Does India has a answer to Hollywood’s Joker!! If yes then it would be Vir das who can counted as an exception to Joaquin Phoenix. Netflix’s sleek black comedy soars high with the uncanny plot with exclusions to minor glitches.
Vir das seems to have arrived at the perfect destination of his career with the versatility of such neat and succinct performance. The film which is co-written by Das himself along with Nikhil advani is remarkable despite short fluctuations. Das who explores intensity in humour with his menacing trait by killing people is an ultimate spin-off that is very likely possible to grip you with the scene.
The show revolves around Hasmukh Sudiya who is from a small town Saharanpur in Uttarpradesh aspires to be a stand-up comedian. However his chances are always dodged by his boss-guru Gulati (Manoj Pahwa), who thinks Hasmukh as a clown and infantile to this job. After working under him for years by fetching drinks and caring for his costumes, he meets with a constant refusal from gulati to introduce him as a comedian. Meanwhile being fraught he murders Gulati, this is where the treasure of the whole Tv series is unravelled. The eccentricity is constantly ignited by Hashmukh’s action that he can perform in the stage if he will kill someone. The microscopic vision that is rhetoric throughout the series is between the conflict and assimilation of morality and ambition and how both intersect them.
There are some spectacular scenes that are beautifully constructed to make you fall in love with Vir Das. Hasmukh’s character which would have otherwise filled much disdain from audience does not topple due to the brilliant writing and portrayal of Vir das with much vulnerability.
As the story moves forward we get to see Hasmukh travelling to Mumbai (Sapnon Ka seher) and participate in a music show. Here the show seems to be a little lacklustre as it tries to matchup with Bollywood props and norms. However the duo combination of Hasmukh and his wealthy manager Jimmy (Ranvir Shorey) works as a perfect feast for the audience. Its an absolute cynosure to see both of them like an exploding firecracker. Jimmy who knows Hasmukh’s secret gives him a tainted crook before every show to murder. In a hilarious scene, Jimmy says to Hasmukh “Agar to star hai, toh mai star maker hoon.” Its a clear depiction of how everybody wants to have their part in the show business.
The other cast includes Ravi kishan, the show manager and Raza murad as the Don of Film city who adds much hues to the incredible. The series however loses its pace and intensity at the bottom where the narrative pointlessly oscillates about inane things. Despite everything it is a must watch for Vir das who plays the character with much grip and intensity that you never seem to lose the thrill with humour.
The ten-part long Netflix series is an absolute treat to the fans of unexplored genre of dark comedy in India.
Hasmukh is currently streaming on Netflix.

If Virus was released today it would have made no distinction in the current wrath. Ashiq Abu’s virus is an exemplary opulence of a great medical thriller that is possible due to the collective effort of an outstanding cast and technical team.
The queasiness and attention that this medical thriller brings into the screen is nothing less smarter than Steven speilberg’s Contagion. Amidst everything what does wonders for this beautiful craft is the exceptional screenwriting of Muhsin Parari.
In one of the the most outstanding scenes of the movie we see Tovino Thomas who plays the role of a district collector persuades the ambulance drivers who refuses to work in such dreaded and dangerous condition. He says to them that anyone who wants to continue could write their details in a piece of paper and others could write a simple NO. This speaks of the neat characterization of the collector which would have been easily way warded. Had it been some other movie the viewpoint would have slanted the drivers as antagonists and eulogised Tovino Thomas.
Virus is the story of how a deadly epidemic virus (Nipah) has disseminated in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. As the virus spread becomes more chaotic and deaths occur most uncertain we get to learn there is no vaccine to this and the only way to contain this is isolating the suspected patients. The outstanding hues of this thriller are the character who are given no specialized treatment as star celebrities. The remarkable composition of their roles to restrict the virus despite their big names is splendid. Whether it is Dr. Annu (Parvathy Thiruvothu) character as a nurse to work on the ground levels to identify the cause or it is Jojju George whose family is secluded as the society suspect he is a nipah positive, all of them has a collective contribution to the nerve of this plot.
On top of everything Rajeev Rajeev’s sombre camera works with the minimalistic scores of Sushin shyam has been outstandingly spectacular. Virus is an deviant piece of classic cinema because of the leniency and meticulousness in which it has treated its elements. Never for a moment in the screen you would notice a vanity or temerity in each of the character. Despite having a running time of over 150 minutes you won’t be enervated as this tight knitted drama needs this much length to justify.
Virus is currently streaming on Amazon prime video with English subtitles.

Kumbalangi nights’ Review: A subtle intersection of masculinity and warmth

What if masculinity is so fragile?? Will it choke down to find its voice in the society.
Kumbalangi nights nicely draws the line between patriarchy and vulnerability in 135 minutes family drama. The encapsulating tone of this movie is treats neither of the stars in superior way therefore the ensemble efforts makes it gripping.
Early in the movie scene we see Fahadh Fahsil (Shammi) mouldering his moustache by saying , “ The complete man”. This is a complete augury of the tonality that there is existing masculinity that has smite to exercise its power. The idiosyncratic male ego that has persisted throughout the movie is both a mixture of evil and good.
Four brothers Saji (Soubin Shahir), Bony (Sreenath Bhasi), Bobby (Shane Nigam) and Frankie live in a unfinished debilitated house that is at the end of town. They are completely depraved from the warmth of womanly love since their birth. The old broken house metaphorically speaks a lot about their financial and emotional distress which all of the four brothers are in.
Bony one of the old brother after shaji, a mute falls in love with an American woman while Bobby falls in love with Baby (Anna Ben) that holds the plot primarily to foment between both families.
The mellow in the film however remains balanced due to the sweet structure of the fragility of men. Despite being grown with all men around they need the strong women to stand by their side to trundle. The women specifically in this movie are not used in a trump card which was so fall apart in this given narrative. Although the actions are mostly enhanced by the male spirit but they are in no need of them as they feel quite sturdy to stand on their own.
Cinematographer Shyju Khalid’s poised camera works is a primary element of this movie that adds much flavour to the story. The encapsulating fishing yards as well as the serene visuals of the night and beaches are much sublime. In inclusion to that Sushin shyam’s melancholic and engaging scores are another excuse to get invested in the intensity of this movie.
Kumbalangi nights is a major breakthough in Malayalam cinema. In such a time when the hero worshipping and machoism is on a trend Kumbalangi nights breaks it up with spectacular writing of Syam Pushkaran. After all Kumbalangi nights is a must watch if you want to see men and meninism.
Kumbalangi nights is streaming in Amazon prime video with English subtitles.

Serious men starts with a deviant note that " It's hard to deal with primitive minds like you". Nawazuddin siddiqui's lustrous performance with Aakshath Das's slant characterization brings much to the screen as expected.
The film is a definitive piece and satire on the inferiority of dalits and brahmanical ideology. Nawazuddin siddiqui who plays the character of Ayaan Mani acts as a assistant to his upper class boss Arvind Acharya in the National Institute of Fundamental research. Mani who is more Bombaiya than his original Tamil roots had came a long way persisting the adversaries of caste oppression from society.
As in the early scenes of the movie we get to see Nawazuddin siddiqui turning the board which wrote “ Reservations cannot be the only compensation to treating fellow human beings like animals for the last 3,000 years.” In split second he changes the name to Amartya sen. This aphorism speaks a lot on the illusions and blindness of our society has persistently connived it.
Nawazuddin who plays the character quite aptly with much defiance and depth with a great touch of undertone humour. As we progress more we are realized about his ambitions that he has for his son Adi who must live a settled life with the pace of current generations who are leading it. Mani wants his son to become a prodigy and bring much astonishment while secretively feeding him with metaphorical knowledge behind.
The characters are much brilliantly written by writers Abhijeet Khuman and Niren bhatt who makes a cycle of advantage that each one sucks from another. The moral ambiguity of characters who use each other for their cynical purpose to gain social status is laudable. If we will take the case of politician Keshav dhavre who wants to use Adi as brand kid for slum development policy or Nawazuddin siddiqui who uses Acharya for his own gains.
Atanu Mukherjee’s editing and Shantanu Mukherjee’s costume works has done a splendid job of knitting the beautiful story together. Especially the ambience of their slums and their appearance has appeared as an immaculately in the visual texture.
Based on Manu joseph’s Novel Serious men the film works in most parts in satirising the stereotypic norms of society that has been ignorant to dalits who live under the wrath of society. Although the film has missed its tone of fortifying the protagonist to fight for its desires but its a recommendable watch. In other pivotal roles the audience will see Shweta basu Prasad playing Anuja Dhavre and Indira Tiwari as Oja mani.
Serious men is streaming on Netflix with Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English.