Release Date : July 29, 2022
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Saurabh Sachdeva, Sushant Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Mita Vashist, and others
Director: Sidharth Sengupta
Producer: Subaskaran Allirajah, Aanand L. Rai, Mahaveer Jain
Music Directors: Aman, Parag Chhabra
Cinematography : Rangarajan Ramabadran
Editors: Prakash Chandra, Sahoo, Zubin Sheikh
Cast : Maheep Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey, Seema Khan
Producers : Aneesha Baig, Karan Johar, Ankur Poddar
Direction By : Uttam Domale
DOP : Nikhil Tandon, Aakash Bindu
So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows, our today’s pick is the reality show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. Starring Maheep Kapoor, Neelam, Bhavana Pandey, and Seema Khan, the show is available on Netflix. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Netflix is bringing the desi versions of many American shows to India and one such show that has now released is the Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. Starring Neelam Kothari(wife of Sameer Soni), Bhavana Pandey(Wife of Chunkey Pandey), Seema Khan(Wife of Sohail Khan), and Maheep Kapoor(Wife of Sanjay Kapoor), this show deals with the rich and famous Page 3 culture of Bollywood. It takes deep inside the lives of these star wives and how they go on a private girls’ trip and handle fame, money, and media. The icing on the cake is the entry of Shahrukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan,
What’s good?
The show is all about four-star wives who are also close friends deciding to go on a holiday. This part looks good and has been established well at the beginning of the series. Every star wife has been given a small conflict point and the show basically deals with that aspect. The entry of Shahrukh Khan in a fancy Bollywood party and how he charms the stars is shown in detail.
There are many fans who want to know how these stars and their wives lead their life with rich backgrounds. That part has been nicely showcased by the makers. There is a full dose of glamor, expensive cars, fashion, and close-knit discussions also being revealed.
The production values are top-notch and there is no compromise on this aspect as the show is mostly set in the beautiful locales of Doha. Star entries like Janhvi Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, and several other star kids make things interesting. The best story of the show was of yesteryear actress Neelam and how she wants to get back to acting.
What’s bad?
There is no set template in this show. The shows which are made in the US with the same theme at least have their emotions intact even though the scenes look fake. But with this show, things look forced and staged in many places. Karan Johar joining the show, taking the girls on lunch, all these aspects are just added to create drama but that does not click.
Some of the stories of the star wives look way too staged. Especially, those which deal with Sohail Khan’s wife. The way she deals with her kids and life looks super fake to watch. Also, the manner in which the emotions are rushed just for the sake of the show looks weird. Also, the frequent use of cuss words by the star wives was no needed at all.
Verdict:
On the whole, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives is similar to the US reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and depicts the lifestyle of star Bollywood wives in India. This show is for those who want to know what happens backdoor in these Page 3 hi-fi lives of star wives. There is glamor, glitz, SRK, and fancy taking. But the emotions and narration are totally fake. If you are okay with this aspect, then go ahead and give this fancy show a shot.
Rating: 2.5/5
Release date : Aug 12th, 2020
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Angad Bedi,Vineet Kumar Singh
Director : Sharan Sharma
Producer : Karan Johar
Music by : John Stewart Eduri
Cinematography by : R. Dee
Gunjan Saxena is a film that has been awaited for a long time as it is based on the life of Indian Air Force Pilot Gunjan Saxena, who fought the Kargil War for India. The biopic is now out on Netflix and let’s see how it turns out to be.
Story :
Gunja Saxena(Janhvi Kapoor) is a very bright student in school. Right from her teenage, she wants to become a pilot. Her mother and brother are strictly against her idea but Gunjan’s father(Anup Saxena) encourages her to take up flying. She decides to become a pilot but she cannot afford it. So, her father suggests Gunjan join the Indian Air Force. Gunjan passes all tests and starts her journey as an Indian pilot. But through her training, she is looked down upon and is not taken seriously The rest of the story is as to how Gunjan proves everyone wrong and even fights the Kargil war for the country.
Plus Points :
The film is more about the struggle of Gunjan Saxena and how she fought hard to become a daring Indian pilot. There is no exaggeration in this fact and the film showcases the various insults and struggles the young pilot goes through in life. Angad Bedi is superb as the tension-filled brother of Gunjan.
The heart of the film is Pankaj Tripathi who is amazing in his role as Gunjan’s dad. The calmness he brings to the film and his immense emotional bond with his daughter has been emoted superbly by Pankaj Tripathi. He is a proven actor and there is no melodrama in his performance and he is top-notch and the best part of the film.
Janhvi Kapoor gets the most difficult role of her life so far and does her best. She is amazing in all her scenes with her dad and does well to play the real-life pilot. Though her performance looks jaded in the beginning, by the end of the film, she is at ease and is amazing in the climax.
Minus Points
Even though the film is just one hour 54 minutes long, it feels a bit dragged. Too much time is spent on the childhood scenes of Gunjan Saxena. All those who think that the film is more about how Gunjan Saxena fought the Kargil war, they will be disappointed as this part only forms the climax of the film. Also, the Indian air force pilots are showcased as those who never encourage women pilots. The film is filled with feminist scenes and this might not go well with a few. A few scenes are also predictable at the beginning of the film.
Technical Aspects
Production values of the film are top-notch as all the chopper scenes are showcased in a deadly manner. Heavy-duty VFX is used but not one scene looks artificial. The film has solid camera work and production values are top-notch. Dialogues are amazing and those written for Pankaj Tripathi are quite emotional. The production design, music score, and BGM sit perfectly in the film.
Coming to the director Saran Sharma, he has done a decent job with the biopic. He does not beat around the bush and showcases too much of fiction as well. There are scenes where Gunjan says that she has come to the Indian air force only to fly and not because of her love for the country. With such dialogues, he stays true to the story and shows the film in a more emotional note.
Verdict :
On the whole, Gunjan Saxena is an emotional biopic of India’s bravest Air Force Pilot. The film is based on the struggles faced by Gunjan Saxena and showcases what she went through mentally to achieve big in life. Though the narration is predictable and the pace is slow, emotional moments and good performances make this film a decent watch.
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
