Submit your Article

Despite having the busiest week in my life, I managed to watch a couple of movies during the Tihar break. Unfortunately for me, the selection was not really good. In my defense, I was tired and wanted to watch something that wouldn’t require me to use my mind too much. But I really didn’t expect both of the movies to be so brain dead that I’d have to write a whole review warning people not to watch them. First, I think I’m forever done with Aamir Khan now. If you think his 2018 bummer “Thugs of Hindostan” featured was his worst performance ever, the actor tops it with his latest “Laal Singh Chaddha.” A remake of the 1994 Hollywood classic “Forrest Gump,” which has been immortalized for ages with Tom Hank’s performance, Khan probably tried to piggyback on the original film’s success to recreate the magic for Bollywood. The movie was highly anticipated by Khan’s fans and the Indian audience in general as it would give the Hindi-language audience more relatability to the story. But the adaptation fails miserably on all ends. Especially the acting. Instead of reinventing himself as the titular character in Laal Singh Chaddha, Bollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist creates a horrendous persona, taking on the traits and grimaces of his previous roles in “Dhoom 3” and “PK.” Now talking about horridness, Riteish Deshmukh—who has mostly disappointed us with his over the top acting in Indian sex comedies—fails the audience once again in his latest “Plan A Plan B”. Honestly, I watched the movie for the South Indian diva Tamannaah, but given her co-actor’s lackluster performance and one of the worst Bollywood screenplays of recent times, she too failed to make my time worthwhile. In the romantic comedy Plan A Plan B,  Tamannaah plays Nirali—a matchmaker cum wedding planner who passionately believes in happily ever after. As Nirali takes over her mother’s (Poonam Dhillon) matchmaking business, she finds her new office is right next door to the divorce lawyer  Kaustubh ‘Kosty’ Chogule (Deshmukh). Kosty is the exact opposite of Nirali’s personality and is an expert in breaking wedlocks, both emotionally and legally. The two neighbors then become each others’ nemesis with opposite business interests but then the film moves towards a predictable ending. And it’s not only the ending that makes you feel like you’ve watched the film before. It’s the whole script that seems to be cut out off multiple other films in the genre. To add to the pain, the copy/paste comes with just too many visible blank spots. Everything about the film is caricaturish. The characters, the setting and the storyline feel like they’ve been lifted off some not so famous American romantic comedies. The film is not exactly a remake, yet there is nothing new about it. Maybe because the filmmakers have reduced the film into a formulaic juxtaposition of cliched tropes and sequences. To think that the film had so much scope to delve into the matrimonial lives of common Indians and address some of the problems in today’s society is just a waste of time. Director Shashanka Ghosh and writer Rajat Arora put as little effort as possible in the film’s production and it shows everywhere. The characters are so poorly written that even the veteran actor Dhillon seems like an aged debutant who was just given the role because she invested some money in the film. With such weak writing, direction and acting, the film is more cringy than humorous. Too bad for comedian and YouTuber Kusha Kapila, who plays Kosty’s assistant Seema. She shows some glimpses of brilliance in the film but everything else puts a shadow over her performance as well. Who should watch it/them? This is a double review warning you to not go through the pain I went through watching both “Laal Singh Chaddha” and “Plan A Plan B.”

The second season of ‘Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega’ picks up where the first season ends. Gudiya (Monika Panwar) ends up in  jail after escaping Brajesh Bhan’s (Amit Sial) trap, while Sunny (Sparsh Shrivastav) sustains a debilitating injury and is hospitalized with an incapacitated leg. Rocky (Anshumaan Pushkar)—Sunny’s older brother—meanwhile continues to work for Bhan but wants revenge for his younger brother as well as a fresh start in the future. Gudiya, on the other hand, is backed by Gangadevi (Seema Pahwa)—a former politician and Brajesh’s bua ji—who wants her to run against Brajesh in the elections. Meanwhile, Dolly Sahu (Aksha Pardasany) of the Special Task Force has returned to Jamtara with vengeance on her mind. While local cybercrime chief Biswa Pathak (Dibyendu Bhattacharya ) is caught between performing his duty diligently and staying loyal to his corrupt bosses and the people of Jamtara. ‘Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega’ is a fictional drama created and directed by Soumendra Padhi and written by Trishant Srivastava. But the characters and incidents are inspired by real life scammers who trick people by making up profiles on dating websites and apps, calling their targets, or impersonating reputable businesses to get their personal information, including passwords and credit card numbers. While the first season of the Hindi-language series introduced the audience to a group of youngsters in Jamtara, Jharkhand, who learnt to scam people through their phones and then quickly became an organized group, the second season takes the scamming to the next level. The scammers have become smarter, bolder and the numbers are huge. Also, politics and cybercrime intertwine in the second episode, giving the audience more ruses to follow. Each episode of the series ends in a hook, tempting the audience to click on the next episode. With a gifted cast and a tightly knit screenplay, director Padhi manages to make each hour-long episode of the series gripping and entertaining. Start with something new and end it on a cliffhanger—this ploy seems to work beautifully for the team. However, the screenplay falters a bit in parts where Brajesh and Gangadevi’s rivalry is shown. In the first season, ‘Jamtara’ was purely about youth in cybercrime and the social engineering of the place. A lot of focus on political rivalry in the second season kind of takes away the attention from the main theme of the series. Some parts feel stretched and exaggerated just because the makers had to try and convince the audience of where Jamtara is heading. Also, I feel the climax in the final episode does not get enough build-up after the promising previous episode. Yet, with the entire cast pulling off stellar performances, all of Jamtara’s shortcomings can be overlooked as it is a tight package of some fine writing and execution. Despite having a group of comparatively unknown faces to work with, the makers have given recognizable identities to each of the actors and their characters. Sial, who portrays the dishonest, vicious, and selfish politician Brajesh, deserves a special mention here. His character is not unique to the screen, but the way he performs it and gives it his own touch makes him memorable. This season also features some amount of symbolism within the series. For instance, there’s a massive banyan tree covered with cell phones which are tied to it by local scammers who have grown to believe they are invincible and nobody can reach them. Also, there is a duo who narrates what’s happening in Jamtara in deeply philosophical prose and also predicts impending doom and destruction, much like Shakespearean characters. Who should watch it? If you liked the first season of ‘Jamtara’, you will definitely love the second too. Although the episodes get lengthier and heavier in content, the second season carries with it the freshness and goodness of the first. The series is full of ruses and surprises, and is bound to keep you entertained. Anyone who loves crime and suspense thrillers will definitely enjoy Jamtara. Rating: 4 stars Genre: Crime drama Director: Soumendra Padhi Actors: Monika Panwar, Amit Sial, Sparsh Shrivastav, Anshumaan Pushkar Run time: 8hrs (approx.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DQ_lEmt0aM

October 31, 1984. India. A day that could be considered one of the darkest days in the history of the country and for the Sikh community in Delhi. Following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the same day, a wave of anti-Sikh riots sparks in the city. Sikhs, including the elderly and children, are attacked and murdered on the streets, at their workplaces and even in their homes. Independent sources put the number of deaths at between 8,000 and 17,000, while the government estimates 2,800 deaths in Delhi and 3,350 deaths across the country. The movie ‘Jogi’ takes place in a Sikh neighborhood of Delhi and depicts the three days following the assassination of Prime Minister Gandhi. The plot centers on the titular hero Jogi, portrayed by Diljit Dosanjh, and how he ensures over a hundred people of his village flee Delhi despite the fact that a dangerous local councilor and corrupt police officers are attempting to murder them for personal and political gain. I did a little research and found that there have been multiple films on the 1984 Sikh massacre in the past, but most of them have been in Punjabi. Jogi is one of the rare occasions where mainstream Hindi cinema adapts this poignant story of mass murder and exodus and presents it to the greater number of audiences. And unlike some of the films in this genre, Jogi does not spread a lot of propaganda. Neither does it disguise any political ideologies that could turn the audience against certain people or communities. Director and co-writer Ali Abbas Zafar has done a good job of sticking to the story without any biases or agendas. Jogi focuses on the incident and the effects it had on people of the Sikh community. By putting one family and its neighborhood at the center, Jogi describes the atrocities faced by thousands of other people during that period. Given his past performances and also belonging to the same community, it’s only apt that actor Dosanjh plays the lead role. He has also worked as a protagonist in the 2014 Punjabi film ‘Punjab 1984’ on the same broader subject. In Jogi, Dosanjh plays this happy-go-lucky character who turns into a hero for his people overnight. The actor, who is known in the industry for his versatility, perfectly portrays the Sikh protagonist who puts his own life in danger to save his family and also people from his community. Rawinder Chautala (Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub), a police officer in Delhi, and Kaleem (Paresh Pahuja) are the two friends that Jogi counts on for helping him covertly evacuate hundreds of Sikhs from Delhi to Mohali while the capital burns in the fires of violence. Tejpal Arora (Kumud Mishra), the councilor of the area, plays a corrupt politician fueling the riots against Sikhs to appease a group of people and support his career. Even as all the actors put up convincing performances in the film, Jogi is not able to carry the weightage of the subject. Maybe it’s because it jumps directly into action sequences and scenes of violence before establishing a proper connection with the characters involved. There’s a multi-faith angle given to Jogi’s friends, but the writing is inconsiderate to these characters as it does not give them proper backstories. Also, the titular character himself, who goes on to be a protagonist, does not get a proper introduction in the film. We know who Jogi is, but that knowledge is limited to his identity and name. Despite it being an important part of the story, the scenes where we revisit the past and bear witness to Jogi’s love life and the tragedy that separates him from his love interest (Amyra Dastur) feel a bit too stretched and unnecessary. This is the problem with the overall film. It lingers around some scenes a bit too much, which makes its run time of a few minutes short of two hours kind of lethargic. What could have been a passionate telling of a poignant tale, turns out to be a bit underwhelming. Who should watch it? Overall, the subject represented by Jogi and the efforts put in by the actors need to be appreciated. The film lacks substance to make it a ‘must watch’ but at the same time it will definitely entertain those interested in history and drama. Rating: 3 stars Genre: Drama/history Actors: Diljit Dosanjh, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub Director: Ali Abbas Zafar Run time: 1hr 54mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3VgZVsvt-U

Shefali Shah was only 32 when she played Akshay Kumar’s mother in the 2005 movie Waqt. He was 37. She has also played mother to Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh, both of whom are younger than her by a few years. Bollywood is ageist, specifically to women. And had it not been for a new wave of filmmakers and trend-breaking OTT productions, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to see what a good actor Shah is. The actor is back in her role as Vartika Chaturvedi, DCP of the Delhi police force in the Season 2 of ‘Delhi Crime’. While Chaturvedi solved the Nirbhaya rape case in the first season, which also became the first Indian show to win an International Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series, DCP Vartika now has her hands full with a series of brutal murders. Elderly people living in the posh areas of Delhi are being robbed and murdered in their homes. A notorious gang has been going around bashing people’s heads in with hammers. Their modus operandi matches the infamous kachcha-baniyan gang which existed decades ago. The people from the original gang belonged to a certain tribe that has been associated with burglaries and similar crimes in India for centuries. Dressed in undergarments and covered in oil to make themselves slippery, the new kachcha-baniyan gang spreads terror among Delhi pensioners and their families. Now it’s up to Vartika and her team of police officers to find the culprits. But it was never going to be an easy task. The criminals this time are sharp minded and know how to evade the police. The police, on the other hand, have no clue as to where to begin their investigation and end up making a few blunders. This hide and seek between the police and the criminals makes up for the five episodes of the series. What I liked most about the second season of Delhi Crime is that it has the same intensity even after three years since it first released. Although Tanuj Chopra takes over the directorial reign from Richie Mehta for Season 2, there is not much difference in the execution. And I mean this as a compliment for Chopra since Mehta had left the audience with high expectations. The filmmakers have done solid research for the story. It shows as the script has incorporated caste system in India with utmost sensitivity so as not to hurt any sentiments. The cast of Delhi Crime elevate the story, screenplay and production. Shah as DCP Vartika proves once again why female-centric characters are necessary in Indian cinema to change the audience and the filmmakers’ perspectives. Her character—who is in a powerful position—does not display unnecessary heroism and masochism we would have most likely witnessed had it been played by a male actor. Actors Rasika Dugal (as Neeti Singh) and Rajesh Tailang (Bhupendra Singh), who are police officers in Vartika’s team, have also done justice to their respective roles. Both of their characters are struggling to keep their professional and personal lives in balance and each has their own way to deal with them. Despite the fast-paced screenplay and focus on crime, the audience get to see glimpses of their personal lives. These side stories make the central plot even more interesting. It’s a clever ploy by the writers and equally smart execution by the actors. At the risk of giving away spoilers, I have to mention Tillotama Shome whose performance is one of the highlights of the series. The actor has always given good performances but in Delhi Crime she takes another step in making herself a household name. What I liked most about Delhi Crime is that it gives its female characters ample opportunities to showcase their talents.  Who should watch it? If you have not watched Delhi Crime Season 1 yet, I suggest you watch that first just to get introduced to the characters. But even as a standalone series, Delhi Crime Season 2 is gritty, violent and gripping. If gruesome, edge-of-the-seat stories are your thing, don’t miss this one. Rating: 4 Genre: Crime, thriller Actors: Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Tillotama Shome Director: Tanuj Chopra Run time: Five hours (approx.)  

Bollywood filmmakers seem to have run out of new stories to tell. Maybe that’s why the past few years have seen a string of remakes that bombed at the box office and butchered by the critics as well. And there are a few more in the pipeline for 2022/2023 already. Released recently on Netflix, the Rajkummar Rao starrer “HIT: The First Case” is also one of those films made remade for the larger number of Indian audience. Writer/director Sailesh Kolanu, who debuted with the 2020 Telugu-language action-thriller of the same name, now takes up the same position in this Hindi-language remake of the critically and commercially successful original. Vikram Jaisingh (Rao), is a police officer in the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) division in Rajasthan. While Vikram is established as an able officer, he has a traumatic past that still haunts him and gives him crippling anxiety and panic attacks at times, even when he is working. Although Vikram is advised by his therapist to take a break, he is adamant on continuing with his work, despite his PTSD making things hard for him. Then when 18-year-old Preethi disappears without a clue, Vikram’s mental health is reduced to shambles in trying to solve the complicated case. Vikram decides to take a long break from his job despite the case remaining unsolved but is pulled back after a couple of months when his girlfriend Neha (Sanya Malhotra) goes missing. During investigation, he finds there could be a connection between the two possible kidnappings and the suspense gets deeper. HIT is a whodunnit with twists and turns at every corner. The protagonist Vikram and his team of police officers are sent on wild goose chases, looking for the ladies who could possibly have been kidnapped and murdered. They do not know what crime has been committed and have no clue as to who could have done it. The investigation leads to multiple suspects but without concrete evidence to prove anyone guilty or find the whereabouts of the kidnapped women. When we talk about how South Indian films come with complex storylines and unexpected plot twists, it’s the likes of HIT that we are raving over. Sailesh Kolanu does an amazing job remaking the film for the Hindi-speaking audience without much change in the original plot. But that was expected since he retains almost the exact crew he had used in Telugu-language HIT. The Hindi version is almost a literal remake of the original as only the language, the setting and the actors are changed. Having watched the original as well, the only big difference I feel between the two films is the role of the protagonist. Vishwak Sen played Vikram in the original film and was very impressive in the role. In the Hindi version, Rao in the same role emulates the intensity and the various vulnerabilities of Vikram as required by the film. Having taken up a host of different roles already, Rao’s versatility shines in the film. Despite all its pieces falling into right pieces, there is something missing in the remake that doesn’t let it rise into the same class as the original. Maybe it is the burden of expectations or something is lost in translation, the remake is not as gripping as the original. The beginning and the gradual progression of the film is quite captivating but just at it touches the half mark, it starts digressing and cannot quite capture the audience’s undivided attention till the very end. Nevertheless, the climax is a surprise and the build-up towards it is not poorly executed either. Who should watch it? If you have watched the original HIT, you might not enjoy this one so much. But if you haven’t and find reading translated dialogues tiresome, you will definitely love this mind bending thriller. Actors: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra Director: Sailesh Kolanu Genre: Action, thriller Rating: 3.5 stars Runtime: 2hrs 5min

If you have not heard the name, you have missed some of the best movies that have come out of India in recent years. This week’s movie review won’t be complete without introducing Fahadh Faasil. The actor and producer who mostly does Malayalam and Tamil films has impressed me in all his roles. And one search through his Wikipedia will show it’s not only me fanboying over one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema today. Faasil is not the typical Indian cinema ‘hero’. He is an actor par excellence who takes ownership of the characters he is playing and relives their lives on screen. He does not need to show skin, copy Michael Jackson moves and fight Kung Fu to make his mark. Having done more than 50 films so far, Fahadh’s “Irul”, “Kumbalangi Nights,” “Joji” and “Malik” are some of the unmissable names from his filmography. Some of the more adventurous audience members will probably remember him from the South Indian mainstream blockbusters “Pushpa” and “Vikram.” Within the few films named, Faasil shows he can play lead roles, supporting roles, protagonist, antagonist and comic relief as well. In his latest movie “Malayankunju”—a Malayalam-language survival thriller—Faasil plays Anil or Anikuttan, a handyman in a small village in Kerala. Anikuttaan lives on a rubber plantation with his mother Shanthamma (Jaya S Kurup) and repairs small electric stuff for village folks. From the very beginning, the audience is shown that Anil is not mentally stable. He gets irritated quickly, has an aversion to any sort of noise and is a blatant casteist. He hates a particular community, including his neighbors, and does not shy from showing it openly. We also learn that Anil has had a deeply traumatic past incident— which could be one reason behind his present condition. But some parts of the film also establish him as a man with a conscience and friendly to those he likes. Anil is a multi-layered character that drives the film forward. Directed by Sajimon Prabhakar and written by Mahesh Narayanan, Malayankunj starts like a family drama and then transgresses into a panic-inducing survivor film that flips the storyline and changes how we look at the main character. While Anil lives a life of resentment and over-confidence, a flash flood in his area completely destroys his chosen way of life. He wakes up one day to find himself buried deep under the debris of his own house. Getting out of there and also saving a baby he has hated for so long because of her crying and her parents’ caste now becomes his mission in life. Malayankunj is not a high-budget survival film with plenty of VFX generated dramatic sequences. There is some amount of low budget CGI but the film mostly rests on Faasil’s acting, the screenplay and Mahesh Narayanan’s cinematography. From about half way, these three nearly take over the screen. Anil’s struggle and desperation are captured with the most realistic set of moving images on-screen. I cannot think of one name from mainstream Bollywood who could replace Faasil as Anil. So I hope there are no remakes of this one. I love the cinematography of Malayakunj for the way it uses the lights in its storytelling. Anil is buried in debris in an underground cave-like structure and it’s probably dark outside. So how do the camerapersons capture him for the audience? They use two different lights—one a powerful torch and other a car headlight—which have appeared in the film before. Now with only Anil on the screen, these two light sources, one after the other, become the film’s characters. Amazing stuff. The background music—which borderlines trance and psychedelic at times—also seamlessly syncs with what’s happening in the film. I looked up the music director and found A.R Rahman’s name in the credits, without a big surprise. Who should watch it? Malayankunj is a brilliant film. I know that watching a Malayalam film with English subtitles comes with its own set of challenges and there’s a chance that the context is lost in some instances. It will still be worth every movie-lover’s time spending a couple of hours on this film. Genre: Drama/thriller Rating: 4 stars Actors: Fahadh Faasil Director: Sajimon Prabhakar Run time: 1hr 54mins

As with food, you’ll find me gluttonously babbling about a lot of movie genres. I mean, is there even a genre that’s not on my favorites’ list? That said, vampire and zombie movies are always on top of my priorities. Always. I remember watching Wesley Snipes exterminate blood-sucking vampires in and as “Blade” in VCR tape in the late 1990s. I started watching the “Underworld” film series in 2003 on DVD and then the later editions in the digital space. But why am I telling you this? Because I think Netflix’s latest vampire movie “Day Shift” also has the possibility of becoming a franchise. Also, if I didn’t read them wrong, there are plenty of little hints and signs that the film—directed by debutante J.J Perry—will at least have a sequel. Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx) is a pool cleaner with a dark secret. He is actually a freelance vampire slayer (remember Van Helsing?) who hunts down vampires and sells their fangs for dollars. But the money is meager. To save his estranged wife Jocelyn (Meagan Good) from taking away his daughter to Florida, Bud has to come up with $5000 for her tuition in a week. And how does he plan to get the money? By joining the vampire hunting union which will ensure he gets the location of vampires and also better pay. Killing vampires might be an easy task for Bud, but getting into the union is not. The union boss Ralph Seeger (Eric Lange) detests Bud, who was previously kicked out for his reckless behavior. (This here can become a prequel!) Ralph, however, cannot refuse Big John Elliott (Snoop Dogg), the union’s OG vampire slayer and Bud’s close friend. So to make Bud’s re-entry into the union more complicated, Ralph assigns him a day shift only roster and pairs him up with rookie union rep Seth (Dave Franco) who is to keep an eye on him. Hooked yet? You will be because all this happens fast, with many action sequences in between. While the vampire movies I mentioned earlier were on the darker side, Jamie Foxx brings his wit and humor into the central character in this one. The film is categorized as action comedy and rightly so. The setting, the characters and the vampires all converge hilariously, sometimes borderlining on spoof. As Day Shift is a modern vampire movie about present-day vampires, their characterization is a bit different from what we’re used to seeing. The vampires are not royal or suave, unlike in the vampire classics, or cold and post-apocalyptic, unlike the movies in the 1990s and 2000s. The vampires in Day Shift are like us, normal and boring. They could be your middle-class housewives or young teenagers gaming all day. That is until they are provoked. Once their facade is revealed, the vampires take on a zombie-life appearance, but much quicker than the walkies. They are fast, smart, strong and lethal. While this is a vampire movie, the bloodsuckers do not get to hog the limelight here. They lack a strong villain and are not as threatening as they’re supposed to be. The film also classifies the vampires into different types and talks about this powerful leader who rules their world. This gives the audience a premonition of a sequel. In the first installment, however, the vampires are underwhelming. All that is compensated by Foxx’s action stunts and Lange’s comic timings. But without Snoop Dogg’s presence, the film would have been below average. The first time Dogg appeared on screen as John Elliot, I was completely unconvinced about his character as a legendary vampire killer. The gansta rapper, music mogul and evangelist of smoking pot could never be an action star in my books. Snoop is not fast, Snoop is not lethal. But in Day Break, the part-time actor does a full time job of looking badass, talking badass and killing vampires left, right and center without breaking a sweat. Snoop’s inclusion makes this fun film ever more delightful. Who should watch it? Day Break is a fun movie. But it is not something that’ll go epical and might not even go down well with vampire movie purists, if there are any. For the rest, I am sure anyone who likes action comedy flicks will enjoy it. Rating: 3 Genre: Action/comedy Director: J.J Perry Actors: Jamie Foxx, Meagan Good, Snoop Dogg Run time: 1hr 53mins

I remember Vivek Oberoi’s debut back in 2002 in the Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Company’. Oberoi played Chandu—a rookie henchman turned gangster—in one of the most iconic Hindi gangster films. The young Oberoi not only won the hearts of the audiences and critics alike but also went on to win multiple wards for his performance, promising a glorious career in Bollywood.   Fast forward to 2022 and Vivek Oberoi is no more a big name in Bollywood. His filmography is light in big banner films, which is surprising given his dashing debut. Although he has had a few commercial hits, they’ve mostly been ensembles with someone else taking the center-stage.  We don’t really want to get into Oberoi’s personal life and controversies. But it’s really painful to see an actor with so much potential go almost unnoticed in the Indian film industry.  Anyway, I first want to tell the audience that I watched the latest Malayalam language film ‘Kaduva’ just because Oberoi was in it—and also because Amazon Prime did not have anything more interesting to offer this week. Directed by Shaji Kailas, Kaduva is set in the late 90s in a village called Pala in Kerala, India.  Kaduvakunnel Kuriyachan aka Kaduva (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a wealthy planter who lives in Pala with his wife Elsa and three children. Kaduva is known in the area not only as a successful businessman but also as a good, church-going Samaritan who helps everyone in need and goes out of his way to punish any wrongdoing.  These characteristics of Kaduva and an incident at the local church pit Kaduva against Joseph Chandy Ouseppukutty (Oberoi), the Inspector General of the region. The corrupt Joseph, backed by high ranking politicians, is one of the most powerful persons in the region. Riled up by Kaduva’s attitude towards him, Joseph lets loose a barrage of attacks against Kaduva and his family. Kaduva, the survivor that he is, fights back with full force.  ‘Kaduva’ is a mainstream Malayalam movie. Meaning, rather than a strong script, storytelling and acting, there are other elements that appeal more to the mass: like the protagonist Kaduva sending policemen flying with his kicks and punches and not getting any major injuries himself no matter how hard he is hit.  Nevertheless, the film has a strong script and great execution. As the protagonist Kaduva, Prithviraj Sukumaran is highly convincing. The film’s also brought out by his own production company. The actor seems to know what he is doing: the movie has grossed well at box office.  But what Prithviraj and the filmmakers fail to do in ‘Kaduva’ is fully utilize the talents of Vivek Oberoi. The actor they borrowed from Bollywood has been reduced to an unintelligent antagonist who does not contribute much to the film’s outcome.  Although he has been given a very powerful position in the film, his character lacks that ferocity and intelligence expected of a villain. Oberoi does try to make an impact on the screen but is limited by what’s written for him. Disappointing, as he was the reason I watched the film in the first place.  Kaduva’s screenplay also leaves a lot of unanswered questions and little mysteries. It keeps the audience thinking till the very end and then in the climax, gives them a strong hint of a sequel. A clever ploy, I’d say. And I’d definitely want more of Vivek Oberoi if there’s a sequel.  Who should watch it?  ‘Kaduva’ is not a bad film. Overall execution is pretty decent and readers who enjoy South Indian films will definitely like it. Vivek Oberoi fans will be a bit disappointed but the sequel looks promising for his character.  Rating: 3 stars Genre: Action, drama Actors: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi Director: Shaji Kailas Run time: 2hrs 35mins