Out of three only 31st October thrills well
It is a rather dull Friday for cine-goers with only a handful of films hitting theatres today namely 1:13:7, Gandhigiri and 31ST October. Out of these its only 31st October that’s a hard hitting drama. The scenario will of course change when Shivaay and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil hit the screens. However till, the lean period is set to continue.
1:13:7
A manic depressive prince, Aditya Pratap Singh (Ssharad Malhotra) not only believes in ghosts, but spends the better part of his days chatting up with them. His palace is a bastion for spirits, with the aatma of his recently deceased wife Kasturi (Hritu Dudani) topping the list. As Aditya sinks deeper into delirium, a man is killed in the palace and inspector Suryakant Singh (Deepraj Rana) begins investigation. In the meantime, Aditya’s friend from the US, Sonali (Melanie Nazareth), comes visiting and almost falls in love with him. However, she is chased away by the jealous ghost of Kasturi. Just before intermission, the movie changes track so violently, that you’re not sure whether it’s a thriller or your brains are just being picked.
The only thing genuinely good about this movie is Ssharad Malhotra’s performance. He leaves you impressed with the way he portrays various shades of character- mysterious, romantic and grey. Having played ‘Maharana Pratap’ on the small-screen, it must have been quite easy for the actor to get into the skin of a horse-riding and royal Rajput prince all over again. Plus, his psycho act in the second half of the movie will leave your jaw dropped. Deepraj Rana is at his usual best.
Hritu Dudani hardly has any expressions on her face. On the other hand, Melanie Nazareth is filled with way too many expressions.
Campy horror movies are fun and end up becoming cult hits. But with a running time of 120 minutes, Ek Tera Saat is too long to qualify for that. Filled with weird costumes, a supporting cast who have a merit in being a part of B-grade movies, poor songs, rubbish editing and extremely poor production value- ‘1:13:7 Ek Tera Saath’ is one movie no one would like to be saath with! At the end of the film, the only thing that stays with you is the title track.
Star Cast: Ssharad Malhotra, Hritu Dudani, Melanie Nazareth, Deepraj Rana and Vishwajit Pradhan
Director: Arshad Siddiqui
Producer: Eyefaa Studio, Pradeep K Sharma and V. Nazareth
Gandhigiri
Puri’s plays the role of benevolent NRI Rai Saheb who finally decides to cross come back from Mauritius (don’t ask why he was living in exile) to advocate ‘Gandhigiri’ in his motherland. Gandhigiri being a two-fold path of ahinsa (non-violence) and satya (truth) no matter how dire the consequences. It was of course, started by the father of our great nation, the late Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi while heroically winning our freedom from the British oppressors.
Sadly, the results are nothing short of comical, as Rai travels around his hometown in an ambassador car (in 2016 really?) picking up men who have strayed from the righteous path. Had Gandhgiri been classified as a comedy, a little benefit of doubt could perhaps have been given, but considering it is a serious film, there is no saving grace. The cinematography department have done a shoddy job with awkward angles, giving the viewer a headache. The set number of songs, like the rest of the movie, make you feel bewildered and you end up squirming in your seats.
Star cast: Om Puri, Sanjay Mishra, Anupam Shyam, Mukesh Tiwari, Dolly Chawal and Rishi Bhutani
Director : Sanoj Mishra
31st October
The thriller is based on a real incident that took place during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The film features a Sikh couple, played by Soha Ali Khan and Vir Das, who try to save their three young children from the rioters and are helped by three of their Hindu friends. “31st October is a positive film about communal harmony and the triumph of humanity. Apart from paying tribute to the victims, it also highlights the heroes of the darkest day in India’s post-Independence history.” ‘31st October’ belongs to Vir Das. He is in terrific form, and delivers the best performance of his career. He proves what a natural actor he is- all he needs is the right kind of script and director. Right from getting his expressions and Punjabi accent right, to leaving the audiences with a lump in the throat with his tears- Das brings the character of Davinder Singh to life on the big screen. Soha Ali Khan doesn’t have many dialogues, but nails it with her silence, body language and tears that speak of the fear within her.
A hard-hitting drama coupled with intense moments, bloodshed and heart-thumping background score- makes up for a gripping ride.
Star Cast: Vir Das, Soha Ali Khan, Deepraj Rana and Vineet Sharma
Director : Shivaji Lotan Patil
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