Yash’s KGF: Chapter 2 has been helping cinemas flood with moviegoers as the film as seen record-breaking numbers since its release on April 14. The Hindi dub of the film alone has managed to earn Rs 43-44 crore (nett) on Friday. This takes the collection of the first two days to around Rs 96 crore (nett).
S S Rajamouli’s RRR too has refuses to back down as its Hindi version in its second week in the theatres, giving stiff competition to releases like KGF Chapter 2 and actor Vijay’s Tamil film Beast. RRR is expected to finish somewhere in the Rs 260-270 crore (nett) range.
Though there has been tremendous hype surrounding the release of Beast, the film is yet to clock in the numbers that RRR or KGF Chapter 2 have posted.
Silverscreen India brings to you, a compilation of reviews of films that released both online as well as offline:
Beast
Vijay-starrer Beast is directed by Nelson @Dilipkumar. The action drama revolves around ex-RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent Veeraraghavan and his journey, played by Vijay, after he rescues people held as hostages in a shopping mall, in Chennai. The film also features actors VTV Ganesh, Yogi Babu, Selvaraghavan, Shine Tom Chacko, and Pooja Hegde.
Subha J Rao of Silverscreen India, points out the lack of research that went into the film.
“Before deploying someone, that too of all places in PoK, they will ensure you know the local dialect, no? They will ensure you look ‘local’, no? No, sir, no. In our Beast, Vijay’s Veeraraghavan sticks out like the star he is,” she writes.
Rao further notes that even though the film follows the director’s signature style – that of a hostage crisis in a crowded mall, a terrorist mastermind who has to be released, myriad characters with interesting quirks, lots of humour and a lightness of touch – it is the lack of a storyline that takes it down.
She went on to note that Hegde barely had anything to do in the film, and calls Tom Chacko’s character “a poor half-note role”.
However, Rao appreciates composer Anirudh Ravichander‘s music, and calls him “the best bet for any star vehicle now”, as well as cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa.
Anupama Chopra of Film Companion, also compares Beast with the director’s previous work – Doctor – and writes that the comedy in Beast has little of the same sparkle.
The highlights, including the action sequences are bogged down by bland writing, she adds.
Chopra reflects similar sentiments as Rao, in terms of the minimum screen space given to other actors, and writes that Hegde’s character is reduced to arm candy, and calls Tom Chacko, “criminally wasted as one of the many terrorists.”
According to Ashameera Aiyappan of Firstpost, “In the first half, the zany performances and humour keep you entertained enough to forget (or forgive) the glaring lapses in logic.”
Contrary to the other two reviewers’ take on the film’s comic element, for Aiyappan, the humour is “clean and free of low blows. Even the jokes and references around Vijay’s political presence are well-done.”
She adds that the film suffers from weak antagonists, and notes, “It is ridiculous that militants from a globally infamous organisation don’t even know basic surveillance and get distracted by the lamest of lies.”
It is interesting to note that while Rao and Chopra expressed concern over Vijay’s star power overpowering Nelson’s skills and techniques as a director, Aiyappan found the actor’s introduction shot as a hint to the director’s “biggest tool to surprise his audience — subversion.”
The film, however, failed to garner the numbers at the box office.
Collections in its home state of Tamil Nadu saw a drop of 30%, on Friday, after already dropping by 45% on day two (Thursday). The Hindi version of the film, however, is yet to earn even Rs 1 crore (nett).
Beast has an IMDb rating of 7.1.
The Yash-starrer action drama is directed by Prashanth Neel and is a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster KGF Chapter 1. Aside from Yash, KGF: Chapter 2 also stars Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Dutt.
The story takes off from where it left, and culminates in Rocky’s (Yash) face-off with the antagonist Adheera (Dutt).
Almost all the reviewers agreed that the sequel is bigger and better than the first installment.
Sankeertana of Silverscreen India writes that even though the characters of Dutt and Tandon needed extensive writing, the film cannot be called under-written.
“If anything, it is the opposite – every scene is densely populated with characters. KGF 2 doesn’t know what a quiet moment is, and it is better for it. Armed with Ravi Basrur’s score, every instant vibrates with chaotic energy.”
“Even the violence, which gets numbingly excessive after a point, is handled with more thought than you expect in big films with big men holding big guns. The filmmaker foresaw the desensitisation, so he transforms the action sequences with thought and technique,” she continues.
The reviewer’s problem lies with the narrator, as she writes, “There are inconsistencies, and Prakash Raj, playing the son of Anand Ingalagi, is a smart choice – his voice adds heft, but his issue with his father lacks relevance and resolution.”
Anupama Chopra of Film Companion, reflects similar sentiments in terms of the film’s loud nature, as she writes that director Neel “has little use for silence, stillness or subtlety. He delivers a film that seduces you with its terrific claptraps but also pummels you into submission with its frenzied editing, thunderous background music and its hypermasculine hero.”
Chopra also notes that Yash’s portrayal of Rocky is that of a “masiha with swagger, a superb stylist and the irreverent humour of a Chulbul Pandey.”
However, there’s still much more to go – in terms of plot twists and enemies, she writes. “Post-interval, KGF: Chapter 2 meanders from one set piece to another without the advantage of solid connective tissue. The energy falters and an exhaustion starts to set in.”
While Dutt isn’t given the opportunity to outshine his earlier roles as antagonists, Chopra writes that Tandon’s “performance matches the heightened notes of the film – she’s fire and brimstone.”
Subhash K Jha of Firstpost, calls the film’s soundtrack “the noisiest, most anarchic soundtracks in the history of Indian cinema.”
For Jha, the most talked-about aspect of the film – it’s action – “serves no real purpose except as a reminder of the Franchise’s affluent background.” He further notes that the emotional content was higher in the prequel.
Contrary to Sankeertana and Chopra’s view points regarding Yash’s Rocky bhai, Jha calls him Dr B R Ambedkar’s worst nightmare. “A messiah of the downtrodden who is so power-drunk he can’t tell the difference between Robin Hood and Idi Amin,” he writes.
Jha also notes the limited screen (and character development) space that the women of the film are rendered. He writes, “The women characters, Raveena Tandon and Srinidhi Shetty, are either there for Rocky to spar with or like Archana Jois, who plays Rocky’s mother, she is around to shed a few token tears to ensure family audiences don’t get intimidated by the endless violence. Eswari Rao plays a Muslim mother mourning for her slaughtered son.”
With all its noise, KGF: Chapter 2 has left the cash registers ringing.
The film’s Hindi version has managed to earn Rs 43-44 crore (nett) on Friday, which will take the film’s two-day collections to around Rs 96 crore (nett). The Hindi version of the Kannada film has witnessed excellent numbers in Mumbai and Delhi NCR, particularly. The original version, meanwhile, is doing well in its home state of Karnataka, collecting around Rs 27 crore on day one.
The film has an IMDb rating of 9.7.
Veyil
Veyil is directed by debutant Sarath, and features actors Sreerekha, Saed Imran, and Shane Nigam, in lead roles. The film was released in theatres in February 2022 but only saw a brief run. It has hence been re-released on Disney+Hotstar. The film revolves around the story of a poverty-stricken family, comprising a single mother and two sons, the quiet and well-mannered Karthik (Imran) and the impulsive Siddharth (Nigam)
According to Aswathy Gopalakrishnan of Silverscreen India, the film deserves a pat on the back for taking up a far-reaching social problem nobody wants to pay attention to.
However, it is not bereft of its flaws, she notes.
Gopalakrishnan writes that the film “has a wobbly narrative that swings between faint promises and exhausting hogwash.”
She calls the camera “shaky like a restless toddler”, as it frequently focuses away from the central characters, to capture something “slice-of-life”. This new-generation cinema technique, she writes, stretches the scenes in addition to diluting the emotional intensity.
The reviewer adds that there isn’t a single remarkable character in the film apart from Syed’s Karthi.
Nigam’s characterisation, according to her, suffers from being stereotyped as “the unhappy, emotionally-damaged millennial in film after film.”
“Perhaps Nigam’s refusal to get into the skin of his character comes from a place of boredom – he has seen the insides of a dull mind several times before,” she adds.
Recommended
For Vishal Menon of Film Companion, the film’s frequent jumps from one shot to another is a dream-like quality that “makes Veyil both a difficult and a special film to experience.”
The choice to show significant life events before establishing the context, and letting characters’ names come an go without proper backgrounds, ends up creating many doubts, he adds.
However, this style of writing, according to Menon, “adds a layer of melancholy and an honesty to the retelling of what’s essentially a balance-sheet of good deeds versus regrets.”
“All of this contributes to make Veyil special because it essentially only wants to be one thing — a story of brotherhood,” Menon adds.
Veyil has an IMDb rating of 6.8.