Sanket’s Review: “Highway” is inconsistently absorbing drama.

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Length:  2.10 hours approximately

Now one cannot really talk much about HIGHWAY’s story because it doesn’t comprise of dramatic twists and turns or any cinematic narration. All one can talk is the emotions which Imtiaz tries to pack in the film. HIGHWAY is a very easy example of a bumpy screenplay that goes for a toss in many scenes but simultaneously gives the film the much required highs.

The film establishes with a slow pace. First 35 minutes might put you on an uneasy mode as very modicum of progression comes across in terms of what the film is. But once we see the girl starting to talk to herself and shyly enjoying the whole hullabaloo, the film catches immense attention. The dialogues are razor-sharp at places and the wit is written all over them. There are moments you laugh out loud and the dialogues elevate the film.

One has to deal with the slow pacing of the film, which frankly is quite overdone. But second half does grab you for some excellent scenes like the one in climax where Alia’s character loses the cool and springs hot tempered monologue, or like that scene where she plays on an English song and starts dancing in the middle of a road. One really takes these scenes to heart and relishes the feel of the film. But alas, HIGHWAY is inconsistently so absorbing a drama.

There are lot of songs used in background but none really makes the impact apart from the already big hits like “Pataka Guddi” and “Mahi Ve”. HIGHWAY is strongly aided by the locations, by the sceneries, the look of the film. They are so beautiful that at times you don’t mind the director giving a documentary-esque kind of treatment for the journey. Although I must say, it is Imtiaz’s weak direction that puts HIGHWAY on the spot. He overhypes the entire drama by giving abrupt bullet shot sounds, by superficial slowness in the pace. Also his half-baked writing for Randeep’s character and especially his conflict with mother, serves as a major hurdle.

When I saw “Student of the Year”, I found Alia Bhatt picture-perfect for the regular bollywood potboilers. She was at ease and I felt she does immense justice to those kind of roles. But her portrayal in HIGHWAY has stumped and how! She is so much in the sync of her character that you are swayed in her world a lot of times despite the clichés in the story. She is utterly believable for what she does and it is understatement that without her inputs, HIGHWAY would have been boring! Randeep Hooda nicely does his job although one can blame the writer-director Imtiaz Ali for not letting his character to exploit to the potential.

In the end, HIGHWAY is pretty ordinary as it has lot of impacting moments, but the in the entirety, it somewhere lacks the spark. Yet, it’s a watchable film for the leading lady who turns out to be the best thing about the film, and remember she is just two films old!

Rating- 2.5/5

Box Office Predictions of HIGHWAY

Imtiaz Ali's HIGHWAY starring Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda is all set to release on 21st February. The film has made decent buzz for itself. Also couple of soundtrack has found appreciation from the young crowd.

First day- 4.5cr

If the WOM is Good,

Weekend- 17.5cr

Week 1- 29cr

Week 2- 14cr

Lifetime- 55cr

If the WOM is Mixed,

Weekend- 16cr

Week 1- 25cr

Week 2- 8cr

Lifetime- 36cr

If the WOM is bad,

Weekend- 14.5cr

Week 1- 21cr

Week 2- 4cr

Lifetime- 26cr

Advantages:  1) Unusual Pairing.

                     2) Couple of songs making the right noise. 

                     

Disadvantages: 1) The film has good amount of competition every week (Shaadi Ke Side Effects, Gulaab                            gang, Total Siyappa, Queen, Bewakoofiyan)

                        2) There have been multiplex-oriented films released in past couple of weeks too. So an                                audience might not feel comfortable to shell out money for a film every week.

                        

Note: If the film gets very good to excellent WOM, then it can reach 60-73crs.

          If the film has just above average or decent WOM, then it can reach 38-45crs

          If the film has below average WOM, then it might settle at around 30crs

          If the film has disastrously horrible WOM, then it will end at 23cr.

Sanket’s Review: “Gunday” is fun but too long.

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Arjun kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Saurabh SHukla, Irrfan Khan

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Length: 150 minutes approx

In childhood, you must have heard stories, as childish and clichéd there were, and you used to enjoy them. The writers of GUNDAY seem to be fascinated with those stories to materialize it on screen. GUNDAY is as predictable as a daily soap episode. The twists and turns can be guessed from miles away. Yet, there is something that lights the momentum up. And that is the frivolity spread in the film throughout despite knowing the inherent plot of the film is utterly weak. The director never lets a lack of story be spoilsport factor because one never misses the energy in GUNDAY. It is a said thing that the film is all about heroism and thus if one cannot recognize the film’s inner-most sentiment, then he is bound to give up on the film in first few reels.

So the story, if we can call that, is very keenly processed. First 15-20 minutes we are served with two young boys warming up for an exhilarating life experience. And they quite easily chose to emerge as goons. They are so unabashed and unapologetic that crushes every path comes their way. GUNDAY is fast and tight in first 45 minutes. Couple of energetic songs, one hilarious bathroom scene, the heroic shots at our protagonists, the traditional entry of a cop- all falls in place as easily as a ball places itself on ground once its bounced. But as soon as one realized that the film is trying sail on just gimmicks and goofiness, one loses interest. The love triangle in first hour is majorly repetitive and the humor never really finds a laugh. Although the intermission point marks a promise for a happening second hour.

Unlike many other films, GUNDAY doesnt sink post-intermission. In-fact, the pace is evenly positive at places. But the unwarranted songs and their poor picturization serve as speed-bumps in the narrative. The whole drama slips noticeably. But the film benefits heavily from last half hour that holds you and touches you at places.

GUNDAY’s music is partially impressive. The energetic numbers like “Jashn-e-ishqa” “Asalum-e-ishqum” “Tune maari entriaan” are fantastic and they pretty much comes as welcome distraction in first hour. But the songs that falls in second hour are boring. The dialogue writer deserves a special mention. His dialogues are worth hooting for. The director who earlier made that enjoyable “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” knows his art and that is why GUNDAY is watchable despite zero story in it.

Ranveer Singh is pretty good barring couple of hammed scenes. He plays his role pretty much in sync with film’s total texture. Arjun kapoor plays an impulsive goon which is reflective of what he has done in his first two films. He is ordinary in his work as he exerts more energy than what is demanded. Priyanka Chopra scintillates in dance numbers. Although her acting isn’t affective at all except that one scene where she bursts out to Arjun Kapoor’s character. Irrfan shows how experience can gain a film. He is terrific as the humorous cop.

GUNDAY is long by atleast 15 minutes, thanks to the songs in second hour and repetitive attempt to evoke laughs in first half. But yet all said and done, its more enjoyable than many films under this Masala genre. Don’t expect much, and you surely will have fair amount of fun.

Rating – 2.5/5

Box Office Predictions of GUNDAY

Starring Arjun kapoor, Ranver Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, GUNDAY releases on 14^th February. The film has created excellent buzz for itself ever since the promo arrived. And the songs added to the already high buzz. The film has universal appeal as it can do well at both multiplexes and single screens.

First day- 16cr

If Word Of Mouth is Good,

Weekend 1- 50cr

Week 1- 79cr

Week 2- 32cr

Lifetime- 130cr

If Word Of Mouth is Mixed,

Weekend 1- 48cr

Week 1- 73cr

Week 2- 21cr

Lifetime- 104cr

If Word Of Mouth is Bad,

Weekend 1- 46.5cr

Week 1-68cr

Week 2- 15cr

Lifetime-88cr

Advantages:  1) The first promo

                         2) Novel casting.

                         3) One chartbuster song and couple other Hits which worked rather well in film’s favor.

                         4) Huge amount of publicity.

                        5) Appeals both the mass as well as class audience.

Disadvantages:  1) If the film doesn’t meet expectations, then small films that are releasing in next week will chew up its business in multiplexes. But that’s not much of a problem. 

Note: If the film gets very good to excellent WOM, then it can reach 145-170crs.

          If the film has just above average or decent WOM, then it can reach 110-120crs

          If the film has below average WOM, then it might settle at around 95crs

          If the film has disastrously horrible WOM, then it will end at 77cr.

Sanket’s Review: “Hasee Toh Phasee” is smartly penned rom-com.

Cast: Siddarth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra, Adah Sharma, Manoj Joshi.

Director: Vinil Mathew

Length: 2.20hours approximately

Its said when you make love-stories, you don’t cast actor and actress, rather you cast chemistry. HASEE TOH PHASEE legitimatized this quote and how! This film is colossal example of how emotionally strong a film can shape if the characters are well developed. HASEE TOH PHASEE serves you two leads who are struggling at every path of life.

What keeps the film tight is the humor. Comedy is sharp business here and most of jokes cracks up from hilarious situation that the screenplay throws at our love birds. And what strikes the chord is that the narration is not episodic. It doesn’t pay heed to comedy and romance in two different halves. The film blossoms with rib-roaring gags and alternately transforms into a light, buoyant bonding of love. The writer here has done an excellent work by trespassing through various routine love-issues of young generation. Mark that sequence just prior to intermission where the guy gives a note-speech on break-up to which our heroine dismisses immediately. It’s a humorous scene but we know it’s a truth.

Although HASEE TOH PHASEE took its comedy business too seriously. Some scenes are dragged a lot and humor falls flat, like the one in first hour where Parineeti takes half dozen people to shop in a known shopping area of Mumbai. Also the whole bunch of relatives in the film has given some comic shade which did pull the film’s run-time and couldn’t help the film. But yes, one can forgive some minor negatives for that monumentally laughathon CID spoof which will leave you in splits.

The music nicely grooms with the moments. “Ishq Bulawa” although a forgettable song but displays how beautiful life is. Watch that song in the film to know what I mean! The songs are alright, with “Zehnaseeb” being beautifully placed in the film. Vinil Mathew as a director surprises. There are lot of feelings in the film which aren’t manifested in the viewer’s head. Instead, they are just left and unsaid and for us to feel. It’s a masterstroke from the writers as well as the executor.

It becomes difficult to fathom with the fact that an actress who was partially uncomfortable in his first film, has gathered so much confidence for his next film. SIddarth Malhotra infuses subtlety and charm in his role. He makes his character believable and likeable. But it’s Parineeti Chopra who never shies away from playing the unusual enigmatic part who makes you moist-eyed at-least twice and tickles your bones for numerous times. She is so charming in her character that you are heart-felt. It’s a performance that surely can win many hearts. This actress has a long, long, long way to go!

HASEE TOH PHASEE grabs your attention from the beginning. Yes the dragged scenes do shake the entire healthy momentum created, but yet, in totality, I thoroughly enjoyed the film for what it is. It is not the usual rom-com that is churned and that you will realize as the film unfolds. Don’t miss it.

Rating- 3.5/5

Box Office Predictions of HASEE TOH PHASEE

Its always exciting to see new actors in the industry pairing for a buoyant rom-com like HASEE TOH PHASEE. But unfortunately, the film didn’t really gather any sort of momentum after an interesting promo. The songs apart from “Zehnaseeb” have failed to attract. Yet, for the newness in the pairing, HASEEE TOH PHASEE, which releases on 7^th February wont open to dismal numbers unlike “Gori Tere Pyaar Mein”.

First day – 4cr

If the Word of mouth is good,

Weekend 1- 16.5cr

Week 1- 26.5cr

Week 2- 11cr

Lifetime- 44cr

If the Word of mouth is mixed,

Weekend- 15.5cr

Week 1- 24cr

Week 2- 4.5cr

Lifetime- 31cr

If the word of mouth is bad,

Weekend 1- 13.5cr

Week 1- 20.5cr

Week 2- 3cr

Lifetime- 24cr

Note: If the film gets very good to excellent WOM, then it can reach 50-60crs.

          If the film has just above average or decent WOM, then it can reach 40crs

          If the film has below average WOM, then it might settle at around 28crs

          If the film has disastrously horrible WOM, then it will end at 22cr.

Advantages:- 

-Relatively Fresh faces in rom-coms has proven to be advantageous most of the times.

- Its been too long now that a rom-com has found whole hearted appreciation from audience. The last film was “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”.

-Good amount of promotions.

Disadvantages:-

-Strong competition every week. “Gunday” is hottest film right now and “Highway” is also multiplex-oriented films just like “Hasee Toh Phasee”

-The songs didn’t do the trick.