Nitin Kakkar’s Jawaani Jaaneman is a rib-tickler that relies purely on Saif Ali Khan’s charm, his acting along with crisp writing and witty dialogues makes it a SAIFilarious watch.

Alaya’s debut is promising and Tabu in her special appearance just leaves you wanting for more. She is never enough but the makers have aptly optimized her little presence with the double dose of entertainment in the short span of her role in the film.

Nitin Kakkar delivers his best with Jawaani Jaaneman. It is the magic of writing the Dalal brothers bring in. The film is written by Hussain Dalal and dialogues are written by Abbas Dalal. Be it screen play or the witty dialogues they are top-notch and director packages it really well bringing the right punches at the right time. Kiku sharda with one scene delivers the right food for laugh in the situation no Men would be but could be.

The film has great situations that rings in good laughs making this Jawaani tickle than sizzle.

What sizzles here is Saif Ali Khan, with Jawaani Jaaneman he gets a platform to showcase his charm, acting skills, dancing skills and the cool factor Men would aspire to be like this at his age. .He is as cool as cucumber and as free like a free will. Be it enjoying the bathtub or dancing in a bathrobe gives you clues of the freedom he seeks.

He plays Jaswinder Singh who prefers calling being Jazz born in a Sikh family and staying little away from them, all by himself to achieve his boudoir goals that includes everything you can think of. A 40-year-old man who colors his hair and shies away on the agreement and gets upset about it if confronted comes so naturally to his forever charm making it relatable to many out there. From one of his jawaani tweaks emerges a twist. That’s where the crux of the film lies and how the father daughter relationship grows is where the heart of the film thumps. Relationships in the film may be complicated but the film comes as simple as a family entertainer. Farida Jajal in her little presence adds a lot making the film so relatable to the otherwise genre. Kumud Mishra extends a great support as the role of the brother to Saif and has a good weight in the film. One scene when the family gets together at Saif’s den, it is a high laughter point of the film. Kubbra Sait as well adds a lot to the plot as a friend and her character Rhea is strong and conveys key things you may look for in a relationship giving you level-headedness

Alaya Furniturewala daughter of Pooja Bedi brings in the right oomph. Indeed, a brave debut with the kind of nuances her character has. She delivers all at ease and her role has more  substance to the soul than just the beauty. Tabu is the cherry on the top, in her limited presence you see her character and know the aura she carries, that’s the magic of writing. Before even you think the film may have a climatic slowdown, the film roars high again with her presence and keeps you on toes with the comedy. Her simple line “He needs meditation” also has an impact leaving you with a smile.

The film has some great music too than the rehash of Ole Ole. Ole Ole song is smartly used. As soon as the film begins you know where your character belongs, and you are right there in the plot without wasting screen-time. Fabulous integration. The song that connects the film emotionally is Harshdeep Kaur’s “Mere Baabula” and adds a lot to the plot.

Director Nitin Kakkar with all this gives a complete family entertainer than just a young sizzler. Go for it and yes with family.

PK Verdict: Silver Plus 3.5*

Bollywood’s latest ‘Malang’ is set to hit the silver screen on February 7, 2020, to deliver a classic, tumultuous love story packed with hair-raising action, which prompted director Mohit Suri to enlist the help of GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO).

HERO7 Black was used to capture the film’s endearing love moments to the crazy adventurous outings, like kite surfing in picturesque waters or cruising on scooters, all of which skillfully characterizes the chemistry between lead actors Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani. The rugged, waterproof design paired with HyperSmooth stabilization delivers cinematic footage that brings the action and adventure to life as the film travels across iconic destinations in Goa and Mauritius.

Director Mohit Suri says, “Malang is as much about fun, travel and adventure as it is about action, romance and intense drama. We have managed to capture a lot of this adventure and excitement using the GoPro cameras. A versatile camera like this lets us get up close and personal with the action happening and almost makes the viewer feel like they’re a part of all the fun. I’m sure the audience will love this unique perspective which we were able to get by using GoPro cameras.”

Outside of the adrenaline-fueled moments, Aditya Roy Kapur’s character is also shown documenting his life experiences on a GoPro.

“GoPro enables people to capture and share their passion,” says Todd Ballard, Chief Marketing Officer for GoPro. “Our cameras not only let you capture extreme outdoor and sports activities but also are capable of recording more personal, travel experiences and simple daily life adventures. A GoPro camera goes places where a smartphone or DSLR can’t. It is amazing to see that our pocket-sized 4K camera footage has made its way into a leading Bollywood-grade movie production. Malang is raising the bar of unique content for next-gen Indian movies.”

About GoPro, Inc.

GoPro helps the world celebrate and share itself in immersive and exciting ways. GoPro, HERO, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information, visit www.gopro.com. GoPro users can submit their photos, raw clips and video edits to GoPro Awards for social stoke, GoPro gear and cash prizes. Learn more at www.gopro.com/awards. Connect with GoPro on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and GoPro’s blog The Inside Line.

About Luv Films

Luv Films, founded in 2012, is a film production house established by Writer-Director Luv Ranjan and his childhood friend Ankur Garg. The company is focused towards production and distribution of creative content for the silver screen experience. In a short span of time, Luv Films has delivered films such as Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, De De Pyaar De and Jai Mummy Di. Their upcoming films are with some of the most renowned and successful talent from the Hindi film industry, which also includes the Mohit Suri directed Malang starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor and Kunal Kemmu releasing worldwide on February 7, 2020. 

Film critic and Festival director Anupama Chopra got into a candid conversation with Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Meirelles on the fifth day of the Jio MAMI 21^st Mumbai Film Festival with Star. Best known for his globally acclaimed and award-winning films such as The Constant Gardener, City of God and Blindness, the director was speaking at a masterclass, which was held after the screening of his 2019 biographical comedy-drama titled The Two Popes.

Chopra presented the Excellence in Cinema Award (International) to Meirelles who received a standing ovation from a mesmerized audience that had just concluded watching his latest masterpiece. Accepting the award, the filmmaker said, “The festival is growing with each passing year and is becoming a reference for the world. But I think that the world must get to see more Indian films. Your society is very self-sufficient with films, you guys make your own films and watch them yourselves. You should share your films!”   

The climate change obsession

Though Meirelles deals with delicate issues, he tries to put in hope in them as well. As most of his films showcase the harsh truths of the world, but laced with empathy, Chopra opened the masterclass with a quote from The Two Popes, “The truth is vital, but without love it is unbearable.” Does the director follow his process by design? To an extent, yes, he has been following his path for a while now. But today, the filmmaker said, he has become a pessimist and is not too hopeful about the future. “I tried to be hopeful. But due to this climate crisis our future is in danger. So, I like to make films that bring hope, but also inform and show parts of the world to the audiences and tell them where we are heading,” he explained. Given that his next project with Netflix addresses the issue of climate change Meirelles is now obsessed with the burning issue of our times. “The more science you read; the more you will get scared. I have read too much!” exclaimed the filmmaker.

Evolving as a filmmaker

Having once studied to be an architect, Meirelles draws a comparison between the two distinct, yet creative, worlds of architecture and cinema. For him an architect and a director both have a vision that then needs to be translated into tangible work. Engineers and technicians help them beautify the process and bring their creative vision to life. “Architecture has made me sensitive to spaces and given me a sense of how to shoot, move actors on the set.”

Working on TV commercials was another steppingstone toward his filmmaking career. “Though I never saw myself fitting in the advertising world, having worked on thousands of commercials was the best schooling I could have had early on in my career.”  This is when Meirelles learnt to use out of the box techniques like flying cameras, crazy camera placements and last-minute improvisations.

Now more than ever, Meirelles trusts his intuition and instinct over anything else. That is how he knows what will work and what won’t work in a film or a scene. “Listening to my irrational side more than the rational one is more important for me now,” he said.

On why he agreed to work on The Two Popes and City of God, given that he had initially refused both projects, the filmmaker said, “What drew me to The Two Popes is Pope Francis’ politics and not his religion. Like him, I also see the world as one and do not believe in nationalism – the new wave in the world. Additionally, I like movies that talk about issues that affect the world and not just one country.”

On creative liberties with the cast and crew 

Meirelles does not believe in telling the actors what to do in front of the camera. He likes to let them create with liberty. His process begins with understanding theirs and then working on those terms. “You have to play his/her game,” said the director, who successfully achieved the task of filming veteran actors Anthony Hopkins and Johnathon Pryce, whose acting methodologies are strikingly different from each other. While Hopkins likes to be well-prepared months in advance and does not prefer on-set improvisations, Pryce is always game for impromptu changes to his lines. “It’s like blending Classical with Jazz,” explained Meirelles.

Fernando follows this not just with the cast, but with the crew as well. On his decades-long association with his DOP César Charlone, the director said that he treats him almost like a co-director. “We know each other very well. We don’t have to talk much on the sets. Before starting work on any film, César and I sit together for two weeks and decide what we are going to do scene by scene. That is a good process for me.”

The masterclass concluded with the director explaining how he is working toward saving the planet both personally and professionally. While his farm in Brazil is now being converted into an agroforest, his next project with Netflix will help him showcase the issue of climate change and the need for a change in our attitude to it, to the world. “I will keep trying and trying till the end,” he signed off.