Jessore's Cafe

10/09/2023

Apologies if I am late, but I was battling a dilemma when I left the houseful theatre. Without going into the nitty-gritty of filmmaking, I try to understand the long struggle of Bollywood, the revival of theatre ticket sales, and the rise in pan-India releases.

And most importantly, is the Atlee-directed, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer JAWAN a must-watch?

I hope you will enjoy reading and engage with the food for thoughts I have touched upon here:
https://kettaansharma.wordpress.com/2023/09/10/jawan-movie-review-it-is-what-it-is/

As a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan and an optimist towards Indian films’ potential, JAWAN sits me down for a self-introspection. It puts me in a quandary in the background of record-breaking nu…

07/08/2022

IT'S A CENTURY! 1⃣0⃣0⃣

This movie review of BULLET TRAIN is special as it marks my 100th article on the website. Although I've written many more during the days of Facebook prominence, this marks something worth a shootout.

I am neither a student of films nor literature, but my love for both drew me to writing. I am still a novice, learning on my way. What keeps me going is the love and support I have received, being able to form a community that shares similar interests. After all, love is what we all live for.

I have received numerous suggestions over the years with changing times and preferences. OTT & Hollywood remain two significant areas to pursue, with short formats & numerical ratings being work-in-progress. Do drop in a message if you have something on mind.

Here is my foray into Hollywood with Brad Pitt-starrer BULLET TRAIN: https://bit.ly/3p06qkF

IT’S A CENTURY! This review is a special one as it marks my 100th article. What’s better than foraying into Hollywood with a Pitt-starrer? Thanks for all the love & support which ke…

07/08/2022

NETFLIX-release DARLINGS is Alia Bhatt's debut production, along with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. The movie is an ambitious and creative attempt at the widely prevalent issue of domestic abuse and how it is supported by love and excused by addiction.

Read Ketan Sharma's review of DARLINGS, which stars a power-packed performance by Shefali Shah, with Alia Bhatt & Vijay Varma syncing along.

What could have been a fresh-take and satirical drama turns out to be overcooked and salt-less.

https://bit.ly/3bBH2yE

In a scene towards the end, Zulfi (Roshan Mathew) and Hamza (Vijay Varma) converse about the former’s career as a namesake writer. Namesake because Hamza himself is a Senior TC but has to dai…

02/07/2022

India's freedom struggle has been told and retold in many ways, but rarely the tales of independent India's fighters. The ones that helped India become the global superpower it is today.

India's race to space has been crushed by unaccounted mysterious deaths of Indian scientists working for ISRO, starting from the founders Homi Bhabha & Vikram Sarabhai. While they could not kill Nambi Narayanan, India's enemies did their best to crush the brilliant scientist's meteoric rise. Not to forget the then Kerala government orchestrating the same.

Read Ketan Sharma's review on R Madhavan's directorial debut ROCKETRY-THE NAMBI EFFECT, based on Padma Bhushan awardee & ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan:
https://bit.ly/3OZFjB4

Read Ketan Sharma’s review on R Madhavan’s directorial debut ROCKETRY-THE NAMBI EFFECT. The film is based on Padma Bhushan awardee & ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan’s life full…

13/06/2022

JANHIT MEIN JAARI is a 2 hour-plus laughter riot with a purpose at heart. The film stars Nushrratt Bharuccha, Vijay Raaz and a heavenly assembled cast from the Hindi TV & film industry.

Going bold in a fun and frolic manner, this social comedy is a taboo-breaking fighter for gender-equal rights.

Read my review of Jai Basantu Singh's JANHIT MEIN JAARI, which I recommend as a must-watch:

https://bit.ly/3zzkkRf

JANHIT MEIN JAARI is 2hr plus laughter riot with a purpose. The film stars Nushrratt Bharuccha, Vijay Raaz and a heavenly ensembled cast from the Hindi TV & film industry. Going bold in a fun a…

05/06/2022

The period drama genre is one of the riskiest from a producer's point of view. Yash Raj Films (YRF), which is celebrating 50 years, is neither known for the genre nor is doing any good overall. Is SAMRAT PRITHIVRAJ a gamble for turnaround or another watch-once-and-forget mediocre production?

In times of rising debates on secularism in the country and chest-thumping about the pre-Mughal Hindustan, a film on one of the bravest Hindu kings is a no brainer. Casting a generic-specific superstar Akshay Kumar is one of the film's riskiest bets. Does it pay off?

Read my review on SAMRAT PRITHVIRAJ starring Khiladi Kumar opposite Miss World Manushi Chhillar:

https://bit.ly/3anQm8i

The period drama genre is one of the riskiest from a producer’s point of view. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a very prominent name in this space, fell flat on his face with GANGUBAI KATHIWADI this y…

28/05/2022

ANEK is an Anubhav Sinha presentation, continuing his streak of movies on social issues ( , and ).

Based in & on North East India, the film extensively discusses "peace vs control". Dangling between the many critical topics, the film finds difficulty balancing with a central storyline.

Do good actors Ayushmann and debutant Andrea, with a cover of legends Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra, save the show?
Read my review to find out: https://bit.ly/3z4gyPp

22/05/2022

Kartik Aaryan, Tabu and Kiara Advani-starrer BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 has already ended the dry spell of Bollywood. The film has opened grand at the Box Office with sold-out shows. Is it worth the hype or the hate it is getting?

Many of these extreme pole commentaries on social media find their root in the spat between Kartik A***n and Karan Johar. I advise your ignorance on it.

With no Akshay Kumar and the original maker Priyadarshan on the board, will the proven comic director Anees Bazmee make this ghost-ride any fun? Read my review to find out:
https://bit.ly/3PDvvy0

30/04/2022

Loosely based on an actual incident, RUNWAY 34 is Devgn's 3rd directorial stint after U, ME AUR HUM (2008) & SHIVAAY (2016). Devgn has come far as a director, but the story & screenplay continues to let him down. Despite that, he manages to pull off a decent show.

Action transits from 35,000 ft. above the ground to the on-plains courtroom. Does the Ajay Devgn vs Amitabh Bachchan thriller deliver as hyped? Let's find out...

https://bit.ly/3s3kfR9

The disclaimer proclaims the film is loosely based on an actual incident. The incident is Jet Airways’ Doha-Kochi flight 9W 555’s narrow escape landing on 18 August 2015 in bad weather …

24/04/2022

Similar to Shahid Kapoor’s KABIR SINGH, JERSEY is a remake of the 2019 Telugu film of the same name (and by the same director).

At 2 Hrs 50 Mins, JERSEY tests your patience till it concludes for a tight finish. Amidst pan-India blockbusters like RRR & KGF 2, will JERSEY be able to attract enough audience? Let us explore reasons to watch a cricket-based film outside of the ongoing IPL...

https://bit.ly/37DHE4N

One character intonates Rajesh Khanna’s famous dialogue from the movie ANAND (1971) in the second half, “Babumoshai, Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye, Lambi Nahi”. Since and before this …

23/02/2022

On their first date, a movie, Sarabhai gets pi**ed with the joke-of-a-science sci-fi drama. Mrinalini corrects him to think beyond one subject area & to judge the art as a whole.

Kal Ho Na Ho director Nikkhil Advani's ROCKET BOYS makes many such undernotes, some in self-pity and some on very high notes. Thus, despite the simplification of rocket science & overdramatization, it earns my must-watch, just-once recommendation.

Read my full review of this 8-episode show streaming on SONY LIV: https://kettaansharma.wordpress.com/2022/02/23/ott-series-review-sony-liv-rocket-boys/

OTT platform Sony LIV’s show ROCKET BOYS (created by Nikkhil Advani & co-produced with Roy Kapur Films) was released on February’s 1st weekend. It is based on India’s most cel…