Tag: Bollywood

Sonam Kapoor may be one of the A-lister actresses in Bollywood, but she is not okay with what the female actors get compared to what the men get to make a film. In an interview with Anupama Chopra for Film Companion, the 31-year-old fashionista opened up about the prevailing biasness toward men, saying, “There is a lot of sexism in the society which is disgusting.”

The diva cited the example of fellow actors, John Abraham and Varun Dhawan and the kind of money they got to make ‘Dishoom,’ which she says is “way more than what Kareena and I were getting to make ‘Veere Di Wedding.’”

“We are making Veere and we are getting an OK budget, but we are not getting what we want. I have to cut my fee, Bebo has to cut her fee to get this film there. The film is not elaborate as we imagined. It is sad and heartbreaking. We need to work extra hard to make it look a certain way,” she said.

Even after her hit movies like ‘Neerja,’ ‘Raanjhana,’ Sonam think she still does not get her price as a woman in the industry. “I still am having difficulties getting projects off the floor. The budgets that I need to shoot them properly,” the ‘Aisha’ actress claimed.

“It’s heartbreaking and somebody very wise said ‘Unfortunately, you guys are the change but you are not going to benefit from it. The generation after you are going to benefit from it.’ I am okay with it as long as I get to make my films. I am not here to make money though it would be nice. But I would like my projects to get the money. I am not asking for it,” she added.

STORY: The biopic on India’s celebrated skipper, MS Dhoni (played by Sushant Singh Rajput) is the cricketer’s ode to his well-wishers, friends and family, who stood by him at all times – in success and failure. Their immense contribution in fulfilling his dream, his faith in himself and ability to battle professional and personal setbacks, forms the story.

REVIEW: If you are a diehard fan of MS Dhoni and cricket (in that order), you are bound to love this film, which reveres its protagonist. Despite the glorification, what works is Sushant’s impeccable portrayal of a stoic Dhoni and the latter’s inspiring untold story – his journey from being a ticket collector to a renowned attacking batsman/wicket-keeper/captain.

Sushant internalises his character and becomes MSD, without heavily mimicking the cricketer. He even nails his iconic helicopter shot and restrained personality. The actor scores a winning knock. The film also boasts of a spectacular first-half, which showcases Dhoni’s initial struggle as an aspiring professional cricketer. It reminds you why sportsmen deserve the fame and money they get.

Neeraj Pandey recreates Dhoni’s Ranchi life beautifully. He keeps it authentic and relatable. This one scene shot at Kharagpur station particularly stands out. Sushant is seen trying to make his way through a sea of people. It’s him going against the tide, summing up Dhoni’s life journey as well. Supporting actors deserve a special mention as their performances tug at your heartstrings. A scene featuring Yuvraj Singh (Herry Tangri) is outstanding.

However the biopic loses its momentum in the second half with Dhoni’s love life getting undue prominence. Also, the cricketer’s questionable decisions or possible vices are mostly overlooked. His tiff with the senior players (Sehwag, Gambhir), rivalry with Yuvraj Singh, love-hate relationship with the media, team politics and criticism faced on occasions, barely find a passing reference. As a full-fledged biopic, this one-dimensional approach towards the lead character leaves you a tad discontented. But since you see the film through Dhoni’s eyes, it’s justified as one rarely sees faults in oneself.

STORY: The biopic on India’s celebrated skipper, MS Dhoni (played by Sushant Singh Rajput) begins on a rabble-rousing note. But after this World Cup scene (which Neeraj Pandey’s film will, of course, return to at the end), the narrative backtracks to a quiet afternoon in July 1981 and Dhoni’s birth in a Ranchi hospital ward, while his father Paan Singh Dhoni (Anupam Kher), a hard-working lower-middle-class man, waits nervously outside. A series of well-constructed vignettes follows: Dhoni as a boy being coerced by a coach to give up football for cricket, and to take up wicketkeeping (though he prefers batting); the support of his friends as it becomes evident that he has special talent and drive; the misgivings of his father, who has sensibly conservative ideas about what constitutes a secure future; repeated frustrations followed by a job in the Railways and the possibility of becoming a “bada aadmi“.

REVIEW: If you are a diehard fan of MS Dhoni and cricket (in that order), you are bound to love this film, which reveres its protagonist. Despite the glorification, what works is Sushant’s impeccable portrayal of a stoic Dhoni and the latter’s inspiring untold story – his journey from being a ticket collector to a renowned attacking batsman/wicket-keeper/captain.

Sushant internalises his character and becomes MSD, without heavily mimicking the cricketer. He even nails his iconic helicopter shot and restrained personality. The actor scores a winning knock. The film also boasts of a spectacular first-half, which showcases Dhoni’s initial struggle as an aspiring professional cricketer. It reminds you why sportsmen deserve the fame and money they get.

Neeraj Pandey recreates Dhoni’s Ranchi life beautifully. He keeps it authentic and relatable. This one scene shot at Kharagpur station particularly stands out. Sushant is seen trying to make his way through a sea of people. It’s him going against the tide, summing up Dhoni’s life journey as well. Supporting actors deserve a special mention as their performances tug at your heartstrings. A scene featuring Yuvraj Singh (Herry Tangri) is outstanding.

However the biopic loses its momentum in the second half with Dhoni’s love life getting undue prominence. Also, the cricketer’s questionable decisions or possible vices are mostly overlooked. His tiff with the senior players (Sehwag, Gambhir), rivalry with Yuvraj Singh, love-hate relationship with the media, team politics and criticism faced on occasions, barely find a passing reference. As a full-fledged biopic, this one-dimensional approach towards the lead character leaves you a tad discontented. But since you see the film through Dhoni’s eyes, it’s justified as one rarely sees faults in oneself.

Nonetheless, this cricket movie hits sufficient sixes making the ‘Dhoni Dhoni’ chants reverberate in the theatre.

STORY: The quintessential Mumbaiyya music of a few Banjo players, led by Taraat (Riteish Deshmukh) catches the fancy of a budding American singer Chris (Nargis Fakhri). She travels to Mumbai all the way from New York to hunt for Taraat and his quirky coterie, hoping to take their music international. But given their social and financial background, can the men live up to Chris’ expectations?

REVIEW : Director Ravi Jadhav, who has some outstanding Marathi films to his name (like Natarang), captures the pulse of Mumbai and the city’s buzzing chawl culture in Banjo with simplicity and a dash of humour. His characters exude the quintessential middle-class values, which are bound to resonate with many. The underprivileged are not conditioned to dream big, so even their wishes are realistic. One of the characters innocently asks a waiter at a posh club, if he could take some champagne home for his father. Though commercial in approach, Jadhav keeps things unpretentious and thus relatable.

While the story is pretty formulaic (a bunch of street musicians making it big by winning against all odds), the execution and supporting performances are heartfelt. The music could have been better though. Addition of unnecessary drama and random events in the second half slows down the pace considerably, also making the film a tad cliched. The gorgeous Nargis overdoes the American accent but grows on you eventually.

And last but not the least, it’s time we play the dhol, tasha, tutari, lejhim and banjo for apla Riteish. Sporting a stylish man bun, it’s refreshing to see him break away from the usual multistarrers and play a slice-of-life, lead character in a Hindi film. A small-time extortionist cum musician, Taraat is all heart. Riteish essays this brash yet vulnerable character effortlessly, proving that he can hold a film on his own if given the right opportunity. The film’s cinematography is splendid as well.

If you are familiar with Mumbai’s working-class neighbourhoods, where the hearts of the poor are bigger than the pay packages of those residing in the mushrooming high-rises, you’ll be able to notice the beauty of Banjo. It also makes you respect the street musicians a little more.

Mumbai, Oct 2 (PTI) Veteran actor Prem Chopra has been bestowed with the lifetime achievement award at the Jagran Film Festival.

“It is a great honor and I am deeply moved with this award and thankful to jury and the festival people,” Chopra said in a statement.

Chopra has acted in movies like Shaheed (1965), Upkaar (1967), Purab Aur Pashchim, Do Raaste (1969), Kati Patang (1970), Do Anjaane (1976), Jaadu Tona (1977), Kala Sona, Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), Phool Bane Angaarey (1991) among others.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee won best actor award for his stupendous performance in “Aligarh”.

“It (award) is not only an honour for me but entire cast and crew. It is an honour and respect for LGBT community. The film is the celebration for the LGBT community,” Bajpayee said.

Renowned actress Sarika feels privileged to be part of the jury.

“Because of the festival we get to see many different kinds of movies and when we are in the festival we are given the best cinema from all over the country to judge, besides that we had to be fair as everyone is good,” Sarika said.

“Judging is not cool and we have tired to do it as best of our ability,” she added.

Bold, brazen and outspoken. You could describe actor Nargis Fakhri in these three words. And while, she is known to have a ‘sexy’ image, the actor thinks otherwise.

Ever since her debut with Rockstar, the hot tag has stayed but Nargis prefers ‘dorky’ over hot. “I don’t feel hot and I don’t think I am hot. I am a very awkward, dorky and shy human on the inside. People who know me always laugh because they say that when God made you, it was a mistake. He made this outer part that is so sexy and the inner one is funny, goofy, shy and they don’t match at all. I don’t like so much attention and pressure on me”, she says.

A few months back, rumour mills were abuzz with news that Nargis had moved back to New York and that she had no plans to return to Bollywood. She did come back to promote her recently release film Banjo, but she is very clear that she will only be in the country as long as she gets work.

Setting the record straight she says, “I went home because I was unwell. My home is America. I have travelled the world before, but this is longest I have been in one place. Usually I get very bored and I want to go find another country. I am not bored yet but I miss home. There is no family, no friends, there is nothing here, except for work. My mother lives in New York.”

“And I have realised that in the five years that I have been here, I haven’t seen her enough. And when you see them, you realise they’re growing old. I take care of her financially and she is very grateful for that. But actually, she wants to see me and spend time with me. If someone hires me, I’d love to work and come back. Whether I leave or stay, it doesn’t matter,” she adds. Source: HT

Recently there was buzz that Alia Bhatt would star in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming film ‘Golmaal 4’. But the film seems to have landed in trouble once again.

Reports suggest that Alia Bhatt who was the first choice for Kareena’s role has opted out of the film.

Buzz is after the Karan Johar-Ajay Devgn hostilities flared up, Alia suddenly became unavailable on the dates.

Alia has put it across that since she is busy shooting for ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya’ and was to sign another biggie by the end of the year she is falling short of dates.

The Bhatt girl’s volte-face is an apparent fallout of the ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ – ‘Shivaay’ clash. Karan was all for his protegee working with Rohit Shetty. Infact, the director is to direct a film for KJo’s banner. While there has been talk of Shraddha filling in for Kareena there has been no announcement yet.

Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen on Monday served notice from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC), after some mosquito breeding spots were found at her house in Khar.

Earlier Shahid Kapoor was also served notice from BMC for the same reason.

Sushmita Sen occupies the building’s topmost floor, where BMC officials conducted an inspection on Friday.

STORY: A widow, Rani (Tannishtha), a childless woman, Lajjo (Radhika) and a sex worker Bijli (Surveen) from a village in a North Western Region in India are victims of age-old traditions like child marriage, physical abuse, alcoholic husbands and social apathy. Will they be able to break the shackles?

REVIEW: Leena Yadav’s Parched takes you into a disturbing and thought-provoking territory. Even as it cleverly intertwines the stories of the three protagonists all of who have had a raw deal in life, it simultaneously puts the spotlight on how there is still an India where a woman is treated as a sex object; where her only role is to serve her man. Rani who was married off at 15 to an alcoholic Shankar has been widowed for 17 years and has to fend for herself and her callous son.

Lajjo, a village beauty, is declared ‘barren’ by her drunken husband and is subjected to physical abuse each day. Lajjo and Rani often seek solace in each other’s company. When they get a break from making handicrafts, their rozi-roti, they bond with a sex worker called Biji (Surveen), who’s had it rough for no fault of hers. The common ground for their bonding is a need for love, sex and compassion in that order.

The film addresses how there is nothing shameful about a woman’s need for sex or ownership of her body. As the village women talk about their carnal desires, you empathise. Like last week’s matinee offering Pink, you raise a toast to the director for raising some hard-hitting questions on the double standards of society. When Bijli asks, How come there are only abuses of the MC, BC variety or gaalis named only after women and none after men, you applaud. Frankly, like the film suggests, perhaps it is time to coin expletives after men too.

Academy-Award winning cinematographer, Russell Carpenter has captured the arid landscape beautifully. Parched is a roadmap for our oppressed female population who have been victims of a misogynist mindset for eons.

Tannishtha and Radhika are terrific, but it is Surveen who your heart bleeds for.

Actress Sonakshi Sinha says one of the downsides of her profession is that they are constantly being judged.

“Unfortunately, people who are in the limelight are always being judged. This is one of the downsides of our profession that as an actress we are constantly being judged. For me, I am somebody who has always been confident in my own skin and not pay too much attention on what people think about me,” said Sonakshi.

The daughter of star couple Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha added: “If you get into that pressure, you will go mad. It’s better to be yourself, work hard and move ahead.”

The actress also feels that now is the right time to be an actress in the film industry.

“Wonderful roles are being written keeping women in mind. Films are being made with a woman as the protagonist. The pay disparity is decreasing; they are getting their dues. Right now is a good time to be in the industry,” the 29-year-old said.

Alia Bhatt recently graced the cover of a fashion magazine, where she spoke about topics ranging from fashion, her fears of missing out and also why she doesn’t consider herself a feminist. The actress recently faced a Twitter backlash for her ‘not a feminist’ statement. After clarifying her stance, she has once again found herself being targeted for looking ‘too skinny’ on the cover of the same magazine. Fans and followers flooded the actresses comment box with messages expressing their concerns over her ‘skinny’ frame.

Alia’s bestie Akansha Ranjan Kapoor also seemed to have agreed with this and sent out a message to the star saying,

“Ali too thin. Nop. Not getting a like from me.”

Alia’s fans came to her rescue refuting these claims saying that the outtakes of the shoot looked ‘amazing’. Other hit back at Akansha saying that she was ‘skinny shaming’ the actress.

In recent interviews, Alia herself had admitted that she was losing too much weight and that it worried her. A few years back the ‘Dear Zindagi’ star said that she tries hard to exercise daily and maintain a healthy diet, and that she didn’t think ‘being extra skinny and thin is desirable’.

Could the pressure of juggling a hectic film schedule be the reason behind her drastic weight loss?

Katrina Kaif will be honoured with the Smita Patil Memorial Award at a glittering Global Awards ceremony, which will be held in the city on September 19.

Niranjan Hiranandani (Chairman, Priyadarshni Academy) says, “The academy has been giving this distinguished award ever since it was established, and this year, the jury has unanimously nominated Katrina for the Smita Patil Memorial Award for her work in films.” Katrina is not only one of the most successful and popular Bollywood actors but is also considered as one of India’s most attractive celebrities. Nanik Rupani

(Founder Chairman) adds, “This award goes to her as a recognition to an outstanding individual who has shown excellence in her field.”

Priyadarshni Academy’s International Awards function is an expression of the academy’s social commitment. It is in sync with the belief that progress for human kind is not possible without commendable efforts of individuals in all spheres of activities and they have to be given due acknowledgement.

STORY: Three Delhi girls – Minal (Taapsee), Falak (Kirti) and Andrea (Andrea) – are on the run after one of them escapes a molestation attempt by a pig-headed, powerful guy, Rajveer (Angad). Minal attacks Rajveer with a bottle injuring him grievously. This is just the beginning of their nightmare!

REVIEW: Pink is a powerful statement on the existing feudal mindset of a majority of India, where men and women are judged by a different yardstick. And if the man happens to be from a powerful family, then the fight for justice is even more skewed.

As it happens here, Minal, Falak and Andrea, three middle-class normal working girls, are just out for a regular night of fun. Post a rock concert they accept a dinner invitation from Rajveer and two others to a resort in Surajkund. Unfortunately the evening takes an ugly turn for them after a couple of drinks. Andrea finds herself being touched inappropriately by Dumpy (Raashul Tandon) and Rajveer forces himself onto Minal, despite her clearly saying ‘No’ to his advances. In self-defense she picks up a bottle and smashes it on his eye, leaving him bleeding. The girls return to their home hoping the night will just fade away. But their lives are turned into a living hell by the guys who malign and intimidate them in every way possible. The ultimate blow comes when Rajveer uses his powerful connections to file a wrong FIR against the girls labelling them prostitutes.

When the matter comes up in court with defense lawyer Deepak Sehgall (Amitabh), who has a bipolar disorder, representing the girls, the film takes a dramatic turn. The court-room sequence, which is inspired by Jonathan Kaplan’s The Accused (1988), where the accused Minal is asked scathing questions on her virginity and drinking habits lays bare the double standards of the society we live in. Pink questions the society’s mindset where we think girls with short hemlines and those who enjoy a drink with men are low on morals. It also tells you that whether a woman is a sex-worker, wife or slave, if she says ‘no’ to being touched, then no man has the right to force himself on her. Or outrage her modesty.

The performances are pitch-perfect with Bachchan leading the way. Creative producer, Shoojit Sircar, who directed (Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Piku) makes another valuable addition to his repetoire.

STORY: Akira Sharma (Sonakshi Sinha) is your average Jane from Jodhpur. Early in life she sees an atrocity committed on a neighbour and learns to defend herself. And, a spitfire is born.

REVIEW: Our screen ki Akira is Khan, Kumar and Kapoor rolled into one. She punches and defends better than most khiladis. Her progressive, school-teacher father, Atul Kulkarni had her enrolled in karate classes instead of dance classes that girls her age frequented. But Akira learns that a Durga avatar cannot help you fight a regressive society and corrupt administration. So instead of being given a medal of honour for trying to save someone early in life, she is sent to a remand home. Not only does she lose three precious years of her life; she also loses her doting father.

The scene moves to Mumbai where Akira and her mother come to live with her hen-pecked brother. But when she realises her sister-in-law is unwelcoming, Akira chooses her college hostel. Here our braveheart finds herself being targeted by the college bullies. She manages to shake the students off but lands herself in the dragnet headed by a corrupt cop ACP Govind Rane (Anurag Kashyap) of the Mumbai Police. Poor thing lands herself in so many unenviable situations that she spends little time in college and more in an asylum.

Murugadoss (Ghajini, Holiday — A Soldier Is Never Off Duty), you can see, started with honourable intentions of trying to impart self-defence lessons to girls. While the plot meanders a bit post interval, the director still manages to keep you rivetted, especially in the chase sequences between the cops-and-Akira. Interestingly, the entire onus of cracking the case is given to a heavily-pregnant, Rabia Sultan (Konkona Sen Sharma) modelled on Frances McDormand of the Hollywood thriller Fargo (1996). And despite Konkona’s sincerity, she still seems like a caricature because the written material doesn’t support her. Anurag as the baddie and Sonakshi’s spirited act adds weight to this drama. If you want that adrenaline rush of watching Akira beating baddies and punching holes into the system, go for it.

Plot Summary

It is assumed that Konkana Sen Sharma will arrest Anurag and his three accomplices and send them to jail. But Anurag accidentally kills one of his three companions. Immediately after that Konkana and Akira manage to pin him and his other two cops to the ground. However the Police Commissioner doesn’t allow this to happen because he doesn’t want the cops to get a life-term. He convinces Konkana not to tell anyone that the cops are guilty. The commissioner knows that if the anti-social elements learn that it is the cops who killed the goonda Babloo’s brother and that he didn’t actually die in a car accident there would be mayhem.

Seven months after Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor went their separate ways after a five-year courtship, the actress has finally moved out of the sea-facing Carter Road love pad she shared with her former beau for over two years.

Kat had continued to live in the sprawling penthouse after the break-up even as Ranbir moved back in with his parents, Rishi and Neetu, in the family bungalow -Krishna Raj at Pali Hill. At the same time, the duo resumed shooting for Anurag Basu’s Jagga Jasoos, braving the aftermath of the split.

While at Krishna Raj, Ranbir continued to look for a bachelor pad and finalised a rented studio apartment on Hill Road. Mirror had reported (March 5) that the new digs was in a nondescript building in a narrow lane close to his parents’ residence. Unlike the love nest, it had windows opening up to a wall. Obviously, the actor had meant to nurse his heart away from the prying eyes.

However, he didn’t remain holed up there for too long, buying a more swanky pad on Pali Hill in July and enlisting the exclusive services of Shah Rukh Khan’s wife, Gauri, a designer and interior decorator, to do up his new residence. He plans to move in by October.

Meanwhile, his former ladylove has returned to one of her first homes in the Maximum City, a cozy two BHK in an old building in Bandra. The apartment had been under renovation for the last three months. And despite frequent house-hunting sessions in that period, Kat was keen on returning to the familiar climes of her old house once the lease on the love nest expired.Mirror photographer Raju Shelar who spotted Kat’s car outside the Bandra house on Wednesday revealed that the shifting began 15 days ago. Source: Mumbai Mirror

Wednesday September 7^th, 2016: Vijay Krishna Acharya (Victor), the writer-director of the all-time YRF blockbuster Dhoom 3, teams up once again with Aamir Khan in Thugs of Hindostan along with Amitabh Bachchan to give the audience a never seen before experience of larger than life filmmaking!

This YRF film holds a double bonanza by bringing together Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan together for the first time ever. That in itself, is film lore in making!

The leading lady of the film will be announced soon. Thugs of Hindostan holds more surprises in its kitty! So watch out for more details in this space and keep counting the time till its release date of Diwali 2018.

Sunny Leone’s official website with adult content could go down as right wing outfit Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) is planning to launch a nationwide campaign demanding a complete ban on the portal.

HJS, headquartered in Goa, will launch a campaign against the website on September 10 from Kashi.

According to HT report, HJS activists plan to stage a demonstration at Shashtri Ghat.

On being asked why HJS was calling for a ban only on Sunny Leone’s website, to that regional coordinator of the organisation, Nilesh Singbal said,  “In India, people are not much aware about names of other porn stars. Her growing popularity has become a threat to the Indian culture.”

The activist also advocated imposing a ban on other “such websites” too. He said that HJS had a big plan to create awareness among people about the ill-impact of porn websites on the minds of people.

Jacqueline Fernandez, who is riding high on the success, with back of back hits like ‘Housefull 3,’ ‘Dishoom,’ ‘A Flying Jatt,’ is a treat for the choreographers to work with. According to them, this actress, who has slew of hit numbers to her credit, she dances with complete ease and makes the steps look even better.

On a related note, the 31-year-old actress has the maximum hit songs like ‘Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan,’ ‘Lat Lag Gayi,’ ‘Pyaar Ki Maa Di’ and the very recent ‘Beat Pe Now.’

The actress has also learnt various dance forms, like tap, ariel, ballet and others for her various songs so far.

Speaking about the same, Jackie said,

“Apart from performing in front of the camera, dancing is another thing I completely enjoy. It’s a treat to work on dance numbers.”

The ‘Housefull 3’ actress is currently judging dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’ and working on her untitled next with Sidharth Malhotra.

Source: ANI

Sonakshi Sinha will be seen packing punches and doing hardcore action sequences in her upcoming ‘Akira’ and the actress says the film came at the right time in her career as she wanted to push her limits as a performer. The action-thriller is directed by A R Murugadoss, who is known for his commercial potboilers, starring leading actors.

The 29-year old actress says she is overwhelmed that she got a chance to become the “Ghajini” helmer’s first leading lady as he has never made a film with a female protagonist before. “Akira pushed me in lot of ways that I have not been pushed before. It has been very challenging and it has been a fantastic experience. I’m really happy that it came to me at this point of time in my life and career when I was looking to do something like that,” Sonakshi told PTI in an interview.

The actress says Murugadoss thought she would fit the role of Akira Sharma during the making of 2014 Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Holiday’. “With ‘Holiday’, I got a chance to work with Murugadoss sir, who saw the spark in me to cast in ‘Akira’. He is the man who has worked with one of the top action stars of our country. He has never made a film with female protagonist before. He approached me for that and I felt really honoured.”

“It has a lot of shades and it was very challenging for me to portray such a character.” When asked if now she is only interested to play female-oriented characters, Sonakshi says it is only by chance that she is getting such roles.

“It is happening by chance that I’m doing ‘Akira’ and then ‘Noor’. The audience is opening up to these kinds of films. They like to see something different. I only look at how good the character is and how badly I want to play. So, for me these are really good roles and that is why I have taken them up.”

Sonakshi’s last release was ‘Tevar’ which hit theatres in early 2015 and the actress says she may have been absent from the big screen but she was shooting back-to-back films. “I was shooting. I was working for

‘Akira’ because the shoot went on for a while then I started ‘Force 2’ and then ‘Noor’ happened.

Sonakshi says she will be seen doing action sequences in ‘Force 2’ as well but it is quite different from her upcoming film. “There is action in

‘Force 2’ as well but it is very different from ‘Akira.’ It is much stylised and sleek. In this film, it is very raw and hand-to-hand combat. It’s quite different and interesting.”

PTI

STORY: Aman fears heights, dogs and industrialist Malhotra who sends merciless Raka to grab Aman’s land – but what happens when Aman discovers his own superhuman powers? Can he defeat Raka – and the power behind him?

REVIEW: So, straight away, the best thing about A Flying Jatt is the fumbling Jatt played by Tiger Shroff. Wicked industrialist Malhotra (Kay Kay) wants Aman’s family’s lands, which hold a sacred tree, for his polluting industries. Aman’s mother, Mrs. Dhillon

(Amrita), ferociously opposes Malhotra – but Aman quakes before him, intimidated by most things on earth, including his own martial arts students.

Can Aman ever stand up to Malhotra and his huge henchman Raka (Nathan) – and can he fight his own fears?

Tiger does a neat job as Aman, shivering superhero who fights crime but also buys ‘do kilo lauki’ on the way home. Tiger’s evolution, from a kind but confused kid on the block, to a focused and fierce fighter, comes across well as do the film’s light moments, including Aman as ‘Sunny Leone’. Amrita Singh, literally playing a Tiger Mom, displays feisty panache, berating her son for having ‘dole-shole, no jigra’, delivering wisdom with slaps and guzzling drinks galore. The banter between her, Tiger and Aman’s fun-loving brother Rohit (Gaurav) is fresh good fun.

Sadly, as Aman’s love interest Kriti, Jacqueline adds little zing to this party – her role consists of grinning incessantly and delivering mystifying dialogues (“I like karate – it’s like, so, hah!”) in an accent that reminds you – with longing – of Katrina Kaif. Kay Kay is much too leashed – despite his ability, Malhotra’s malevolence simply doesn’t ooze through. As Raka, who literally enjoys toxic power, Nathan Jones growls, grunts and grins in a manic sort of way. These don’t make him scary – just cartoonish.

And there lies the trouble with A Flying Jatt – the full, stark shebang of a superhero versus super-dark powers never comes through. The villains remain cardboard cut-outs and the clash grows predictable. These thrills don’t chill. On the upside, for children, A Flying Jatt provides clean entertainment – with its innocence, it evokes more Haathi Mere Saathi and less cool-cat Krrish. The film takes off only because of its simplicity – a flying jatt who’s afraid of heights, a rarity in dark times of Udta Punjabs.