Member Reviews

For the uninitiated, the glory of the Maratha kingdom ends with the great warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. That his son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, was an equally valiant, fearless and fierce ruler is a fact we are not fully privy to. Thus, on this count alone, ‘Chhaava’, which chronicles the life and death of Sambhaji, is worthy of celluloid attention. After a brief historical introduction in the voice of Ajay Devgn, the film comes straight to the point. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his courtiers are celebrating the death of Shivaji. The Maratha kingdom is now well within their grasp. Only they have not factored in the might of Shivaji’s son. Vicky Kaushal as Sambhaji soon appears with his army and his valour is on full display as he vanquishes his enemy in Burhanpur, a domain of Aurangzeb. Clearly, the emperor is enraged and vows to wear his crown only when he hears Sambhaji scream in pain. Can the Marathas defeat the might of the Mughal army? We all know the answer to this question. The point now is how well the director, Laxman Utekar, can take us through it. Until the intermission, the narrative moves at a fast pace. The period setting is right, with grandeur befitting the 17th century in which it is set. Sambhaji is not all brawn, but heart too. Other characters include a maternal uncle, Sarsenapati Hambirao (Ashutosh Rana), a loving and fawning wife Maharani Yesubai (Rashmika Mandanna), and a Rajput braveheart who is a poet too (Vineet Kumar Singh). But the problem is that whenever a Bollywood film is in service of one character, historical or otherwise, it goes overboard in eulogising its hero. Even if well deserved as in the case of Sambhaji, it keeps drumming the fact time and again. The net result is that not only are the other characters sidelined, the hero even when played by an actor of immense calibre like Vicky Kaushal does not get time to truly breathe. One of the early dialogues is, “Hum shikaar karte hain shor nahin”. Yet, the film is loud, with a louder background score (imagine, by none other than AR Rahman).

Based on Shivaji Sawant’s popular novel, Chhaava is a puff piece on Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji, who took on the might of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for around eight years in the 17th Century. Carrying forward the defiant approach of his father Chhatrapati Shivaji, he kept Aurangzeb occupied in the Deccan during the second half of his reign, inflicting heavy damage on his humongous army and pride with his unmatched valour and guerilla tactics before being betrayed by his brother-in-law. Historians may not have been generous to the shooting star but, over the years, Sambhaji has acquired an almost divine status in Marathi cultural space. In recent years, at least three Marathi films portrayed him as someone who laid down his life for the Hindu faith. Director Laxman Utekar carries forward the narrative. Early in the film, when Sambhaji maims a lion, it becomes clear that it is going be a literal cinematic depiction of Calendar art by Utekar, who started his career as a cinematographer. When Sambhaji saves a Muslim child amid a battle — and a few reels later, Mughal soldiers burn a shepherdess alive — it becomes clear the agenda Chhaava seeks to promote and the emotion it wants to play up. However, when characters start introducing themselves and their intentions like players at the start of a cricket match, one wants to tell Utekar, ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’

Author Helen Fielding’s first novel about a single, thirty-something woman living in London was released in 1996. The novel was adapted into a movie in 2001, with the heroine of Bridget Jones’s Diary returning in a movie sequel titled Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2004. American actress Renée Zellweger has starred as Bridget Jones in all four films based on Fielding’s writing, which, in part, is the writer’s homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s no coincidence that Bridget’s love interest is called Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, who famously portrayed Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 1995 TV adaptation of Austen’s novel. The latest, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, is the fourth film (the last was Bridget Jones’s Baby, from 2016) about the life and loves of Bridget Jones. Michael Morris directs a screenplay by Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan. The film explores themes of loss, resilience, and self-discovery while still delivering the trademark awkwardness and comedic situations that have defined Bridget’s character.

Invincible has been a fan-favourite show for years, and season 3 continues on the same track. Despite its popularity, the animated series still seems underrated as it brings a blend of gory but easy superhero genres. The makers struggle to balance the big picture and the street-level subplots, but season 3 ends on a powerful note. Steven Yeun’s voice acting keeps the tension rising throughout the 8-episode season and is expected to get more intense with the next one. The season begins in the middle of Mark’s aka Invincibles’ character development, while for season 2 he struggled with his identity as a hero, the crisis remains in the forefront. After his fight with Amstrong, Mark is more worried about his own mentality and if he is turning into his father, but he keeps up his training with Cecil for months in prep for any Viltrumite attacks. Meanwhile, his responsibility towards his younger brother is keeping him moving forward. He continues to avoid Eve but eventually gives in and confesses his feelings for her.

Laxman Utekar’s directorial Chhaava focuses on building up on Sambhaji Maharaj’s tales of heroism with slow-motion action sequences and dialogues backed by heavy music. Still, Vicky Kaushal’s performance adds agency to the character and urgency to the plot. The film explores parts of the long story while also building on the world around it, introducing the historic era and Indian warriors of the time. Akshaye Khanna’s Aurangzeb is one of the key performances that keeps the film hooked but we needed a bit more from the roots of the story. Chhaava begins with a long narration of Sambhaji Maharaj’s family, and the tales of valour of his father Shivaji Maharaj and his grandfather Shahaji Maharaj. Narrated by Ajay Devgn, the same fills in the essence of the Maratha Swaraj as building blocks for the film. We do not get to see much of Sambhaji Maharaj’s childhood or his training for the throne instead, the makers added a few scenes showing how the memory of his late father always drove him in the right direction, meanwhile, his greed to know more about his mother and to make her proud kept him moving forward.

Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi-led film is a Valentine’s Day special release for Netflix. The film directed by Rishab Seth also borderlines on the love connection of a newly married couple. The two only begin to find out about each other after their wedding night is interrupted by goons. The thriller comedy focuses more on the latter in the second half and the performances also shine the best then. It also stars Pavitra Sarkar, Eijaz Khan in pivotal roles which adds most of the fun element in the film and would have been beneficial if also used in the first half. The film begins with Veer and Koyal meeting each other for the first time with their parents. While Koyal’s mother is bragging about her skills and how sanskari she is, Veer’s mother is bragging about how he is the protector and can provide for anything. Neither of the two seems to have any issues with each other and the family agree on their union but is informed that the wedding has to take place in two weeks or they won’t be able to get married for two years. As the festivities begin the two get to know each other a little bit through social media and even less through phone calls.

Captain America took on a new face back in 2021 with the release of The Falcon And The Winter Solider. Sam Wilson decided not to go through the same treatment as Steve Rogers to become a Super Solider and this is about him and fans doubting his decision. It still feels like a good idea for Wilson to take the serum but he won’t in the coming years to justify the ideology — which the film does on more than one occasion even when the decision feels like a bad idea to our new Cap himself. The film does bring in some familiar faces for cameos which makes the second half worthwhile, but it doesn’t build up to much. The film’s plot remains wafer thin as the government’s high-level prisoner goes rouge (surprise-surprise) and ends up taking over anyone and everyone he wishes including the President. While the tech may already be a real thing IRL, the film fails to see how a prisoner as big as the one introduced in the film gets away with it without raising any red flags or real alarms. Meanwhile, Sam returns to the MCU as the saviour of USA by going on a mission to retrieve a secret package being sold on the down low. And President Ross is working on trying to get the USA some Adamantium found in the celestial island aka Tiamut’s body left behind by the Eternals.

Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy explores a new chapter in the life of Bridget Jones after the death of Mark Dary. The film doesn’t do well for Renee Zellweger’s character as it continues to progressively not age throughout the series. However, the second half of the film focuses on a typical rom-com setting which works well for the film. It also brings more closure to all subplots and concerns that Bridget and her kids have. The film is as goofy and silly as earlier films in the series were and it is the nostalgia and emotional closure for the audience that keeps the film engaging. The film begins with Bridget going to visit Mark’s friends on his death anniversary. When he thinks about bailing her son reminds her, that it is the one day she leaves the house. At the party, it becomes obvious that even four years after his death she has not been able to move on, nor does she plan to do it. However, her friends demand that she return to work to be able to live a normal, healthy life. After recalling her father’s last wish that ‘she lives and not just survives after the death of her husband’, Bridget begins to take an interest in returning to work.

Chhaava opens with a Maratha raid on a Mughal town. As he slashes his way through enemy ranks, Sambhaji (Vicky Kaushal) notices a crying boy caught in the skirmish. He returns the child to safety. I knew this image would return in some way and it did, about an hour later. A little girl herding goats on Maratha land wanders out of the frame. In the next shot, she’s staggering back, set on fire by advancing Mughal troops. There’s no such thing as a moral army, only propaganda and the tales we choose to tell ourselves. A French traveler to India in the early 18th century wrote about the devastation of one Maratha raid: “We camped out next to villages reduced to ashes… Women clutching their children in their arms, men contorted, as they had been overtaken by death… a sight of horror such as I had never seen before.” We see such a scene in Chhaava—but done by the Mughals. When the Marathas in Laxman Utekar’s film (based on a 1980 novel) burn down a town, there isn’t a human in sight, and the only casualty is property.