Release date : July 27, 2021
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Starring : Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Sai Tamhankar, Supriya Pathak
Director : Laxman Utekar
Produced by : Dinesh Vijan
Music Director : A R Rahman
Cinematographer : Akash Agarwal
Staring : Richa Chadha, Pankaj Tripathi, Ester Noronha, Rajeev Pillai & Sheeva Rana
Directed By : Indrajit Lankesh
Produced By : Sammy Nanwani
Music By : Meet Bros and Veer Samarth
DOP By : Santosh Rai
Edited By : Ballu Saluja
Post the success of Vidya Balan’s Dirty Picture, yet another biopic is out with the name Shakeela. The film is based on the story of adult film actress Shakeela who became a superstar in the south with her films. Richa Chada plays the titular in this film which is out in theatres. Let’s now see how the film is going to be.
Story:
The story is set in the ’90s as Shakeela’s(Richa Chadha) mother takes her to a director and asks him to launch his daughter in one of his adult films. Shakeela initially says no but is forced to get into such films due to her family situation. In no time, Shakeela becomes so famous that she has an equal craze to that of superstar Salim(Pankaj Tripathi). Shakeela gets to act in one of Salim’s films and he tries to use her proposing for a physical relationship but Shakeela does not lure into it. Upset with it, Salim makes a plan and spoils Shakeela’s career, and leaves her in a financial mess. How does she come out is the story.
Plus Points:
The film starts on a good note and showcases the childhood portion of Shakeela quite well. The setting is good and makes for a good start. The manner in which Shakeela’s mother forces her to get into adult films is also very good. The little girl, Kajol Chugh who played younger Shakeela is the best of the lot and emotes well.
Richa Chadha overacts as Shakeela and is only good in the last few portions of the film. Pankaj Tripathi is the only solace of the film and does a good job as superstar Salim. The manner in which the double standards in the industry are exposed is showcased well. Some adult scenes will attract the target audience.
Minus Points:
Shakeela’s story is mostly the same as Dirty Picture but that film had a lot of class. But Shakeela looks vulgar and cheap in many areas. The lovemaking scenes and romance look outright vulgar in many areas. The film in many scenes looks B grade. The film is written by four writers and this itself spoils the fun and takes away the cream of a good story.
Richa Chadha does not suit Shakeela one bit and hams most of the time. In trying to look hot, she makes things look over the top and ugly. The basic drama needed for such a story is missing. The manner in which Shakeela reaches to the top, and handles fame is showcased in a worse manner. The climax is also dull and most of the needed and basic emotions take a solid beating.
Technical Aspects:
As said earlier, the writing as the film’s tone changes every 15-20 minutes. Rohit G Banawlikar, Rohan Bajaj, and Ashish Waghmare’s dialogues are very poor. There were some crucial scenes where the impact could have been great but the dialogues play spoilsport. Editing is bad and so was the production design which looks B grade. The camera work is the only solace. Director Indrajit had a great story in hand but his inexperience and dull narration play spoilsport. The Telugu dubbing is however decent.
Verdict:
On the whole, Shakeela is a poorly made biopic that falters in many areas. The writing, narration, and performances are very poor and forced. Upon this, the cheesy soft porn scenes create dis-interest. Emotions wise too, the film is a big let down and ends as a forgettable watch this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating : 2/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
Star Cast : Jisshu Sengupta, Kirti Kulhari, Ashish Vidyarthi, Pankaj Tripathi, Anupriya Goenka
Directed by : Rohan Sippy
Producers : Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal, Myleeta Aga
So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows, our today’s pick is Criminal Justice 2, the latest Hindi web series on Disney Hotstar. Let’s now see how it is.
Story :
In the second season, Madhav Mishra(Pankaj Tripathi), a small-time lawyer takes up another case of Anu Chandra(Kriti Kulhari) who murders stabs her husband Bikram Chandra(Jisshusen Gupta). Things take a U-turn for Madhav when Bikram dies in the hospital. Did Anu really kill Bikram? Is there a new angle in this murder? and how will Madhav solve it? That forms the story.
What’s Good
The setup and story look quite gripping. What looks like an open and shut case, the narration makes it quite interesting. Kriti Kulhari is amazing as Anu and did her emotional role superbly. She, in a de-glam role, has so much scope to perform and gives a memorable performance. Pankaj Tripathi is once again the soul of the show with his subdued acting.
The manner in which he deals with the case and how his funny histrionics in his conversations with his wife, he has showcased emotions in a beautiful manner. Deepti Naval, Jisshu Sen Gupta, and the supporting cast did a good job. Asish Vidhyarthi as a lawyer and Anupriya Goenka were also neat in their roles.
The production values of the show are top-notch. Most of the show happens in a court and jail and these setups are quite realistic. The domestic abuse angle is showcased in a very delicate manner. The way the last episode showcases shocking problems that women go through in their marital life has been addressed well.
What’s Bad
One of the biggest drawbacks of the show is the slow pace. The story is addressed in a way too slow manner and this was not necessary at all. The screenplay could have been tighter in many courtroom scenes in the end. Also, the show could have been wrapped up in six episodes and was unnecessarily dragged to eight.
Why the main man, Jisshu Sen Gupta tortured his wife and what was his motto for being such cruel should have been showcased in a better way. Too many jail scenes are disturbing and that aspect could have been reduced to make things look better.
Verdict :
On the whole, Criminal Justice is a gritty courtroom drama that addresses key issues in domestic abuse. The setup, solid performances, and confrontations are basic assets. But the slow pace and length in a few episodes drag the proceedings a bit. Barring this, this series ends up as a decent watch
Rating: 3/5