Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan remake of 1995 hit Coolie No. 1 released on Christmas and fans were more than just disappointed with how the film turned out. So much so that the film ranks lower than the Salman Khan starrer Race 3 on IMDb.
The movie which also features Javed Jaffery, Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever in pivotal roles has been directed by David Dhawan himself. Dhawan had also directed the original version starring Govinda and Karishma Kapoor in the lead.
Govinda fans are also very upset with the director and cast for remaking an iconic movie by ripping the best parts into shreds. While the director brought in more vibrancy and colour to the film as well a modern touch, it doesn’t seem to have resonated well with the audiences.
Race 3, which released in 2018, was ranked 1.9 on IMDb, which was considered one of the poorest ratings ever. However, Coolie No. 1 has beaten Race 3 with an IMDb rating of 1.4 only. It fares only better than Sadak 2, that has an abysmal 1.1/10 rating on IMDB. Sadak 2 stars Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapoor.
Ah, the long weekend is here and with COVID-19 still posing a threat, time to kick back and binge-watch movies and shows while staying cosy at home. Here’s a list of new releases hitting streaming platforms this weekend.
AK vs AK
Termed a mockumentary (a film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary), AK vs AK features Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap with Sonam Kapoor also putting in an appearance. The film’s official synopsis reads: “A brash film director (Kashyap, as himself) kidnaps the daughter of a movie star (Kapoor, as himself) and films the star’s desperate search for his daughter in real-time as his next blockbuster.”
The film has received raving reviews and looks very different from what Bollywood usually has to offer.
George Clooney heads to the post-apocalyptic world in this new space drama for Netflix which he has directed himself. While the film has opened to mixed reviews, Clooney’s performance and getup in the film have been highly appreciated. The film is already trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan.
Coolie No 1
Featuring Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan in the lead, Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film is a through and through Bollywood masala film with colourful dances, sets and crass comedy. While it probably does not have anything new to offer, we’ll just sit through it to make comparisons and trash Bollywood for repeating the same problematic tropes and not coming up with anything new.
Bridgerton
Netflix’s big Christmas drop, Bridgertonhas been described by several reviews as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl. Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels, the show follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate London high society in the 18th-century. According to reviews and critics, the series is fuzzy, romantic and highly bingeable but hollow at the same time. But if you’re a sucker for period romance, you’re bound to enjoy it – I know I will.
The Undoing
Though this murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant is a couple of weeks old, it is totally worth the watch. The six-episodes series is gripping, intense and will have you on the edge of your seat as you guess who the killer is. And while it does drag at a few points, the stellar performances more than make up for it.
An MP from Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Mirzapur district Anupriya Patel has demanded a ban on the web series Mirzapur 2, saying it was spreading ethnic disharmony. The Apna Dal parliamentarian said that the series was maligning the image of Mirzapur by portraying it as a “violent” region.
According to details, Patel told reporters that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mirzapur is a ‘centre of harmony’ and the matter must be investigated and strict action be taken against those responsible for sullying its image”.
She further said: “As an MP of Mirzapur district, I demand that the series be investigated and action should be taken against it.”
Mirzapur 2 is a violent tale of feuds in families, politics and elections. It features Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi Ali Fazal and Divyendu Sharma in the lead roles. The show, which premiered on October 23 on Amazon Prime is immensely popular in both India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, some social media users also called for a ban on the series, Ali Fazal and co-producer Farhan Akhtar. According toIndian media, the reason for its boycott could be Fazal and Akhtar. People are angry about Fazal’s previous post on Twitter in December 2019, in which he opposed the CAA and NRC.
However, Patel’s call for an inquiry against Mirzapur 2 does not hold because it is a fictional series. Further, a detailed disclaimer before each episode states that any ‘resemblance to actual events or people is purely coincidental’.
The disclaimer adds: “Any dialogues, characters in the program are not intended to offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race or religion or to denigrate any institution, political party or person, living or dead.”
Pakistani actor Hasan Khan has created a bit of a frenzy after he announced that he will be playing the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput for “Indian web”.
In an Instagram post, the actor wrote: “Alhamdulillah got a project which is really close to my heart, playing Sushant Singh Rajput’s character for Indian web.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD_-eIEJkUs/
While the actor did not share further details, Indian media denied the rumours and reported that “Amazon Prime Video has not commissioned or licensed any project on the late Sushant Singh Rajput with actor Hasan Khan or for that matter with anyone else”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEBzeTpTbh/
Later while speaking to a local media outlet, Hasan revealed that the film has already been shot and will be released soon. The actor said that the film has been directed by a Pakistani director, Mohammad Mussavir and produced by Indian producer, Raj Gupta.
Hasan also said that the film was originally scheduled to release on Amazon Prime but due to strong criticism and backlash from Sushant’s fans, Amazon Prime backed out of the project. He added that the film will now release on the producer’s own channel ‘Imperfect Movies’.
The actor also shared some BTS pictures with the publication. Viewer discretion is advised.
Sushant allegedly died by suicide on June 14, though fans believe that he was murdered. Mumbai Police was investigating his death but after fans expressed their distrust in them, the matter has been referred to India’s top investigation agency the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The controversy surrounding his death does not seem to be dying and it appears that fans will not rest until the matter is settled as per their expectations.
