Cricketers, Police and Ghosts!

- Cinema Express - Shishir Ramawat

Bollywood boy aka Bobo reappears in front of you wearing wide pads over ripped jeans, gloves on his hands and a ghost mask over his mouth. He holds a cricket bat in one hand and a human skull in the other. While standing in front of you, he sneers like a demon and makes a batting posture. Seeing you confused, Bobo says, 'You want to ask what I have done today by making such a mismatched combination? Now, if a sports film and a horror film are released on the same day, then I have to wear such a mask! It contains that...'

You can be sure that Bobo will not be without his immense film knowledge. You get ready to listen to his long monologue…

Taapsee Pannu will sooner or later get India's biggest prize for sports, the Arjuna Award, you write. This curly haired girl is doing sports movies one or the other with an upside down hair. First he did 'Soorma' (2018). She became a hockey player. She became an aging sharpshooter in the swashbuckling biopic 'Saand Ki Aankh' that came out in the same year. After that, she played the role of a runner with hormonal problems in 'Rashmi Rocket' (2020) and in another biopic titled 'Shabaash Mithu', which is releasing today, she has played the legendary female cricketer Mithali Raj.

When she got the offer for this film, Taapsee could not even hold a cricket bat. As always, he prepared solidly for this role. Making a sports movie is always a tough one - for both the actor and the director. Now that Taapsee has got a gap in such roles, Bobo is so sure that at least there will be no raw material in Taapsee's work. The director of the film is Sreejit Sarkar. Bobo is a big fan of Taapsee. She may not be very interested in cricket, but for Taapsee, watching this movie means watching.

Are you interested in horror movies? I mean, Vikram Bhatt brand in horror movies? Bobo starts yawning like a hippopotamus after seeing the poster of Vikram Bhatt's so-called scary movie. Once the Ramsay Brothers were specialists in horror films, the Bhatt family has taken over the reins for the past two decades. Three films of the 'Raaz' series, '1920', '1921' (Bobo is tensed that Vikram Bhatt will finish the century somewhere rather than one or what?), 'Cursed', 'Haunted 3rd', 'Creatures', 'Ghost'. And 'Juda Ho Ke Bhi', which is releasing today... If there are one or two titles left in this list of Vikram Bhatt's horror filmography, then Bhulchuk Levi Devi.

Bobo is 100% sure that Mahesh Bhatt would be doing these types of movies in the morning, in the lift, in the car, yawning, in his sleep, in his sleep and in a state of confusion. Where is Mahesh Bhatt, the super-talented creator of unforgettable films like 'Artha' and 'Saaransh', and where is Mahesh Bhatt, a very professional producer-writer who recycles ghost-spirit-bhoowa etc. Indeed, Bollywood has rarely seen this level of creative decadence. What is different is that Mahesh Bhatt has no doubts and has all the answers to justify this free-fall in his 'creative' journey. Any way. Moving on...

There was an actor named Iftekhar who worked in Hindi films thirty-forty years ago, who has played only one role in Sundla Mohe films - that of a police officer. He had got two-four police uniforms. After waking up in the morning, he would go out straight wearing a police costume. It seems that Rajkumar Rao also sewed one or two police uniforms. He previously played a cop in a low-budget American film (which we know nothing about) called 'Five Weddings'. Recently, he played the role of a policeman in the film 'Badhai Do'. Then it may have occurred to him that the policeman's dress has already fallen, so let's do one more policeman's film. This film is 'Hit: The First Case' releasing today. (No, an actor like Rajkumar Rao doesn't do films for reasons like Awa Chakram. Just kidding!) This is a remake of a hit Telugu film. 'Dangal' girl Sanya Malhotra has become Rajkumar's heroine in 'Hit: The First Case'. From the trailer, it looks like a 'Whodunit' type of murder mystery. A gentleman named Shaulesh Kolanu is its director. He also made the original Telugu film. Alas, he has also shot a sequel in Telugu called 'Hit: The Second Case'. Let's see if this 'hit' is a hit at the box office.

The fourth Hindi film releasing today is 'Jadugar'. It will stream directly on Netflix. Its hero is our all-time favorite OTT star, Jitendra Kumar ('Panchayat', 'Kota Factory'). You can call this a sports movie, you can also call it a comedy movie and you can also call it a romantic movie. If you are not sure, watch the trailer on YouTube. Wonder why these Hindi film trailers would tell the entire story, including all the plot-points and twists-turns? Cinemadevi knows.

One minute... Huh! A Gujarati film is also releasing today, titled 'Tu Raji Re'. The film was ready in 2016, but could not be released due to some reason. The heroes of the film are Divyang Thakkar of 'Kev Paish Jaish', 'Bey Yaar', 'Chasani' and 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' fame. Ranveer Singh's 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' is written and directed by Divyang. Although this film did not work at the box office, but it is being seen in torrents on OTT. Check it out if you haven't already.

And a minute or so... shake, shake, shake! Last Friday, Malhar Thacker's film 'Wikidano Varghodo' was missed to be mentioned. (Imagine Kalpi kicking imaginary bobo and eating dhumba!) The second week of this film started today. It is rare that so many Gujarati films play in theaters simultaneously.

Even then. Putting the monstrous mask back on his face and shouldering the bat, Bollywood Boy aka Bobo departs. Jai Cinemadevi!