Laapataa LadiesLaapataa Ladies

‘Laapataa Ladies’, the story of how two young brides on their way to their new home, are suddenly separated from their husbands, and how this circumstance will change their destinies. Told with sweetness and humor, we are introduced to the innocence and longing of young love, as well as, some of the harsher realities of village marriage. Directed by Kiran Rao, and starring three newcomers, Nitanshi Goel as Phool, Pratibha Ranta as Jaya, and Sparsh Shrivastav as Deepak, all performances were exceptional. Comedy was courtesy of Ravi Kishan as the police inspector trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Set in a fictional Madhya Pradesh village, locals from the surrounding area were cast in the film, and the filming was done in actual villages. ‘Laapataa Ladies’ won Best Film (Critics’ Choice) at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2024. It is now playing on Netflix.

Agni

Agni

‘Agni’ is the Hindu god of fire. Written and directed by Rahul Dholakia,  this is the story of courageous firefighters working against time to catch an arsen.  Set in Mumbai, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, where a series of suspicious fires have broken out. The film centers on Captain Vithal Surve (Pratik Gandhi) and his team as their investigation leads them discover a pattern in the way the fire starts. Vithal’s brother-in-law Samit (Divyenndu) is a policeman who beats confessions out of people, guilty or not. Samit is often praised by the press and Vithal’s son looks on him as a hero. Samit and Vithal must work together on the case, causing conflict. ‘Agni’ is a gripping thriller that highlights the bravery and dedication of firefighters who receive little praise for their hard work and sacrifice.

Maidaan
Maidaan 2

‘Maidaan’ is a biopic about coach Syed Abdul Rahim who ushered in the golden era of national football in India in the 1950s and early 60s. Syed must deal with the Football Federation of India whose backward thinking and regional politics get in the way of bringing to the field a championship team. Humbling himself, he pursuades the Federation to give his ideas a chance. Ajay Devgn’s portrayal gives depth and respect to the coach who bought the team from playing barefoot to winning the gold metal at the 1962 Asian Games. Gajraj Rao, a powerful sports writer always working against Syed, he certainly a villain you can easily hate. A tragic illness and lots of game action in this fast paced movie directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma. You can catch it on Amazon Prime.

Chandu Champion
Chandu Champion2 1

‘Chandu Champion’ is an inspiring look at the life of Paralympic gold medalist MurliKant Petkar.  Murli narrates his unbelievable story starting with his obsession as a child to become a champion wrestler, making him a target for neighborhood bullies. After humilating a local politician’s son in a match, Murli had to run for his life.  Escaping their grasp, he was rescued by a young soldier who encouraged him to join the army. Once in the army, blessed with a coach who sees his potential, he learns how to box and starts training for the Olympics. An air attack by Pakistani troops, leaves Murli a paraplegic, ending his boxing dream. Murli is played by Kartik Aaryan in his career best role. Vijay Raaz as his coach is always enjoyable to watch. “Chandu Champion’ was written and directed by Kabir Khan. You can watch it on Prime Video.