THE JOURNEY OF A DISH : CHICKEN CAFREAL.

            

Hello! everyone. First of all a very happy and prosperous new year to all of you out there. 2016 was just yesterday, I know, but there's something about the beginning of a new year that invigorates you, motivates you to look at life with a fresh perspective and new hopes. So here I am about to start something new. I write mostly about movies in my blog, but today I am trying my hands on writing about food. I am a born foodie so it's only a given that cooking should come naturally to me. Well, I am not a gifted cook but hey I do try my best. I believe that one day I will be great at it, hopefully. I hate small talks so let's get right to the point. To commemorate the occasion of New Year's Eve I decided to cook something special for my family. And also 31st December is my younger brother's birthday. So it was a classic case of 'Mauka bhi hain aur dastoor bhi'.

A few days ago I came upon a recipe on an Indian food website by the name of 'Chicken Cafreal'. It's a Goan-Potuguese cuisine. Just so you know I am crazy about chicken. I can eat it everyday, if my body permits. I am sure some of you might have heard or already tasted the above mentioned dish before. And also it's not difficult to find recipes now-a-days. One has to just Google or YouTube it. For those who have not heard or eaten it before this blog article is a blessing for you.

Ingredients: Coriander Leaves (a handful), Ginger, Garlic, Cumin Seeds (Jeera), Black Pepper seeds, Bay Leaf (1-2), Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Green Chilly, Lemon Juice, Salt, Turmeric, and most importantly the Chicken pieces (the more the merrier).

The prep and cooking process is pretty easy. First of all make a fine paste of -
Coriander Leaves, Chopped Ginger, Chopped Garlic, Cumin Seeds, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf (1-2), Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Green Chilly and Lemon Juice. (Optional: You can heat the cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms before putting it in the grinder, just to soften them up). Then cut small holes into the chicken pieces so that the paste goes deep inside the chicken. Marinate the chicken pieces with the paste along with salt and turmeric. Keep it aside for at least half an hour. 

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chicken pieces. Fry them properly on both sides. You can almost feel the nice aroma coming out of the paste and chicken at this moment. Now add a little bit of water along with the leftover paste and let it simmer till thick gravy starts to form. Check the salt and if you think the gravy is ready as per your taste, then it's done. Simple, right? You can more water if you want but make sure that you balance out the taste of the dish. 

FYI: Kindly check out the snapshots below that were clicked while preparing the dish.

              

I hope you enjoyed my blog piece and it was helpful in some way. I will try my best to keep posting about new-old dishes and also traditional dishes if possible. Till next time. Thank You.

My Info:
DAVID LAGACHU
8011770756 / lagachu.david63@gmail.com.

THE LADIES WHO RULED 2016

Here is a comprehensive list of Bollywood actresses who made an impact in 2016. The list is personal. Feed backs are welcome. Enjoy reading.

ALIA BHATT : Numero Uno. Talented. Effortless. Heart-throb. Call her what you may wish. Right now she can’t possibly do anything wrong even if she wants to. She was born with a silver spoon but has the histrionics to consolidate her good luck. In 2016 she gave three hits; ‘Kapoor & Sons’, ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Dear Zindagi’. In the process she also delivered the best as well as the second best performances of the year. There is no doubt that she will take home all the major film awards in the next couple of months. Barring a ‘Shandaar flop’, she has also been quite consistent at the box office and with age and ample opportunities by her side she will go a long way in her career. Next she will be seen in another Dharma film ‘Dragon’ along with Ranbir Kapoor.

SONAM KAPOOR : She was born a fashionista. She was guaranteed to be a big star one day but 'Neerja' brought her respect. Now she is taking her steps cautiously. She has signed up with Hollywood talent management UTA (United Talent Agency) to strengthen her chances of working in the West. She will be next seen in her home production ‘Veere Di Wedding’ along with Kareena Kapoor Khan. She has become a bit choosy but don’t worry you can always catch her on red carpets, magazine covers and of course on her personal app.

A special mention to Shabana Azmi who played Neerja’s mother in the film. She was flawless. 

   ANUSHKA SHARMA : Post the super success of ‘Sultan’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, she is the blockbuster girl of the moment. Spunky, opinionated and daring, she doesn’t shy away from experimenting with her roles. She has carved out an enviable position for herself in the annals of Indian cinema with two 300 crore movies to her credit. She is also an emerging producer who champions for the rights of unusual stories being told at the movies. 

   KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN : Newly turned mommy Bebo had quite an eventful year at the movies. Both ‘Ki & Ka’ and ‘Udta Punjab’ set the cash registers ringing and what’s more her work was also equally appreciated in those films. Right now the name of her new born baby boy is more in the news than her future projects.

   AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN : Prior to ‘Jazbaa’ in 2015, her last release was ‘Guzaarish’ in 2010. Since then a lot has changed in Bollywood and many a starlets went on to become superstars. However one thing that didn’t change was her stardom, which survived marriage, motherhood and all those post pregnancy weight controversy. Take a poll any day and she will make it to the top 10 actresses of today. Her contemporaries have long faded away. After getting lukewarm responses for ‘Jazbaa’ and ‘Sarbjit’, she finally delivered a clean hit in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. In a way director Karan Johar reintroduced and recaptured her sizzle for an entirely new generation of teenyboppers and her loyal fans. She has her own limitations but with a careful selection of movies which showcases both her beauty and acting skills, she can make this the most creative phase of her career.

   RADHIKA APTE : She doesn’t have the box office pull of an A list actress but her acting is anything less than top class. ‘Parched’ and ‘Phobia’ both failed at the box office but she shone like a polished diamond in those films. The short film ‘Kriti’ with Manoj Bajpayee also kept her in the news.

   VIDYA BALAN : The magic which she created with ‘The Dirty Picture’ and ‘Kahaani’ is no more there. 'Kahaani 2' is both a commercial and critical failure. However her histrionics are still in place and it will be interesting to see in which direction she will go from here on. She has a couple of author backed roles lined up for her next year. 

   THE TEAM OF PINK (TAPSEE PANNU, KIRTI KULHARI, ANDREA TARIANG) : ‘Pink’ was not easy to watch because it points a finger directly at us, the society, and the truth is always bitter. Apart from Amitabh Bachchan’s towering presence in the film, it’s the performances of the three female protagonists that take the cake. If you haven’t watched it already then please do right now because some experiences cannot be described in words. 

   PRIYANKA CHOPRA : Well she is in this list due to her hit TV show in the US, ‘Quantico’. To be frank the show is as mediocre as it gets which is why Priyanka deserves all the credits for the success of the show. With the ever growing diaspora audiences in the West and Hollywood’s constant effort to expand their market in the remote areas of the world, Priyanka was in the right place at the right time. She had a Bollywood release in 'Jai Gangaajal' but despite her spirited performance the film flopped. But hey she has BAYWATCH (The Movie) coming up next year which will make her further famous around the world.

   JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ : The Sri Lankan beauty had her best year so far in 2016. She had three releases and two of them, ‘Dishoom’ and ‘Housefull 3’, were declared hits. Also David Dhawan has signed her on for ‘Judwaa 2’. One thing is for sure she will retire as a hit heroine.

   FATIMA SANA SHAIKH and SANYA MALHOTRA : They got the break of a lifetime when they cracked the audition for Geeta and Babita Kumari Phogat. ‘Dangal’ has released this weekend and the world has fallen in love with them and their bravura act. In one scene Sanya Malhotra literally wrestles with Aamir and emerge victorious.  Every time Fatima shouts ‘Chal Geeta’ it gives us goose bumps. Go to a cinema near you and cheer for them. It’s totally worth your time and money.

   RATNA PATHAK SHAH : Better late than never. The supremely talented Ratna Pathak never got many opportunities in film when she was young but now she has reinvented herself as a new age mother in Indian films. In ‘Kapoor & Sons’ she was nuanced, understated yet very effective.

   MISSING IN ACTION: 

   DEEPIKA PADUKONE : She was busy shooting for her Hollywood debut 'XXX: Return of Xander Cage' with Vin Diesel in different parts of the world which explains her absence from Bollywood this year. Next up for her is the big budget historical dance epic ‘Padmavati’  along with Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor and with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the director’s seat, her future looks bright.

   KANGANA RANAUT : Her very public verbal war with Hrithik grabbed headlines and kept her busy most of the year. She has finished shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Rangoon’ which is all set for a February  2017 release. Then she will be seen in Hansal Mehta’s ‘Simran’. I will jump the gun here and say that 2017 will be Kangana Ranaut’s year. May be one more National award is waiting for her, hopefully.

  P.S: If I missed anyone, kindly let me know in your comments.

  SO

6 Reasons why Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is a must watch.

First of all Happy Diwali to all. For normal people Diwali means sweets and crackers but for a film fanatic like me it's about the annual Bollywood clash of the biggies. And this year it's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) vs Shivaay. I haven't watched Shivaay yet so I cannot comment on it. Karan Johar's ADHM has always been my preferred choice so I went for it first day first show (depending on which theatre you saw). And boy I wasn't disappointed. Clearly it is not Karan's best but not his worst either. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't miss it:

Ranbir Kapoor (Ayan Khan):

He has always been a great actor but in this one he is just fantabulous. From sweet and innocent to lovelorn and heartbroken, he nails every nuance of his character. Towards the second half he displays a certain amount of maturity but he never lets go off his childlike lovability. He dances like no one is watching and is a natural romantic. Just his presence in a scene can lift it up to sublime level and there are ample proofs of it in the film. RK is back and he is here to stay and rule our hearts for a long time.

Never before seen avatar of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Saba Taliyar Khan):

I am not talking about her beauty here. Probably for the first time in her career she is playing a sort of second fiddle to someone. She is almost like the other women in the film who the hero has a temporary fling with but who would have thought that she will have her cake and eat it too. Right from the promotions and post the release of the film she has managed to grab the maximum eyeballs and became the talk of the town. When she appears on the screen you won't dare to look at anyone else but her. It won't be an exaggeration to say that no one could have played Saba Taliyar Khan better than her. The role demanded sensuality, a person who seen a lot and knows the language of the heart and thus treads carefully. Saba is poetess who is not afraid to express her desires but she is not overtly sexual or possessive. She is a fine balance between reality and fantasy and is brave enough to let go someone just when she is starting to feel weak in her knees. They don't make women like her anymore and that's why Ash fits the bill perfectly.

Anushka Sharma (Alizeh Khan):

The epitome of bubbliness and the ultimate cutiepie of Bollywood delivers a performance which will be etched in the memory of every masala Bollywood film goers for ages to come. Every guy with his heart on his sleeve will fall for her. She is a total 'filmi' at heart who has no qualms about replicating classic Bollywood moments on foreign locations. She is strong enough to fight cancer with a smile but when it comes to love she is every woman in the world ever who has fallen in love. It's not hard to impress her but it's not easy to make her fall in love with you either. And every friend-zoned guy out there can vouch for it.

Fawad Khan (Ali): 

As if he is not a hot property already that on top of that he plays a hotshot DJ and a moody lover. Alright, fine, he has a small role. And honestly what was all the fuss about him being in the film? But his presence in the film does make a difference. His personality has an intensity and a gravitas which adds a layer of tension to the film. It's totally understandable why Anushka (Alizeh) can't control herself when he is around.

Pritam's music: 

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) is undoubtedly the most eclectic soundtrack of the year. All the songs are chart toppers but Channa Mereya and Bulleya have attained cult status among listeners.

Karan Johar's coming of age: 

ADHM is Karan's most frivolous and one dimensional work but with a reason. He is in a position where he doesn't need to prove his commitment and dedication to his craft anymore. He knowingly chose to tell a story which has indications that it's personal to him. Boy meets girl and a friendship develops. Boy start to nurture feelings but the girl feels friendship is the best relationship. It goes with saying that ADHM is also the seasoned filmmaker's most relatable and commonplace work. He doesn't rush into things and lets every emotion sink into the audience's heart. You know what's coming next and it's not necessarily a bad thing always. To put it in a more simple way 'Love is predictable but you don't stop falling in love because of that'. Love never goes out fashion and Karan Johar will be always around to tell us love stories in it's various shades and flavours. Cheers to that.

So what are you waiting for. Go and book your tickets right now.

Thank You. Till next time.

FOR THE LOVE OF KARAN JOHAR.

Karan Johar is one of the few directors who can satisfy both the single screen and multiplex audiences. Even his critics will agree with the fact that he influences popular culture. His films sets fashion trends and he himself can make people spill beans over a cup of coffee. Here's a retrospective into the films directed by him before Ae Dil Hai Mushkil hit the theaters this Friday. Read on.

KUCH KUCH HOTA HAIN (1998):

I still remember that wonderful sunny day. It was the day after the final exam of the third standard was over. My mom along with our adjoining neighbours had decided to go for our annual movie outing. And the movie they chose to watch was Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH). It was an easy choice. The songs were already ruling the charts and the general buzz among the people was immensely positive. So we went and someone booked the tickets (Balcony, Rs12/-, ah those were the days). The venue was Surya Cinema in my hometown of Lakhimpur. I used to the love the decoration of the interiors, especially the lights with flowery designs on the ceiling. All of us took our respective seats and waited for the lights to go off. Our wait was accompanied by the instrumental versions of the songs from the film we were about to see. The lights dimmed and the movie started and I fell in love with cinema for the first time in my life. They movie delivered exactly what it promised. I laughed, cried and fell in love with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. It would go on to have such an impact in my life that every movie that I would watch since then I would compare it to KKHH. For the next few days and months to come all I that would talk with my friends and the neighbourhood children is about which scene in the film made you cry the most, who was better Kajol or Rani Mukherjee and also strangely about the 'no shorts skirts in college' scene. Somewhere between all the colorful clothes and lovely songs KKHH also gave me a faint idea about what love and heartbreak really means. Over the years I have watched the movie at least once a year and every time my love for it keeps on increasing.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT: The rain dance in the second half of the movie. Kajol looked like a dream in the red saree. The most romantic scene of all time, no doubt about that.

KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM (2001):

I never got he opportunity to watch it in a theatre. In fact I remember very well I forced one of my friends to rent the DVD of the film to watch it in his home as my father won't buy a DVD player for reasons known only to him. To put it in a straight way, K3G never had the same impact as KKHH on me. And as later I would come to know nobody liked it as much as Karan Johar's first film. Karan of course did his best to recreate the magic of his first film. The casting of the same lead pair SRK and Kajol, and Rani Mukherjee was forcefully thrown into the story line although her part was totally unnecessary. Jatin-Lalit even included the tune of Kuch Kuch Hota in the Suraj Hua Madham song but alas history didn't repeat itself. The film in isolation is not at all bad. It was one of the highest grossers of the year. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan were wonderful in the role of the parents. The music was a super hit. Hrithik Roshan nad Kareena Kapoor only added to the glamour of the film. Overseas, it made some sort of records in terms of box office collections.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT: When Kareena Kapoor sees Hrithik for the first time but Hrithik ignores her and she says 'Wo kaun hain jisne Poo ko doobara mur ke nahin dekha'. Pure gold.

KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA (2006):

Yet another Kjo film that I had to watch on DVD. The film had a very international look and also the treatment was different from his earlier two films. The characters were not just NRIs living in the US but it felt like they were insiders. Karan Johar decided to explore the grey side of relationships by dealing with the topic of infidelity. Superlative performances by each and every actor only made the film more realistic and made you empathize with the characters even if they are flawed. As always the music was fantastic. The song Mitwa ushered in the era of Sufi rock. Preity Zinta's costumes were a rage among the youngsters. As a director this film was Karan Johar's coming of age.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT: When Rani Mukherjee dresses up as a blindfolded dominatrix to spice up her relationship with her husband played by Abhisek Bachchan.

MY NAME IS KHAN (2010):

After KKHH, this is my favourite film of Karan. It has intensity, unfiltered emotion and a certain amount of  innocence which make it impossible for you to disengage with the protagonist's pain and catharsis. Also it deals with such a relevant topic of today's time. Cynics pointed out that the it is heavily inspired by Forrest Gump but this film really made a difference in people's lives. SRK was absolutely flawless as an autistic man with a mission. How can anyone forget 'My Name is Khan and I am not a terrorist'? Karan won his second best director award at the Filmfare awards for the film. Salman Khan was a huge favourite to win the top acting honour for Dabbang but SRK beat him in the race and honestly I wasn't surprised.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT:

Tough to choose one but I will go with the scene where Kajol blames SRK for the death of her son.

STUDENT OF THE YEAR (2012): It was heady cocktail of Disney channel, Fashion TV and Star Plus. It was the perfect launch vehicle for the three newcomers Alia, Sid and Varun and look where they are today. It's a purely commercial movie and it pretended to be nothing more than that. Karan can make even they ordinary turn into extraordinary with his touch. Fact in case the idea to give a new lease of life to the cult song 'Disco Deewane' worked wonders for the film. Rishi Kapoor as a gay principal was comfortable in his skin and Ram Kapoor as the menacing father was one of the plus points of the film. Boman Irani's son Kayoze Irani also made an impressive debut with SOTY.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT: Of course the climax scene where Sid deliberately loses to make Varun win.

BOMBAY TALKIES (2013): Probably for the first time in his career Karan got a chance to make a film on a subject he really wanted to make without having to worry about the commercial aspects. And it clearly showed in the final product. Made as a part of an anthology of films to commemorate 100 years of Indian cinema at Cannes, Bombay Talkies proved that Karan can do away with the trappings of a commercial film when required and make a no holds barred film. Infidelity, homosexuality and self identity were the themes and the emotions were not restrained. It also featured a not so famous kissing scene between Randip Hooda and Saqib Saleem, which was  first of sorts in mainstream Indian cinema.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENT: Rani Mukherjee, Rani Muhkerjee and Rani Mukherjee.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is Karan Johar's seventh directorial venture. The buzz is strong and thanks to an unwanted controversy, it is all set to rock the box office. The film releases on October 28 and of course I will put up a review of the film. Till then take care.

MIRZYA : TO WATCH OR NOT TO WATCH?

The first thing that strikes you is the stunning visual effects. The opening scene is set in an unidentified time period in history where some kind of a 'swayamvar' is going on. The costumes seemed to be inspired by Game of Thrones and our leading lady Saiyami Kher is seen standing in a model like posture (tall, dusky and all set for the runway). One of those competing in the 'swayamvar' is of course Mirza, played by Harshvardhan Kapoor, with his face half covered. Deliberate attempts were made to create a mysterious aura around the character of Mirza, which also explains why the audience doesn't get to see his face before 30 minutes of the movie has already played out in front of our eyes.

The film is based on the Punjabi folklore Mirza Sahiban or as I and many others out there would like to put it: the Indian version of Romeo and Juliet. Here are a  few observations that I made while watching the movie:

The director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has paid a tad too much attention on the look of the film then on the story itself. Interestingly the screenplay is written by Gulzar but there is no glimpse of the genius that the man is otherwise known for. But then there are the songs in the film which are also written by Gulzar and our faith in him is restored . The music is the best thing about Mirzya.

Harshvardhan Kapoor's debut is both daring and safe at the same time. Safe because he is being launched by an established award winning director and producers with enough money to spare. Daring because even within the parameters of a commercial space he is not your typical Bollywood hero. To begin with he has no six pack (just like Ranbir Kapoor) which made him look normal throughout he film and mind you there are quite a few shirtless scenes of him. Secondly his character is not a 'MARD' who can fight with ten baddies at a time. In fact there is a scene where a policeman chases him and grabs him from the back but it was Saiyami who comes to his rescue. Harshvardhan possesses a raw sexuality and a 'Gael Garcia Bernal' kind of aura about him. However his expressions hardly changes throughout the film and he has a very soft voice which didn't go well with the role he essayed.

Saiyami Kher is gorgeous and has a 'in your face' sexy attitude. She is quite a vision in the red dress when she goes into the water (Well you will have to watch the movie to get a better picture of what I am saying). Alas she is not much different from Harsh when it comes to acting. And if you were thinking that Anil Kapoor's son and Sonam Kapoor's brother is the only star kid in the film then you are wrong. Saiyami Kher is the granddaughter of yesteryear actress Usha Kiran and the niece of Tanvi Azmi, which makes her nothing short of a star kid herself.

Assuming that you all know the story of Mirza Sahiban (or you can just Google it), all I can say about the story is that the film has stuck to it's source. The supporting cast is eclectic and leaves a mixed impression in our minds. Anjali Patil deserves a special mention. Om Puri is a waste in the film. To sum it up in one line: Mirzya is well made but it offers nothing new. The lead pair looks good but has a lot to prove in their upcoming films. Harshvardhan Kapoor will get many more chances but I hope that Saiyami too gets better films in the future.

RATING: 2 STARS (OUT OF 5).

MS DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY?

After a long wait, ever since it was announced almost two years ago, 'MS DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY' finally released on September 30. Within three days of it's release it has broken records of sorts by minting more than 66 crores at the domestic box office. This naturally means people across the country are loving it, right? The main purpose of me writing this blog post is to share my personal views regarding the film. The key word here is 'personal view'. I have already put up a Facebook status regarding the same but you can only write that much in such a platform. So let me jump right into the party!

Let's start at the beginning. The film begins with the ICC Cricket World Cup final 2011 and our man Dhoni is all set to go out for his batting. Sushant Singh Rajput who plays Dhoni, takes off his shirt and puts on the number 7 jersey and the audience goes berserk, after all we Indians are a cricket crazy lot. The opening scene sets the tone of the film and then it goes into flashback right into the day Mahi was born.

Mahi grows up and now he is in school. Average in his studies and more interested in sports (more in football and less in cricket), just like any other school kid. His father played by Anupam Kher is a pump operator and everything seems fine until one midnight he sees his father watering a field. May be it had an impact on the young mind; gave him a reason to do something significant with his life. So far so good. His sports coach one day saw him goal keeping and asked him if he would like to play cricket (as a goal keeper of course). He reluctantly agreed but his heart is in batting. Well if that's exactly how he got into cricket (mind it Dhoni himself supervised the script) then fine I have nothing to say. However I couldn't help but notice that his growing up years is shown in a pretty generic manner. There are clichéd dialogues like 'Padhoge likhoge to banoge nawab, kheloge kudoge to hoge kharab' to which our young Dhoni replies 'Padhoge likhoge to hoge kharab, kheloge kudoge to banoge nawaab'. And naturally the audience starts murmuring casually with peals of laughter as they already know that the young boy grows up to be 'Dhoni: The great cricketer'. Seems pretty basic and convenient?, well this is just the beginning.

And the saga of rise of Dhoni into a young man with great sporting skills continues throughout the first half. He hits a lot of sixes and has the ability to pull crowds when he plays and 'Mahi maar raha hain' becomes a regular catchphrase among his hordes of supporters. The feeling I got here is that Dhoni was a born prodigy who got lucky with his circumstances. He was good in football and when the situation demanded he also adapted very well into cricket although not without the customary 'machli pakad raha hain kya' scolding from his coach. And there's the inexplicable neighbour cum supporter cum the owner of the shop where Dhoni works, who goes out of his way to use his contacts to get Dhoni a sponsorship. A born prodigy and a lots of lady luck, I am not so sure if that's how one should show the formative years of a sporting icon. The entire episode in the movie can be summed up in one word: uninspiring. The screenplay is as basic as it gets. A little bit of dramatization wouldn't have hurt. It's a movie after all and it's not like the makers have not taken any creative liberties in the film. For instance the day he was born the nurse tell his father that his wife gave birth to a boy and the doctor tells him that it's a girl. It was clearly to add some comic element to the film or did it really happen? Well we'll have to ask Dhoni's parents.

Another episode is when he misses the opportunity to play in Kolkata as he misses his flight. The very next moment he is buying 'Singharas' for his friends as he wants to remember the day and work as hard as he can. Well everyone has  a different way of dealing with missed opportunities but the problem is that he is shown as this super human who never breaks down barring one scene in the second half when he finds out about he death of his girlfriend. The director seemed more focused on selling the image 'Dhoni: The Romantic' more than 'Dhoni: The Person'.

The mid portion of the film where Dhoni is offered a job in the railway and takes it up reluctantly due to family pressure and also partly due to his necessity, is the most insightful part of the film. We get a glimpse of the silent suffering and 'a boy lost in the world' kind of feeling that he undergoes.

If the first half was ordinary, the second half really tests your patience. He is part of the Indian cricket team now and after performing poorly in a couple of matches he meets his first girlfriend in a flight. It is such a overdone scene which we have seen hundreds of times in Indian films. A chirpy girl who is a Sachin fan but has no idea who Dhoni is, asks for the latter's help to get an autograph from Sachin. Disha Patani, the girl, consoles Dhoni that he will definitely play well in his next match and guess what he did play well. Then romance blossoms between the two and the girl constantly keeps asking, 'hamare paas bohut time hain na?' hence giving you an idea that she is going to die soon. But before that happens she gets two romantic songs thus giving her somewhat around 10-15 mins of screen time. After the girl dies of course Dhoni's form goes haywire. His good form is because of a girl's wishes and his bad form is because a girl died, isn't that an insult to the man's talent? or may be the director, Neeraj Pandey, was trying to bring in some feminist angle to his narrative like 'behind every successful man there is a woman' kind of melodrama.

The next thing we know that he is the captain now and has made some necessary changes in the team. By now the film has already begun it's downfall journey. The next few moments are only a  collage of  some good and bad performances on the field, crazy maniac fans burning his effigies right outside his house and a breaking news with funny headlines. One fine day he meets Sakshi, puts on a disguise and hangs out with her on the streets. There is also a ritualistic song in a foreign location. Finally the media finds out an the two love birds gets married. Cut to the world cup final where he scores the winning six. Sure it was a proud moment for India and to see that moment once again on the big screen people were understandably ecstatic and emotional. However it couldn't hide the fact that it is a flawed movie. I couldn't connect to it. There's no emotional depth, no display of sportsmanship spirit in any particular scene. Had it been a documentary it would have worked wonders but this was intended as a drama film which falls flat form the word go. Coming to the title 'MS DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY', the film doesn't offer anything 'untold' to the audience. Any crazy cricket fan (which is most of the country) knows all the details shown in the film: where he was born, where he studied, what his father was, how many runs he scored in the Ranjis, when he became captain, who his first girlfriend was, how much income tax he pays (not shown in the film, but naturally), how many bikes he has, that he was a railway ticket collector. There are numerous newspaper and online articles and innumerable books available for people to read about his personal life. The film has no exclusivity. It is just a celebration of the man's achievements, but do we really need such a long movie for this?

I do understand why the film works for those who enjoyed it. They were looking at things from Dhoni's perspective. For them it was not any actor falling in love, it was Dhoni falling in love, hence the loud cheers. However if you don't look at the movie with a  filter of jingoistic patriotism you will realize that it's a perfectly average movie. For me personally it was a disappointment because the expectation was sky high. This was supposed to be Sushant's Rockstar and Bajirao Mastani but sadly it isn't. It will definitely go down as one of his best performances but the film is nonredeemable. And I am not talking about the box office here. Even a 'Housefull' earns over 100 crores at the box office. That's a different topic for another day.

RATING: 1 OUT OF 5.

If you have watched MS DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY, do let me know your views.

Thank You.

SUZZANE BAKER one of the winners from the northeast who will walk the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2016.