Take #57: Secret Superstar

This is probably not going to be everyone's cup of YouTube, but the fact is that I absolutely loved the film.

Aamir Khan was an unmitigated riot - and like every canny producer, he backed the right story and chose his cast very carefully. Amit Trivedi's music was completely on point, and the improbabilities in the story line are easy to gloss over.

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This movie will make you laugh, and make you cry. You will come home chuckling about how stupidly sentimental you were; but you will not regret seeing this film.

Take #56: All the Money in the World

A gripping film about a mother's agony, a kidnapped teenager's travails and an ageing billionaire's penchant for looking at everything in terms of money. 



Ridley Scott skilfully directs this thriller which doesn't seem to have resonated very well with Mumbai audiences. Christopher Plumber was a treat to watch in a role that virtually seemed to have been written for him. 



See this movie if you can, it's a different, offbeat kidnap story.

Take #55: The Commuter

When Jaume Collet-Serra collaborated on this, his third outing with Liam Neeson (after "Non-Stop" and "Unknown"), he should have stopped to consider that the theme of an ordinary man who is completely at sea (or in the air, or in a train, in this case) had played itself out a while ago. 

A lot happens in this film, but alas, not much of it means anything very much. Vera Farmiga's outstanding talent is wasted, and Sam Neill, who has maybe 12 lines in all, goes through them with a what-am-i-doing-in-this-movie expression on his face.

Strictly for Neeson fans, because they won't give up.

Take #54: Padmaavat

"Padmaavat" is yet another spectacularly mounted Bhansali extravaganza.


This one took me by surprise - for one, I didn't understand what the political fuss was all about; for another, Ranveer's performance was, in a word, breathtaking; and finally, I had thought that Deepika's period-drama appearances had more or less been played out - but she pulled this one off far better than the Mastani role.


This film will win a couple of technical awards for its production design; and for my money, the best actor Black Lady for Ranveer. Go see it!

Take #53: Death Wish

For Bruce Willis fans and for those who haven't seen the 1974 original, this is a pleasant if slightly negative revenge thriller. But for the rest, this is a watered-down remake that simply doesn't work - against Bronson's cold implacability, Willis comes across as positively avuncular. 

The original film, which faithfully followed Brian Garfield's bestselling storyline, was dark and macabre and had you looking over your shoulder during the walk / ride home after the film. 

This one isn't going to have a sequel, believe me- whereas the original had four!

Take #52: Raid

"Raid" is a fairly compelling watch. 

Ajay Devgn, he of the perennially broody intensity, does a pretty good job as the Taxman who cometh. Saurabh Shukla is brilliant, in his quietly menacing essay of the local lord whose hitherto inviolate borders have been breached. There were a number of solid performances from the supporting cast as well. 

OTT moments apart (the rain of gold bricks was classic!), this is an absorbing story.

Take #51: Tomb Raider

Even as an unabashed fan of Angelina Jolie, I have to say that Alicia Vikander's portrayal of Lara Croft leaves a far more lasting impression. The Oscar-winning actress's natural intensity lends vulnerability to her character and gives the portrayal an entirely different feel. 

The story line isn't the same, but the action sequences and effects, although superbly done, are as OTT as you might expect. This is a fun watch, more so if you're a Vikander fan - or a Croft follower, for that matter. 

Go see it!

Take #50: 3 Storeys

An absorbing watch, with some beautiful cameos, and a wonderfully subtle performance from the multifaceted Renuka Shahane, who had a very different look in the film. 

The movie has some interesting twists and turns and keeps you guessing right upto the last few minutes. This film, which revolves around a Mumbai chawl, is refreshingly different - you're missing something if you don't see it. 

Renuka Shahane, take a bow: I'm a fan - again!

Worklore #14 : International Women's Day 2018

So, instead of reading about today as I always do, I thought I'd write on the occasion for a change, especially since some of these thoughts are often on my mind, in the midst of the male bigotry I frequently see at the workplace. Briefly, then, here are my top five reasons why we need more women at our workplaces: 1. They're more productive: punctuality, high yield, little idle chitchat during work hours, no extended lunches or mid-work breaks . 2. Parkinson's Law doesn't apply: The work usually gets done in the time stipulated, rather than the time available. 3. They're natural multitaskers: Juggling priorities comes naturally to them, since most of them have to do it at home as well. 4. Working offline: When women work from home, they actually work from home. And they're always connected, although they may not always respond. 5. Style: They have a natural sense of style, so they add that quotient to your workplace. There are many more (just as there might be many exceptions, as with everything else), but I'll speak about them some other time. I have personally learnt far more from women than I have from men over the past half century. Here's wishing all women everywhere a very happy International Women's Day.