BackFriday Film Wrap: Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Super 30’ big release of the week
Super 30 focusses on mathematician Anand Kumar's resolve in making higher education accessible to the underprivileged childrenThere are also several releases this week that haven’t inspired any reviews yet
PremiumBollywood is back in the game with a big release this week.
Biographical drama Super 30 on the life of mathematician Anand Kumar, starring Hrithik Roshan directed by Vikas Bahl is overly simplistic and excessively fanciful when it is not downright vapid, says NDTV. The precision of numbers eludes the film by a significant margin, resulting in an overcooked, sloppy, inordinately stretched-out drama that never gets its arithmetic right despite its topicality. Super 30, which is another botched Bollywood biopic, does nothing to dispel the well-founded fear that Mumbai's mainstream moviemakers, trapped in a web of old habits and outmoded notions of commercial viability, are terrible at capturing the nuances of personalities who still live, breathe and work in our midst.
News18 is more impressed. It says writer Sanjeev Dutta picks the highlights of Kumar’s life and gives us a classic underdog story that follows the prescribed trajectory--protagonist’s humble underprivileged beginnings, insurmountable odds he is faced with and eventually, the hard-fought victory. The director and writer duo do well in not merely highlighting Anand Kumar’s success story, but focusing instead on Kumar’s steadfast resolve in making higher education accessible to the underprivileged children of our society. Connecting the dots of this feel-good story and filling in the colours is actor Hrithik Roshan along with a talented ensemble of actors.
British romantic comedy Yesterday directed by Danny Boyle starring Himesh Patel, Lily James and Kate McKinnon also comes to India this week. Few stories tiptoe a line between horror and wish fulfillment as nimbly as this high-concept tragi-comedy, says Empire magazine. So while Boyle’s new film is still a largely warm and frequently surprising affair, its unusual premise gives it an edge that other jukebox hits – Bohemian Rhapsody, for example – have lacked.
Rolling Stone calls it a light summer breeze of escapist fun courtesy of high-powered director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Richard Curtis. The film takes some seriously wrong turns, such as an awful surprise cameo near the end and an unexplored argument about whether imitation Beatles is better than no Beatles at all. Yesterday has its heart firmly in the right place. It’s the challenge to take it to the next level that’s missing.
Tamil romantic drama Thozhar Venkatesan starring Hari Shankar and Monica Chinnakotla directed by Mahashivan handles its subject without resorting to overdose of melodrama, says The Times Of India. The subtle humour, too, gels well. The performance of the artistes, especially Harishankar, and a few dialogues about life and the unfortunate depiction of our defective system deserve mention.
Tamil thriller drama Bodhi Yeri Budhi Maari starring Dheeraj and Radha Ravi directed by KR Chandru keeps you invested mainly because of the what’s-happening factor. In the end though, despite being structured as a crime thriller and the overpowering score, the film feels like a lengthy PSA against taking drugs.
Marathi romantic drama WhatsApp Love starring Anuja Sathe and Rakesh Vasishth directed by Hemant Kumar Mahale has an idea that seems marginally workable on paper, says Pune Mirror, but is completely unconvincing in the way the screenplay portrays it, as well as in the final execution. We are never sure if the film is trying to be a drama, a comedy, a farce, a thriller, a romance or something else altogether.
Several releases this week haven’t inspired any reviews yet. These include Tamil action sports film Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2, Tamil comedy drama Gurkha, Telugu period drama Dorasaani, Telugu action comedy Rajdooth, Telugu romantic thriller Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene, Telugu action drama Marketlo Prajaswamyam, Kannada films Inthi Nimma Bhaira, Full Tight Pathe, Simha Sena, Yaanaa and Operation Nakshatra, Malayalam drama Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikuvo, Malayalam comedy drama Maarconi Mathaai, Punjabi comedy drama Munda Hi Chahida and Gujarati drama Jigar Jaan.
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