Cast: Mrunal Thakur, Adil Hussain, Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Rajkummar Rao, Demi Moore

Director: Tabrez Noorani

Mango Bollywood Rating: 3 stars on 5 stars

What is more haunting? A girl with no name lost in a city with a haunting dark side or a village with no identification except for being located 1,400 kms North of Mumbai? When you belong to such a non descriptive village, you get lost in the throngs of poverty, extortion, death, murder and prostitution.

Love Sonia, Tabrez Noorani’s extremely brave directorial, brings to the fore just these issues, addressing every one of them with an iron fist. The film tells the raw, unfiltered story of a teenage girl sold into the relentless and world of the flesh trade when her family cannot afford to make their ends meet.

Love Sonia is Tabrez Noorani’s brave directorial which makes you wonder what is more haunting, a girl with no name girl with no name lost in a city with a haunting dark side, or a village with no identification, except for being located 1,400 km., north of Mumbai?  The movie brings to the fore when you belong to such a non descriptivevillage, you get lost in the throngs of poverty, extortion, death, murder and prostitution. 

While the story seems to highlight the plight of the two sisters (the ones who form the crux of the story,) what hits you the hardest is not their fight against evil, but the anonymity of the entire situation. Without too much regard to the harsh realities of the flesh trade, Tabrez Noorani gives us direct access into what really goes on in the world of flesh world.

What makes this particular film so appealing is the cracked mirror viewpoint it represents. You could either look at the story (inspired by real life events of so many girls like Sonia) as a brilliantly told tale with minor flaws; or you could look at the story as an extremely flawed tale. As Sonia searches for her sister lost in the maze of Mumbai’s underworld, she discovers several women lost to the profession (Richa Chhada‘s and Frieda Pinto’s characters.)

This brings to light the fact that Love Sonia aims at highlighting the plight of not just one lost girl, but several girls with no future to their name. While Mrunal Thakur makes a flawless debut as Sonia in this film, the premise of the story is slightly lacking.

Despite having a hard hitting story, the movie fails to leave you with a provocative after thought. Instead of using an over whelming dose of fear to tell his tale, Noorani could have woven together multiple layers, giving us the idea that there is something bigger happening (which there actually is.) A story told over and over again, Love Sonia is fresh in the sense that it wants you to listen to the fear and voice your outrage with silent anger, rather than with momentary anger. Watch the film for the perfect mix of actors, story rendition and raw cinematography.

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Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal

Director: Anurag Kashyap

mango Bollywood rating: 3.5 stars on 5 stars

Manmarziyaan can be termed as Anurag Kashyap’s first ever directorial that does not come filled with murder, angst and betrayal. A love story at its roots, this film establishes Kashyap as an extremely versatile and very connected to reality director.

Every love story in Bollywood centers around a love triangle, or that is what we have been taught to believe over the years. Anurag Kashyap being who he is, twists this tired and tested tale into a coming of age story, giving us an insight into love through the eyes of a millennial.

For love triangles to work, there are two people at the center with a silent, third party observer. In Manmarziyaan, Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) love the way we, as the young wild and free, love. One of them wants to settle down, while the other has no real intentions of going down the road of society expectations. No guesses on who falls in what category here, right?

Things seem fine for a while for the much in love couple, till the doors of the bedroom open to the public (the parents in this case.) While Vicky is lauded for being everything society expects him to be, Rumi is forced to stick to the straight road by her parents. Get married to Vicky or we will find a boy for you, tell Rumi’s very angry parents. Into the picture comes Abhishek Bachchan (Robbie.)

In an ideal world, Robbie would have been what every girl would have wanted. Respectful, down to earth and armed with the perfect job in hand, Robbie came with one thing not going for him. He was not Vicky and Rumi could not have that. Unfortunately for Rumi, this was just the strength Robbie played with and used to his advantage! Quite a complicated little bundle here, right?

The dialogue delivery is raw, real and even disturbing at times. The confrontation scene, where Rumi singles out Vicky and his disregard for marriage, makes you connect to Rumi all the more. What breaks one’s heart in this entire film is how Robbie realises he is only a bystander in the beginning and works his way into Rumi’s heart toward the second half. This part, more than any other scene through the film, tells us there is a strong chance of a happy ending in life if you talk through your problems and sort out issues head on, when they happen.

At the end of the day, while Manmarziyaan does not have murder and a Nawazuddin Siddiqui tied up together in a neat little bundle, it still is a Kashyap film in and out! Every frame has been shot beautifully, with the aesthetics playing out beautifully. As a comeback movie, Abhishek Bachchan could not have picked a better story, while the unique combination of Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu is quite refreshing. A definite must watch if you are looking for something new and different!

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When you watch a serious issue displayed boldly on the silver screen, do you have it in you to turn your eyes? No, right? That is exactly what happens when you watch the trailer of Love Sonia, the latest Rajkummar Rao offering, showing us the dark side of the world through the eyes of human traffickers. Here are five reasons you just have to watch this heart wrenching film when it hits the screens tomorrow.

1. Hollywood and Bollywood collide 

Directed by Tabrez Noorani, Love Sonia brings together two drastically different worlds together for a unique film. From Demi Moore to Richa Chaddha to Rajkummar Rao, this film boasts of having some truly brilliant stars to its name! Definitely worth the watch, right?

2. Sai Tamhankar gains ten kgs for the roal

Sai Tamhankar, a critically acclaimed Maharashtrian actress, put in a lot of effort in order to prep for her role in Love Sonia. To make her part seem all the more credible as a prostitute turned pimp, Tamhankar put on a solid ten kgs to seem convincing! If no other reason, this dedication is a major reason to watch the film!

3. The no holes barred script 

After Udta Punjab showed us the dark side of Punjab and the under belly of the drug world, Love Sonia brings to the fore the struggles of a family perpetually stuck in the throes of poverty. Ever single member of the cast does justice to their role, playing their part to perfection. The script is so raw, so true that it hits in all the places you need to pay attention.

4. Girls rescued during the shoot 

If the above reasons were not enough for you to go watch the film, then this one definitely should make you run to the theaters. During the making of Love Sonia, director Tabrez Noorani used to conduct random raids at suspected brothels in an attempt to rescue girls kept there in captivation. He would pose as a set unit man, conducting his research at brothels and then tip off the police. Through his effort, more than a dozen girls were rescued!

5. Mrunal Thakur went into depression post shoot 

There are some roles which take a long time to get over and there are others which just stay with you for the rest of your life. Mrunal Thakur, making her debut in Bollywood with such an intense story, went into severe depression for the longest time. The fact that she chose such a strongly emotional film to make her debut is commendable, to say the least.

Films like Love Sonia do not come by often and when they do, you definitely cannot miss the movie. Right from when you watch the trailer, you realise there is a Sonia in every girl wandering the streets and if that does not make you want go and help the little girl, then maybe, just maybe the film itself will. Do not forget to tell us what you think of this movie when you watch it in the theaters tomorrow!

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2.0, the highly anticipated flick starring Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar, just got bigger, better and brighter! The makers of this much awaited film just dropped the first teaser and oh my god, get ready to have your pants blown off!

Presenting the much awaited #2Point0Teaser. Prepare yourself for this magnum opus, an adventure you’ll never forget. @karanjohar @apoorvamehta18 @rajinikanth @akshaykumar @shankarshanmugh @LycaProductions @arrahman #2Point0 https://t.co/hTfG2NXyRn

— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) September 13, 2018

The slightly longer than one minute teaser gives us a sneak peak into the film and tells us what we can expect from the second installment of the Robot series! The teaser begins with a shot of crows circling the skies, which is soon taken over by a whole hoard of cell phones?

If you are as confused as we are by this point, then worry not, because as you go a little more into the teaser, you realise there is a fight of sorts coming soon! All the cellphones start disappearing, only to land in the bedroom of who looks like the villain in the film. While the residents are shocked at what happened, the higher ups are not able to discover what really is going on.

The administration, chaired by Adil Hussain, meets to come together for a solution and finally realise the one person who can help them all is none other than Chitti, the Robot! This marks the introduction scene of Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar and from then on, there is nothing but pure magic on the screen! Intense action sequences, amazing to and fro scenes and music by A.R Rahman makes this teaser extremely exciting. Without further ado, here is giving you all a look at the mind blowing teaser of 2.0!

Marking the debut of Akshay Kumar in the world of Tamil cinema, 2.0 also features Amy Jackson, Adil Hussain and Sudhanshu Pandey in key roles. The film is scheduled to hit the screens on 29 November this year so do not forget to go watch it on the big screens when this sequel releases!

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Badhaai Ho, the next Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra starrer, just got exciting. The makers of this film just dropped the trailer and it gives one everything you could want and more from an Ayushmann Khurrana starrer.

Trailer dekha ki nahi ab tak? Dekho bhi mat! https://t.co/TE4uHoSI7W@sanyamalhotra07 @raogajraj @Neenagupta001 @BadhaaiHoFilm @CinemaPuraDesi @JungleePictures @ChromePictures #BadhaaiHoTrailer

— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) September 11, 2018

The trailer throws light on family problems with a brand new twist. What would you do if you found out your mother (a mother of two grown up children) is pregnant, thanks to the active sex life? Yeah! That is exactly what is unveiled in the trailer of Badhaai Ho! The two odd minute trailer shows how Ayushmann Khurrana‘s (Nakul) character finds out the news and about how he shares the news with his love interest (Sanya Malhotra’s character.)

#BadhaaiHo the trailer’s out now! Check it out to find out about the ‘khush khabri.’ 😉@sanyamalhotra07 @ayushmannk @raogajraj @neenagupta001 @CinemaPuraDesi @ChromePictures @BadhaaiHoFilm https://t.co/YJJDEywCxI

— Junglee Pictures (@JungleePictures) September 11, 2018

It is not just Nakul who has a problem with the news. Everyone from Sanya’s character to the old people in the house, has a problem with the news shared by Nakul’s mother. In addition to this, Sanya breaks the news of her love life and tries to convince her parents about her love interest. However, unfortunately for the young couple, the news about Nakul’s pregnant mother comes as a deal breaker. Watch the trailer here!

#BadhaaiHo! Trailer is out now. @ayushmannk ke ‘khush khabri’ ka raaz. 😀 Have you seen the trailer yet?

@sanyamalhotra07 @ayushmannk @raogajraj @neenagupta001 @BadhaaiHoFilm @jungleepictures @CinemaPuraDesi https://t.co/W59QZYQHmQ

— ChromePictures (@ChromePictures) September 11, 2018

The comeback of Neena Gupta in this film is an added bonus for cinema lovers everywhere, with Ayushmann Khurrana’s acting on point, like always! Directed by Amit Ravindranath Sharma and co written by Shantanu Srivastava, Akshat Ghildial and Jyoti Kapoor, Badhaai Ho is scheduled to hit the screens on 19th October, 2018!

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