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Carbon short film review: This Jackky Bhagnani and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer is a damp squib

Carbon short film review: Helmed by Maitreyi Bajpai and Ramiz Ilham Khan, the film stars Jackky Bhagnani and Prachi Desai in the lead roles and also has Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a cameo. Set in a dystopian 2067 world, Carbon tackles the issues of environmental pollution and increasing carbon footprint.

The much-awaited short film Carbon, starring Jackky Bhagnani and Prachi Desai, in the lead roles released on Monday. Helmed by Maitreyi Bajpai and Ramiz Ilham Khan, the film also has Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a cameo. Set in a dystopian 2067 world, Carbon tackles the issues of environmental pollution and increasing carbon footprint.

While water is a long bygone dream, oxygen is a trillion-dollar industry in the future. Random Shukla (Jackky), who lives in the pollution capital New Delhi, has an artificial heart and smuggles illegal oxygen. Prachi Desai is a robot named Pari, who is supposedly more humane because she doesn’t know she is a robot. Meanwhile, Nawazuddin, a contract killer, poses as an NRI from Mars. The plot may sound interesting, but sadly the unrelatable characters and dull dialogue delivery play spoilsport. Even if the first 15 minutes are bearable and support the plotline, it still is a failed attempt.

Also, the presence of Nawazuddin Siddiqui offers little respite to the viewers. The face-off between him and Jackky with their guns pointing at each other increases our expectations’ but only for an anti-climax. His exit is as quiet as his entry. Apart from this, there is also a side story of a budding romance between Pari and Random.

Watch Jackky Bhagnani and Prachi Desai’s short film Carbon here:

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Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  ( Review by Manoj Paul.)

My Goodreads review: Following Sherlock Holmes through a series of his investigations with Watson is really engaging. Most of them always start with some form of peculiar  detail and then turns around to change around just from the little details that he observes.  That is the charm of Sherlock Holmes and it keeps us wondering what his next step is and how each case will end.  Its a very enjoyable read.

This is a book with 12 investigations of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  Dr. Watson, his trusted companion, is the narrator of each of these stories.  He documents each one through his eyes and his experience.  When Holmes exits the picture or when certain characters involved in the case leave his field of vision, we jump forward to when he witnesses some more.  This allows us a lot of mystery as we read.  We know that its the most accurate version from Watson`s mouth and this is also what pulls us in.  He puts in his initial assessment and then his discussion with Holmes who clarifies his route of action most of the time after the fact.

I never thought about this but the image of Sherlock Holmes created by Arthur Conan Doyle is compelling because of this missing detail and because its the opinion formed by Watson himself.  The missing parts of where Holmes investigates on his own is where we wonder when he comes back what crazy approach he is going to use next to track down or capture the unknown culprit red handed.  It leaves the readers wondering and often times I found myself trying to figure out what the next move was or who the next culprit was.  There was maybe 3-4 times that I figured out who was the culprit but I usually would get the twist and details of the actual story wrong.

This is also what makes Sherlock Holmes a very attractive character.  He inspects and sees the little details that we normally would not associate with how he gathers his information.  It takes a lot of general knowledge (I guess, or extensive) to be able to pull those links together from the people he observes or the evidence that he finds and inspects.

Overall, I really did find this a very fun novel to read.  I loved the character of Sherlock Holmes and will probably seek out his other novels.  I always like a good mystery and makes me guess throughout reading it.  It allows me to be involved throughout the story and that makes it very recommendable and a great Classic to me!

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Sachin: A Billion Dreams Review By Manoj Paul

Sachin A Billion Dreams Story : Sachin Tendulkar plays himself in this sports-docudrama that traces the life and times of one of the world’s biggest cricket phenomenas.​ Sachin A Billion Dreams Review : When the protagonist has been the collective voice and conscience of India’s cricketing history, then he’s a tough subject to make a film on. Naturally, James Erskine puts Sachin on a pedestal and tells the story with an unnatural amount of reverence. Synopsis

James Erskine puts Sachin on a pedestal and tells the story with an unnatural amount of reverence.

Cast & Crew

James Erskine

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin A Billion Dreams Story : Sachin Tendulkar plays himself in this sports-docudrama that traces the life and times of one of the world’s biggest cricket phenomenas.​ Sachin A Billion Dreams Review : When the protagonist has been the collective voice and conscience of India’s cricketing history, then he’s a tough subject to make a film on. Naturally, James Erskine puts Sachin on a pedestal and tells the story with an unnatural amount of reverence.

    It’s a treat to get a peek into Sachin’s childhood. And it’s also a fan-shriek moment to see footage of him in his personal space, looped to Dire Straits and Bappi Lahiri with his wife Anjali, his children—Arjun and Sara, his family and friends. The fact that Sachin is the sutradhar(narrator)who walks the viewer through his victories and injuries is an additional bonus. Tendulkar fanatics can also feel the adrenaline rush because the film revisits his introduction to the world—yes, the time when he hit Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir for four sixes in one over at the 1989 Exhibition Match. And yet another indelible memory revisited here, is the one in which he reduced Australia’s Shane Warne into a punching bag in the 1998 Chennai test against the Aussies. His achievements are far too many to be accommodated in one film! Cynics may argue that YouTube has it all, but for those whom Sachin is an emotion, watching this footage on the big screen and without constantly having to hit the search button, the experience is priceless. But, wait there’s a flip side too. Most controversies around the cricketing God are glossed over. Many of us (me included) die-hard Sachin fans are ready to face the fact that our icon may have displayed feet of clay on occasion. However, the film doesn’t take chances. Sachin’s poor performances in some key matches and his reluctance to comment on some of his boorish seniors are just touched on fleetingly. The hagiographic narrative continues with commentators, critics and colleagues--Dhoni, Kohli, Ganguly, Sehwag and Harbhajan are (sigh!) only eulogizing the Little Master. Academically though this film is important one because for a nation that revers cricket, it serves as a reminder that prodigies may be born, but they become Sachin Tendulkar only through perseverance, patience and preparation. Go India go.

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Movie Review Of Angrezi Medium By Manoj Paul

Synopsis

There are some fantastic moments in the film, and sharply written scenes between the characters, too, which in turn, prove to be the highlights of this drama.

Cast & Crew

Homi Adajania

Irrfan Khan

Kareena Kapoor

Pankaj Tripathi

Deepak Dobriya

Radhika Madan

Dimple Kapadia

Ranvir Shorey

Angrezi Medium Story: Champak Bansal (Irrfan) is a simple, small-town businessman – one of the owner's of Ghasitaram sweet shop chain – who’s leading a comfortable life with his teenage daughter, Tarika (Radhika Madan). But, Tarika has big dreams – of graduating from a recognised university in London. With little means to fulfil his daughter’s ambition, how far will the father go to ensure Tarika realises her 'videshi aspirations'?

Angrezi Medium Review: Born and raised in Udaipur (Rajasthan), Champak’s world pretty much revolves around his daily bickering with his other Ghasitaram brother, Gopi (Deepak Dobriyal), and caring for his only daughter, Tarika, who’s all set to graduate high school and embark on another academic journey. But, unlike her father, she doesn’t want to limit her dreams to the place she has grown up in; instead, she wants to explore what lies outside of her small world. Unaware of what's ahead, Champak gives in to his daughter's wishes, but things start to spiral out of control when it comes down to paying the hefty fee. A dedicated father, Champak vows to do whatever it takes to send his daughter to study abroad, and treads on a path that not only proves his unconditional love for his 'betiya', but also redefines their relationship. Homi Adajania's ‘Angrezi Medium’ touches upon the pulse of the young generation's obsession with pursuing further studies in foreign countries, and their family's determination to embrace every Himalayan hurdle for their loved ones. There are other underlying themes, too, but this remains the primary subject of the film. It is a well-known fact that in reality, Irrfan shot this movie while undergoing treatment. But, while watching this film, you can put that thought aside. What you witness on screen is the actor in his element – in every frame. He just takes you along... you laugh with him, cry with him and every time he overcomes an obstacle, you rejoice with him. Irrfan breathes life into Champak in a way that nobody else can. And walking shoulder to shoulder with him is yet another fine actor, Deepak Dobriyal. His camaraderie with Irrfan is a testament to the fact that both of them are such polished, well-prepared actors. Radhika Madan, as this mildly rebellious and often clueless teenager, pulls off a fine performance, especially in the scenes where her movingly beautiful relationship with her father unfolds. Their chemistry is organic, and the portrayal of their respective characters seem so real that their dilemmas and inner conflicts start to resonate. Kiku Sharda, as the childhood buddy of the two brothers, is his usual funny self. Ranvir Shorey, as Balakrishna 'Bobby' Tripathy, living the seemingly perfect NRI dream, acts as a catalyst in moving the plot ahead. His depiction of Bobby comes as a refreshing twist in the plot and Shorey does complete justice to his part. Kareena Kapoor Khan does well in her brief appearance as tough cop Naina and adds to the chaos in the second half of the film. However, her relationship with her mother, Mrs. Kohli (played by Dimple Kapadia), is underexplored. It would have been interesting to watch the dynamics of their relationship play out in the movie. The look and feel of this comedy-drama is all things sweet and small-town – the actors consistently carry a thick local accent (Radhika's sounds a bit forced though) and close attention has been paid to what we call a 'small-town traits' that beautifully plays out in multiple scenes and sequences as the story progresses. With one foot in homeland and the other in London, the music and the background score have been chalked out keeping the two different scenarios in mind; works out fine and differentiates the mood well. The first half of the screenplay is more engaging then the second, but, while trying to fit in too many subplots, the story goes quite haywire. There are some fantastic moments in the film, and sharply written scenes between the characters, too, which in turn, prove to be the highlights of this drama. However, the story is far too convenient and has inconsistencies that are hard to overlook, but Irrfan's exceptional performance makes it worth the watch. 'Angrezi Medium' does lose its grip on several occasions, what it does not lose is its hold on the emotion that it is trying to bring out, and the message it leaves you with.