Saif Ali Khan

Starring : Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Kumud Misra, Amyra Dastur

Directed by : Ali Abbas Zafar

Produced by : Himanshu Kishan Mehra & Ali Abbas Zafar

So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows on OTT, our today’s pick is Tandav, the much-awaited Hindi series on Amazon Prime. Let’s now see how it is.

Story :

Samar Pratap Singh(Saif Ali Khan) is the son of soon to be sworn-in Prime Minister of India Devaki Nanda(Thigmanshu Dhulia). But in a terrific tale of events, Samar kills his dad and becomes the obvious choice to take the PM’s post. But things go haywire for Samar as Anuradha(Dimple Kapadia) a senior member of the party spoils Samar’s plan at the last minute and becomes the PM. What did Anuradha do to spoil Samar’s career? How did Samar take his revenge? That forms the story of this high-profile political thriller.

What’s Good

What impresses you big time in this series are the solid production values and able star cast. Some of the top names in the industry are roped in for key roles and because of this, the performances of Tanda are top-notch. Dimple Kapadia is solid in her negative role and brings a new dimension to her role.

Gauhar Khan gets a key role and she does full justice to it. Zeeshan Siddique, the young actor does well as the student leader. Comedian Sunil Grover is solid in a negative role and is the surprise package of the show. He gets to play the mean part and is quite effective.

Last but not least, Saif Ali Khan as PM’s son and a power-hungry politician is top-notch. Saif brings his experience into the character and gives a settled performance. All his scenes with Dimple Kapadia are the best in the series.

What’s Bad

The show is directed by Ek Tha Tiger fame Abbas Ali Zafar and starts on a solid note. It gives you a feeling that the series is going to be a crazy political thriller. But once the show gets into the third episode, things change and more scenes related to student politics are showcased. This is where the proceedings get bogged down.

There was no need to showcase the usage of students in the big political game in such a detailed manner. Some more scenes of how Sai goes back to getting on top of his political game should have been showcased.

Technical Aspects

The camerawork is top notch and showcases the series in a rich manner. The production design needs a special mention as the PM’s office, political setup is quite grand and very realistic. BGM by Julius Packimam is amazing and so were the gritty dialogues. The starting three episodes are terrific.

Verdict :

On the whole, Tandav is a glossy political thriller with top-notch performances. It starts on a riveting note but gets bogged down in the middle. The topic deviates and things become a bit predictable by the end. If you ignore these aspects, the controversial series ends up as a passable watch this weekend for its star-studded cast and rich visuals.

Rating: 2.75/5

Release date : July 24th, 2020

Star Cast : Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjana Sanghi, Saif Ali Khan

Director : Mukesh Chhabra

Producers : Fox Star Studios

Music : A. R. Rahman

So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows during the lockdown period, our today’s pick is the much-awaited last film of Sushanth Singh Rajput, Dil Bechara. The film is available on Disney Hotstar and let’s see how it is.

Story :

The film is set in Jamshedpur and showcases the lives of two cancer patients Kizzie Basu(Sanjana Singh) and Manny(Sushanth Singh Rajput). Even after being diagnosed with cancer, Manny is a happy go lucky youth who forces himself upon Kizzie. At first, Kizzie ignores Manny but slowly she too falls for his lively nature. On the other hand, Kizzi’s ultimate dream is to meet her favorite singer who is now settled in Paris. The rest of the story is as to how Manny fulfills Kizzie’s last wish and what happens to this couple who are in the last stages of their lives.

Plus Points :

Sushanth Singh Rajput has an infectious smile and he uses that to full effect in this film. He is full of life and charms you throughout with his adorable performance. Be it in the comedy scenes or in all the emotional moments in the last fifteen minutes, Sushanth just wins your heart. It is his performance that lights the screen even when the scenes start looking dull in many areas.

But the star of the film is the main lead, Sanjana Singh who makes a memorable debut. She is cast so well in her part and the young actress gives a mind-blowing performance. The way Sanjana has showcased delicate nuances in her difficult role shows her acting prowess. She is cute, has superb screen presence, and if handled her career well, she can go a long way in Bollywood.

Yet another hero of the film is A R Rahman. He lifts the soul of the film with his amazing music score. Director Mukesh Chabra should also be praised for using the songs in a superb way in the narrative. The last twenty minutes is where things get emotional and this part has been handled well by the director. The supporting cast is also good and so was the production design which gave the film a good look and field.

Minus Points

One of the biggest minus points of the film is its runtime. Though it is only one hour forty minutes, it feels like the director rushes up things a bit. Firstly, the initial 20 minutes are slow and the romance happens so easily between the couple. Some more romantic scenes and wooing would have made the relationship look more intense.

Also, scenes wise, the film is good but the flow of emotions is not proper. As the lead pair are cancer victims, the pain in their lives is not showcased on a gripping note. Things happen in a forced manner and this makes things look a bit dull.

Technical Aspects :

Director Mukesh Chabra is a star casting director in Bollywood and as it is his first film, he is spot on with his actors in the film. The camerawork is amazing and the lyrics of the songs are quite endearing. Music by AR Rahman is one of the best in recent times. The set work and production values are very good.

Coming to Mukesh Chabra’s direction, he has done a decent job for his first film. He extracts good performances from his cast and narrates the film in a simple manner. Had he worked more on the lead pair’s romance and emotions, things would have gone to another level altogether.

Verdict :

On the whole, Dil Bechara is a simple romantic drama that has some heartwarming performances by the lead pair. Sushanth Singh Rajput’s charm, amazing screen presence and performance hold the film completely. Though the film could have been a bit strong in the emotional department, AR Rahman’s solid music keeps you afloat. Finally, actors like Sushanth Singh Rajput come rarely and for this, one needs to watch the film with an open mind and enjoy his screen presence one last time.

123telugu.com Rating : As it is the last film of Sushanth Singh Rajput, his work should be cherished and so it is not ethical to rate it on a scale of 1 to 5. May his soul rest in peace.

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

Review : Tandav – Hindi Series on Amazon Prime

Review : Dil Bechara- Hindi film on Hotstar (Sushant Singh Rajput )