#NanakShahFakir #HindiBollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #Rating: * * 1/2

#NanakShahFakir #HindiBollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #Rating: * * 1/2

#PicksAndPiques/SnippetFilmReview 17thApril2015/#JohnsonThomas

 

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/"></a>                       <a href="http://www.mrqe.com/"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/"><a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/"><a href="http://www.aasra.info/"><a href="http://www..com/"><a href="http://www.thepioneer.com efilmcritic.com/"><a href="http://www.talkingpix.co.uk/"><a href="http://www.newyorktimes.com/"><a href="http://www.timesofindia /"><a href="http://www.tirbuneindia.com/"><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/"><a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/"></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a><a href="http://www.internationaltribune.com/"><a href="http://www.efilmcritic.com/"></a></a>

#PicksAndPiques/SnippetFilmReview17thApril2015/#JohnsonThomas

 

#MrX (Hindi) Rating: * * plying the #MrIndia trick but without any thrills or excitement. Quite a bizarre mix of intrigue, romance and puckered investigation.   #VikramBhatt #MukeshBhatt #EmraanHashmi #VisheshFilms #FoxStarFilms  #AmryaDastur #ArunodaySingh #HemanshuMestry

 

#Best #Court(Marathi/Hindi/Gujrati/English) Rating: * * * *  Topical contentious issues woven into a simple yet stirring narrative framed by punctuating irony. Excellent gritty realistic performances and sterling direction makes you sit up and take notice. #ChaitanyaTamhane and #VivekGomber are guys to watch out for...Get Courting fast! #ParullGossain #ChaitanyaTamhane #VivekGomber #RamKondilkar

 

#Best #MargaritaWithAStraw( Hindi/English) Rating: * * * It’s got a one point agenda –to humanize the differently abled( most specifically those affected by cerebral palsy). With not much of a story to tell, the film does it by showing the central character indulging in sexual acts. Despite the implausibility and disbelief that evokes there’s more than ample moments to affect and involve you. Performances are the key here.  #SpicePR #ShonaliBose #NileshManiyar #KalkiKoechlin #SayaniGupta #Revathy #Viacom18 #Lakhotia #IshanTalkies

 

#NanakShahFakir(Hindi) Rating: * * ½ Pious and respectful of GuruNanakji’s preachings, this biopic on one of the pre-eminent Gurus of the Sikh faith, has the production values,  orchestral score,scale and dimensions to be epical but the lethargic and compromised treatment doesn’t allow for any great involvement. #RenukaGuptaPR #GurbaniMediaPvtLtd #AAFilmsNationwide

 

#NH8RoadToNidhivan(Hindi) Rating: * ½  Using a found footage template , the wrong way, this horror flick is shaky, dark(minimal lighting), implausible and incoherent. Repetitive dialogues and hyperventilating performances don’t lend any grip either. #WhiteLion #RomanaRaz #MunindraGupta #MGFilms #GarageProductions #NiharikaJha

 

#EkAdbhutDakshinaGurudakshina(Hindi) Rating: * * A meandering social drama pitting love & betrayal against duty, this one prolongs the agony through unnecessary subplots and silly dialogues. #HimanshuJhunjhunwala #DwaparPromoters #MoonwalkProductions  #GirishKarnad #RupaGanguly #RajeevPillai #SulagnaPanigrahi #RajeshShrinagarpure #AayushPhadnis #EshaanPhadnis

 

#TheWaterDiviner(English) Rating: * * ½  A fantasy woven around the #WorldWarI #BattleForGalipoli, this film flashes back and forth from past to present in a time fudge that leaves you largely unsettled and disinterested. Well intentioned but laborious!  #HardlyAnonymous #RusselCrowe #OlgaKurylenko #YilmazErdogan #CemYilmaz #JaiCourtney #RyanCorr #BenOToole #JamesFraser

 

Hindi Film Review

Johnson Thomas

Meditative but not affecting

Film: Nanak Shah Fakir

Cast: Arif Zakaria, Adil Hussain, Manav Kaul, Puneet Sikka, Shraddha Kaul

Director: Sartaj Singh Pannu & Harinder Sikka

Rating: * * ½

Runtime: 2 hrs 25 mins

 

This biopic chronicles the life and beliefs of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism and the first of the Sikh Gurus, whose teachings are engraved in the Guru Granth Sahib.

 

Nanak, born to Hindu parents, in Talwandi, undivided Punjab, was blessed with divinity right from his birth. While his older sister Nanaki(Puneet Sikka) recognized that and supported him, his  parents struggled to come to terms with his unique principles and qualities. Local landlord Rai Bhullar(Adil Hussain) believed in his abilities and funded his every whim. Nanak travelled across the length and breadth of undivided India and neighboring countries to spread the message of Ik Onkar (One God), a central tenet of Sikh philosophy. 

The film with it’s epic scale, authentic locales, rousing orchestral background score, rustic and authentic costuming, panoramic camerawork and spiffy production values had all the makings of an epic but for the pious and meditative treatment meted to the narrative which does not allow for any great involvement or affect. The animation work which is principle to the story telling and renders the lead character without showing his face directly, is not up to the mark. Also the Gurbani, which appears in the form of musical interludes, is not appealingly crafted. The performances are largely riveting. Arif Zakaria as Mardani,  Nanak’s disciple and travelling companion is excellent though. given the nature of the craft on display, it is quite clear that this film is largely targeted at the faithful and will in all respect attract those in hordes!

johnsont307@gmail.com