Hindi

Mom…..Lacks thrill

Published

9 years ago

July 7, 2017

If it is Delhi, the theme of rape is acceptable. Gangrape, rather. So, the location is a given. Sometimes, the police does its best but is let down by other arms of the law and fails. Looks like in Delhi, the seat of power, various parts of the law work to defeat each other’s purpose, not to complement it.

So, we have an old-fashioned tried-and-tested vigilante story like Charles Bronson’s Death Wish (1974). Death Wish was about a father, Bronson, taking the law into his own hands to avenge the rape and death of his daughter. The film went on to become a successful franchise with more instalments.

Mom is one such story with an Indian touch. Here, a woman, when failed by the law to deliver her justice, turns the avenger.

What takes the privilege away of being a rarity of the subject is the fact that not very long ago, a similar film, Maatr, starring Raveen Tandon, had hit the screens where she ventures out to avenge the rape of her daughter in the same Delhi. She also played a teacher in a school where her own daughter is a pupil.

Mom is about Sridevi in her 300th film since her debut on screen in her childhood. Without going much into what led to what, Sridevi’s character is married to the character of Adnan Siddiqui, a widower with an 18-year-old daughter, played by Sajal Ali, from his previous marriage. The couple have another daughter, much younger.

Sajal has not yet accepted Sridevi as her mom. She misses her biological mother, is always curt with Sridevi and calls her madam as she calls her during her school hours. Sridevi is a school teacher and Sajal also happens to be one of her pupils.

She may be too old to be in a school at 18 but the makers don’t care for such detailing. A boy in Sajal’s class has an evil eye on her. His sending dirty video clips to her backfires. Come a Valentine’s Day party at a farmhouse, the boy makes his move but is rebuffed.

The alternative is always a taken in Delhi, it looks like. Assault and rape follow on Sajal. Evil deed done, she is dumped into a nullah as dead. The culprits are identified, tried and acquitted. Sridevi and the family are devastated, frustrated and angry — all the emotions that a film can use in such a situation.

Sridevi takes it upon herself to settle the score with the four culprits. In the due course, she also engages a jasoos (detective) as he calls himself, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a guy with X-Ray eyes so to say. Also lurking in the background is the character of Akshaye Khanna, a cop who has arrested all the culprits like a super cop but loses out to the judiciary as all the culprits go scot-free. He is left banging his hands on tables.

The rest of the film is about Sridevi’s revenge and getting her stepdaughter to accept her.

Mom is a badly scripted film with glitches all around and contradictions in the script. The director takes a Hollywoodian approach to treat the film but never gets a grip on the proceeds right from the beginning.

In the era of songs sans lip sync, a couple of good tunes also fail to make an impact.The background score is good. Dialogue is good at places, especially Nawazuddin’s which sound extempore rather than penned. Editing needed to be much sharper. Camera work is fairly good.

The film counts totally on Sridevi to carry it through and she does a reasonably good job. Nawazuddin, who has been given a special look for this film, becomes a caricature for no apparent reason. A detective should blend in the crowd not wanting to be spotted then what is the logic of giving Nawazuddin a getup with which he would stand out in a crowd of thousands?

Adnan Siddiqui is sincere but his role has nothing much to offer. Sajal is does well. Akshay Khanna also gets the short end of the bargain with nothing material to do.

Mom is a much hyped film with which it does not live up.

Producers: Boney Kapoor, Sunil Manchanda, Gautam Jain, Naresh Agarwal, Mukesh Talreja.

Director: Ravi Udyawar.

Cast: Sridevi, Akshaye Khanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Ali.

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Boney Kapoor acquires remake rights of Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil

Strong word-of-mouth turns Pongal satire into remake pick

Published

4 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

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Set in a rural milieu, the story follows a panchayat leader thrown into disarray when a wedding and a funeral land on the same day. What unfolds is a swirl of satire and humour that skewers local politics, power games, bruised egos and family tensions, all anchored in the textures of everyday village life.

Kapoor first encountered the film earlier this year while in Coimbatore for the Celebrity Cricket League. With time to spare, he caught a screening at a local theatre. That viewing proved decisive. According to sources, the narrative style, performances and the film’s balance of political commentary and comedy caught his attention.

Interest quickly turned into intent. Kapoor reached out to the producers soon after to explore a remake. Talks gathered pace over the following weeks and came to a head last Friday at the film’s success party in Chennai, where Kapoor joined the celebrations and continued negotiations with the makers.

By the end of the evening, the deal was sealed, with Kapoor formally acquiring the remake rights.

For an industry constantly mining regional cinema for the next crossover story, the move is telling. A small-town satire with local flavour has found a national backer. And if Kapoor’s instincts hold, a tale born in one village may soon echo far beyond it.

Hindi

Fans take centre stage as Zee Cine awards turns the spotlight around

Published

6 days ago

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indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the applause gets louder than the dialogue, you know the fans have taken over. That was the unmistakable mood as Zee formally announced the Zee Cine Awards 2026, flipping the script to celebrate not just cinema’s stars, but the people who cheer them on the loudest.

The 24th edition of the awards marks a fresh chapter in Zee’s long-standing relationship with Hindi cinema, anchored in its fan-first philosophy, Fantertainment. This year’s theme, ‘Yeh Pal Hai Fans Ka’, reinforces a simple idea: cinema’s most powerful moments are shaped as much by audiences as by actors on screen. Presented by Maruti Suzuki, the awards aim to turn fandom into the main event.

The announcement, held in Mumbai, was anything but a routine press conference. Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, composer Mithoon and singer Palak Muchhal joined fans to kick off the celebrations, turning the launch into a high-voltage, participative spectacle.

Staying true to the theme, fans didn’t just watch the announcement, they drove it. Akshay Kumar took the lead, pulling fellow stars on stage and energising the room, before the unveiling of a live LED Fan Meter. Powered purely by audience cheers, the rising meter culminated in the reveal of the Zee Cine Awards 2026 ground event date, announced in unison with fans, blurring the line between performer and spectator.

The momentum continued as Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa and Aparshakti Khurana recreated iconic hook steps, joined by Mithoon and Palak Muchhal for music-led interactions. Games, spontaneous performances and playful banter kept the focus firmly on shared moments, underscoring the evolving bond between cinema and its audience.

Beyond the launch, the awards will roll out as a multi-platform journey across television, digital, print and fan-led experiences. The aim is sustained engagement from the first announcement to awards night cementing fandom as a cultural force rather than a footnote.

Commenting on the milestone edition Zee head of advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty said the 24th Zee Cine Awards continue to draw strength from the network’s omni-channel ecosystem, reflecting how audiences consume content today across TV, digital and social platforms. She noted that long-standing brand associations, including Maruti Suzuki’s three-year partnership and support from brands such as Hell Energy, underline the platform’s scale, trust and cultural relevance.

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Hindi

Prime Video to stream Don’t Be Shy, produced by Alia Bhatt

Published

2 weeks ago

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indiantelevision.com Team

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For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.

With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.