My Top 6 Bollywood Films of 2018

December 29, 2018 , 0 Comments

I am movie buff and I love watching Hindi films. Before 2018 becomes a forgotten reality, here's my list of some unforgetful films of the year.



These films have all the right chords including-

1) Good storyline
2) Entertainment quotient
3) Performances
4) High Recall value

The list is purely personal and dominated largely by the films that I have seen. and the films that I have not seen were not compelling enough to be seen. Here's presenting my top favorite films of 2018 and why they deserve to be there.


1) October
It was not your regular Hindi film. However, it was a film that's worth being made any kind of benchmark for many filmmakers. October was the unusual story of usual life. Life of a young fancy intern that meets with an accident and changes completely.  It had Varun Dhawan's one of the best performances till date.
  
I really hope that more of such films are made here.



2) Badhai ho
A small budget film with a big entertainment quotient. The film was about a senior couple becoming parents again, accidentally. Their subtle old-world romance and the brouhaha that followed including the family's reaction was less preachy and more entertaining. The movie had all- Story, performances, humor, message, songs etc The movie's cast was the hero. Esp the aging couple- Neena Gupta and Gaj Rao, and the dadi so beautifully played by Surekha Sikri.

It was clearly an Ayushman Khurana year And so well deserved. 



3) Patakha: 
An unusual story of two warring sisters who can't live without each other. Often termed as India Pakistan, the sister's world was rocked brilliantly by their friend Dipper, brilliantly played by Sunil Grover. The village based movie had authentic Rajasthan and Harayanavi touch that totally transports you to the screenplay wherein actors are the characters and not the Khans and Kumar.

This Vishal Bharadwaj movie is one of his finest work, much better than duds like Haider etc. Indeed worth watching! And I wonder why it was so ignored.


4) Stree

Stree was one of the best horror or even horror comedy Indian cinema had so far. The film so beautifully weaved the story, characters, conversations and a clear-cut agenda of real feminism. The story set in Chanderi Village had an awesome performance by the very talented Rajkumar Rao.
The film very well chalks out the importance of consent and has an intriguing end that made people talk about the film even today.




5) Andhadhun
What a madcap thriller it was. A true, edge of the seat thriller. Andhadhun is a story of a blind pianist who is not actually blind but turns out to be one. Watch it for "what next" kind of suspense and the beautiful performance by Tabu, followed by Ayushman Khurana.

It was clearly an Ayushman Khurana year And so well deserved. However, it is Tabu who steals the thunder and how. 


6) Raazi
It was a spy thriller that was such a mature, subtle patriotism redefined. I would call it a mature movie, almost unbiased. The ending left me poignant and depressed. I dunno what upset me more- the reality/smallness of our lives or the animosity between countries that see no rhyme and no reason?




Well, these were my top 6 films of the year. There were other films that I enjoyed watching and worth a mention/watch are-Mukkabaaz, Mitron, Padman, Batti Gul Meter Chalu and 102 not out.

I would have loved to add Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety but the OTT misogynist approach of the franchise is highly repulsive and I am sorry but I don't call that OTT fun!

Let me know if you have any favorite film of this year.

Love,
Ekta for Numerounity
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Soy Protein And Sarcopenia

December 11, 2018 1 Comments

DuPont' Bloggers Meet

Last week, I attended a bloggers meet by DuPont Nutrition and Health in Sahara Star, Mumbai. Dupont is a world leader in developing innovative soy-based ingredients that enable nutritious and great-tasting food and beverage products. 

Needless to say, the meet was on highlighting Soy as a supreme plant-based protein and its health benefits in our lives. 

It was a well-organized meet up where representatives of Du Pont along with a Dietician came for a tete a tete with bloggers, entailing the evidence study based Soy-way of life and how DuPont's rigorous quality standards for raw materials, manufacturing and inventory control ensure their soy protein products deliver the highest levels of quality, safety, and consistency.

 [You may also like to read my post on Soy Protein for Vegan on my Lifestyle Blog]

Being a vegetarian, of late I have been consuming quite a portion of Soybadi Nutrela [an extruded form of textured Soy] and periodical cooking in Soy oil.  

However, the biggest takeaway from this meet was not the mere benefit of soy protein or the controversy surrounding it but Sarcopenia.

You may wonder what is Sarcopenia? And how does Soy protein links with it? Lets quickly read more on this.

 Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass (0.5–1% loss per year after the age of 50), quality, and strength associated with aging. Sarcopenia is a component of the frailty syndrome, which is a condition associated with aging and causes a decline in the health of the elderlies. 

If you have noticed, a lot of our elders, including grandparents and parents suddenly start to lose weight and develop a very fragile frame. Well, Sarcopenia could be it. I met quite an elder people who have suddenly lost a lot of body mass and weight, undeliberately, looking akin to wrinkled skeletons. Well, that is alarming. Sarconia is a bad news for elders but maybe, soy protein is a good news when it comes to preventing/coping sarcopenia.

 Sarcopenia and Soy Proteins

DuPont Nutrition & Health (Madison, WI) has shared new study results suggesting a blend of whey and soy proteins may help curb key signs of muscle loss in older men. 

 According to team DuPont, Soy Protein can help elders cope with Sarcopenia. And that is a good news esp for senior citizens who are lactose intolerant or are primarily vegetarian.

To support this, let me quote an observation suggested by Nutritional Outlook-
Writing in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers studied men aged 55–75 who were randomized in a double-blind, controlled trial to consume either 30 grams of whey protein isolate or 30 grams of a blend containing 25% DuPont Danisco SUPRO soy protein, 25% whey, and 50% casein. All participants performed leg extension exercises one hour before supplementation, which consisted of eight sets of 10 repetitions at 70% one-repetition maximum power.

So good news for elders who fear or are battling sarcopenia. Esp the ones who are vegetarians and are vegans 'forced vegan due to lactose intolerant syndrome. 

 “Sarcopenia is estimated to affect 30 percent of individuals over 60 years of age and more than 50 percent of people over 80 years. It has significant quality of life consequences for aging individuals, and contributes substantially to direct healthcare costs,” said Jean Heggie, strategic marketing lead, DuPont Nutrition & Health.

I was very delighted to learn this and could not resist myself from immediately tweeting.

Follow @numerounity on Twitter



Numerounity Takeaway

Resistance Training and Dietary intervention, with an adequate focus on high-quality protein is a good news to Battle Sarcopenia.

While it is an emerging study but it needs to be equated well with the overall health benefits of consuming Soy Protein wrt its effect on heart, Liver and Kidney health. I suggest speaking with a good nutritionist on consumption of Soy protein in your diet vis a vie usage of DuPont Danisco SUPRO  may be a good step to start with.

Let me know if you know of any such case and have tried soy protein. Or you want to share your Sarcopenia story. If you are a nutritionist, you are most welcome to guest blog on this subject.

Stay United with Good health,
Ekta Khetan

____________________


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Badhaai Ho! for Evergreen Romance | Film Review

October 23, 2018 1 Comments

Badhaai ho, Ek Achchi Movie Aayi Hai!

Whenever I see Surekha Sikri and Neena Gupta onscreen, irrespective of the story, it becomes imperative for me to watch that movie, at least there parts in it. Badhai Ho is no different. It has both of them and a subject close to my heart [nothing personal] and above all a sensitive subject with well blending Ayushmann Khurrana and not Akshay Kumar with his OTT acts. Read more to know more...


Senior Citizen Romance is the Cutest

I am liking the way mainstream cinema is shaping up these days. We have movies like Vicky Donor, Subh Mangal, Dangal, Batti Gul Meter Chalu among others that dare to touch sensitive yet important causes and raises the questions without being extremely preachy or being a dull art craft.

Badhaai Ho is one such movie.

Years back there was a Pakistani Serial about to be telecasted on Zee's Zindagi TV that had a similar question as a subject. I too was asked a question- What will you do if you learn that your mother is pregnant?

My answer was and still is - Is she happy about it and whether it would be conducive for her health or no?

And that should be everyone's worry AF and not - Log kya Kahenge!

The Movie

The trailer gives you all the hint of the storyline.

I would rather tell you what I liked in the film and why it is a good cinema and makes a good watch.

First of all, the setting. I liked real to life setting with water coolers stacked over the table, the railway peon carrying a box of mangoes for the TT boss and how the family treats over the mangoes on their dining table.

Secondly, the screenplay and dialogues are delights to watch. The movie does not fall in loop of long narration but comes to the point very quickly and reasonably, building all the character sketches. The dialects are fun. The movie has a lot of Haryanavi Marwadi and I so loved the chastity of it. It was spoken as if it was owned. Unlike a lot of films including the recently released Dhadak where the dialect looked quite superimposed.

The actors were the actors and the characters, each distinct of their own and looked as they should look like. There wasn't any single character playing OTT and that was the beauty of the film. 

The heroes of this films are the usual suspects- Surekha Sikri, Gajraj Rao, and Neena Gupta. The most delightful is Surekha Sikri. By God, I was reminded of my own Nani.

Bachche bina "Sexy" ke nahi hote was a cheesy line but when she says, it sounded the creamiest. There were other scenes, in fact, all the scenes where Surekha Sikri was present and have mouthed even a line was worthy to watch on a repeat basis.

One of the favorite scenes was the bidaai scene when she chides the bride [her grand daughter] right before her words get muted by band noise. You should look at the ease and smoothness she mouths all of them. She indeed is a legendary actor that we ever had! She reminds you of the fond appearances that once Leela Mishra and Dina Pathak used to have on screen.

Neena Gupta, one of my most favorite actors on the big screen [especially] is as powerful as ever. Her expressions, her small-small actions were so natural that you start believing that she truly is the character she played.

Kudos to her and Gajraj Rao for a very subtle, yet highly entertaining performance. 

Ayushman Khurrana is at his usual best. Unfortunately, this film was not about him but yet he lives his part as gracefully, as Sania Malhotra playing the role of Rene. Another grounded performance there.

She gave me major Pinaz Massani Vibes, the female ghazal singer of the yore. 

Sheeba Chadda who played her mother was at her usual best too. For me, these character actors are the heroes of the film and are always a delight to watch than the main leads. Same goes with the characters played by two other very talented actor- Alka X2 [Alka Amin and Alka Badola]

The vibes, the feel, the setting and the story telling everything was so natural that if you are someone who is from that belt or familiar, will totally appalud it for.

The title song, am sure would have already found its place in the upcoming wedding season.



 Numerounity Verdict: Go ahead and watch this film. And yes, appreciate the romance between your parents and encourage them if it is not there. And do carry loads of yummy, crunchy popcorns.

And if you are a die-hard romantic like me, watch out for the potery at the rainy evening scene. What a class!

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A Mystic Trip To Highest lake in The World Guru Dronmarg Sikkim

October 17, 2018 1 Comments

“The most beautiful in the world is, of course, the world itself.” – Wallace Stevens



The world has more than what we think. The world is more than what we know.

Let's get to know the world, not by following a mere bucket list but going all out and embrace what comes, in the way or out of the way.

How?

Simply, by traveling unchained, with or without any bucket list.

But what do you expect?

Simply, expect the unexpected!

And The Guru Dronmarg lake at Sikkim is something beyond what you expected the world's highest lake to be!

Seeing is believing. Here's a glimpse-


Here's the beautiful Dronmarg lake.

What an ethereal sight. We are at the highest lake in the world, located at an altitude of 17,800 ft. It may be just 190 Km away from Gangtok but trust me the unkempt mountain roads of Sikkim or lack of it makes the distance even longer, larger and scarier.

My trip to Guru Dongmar Lake

While there are many legends about the name. What remains undisputed is the beauty! And the beauty starts from the very hour you embark on the journey towards this beautiful, sacred lake.

They have strict rules and timings. And above all, there is an unexpected nature of nature, that causes heavy rainfall and may block the road, making you stranded on the mountain or your permit getting outwardly rejected.

I feared nothing, I expected nothing. 

The lake was nowhere in my list. Yet I felt being drawn to the place. I felt as if I am living a dream that I have seen several years ago. As if there is a secret key to a long-standing dream here. As if I belonged to the place or was destined to be there.

Beauty is that nothing or nobody in the world mattered to me that time but it was only me and the part of the world I was in. 

That's' me at the lake, feeling eternally proud of my feat-


Bucket List is Old, #TheBlindList is the new

I do not make Bucket list but follow the blind list that I have been following. 

You know where was the real fun? The real fun was in the whole journey, where we charted into an unknown land, zooming into the sky, close to the sun


Unexpected Friendship

Of all the places, we never expected to find friendship at the remote Lachung Valley in the Orange County resort. Thank You Ramya and Karthik for being part of our beautiful memories of this trip together. A lot of our good pics are courtesy of the very talented couple.


Unexpected Flavor

Fun was finding that small tea and Maggi joint near the army area and cozying up near the fire and sipping sugary tea yet finding best joy in the world.





Fun was not finding any ladies toilet on the way and when we found one, it was laden with ice. Haha. I did not pee that day from 4am in the morning until the 3pm approx in the noon. There was a certain strength that helped me sail on.




Fun was taking a trip knowing that it is highly weather sensitive and can be closed owing to the snowing or any security reason anytime, even if you are almost half the way.

Fun was seeing the livestock, grazing happily over the mountain without any caste or creed.



Yet we followed our hearts and marched on. And that's why I love the world. Cause the world loves me back!

Everyone almost fell asleep on the way, sleep eluded me. For I was busy imagining figurines on the hills and melting ice. It reminded me of our existence. I want to live to my fullest before I start melting. 

If the best travel experience is expected out of The Blind list, let it arrive. For joy is all about receiving surprises unexpected,  



Do check out this link- #SayYesToTheWorld

Numerounity
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Watch Dhadak not as a remake of Sairat

October 16, 2018 , , 0 Comments

Why You Should Read this Review

I know it quite some moons since the movie released, talked about and gone to oblivion.

A lot of you would have seen the movie and while a few would have not. This post is for all of you. This is not atypical paid review but there is more in this article than just the review. Hardcore Sairat fans may not like to read this especially if they have seen Dhadak and not liked the film.

But, what the heck, it will be a 5 minutes read and we can exchange opinions. [Blogs are written for that right?] 

What Made me Watch Dhadak In spite of Negative Reviews

I have not seen Sairat but honor killing is a phenomenon that stands tall in my list of most hated anti-social practices.

Watching movies on honor killing is not on my agenda as I know the gravity of the matter and being helpless, powerless towards the cause, the on-screen re-recreation only disturbs me further. I had no intention to watch Sairat either.

I was drawn towards Dhadak as it is the debut of the daughter of one of the most loved Indian actress- The Late Sridevi. The promos looked good to me and the title song quite an enchanting. I was keen to watch this film and almost confirmed with my darling sister- Ria.

Towards the release date, I heard many reviews of the film including one post the releases. Needless to say, all of them have ripped off this movie. I asked my husband if he can accompany me for this film, several times but his repeated refusal further demotivated me to watch this film and by this time, Ria too had gone back to her hostel.

Notwithstanding my fervor to watch the debut film of Jahnvi Sridevi Kapoor, that had portrayed Udaipur [a city that I wanted to re-visit and see more], I agreed to take a USB copy from the friend and watch on my laptop. The bad print [another reason why you shouldn't watch a copy] and a lure to spend the day with husband made me shut this movie after 15 minutes and delete it from the system. [I was a hopeless romantic person too].

I almost scrapped the idea of watching this film and all the reviews added to my decision.

And then the movie was released on Amazon Prime and pointless to say today is that one fine day I decided to watch the film from where I left.

Numerounity Reviews Dhadak

Dhadak is a Hindi remake of the popular Marathi Film Sairat where two star-crossed lover portrays the bitter reality of honor killing, still prevalent in digital India.

I have not seen Sairat for the obvious reason and maybe that's why I am not willing to write of Dhadak.

Dhadak is a simple story of a strong headed Parthavi [ a very beautiful yet fierce daughter of a powerful restauranteur and aspiring politician] and a humble Madhukar [ a sweet and love-smitten son of another restauranteur family who strongly opposes inter-caste marriages].

They both study in the same college and start liking each other. They were about to discover the love and relishing their innocent moments when they were caught by Parthavi's corrupt father who wanted to kill Madhukar and his friends. Seeing her request to let go of them falling flat on her father and brother's ears, Parthavi threatens to kill herself and runs away with Madhukar to save them. 

And from where the real love story starts. The story travels from Udaipur to Mumbai to Nagpur and then hilts at beautiful Kolkata, shown the way as it is. In the conducive environment with adequate support, the lovers overcome the so-called practicalities of life, disapproving all the theories that go against the very foundation of love.

It is our knowledge of the probable ending [another reason why I want to watch films on my gut feeling that the ornamented reviews] that may loosen the overall impact of the film esp the climax. Yet the film manages to leave some necessary imprints on viewers.

It at least left on me, and if you are a sensitive viewer, you too would leave feeling dejected and carrying the impact with you. Dejected not with the film but the reality.

And I believe it is a good exercise for all the youth to go through this cinematic expression, even if they have missed watching Sairat.


The Critical review

The beginning of the film especially the dream sequence was absolute a sore. If the beginning could be avoided, the film was indeed a good watch. The pool, college, and fort sequences wherein Jahnvi and Ishaan get to know each other will indeed appeal youngsters, as the second half appealed to a more mature audience.

Songs are hummable but except Jhingaat and Title song, others failed to register as much. Performances overall are good including the addlebrained Roop Singh emotional-less brother of Jahnvi who runs on his father's strings.

I liked the second half more than the first half especially the rut wherein the lead characters go through the disembodiment of their well-structured lifestyle, struggling in an unknown city to find a livelihood, a lover's tiff in view of the harshness of life but soon winning it all over with their love and efforts. The reunion scene on the banks of Hooghly and the cloth washing were some of my favorites

Overall, the movie is worth a watch. And it is indeed a one-time watch [I found this film more realistic than Sui-Dhaga] If only, honor killing as reality cease to exist.

Honestly, the film is better than what different reviews have portrayed it to be. Like in all things in life, go with open mind and heart. Entertain or enlighten, decide yourself.

My Two Pence on love and Honor Killing

Sorry, the thinker and woman in me could not help but pen this out

Love is beautiful but its beauty often kneels down in extreme and continuous rejections. In such cases, rejections from the society backed by non-backing of the family that matters. A lot of love stories die hopelessly against the rejection from the society, making the lovers suppress it so much that instead of being the ambassadors they turn traitors against this beautiful feeling. Love is indeed a beautiful feeling that makes life worthy and even beautiful. The modern lovers have learned to get practical but unfortunately, the essence of true love appears more when we are more dreamy than practical. 

Let people fall in love. Instead of pulling them back, support them and show them the way. Rejections, oppositions, and harshness may solve your purpose but will leave a forever void that cannot be filled ever, leaving the personalities disabled forever, even in the most abled-bodies.

Honor killing in real and speech should be condemned.

Numerounity.

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Bigg Boss 12 Contestants Ranking

September 29, 2018 0 Comments

The weekend ka Vaar is full of confrontations and interesting analysis. This week, Ayushmann Khurana entered the house and asked the contestant to rank themselves on a scale of popularity from 1 to 10. And as expected, they goofed it.

We understand that every contestant is a celeb in the Bigg Boss but still, you cannot undermine their prevailing popularity and public's curiosity towards their life and behavior. 

Being a BB fan, I could not help but share my two pence [or more] on the participants this season.



My Ranking of the contestants-

1) Anup Jalota and Jasleen: They are the only Jodi that entices the eyeball this season and they are playing it so gracefully thus far, managing the curiosity around their pairing.

2) Somi and Saba: The sisters began on the highly irritating note but have been playing the game at least without trying to be sweet or politically correct. I like the fact that they do not act diplomatic but grace the accusation when thrown to it. 


3) Deepika Kakar: She might not be doing anything substantial in the house yet, however, her on-screen popularity still makes her one of the most looked upon contestant. Now it is up to her to make it or break it. But please, avoid that teary avatar and be little more grown-up.

4) Karanvir Bohra: He is a TC+V Celeb and the show is aired on the TV and hence, there is a high chance that he is being followed many of the TV goers and up on the popularity chart. My take- he can turn back anytime. 


5) Deepak and Urvashi: They started on the good note but the OTT chutzpah now begins to look OTT. 

6) Neha Pendse: Over the years of her "Aishwarya Rai" influenced styling and performance, I missed seeing her original avatar of "oorja" that I saw in a tv series years back. She is calm, composed and playing gracefully while being tactical. Oh, you said Tactical is Safe in her case?


7) Shristi Rode: I loved on her initial few shows but her game needs more reality check than her celeb status. 


8) Romil and Nirmal: Another very interesting Jodi- a lawyer and a policeman. They are playing the game well and have the potential to take it to the next level. It was shocking to see them landing in the jail in spite if performing well in the task. Tsch the herd mentality!


9) Sreesanth: The biggest crybaby of the house lacks sportsmanship absolutely. Guess he should stop trying to be the quasi Salman Khan of the house and start participating in the game. Another public figure who has come to the house to lose his respect by his sheer performance [or lack of it]. Bad show!


10) Shivansh and Saurabh: People expected them to be this season's Manvir and Mannu Panjabi. It was unfair that they were pitted against them and it is even 


11) Kriti and Cutie: They entered as the least impressive pair and their disappointing tenure as the first co-captain of the house. Roshmi [I have to google her name] is as good as invisible and may have to leave cause of her partner Kriti. Guess they need to exit to bring someone more meritorious. 


My Favorite contestant? Well, stay tuned for more updates or follow me on Twitter @numerounity

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Stree: Not Just A Film Review

September 03, 2018 , 2 Comments



Not Just Your Regular Stree


I seldom review all the movies that I watch. However, there are few movies that have content as the king and actors as aggregators or just vice -versa where the actor is the king and story a mistress that makes me come out of my shell [time availability offcourse] and review them.  No no, I am not talking about Padman, Padman was a good film in spite of having Akshay Kumar.

I am reviewing the recently launched Stree starring some real actors and a movie that has its heart in all the right places.


The Story

Stree is a story set in the Chanderi town of Madhya Pradesh. The town was haunted by a woman's soul who was mistreated and banished by the towners decades ago. The soul- named as Stree would return every year on the 4 days of annual pooja, to abduct menfolk in the dark of the night. She would often track the men roaming outside their unlabeled house, call them by their names and if they turn back and look into her eyes, it will be recorded as a consent to be taken away by her sans the men's clothes. She would leave their clothes behind as a signature gesture. 

There is a story behind her that you will get to know in the film or the trailers. Why she comes only during the pooja and what she does with those men, is something you should ask the writer or the director who has made this film based on a ridiculously true phenomenon. 

The Genre

The movie is largely a horror comedy film that has all its elements at the right places. It has elements of horror, comedy, satire and overall entertainment. The genre that I liked the most is the satire and the dark humor wherein it is unsafe for the men to go out alone in the nights while the women are safe. The hint that the soul enters only the houses that don't ward her off to come another day [like a certain Bond saying "aayi" another day] abducts unassuming men only after looking into their eyes, hypothetically seeking the consent and then taking off their clothes, ironically. A ghost that is more respectful and gender-aware than the real humans. 

After all, what happens when the men of the country feel unsafe? And with that movie very subtly gives you quite some important message without being preachy or embossing a jwaar bhata stardom showing actors or over the top locations "Chanderi ka ladka romancing in Switzerland wearing Manish Malhotra clothes".

Star Cast

Well, that brings me to the local Manish Malhotra of Chanderi, so "film school mein case study wise" Matlab ki well-played by a very talented Rajkumar Rao. Whose not just appearance or dialogue but whole persona and delivery is synchronized with the character and the story. He is the local darzi "bicky" who is the most stylish young boy in the small town yet not crass as Keshav of Toilet- Ek Prem Katha. And not just him, all other actors in this film, whether it is his two friends played by the very talented Abhishek Banerji's Jana and Aparshakti Kurrana's Bittu, oh what a complete shift from his misfired misadventure "happy phir bhag jayegi" that I saw last week. They both are well-etched characters, without mouthing cheap jokes, any loud gesture but thoroughly entertaining. 

The movie wherein the main lead is a well-demonstrating tailor who is shown technically stitching the cloths. And his stitching is better than some actor's Bengali. Gosh, I have nothing against Akshay Kumar but if you tale ambitious subjects, you need to deliver too.

And the team of Amar Kaushik- Dinesh Vijan- Raj Nidimoru and Krishan DK does that skillfully. 

And then there is the acting powerhouse like- legendary Pankaj Tripathi, Atul Shrivastava, and Vijay Raaz. You wonder if its the dialogue that was written for them or is it their awe-inspiring screen presence. Yes, they are quite a joy to watch.

For that matter, Shraddha Kapoor also is an absolute square peg in this square hole. She is a good fit and does a good delivery. She looks mysterious, Ghoulish, plays the puzzle well without giving away what is not suppose to give and suggesting what she is supposed to suggest. 

So overall, the performances are quite endearing and what I like most about this film is the screenplay. I am no technical champ but as a viewer, I like the way the movie steps from horror to comic to satire to the mystery and plays the loop well unlike some of the last horror comedies that I have seen like Golmal part 4 or that another crass franchise of Grand Masti. Golmaal still was better but had less of horror and more of comedy and drama.

Stree stands out and tall in the genre. It has black comedy, spoof and quite a parody- all the ingredients for a horror comedy. 

Music was tappable and has some nice mixes of songs including a very catchy- Aao kabhi haveli par and an item number featuring a very svelte Nora Fatehi.

The climax and Decoding the Ending

The climax was quite predictable. In spite of all the theories going around Shraddha Kapoor's character being the Stree, it was quite obvious that she is not the one but the ending scene got many confused and eagerly waiting for the sequel.

Oh yes, there were some loopholes in this film too but we can either enjoy a movie or write a thesis. I will give my two pence in next post. 

Nevertheless, I think a sequel is a good idea to reveal the identity of the mysterious Shraddha Kapoor's Van Helsing kind of the character who uses bikki to kill the stree or get the Stree ki choti [women and their fascination with hair] and then saves him, only to do vanishing bus act in broad of the day? Couldn't have waited for the next Bus stop to disappear?

And then the fact that whole of Chanderi knew about Vikki's mother's past profession except the son himself was quite strange. And our Bikki was so love struck that he gets ready to be the Stree ka Dulha but still couldn't ask her mysterious girl friend's name nor ever insists her to tell her details or the place the bus is going. Bikki please...

Numerounity Verdict: Like I said, the movie is a good watch and finding loopholes will only empty your viewing your experience. If you have not watched the film-go watch the movie. It is a bona fide horror and horror not necessarily means a hell lot of gory and dancing skeletons all the time.

Numerounity Rating: 4/5 [esp for subtly bringing that social satire and high-level performances]

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Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi

August 28, 2018 0 Comments


A hot Sardarni horticulture professor lands in China and gets misidentified and abducted by local goons. While the original victim swaps her place accidentally and lands up in the university giving a brief and sweet lecture on Bonsai.

The professor escapes from the goon's clutches, lands in a karaoke bar to have a glass of water and meets an assuming sweet smart Punjabi who incidentally works at Indian embassy, gets the epileptic attack of being Bhagat Singh and croons so badly on Sunny Deol's song that you want to FF the scene and prefer rather watching Deol dance.

And then they meet two strong individuals from India and Pakistan who accompany them all the way from Chinese Porn market to Chinese jail to make a man go to India and apologize to Happy part 2's unhappy bade papa.

In the meantime, original Happy, now happily married to her Guddu, roams freely in China Town meeting the Faq Qu of the worlds.

The twain shall cross the path, finish their Chinese mission, meet and how!


Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi is as Cliche as it may get. It is like a collage of all probable ingredients to make a film work which gets only desperate but still does not work. Color Yellow Productions, we expect better films from you.

Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi is a distant cousin of the original Happy Bhaag Jayegi [realeased in 2016 August]. It is not a sequel but is actually a sequel wherein a handful of the characters from the original were retained but the location is changed from Chandigarh errr supposedly Pakistan from the previous version to China in the current stint. Few new characters were added to further up the insipidity of this "stale from the start" film. Phew!

No wonder you may hear almost every critic [who was not paid to appreciate this film] and every viewer say- Afridi and Bagga were the most entertaining part of the film. They are not wrong. The repeat cameo by Jimmy Shergill and Piyush Mishra keeps your sinking experience afloat with their scenes and drop-dead humor. Trust me that's the only humor you will find in this film unless you are still the one who laughs on the crass "all Chinese looks the same" jokes.

Coming to performances, it starts and ends with the mention of Shergil and Mishra. Sonakshi Sinha's Happy was louder than Diana's Happy, and despite his sweet, gentleman role- Jaswant gill fails to impress as other characters in this film. And what the hell APARSHAKTI KHURANA was doing in that caricature gay role?

Music is fewer and passable. And the climax is as creative as the name "Popo carnival". The direction is lackadaisical and the film will do business cause we do not have many choices before Rajkumar rao's Stree releases.

Numerounity Rating: 2.5/5

Very soon the theatre screens may tell the film- Bhaag Happy Bhag!



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Sanju: A Damage or Salvage of a Movie?

August 09, 2018 6 Comments


When I first saw the teaser, I could not wait for the film to release and hear Sanjay Dutt’s approved side of the story and Rajkumar Hirani’s storytelling charm all weaved into Ranbir Kapoor’s awesome sauce performance in the trailer. Notwithstanding my bias for the actor, I could not wait to watch him portray the role of Sanju Baba esp the era when he looked cute as a foxy candy. Alas, I just had nightmares whole through the night.


While I am not debating on the authenticity of the story, even though it failed my mark of credibility. Here are my reasons that why Sanju failed for me.

 1) Missing links: A lot of you have pointed that the movie misses many important characters from this film incl his first marriage with Richa Sharma, followed by Rhea Pillai who stood tall with him through his first jail stint. And that is true. There is no inkling of some of the important characters including how he found his current wife. [ A very passable performance by Dia Mirza donning the fake mole]
2) Too Many actors but too less memorable performances: From Boman’s passable Bawa to Zubin Mistry’s “trying hard”, there is quite some cast in the movie but performances do not leave any impact but rather looked juxtaposed. Manisha Koirala as late Nargis Dutt looked beautiful and did justice to the role but for me, Paresh Rawal who in spite of being a great actor somewhere lacked that tenacity, that charm of the very classy Late Sunil Dutt.   Of the actress, Dia Mirza’ was passable and Anushka Sharma was way too theatrics. Surprisingly, it was Sonam Kapoor and her “blink and you miss” role that stood out among the all leading ladies excluding Manisha Koirala. 





Another character that stood out and out was the but of course was the “topless Kamli serving snacks in the hole” played by Vicky Kaushal. He had every moment to deliver a cliché of performance but he "roared" it well.


3) Lazy Screenplay: A over the top confident Dutt who was committing suicide in a scene hitherto, giggling away to flashback mode did not go that well with me. I was looking for more angst, pain and the authentic emotions that the actor may have undergone in the real life.  Overall the story opening and closing at convenient points is not a case of simplifying the content but quite a lazy scripting. Even his bringing “out of box” context did not work this time. Rather say there weren’t any this time. Unlike a signature totem that Hirani has in all his films, from Gandhigiri to the Wrong number to chemical locha, there was none in this film except a very lackadaisical “question mark” that can act as a good debatable point but does not have an endorsement factor with the masses.


4) Culprit than the Victim: To me, it appeared as if the director is enforced to make a sympathetic pitch rather than an empathetic portrayal. Whether it is Dutt’s addiction to the drugs, trauma of losing his beloved mother and love of his life, it all portrayed him as an irresponsible and spoiled son rather than a victim of the situation. for eg: If you have seen Kangana Ranaut’s minuscule portion in Fashion where she deals with heartbreak, career loss, and drug issues, it was a stark portrayal that I am talking about. Here it was all about Ranbir Kapoor trying to portray Sanjay Dutt.

5

5) Passable Music: Ranbir Kapoor played a Drug consuming rockstar in rockstar. If I ask you to recall a top memory from the film, what would it be? For me, it was- “Sadda Haq” and “Nadaan parinde”. That kind of Metamorphosis, the strong linkage with the music is so missing in this movie. The only song that stays and could be aspirational will be- Kar har Maidan fateh!


6) Glorification of LSD: Baring the Mangalasutra scene


Numerounity Review: Overall, Sanju the film is really a big disappointment. The humor in between was stale and did not help as well. Rather than a whitewash portrayal or empathetic storytelling, this film looks more like the PR gone wrong. Wrong Number Mr. Hirani. Maybe now you need to make a film to whitewash your image back. 


Rating: 2/5



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The House That BJ Built By Anuja Chauhan

June 16, 2018 0 Comments


I have heard a lot about Anuja Chauhan and her books. Point in case, her book- Those Pricey Thakur Girls.

Now, it is a well-known fact that I have stopped reading fiction in between and have completely lost my appetite for lengthy readings. Even my casual outings with Business Literature took a long break until I finally grabbed this book.

Having heard a lot about "Those Pricey Thakur Girls" and even bearing a couple of "sitcoms inspired by the book" episodes on a leading channel, I have almost given up on my plan to read that book. It was my insipid wait at the Chennai airport recently that made me sigh in delight seeing one of my fav bookshops- Higginbothams, followed by a walk inside and finally billing this book at the counter that broke my reading sabbatical and, the rest all is epic.

Coming back to the book, I liked the cover, the excerpt and the overall rave reviews about the author. Needless to say, whether it was an intelligent reading or not [we have too much of that] it was indeed a good time-pass and engaging in spite of certain Mills & boons and that typical Indian rom-com treatment at different parts. 

The Book

Title: The House That BJ Built
Publisher: Westland Ltd
Pages: 408
Genre: Rom-com/ Fiction
Price: Rs 350




The Story

Taking its cue from the author's previous book, the story focus on the young Bonu /Bonita, the only surviving daughter of the late Binodini Thakur and her rendezvous including- hobnobbing with her strange tenants at the annex house, running a first copy/ pirated designer garment business, secretly castrating her employee's demeaning husband and sharing a love-hate relation with her dashing, filmmaker step cousin- Samar Singh while deciding to sell the ancestral house or not. 

Add in a dash of her alphabetically named "cows" of aunts and a whole lot of "my jutti won't sell" drama at Hailey's Road. Anuja's Bonu has balls for everything.



My Overall View about the book

The book has a fun, engaging writing that kept me hooked all the time. The story got quite patchy, cliched and predictable at various stages, like a typical Bollywood rom-com. 

Initially, I was little confused wrt the characters. If you too have not read the first book, high chances that you may turn confused too. However, the family tree diagram at the starting of the book comes handy and I kept referring to it several times. 

The book has all the masala ingredients and could be made into a successful Bollywood potboiler provided it is in right hands.

It indeed made me want to pick up another title from the author including the "TPTG". Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Numerounity Rating: 4/5 

PS: If I picked and finished this book that speaks a lot. 

If you like rom-com and easy breezy reading, go for it. I hope if the author had this book in Hindi so many other aspiring writers can read it. 

Numerounity.
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