Through A Lens

One of the perks of streaming is the freedom of choice – nobody but you decide what you will watch. There are some who would want to watch a new movie or show every time and give everything a try. And then there are people like me – who would re-watch their favorite titles countless … Continue reading The Best Friend

Badla is almost entirely a scene-by-scene remake of the 2017 Spanish thriller The Invisible Guest, aside from the swapped gender of the principal characters. There is a reason as to why director Sujoy Ghosh chose to make that minor change, but it does not have much bearing on the plot besides a few metaphorical references … Continue reading Badla: “The answer lies in the details…”, something the makers should’ve thought of!

Set amid the national emergency of 1975, Sonchiriya is a tale of rebels led by Maan Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) as their fates take a turn for the worse when righteous cop Virender Singh Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) makes it his personal agenda to wipe them out of the lawless Chambal valley. The gang, comprising of Lakhna … Continue reading Sonchiriya: Dark, daring, devastating, and disturbing – this Abhishek Choubey film is quite an experience!

This is one film where from the word go, you know that this ghetto guy will make it big by the time the 155 minutes of run-time play out. And yet, I went through a gamut of emotions watching the sheer brilliance of Zoya’s intricately spun and brilliantly executed narrative. It’s not just Murad (Ranveer … Continue reading Gully Boy: This jaw-dropping revelation of Indian street rap has a predictable central nerve, but the brilliance lies in Zoya Akhtar’s masterful storytelling and powerhouse performances.

ELKDTAL opens at a typical big-fat Punjabi wedding function alongside a pool, in Delhi, with A reworked version of the song “Gud Naal Ishq Mitha” - quintessentially cliched yet fun to watch. As the film progresses, it moves in the complete opposite direction from its main idea, as prospective grooms are being chosen for Sweety … Continue reading Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga: Sonam Kapoor’s film is an ambitious fight for homosexuality, but it simply isn’t armed enough!

Right from the word go, Manikarnika is established as a hero - she is brave, fierce, righteous and also a savage girl for her time. She shuts down a sexist remark by Tatya Tope with, “kanyayein kaise kalaaiyan ghumaati hain, main dikhaati hoon”, and beats three men including Tope himself at fencing. Amidst all of … Continue reading Manikarnika: The legend of the bravest woman in Indian history is deliberately oversimplified and caricatured, resulting in a half-hearted attempt to kindle patriotism.

It was not very long ago, when in 2016, 19 unarmed soldiers of the Indian Army were brutally murdered in their sleep by a terrorist group believed to be of Pak origin. The deadliest attacks on the armed forces in Kashmir in two decades shook up the entire nation, and this time, India responded. And … Continue reading Uri – The Surgical Strike: A well performed, gripping war-drama with little respect for reality.

As a child, my first experience of pure magic on a 21” colour television was Mary Poppins, way before Harry Potter crept into my life. And the very announcement of a sequel, 54 years after the original, made my heart melt. It was right at that moment that I decided to watch it on the … Continue reading Mary Poppins Returns: A heartfelt ode to the 1954-musical, made with utmost honesty and sincerity. It is sweet and touching, but it’s hard to stay invested in this crash course on moral upliftment!

Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton