Movies/Entertainment
HINDI MOVIE PREVIEWS
Priyanka Chopra is “Mary Kom.”
“Mary Kom” Starring Priyanka Chopra, Sunil Thapa, Darshan Kumaar, Rajni Basumatary, Zachary Coffin, Shishir Sharma; directed by Omung Kumar; music by Satish-Sivamm.
Winning more accolades with each performance, Priyanka Chopra plays the title role in this biographical story. MC Mary Kom is a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion and only Indian woman boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics and win the bronze medal. The film chronicles Kom's inspirational journey from athlete to boxing champion and all the trials she endures before achieving her dream. Facing opposition from her father, Mary Kom’s fearless nature is displayed as she trains with men. Darshan Kumar makes his debut as Mary’s supportive husband. Nepali actor Sunil Thapa plays her coach. Reportedly, all of Mary’s opponents in the ring were professional boxers and taking a punch from them was not easy. Chopra has said this role was the most challenging she’s played and she endured intense physical training. Real life Mary Kom was involved in the production and gave insight on her family life and boxing. The film is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and features Chopra singing one of the songs, a lullaby.
“Finding Fanny” Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Arjun Kapoor; directed by Homi Adajania; music by Mathias Duplessy, Sachin-Jigar.
From the director of “Being Cyrus” and “Cocktail,” comes this quirky satire set in a quiet village in Goa. It’s a place where nothing ever happens and pointless conversations are common. One night, postman Ferdie, played by Naseeruddin Shah, receives a note under his door. It’s a letter he wrote 46 years ago to the love of his life, Stefanie Fernandes aka Fanny, asking for her hand in marriage, which was never delivered. Having lived a life full of sadness, thinking he had been rejected, Ferdie decides to find his beloved Fanny and tell her the truth. Four colorful characters from the village join the road trip in search of Fanny although nobody knows whether she exists or not. Deepika Padukone plays a young widow, Arjun Kapoor, a bitter mechanic, Pankaj Kapoor is a belligerent painter and Dimple Kapadia plays an obnoxious self-appointed “Lady” of the village. The short journey ends up taking over a day and changes their lives as well. Watch for a cameo appearance by Ranveer Singh. The film is expected to release in Hindi and English.
“Khoobsurat” Starring Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Kirron Kher, Ratna Shah, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aamir Raza Hussain, Aditi Rao Hydari; directed by Shashanka Ghosh; music by Sneha Khanwalkar.
Inspired by Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 classic of the same name, the makers say the spirit and characters are like the original but the setting and circumstances are different. Sonam Kapoor plays protagonist Mili, the character’s name pays further homage to the late filmmaker. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Anil Kapoor Film Company, the film centers around a royal family in Rajasthan. Dr. Mili Chakravarty is an exuberant physiotherapist from Delhi called to treat Shekhar Rathore, the Raja of Sambalgarh, played by Prosenjit Chattterjee. Mili’s free spirit makes her a misfit in her new surroundings with the royal family. She constantly battles the strict regime of matriarch Nirmala Devi Rathore played by Ratna Pathak Shah. Over the course of her stay in the palace, Mili’s lively antics charm the Rathore family, especially the young prince Yuvraj Singh Rathore, played by Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.