Padmaavat

Padmaavat
2018
3.5/5 stars

This film is based on the epic poem "Padmavat" (1540) in which Sultan Alauddin Khilji ( Ranveer Singh) becomes obsessed with the beautiful queen Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) and so goes to war with her husband, Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), in order to capture her.

Padmaavat's is a controversial movie which leaves the viewer questioning the message intended. The story drags a bit in places, but picks up in the last third.  Overall the plot is interesting (even to one familiar with "Padmavat"), perhaps not engrossing, but certainly attention-holding.  Ranveer Singh was excellent as the unhinged villain.  Padukone and Kapoor did well individually, but lacked the needed chemistry when together.  The CGI animals were unconvincing, but the armies were believable.  Two of the songs were incongruous, nearly laughably so, but the other music was excellent.  Most of the choreography made for lovely scenes, and the costumes and setting were stunningly beautiful. While Padmaavat is lacking in several areas, it is a visual feast and worth watching for that alone.

This movie is available on Amazon Prime.

Kapoor, Padukone, Singh 

Jewel Thief

Jewel Thief
1967
4/5 stars

Vinay (Dev Anand) suddenly finds himself being mistaken for another man named Amar.  It then begins to seem that this Amar is a jewel thief, and Vinay's doppelganger.  Vinay joins with his father, the police commissioner, to infiltrate Amar's gang to catch the thief.

The film also stars Vyjayantimala as the main love interest, and Ashok Kumar as her brother.  It also features four actresses in secondary romantic roles: Anju Mahendru, Tanuja, Faryal and Helen.

This popular movie is, for the most part, an enjoyable watch.  It becomes genuinely confusing--intentionally, no doubt--to keep up with who is doing what: Amar or Vinay.  This adds to the feeling of suspense, as does some excellent film angles and the incidental music.  It contains a great surprising plot twist.  The music was average, and there are no exciting musical numbers, though it was fun to see the famous Helen dance.  The costumes are mostly typical 1960's outfits, though Vyjayantimala did wear some beautiful traditional saris.  The acting was more stilted than is the style today, but all the cast did well portraying their roles and creating the tense atmosphere.  Despite being sometimes hard to follow--perhaps a problem due to having to read subtitles--it's easy to see why Jewel Thief was such a success and still enjoyed today.

Savitri

Savitri
2016
4/5 stars

Savitri (Nanditha) was born during a wedding, and that shapes her life in that all she wants groiwng up is to be a bride.  When her family finally set up a wedding for her, she is overjoyed, and takes a trip to ask a blessing for her marriage.  On that trip, Savitri meets Rishi (Nara Rohit), who falls in love with her instantly, shaking up both of their marriage plans.

This cute Telugu romance is laugh-out-loud funny in places, reminding me of a 1940's Hollywood screwball comedy.  Unfortunately, as a lot of the humor was spoken in quick deliveries, it was hard to keep up while reading subtitles.   In addition, there was a subplot that didn't make complete sense, nor particularly add to the plot.  Rohit was excellent, easily pulling the audience to his side, and his action scenes were great fun.  Nanditha's part was such that the viewer has to warm to her, and she played it well.  The pair had good chemistry together.  Overall, though silly in parts, it was an enjoyable film.

Note: This movie is free on Amazon with Amazon Prime.

Veer

Veer
2010
4/5 stars

Pindari warrior, Prithvi Singh (Mithun Chakraborty) spent his younger days fighting against the British Rule.  When his sons, Veer (Salman Khan) and Punya (Sohail Khan), come of age, he sends them to England to learn the ways of the British so as to fight them better.  While there, Veer falls in love with an Indian princess, played by Zareen Khan.  He returns to India determined not only to win her, but to overthrow her British-supported evil father (Jackie Shroff) as well.

This action drama is an enjoyable one from start to finish.  The plot is convoluted enough to be interesting, without being overly political.  Most of the costumes, the Pindari in particular, look great, but the dresses of the British women always looked too flimsy and somehow inappropriate.  The musical numbers were generally good, one tune particularly haunting, despite the fact that not all the songs or dances fit the time period.  The action and fighting, with one exception, looked real and natural  Chakraborty and Shroff were great in their supporting roles.  Whether the fault of the actor or the script, Sohail Khan's role was too full of slap-stick comedy.  Salman Khan played the hard warrior very well.  Zareena Khan's role was minimal and somewhat two dimensional, but she certainly was lovely.  Overall, it was an exciting and fun film and well worth watching.