married but in a moment of rage end up getting separated by using the practise of Halala i.e the words Talaq, Talaq, Talaq. While the two come to regret the decision, the law states that a woman is forbidden to remarry her husband unless she marries another man and divorces him before. Although taken aback by Sahil’s request, Rohit decides to become that man.
The constant use of flashbacks in the movie seem forced and slow down the pace of the Bollywood movie. The biggest problem however is that the storyline is simply too predictable and the characters lack depth.
Source: https://www.filmfare.com/features/bollywood-movies-you-can-watch-this-weekend-36859-1.html