Film: Singham Again

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone

Directed by: Rohit Shetty

Duration: 2 hours 24 minutes

Rating: * 1 / 2

Rohit Shetty's cop universe has gone for the jugular this time. Following the lukewarm reception of Simmba (2018) and Sooryavanshi (2021), he has reintroduced his flagship character, Singham, while also incorporating other familiar figures in Singham Again. The diminishing originality of their concepts is evident, particularly as the film culminates with Salman Khan's Chulbul Pandey joining the narrative. In a bid to revitalise the storyline, they may even consider reintroducing Inspector Vijay from Zanjeer.

The shortcomings of Singham Again stem not from a lack of creativity, but rather from its uninspired execution. There was a time when Rohit Shetty's films had some signature stunt scenes; however, these now appear rather mundane.

Singham Again is laden with themes of patriotism and references to the Ramayana, indicating that the lessons from Adipurush (2022) have not been adequately learnt. The excessive exposition leads to a sense of overindulgence - there is so much spoon feeding though that the indigestion kicks in pretty quickly.

A Kashmiri youth remarks, "Patthar marna to old fashioned hain, yeh naye Bharat ka naya Kashmir hain" (Stone pelting is outdated; this is the new Kashmir of new India) In a poignant moment between father and son before the father departs on a mission, the son calls out "Papa" and, after a brief pause, adds "Jai Hind." The father, a police officer, responds with "Jai Hind." This reliance on patriotic sentiment reflects a tendency towards lazy filmmaking and audience manipulation.

The police officer in question is Singham, portrayed by Ajay Devgn, who confronts a group of inept terrorists in Kashmir. Their lack of intelligence is evident in the way they orchestrate their attack. With six individuals credited for the screenplay, one would expect more innovative ideas. Almost every character, of which there are numerous, is depicted walking and fighting in slow motion. Even Deepika Padukone, who plays a police officer and refers to herself as Lady Singham, makes a dramatic slow-motion entrance.

A politician, played by Ravi Kishen, grants Singham the authority to combat drug-related issues and other threats by establishing a special unit called the Shiva Squad. It remains unclear why Singham does not initially include his preferred team members in this squad, but they eventually join him when a crisis arises. The squad is said to be equipped with all necessary resources, including bulletproof vehicles. The filmmakers seem to believe that the audience lacks familiarity with bulletproof vehicles, as they promptly show one in slow motion after a character mentions it.

Kareena Kapoor Khan portrays Avni, Singham's wife, who is performing a rendition of the Ramayana. It is ambiguous whether this is for a live audience or a television production. While there is indeed a live audience applauding her performance, she is suddenly required to travel to Rameshwaram to capture new footage because "hard disk se footage delete ho gaya" (the data got deleted from the hard disk). The antagonist, known as Danger Lanka or Raavan, played by Arjun Kapoor, deleted the footage so that she can go Rameshwaram and he can facilitate her abduction to Lanka-a rather convoluted scheme, I must say. Despite ACP Satya (Tiger Shroff) and his mother putting up a valiant effort, they ultimately fail to prevent her kidnapping, and all those fight scenes are also depicted in slow motion.

This leads us to Simmba (Ranveer Singh), who must embody the role of Hanuman in our narrative and take the initial steps to rescue Avni, the Sita of this tale, in case that connection has not yet been made clear. The antagonist, Danger Lanka, despite being a full-time terrorist from a lineage of terrorists, seeks no monetary gain; his sole desire is "Khandaan ka badla" (revenge for his family).

Akshay Kumar, portraying Sooryavanshi, makes a dramatic entrance via helicopter to confront the villains and introduce elements of humour. The comedic aspect is primarily attributed to Simmba, who breathes some vitality into an otherwise lackluster storyline.

The film presents a singular intriguing concept by drawing inspiration from the Ramayana; however, the execution transforms this potential strength into a weakness, as everything is overly explicit. I would suggest viewing the trailer on YouTube, as it effectively serves as a condensed version of the film, available for free.

Film: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, TriptiiDimri, Vidya Balan

Directed by: AneesBazmee

Duration: 2 hours 38 minutes

Rating: * *

This is a good time to a make a 'horror-comedy' in Hindi cinema, in this case, rehash a film with a sequel of an established franchise. In this genre, you don't really have to focus on the horror part (the audience laughs at it anyway, in many cases, it is nervous laughter) and for the comedy part, you just have to put a few characters in a 'horror' situation and voila, the comedy element is sorted. A strong supporting cast, as seen in Stree 2, significantly increases the likelihood of achieving box office success. In Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, the presence of seasoned actors such as Sanjay Mishra and Rajpal Yadav, along with the talented Ashwini Kalsekar, enhances the film's potential.

However, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 can be described as an unremarkable rehash, lacking originality and coherence. The narrative fails to provide clarity regarding the characters' motivations, and the attempt to introduce a twist in the climax is undermined by contrived red herrings and plot developments that aim to surprise the audience.

Furthermore, while some characters exhibit progressive traits, the overarching plot heavily leans on themes of rebirth, superstition, and other dubious elements-there is no need to endorse such concepts in cinema, especially when there are enough charlatans around.

The film begins in Rakhghat, Bengal, during the early 19th century, with a character performing a solo dance to classical music, only to be abruptly sentenced to death by the king. In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, the dead do not remain deceased; they come back to wreak havoc on the living, who die promptly.

In the present day, Ruhan, also known as Rooh Baba (Kartik Aaryan), is thriving as a con artist who operates as a ghostbuster. In case you forget his name, the background score will keep reminding you. Accompanied by his partner (Arun Kushwah), he arrives at the dilapidated palace in Rakhtghat, which is rumoured to be haunted. The spirit in question is Manjulika, confined within a heavily secured room by a formidable lock referred to as the 'Bhairav Kavach.' This lock can only be opened on a specific auspicious day, and Ruhan's presence is warranted due to his striking resemblance to a former prince and his ties to a 'royal family.' Meera (Triptii Dimri) seeks his assistance on behalf of her father (Vijay Raaz), who anticipates a staggering sum of one thousand crore rupees for the property. The rationale behind not selling it for a lesser amount, even with the spirit included, remains unclear, but then this is not a film where any of the characters do anything sensible.

Meera is a young pretty woman in the middle of the ghost busting business. You can expect a romantic song with her and Ruhan at one of those exotic locations, which constitutes the sole romantic aspect of their connection.

The house also hosts two enigmatic women, Mallika (Vidya Balan) and Mandira (Madhuri Dixit), one of whom is there to renovate the property while the other intends to lease it. Either could potentially be Manjulika or her sister. The comedic relief is provided by Sanjay Mishra, Rajpal Yadav, and Ashwini Kalsekar, who are squatting on the premises.

You may have heard of holy water but in this case, 'Pavitra tel' (holy oil) is used to exorcise the ghost - I needed some of it to get rid of the excessive boredom, particularly during the climax. The only scene that made me chuckle was a spoof of Jawan (2023).

Films such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, often suffer from a weak narrative that tends to prolong the viewing experience to the point of irritation. The audience finds it difficult to invest in the characters or their fates, wishing only for a swift conclusion to the story.

Kartik Aaryan and Triptii Dimri exhibit commendable dedication to their roles, given the limitations of the characters they portray. Meanwhile, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit have minimal involvement, and one can only hope they received adequate compensation for their appearances. The supporting cast, while competent, has previously navigated similar roles, making their performances feel somewhat familiar.

I hope the ghost has been put to rest but with franchises, there is every chance of it springing back to life.?

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