'Love Sonia': A familiar tale brutally told (Movie Review)

With some shocking moments based on true incidents, "Love Sonia" is a slick and dramatic, fictionalised film about human (especially women) trafficking in India.

Entertainment News: For a tale about women being exploited for sex, what makes "Love Sonia" stands out is that it treats its women as relatively unimportant. The narrative takes off in a place 1,400 km north of Mumbai, where Shiva (Adil Hussain), a farmer of a barren land is forced to sell one of his two daughters to "Dada Thakur" (Anupam Kher), a zamindar.

Seventeen year old Sonia (Mrunal Thakur), the daughter who witnessed the sale of her older sister Preeti (Riya Sisodia), is distraught. She learns that her sister is taken to Mumbai. So, with the hope of reuniting with her sister, Sonia runs away from home. And soon, she lands in a brothel in Mumbai, and from thence her ordeal begins. The film is her journey.

Love Sonia Movie Review

Mrunal Thakur is a brilliant actress and as Sonia, she slips into her character with natural ease. With naivety written large on her visage and innocence in her demeanour, you empathise with her and feel her pain. She is aptly supported by a retinue of power-packed actors.

Manoj Bajpayee in an extremely new avatar shines as the brothel owner Faisal. You watch him with awe as he manipulates from being a soft-spoken concerned person to a ruthless man who conducts his operations as a "business".

Adil Hussain as the desperately helpless farmer who drinks in frustration and Anupam Kher as the detestable landlord, are equally convincing. Richa Chadha and Freida Pinto as prostitutes -- Madhuri and Rashmi -- are stereotyped, but they do add some fine nuances to their character which makes them memorable.

Read my full review → Love Sonia Review

'Manmarziyaan': Performances elevate this predictable love-triangle (Movie Review)

The only thing that makes this film unique are Director Anurag Kashyap's sensibilities.

Entertainment News: "Manmarziyaan" seems like a derivative of the 1999 released Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", or the numerous love triangles that one witnesses in Hindi cinema where the girl falls for a loving but irresponsible, commitment-phobic and then settles for a sober, "husband material". The only thing that makes this film unique are Director Anurag Kashyap's sensibilities.

Set in Amritsar, Rumi (Taapsee) an orphan living with her Grandfather and uncle's family is a bold girl who is unabashedly in love with Vicky also known as DJ Sandz (Vicky), who is a total narcissist, self-absorbed and a loser of sorts. Despite this, he is likeable. He is in his own world of music, where he literally mixes leading songs of every musician he finds. But when it comes to love, he professes to love her intensely and passionately.

Manmarziyaan Movie Review

One never quite understands what Rumi sees in him besides the physical. She, an ex-hockey player lives life on her terms, and is effervescent and raw. They have a bohemian affair, having so much fun with each other. In fact he sneaks into her bedroom and the fun becomes almost a tangible thing; you can witness on the screen that they like each other, and so cross boundaries brazenly.

When they get caught, Rumi's aunt insists that they marry her off. Rumi is nonchalant, not realising that Vicky is commitment phobic, she confidently proclaims that Vicky would come the next day with his parents to ask for her hand in marriage. From thence their relationship vacillates till Robbie (Abhishek) a London returned banker in search of a bride, lays his eyes on Rumi and they marry.

Infatuation, lust and love are emotions that are handled with equal fervour. There is a lot happening and it happens so charmingly and with such quick spirit and wit, that it's enough to keep you hooked.

But here, in a predictable story with one easily anticipated development after another, it is the strong cast in the lead, including great chemistry between the trio that keeps "Manmarziyaan" from totally derailing.

Read my full review → Manmarziyaan Review