Mar 10, 2014

'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' leaves you frustrated

'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' is an emotionally engaging film but the overwhelming emotions are those of anger and sheer frustration. You need tylenol or advil to sit through this futility and escape unscathed or you need to give up on any hope and just have some fun at the movie and the makers. So what's wrong? everything except the trailer which deceived me and others to pay hard earned $ in a snowy Saturday evening to bear this torture. The jokes are offensive, dialogues silly and writing absolutely brainless. You have a husband who forgets his child is being ferried on a horse while he's watching a football match, you have a wife who shamelessly lies that the reason for second child is her neighbor, just to test how forgiving her husband is. Scenes like these and 150 mins of mindless bak baks make the film go into overdrive and unsurprisingly, one cares less beyond a point. And that point is about 15 mins into the film when you realize yeah some jokes are funny but something is not quite right. And from then on you watch with disbelief why two of the finest actors in the country chose to do this film and risk their stocks go down. You leave the theatre cold, confused, frustrated and deeply angered by the audacity of the makers for taking themselves and the film too seriously. And then you realize Bollywood Rom Coms mostly miss the mark and this one's a spectacular fail.

"1983" takes you back the memory lane

Very rarely a film moves you with it's inherent honesty and '1983' does just that. It's not so much a triumph of the underdog or a triumph of cricket as many would think. It's more so a man's sheer drive for his passion, his refusal to nod to the middle class mentality and his confidence with which he intends to achieve a massive feat. Ardents of K Balachander films would understand the importance of infusing lives to each character and that's one of the main reasons why the screenplay shines in 1983 as well. Then there's a director who admittedly being a fan, portrays Sachin Tendulkar as a man who inspired a generation with his never say die attitude and his refusal to shortcuts in life. And that's why 1983 is rich in emotions with a global appeal since you don't need to know cricket. Nivin Pauly enjoys subtlety but in this movie, he surprises us with his ability to underplay the character to suit the mood of the writing. On the whole, 1983 will bring back some fond memories to everyone who has grown up watching cricket but in reality, it's much more than that. Revel in the joy and stand up for those who refuse to stand down.