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Business News/ Industry / Phantom fails to inspire, Malayalam film pick of the week
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Phantom fails to inspire, Malayalam film pick of the week

Amid mediocre fare like Phantom and The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Malayalam satirical comedy Utopiayile Rajavu hits the right notes

Based on author Hussain Zaidi’s book Mumbai Avengers, the film is set in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and stars Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif. Photo: APPremium
Based on author Hussain Zaidi’s book Mumbai Avengers, the film is set in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and stars Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif. Photo: AP

New Delhi: Amid mediocre fare like Phantom and The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Malayalam satirical comedy Utopiayile Rajavu hits the right notes.

Kabir Khan returns this week after the massive success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan with action-thriller Phantom. Based on author Hussain Zaidi’s book Mumbai Avengers, the film is set in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and stars Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif. But the film lacks the punch of Bhaijaan and as the Firstpost reviewer says, is “plain boring". Not only does the lead pair look horribly indifferent and expressionless throughout, even the stunts in the action-thriller are completely forgettable. The talented supporting cast is wasted and the plot is completely illogical despite being based on real-life events.

Mid-Day praises Kabir Khan for his balanced storytelling and the fact that he doesn’t seem to blame a particular country or religion, but finds the screenplay too lazy and inconvenient. The lead performances aren’t much to write about either.

Director Nila Madhab Panda’s comic social drama Kaun Kitney Paani Mein, starring Saurabh Shukla, Gulshan Grover, Kunal Kapoor and Radhika Apte, tackles the crucial issue of water scarcity. Panda had earlier directed the acclaimed I am Kalam. NDTV Movies praises the film for venturing into topics like soil re-mineralisation for which alone it deserves a watch. The plot is spirited and refreshing but the treatment often patchy. A couple of characters remain completely under-developed and the screenplay doesn’t do justice to its cultural landscape.

Hindustan Times agrees it’s a well-told story and Panda deserves credit for his commitment to social values. Saurabh Shukla stands out as the conniving king, while most others fail to leave an impact.

Hollywood action adventure The Man from U.N.C.L.E directed by Guy Ritchie comes to India this week. The film, which traces the story of a nuclear mission during the Cold War, stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander in lead roles. It hasn’t really worked for the Variety magazine reviewer, who finds some serious chemistry missing between the two male leads. The movie is classy but bland and forgettable at the end of the day. Most of the coded innuendo in the retro-flavoured film is likely to escape its young audiences.

The Hollywood Reporter agrees, calling the film “not bad but not quite good either". The big-screen revival of the famous 1960s television show doesn’t really feel confident or settled despite the attractive settings. The reviewer also notes the lack of a satisfactory relationship between the two protagonists.

Director Thomas Sebastian brings his Malayalam comedy Jamna Pyari for the festive Onam season. The film has Kunchako Boban and Gayathri Suresh in lead roles and adds to the celebratory mood of the region with its amalgamation of comedy, romance and action. Onlookers Media says that the movie itself lacks depth but Boban packs in a terrific performance.

Movies Matinee says it’s the perfect family film to watch this Onam despite the technical flaws.

However, it is Mammootty’s Malayalam satirical comedy Utopiayile Rajavu, directed by Kamal, that seems to have hit the right notes. Also starring Jewel Mary, KPAC Lalitha, Janardhanan and TG Ravi, the film stands out, according to Filmi Beat, for its brilliant screenplay and criticism of societal attitude towards religious beliefs. Mammootty excels with his comic timing.

Director Baljit Singh Deo’s Punjabi film Faraar, starring Gippy Grewal and Kainaat Arora, also hits the theatres today. Punjabi Pollywood praises the director for his technical expertise and Grewal for carrying off a double role effortlessly.

Some other films releasing this week haven’t inspired any reviews yet. These include director Basil Joseph’s Malayalam film Kunjiramayanam, Abhigyan Mukherjee’s Bengali social drama Chitra starring Pujarini Ghosh, Sushmita Bhattacharya, Neel Bhattacharya and Sudeshna Roy and Pitambar Kale’s Marathi film Shegavicha Yogi Gajanan, based on the life of saint Gajanan Maharaj starring Mukund Vasule, Jackie Shroff and Milind Gunaji.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lata Jha
"Lata writes about the media and entertainment industry for Mint, focusing on everything from traditional film and TV to newer areas like video and audio streaming services. She loves movies and spends a lot of her free time watching them, which makes her job both fun and a bit of a challenge. Lata tries to find and write about things in the entertainment world that most people don't notice, even though a lot of people in her country are really into movies and entertainment news often just talks about the glamorous side of things. "
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Published: 28 Aug 2015, 01:56 PM IST
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