Artists: Anveshi Jain, Flora Saini, Aman Maheshwari, Rahul Jaittly, Kamla Devi Voice Over: Piyush Mishra Head Of Operation: Ravi D. Sharma Executive Producer: Shashwat Jain Production Controller: Dilshad Ali Khan Production Manager: Sudhanshu Sinha Chef Asst. : Rahul B. Kadu Asst. Director: Pankaj Kansara, Sweta Suresh Magre Creative Head: Priyanka Jain Asst. Creative: Nihira Priya Sound Recordist: Shankar Sawant, Boom Man, Pramod 2nd DOP: Anand B. Kamble Focus Puller: Sumit I. Vishwakarma 1st Asst. DOP : Hasib Samir Tamboli 2nd Asst. DOP: Syed Abbas Haider Rizvi Asst. Art Director : Pramod P. Kalekar Makeup Artist: Vidya Shankar Singh & Tina Hair Stylist : Manjula B. Jamalpur & Smita Editar : Afzal Shaikh, Mithilesh Singh
Season 2. No. Neeta (Anveshi Jain) is shocked to learn about her husband Vaibhav's (Aman Maheshwari) affair with Sajeeli (Flora Saini). Her life takes a turn when Sajeeli makes an impossible demand for Vaibhav.
STORY:Based on S. Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges’ hard-hitting book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai,’ ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ chronicles Ganga’s rise to power and fame from a demure small-town girl in Gujarat to the undisputed queen of Kamathipura in Mumbai.
REVIEW:
Women invitingly standing at the doorstep of a kotha (brothel) in the bustling bylanes of south Mumbai’s infamous red-light area Kamathipura, is a scene that is real, tragic, and dramatic. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, set entirely against this gritty backdrop of Mumbai tells the story of many a young women, who were sold off to brothels for a few hundred, solely through the eyes of its protagonist Gangubai (Alia Bhatt).
It’s sometime in the early 1950s or 1960s when a starry-eyed and naïve Ganga is conned by her own lover Ramnik (Varun Kapoor) to elope with a promise that he will pave the path for her to make it as a heroine in Bollywood. What turns out and the truth as we all know is that that Ganga (who rechristens herself as Gangu, and eventually Gangubai), ends up being the heroine of Kamathipura instead. Over the years, Kamathipura becomes her home, the brothel girls her family, and all of Kamathipura her domain. But her journey is fraught with challenges, opponents, and a social stigma that brings out the fighter within her.
The beauty of the film lies in how it shows Gangu’s character transform through various stages in her life. The narrative takes time to build up, even slowing down along the way, but not without leaving an impact through fiery dialogues and powerful moments.
It’s an Alia Bhatt show all the way, as she slips into the role of the boss-lady in a world full of brothels and lustful men. It might take a while to feel comfortable with the idea of Alia playing this part, but by the end of it, you find yourself rooting for her - especially when you watch her dish-out dialogues with supreme confidence, audacity, and a killer instinct.
Ajay Devgan, even in a brief role as Rahim Lala, leaves a solid impact. The rest of the supporting cast like Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, and Jim Sarbh put their best foot forward but don’t have much room to shine. Shantanu Maheshwari as Gangu’s love interest puts out a fine performance, and the bitter-sweet moments between Gangu and him are among the more memorable parts of the film.
Bhansali drives his narrative much like the book with each challenge and episode moving like a chapter. While there is a lot packed into the film - like how Gangu turns into an activist for the women in Kamathipura, her liaison with the city’s underbelly, and her political aspirations — we are still left craving to know more about the rest of her life and how it all unfolded. There are some beautifully crafted, heartbreaking moments in Bhansali’s signature style - with a lot of finesse and flair - however, the narrative does not delve deep into any one aspect of Gangu’s life. The production value is top-notch. Each song is masterfully and colorfully picturized - even while Gangu stands like a vision in white in the midst of it all. But none of the songs, other than Dholida, are too memorable.
Like every other Bhansali film, this one, too, is a visual delight. While the camera captures the dark alleys of Mumbai’s red-light area, it does so with extravagance and ample gloss. Yes, the story brings to the fore some poignant truths about our society, and the lives of sex workers and raises some hard-hitting and pertinent questions, but there is plenty about her life that remains untold. The plot holds on to some hugely dramatic scenes and clap-worthy dialogues, which keep you engaged, in a film that feels too long for it’s run-time. Yet, when you leave the theatre, the larger-than-life world recreated with Bhansali's vision lingers on your mind and the mystery surrounding Gangubai's eventful life piques your interest even more.
So, if you’re seeking a real peek into Gangubai’s life, also known as Mumbai’s Mafia Queen, then you will be left yearning for more. But even with whatever is packed into this drama, there are enough moments that will draw you into this world where nights seem endless and the lights never fade.
Khufiya story:A RAW operative is assigned the critical case of exposing a mole in the agency who causes the murder of an asset. To avenge the death, the agent sets up elaborate surveillance on the suspect while juggling her dual identity as a spy and a lover.
Khufiya review:
Writer-director Vishal Bharadwaj is a master storyteller whose flex is serving gripping and edgy tales. And he doesn’t let down in his latest offering, loosely based on Amar Bhushan’s 2012 novel Escape to Nowhere. The fictional story is set in the early 2000s, shortly after the Kargil War, and has all the ingredients of a spy thriller. A poetic opening seamlessly makes way for a riveting narrative about Krishna Mehra, aka KM (Tabu), who is on a mission to bring to book a traitor agent, Ravi (Ali Fazal), who is responsible for her asset’s death in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The novel is written by the ex-chief of the Counter Espionage Unit of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), and the movie translates the world of espionage on the screen with authenticity, from decoding messages, relaying secret information, bugging offices and homes, to double-crossing agents and more.
Spies have always made for intriguing characters, and here, too, Bharadwaj includes many such steely operatives that will keep you on the edge. The team that's led by the KM or her boss, Jeev (Ashish Vidyarthi), is as humane as hard-hearted. While Jeev says, “Humaare jism mein dimaag dhadakta hai, dil nahin,” they go to any lengths to prevent their mission from being jeopardized.
Besides the thrill of the elaborate net laid to nab the culprit, the layered narrative also reveals what secrets can do to the spies’ personal lives. Throughout its runtime of 2 hours and 37 minutes, the movie stays its course without too many distractions. However, in the latter half, it loses grip intermittently.
Another highlight is the film’s music. With poet and lyricist Gulzar, Bharadwaj creates magic again, whether with the melancholic Mat Aana rendered by Rekha Bharadwaj or the energetic and folksy Mann na rangaav by Rahul Ram.
Tabu is remarkable in her portrayal of a sharp spy, a lover, and a woman torn between her ruthless job and family life. Atul Kulkarni has a brief but powerful role as her ex-husband. Ali Fazal is in top form as an overindulgent traitor whose life unravels later. Wamiqa Gabbi shines as a loving and dutiful but sassy wife and a mother who takes on a perilous journey to get her son back. Bangladeshi actress Azmeri Haque Badhon does well in her brief role.
The fictional take on a novel said to be inspired by true events tells an engaging spy story. But it’s also the heartbreaking portrayal of personal loss that will strike a chord with the viewer, as the interesting characters and events keep one hooked until the end.
Writers: Suryapal Singh. Sudipto Sen. Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Stars: Adah Sharma. Yogita Bihani. Sonia Balani.
The Kerala Story & Review
The Kerala Story (2023) I recently watched "The Kerala Story," The acting in "Kerala Story" is also top-notch, with every actor delivering a powerful and nuanced performance. The characters are richly drawn and complex; you can't help but be drawn into their world and struggles. What I love most about this movie is how it explores love, loss, and redemption themes with such sensitivity and depth. It is a profoundly human story that will touch your heart and leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. The direction, screenplay, and performances in the movie are top-notch. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the narrative remains engaging, keeping you invested in the characters and their
journeys. The cast delivers powerful and nuanced performances, effectively portraying the emotional turmoil and dilemmas faced by those affected by radicalization.The story should always clear that they are being used by PFI or related organisation who forces conversion The story should have been balanced with the message The story constant bashing about Hindu religion by a PFI agent becomes irresistable ‘ may be that what director
wanted’ The people of other community in question should also have a positive person (even if it didnt happened, but so does 32000 gone to isis). They had just kept
one muslim guy with skull cap with girl family but never he spoke I would have wanted if the members of community should have felt remorse for even 1 such incidence done on the name of Islam.
