KSG's Dangerous, good stuff, but loses it way in the end.

 

The thriller genre best suits  Karan Singh Grower.  His  latest feature film Dangerous on  MX   Player,

could have been great offering. 

 

   In an attempt to stretch the thrill, one twist too many was added.  I  liked it until the last episode when everything went off-kilter. Also, in the climax scene, how come other cops did not turn up leaving  Bipasha  Basu to deal with the main villain.

 

  Having said that the kidnapping story( Karan  wife played by  Sonali  Raut is kidnapped and ex-girl Bipasha investigates) was taut and edgy, I binged watched all seven episodes.  Full marks to the editors for  seamlessly  managing  to fuse a feature film into  7 episode series  (Producer  Mika  Singh had to release  Adat on  OTT due to  COVID) . Usually, things can go awry here.   Guess, the reduced length of each episode kept me glued on.

 

  The best part what I liked was that no time was wasted, cutting to the chase So you did not get distracted, which generally occur in hour-long series.

I did guess the twist, but then that was bound to happen. 

 

 

Had director Bhushan Patel . wanted they could have added a few more steamy scenes to the final film cut to appeal to the  OTT audience but glad they did not.

 

    Karan is growing an actor, but  I guess he better stick to the thriller genre(  Alone and  Hate  Story3) which does not require weighty emotions.  Bips has done a swell job as always.

     Feel bad for Suyyash  Rai for had Dangerous released on the big screen as initially planned as his negative role would have been sene in a different light.  But yes for sure his acting will be noticed.

  Among the women, sadly  Natasha Suri(poor thing is down with  Covid-19) did not get much acting space, though her character was necessary. . Sonali   Raut was spot as the rich carefree women who crossed the line.

 

   Shooting in London gave a different cinematographic feeling which did work.

 

Naagin 5 good start

 After Naagin  4’s lacklustre performance, the task is cut out for  Ekta  Kapoor and her team to take the fifth instalment of this Colors snake women series to its former glory.

Honestly, when  I sat down to watch the season 5 premiere, I was unsure of what to expect as the past four seasons have already exhausted most naagin tropes.

 But   I did enjoy the first episode.

 To start with, I will not dwell on the what and why of fantasy, when you enjoy Game  Of   Throne why not desi folklore?

   Season five has the element of past seasons.

 Brinda’s( Nia  Sharma)  guy  Dev (Vijayendra Kumeria)  is on death bed, and she reaches an ancient mandir(temple)  hoping to save his life.

Entre baddies Vishaka(  Anita  Hassanandani) and Shalakha ( Rashami  Desai)  who want to bum off  Dev for his mani. ( Cant, the maker, conjure up a new prize).

   Anita looks ravishing, sadly  Rashmi appeared a bit overweight.  Nia’s piping hot avatar continues.   Just one question should you wear a sexy outfit in a mandir?

 

 

 To save Brinda, past naagins, Shesha( Adaa  Khan)  and   Bela/ Shravani  (Surbhi  Jyoti )  come back from the collapsed temple columns.

 

   Good  CG has been used with naagins fighting each other and shapeshifting.

 The girl twice  breaks into naagin dance . Sadly the choreography left much to be desired, and  Adaa looked bored.

 Here a warning to season 5 males,  Mohit  Malhotra and   Dheeraj  Dhooper fans, your fav might not have much to do. Ask poor Vijayendra who hardy spoke one word in the season climax,  just playing dead .

After a brief battle, the baddies were taken out  ( slaying of the twin-headed  Bela was fun).

 But with Dev still not breathing, naagins invoke Lord Shiva to resurrect the highest being in the naagin order. Adi naagin ( Hina  Khan) who alone can kiss  life into the dead.

For that, at first, she will have to tell her 10000-year-old curse story to  Brinda.

 This period was before naagins got shapeshifting powers.  Adi naagin will have to relive her horror, so expect a time jump to present time and yes sexy naagins again turning human and viceversa

 

 

  Million dollars looking   Hina will do justice to sultry snake women avatar.

  

 It would be interesting to see how   Surbhi Chandna fits into the fantasy genre.  Till now, she has essayed realistic characters(   Ishqbaaz and Sanjeevni 2)  here; she will have to let her imagination run riot .  Her role will clash with  Adi  Naagin.

  Expect a more glammy side of  Ms.  Chandna to come to the fore

 We don’t want to say anything about the show’s chance as the story is yet to open.

 But yes the task has been made more challenging with COVID   restrictions and possible budgetary slashes.

Adaa and  Surbi  Jyoti guest appearance was a smart ploy try to reconnect with previous season audiences. Maybe season 1 lead   Mouni should have taken the place of Adaa as season 2 was a damp squib.

 

 

 

gg

ee

Naagin 5 good start

Naagin 5 good start

 After Naagin  4’s lacklustre performance, the task is cut out for  Ekta  Kapoor and her team to take the fifth instalment of this Colors snake women series to its former glory.

Honestly, when  I sat down to watch the season 5 premiere, I was unsure of what to expect as the past four seasons have already exhausted most naagin tropes.

 But   I did enjoy the first episode.

 To start with, I will not dwell on the what and why of fantasy, when you enjoy Game  Of   Throne why not desi folklore?

   Season five has the element of past seasons.

 Brinda’s( Nia  Sharma)  guy  Dev (Vijayendra Kumeria)  is on death bed, and she reaches an ancient mandir(temple)  hoping to save his life.

Entre baddies Vishaka(  Anita  Hassanandani) and Shalakha ( Rashami  Desai)  who want to bum off  Dev for his mani. ( Cant, the maker, conjure up a new prize).

   Anita looks ravishing, sadly  Rashmi appeared a bit overweight.  Nia’s piping hot avatar continues.   Just one question should you wear a sexy outfit in a mandir?

 

 

 To save Brinda, past naagins, Shesha( Adaa  Khan)  and   Bela/ Shravani  (Surbhi  Jyoti )  come back from the collapsed temple columns.

 

   Good  CG has been used with naagins fighting each other and shapeshifting.

 The girl twice  breaks into naagin dance . Sadly the choreography left much to be desired, and  Adaa looked bored.

 Here a warning to season 5 males,  Mohit  Malhotra and   Dheeraj  Dhooper fans, your fav might not have much to do. Ask poor Vijayendra who hardy spoke one word in the season climax,  just playing dead .

After a brief battle, the baddies were taken out  ( slaying of the twin-headed  Bela was fun).

 But with Dev still not breathing, naagins invoke Lord Shiva to resurrect the highest being in the naagin order. Adi naagin ( Hina  Khan) who alone can kiss  life into the dead.

For that, at first, she will have to tell her 10000-year-old curse story to  Brinda.

 This period was before naagins got shapeshifting powers.  Adi naagin will have to relive her horror, so expect a time jump to present time and yes sexy naagins again turning human and viceversa

 

 

  Million dollars looking   Hina will do justice to sultry snake women avatar.

  

 It would be interesting to see how   Surbhi Chandna fits into the fantasy genre.  Till now, she has essayed realistic characters(   Ishqbaaz and Sanjeevni 2)  here; she will have to let her imagination run riot .  Her role will clash with  Adi  Naagin.

  Expect a more glammy side of  Ms.  Chandna to come to the fore

 We don’t want to say anything about the show’s chance as the story is yet to open.

 But yes the task has been made more challenging with COVID   restrictions and possible budgetary slashes.

Adaa and  Surbi  Jyoti guest appearance was a smart ploy try to reconnect with previous season audiences. Maybe season 1 lead   Mouni should have taken the place of Adaa as season 2 was a damp squib.

 

 

 

To film or not to in COVID times

The reported death of a TV set crew ( Sab TV show Bhakharwadi) member has again brought into sharp focus the perils of shooting in COVID times. However,it is not that cut and dry. There are a host of valid reasons to keep shooting. 1. How long can you shutter down an economic sector which employs thousands? 2. Daily wager earners ka kya hoga? 3. All possible safety norms are in place. 4. Reporting to set is voluntary. You can opt-out if feeling unsafe as several actors have done so. 5. Insurance is mandatory just in case. 6. The govt is also unlocking for how will we make ends meet? 7. The death rate is only 2%, and more than three fourth of all reported cases are asymptomatic. Having said that all any death is too much, will all the above points provide any solace to tailor’s family who passed away. Will the insurance money make up for lost life. Right now, there is no demand for immediate suspension of the shoot, for the deceased is just another unit hand. However, all bets will off, if any known actor becomes the coronavirus’s next victim. Chances of which are luckily very less with this scourge mostly targeting people above the age groups of 40 and those having comorbidities. Therefore supporting senior actors in the 40-65 age group are at most risk.(above 65 cant shoot) I am sure the stakeholder must have considered all these factors before restarting( Can’t afford to go into lockdown again ) Naysayers will demand a return lockdown. However, I am in two minds getting both the points, i.e. life is essential but so is the livelihood. I am glad that I am not to asked to weigh on this age-old moral vs economic argument.

Vivian Dsena and Nia Sharma to sizzle Bigg Boss 14?

Vivian Dsena and Nia Sharma to sizzle Bigg Boss 14? Since Bigg Boss 13 was such a monster hit, there are enormous expectations from the next season of this big-ticket Colors reality hosted by Salman Khan (He might not be physically present due to COVID 19 restrictions) The main USP of this voyeuristic presentation has always been the right mix of housemates. There have been seasons when the combination did not fall right, leading to a drop in numbers. But 2019-20 outing was spot on, Siddharth Shukla sparing with Rashami Desai and Asim Riaz. , Paras Chhabra- Mahira Sharma - Shehnaz Gill love triangle, and last but not least, Devoleena Bhattacharjee doing her thing etc. stole the hearts and minds of the audience giving the show a month’s extension. Like every year this time around too, there is speculation regarding possible names who will be locked in the Film City house. Among the most prominent names doing the rounds this year, is brooding tv heartthrob Vivian Dsena. Would the channel also try to rope in ex-wife Vahbiz Dorabjee or Shakti co-star Garima Jain with wh Vivian was earlier linked up to add spice? One thing we don’t get usually get TV actors on top of their game fight shy of getting locked in BB. Here Vivian is still sitting pretty at the top of the heap; maybe channel is paying him a bomb? Preferably in this connection, the name of Sasural Genda Phoo lead Jay Soni makes better sense for off late his career trajectory was going nowhere. The rumour mills were abuzz suggesting that entry of Sushmita Sen’ brother Rajeev Sen, who is more in the news regarding his marriage with TV actor Charu Asopa( first PDA, then trouble in paradise) Rajeev has flatly denied the above abuzz. Can we take his refusal at face value (Maybe he has signed an NDA?_On the flip side, we might perhaps see Charu, which would work better for Big Boss is a more tube actors hunting ground. If Rajeev/ Charu does make, it will be fun to see them do online PDA reports suggest that for the first time contestant can connect with loved ones using the phone/social media Apart from Vivian the other name to get most traction would TV bombshell Nia Sharma who will soon finish her stint in other Colors supernatural saga Naagin 4.Nia’s glamorous outfits and energetic personality will add heft to the house. We wonder if Endemol can bring back her ex Kushal Tandon( Reportedly had a thing during Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai) for a short time. If mastermind Vikas Gupta can return, why not others?? Another name doing the rounds is cine and now web actor Adhyayan Suman. He can bring lots of eyeballs talking about his very tough B- Town journey and yes his long time ago relationship with none other current public personality #1 Kangana Ranaut. Interestingly Adhyayan's dad Shekhar Suman is also joining Kangy and others in demanding a CBI probe in Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Singer comedian Sughanda Mishra(Comedy Nights with Kapil) can sure add fun to the proceedings. =The names of Avinash Mishra ( Balika Vadhu) and Mishal Raheja( Ishq Ka Rang Safed) to have featured in the possible list. But no really know whether they or any or all of the entire above list, will make the final cut or no?

TV still going strong

Today is a red-letter day in desi TV, for we are now getting a clearer picture of where we stand after a three-month COVID hiatus. There was great fear of the tube losing audiences to the new web medium. OTT bosses also pulled all stops to take advantage of zero fresh content on traditional platforms, i.e. big and small screen. TV channels and production houses have had to fight against all the odds first to get restart permissions and then film in a secure environment. Despite all efforts, few actors did catch the bug halting shoots for short periods. Many actors have even refused to shoot citing health fears. Huge loses due to no show for three months have seen channels slash budgets, forcing the makers to pass on the damage downstream to actors and unit hands. A lead friend says, first, she would charge 50K per day now, but now is not getting more than 20K for new outings. So let's see how the thing stands this first Thur morning, TV equivalent to board exams. More significant rating offerings like Choti Sarrdaarni and Bhagyas (spin-off series) have taken a toll, e.g. Kundali Bhagya which was clocking around 3.5 TVR before the lockdown has fallen to 2.2. Similarly, the above Colors show is now down to 1.7, a loss of near one full point (2.7 before). The shows below Two TVR thresholds ie Barrister Babu(Colors) and Kasautii Zindagii Kay (Star Plus) have more or less held their ground. Yeh Hai Chahatein though has dropped 0.5 ( to 1.4), even other average fares like Qubaan Hua( Zee) have shed the same number to end this week at 1TVR. Some of the lower rating presentation like Madam Sir has not lost any value. Coming to new series, while Anupama has opened well, Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 has a very steep climb ahead. So moral of the story, while there has been some loss of audience the chasm is not very vast, so good content can see the tube get back to former glory. Naysayers who were predicting the demise of what they call the Idiot Box will have to eat their words. PS. Will do a separate story on non-fiction genre once more reality shows numbers come in.

You cant ride a blood thirsty beast and then cry foul

Off late there has been a lot of media bashing. Certain criticisms are well taken ( like intrusive questioning/speculation of victim families.) Also in many cases, the media is no longer an impartial observer, rather it to enters the playing field, batting for either side. This "complicity "stems from being too close to either of the belligerents or pure commercial interests. Here some might argue, why does the media not keep its distance? the sad answer is that it then will not get inside dope which gets them ratings or hits The reporter then has to repay by suppressing, underplaying or overplaying certain news. We as a tribe needs to introspect and make amends. However, there is enough blame to go around. Actors and their PR (I am an entertainment journo ) also keep chasing us to put out useless non- stories. Everyone wants to put out their two pence worth, on any imp news item. play along but then hits back when the tide turns. You cant run with the hares and hunt with the hounds.