Lost and Found

Writer-director Vasan Bala is a bonafide cinephile, and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, his second feature directorial, is a testament to his love for movies.

Starring Abhimanyu Dassani in his debut role, Radhika Madan and Gulshan Devaiah, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota is a vivid, inventive film peppered with pop culture and comic book references. At the centre of this story is Abhimanyu’s Surya, who is born with a rare condition that makes him insensitive to pain. Bullied in school and helicopter-parented by his protective father, he finds unlikely allies in his grandfather, played with tenderness by Mahesh Manjrekar and Supri, essayed by a delightfully engaging Radhika Madan. 

It is an underdog story, and Vasan Bala makes his protagonist an immensely likeable dork. But the casting of Gulshan Devaiah as Surya’s idol Karate Mani and his evil twin brother Jimmy, the psychotic villain of the story, was genius. The actor imbued both the roles with wickedness and spunk. In this absurdist, non-conformist superhero story, the action is also comic book-inspired. So punches and kicks land in slow motion, and blood sputters appear perfectly choreographed. This is a whimsical, fantastical world with characters equally outlandish. But unlike what the film’s cheeky title suggests, the film isn’t quite about machismo. 

If you trust the vision of the director, you’re in for a cinematic delight. 

And if you haven't watched this hidden gem yet, it's streaming on Netflix, Google Play and iTunes

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Indian superhero movies and shows have largely bordered on the bizarre. From the maroon-suited Shaktimaan to the blue-eyed android G One in Ra.One to the friendly and cocky Flying Jatt, our desi superheroes have spoofed the genre time and again. But in the last decade, if there’s a film that really packed a punch and gave us a hero we could look up to and count on, it has to be the one in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero. And this 2018 film is our Lost and Found for today.

Much like some superheroes, the one in this film is an underdog too. The film introduces us to a trio of online activists who rely on their YouTube channel to broadcast scam busts and crimes that slip through the eyes of the law. But when two from this team hang up their boots and resign to corporate jobs, the third keeps at it. Until, he chances upon a major scam involving a nexus between politicians, government officials and an enterprising construction tycoon. Needless to say, getting access to dirt on people in power has dire repercussions. Now, it’s up to the least inclined and unlikely hero in the group to keep the legacy going by turning vigilante to make the bad guys eat dust. 

Headlined by Harshvardhan Kapoor, who delivers a promising turn, this film’s breakthrough performance actually comes from Priyanshu Painyuli who despite playing the title role is restricted to a compelling supporting part.

What sets Bhavesh Joshi Superhero apart from others in the genre is that the vigilante here is fallible and not entirely sure of his unique set of skills. But while his powers may fade in comparison to those in the MCU, his unbridled confidence and drive to seek justice for the undermined helps him pull through.   

If you haven't been able to watch this superhero flick yet then do so on eros now, Netflix and Disney + Hotstar

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Mike Flanagan’s 2016 psychological thriller is a masterclass in tension-building. A gripping scare-a-thon about a deaf writer whose suburban house gets attacked by a notorious serial killer, Hush is a slow-burner that gradually reaches a narrative crescendo. Flanagan is clearly in his element with this one -- from screenplay to the seamless inclusion of horrific moments -- Hush is an all-out nail-biter. 

Inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s 1967 classic Wait Until Dark, Hush spotlights the acute sense of insecurity and horror that was bolstered by the protagonist’s hearing impairment. John Gallagher Jr.’s compelling performance as the anonymous man ensures that the story never reaches a slump. But the final hat-tip ought to be reserved for Kate Siegel’s Maddie Young, who not only portrayed the vulnerabilities of an alone, a deaf woman facing the killer but also wore her rebellious streak with elan. 

Story aside, Hush was also a testament to James Kniest’s brilliant cinematography. His lens, with generous shots of hand-held camera sequences, provided the optimal sense of urgency and dread that this thriller needed. So watch this one for the winter night chills, but just be careful to peek through the window first! 

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Rituparno Ghosh’s 2008 travel drama Khela makes for a perfect companion on a chilly winter afternoon. The film’s heartwarming story revolves around the unexpected bond forged between an eccentric filmmaker Raja (played by Prosenjit Chatterjee) and a precocious child, who’s cast as the lead in the filmmaker’s forthcoming film. Despite his wife’s long-standing desire to have a child, Raja is firmly against the idea. But his opinion of considering parenthood is altered through his interactions with a teenage actor. This also leads to a natural character progression as Raja discovers facets of his personality that he never knew existed. 

Despite seeking emotional support from his patient wife Sheela (played by Manisha Koirala), Raja initially ignores her needs and desires. But then he’s encouraged through his own journey of self-realisation to acknowledge and accept Sheela’s idea of a family. Khela’s simple narrative style packs in themes such as companionship, loyalty and family, without being too overbearing or pedantic.

Avik Mukhopadhyay’s intuitive lens captures the luscious greens of North Bengal, almost rendering it as the third character within the narrative. Khela is a breezy watch that snuggles close to your heart and leaves you with a sweet aftertaste. 

If you haven't watched this yet, then do so streaming now on Zee5, Google Play and Jio.

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Police procedurals are engineered to draw one into the investigation in question. To an extent, that one is encouraged and prodded to build one’s own theories about how the events surrounding a certain crime would’ve gone down. But there are also shows that leave you terrified yet hopeful, even while an alarming amount of evidence seems to be pointing at the obvious. 

Today’s Lost and Found is the BAFTA-nominated mini-series A Confession. Starring Martin Freeman in the lead as Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher, the show opens with a missing person report. A  22-year-old woman named Sian O’Callaghan didn’t return home after a night out. Turning over the CCTV footage of a certain pub confirms the time and place where she was last seen. But lack of additional information makes it difficult for the cops to stitch together a theory about her whereabouts.

This one’s a slow burn and particularly for those who appreciate shows that gradually reveal facts and hold their cards close for a bit too long. But in its telling, the show, inadvertently, also allows the viewer to turn detective and theorize over what could’ve actually happened and even filter potential suspects. Without revealing any spoilers, let’s just say this one manages to build sufficient tension and even while, at a point, it will be difficult to imagine how the parallel plots would be stitched together, hang in there and it will all be revealed in good time. 

A Confession can be streamed exclusively on Sony LIV.

That's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today’s podcast. I shall be back again with another critically acclaimed film but lesser-known. This Is your host Nikhil signing out for now.

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Coming-of-age Indian movies about childhood have mostly focused on issues that adults believe children deal with. But there have also been sensitive films such as Rockford and Taare Zameen Par that closely followed adolescent life, with all its challenges and joys. And today’s Lost and Found, which is Sanjivan Lal’s Bubble Gum, is surely a lesser-known gem that makes for a telling portrait of childhood. 

Set in ’80s Jamshedpur, the film introduces us to an average group of pre-teens running through the emotions synonymous with their age group. Negotiating jealousy, competitiveness and even fondness for a significant other which is based on nothing, in particular, are just some of the themes this film ventures into. It also carves some very reasonable and liberal onscreen parents played with considerable heft by Sachin Khedekar and Tanvi Azmi. In fact, one of the better lines in the film also happens to be on parenting. It goes, “Humein pata hona chahiye, ki patang mein kab dheel chodni hain aur kab kaatni.” This loosely translates as “[As parents], we must know when to crack down on our children and when to cut them loose.”

Bubble Gum also delves into the many innocent fears, pleasant realisations and silly delights that tickled us as children. It also presents how these fears sometimes trigger minors to consider desperate measures as it seems like the only way out. Aside from delivering as a comforting slice of life watch and a mood-lifter, Bubble Gum also offers some unique parenting pointers to chew on. 

If you haven't watched this flick yet then do so on Eros Now , Google Play and Youtube.

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There are films that touch a necessary nerve and there are those that furnish reality so elaborately that we find it too overwhelming to process. Today’s Lost and Found, Rakhee Sandilya’s Ribbon is one such film. Starring India’s first web series star Sumeet Vyas (of Permanent Roommates fame) and Kalki Koechlin in the lead, Ribbon shows the mirror to the debilitating world we live in today. From being downsized at work to the precarious position of being a parent to an adolescent child, it’s all there and it’s all pretty bleak. The film revolves around a young couple grappling with job loss, the inevitable derailing of one’s career following maternity, and how the lead pair manage to pull through as a couple while dealing with a major personal setback.  

Ribbon apprises us of several present-day challenges in one’s personal and professional life.

For instance, opting for maternity leave is depicted as the easiest way to terminate one’s career or at least set it back by a few years. Then, the daunting idea of not being able to protect one’s child from society’s predators can make any parent feel like a failure. But the overarching message that we can get by as long as we have each other’s back is reassuring and offers some hope in the face of adversity. 

Before you add this one to your playlist, here’s a disclaimer: Ribbon may not be suitable for those who find subjects such as child abuse non-palatable or offensive, and viewer discretion is advised. 

This flick is currently streaming for you to watch on Eros Now, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Jio, Google Play.

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Thriller-comedies have forever managed varying success in Indian cinema. But Abhinay Deo’s Blackmail, our Lost and Found for the day, surely serves a refreshing twist to the genre. Starring Irrfan Khan, Kirti Kulhari, Arunoday Singh and Divya Dutta, this 2018 film packs a hilarious series of misadventures, a dash of extramarital affairs and a whole lot of blackmail. 

The film’s central plot revolves around an employee of a toilet paper firm who seems to be married to his job as he ends up spending endless hours at work. As it turns out, he does have a wife, even though their relationship is evident from their monosyllabic texts to each other. When he finds her in bed with a certain someone, he mulls over the possible ways of reacting to the revelation and finally decides that blackmailing her wife’s partner would deliver ultimate retribution. But this inadvertently triggers a chain of deceit and drama as various other lies come to light and every character is compelled to consider extreme measures. 

The late Khan laces his flawed yet believable character with every possible human emotion and carves him in a manner that one can easily relate to him. Deo, who has previously helmed films such as Delhi Belly and Game, is in complete control of the proceedings and the film has been written by Perveez Sheikh (who’s credited for the story and screenplay of Queen). If you’re up for some laughs and movies about cheating partners and multiple plot points catch your fancy, add Blackmail to your watchlist right away. 

You can catch it streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Well, that was the OTTplay Lost and Found film Blackmail for today's  episode, I shall be back again soon with another critically acclaimed film but lesser-known. This is your host Nikhil signing out for now.

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Strangers accidentally meeting and getting drawn to each other despite belonging to evidently different worlds has forever been a tried-and-tested mould in movies. But then there are also those that furnish the same premise but filter it through such an authentic light that it makes for compelling cinema. And Ritesh Batra’s Photograph, which is our Lost and Found for today, is one such film.

The film stars Nawazzuddin Siddique as Rafiq, a polaroid photographer who makes a modest living, clicking tourists in Mumbai keen to get snapped with one of the city’s iconic monuments. When he chances upon Miloni, a young CA aspirant (played by Sanya Malhotra) at Gateway of India, he convinces her to get a polaroid shot. While she agrees, she leaves without paying or collecting her photograph. Now, Rafiq is left with her photograph, which triggers his imagination to consider several ‘what ifs’ and ‘why nots’. Where this one head seems almost secondary to Batra’s intuitive style of storytelling which has us rooting for the lead pair through this film, even when things don’t seem to go their way. 

Credited with moving, thought-provoking films such as The Lunchbox and Our Souls at Night, Batra has often managed to recreate people, circumstances and entanglements from a world we’re only too familiar with. And this is perhaps why his films seem so accessible and the characters often resemble someone you know or used to. Even the dialogue is minimal but packs a punch, leaving us hungry for more. Films like Photograph may not delve into life-altering situations but manage to elevate even mundane events to a point that everything seems just right and nothing hurts. 

If you haven't watched this hidden gem yet do so exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

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Festival films are often regarded to be of a certain type. A piece of art for art’s sake that most find inaccessible, if not unpalatable. But there have been Indian films in recent decades that have broken the mould to find universal audience acceptance and receive due recognition at once. Gurvinder Singh’s National Award-winner Chauthi Koot is one such film. The 2016 Punjabi thriller is set in the ’80s, in the events that followed the infamous Operation Blue Star -- to eliminate Sikh militants in Punjab.

The film delves into how locals in rural areas in Punjab were targeted by both militants and the police who pulled them up for harbouring insurgents. Turning away from either wasn’t an option and becoming an ally or informer for either side could be just as disastrous. 

What sets Chauthi Koot apart from most, is its atmospheric cinematography by Satya Rai Nagpaul. To comprehensively furnish an ominous mood, we’re introduced to rolling fields, the sky takes on a gloomy hue, a group of Sikhs scurry by anxiously and an eerie background score only elevates the tension in every scene. In fact, even the silent scenes in this one can be just as unsettling.  

Chauthi Koot  was nominated for the prestigious Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and won honours at the Mumbai Film Festival and the Singapore Film Festival. 

Alright, that's the lost and found film for today's podcast. I  shall be back again with another film or show that turned out to be a hidden gem. Until next time, it's your host Nikhil outta here.

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