Watching Vasantam and Priyamaana Thozhi Back-to-Back

These two identical films, Vasantam and Priyamaana Thozhi, were written and directed by Vikraman,  They were filmed in separate locations in different languages, but released on the same day in 2003.  I watched them back-to-back and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Plot Summary:

Julie and Ashok have had a deep, platonic friendship since they were children. When Ashok becomes engaged to Nandini, Julie is ready to make any changes needed for the happiness of the marriage. By the same token, when Julie falls in love, Ashok is willing to sacrifice his dreams for the benefit of her future.

Both films feature the exact same plot and dialogue, so that part can be reviewed as one.  It is a charming, sweet story about the beauty and importance of friendship.  Though the feel-good plot isn't always believable, it's still a fun and pleasant experience.

Priyamaana Thozhi

(translates as "lovable female friend")

4/5 stars

In this Tamil-language version,  Madhavan stars as Ashok, Sridevi Vijayakumar as Julie, and Jyothika as Nandini.  The three leads have excellent, believable chemistry together.  Madhavan displays great energy and life, as well as open emotions.  The songs, both music and lyrics, are quite lovely, with some being memorable.  The cinematography is beautiful, with vibrant colors and effective backgrounds.  It may not be a five-star movie, but is worth watching, and definitely entertaining.

(Cast also includes Vineeth, R. Sundarrajan and Manivannan.)

Sridevi Vijaykumar and Jyothika

Vasantam

(translates as "spring")

3/5 stars

This is the Telugu-language version, and stars Venkatesh as Ashok, Kalyani as Julie, and Arti Agarwal as Nandini.  Venkatesh, a good actor in general, is miscast in this role.  The twenty-year age gap between him and both female leads is visibly obvious, and he doesn't project the joie de vivre that Ashok is credited with by the other characters.  Kalyani and Arti Agarwal have good friendship chemistry, but lack any with Venkatesh.  The filming is beautiful, bright and crisp, with effective backgrounds. The music is lovely, but I didn't have subtitles for the songs, so I can't comment on the lyrics.  It's still enjoyable, despite its faults, but of the two, it's not the one I'd recommend.
(Cast also includes Akash, Giri Babu and Tanikella Bharani.) 

Miss You

Miss You

2024

4/5 stars

In this Tamil-language romantic comedy/drama, Vasu (played by Siddharth) has an accident that causes a loss of two-years' worth of memories.   A few months after his recovery, he goes to visit a friend and falls in love with Subbulakshmi (Ashika Ranganath), a young woman in the same apartment complex.  What Vasu doesn't realize is that Subbulakshmi has a strong, valid reason to hate him.  What follows is a charming, moving love story about redemption and second chances.  

While there were no outstanding performances, the leads were convincing, especially with their emotions. The music, fight scenes, and choreography were just average, but the evocative incidental music and all around solid cinematography added much to the film. The storytelling was excellent, with the viewer learning only as much as Vasu knew, so that the plot unfolded slowly and compellingly, making it a film that I enjoyed tremendously.

Two Starring Jr. NTR

RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt)  
2022

5/5 stars

starring: N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, and Alia Bhatt 
Giving much of the plot will spoil the surprises, so suffice it to say that this Telugu-language action film/period drama is a love letter to both male friendship and patriotism. RRR is funny, moving, and exciting, as well as consistently entertaining.  Filled with excellence -- music, acting, cinematography, and story alike -- it's easy to overlook the glaring historical inaccuracies and just enjoy the epic experience.  My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that I'm not used to seeing Jr. NTR as a timid character; his talent, however, made it seem a natural role. By the end, both my husband and I were ready to take up arms against the British invaders.  Jai Hind!

Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava

transl. Veera Raghava along with Aravinda

2018

4/5 stars

This action-drama is a sometimes moving, occasionally humorous, but always entertaining story of factions, revenge, and a desire for peace. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as Veera Raghava, a young man thrown into a war between two villages, gives his typical strong and charismatic performance.  Pooja Hegde, who stars as the romantic interest Aravinda, is less impressive, though Jagapathi Babu and Sunil, who also feature, are excellent, as is the supporting cast.  The incidental music is especially effective, and the songs and choreography are generally appealing.  The action scenes look fantastic and the cinematography is equally good.  Overall, while having one of the most violent opening fifteen or so minutes I've seen, this is a genuinely engrossing and engaging film. 

Yashoda

Yashoda
2022
4/5 stars

In dire need of money, Yashoda (played by Samantha) becomes a surrogate for a high-paying,  top-of-the-line organization with exclusive clients and a state-of-the-art residential clinic run by the director Madhubala (Varalaxmi Sarathkuma) and Doctor Gautham (Unni Mukundan ).  While living there, some concerning things happen and Yashoda becomes suspicious of the what goes on behind the scenes.  In the meantime, a group of police officers led by Vasudeva (Sampath Raj) begin to investigate a strange death, which puts them on the track of several murders, and a bigger conspiracy than they could have imagined
(Murali Sharma, Rao Ramesh, and Shatru also star.)

This Telugu-language action/drama is gripping and compelling.  Supported by a strong cast, Samantha gives a fantastic  performance.  I can't go into detail about her role without spoiling the plot, but she pulls it off masterfully.  The cinematography is gorgeous, but the movie does lack a memorable musical score.  The gradual reveals and great twists keep the plot moving forward while slowly giving answers that make the storyline more believable as it progresses.  While it may not be a five-star film, the entertainment value is certainly such.

Shaadi Mubarak

Shaadi Mubarak

("Congratulations on the Wedding")

2001

4/5 stars

When Satya's (Drishya Raghunath) mother is injured, Satya agrees to help her with one of her wedding bureau clients, Madhev (played by Sagar).  Madhev is scheduled to see three prospective brides in one day, and Satya accompanies him.  While spending this time together, they fall in love, each without the other knowing, but there seems no possibility of them ending up together.

Though predictable, this low-budget film is sweet and fun, and even caused me to tear up.  The plot starts extremely strong, but does weaken a bit in the second half.  Music is not as large a part in this movie as is typical with Indian Cinema, and the songs are not particularly memorable. The supporting cast is solid, and Drishya Raghunath, who gives a believable performance, has good chemistry with Sagar.  Sagar, though, steals the show with his thoroughly natural and completely charming acting.  Shaadi Mubarak may not be an exceptional experience, but I found it engrossing and enjoyable, and certainly worth four stars.

Bhaskar Oru Rascal

 

Bhaskar Oru Rascal

"Bhaskar is a Rascal"

2018

4/5 stars

In this Tamil language film, Aakash (Master Raghavan)  lives with his father and grandfather.  His father, Bhaskar (Arvind Swamy), is a tough and unpolished man with questionable business practices, and Aakash is ashamed of him.  Aakash's best friend, Shivani (Baby Nainika), lives with her widowed mother, Anu (Amala Paul), and desperately wishes for a father figure.  To give Aakash a gentle mother and herself a protective father, Shivani is determined to bring the two together, despite Anu's distaste for Bhaskhar's rough ways.  When danger from Anu's past threatens, however, the two adults find themselves drawing closer.

The engaging plot has a nice twist, isn't always predictable, and is sometimes moving.  While the music is average, the action scenes look good, and the cinematography is lovely.  Swamy has a sort of bashful charm and a surprising amount of charisma, and is convincing throughout. Paul is credible, though not outstanding, and the supporting cast is generally solid.  The child actors, however, are fantastic -- believable and natural and super cute.  Overall Bhaskar Oru Rascal is an entertaining, if typical, example of Indian Cinema.  

Arvind Swamy, Baby Nainika, Amala Paul, Master Raghavan

Late Summer Viewing

First Time Viewing:
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)  3/5 stars
Parts of it were unappealing,  but it has two excellent songs and great performances by Priety Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan.  

Janatha Garage  (2016)  4/5 stars

Mainly a predictable vehicle for Jr. NTR, but enjoyable nonetheless, and with a strong performance by Nithya Menen.

Delhi 6  (2009)  3/5 stars
Started off really good, but by the end I was rather puzzled.  Abhishek Bachchan gave a good performance, but Sonam Kapoor was unimpressive.

Dhoom 2  (2006)  3/5 stars
Action packed and fun, except for Aishwarya Rai's performance --she was so unsuited to the character that it was painful to watch.

Rewatched:
Raavan (2010)  5/5 stars (my review here)
My husband watched it with me this time, and he felt pretty much the same as I did.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)  5/5 stars (my review here)
This was my third viewing and, if anything, I cried even harder.

While You Were Sleeping  (1995)  5/5 stars
I first watched this in the theater, and I can't tell you how many times after that.  This was the first time in a decade or so, though, and it stands the test of time.  It's a fantastic movie.

Funny Face  (1957)  3/5 stars
I loved this as a teen, but wasn't as impressed this time around.  The plot was thin, Astaire and Hepburn seemed mismatched, and her singing was weak.  Costumes were fantastic, though, and Kay Thompson gave a stellar performance.

Veer Zaara  (2004)  5/5 stars  (my review here)
I cried so hard this second viewing that I gave myself not only a headache, but a stomach ache as well.

Sketch

Sketch
(2018)
4/5 stars

Sketch (played by Vikram) works as a repo-man, and excels at his job. He meets Amuthavalli (played by Tamannaah), a college student, when taking her friend's scooter and eventually falls in love with her. When she sees past the rough exterior to the kind man inside, she begins to care for him, too, despite her parents' objections. Later, to settle an old grievance for his boss, Settu (Hareesh Peradi), Sketch works out a plan to take the classic Fiat of a local gangster, "Royapuram" Kumar (played by Baburaj), an action that sets off a tragic chain of events for Sketch and his friends. 

               
The main story, that of Sketch doing his job, fighting bad guys, and caring for his friends, is entertaining and even occasionally moving.  The romance part of the plot is the weak link; there is little chemistry between Tamannaah and Vikram, and though she gives a good performance in general, there is no zing in their scenes together.  In the other aspects of the film, however, Vikram is fully convincing as Sketch.  The songs and background music are only average, but the cinematography is nicely done and the action scenes are fun. There is a most surprising twist, and the movie is worth watching if only for that.

Vikram and Tamannaah

Kadaram Kondan

Kadaram Kondan

(translates as "Conqueror of Kadaram")

2019

4/5 stars

A medical intern, Vasu (Abi Hassan) has an unknown patient (KK, played by Vikram) in his ward; as the patient was involved in an accident, the police are interested in discovering who he is. Later, Vasu is knocked unconcious at home, and his heavily-pregnant young wife, Aatirah (Akshara Haasan) is kidnapped. Vasu is informed that she will be returned when the unnamed patient is smuggled out of the hospital.  Vasu attempts to do so, but instead finds himself on the run with KK, in a desperate race to save his wife.

Let's face it -- this movie is nothing more than an over-the-top vehicle to show off Vikram and his badassery.  That being said, it's a lot of fun.  Vikram plays his taciturn tough guy perfectly.  Akshara Haasan and Abi Hassan (in his debut) have nice chemistry and are convincing in their emotional roles.  Other than one song, the music is below average and not used effectively.  The action scenes look good, as did the cinematography in general.  The plot, though unbelievable, is still engaging and enjoyable.  Overall, if you aren't looking for a deep story, this action-packed film will certainly provide two hours of thorough entertainment.

Bodyguard (2012, Telugu)

Bodyguard

2012

4/5 stars 

When his daughter (Keerthi, played by Trisha) is threatened by his enemies, Varadarajula Naidu (Prakash Raj) assigns bodyguard Venkatadri (played by Venkatesh) to protect her at college. Chaffing under Venky's constant presence, Keerthi plans a scheme to distract him: she will begin calling him, pretending to be an infatuated college student, Bangaram. The plan works well, with Venky falling in love with the imaginary Bangaram, but it also has an unforeseen consequence for Keerthi.   

(Saloni Aswani, Venu Madhav, and Ali also feature in this film.)

Bodyguard (a remake of the 2010 Malayalam movie of the same name) is an enjoyable masala movie. While the music was sadly bland, the story is well-plotted and nicely filmed, containing a few surprises. Though Venkatesh is not fully convincing either as a character 20 years younger or as an action hero, he plays his part with such sweetness and charm that it's easy to care for Venky.  Prakash Raj (a firm favorite of mine) doesn't give as strong a performance as usual, but Saloni Aswani and Trisha both do well, and the supporting cast is solid.  On the whole, while I prefer the 2011 Hindi version (my review here), this is a film that is both fun and touching, and certainly worth watching.

Trsiha and Venkatesh

Ramayya Vasthavayya

Ramayya Vasthavayya
(translates as "Rama, you will come")

2013
4/5 stars

In this Telugu romantic/action/comedy thriller, Nandu (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) falls in love with Akarsha (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and slowly woos her by making friends with her substitute grandmother, Baby Shalini (Rohini Hattangadi). When Akarsha's sister is to be married, he is invited to attend. Once at the wedding, he learns that her father, Musallapadu Nagabhushanam (Mukesh Rishi), is being threatened and offers to help defend him. The plot then takes an unexpected turn, and follows Nandu on a path to revenge.

(Cast also includes Ajay, Tanikella Bharani, Pragathi, Rao Ramesh, P. Ravi Shankar, Hamsa Nandini in an item number, and an extended cameo by Shruti Haasan.)

The plot seems predictable during the first half, but then springs a great twist.  The second half is also mostly predictable, but still engrossing.  The songs are great, and the incidental and atmospheric music were effective.  Jr. NTR, charismatic and full of vitality as usual, gives a generally believable performance, and shows off his excellent dancing to advantage. Samantha Ruth Prabhu was stiff at times and displayed limited emotion.  Shruti Hassan, though, was natural and convincing.  The supporting cast was strong.  I have seen reviews that comment on the violence as being excessive, but I can only suppose those viewers are unfamiliar with Indian Cinema.  Overall, Ramayya Vasthavayya kept me interested for the entire 159 minutes and, while not perfect, was definitely entertaining.

Rabhasa

Rabhasa
(translates as "chaos")
2014
4/5 stars
When Karthik (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) returns to India after finishing his degree in the US, his mother expresses her desire for him to fulfill a promise she made years ago, and marry Indu (Samantha Ruth Prabhu).  Because of a family split, Indu's father refuses the match, but Karthik is determined to carry out his mother's wish.  He goes to Indu's university with plans to win her, but (not having seen her since she was a child) he mistakenly woos Bhagyam (Pranitha Subhash) instead.  This is just the beginning of the obstacles that Krathik must overcome to accomplish his goal, most of which involve him in mortal danger as he seeks to help those around him.

The plot is quite complex, and effectively reveals pieces of the story slowly in flashback sequences; the various threads of the tale come together nicely as the film progresses.  Jr. NTR's excellent dancing, energy, charisma, and fine acting shine throughout.  His chemistry with the two actresses was good, and they both gave believable performances.  The music, while not outstanding, was good.  The action sequences were well-choreographed, but the CGI additions were not convincing.  Overall, it was an entertaining movie that held my attention throughout.

(On a side note, I would have liked to see a larger part for Praveen, who played a supporting role, as he is an excellent actor himself.)

Shakti

Shakti
2011
4/5 stars

 Aishwarya (Ileana D'Cruz) goes on a road trip with friends, without realizing that she is carrying a magical diamond. A small, throw-back sect of Egyptians is trying to get the diamond and an equally magical trident that goes with it to gain the power these possess.  Shakti (N. T. Rama Rao, Jr.), a tour guide hired by Aishwarya, becomes involved in the protection of both her and the two artifacts.

The plot verged on ridiculous sometimes, with the scenes involving the Egyptians being the weak link of the movie.  The rest of the story, though, had some nice surprises and was entertaining.  Jr. NTR, who radiates energy and charisma, is a good actor and excellent dancer.  D'Cruz was mostly convincing.  The leads had good chemistry together during the music sequences, but not as good during the plot.  The supporting cast was solid.  The fights were nicely choreographed, but the CGI was not always believable.  The songs were great, as were the accompanying choreography, staging, and costumes. Despite the occasional silliness, it was enjoyable and I expect to watch it again.

ABCD

ABCD
2005
4/5 stars

This romantic drama follows an honest, upstanding young man, Anand (played by Shaam), as he meets three lovely young women, who are in three very different life situations: Bharathi (Nandana Kumar), Chandra (Sneha), and Divya (Aparna).  He forms a friendship with each individually, and due to his goodness and kindness, each falls in love with him - - a situation which can only lead to heartbreak.

ABCD has an engrossing plot, with believable characters trying to make the best of difficult circumstances.  The acting was excellent from all four leads.  The music was generally good, despite the surreal and rather disturbing video accompanying one song.  The humorous breaks didn't fully fit in with the movie, and detracted somewhat.  Overall, this film is absorbing and moving, just falling short of five stars.

Rowdy Fellow

Rowdy Fellow
2014
4/5 stars

Rana Prathap Jayadev (Nara Rohit) is extremely wealthy, with an insanely big ego.  Because of a perceived slight by a senior policeman (played by Ahuti Prasad), Rana uses his money to gain a  position as a sub-inspector in the same district with the intention of causing trouble for the ACP. A missing-person case leads back to the powerful MP of the district, Asuragana Durga Prasad's (Rao Ramesh), and Rana begins to take his position seriously, seeking justice for the common people by whatever means it takes.

Vishakha Singh plays the love interest; the cast also includes Ajay, Posani Krishna Murali, and Praveen.

Rana is a well-written anti-hero, and Nara Rohit does a great job walking that thin line between good guy and bad. While Vishakha Singh is not always fully convincing, and Ajay overacts at times, both Praveen and Posani Krishna Murali are excellent in their comedic roles.  The songs are catchy, memorable, and appealing, and the film makes good use of incidental music.  Rowdy Fellow is compelling, often amusing, and an overall solidly good and satisfying film that just falls short of five stars.

Singh and Rohit

Solo

Solo
2011
4/5 stars

As a result of growing up in an orphanage, Gautham (Nara Rohit) desperately wishes to experience the love and relationships of a joint family.  He becomes attracted to Vaishnavi (Nisha Aggarwal), and when he learns that she is part of a joint family, Gautham is convinced that she is the one for him.  After wooing her for several months, he wins her love, but when her father (Prakash Raj) discovers that Gautham is an orphan, he refuses to give his blessing as he wants Vaishnavi to have the support of her husband's joint family when she marries.

The plot of this drama focuses on the importance of love, both romantic and familial, and the need to balance both. The ending, however, is a bit abrupt, and as such not fully convincing.  Both Rohit and Raj give strong performances, but Aggarwal is wooden at times.  The incidental music is effective, and the songs good -- with the exception of the truly terrible club scene/item number (performed by Mamaith Khan). While sentimental and predictable, Solo is still compelling, enjoyable, and worth watching.

Shourya

Shourya
2016
4/5 stars

The film begins with Shourya (Manchu Manoj) and Netra (Regina Cassandra) preparing to elope to the UK the next day.  That evening, however, Netra is brutally attacked and, as she is near death and unable to clear him, Shourya is arrested.  CBI Officer Krishna Prasad (Prakash Raj) works with Shourya to be certain he gets treated fairly, while the public and press are convinced of his guilt.

The plot of this romantic thriller is engrossing, and twisty enough to keep the watcher guessing to the end.  The backstory of the romance is told effectively through Shourya's memories, and adds to the viewer's uncertainty.  Manchu and Regina have great chemistry, and they, along with Raj, were convincing in their roles.  I was dubious at first as to whether I could believe Manchu as a romantic hero -- but that lasted only a few moments.  His cheerful demeanor, everyday manner, and un-glamorous good looks completely charmed me.  The music is just average and below, keeping this otherwise excellent suspense movie from a full five stars.

Aisha

Aisha
2010
4/5 stars

In this Bollywood remake of Hollywood's Clueless -- itself an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 classic Emma -- spoiled, rich, entitled Aisha (Sonam Kapoor) flits from project to project, such as animal welfare, art, and matchmaking among her friends.  She meets middle-class Shefali (Amrita Puri), and makes it her new plan to update the small town girl and find her a upper-class husband.  As Aisha meddles, her childhood friend Arjun (Abhay Deol) watches in frustration, trying to give her a guiding hand and encourage her to mature.  Despite Arjun's attempts, Aisha makes a muddle of things, her own love life included.

Aisha's best friend, Pinky, is played by Ira Dubey.  Cyrus Sahukar, Arunoday Singh, and Lisa Haydon round out the main cast.

Though not sticking fully to the plot, Aisha was well adapted from Austen's novel, hitting all the high points that make the book so compelling and entertaining. The movie balanced humor and drama well, and developed the characters nicely.  The music was generally excellent, and the overall filming exceptional.

I've not been impressed with Kapoor previously, but she played Aisha perfectly.  Deol is a strong actor, and was great in his role.  The rest of the cast were convincing as well, with Puri giving a particularly good debut performance.  I was surprised at just how good this movie was, and had it not been for the alcohol and marijuana usage, I would have rated it five stars.

Siggh, Haydon, Dubey, Kapoor, Deol, Puri, Sahukar

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Jab Tak Hai Jaan
2012
(translates as  "As Long As I Live")
4/5 stars

Major Samar Anand (Shah Rukh Khan), fearless when defusing bombs, hides grief over a lost love behind a severe and stand-offish personality and a strong disregard for his safety. Akira (Anushka Sharma), a young filmmaker, finds Samar's journal, and discovers his past romance with Meera (Katrina Kaif), ten years ago in London.

After making a documentary on Samar, Akira returns to London, but needs him to come there as well, to verify the legitimacy of her story.  Reluctantly he returns to the city of his heartbreak, and the unexpected brings Meera back into his life.

(Anupam Kher plays Meera's father.  Rishi Kapoor and his real-life wife, Neetu Singh, play Meera's mother and step-father.)

The first two hours of this film were excellent; the plot was immersive and the characters believable.  The make-up artists did a wonderful job making Khan look younger, but did not do so well aging Kaif.  The music was mostly great and the cinematography was perfect.  Khan and the vivacious Sharma had fantastic, natural chemistry together; Kaif was too stiff at times, however.  Unfortunately, around the start of the third hour, when Samar returns to London, the plot becomes less credible and the ending lacks emotional punch.  Despite that, it's a movie worth watching, just don't expect to be particularly moved by the ending.

Bharat

Bharat
2019
4/5 stars

This movie follows the life of Bharat (Salman Khan), from his childhood in the midst of the 1947 Partition of India, to age 70, as he and his best friend (Vilyati, played by Sunil Grover) mature, take jobs, and experience life-changing events.  Bharat proves himself as a hero throughout, without great feats of daring, simply as the average working man.

Katrina Kaif also stars, with Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani and Tabu in lesser roles.

The plot is made up of six slices of Bharat's life during pivotal moments in his history.  As a result of covering so much time, the story isn't profound or particularly emotional, but it is still engaging and engrossing throughout the 155 minute film.  Khan was convincing in all avatars, as was Grover.  Khan and Kaif have good chemistry, and she, too, gave a solid performance.  The child actors portraying young Bharat (Kabir Sajid) and young Vilyati (I couldn't find his name), were also believable. The music isn't exceptional, but is good, with the incidental music being effective.  Overall, it's an enjoyable, if not deep, movie that thoroughly entertains.

Khan and Kaif