BackFriday wrap: Ayushmann's Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan tells homosexuality is normal
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is one of the rare mainstream Bollywood films to talk about same-sex loveThe spin-off of Khurrana’s 2017 hit Shubh Mangal Saavdhan has already elicited love on social media
PremiumNEW DELHI : Now well known for his entertaining cinema with relevant social messaging, actor Ayushmann Khurrana returns to screens this week. His comedy drama Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan directed by Hitesh Kewalya co-starring Jitendra Kumar, Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta is one of the rare mainstream Bollywood films to talk about same-sex love. While official reviews of the film are yet to be out, the spin-off of Khurrana’s 2017 hit Shubh Mangal Saavdhan has already elicited some love on social media.
"Every human being must see Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan. It’s hilarious but so brave and such an important film for same-sex love, equality and rights," writer director Milap Zhaveri tweeted.
“Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a laugh riot..a complete family entertainer. Ayushmann is in top form. I think he can convince even the unconvincibles to take a chance on love and gender equity," actor Sumeey Vyas said.
Bhoot – Part One: The Haunted Ship directed by Bhanu Pratap Singh starring Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Ashutosh Rana is mind-numbingly boring, says India Today. Being unable to make the audience squirm with fear is one thing, but having them laugh at the film's most "frightening" scenes is a sign of sheer failure. Singh's directorial debut falls in the latter category.
NDTV calls the film a horrific misfire. It resorts to every trick in the book to scare the living daylights out of you but fails to well and truly pin you down. The film abounds in tame and cliched genre tics that eventually amount to little. Forget sending chills down the spine, it barely elicits gasps of shock. If you do scream, it is more in disgust and bafflement than in fear.
For the Hollywood fans, American supernatural horror film Brahms: The Boy II directed by William Brent Bell starring Katie Holmes, Ralph Ineson and Owain Yeoman, comes to India this week. While the creep factor is still there overall, the film follows a more typical and predictable story line than the first installment The Boy, says news.abs-cnn. It is as much about mental health and post-traumatic stress as it is about a good scare.
The Hundred Bucks starring Kavita Tripathi directed by Dushyant Pratap Singh cherry-picks an engaging theme, but does not furnish it with panache; not even close, says The Times of India. Tripathi’s portrayal of the mouthy call girl is bland, predictable and often hard to sit through, considering the seriousness of the film’s plotline and her casual demeanour towards it.
Tamil action drama God Father starring Natarajan Subramaniam and Lal directed by Jegan Rajashekar isn’t exactly a letdown, but it certainly doesn’t live up to the promise of its juicy premise, says The Times of India. The tension inherent in the plot helps the film coast through, and the director manages to maintain a fair pace and keeps things moving.
Tamil drama Baaram starring R Raju and Stella Gobi directed by Priya Krishnaswamy comes with a melancholic narration that loses grip and shape, says The Hindu. At some point, the turns into a VICE video, or an awareness film, for want of better words. There is no more tension, no more anticipation. The burden seems lifted, and that is deflating from the perspective of a viewer. By the time the film winds down, inefficient scripting comes to the fore.
Kannada crime thriller Shivaji Surathkal starring Ramesh Aravind and Radhika Narayan directed by Akash Srivatsa tries to pay homage to Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, with a story that seems to have a good stock of twists and turns to keep things engaging, says The Times of India.
Malayalam action drama Trance starring Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim directed by Anwar Rasheed is a brilliantly made but flawed drama, says Film Companion. The performances too are just as good, with Fahadh capturing the many shades that fall between the mind of a man who is as much God as he is the Devil. Trance is far from perfect, but it’s bold like few films are, not just in terms of what it uncovers, but also for the sheer audacity to even attempt a film like this.
Several releases this week haven’t inspired any reviews yet. These include Tamil romantic dramas Meendum Oru Mariyathai and Kanni Madam, Tamil crime drama Mafia Chapter 1, Telugu comedy dramas Pressure Cooker and Cheema Prema Madhyalo Bhaama, Telugu thriller drama Valayam, Telugu comedy drama Bheeshma, Kannada action drama Popcorn Monkey Tiger, Kannada psychological thrillers Aadyaa and Mounam, Marathi comedy drama Bayko Deta Ka Bayko and Gujarati drama Paatra.
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