Red One: the child inside!

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans team up to save Christmas as Santa apparently disappears from his North Pole citadel. Johnson plays Callum Drift, head of ELF (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification), security detail to Saint Nicholas while Evans plays a bounty hunter, skilled to precisely trail anything, but, for the right price.

Safely protecting while maintaining the mask of myth around Santa for decades, the ever responsible Drift is aghast to find the security that he headed breached on the very day that he had submitted his proposal to retire from active duty. Intimating MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) about the catastrophe, he is updated in due course by Director, Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) that it was Jack O' Malley (Evans), who hacked into their system to initiate the breach. Actually Malley was hired by Gryla, the Winter Witch, to accurately identify the secret hideout of Santa by precisely monitoring for the only seismic glitch that his security network leaked. Gryla had her own evil plans for Christmas and so she chose Christmas Eve for abducting Santa. With her cronies who could change shapes at will, Gryla was a force to reckon with.

Without much time and option in hand, Zoe picked up Malley and forced him to assist Drift while he started on his quest for rescuing Santa through the mythological domains. Thus it depended on Drift, a mythical entity, gradually frustrated with the increasingly intolerant humankind and Malley, a firm disbeliever in Santa and anything mythical, to join hands to save Santa Claus and Christmas in time!

Jake Kasdan weaves a modern fairy tale for the audience, both old and young. Blending action with humour, the film effortlessly narrates the fun and suspense that the story (scripted by Chris Morgan based on the original by Hiram Garcia) demands. The pace might be a bit abrupt and the thrill a bit suppressed, but the true essence of the film lies in the Christmas charm that it embeds. While the movie searches for the Santa, the theme resonates with the search for the neglected child in the heart that was once honest and full of trust and hope.

So hark, as the herd of reindeer draws the sleigh and the bearded rider cries, 'Kavalame', the movie will be a great way to bid the year goodbye and celebrate the children within us with the hope of merrier moments to cherish ahead.

Cross: A couple of cases

A serial-killer on the loose and a mysterious prowler out with a vengeance, DC homicide detective, Alex Cross must tackle this double trouble that pose threats to both public and his private life. While trying to cope with the trauma of losing his wife, the forensic psychologist in Cross fights the pain within while trying to nab the killer that kidnaps the victims and kills them as a tribute to murderers who became infamous. Racing against time, as Cross tries to save the next victim, there lurks threat to his home and children from a deceptively dangerous enemy, rising from the unforgivingly dormant past. Moles inside add to the worries as strategies get leaked, witnesses killed and evidences lost. Will Cross be able to unmask the adversary? Will he be able to solve a mystery that threatens his family? Will the victims that are in danger be saved?

Primarily based on the characters created by James Patterson, this series by Ben Watkins is a thrill to watch though the suspense is somewhat loosely composed. Aldis Hodge plays the titular character but is eclipsed by the natural acting of Isaiah Mustafa as Detective John Sampson, a supporting role that gets projected to greater significance by the brilliant character portrayal by the superbly refreshing Mustafa. Johnny Ray Grill as the treacherous Bobby Trey will again be felt less impressing in contrast to Ryan Eggold who will send chills through the veins as Ed Ramsay, the psychotic killer who appears increasingly sadistic as the season progresses. Special mention must be reserved for Alona Tal as Special Agent Kayla Craig and the young Caleb Elijah as little Damon Cross, the former breathing relief while the latter giving the touch of genuine innocence, maintaining, all the while, the gravity of the sequences in which they appeared!

Thus, though this season will be a thrill to watch, but a bit of tactful suspense needs to be infused to satisfactorily keep the essence of the series appealing.

Murshid: A Matter of Mindgame

A deal for drugs is sabotaged and a chain of gory events begins. When his surviving son is held captive with his life hanging on the edge, the don returns from his self-imposed exile from a life of crime. Losing a son in a fatal accident, Murshid Pathan had vowed not to touch arms again but fate forced the retired ruler of the underworld to enter the darker arena for saving his family. But the cruel has turned crooked and so did the policy traders. These make the path ahead further difficult for the once revered don of yesteryear. With elections round the corner and henchmen of rival gangs seeking the feeblest of opportunities to strike, the father in Murshid has to strategise his each move in a desperate bid to save his kid! As time ticks in alarming monotony, all that remains to be seen is whether Murshid still had the grip of the underworld! Can he instill command on the young and fear in the heart of his rival? Will he be able to reclaim the throne that he wilfully vacated?

Watch to know for yourself, as rivalry splits the underworld and the politics for power in the series that, though, is fast paced but strangely lacks the vigour somehow! But Kay Kay Menon compensates for all the shortcomings as his mere presence is enough to steal the limelight that steers the show with a performance that greatly and critically matters!

Those About To Die..... And Breath

Treachery and tragedy go hand-in-hand as the Roman empire witnesses yet another struggle for power. The dynasty of the Flavians reigns but the lust for supremacy drives the nobility in the race for the curule chair of apparently unlimited power. While the ambitious hatches a coup, the cunning waits for the opportunity, and the apparent plebian gambles for a subtly ambitious strategy of ascendancy! But as the fight for power continues, the ordinary suffers the most! But these puppets of the empire are kept at bay by the games of death and bets.

The amphitheatre hosts the gladiators and the charioteers who battle for their lives and for the stakes of pleasure. The arena soakes in blood while the audience lauds the carnage! Cruelty reigns supreme while sentiments run raw! Many a hearts are killed while new hopes rise afresh. The lives of the gladiators hang precariously on the cold whims that the head of the nobility commands. The commoners bet on the lives and horses as the sports of blood appeal to the baser instincts.

But the smell of blood reeks the royalty too as the apparently noble and those who rule play deadlier games, in the arena of politics. As the race for supremacy infests the factions, conspiracies are set afoot and human lives matter little to the firmly ambitious.

As both the games spill blood, the only class that flourishes is the underworld. Gambling dens greatly prosper and the profits fuel the conspiracies. A particularly scheming owner tries his fortune to rise across the peers while a mother desperately tries protecting her wards. As they both unite in a silent pact, the collapse of many a formidable starts! Curiously enough, in the filths of the corrupts, the purest of amours also finds a place.

With a compact theme spiced with thrilling pace, the guilty pleasure of the blood sports will fade against the tragedies that matters. Created by Robert Rodat, the drama will be remembered for the twists that terrifies, the violence that chills and the tragedies that inherently disturbs! As to the acting, Sara Martins is magnificently perfect with Iwan Rheon closely following while Anthony Hopkins provides the refined touch of sickly classic aristocracy. But the series falters under less thoughtful direction (Marco Kreuzpaintner, Roland Emmerich) that could be planned way better for a subtler touch to emphasize reality.

Mercilessly Mirzapur

After going through the initial few episodes of Season 3 that forced me to assume that the season is only slightly better placed than the Season 2, suddenly episode 7 happened that changed everything. Beginning with a gripping yet not so dramatic start, the plot seemed not so thrilling. We seemed to know what could happen! We knew that Kaleen Bhaiya had survived. We knew Guddu would be ascending the throne tainted with blood. We knew that Madhuri would seek vengeance. We knew the Tyagis will thirst for the blood of Golu. We knew that there will be a power tussle between Sharad and Guddu. And we knew that the life of Ramakant Pandit will be leading haywire!

But what we didn't know was how, if at all, Guddu retains his prized possession of the throne! We didn't know if Beena is satisfied in her cleverly camouflaged nest for her son! We were having no idea of how, if at all, Guddu and Golu plan to survive the onslaught of the opposing parties, a professional hazard that often entails terrifying domino effects! We had no inkling of what fate had in store for Kaleen Bhaiya! We didn't have known what destined role does Robin play in the Pandit family. And we surely didn't know if Maqbool plans to enter the foray to quench his thirst to avenge against the family that betrayed his heart!

Strictly speaking, these form the motive force behind the season and keeps the grip on but falls short of the suspense. But I must, however, admit that the series of climactic twists leading to the startling showdown catapults the rendition way ahead of the Season 2, though not reaching the frightening benchmark that Season 1 had set. Revealing evil in the rawest, the season provides ample opportunities to bask in guilty pleasure but the frequent collaterals may keep the primitive attitude somewhat at check!

As Guddu Pandit stoops to a new low, Ali Fazal attains newer heights of superbly natural acting, precisely presenting the character through all the required shades. Ranging from the utter cruelty to inescapable despair, every emotion is effortlessly portrayed as the actor blends all too well with the character he plays. But slight disappointingly, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, my favourite, overdoes the Golu effect, very much spoiling her singularly terse appeal. Isha Talwar, on the contrary, shines in her cool charisma as she completes the transformation of the aspiring diplomat from the preceding season to the suavely strategist Madhuri. But beside these, two actors deserve special mention due to their individual skills that are greatly distinct yet equally brilliant. One of them, as most might already have guessed, is no other than Pankaj Tripathi, who wins the admiration while playing one of the vilest crime lords of all times. With a short screen presence and even shorter amount of dialogues, his mere presence heightens the sequences featuring him, augmented by his signature crisp comments and subtle yet piercing gestures. The other is Vijay Varma, who played the dual role of the Tyagi siblings in the previous season and reprises his role of the surviving brother in the latest one. He portrays one of the most complicated characters that the drama demands with perfect poise and enhances the chilling suspense of several situations with the least predictable demeanour!

Thus, Mirzapur continues to entertain, starting as early as the haunting notes of the opening score (John Stewart Eduri) appeal to the senses, but will require improvement in the narrative for retaining the madness!

Fargo Fiver!

Actually, that's a sixer for me! I watched Fargo seasons 1 to 4, then the movie and now the Season 5 of the series. Needless to say that gradually I have been addicted to the series of the genre that blends the sombre mood of crime with the darker side of comedy!

This time, a desperate housewife, trying to flee from her traumatic past to a secured present, a sheriff, trying to be and not to maintain law for his own liking of social order, a matriarch putting her foot down firmly on whatever she thinks right, a trooper searching for the saviour of a perilous night, a person trained in security trying to secure her financials and to top it all, a 500 year old mercenary with his own code of fearful conduct, collide for their own stakes at bay. With a flurry of few sequences and characters paying tribute to the original movie, the contrasting features of either delight with their deceptive novelty. Sam Spruell actually overshadows others with his eerily commanding presence while the silent expressions of Juno Temple are more than enough than her pointed dialogues. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jon Hamm play the pivotal pieces, who keep the tension flowing with their similarly dominating countenances, yet with characteristics, starkly different!

Created by Noah Hawley, the season is certainly not the masterpiece of the series, yet the theme, based on the social evil of domestic abuse, with the rawest of sentiments, augmented by the signature notes of John Russo, is filled with all the ingredients for a savoury watch!

Politically Panchayat

Maybe, racing steadily to become one of the enticingly enjoyable series of all times, stylishly rendering the commonest of affairs, the latest of the seasons reprises the drama of life with a promise to win all hearts.

Though rural politics of the village demands the limelight this time, but the simpler appeals of the villagers inhabiting ultimately wins over. The theme weaves the layers of varied lifestyles just like a rainbow, displaying the differences within while shining as a single entity of elegance.

Carefully crafted both by the writer (Chandan Kumar) and in direction (Deepak Kumar Mishra), the series fascinates with the minutest detail being showcased with the right blend of sentiments and the creative touch of humility and humour. Starting from the casting (Atul Parab, Sahaj Bhadoria, Suryaansh Tripathi) to the makeup (Sonya Batra, Aman Sharma, Pratik Salvi), everything is just tidily perfect!

As to the acting, Neena Gupta, Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Chandan Ray intrepidly synchronize with their natural spontaneity while Faisal Malik shines starkly with his distinct countenance that features his sweetly sober demeanour.

But with all due compliments, the only thing that must be admitted, however, is the fact that this season that ends in a serious cliffhanger, appears to be a wee bit less crisp than the predecessors, mainly due the initial episodes that may feel to be a tad too lengthy than required and a single major theme that the entire season predominantly repeats.

Robinson Street Horror Story Myth vs Reality: সত্য বনাম সিদ্ধান্ত!

ছয় পর্বের তথ্যচিত্রটির মোট দৈর্ঘ্যের তুলনায় কম তথ্য, প্রচুর বক্তব্য, একই ঘটনা, ছবি ও দৃশ্যের বারংবার পুনরাবৃত্তি এবং সিদ্ধান্ত পেশ করার বিরক্তিকর তাগিদ - বলা যায় এটাই যেন তথ্যচিত্রটির ভাবনার মূল সারাংশ! কিন্তু এমন তো হওয়ার ছিল না! কলকাতার রবিনসন স্ট্রিটে উন্মোচিত হওয়া চাঞ্চল্যকর ঘটনা নিয়ে তথ্যচিত্র তো হবে কৌতুহলোদ্দীপক!

কিন্তু কই, সেরকম কিছু কি আদৌ হলো? মনে তো হলো না!

বাকিটা বলার আগে বরং আরেকবার ফিরে যাই অতীতে, ২০১৫ সালের জটিল সেই সকালে! যেদিন হঠাৎ রবিনসন স্ট্রিটের অরবিন্দ দের বাসভবন থেকে উদ্ধার হলো বাড়ির মালিকের অগ্নিদগ্ধ দেহ। বাড়ির শৌচালয় থেকে দেহ উদ্ধারের পর পুলিশের কাছে জেরা চলাকালীন অরবিন্দবাবুর ছেলে, পার্থ দে-র কথায় উঠে আসে আরেক চাঞ্চল্যকর তথ্য - পার্থবাবুর দিদি আর তাঁদের পোষা দুই কুকুর নাকি তাঁর ঘরেই আছে! কথামতো আরেক দফা তল্লাশি চালিয়ে পুলিশের কাছে উদ্ঘাটিত হয় আরেক ভয়ানক সত্যের - পার্থবাবু মাসছয়েক নিজের ঘরের বিছানায় একটি মানুষের কঙ্কাল ও সেই ঘরেতেই দুটি জন্তুর কঙ্কালের সাথে বাস করছেন আর তাঁর কথামতো সেগুলি তাঁর দিদি ও বাড়ির দুই পোষ্যের! ব্যস, এবার শুরু হলো তোলপাড়। লোকেদের মুখে, কাগজের পাতায়, তখন শুধু একটাই খবর - পার্থ দে! যেটুকু তথ্য পাওয়া যেতে লাগল, তার উপর ভিত্তি করে মিডিয়াতেও তালে তাল মিলিয়ে চললো চুলচেরা বিশ্লেষণ, এবং, অবশ্যই, পার্থবাবুর বিচার!

তবে গুজব বাদ দিয়ে যে প্রশ্নগুলো ওঠা প্রয়োজন ছিল, এবং, উঠেছিল, তা হল,

কঙ্কালগুলো কাদের?

একটা মানুষ কি করে মৃত ব্যক্তির কঙ্কালের সাথে প্রায় মাসছয়েক একই ঘরে কাটাতে পারে, ভাবা দরকার যে কেউ যদি জানতে না পারত, আরো কতোদিন কেটে যেত এভাবে?

মানুষ আর কুকুরগুলোর মৃত্যু হলো, মৃতদেহগুলো কঙ্কালে পরিণত হলো, কিন্তু কোনোরকম গন্ধ বেরোল না কি করে?

অরবিন্দবাবুর আত্মহত্যার কারণ কি?

এই পরিস্থিতিতে বাজার দোকান করা ও বাইরের দুনিয়ার সাথে যোগাযোগ কি করে বজায় রাখা হতো?

এরকম হাজারো প্রশ্ন লোকের মনে হয়েছিল। আমারও হয়েছিল। কিন্তু তখন কেন জানিনা আমি নিজে খবরটা খুব একটা মনোযোগ দিয়ে নাড়াচাড়া করিনি। মনের মধ্যে পার্থবাবুর নামটা ও কঙ্কালকাণ্ডের স্মৃতি আবছা করে শুধু কিছুটা রয়ে গেছিল।

তাই এবার যখন শুনলাম যে ঘটনাটা নিয়ে একটা তথ্যচিত্র হবে, খুব আগ্রহের সাথে দেখতে বসলাম এই ভেবে যে পুরো ঘটনাটা এবার বোধহয় বুঝতে পারব।

কিন্তু কোথায় কি? মনোবিজ্ঞানী, মনোরোগ বিশেষজ্ঞদের সাক্ষাৎকারকে প্রধান করে যে তথ্যচিত্র দেখলাম, সেটাতে পার্থবাবুর মনটাকে হয়তো চিনলাম কিন্তু ঘটনাটা যেন যেই তিমির সেই তিমিরেই রইল। এমনকি, এত বেশি সিদ্ধান্ত শুনলাম যে মনে হলো কিছুটা যেন আগে থেকেই ভেবে রাখা হয়েছিল কোন দিকটাকটাকে বেশি প্রাধান্য দেওয়া হবে। কমলেশ্বর মুখার্জ্জী খানিকটা যেন ব্যক্তিকে প্রাধান্য দিয়ে ফেললেন মূল বিষয় হিসেবে। কিন্তু তাহলে তো সিরিজটির নামকরণে গলদ থেকে যায়। মানতাম, যদি শুধুমাত্র পার্থ দে-কে অবলম্বন করে তথ্যচিত্র বানানো হতো। কিন্তু এখানে তো ঘটনাটা কেন্দ্রীয়, বাকিটা গৌন না হলেও মূখ্য তো বলতে পারি না! হতে পারে যে আমার চিন্তাটা ভুল, তবে কঙ্কালগুলো কি করে প্রমাণ হলো কাদের, অরবিন্দবাবুর মৃত্যু আর মৃতদেহ থেকে ঘরের মধ্যে কঙ্কালে রুপান্তর হওয়াটার বিজ্ঞানসম্মত আলোচনা কেন হলো না? যেখানে স্বীকার করা হয়েছে দেশে মনোরোগ চিকিৎসা তুলনামূলকভাবে অনেকটাই নবীন - আনুমানিক ৭০ বছরের খানিকটা বেশি হবে - সেখানে প্রবীণ কিছু বৈজ্ঞানিক উপায় যেমন রসায়ন ও জীববিজ্ঞান, যেগুলো দিয়ে এই সমস্ত প্রশ্নগুলোর উত্তর দেওয়া যেত, সেগুলিকে এরকম সরিয়ে রাখার প্রয়োজন ছিল কি? মানসিক অবস্থা নিয়ে আলোচনার মাঝে অনাবশ্যক কবিতাই বা কেন পাঠ করার দরকার হলো কমলেশ্বর মুখার্জ্জীর গলায়?

অল্প তথ্য ও অনেকটা ধারনা দিয়ে তৈরি এই তথ্যচিত্র মনে হলো কোভিডের সময়ে নির্মিত। পার্থবাবুর মানসিক দিকটাকে নিঃসন্দেহে অনেকটাই তুলে ধরা হয়েছে, কিন্তু তবু অনেক কিছুই রয়ে গেল অন্ধকারে। তথ্যের অপ্রতুলতা ছাড়াও তথ্যের একপেশে ভাব ব্যাপারটাকে অনেকটাই ক্লান্তিকর করে দিল! তবে পাওনা একটাই - নির্মিত চরিত্রকে শুধু মুকাভিনয় দ্বারা বিভিন্ন মানসিক রূপের বহিঃপ্রকাশ সমেত নিপুণভাবে মেলে ধরা লোকনাথ দে ও অময় দেবরায়ের পেশাদার অভিনয়ের যুগলবন্দী।

Aarya Antim Vaar: the ultimate strike?

The series starts with Aarya apparently succumbing to a shot by some unknown assailant and then flashes back to the past to trace the incidents that led to the catastrophe. With the foreign mob seeking compensation for their lost loot, the police relentlessly sniffing to find a crack in her empire to take her down, a new threat emerges in the form of Nalini Sahiba, a menacing empress in the drug cartel, dreaded for hunting down her enemies till their deaths lie awaited. To complicate matters much further, the young adults among her wards rebel and revolt when her moves inadvertently wreaks their immediate dreams. Friend doubts, authorities tighten their incessant traps, enemies lurk around and time seems to run short. While moles are planted inside the camps, beliefs are shaken of the nearer allies.

What remains to be seen is whether Aarya can overcome all obstacles and regain control or will she succumb to the strikes both mental and physical! With old allies loosing faith and code of the trade causing startling twists, relations lying dormant need to be forged from the cruel past to elicit safety for the fragile present! This apparent season finale is a must watch for completeness and I stress this to be apparent finale as the climactic moment could well be a closing event but can as well be considered a cliffhanger sequence. Besides the character that Sushmita Sen plays, the only other character with perennial appeal seems Sampat, acted by Viswajeet Pradhan whose natural coarseness always brings a sense of lively thrill to the plot. So, though there are episodes where the plot seems forced, but the underlying theme that avoids indulging in the guilty pleasure of the genre should be enough for this to be critically watched.

Karmma Calling: destined to avenge!

The celebrity from the yesteryear Bollywood circle and now a giant among the corporate leaders, Indrani Kothari is nicnamed the Queen of the Billionaires by the wealthy elite. Reigning over the business world with her husband, Kaushal Kothari, from the beaches of Alibaug, she manages to instill a mixed sense of awe and severity for the Kothari clan among the minds of their acquaintances. Keeping a strict vigil over the richer sect of the social strata, she tries to keep a tight grip on her children as well. Thus, when a mysterious stranger entered her life, ripples in her balanced life was all but natural!

Little did she realise that the stranger who called herself Karma Talwar was actually Ambika Mehera, daughter of Satyajit Mehera, determined to avenge her father, wronged by the conniving Kotharis, that cost his life and respect and paved a sudden uncertain and apparently insecured future for the daughter. Targeting all who orchestrated the downfall of her father, Ambika starts to take down the culprits in her well laid traps. But danger lurks in every corner as domino effect causes unplanned accidents and threatens collateral damage.

With Ambika and Indrani fighting a psychological battle, the series actually blends drama with thrill.

Starting on a cliffhanger and winding up with a twist, the series promises a following season that should reveal what lay hidden behind the questions unanswered!

Adapting the theme with required yet simple acknowledgement from Revenge by Mike Kelley, the drama is directed by Ruchi Narain.

The pace is steady with quick resolutions but coincidences galore to keep it quite occassionally unrealistic.

Raveena Tandon is superb in her classy demeneour and Varoon Sood with his naively brawny features displays a perfect contrast. Special mention is due to Viraf Patel for his comic reliefs during his increasingly frequent significant appearances!