Reviews

I would be glad if I am wrong but the way the episode ends gets me thinking whether the show is getting predictable? The last few minutes of the episode, when Sunil Grover's character puts himself in another big problem.

It also makes me think that how can an otherwise smart and intelligent person does this mistake when police has questioned him multiple times already. Yea, I know that he is different and so is his thinking.

Good and interesting watch so far.

PS - This is originally published on reviews. WhatReallyMatters.by the same author.

Ep 3,4 and 5.

When I started watching this series, I did not want it to bash anti-nationals or support so called right wing etc and the two episodes were just fine. But from the third episode, which is itself named Anti-National, a narrative started to present itself. This is the problem - the narrative. Why can't be a web series or movie based on facts and known truths and not on narratives? The reason maybe because truth is not that simple to see, understand and most of all, accept.

Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. In one of the episodes 3, 4, 5 (maybe 3rd), it shows gau rakshaks lynching two people who were transporting mutton by mistaking it as beef. I thought showing this is okay, let's not judge this series based on this. This might have happened in few cases. Therefore, so far so good. But now, in coming episodes, it shows the videos of hate speeches given by gau rakshaks and right wingers. And it shows that the potential terrorists are getting 'hurt' and motivated by that. But the plot never touches upon the hate speeches or propaganda by Islamic fundamentalists? Why? Maybe they will do it in coming episodes, I am still not judging the creators.

Then comes the third and decisive incident which made me raise this point on otherwise fantastic web series. The protagonist, Srikant Tiwari is transferred to Srinagar, Kashmir to track a terrorist of sleeper cell who has also moved there at the same time. They in-fact are seen together at the pick-up point waiting for their respective pickups.

When they start the journey from Airport, they (terrorist and Srikant, in different scenes) see the surroundings and ask the same question to people in car - 'how is Kashmir'. Those with terrorist tells him that agencies have made a mess of it, they call it crown of India but does not care about Kashmir or Kashmiri. This was acceptable. What else would a terrorist say. But when Srikanth asks the same question, the security person proudly says that everything is in our control (like they have hijacked Kashmir) and Srikant adds to it that he has heard the number of tourists have increased in Kashmir but what he can see around is only tourists in the uniform.

Now tell me one thing dear creators and writers, if you can show the narrative of terrorists, why can't you properly state the narrative of security forces and Govt. The activities which they claim to be done to end extremism. And about the situations and hate they face each passing minute? The stone pelting and ISIS flag. Is that not a narrative worth showing?

This is not done. For me, this brings down the credibility of the work you have done. But I am still hoping the next episodes do prove me wrong.

They say this is based on real news stories, I am just wondering if the news stories they have picked up are only from NDTV? On to episode 6.

This review was first written on whatreallymatters reviews.

Saw this movie after looking at the positive reviewers' comments on the negative reviews as sometimes good movies are underrated.

But this is a real piece of crap! What you call it in the description, 'a tale of survival', LMAO! 3 out of 4 people are dead and the one who survived was taken into the jaws of the Croc sideways couple of times! How can you call it a take of survival? This was just a piece of crap ever written!

When there is nowhere to go, and the croc is waiting in the waters to kill everybody, what can happen next? This can happen: you go in the water, the croc will catch you sideways, take you to the side of the river and put you with another guy whom he killed first and who has a gun in his belt so that you can use that gun and kill it!

Such a negative, illogical, stupid movie! At 6.0, this is way too overrated and should come down to 3 at least!

I am a big fan of Sunny Deol and like his characters in many movies like Damini, Ghayal, Ghatak, Border, Gadar etc. and therefore had quite a lot expectations with this movie. But it only DISAPPOINTS.

To start with, the concept was good which begins the story with slight flashback of the old movie and then comes to the decades later present time. There was a lot of scope to make it a wonderful story. But that didn't happen.

I have to admit, this was not one of the best acting performances by Sunny Deol himself and that might be because he was directing. Even the direction was below par. The emotional scenes were bringing laughter from the audience in the hall. The movie was boring at times.

Few fast moving sequences were tried in a different way and that looked good.

But one of the biggest disappointment was the animation. Firstly, I am not sure what is wrong with the Indian film makers who wants to earn Crores of Rupees but do not want to spend it in the budget of the movie. The helicopter sequence was an important one in the climax of the movie but was done in a very bad way, all animated. They can't even afford a real helicopter.

I have heard that the release date of the movie was postponed by few weeks because Sunny paji was not happy with the special effects. If these are the improved special effects, I don't even want to think about the older ones! All in all, it is a good concept, done very badly. No takeaways from the movie at all. Even the dialogs did not leave a mark; were there any at the first place? A request to the film-makers; please don't make movies only for money, make a good movie and money will flow automatically.

Jai Hind!

I totally liked this penultimate episode! When this series started, I never thought that it would get this romantic twist, and when it actually did, it felt really good.

It's also wonderful how this episode totally lives up to it's title, Mornings! The whole story is told in the mornings but you never feel you have missing anything! And that scene in which Dev narrates the story, it's amazing how the entire sequence of things is knitted together and that also reminds us that this story was building up from the very first episode and nothing was just abstract like it seem in the beginning episodes, perhaps! Overall, a good one and looking forward for the Finale now!!

** Might contain spoilers, not necessarily.

Looking at the first episode, what can be said is that the show Quantico cannot be rejected at the first sight. That means two things, first, the show is above average and second, it does not have a WOW factor.

Those who like these kind of plots will not be disappointed but if you are coming from a background of the 9 seasons of 24, you will definitely keep wanting more out of this one.

The plot could have been better, it felt like too many things were happening in quite less time and when that happens, there is a loss of substance. The beginning episodes must build up the series even if they are a bit less pacy, but at the same time there has to be something which can give you satisfaction of watching a 40 odd minutes episode. Neither happens here perfectly.

The acting of the lead actress and the other characters is good. Let's see how does the series go in the next episodes.

There are no questions on the brilliance of the series which is Game of the Thrones. This was in my watchlist since long and when I finally started watching it the last weekend, I found it doing justice to it's rank of being in the Top 5 TV Series.

I want to talk about Ed Stark in this review of Episode 9 of Season 1.

In the first season, I develop an attachment to the character of Ed Stark because of many things that were portrayed about him and definitely wanted the season to end around that character only. But in the last moments of this penultimate episode of the season, it was more disappointment than a shock to see the end of Ed Stark.

Though I cannot challenge the right of the writer over his characters, but as a viewer, I would have been happier to see him alive and back to Winterfell or maybe ruling the Kingdom. But I believe the death of Ed Stark gives a disappointment towards the end of the series which could have been the avoided.

What do we expect from a movie made on a Terrorist Attack? Bare minimum is that it presents the account of the events unfolded. But what this movie actually tells is: 1. How mercilessly the people were killed in Mumbai Attacks at the various landmarks. 2. How helpless the police was. 3. Gyan on what is Jihad and what it isn't.

Though it was made in way back 2013, it is not that popular and rightly so. People don't expect much from Ram Gopal Varma but Nana Patekar was someone to look for in this movie.

But even Nana was a mere narrator in the movie and not much more. Below is what could have been there in the movie

1. How Police control reacted to the attacks. 2. What State Govt. did in the state of panic. 3. Reaction of the Center, delay in the movement of NSG. 4. Most importantly, the NSG operation in the Taj and beyond.

How do you expect to make a movie on Mumbai Attacks without including all these?