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Tag: Brijendra Kala

  • Watcho Exclusives presents the original series ‘Luck Shots’

    Watcho Exclusives presents the original series ‘Luck Shots’

    Mumbai: Watcho Exclusives, a leading OTT platform from Dish TV India Ltd, known for consistently delivering compelling content since its inception in 2019, has firmly established its presence in the entertainment landscape. With a diverse portfolio encompassing captivating series such as Aarambh, GillHarry, Explosive, The Morning Show, Manghadant, Avaidh, and Jaunpur, among others, Watcho Exclusives now presents its highly anticipated original anthology series, “Luck Shots.”

    Produced under the banner of Viral Entertainment Pvt Ltd, with Suresh Thomas and Mohit Srivastav as the producers, “Luck Shots” comprises six captivating episodes that delve into the enigmatic facets of human existence. Each episode navigates the delicate balance between good luck and bad luck, offering viewers a rollercoaster journey through life’s unpredictability. The series masterfully portrays characters experiencing highs, lows, jubilation, and contemplation, serving as a vivid reminder that life’s duality, characterized by good and bad luck, is an inseparable part of our journey. From unforeseen victories to whimsical misadventures, “Luck Shots” artfully highlights the multifaceted nature of destiny.

    The series boasts an impressive ensemble of stars, including Brijendra Kala, Kavvin Dave, Ajitesh, Priyanka Kaul, Deep Raj Rana, and Krishna Bisht to name a few.

    Dish TV India Ltd corporate head of marketing Sukhpreet Singh said, “With Watcho Exclusives, we are committed to delivering exclusive, engaging content that truly resonates with our viewers and our second original anthology series, “Luck Shots,” is a testament to this dedication. We recognize our audience’s appetite for fresh and thought-provoking narratives, and “Luck Shots” fulfils this expectation. Believing in storytelling’s power to captivate and inspire, this series takes viewers on an exciting journey through life’s unpredictable twists, mirroring our own experiences with fortune. With each new series, we aim to present unique narratives that engage, inspire, and entertain.  We are thrilled to share this exceptional series with our viewers and remain steadfast in providing an unforgettable and compelling entertainment experience.”  

    Seasoned actor, Brijendra Kala, who plays the role of Madan Lal in one of the stories, Rasta Bandh, opened up about his work experience and shared, “It’s been an incredible ride working on ‘Luck Shots’ for Watcho Exclusives. This anthology is a refreshing take on the age-old dilemma of good and bad luck. My character’s journey in the show mirrors the ups and downs we all face in life. Just like in the real world, where we can’t always control our destiny, ‘Luck Shots’ emphasizes the importance of doing our best and letting the universe handle the rest. I’m excited for the audiences to connect with our characters and stories. Buckle up, folks; ‘Luck Shots’ is a captivating journey waiting to unfold!”

    Actor Kavvin Dave, who features in the story titled Wrong Number, expressed, “Working on ‘Luck Shots’ has been an incredible experience. This anthology series on Watcho is a thought-provoking exploration of luck and its role in our lives. My character’s journey mirrors the twists and turns we all face, and has a unique journey filled with surprises, just like the series itself. It’s a series that will make you reflect on life’s unpredictability.”  

    Delve into the intricate choices of the characters of Luck Shots, where they teeter on the edge of both good and bad luck, experiencing both simultaneously, and embark on an emotional rollercoaster ride!

    Watch “Luck Shots” on Watcho, accessible across multiple devices including Fire TV Stick, Dish SMRT Hub, D2h Magic, Android and iOS smartphones or online.

  • Smartworks shows tech-friendly office in new ad

    Smartworks shows tech-friendly office in new ad

    MUMBAI: Provider of shared work spaces, Smartworks has launched its second brand video featuring the benefits of hassle free technology to enhance collaboration and productivity for its members.

    The second video of the three-part series highlighting Smartworks’ technology-rich environment garnered a whopping 300,000 views in the first 24 hours of its launch.

    Smartworks founder Neetish Sarda says, “Being a new-gen entrepreneur myself, setting up a new office is beyond the mundane offerings of traditional workspaces, conventional business centres and even co-working spaces. Office being the second home for employees, we wanted to maintain the brand ethos by offering customisations. The hassle free technical support which Smartworks provides takes away the time and effort needed to tackle such situations by individual organisations and gives them time to focus on work and hence increases productivity.”

    Smartworks envisions the philosophy of – Workspaces That Work for You, through its brand campaign series. The first video featuring Brijendra Kala has already crossed five lakh views.

    Smartworks co-founder Harsh Binani adds, “In this millennial world, ease of doing business is a major business driver and is one of our major offerings in all our centres. Smartworks offers a ‘futuristic workplace’ that not only offers best in class technical support to its clients, but also offers fantastic designs and personalised value-added services. Our in-house smartphone application not only works as a collaboration & networking tool which increases efficiency but also helps in reducing downtime as it offers real time tech support and ensures issues are resolved as soon as possible.”

    The company currently has over 7, 00,000 square feet of best-in-class, bespoke shared workspaces and operates over a span 14 centres in nine Tier 1 cities across the country.

  • Tubelight…. Betrays fans’ faith

    Tubelight is a slang used generally to refer to a person who is a slow-starter, takes time in grasping matters like jokes or a simple statement. In the film, Tubelight, Salman Khan’s character, is described as such by one and all because nothing seems to get into his head. But, as the story unfolds, it belies its own title because, Salman is not just a slow-starter: he is a non-starter. Nothing gets into his mind.

    Based on the Hollywood film, Little Boy (2015), it is a period film in that the story takes place during World War II. A young boy of eight and his father share an amazing love for each other. The father has to join the troops to fight the war in place of his older son. The boy, attached to his father, will do anything, go to any length so that the war comes to an end so that his father can come back.

    Tubelight has followed Little Boy almost scene to scene and in the setting but takes the liberty to change the characters and relationships. In place of the father-son, Tubelight is about the bond between brothers. These liberties prove hard to live up to as the film proceeds.

    Salman Khan, living in Kumaon in Uttarakhand in north India, is a halfwit who is slow to react to things. He is lonely and the butt of jokes of the whole town. That is till his mother delivers a son, and Salman now has a younger brother. Sohail Khan, though younger, protects Salman from all the bullies. The brothers become inseparable and complement each other.

    The peaceful town suddenly comes alive as trouble is brewing on the north-east frontier and war with China looks inevitable. The army visits the town to appeal for recruits. A patriotic fervour takes over and a lot of young boys volunteer. Salman, for his slow take on everything, is rejected while Sohail makes the cut.

    The film takes about 30 minutes from the start till now, which is when the real story is set to begin; that of Salman pining for his brother and looking for the ways to end the war so that Sohail can be brought back. This time taken to depict the undying bond between the brothers has not quite worked on the viewer.

    While he was a child, Mahatma Gandhi had visited Kumaon and given a mantra to Salman, that if you have faith in yourself, you can make mountains move. This mantra is put to test when a magician, played by Shah Rukh Khan, visits the town. He needs a volunteer from the audience for a magic trick. Salman is the chosen volunteer and he has to use his self-belief to move a soda bottle put on a table. The feat only adds to Salman’s belief in what Gandhiji had said.

    Then, there is also Om Puri, who gives tenets of Gandhiji to Salman to follow if he wants to be successful in bringing his brother back.

    While Salman’s self-belief is being honed, a Chinese family of two, a young widow, Zhu Zhu, and her little son, Matin Rey Tangu, move into Kumaon. Having arrived from Calcutta, they settle in a distant cottage. Sceptical at first that the Chinese had invaded Kumaon, Salman decides to follow Gandhiji’s advice and makes friends with Matin and later with Zhu Zhu. No matter that the whole town hates these two Chinese just for being Chinese.

    If all this sounds mundane and not like a story, that is because that is how it is. There is no movement, the film is at a standstill as Salman goes around proving his self-belief, spending time with the Chinese, inquiring about his brother with the army man, played by Yashpal Sharma, time and again, and getting ridiculed by the townsfolk.

    Even while concluding the film, the director chooses to stretch things by adding unnecessary melodrama.

    Tubelight starts with a wrong film as inspiration. The idea of superimposing Salman in place of an innocent young boy of eight in the WW II era braving all tests so that his father could return from the war backfires. Just making him an imbecile to fit into an eight year old’s character is not a sane idea.

    The direction is poor with glitches galore. Borrowing an American film is fine, but also following the same sets is not. Kumaon town of 50s and 60s with English signboards on shops, bakery, Softy vending machine, direct dialling telephones is taking things for granted. War scenes are not convincing. While the war is being fought across Ladakh, half the army seems to be stationed in Kumaon, busy giggling!

    Musically, the film has two decent numbers in Naachmerijaan….and Radio song. Dialogue is mundane. Set designing is patchy ad editing is poor. Cinematography complements the scenic location.

    Salman Khan tries his best but this just is not his film, he disappoints his fans. Sohail Khan is still a non-actor. Sharma and Isha Talwar are okay. Zeeshan Ayub is the villain without a cause.

    Zhu Zhu is good. Om Puri and Matin Rey are the only bright spots.

    Tubelight offers none of the regular Salman feature like action, songs, comic situations, the things that make his films work. This film counts only on emotions which, sadly, are forced and fail to touch the viewer. Unreasonably high priced, Tubelight has little going for it despite Eid week.

    Producers: Salma Khan, Salman Khan.

    Director: Kabir Khan.

    Cast: Salman Khan, Matin Rey Tangu, Om Puri, Sohail Khan, Yashpal Sharma, IshaTalwar, Mohammed ZeeshanAyub, Zhu Zhu, Brijendra Kala, Shah Rukh Khan (Sp. Appearance).

  • ‘Guddu Ki Gun:’ Toy Story

    ‘Guddu Ki Gun:’ Toy Story

    MUMBAI: The Indian Censor Board was much in news ever since its new chairman, Pahlaj NIhalani took over. All that mainly for blocking films for use of bad words. A week or so back, one watched a film called Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 with hundreds of blips suppressing words like ch***ya. So, what do we have this week was found suitable by the very same Censor Board conveniently named Central Board Of Film Certification aka CBFC?

    We have a rewritten modern fairytale, Guddu Ki Gun. In original fairytales, one read of a man turning to stone or a frog or gold. Here, in this contemporary fairytale, we have a story of a young man whose vital part, his claim to manhood, turning to gold! Filmmaking can’t get any more irrelevant! 

    Kunal Khemu, a Bihari migrant in Kolkata, is a door-to-door salesman and the predictable product he vends is a powerful detergent. While his detergent may or may not work on clothes, his charm certainly works on his female clientele. He seduces them all; so much so that he even maintains a diary noting his conquests.

    One among his victims is a young nubile girl to whom Khemu professes his love and takes advantage of her innocence. The girl’s grandpa happens to be a big time Kali bhakt and to get even, puts a hex on Khemu because of which his manhood turns into gold! He has all feelings in his now perpetually intruding vital part. Khemu can’t figure out what causes his discomfort when his friend, Sumeet Vyas, suggests that it has to be one of his women who put a curse on him. 

    Khemu follows the list on his diary ticking off each of his ‘clients’ who could have done this until he finally remembers the innocent girl he betrayed. After much pleading, the girl’s grandpa withdraws his curse conditionally: Khemu has to find true love and stay loyal to her come whatever. That is when he would be normal again.

    Meanwhile, a local don and an antique dealer are after Khemu to rid him of the very cause of his problem, the golden tool. They feel it is worth lakhs in the international market! Then Khemu comes across a girl, Payel Sarkar, in whose presence he feels normal again. Thinking she is the solution to his problem, Khemu asks for her hand in marriage. He has two problems: the girl is ugly with pockmarks on her face and her father wants Rs 10 lakh from Khemu. He has a one week deadline.

    Guddu Ki Gun is actually a stupid film treated in an old-fashioned way. It is loud and not funny in most parts. Song are placed at random as if its a ritual. Khemu overacts throughout. Sumeet is restrained and good. Payel Sarkar is natural despite limited footage. Flora Saini excels.

    Guddu Ki Gun, meant to be a cheap adult comedy, fails even on that count.

    Producer: Emenox Media P Ltd

    Directors: Sheershak Anand, Shantanu Ray Chhibber

    Cast: Kunal Khemu, Sumeet Vyas, Payel Sarkart, Flora Saini, Brijendra Kala

    Main Aur Charles:’ Slick & Stylish

    Not unlike the legendary ‘villain heroes’ in the West, we too have had some of them hogging newspaper headlines over the years. Charles Shobhraj was one of them who appeared on front pages through 70s and the early 80s. Born of a Sindhi father and a Vietnamese mother and christened Gurmukh Shobhraj, he was a French criminal who committed murders and other crimes across half of the universe. While in Asia, his prime targets were the hippie backpacking tourists. 

    Shobhraj built his lavish lifestyle around killing and stealing from his victims. He sort of mesmerised his victims, holding a special kind of sway over women who he came across to the extent that they stood by him even after learning of his criminal activities. It is hard to say if he committed more murders or married more women! Shobhraj also murdered people to grab their passports and forge them for his own use.

    Main Aur Charles is a 123 minute account of the criminal phase of  Shobhraj’s life, mainly the peak period of his criminal activities. Shobhraj has already been a subject of a few books and documentaries. Despite being based on the life and times of Shobhraj, the film flashes the mandatory disclaimer of being a fiction at the start.

    Randeep Hooda plays Shobhraj. While a lot of women play the parts of the glamourour ladies that came into his life periodically, as far as Hindi films go, Richa Chadda plays the female lead.  Since the film claims to be a fiction, Richa replaces the Nepali girl, NIhita Biswas. Richa, a law student, is mesmerised when she sees Shobhraj for the first time arguing his own case in a court. From that moment on, she is devoted to Shobhraj.

    The film deals with Shobhraj’s killings in Thailand in a montage, not wanting to dwell into details. For, after all, the victims did not mean anything to Shobhraj himself; they were just means to his ends. Shobhraj has a razor sharp brain which, sadly, is overpowered by his overconfidence. For all the crimes he commits, the evidence against him never goes beyond circumstantial; there is not enough proof to convict him. 

    Being the calculative criminal that he is, Shobhraj is serving a sentence in Tihar jail in Delhi. He knows that once out, he would be deported to Thailand where he is sure to face a shooting squad. He uses his knack to bribe and win over the jail staff to escape by drugging the entire jail staff. This is his ploy to get his Tihar sentence extended so as to not face a Thai shooting squad. 

    Shobhraj crisscrosses between continents and it is while he is in Goa that the police nabs him. The police as well as Shobhraj know that the proof against him in India, which can be proven is only jail break and can’t amount to more than a three year sentence.

    But, crime never pays is an adage that has more often than not passed the test of time. Shobhraj, out of jail, settles down in France but being the adventurous soul that he is, he makes the foolish decision to visit Nepal where he was wanted for murders. Nepal jail is where he is still cooling his heels.

    Main Aur Charles has been written and directed by Prawaal Raman. His background as filmmaker seems to start with Ramgopal Verma, which shows in certain aspects of his treatment of the film. He hurries through initial parts mixing flashbacks and present at random managing to create a bit of confusion in the viewers’ minds. He probably thinks his viewers know the legend of Shobhraj too well to waste time on establishing the gory crimes of the criminal whose story he intends to tell. Sadly, his story and his viewers are a few generations apart. 1970 was the last century; Main Aur Charles is 2015. 

    At interval time, Shobhraj is nabbed and one thinks this is it, what more is left to see? However, to his credit, Raman gets his grip back. This part is all about one-upmanship between the cops, Adil Hussain, being the top cop from Delhi Police handling the case. 

    To Raman’s credit, his handling technically is slick and stylish. The use of background music is effective. The use of the film’s single song is good. Dialogue carries at places. Cinematography captures this mostly outdoor film well.

    The film’s best part is its casting, well almost. Because, while Randeep Hooda fits Shobhraj to the T, Richa Chadda is a misfit. Richa hardly looks like a law student; in fact she looks much older and to add to that, her makeup and dressing make her look dowdy. To add to her woes, all the other women who play passing roles in the film are chic, glamorous and pretty. While the supporting cast does well, the three who make a mark are Adil, Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma. 

    Main Aur Charles is a well-executed film albeit with its appeal limited to elite multiplex audience; like with real life Shobhraj, the film too may appeal more to female audience. Having been released in dull pre-Diwali period, the film’s opening is poor. It can only count on positive critic reviews and word of mouth for some improvement over the weekend.

    Producers: Amit Kapoor, Vikram Khakhar, Raju Chadha

    Director: Prawaal Raman

    Cast: Randeep Hooda, Adil Hussain, Alexx O’nell, Richa Chadda, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma

  • Bhootnath Returns…….Ghost Samaritan

    Bhootnath Returns…….Ghost Samaritan

    MUMBAI: It has become a trend for a film to end with a threat of a sequel. Good or bad or outright disastrous, most films leave open the possibility. That is like hoping to build a high rise on a weak foundation since most of these films promising sequels are flops. In that event, what led to the sequel to Bhootnath which was rejected in cinemas though it did better on TV and DVD circuits? Whatever the inspiration, here goes:

    Bhootnath, Amitabh Bachchan, has been referred back to ghost land like a bounced cheque since he has failed to scare people on his first outing with earthlings. Ghosts laugh at him because of his failure to scare humans. Amitabh has eons before he can return to earth as a human and he feels belittled at this treatment by fellow ghosts. He asks the boss of ghost land to give him one more chance to go back and successfully scare people. After all, scaring living beings is what ghosts are supposed to do!I know as much about ghosts as ghosts know about me but this is what the film professes.

    Back on earth, Amitabh uses his ghostly powers to scare some kids playing cricket in a deserted place. The kids are not the kind to believe in ghosts, let alone be scared of one. He comes across a kid, Parth Bhalerao, who can see him and is not scared of him since he does not believe Amitabh to be a ghost; the kid is street smart.  A street smart kid led to Amitabh’s failure on his last trip on earth but, this time, the kid and the ghost both decide to use each others’ strengths.

    Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Chopra, Renu Ravi Chopra.

    Direction: Nitesh Tiwari.

    Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Parth Bhalerao, Boman Irani, Usha Jadhav, Sanjay Mishra, Brijendra Kala, Usha Nadkarni.

    It seems the area where Partho lives, Dharavi, is the most neglected and deprived in Mumbai. Bhootnath decides to make his return to the earth at Dharavi, his bad luck! Soon Parth teaches the ghost the game of using each other. While Parth uses Amitabh to first help scare the convent school gang of cricket players and get into their league, Amitabh, in return, earns secrecy about his being and the fact that he is not all that scary a ghost. With a little help from Parth, Amitabh becomes a good neighbourly ghost helping people get their due justice. It is all fun so far but it is also time to introduce the villain.

    Boman Irani is an ex-local goon turned politician and has been ruling the area assembly seat for the last three terms. His is a reign of terror, corruption and exploitation. His voters abhor him but also vote for him. Nobody would contest an election against him and, finally, it is left to Amitabh to do it. The law is silent on weather a dead man can contest an election and his lawyer, Sanjay Mishra, asserts as such. So, it is an electoral fight between Amitabh and Boman. This is where the film loses its purpose and direction and, mainly, its target audience: the kids it is aimed at.

    The film entertains with its witty one liners delivered by Parth but, once the election issue is introduced, it becomes another film altogether. The light moments vanish and moralising lectures take their place, which is boring. On that count, the script loses its purpose. Direction is fair with quite a few liberties taken. There is no scope for songs except for sermonising kinds. Cinematography is good. Dialogue is well penned. The film has sourced a few of its actors from Marathi films. Parth is impressive. Usha Jadhav as his mother is very good. Amitabh Bachchan is his usual self, one who does not have to act to convey his part. Boman Irani goes a bit overboard at times. Sanjay Mishra and Brijendra Kala are good as always. Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor make brief cameos to no effect.

    On the whole, the problem with Bhootnath Returns is that it turns out to be a children’s film with an adult theme coming as it does in the multiplex era where waiting for a DVD works out more economical than sending kids to cinema halls (as has been proved by the performance of Bhootnath on this count).