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Movie Review: Mohenjo Daro

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233Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Music: A.R Rahman | Release Date: August 12th 2016

Genre: Drama/Adventure/Romance | Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Pooja Hegde

“Mohenjo Daro” is an adventurous love story that takes place in the year 2016 BC. Hrithik Roshan plays the role of Sarman, a character who will remind you very much of “Aladdin.” Sarman lives in the village of Amri in the Indus Valley and is very eager to explore the nearby civilization called Mohenjo Daro. He finally sets off to see this land to feels that somehow this city is connected to him. Classic Hindi movie plot: Sarman meets and falls in love with the daughter of the City Priest, Chaani (played by Pooja Hegde). Tensions arise when the city’s evil aristocracy get in the way of Chaani and Sarman’s wish to be together. Watch the movie to learn about how Sarman discovers his roots to Mohenjo Daro and fights for his love, Chaani.

The positives:

1. The setting. If you want to learn about pre-historic India and the civilization of Mohenjo Daro, this is the movie for you! Fun Fact: This is the first and only Bollywood movie so far that depicts this era. Mohenjo Daro is a UNESCO World Heritage spot that is now Sindh, Pakistan. It was one of the world’s earliest major urban settlements. The site was abandoned in 19th century BC, and was later rediscovered in the 1920s!

2. Hrithik’s acting was the best out of all the other cast members. He also looks “Greek God” gorgeous, even in his simple, rustic village clothing. Yes, even pre-historic Hrithik has dance moves.

3. The songs and music – absolutely stunning soundtrack by A.R. Rahman! You can never be disappointed with that 🙂 My favorite was “Tu Hai” – the video makes a lot more sense when you know the story..!

 The negatives:

1. The extended story line – “Mohenjo Daro” starts off as your typical predictable Hindi movie… but this was OK because you are distracted by the time/era the movie takes place in. Then after about 1/2 way in, you expect it to end.. but no.. the story just continues…another 30 minutes goes by and you are at, what you think, the grand finale scene! Nope, it’s just intermission…

2.  Lead actress Pooja Hegde – she looked the part pretty well but her acting could definitely use some work. She definitely wasn’t as convincing as her role asked for..

3. Dance choreography – quite interesting as they tried to depict what dance may have been like in this era. I appreciated the classical, “story telling” type hand gestures. I do feel they could have enhanced Chaani’s dance steps to be more graceful and intricate as they were far too basic for A.R. Rahman’s melodious soundtrack.

4. The CGI – absolutely unacceptable quality!! Made me cringe.

In summary, the much awaited “Mohenjo Daro” disappointed many Ashutosh Gowariker and Bollywood fans. It may be worth a watch if you LOVE Hrithik or if want to learn about pre-historic Indian era. If you choose to see this in theater, leave your brains and high expectations at the door, especially for the second half of the film.

Ratings:

Acting: 3/5
Story: 2/5
Costumes: 4/5
Choreography: 3/5
Sets/Filming Location: 5/5

CGI: 1/5
Songs: 5/5
Eye Candy: 4/5
Length of Movie: 2/5

Overall: *** or 6/10

 

Key:
* = flop, don’t even bother
** = time pass, you’ll live if you don’t see it
*** = worth a watch
**** = A hit, see it in the theater!
***** = Bollywood Blockbuster

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Movie Review: Mary Kom

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Release Date: September 5th, 2014

Director: Omang Kumar

Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Genre: Drama

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has succeeded once again! This drama is based on the autobiography Unbreakable (2013) of the professional Indian Boxer, M.C. Mary Kom. It is undoubtedly a must-see film! I honestly believe this is Priyanka Chopra’s best work yet. Her acting genuinely portrays Mary Kom’s struggles, courageous endeavors, perseverance and dedication to both her personal and professional life. Mary Kom, however, could not have won five World Amateur Boxing Championships without her unbelievably supportive spouse, Onler Kom (Darshan Kumaar) and coach (Sunil Thapa). Watch the movie to find out how she balances being a mother of two while winning gold medals for her country!

The Positives:

1.The story is unique: Mary Kom is continuing to pursue her Boxing career today – whereas in many other biopics, the person being portrayed is deceased or retired from their career. The audience is better able to relate with the heroine while the real Mary Kom has certainly expanded her fan club!

  1. The acting – Priyanka Chopra gets a big thumbs up. She will definitely be winning some awards. The others including the coach (Nepalese actor, Sunil Thapa) and Onler (Darshan Kumar) were excellent supporting actors.
  1. The look – PChops did not take a break while working out for this film! Her makeup/body build was absolutely perfect and matches Mary Kom’s pretty well. Watch behind the scenes of her workout routines!
  1. Stereotypes broken – majority of Bollywood films still portray the woman as the home maker and the man as the bread winner – however this is a prime example of just the opposite. Mary Kom finds a man who is willing to put his wife’s dreams first and he opts to stay at home with the babies. How romantic!
  1. The songs – the soundtrack is fantastic! It’s the type you can hear over and over and not get bored. Patriotic, energizing, and peaceful. Did you know that Priyanka Chopra sang the “Chaoro Lori” herself?

The Negatives:

  1. “Behind every successful woman is herself” NOT true in this movie! The story is obviously about Mary Kom – but little attention is given to her support structure and loving husband, Onler! He is a true “hero” and portrays that fathers can make sacrifices too and be great in leading the parenting.
  2. The story is slow in the beginning – but develops Mary Kom’s character very quickly.

In theater or DVD, Mary Kom is more than worth a watch! I guarantee you will leave feeling nothing but proud, patriotic, and empowered at the end of this film.

Fun Fact: On October 1st, 2014, Mary Kom won her first Gold Medal at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea in the flyweight (51KG) summit clash. This was the first Gold medal for any Indian woman at Asian Games. Her future goals include winning the Gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil and setting up a Boxing Academy in Manipur/throughout Northeast India.

Fun Face #2: Mary Kom also has started a female-only fight club at Imphal to teach girls to defend themselves against sexual violence in India. Mary Kom wants Priyanka Chopra to become this program’s brand ambassador.

Rating Breakdown:

Acting: 4.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Costumes: 3/5
Sets/Filming Location: 3.5/5
Songs: 4/5
Eye Candy: 3/5
Length of Movie: 3/5

Rated: PG
Overall: *** (3.5/5) or 7/10

Key:
* = flop, don’t even bother
** = time pass, you’ll live if you don’t see it
*** = worth a watch
**** = A hit!
***** = Bollywood Blockbuster

marykom