'Laila Majnu' is redeemed by a brilliant second-half (Movie Review)

It takes this revisionist version of "Laila Majnu" time to come its own. 

Entertainment News: For a very long spell of storytelling director Sajid Ali lets the story spin out of control, spiralling and wobbling this way and that as we watch a spiffy but vacuous Laila indulging in what would qualify as serious eve-teasing if she were a man.

"Woh toh aise hi ladko ko ghumati rehti hai," says a guy about our modern day Laila. Not a very charming reputation to have. But ask her if she cares. Laila is curious about....err, physical intimacy. When one of her friends is reputed to have liplocked with her lover, Laila stares at her friend's smooched lips in the classroom, as though the blackboard had just found a sexy replacement.

Laila Majnu Movie Review

Then Laila meets her match. Qais (impressive newcomer Avinash Tiwari) is cocky and confident, as if he knows the pages of the legendary romance inside-out. Yeah, he knows his love is destined to be doomed. But that won't stop him from enjoying his courtship in Kashmir with the 'adam'-teasing Laila.

They meet, they exchange glances and repartees. They dare one another to cross limits. But seldom do. They sing soprofic songs in scenic Kashmir and promise each other they would climb the neighbourhood mountain to see what's on the other side.
Sadly the view on the other side remains obfuscated. We never see beyond Laila's vanity and Qais' self-absorbed pain.

Read my full review → Laila Majnu Review

'Paltan': A realistic but lame war film (Movie Review)

Based on a true story, this J.P. Dutta's film opens with a scene of high tension that soon transports the viewer exactly where he or she would never want to be, in a war zone on the Indo-China Border.

Entertainment News: After an intense prologue, which shows the Chinese aggression during the 1962 and 1965 attacks on the banks of the Namka Chur River in Arunachal Pradesh, the narrative settles on the Nathu La and Cho La clashes of 1967. The film depicts the series of military clashes between India and China alongside the border of the Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, then an Indian protectorate.

Paltan is the tale of the platoon from the Rajputana Rifles, under the command of Major General Sagat Singh (Jackie Shroff). On the ground level the platoon is led by Lieutenant Colonel Rai Singh Yadav (Arjun Rampal). He is seconded by Major Bhishen Singh (Sonu Sood) and Major Harbhajan Singh (Harshavardhan Rane) and they are assisted by Captain Prithvi Singh Dagar (Gurmeet Chaudhary). Each one of them have their moments of on-screen glory.

Paltan Movie Review

The watch-keepers living on the barren land, march in single file whenever they have a scuffle with their Chinese counterparts. Their face-offs seem legendary, which always seem to end on a dubious note, with "Hindi-Chini bhai bhai".

Designed in a formulaic manner, the narrative of this war film is interspersed with the personal lives of the protagonists. Each one has his share of onscreen personal moments, either with their parents, wife or fiance. So if you have seen any of J.P. Dutta's earlier films, then this is no different. The novelty in the treatment is missing.

Read my full review → Paltan Review

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Superhero mash-up Avengers: Infinity War beats Jurassic World as world’s 4th-biggest film

The third “Avengers” film has minted 1.686 billion dollars at the box office worldwide after 20 days of release, reported Variety.

 

International News : Disney Studios announced on Thursday that the third “Avengers” film has minted 1.686 billion dollars at the box office worldwide after 20 days of release, reported Variety.

Earlier, “Avengers: Infinity War” became the fastest film to hit the $1 billion worldwide mark, needing only 11 days to do so. It reached the milestone one day earlier than “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

It now trails only three titles at the all-time worldwide box office – “Avatar” with $2.79 billion, “Titanic” with $2.19 billion and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $2.07 billion.

Co-directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film features a massive ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt.

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ now Marvel’s sixth film to clock $1 bn worldwide

“Avengers: Infinity War” has crossed $1 billion worldwide, setting the record for the fastest film to reach the milestone.

The Disney-Marvel film, which released on April 27, will take in around $122 million this weekend from 4,474 North American locations, which, combined with its international total, will push it past the $1 billion mark, reports variety.com.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is Marvel’s sixth film to reach that number, including the second most recent installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe “Black Panther”.

“Avengers Infinity War” brings together 22 superheroes to fight one supervillain, Thanos. Anthony and Joe Russo have brought the story alive on the big screen with actors like Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson.

The film also features Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland. The superhero tentpole opened to $257.6 million last weekend, attaining the highest-grossing opening weekend of all time.

The film got a flying start in India too by recording a gross box office collection of Rs 1.20 billion in its opening weekend.

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Read More on → Highest Grossing Movies

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ set to beat Jungle Book’s box office record

Having made Rs 1.87 billion in 10 days, the Marvel superhero juggernaut is set to crush Mowgli’s Rs 1.88-billion haul at the box office.

Latest News : At Rs 1.87 billion (net after tax) box-office collections in the 10 days since its release, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is on track to becoming the highest earning Hollywood film in the country. Released on April 27 along with the rest of the world, Infinity War was one of the widest Hollywood releases in the country at 2000 screens, and opened with Rs 400 million, the second highest opening at the box office this year.

A product of the Disney stable, Infinity War is the 19th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which started with the first Ironman film in 2008. The film follows the Mad Titan Thanos in his quest for the Infinity Stones so that he can wipe out half the universe. It stars more than 20 of Marvel’s superheroes, and is the culmination of multiple storylines established in the movies that came in the past decade.

On its way to the top, Avengers Infinity War would have beaten The Jungle Book (2016), also a product from the House of Mouse, which made Rs 1.88 billion in its lifetime at the theatres in India.

Released on April 8, the film had a nearly 6-week run at the box office, cashing in on the nostalgia the story holds for Indian audiences who have seen the 90’s animated version of Mowgli’s adventures with Baloo and Bagheera, and the summer vacation. Infinity War has breached its record within two weeks of release.

Disney’s strategy for its Hollywood films, especially those with mass appeal, has been honing a sharp focus on localisation in its distribution and marketing. Infinity War released in three Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, apart from English.

Apart from dubbing the content in local languages, the studio also marketed the dubs extensively, especially where they tapped into visible local talent like Rana Dagubatti who has voiced Thanos in the Telugu version.

Also Read → Avengers Infinity War Box Office Collection

Dangal set to beat Baahubali-2, grosses over Rs 1,500 crore worldwide

Till Sunday, Baahubali-2's global mop up at Rs 1,565 cr and Dangal's at Rs 1,501 cr

 

 

Latest News : Aamir Khan-starrer wrestling drama Dangal has grossed around Rs 1,501 crore worldwide, collecting $12.64 million till 11 pm (China Standard Time) on Sunday in China and has become second Indian film to gross over Rs 1,500 crore Club.

 

Dangal, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, has grossed over $113 million in China, becoming highest non-Hollywood foreign grosser in the Chinese box office, posing threat to the position of S S Rajamouli's action fantasy epic Baahubali: The Conclusion as the top worldwide grosser among Indian films. It is also the highest grosser at the overseas box office among Indian movies.

 

Dangal is very likely to cross Baahubali-2's worldwide gross collections soon as Baahubali's theatrical run is slowing down in most areas. Baahubali-2's worldwide collections stand at Rs 1,565 crore till Sunday and India collections stand at Rs 988 crore net, according to Ramesh Bala.

Dangal grossed Rs 1,501 crore till now, among which Rs 731.36 crore is from China and Rs 25.78 crore is from Taiwan, according to movie trade analyst Ramesh Bala. In the Chinese box office charts, Dangal has dethroned Guardians of the Galaxy-2 in China in the second week and continues to be at the top since then. 

 

However, Dangal's brilliant run can be challenged once the "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", the fifth movie from the popular franchise, releases in China next Friday (read more...)