Shivaay movie review: Ajay Devgn’s directorial is all about its stunning visuals and breath taking action scenes Ajay Devgn's dream project Shivaay has probably the best stunning visuals we have seen since a long time. Like the actor has always said, emotion is the real action of his movie.

The wait is finally over and one of the most awaited movie of this year has finally hit the screens. Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay grabbed the headlines for a couple of reasons. Firstly since the actor was directing his dream project himself and secondly for it’s breathtaking visuals and high octane action sequences. We knew action was always his forte but with Shivaay he has taken this notch a bit higher. While a lot has been predicted about the movie’s plot, it’s core stays the bond between father- daughter relationship. So how’s the movie? Will it prove a tough competitor for Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil? Read on to find out…

What’s it about
Ajay Devgn’s directorial return Shivaay is the story of a man trying to right many wrongs. Set against the backdrop of the icy mountains, Shivaay (Ajay) is living what seems like an ordinary life – helping the army in lost and found missions, trekking with tourists and flirting with foreign belles, one in particular – Olga (Erika Kaar). Shivaay and Olga’s love story happens so quickly that before you start digging into your popcorn they have a child – a daughter named Gaura (Abigail) who might be a mute but her expressions and over enthusiastic antics compensate for her lack of speech. Shivaay’s world turns upside down when Gaura discovers a letter left by Olga describing how she abandoned her daughter after birth. Their journey to find Olga takes the father- daughter duo to the scenic locales of Bulgaria where most of the film takes place. Ajay throws in a child trafficking subplot that serves as a catalyst to play out one of the longest drawn climaxes of 2016. There is no villain, rather there are masked men who Shivaay has to fight to reach to the one who is responsible for his daughters kidnapping. Shot on a lavish scale with high octane stunt scenes Shivaay works because of its emotional connect with the audience. .

What’s hot
Ajay Devgn fans won’t be disappointed. You have a bare chested Ajay lying bareback on the snow capped mountains opens the film,  making it clear that there will be a lot of Ajay Devgn in every frame. And it isn’t really a bad thing. For someone whose forte is action, Devgn has come a long way from making an entry standing with his two feet on moving bikes to thrusting deadly icicles in his villains torso. Aseem Bajaj who helms the cinematography departments makes sure the film looks big and every frame even when there are no mountains is full of drama and colour. Ajay’s take on the father-daughter relationship works because he manages to cast the right child actor to play his daughter. Abigail who plays Gaura is not only a natural but also immensely likeable without being annoying. Her scenes with Ajay are some of the best moments of the film. Among the action scenes the ones that’s stand out is the big car chase sequence in the first half and the climax where the icy terrain provides the right landscape for building some intense fight scenes. Vir Das provides the much needed comic relief and is a delight to watch. Erika is earnest but her accent seems forced and weak. The title track is super catchy and used at the right moments throughout the film.

What’s not
As an actor you can’t really help it if your director treats every scene like it’s an extended showreel. But hold on! Ajay directs and acts in Shivaay and that perhaps is the biggest flaw of the film. There are moments when you can see him struggle in a scene only because he’s wondering if the people around him are getting it right. There is that feeling of filing in and compensating for the rest of the crew.  But a man can only do that much, and had Ajay decided to just act and blow us away  with his action and emotional moments , Shivaay would be a different experience. The lengthy scenes and the second half that endlessly drags its feet are a true test of your patience. Shivaay could have easily been a shorter film with a more gripping narrative had the editing been a bit more stricter.

What to do:

Shivaay has  spectacular action scenes, perhaps the best we have seen this year. Watch it for that and the emotional storyline of a father-daughter relationship.

Rating:3 out of 5

Reviewed by Tushar P Joshi

* Poor

** Average

*** Good

**** Very good

***** Excellent

Mirzya movie review: Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher’s performances and beautiful frames stand out in this bland love story Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher's Mirzya is a visual masterpiece, but one only hoped it had a narrative that promised an equally brilliant premise.

There have been legendary love stories of Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha, Romeo and Juliet brought to life on screen by filmmakers all across the world. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra tries his hand at telling the mystical love story of Mirza- Sahiban through the eyes of contemporary lovers. Mirzya doesn’t have the nuts and bolts of a typical Bollywood film. It has the song and dance routine, but it’s done differently, there is very little chest thumping and dialogue baazi and no item song or gimmick to make the film appeal to a broader audience. The promos have been indicative of the texture and fabric of Mirzya. The songs and our interactions with the debutant actors Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher sounded really intriguing with the way they spoke about their magnum opus. But is Mirzya worth the hype?

What’s it about 

Mehra starts the film with a robust visual of men riding horses with their faces covered in black scarves. Our hero Mirzya (Harshavardhan) gets one of the most stylised introductory scenes in recent times. Saiyami Kher, standing under a tree surrounded by men guarding her, throws a glance at our hero as the sky lights up with fireballs and piercing arrows. Just when this vivid image lingers in your mind, Mehra cuts his frame to the modern day setting of Jodhpur where a young Suchitra and Monish begin their love story. Harshavardhan and Saiyami have two different looks throughout the film, defining the distinct worlds they belong to. Do they serve any purpose? Does the love story manage to hold our interest? And does the music, which has a very large part to play in this movie, make the experience melodious or jarring ? Let’s find out …

What’s hot

Mehra has gone for the kill as far as visuals are concerned. He doesn’t hold back in a single frame and lights the whole screen up with imagery and shades that are bold and extremely eye catchy. The way the camera just hovers over the sand dunes or the VFX laden Mirzya world are both equally fantastic. Mirzya could make for an excellent comic book if it wanted to use these story board graphics to tell the story in a different format. Leepakshi and Niharika who are responsible for creating these two distinct looks do a fantastic job in giving these characters the Colors and fabrics they require. Background score adds up to the drama at the right moments. Coming to the most important question – how good are the debutants? Honestly, they both deserved a better film to showcase their talents, but given the constraints of the technique and format, they do their best. Harshvardhan manages to stir your interest in his interpretation of Mirzya. It’s not so much the facial hair or the props but the yearning in his eyes to deliver and that hunger to give everything in every scene. He needs to work a lot on his screen presence and diction, perhaps a bit of body language as well, but despite the hiccups, his take on bringing his director’s vision alive is honest and sincere. Saiyami has unconventional looks and they work in her favour. Her scenes with Harshvardhan in the second half stand out. The fact that these two are newcomers gives their pairing an edge.

What’s not

Mehra’s biggest flaw in the film is his technique and narrative. The concept of two worlds, two parallel timelines, two different characters just doesn’t work. There are moments when you are drawn into the fantasy Mirzya world and want to stay there a bit longer, but a song or a background score comes out of nowhere taking you back into the real world. Neither here nor there, the film ends up being a case of too much flavour can sometimes spoil a good dish. Also Mehra doesn’t give Harshavardhan or Saiyami any big scene or moment to play up. Instead there are fleeting moments that have some spark. I can’t think of one big stand out scene in such a long film. The songs are great, but were they required at such regular intervals? The awkwardness between switching from one world to another finally gets to you and there is very little damage control that a director can do in his last 20 minutes. Mirzya despite being a hardcore love story doesn’t draw touch any emotional chord, because the emphasis is so much on the format and technical aspects that the writing takes a major backseat.

What to do 

Mirzya is a visual masterpiece, but one only hoped that it had a narrative that promised an equally brilliant premise. Watch it to usher in two newcomers Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher who fortunately have follow up films that hopefully do more justice to their skills.