Also starring Sai Tamhankar and Gajraj Rao, the crime-comedy series has an intriguing premise but is overstuffed with cliches

Dabba Cartel(2 / 5)

What if a bunch of ‘ordinary’ women in Mumbai’s sister city Thane turn their simple tiffin service into a drug-peddling operation? This is an intriguing setup that promises an exploration of multiple elements, including middle-class women taking over a largely masculine space, sharing vulnerabilities and breaking ‘really’ bad. On top of that, these ordinary women are played by some of the most extraordinary actors from the country. There’s Shabana Azmi as Sheilaben with her stern Gujarati accent and mysterious face; Jyotika as Varuna, an upper-class, shrewd, struggling entrepreneur; Nimisha Sajayan as Mala, the chirpy, energetic and ambitious house-help; and Shalini Pandey as Raji, an innocent housewife running the tiffin service. Having such a powerhouse of talents from across all the major film industries, what could possibly go wrong? Sadly, a lot.

Barring its catchy one-liner, Dabba Cartel unfolds with genericity. A big pharmaceutical company, VivaLife, comes under the scanner for manufacturing an illicit drug containing an addictive opioid. An honest middle-aged official, Ajit Pathak (the inimitable Gajraj Rao) working for the drug authority FDSCO, comes to investigate. He is joined by a rookie female cop, Preeti (Sai Tamhankar) looking for a big case to boost her career. The problem is not just that these are instances which we have seen multiple times before; rather, there is no effort taken to rise over these cliches and make them part of the show’s tone. Everything remains a tad too simplistic.

There is also little to root for in the multiple narratives. We don’t stay with a single character for long. Raji’s husband, Hari, wants to go to Germany and tries to impress his boss, Shankar (Jisshu Sengupta). Varuna is struggling to pay the rent for her clothing store. Mala is blackmailed by her boyfriend with her private videos. Preeti develops feelings for the bubbly broker, Shahida (Anjali Anand). Sheilaben has a dark past which spills over into her present. There is a lot going on with no time to stay on a single thread. It feels like a material for two seasons that is stuffed into one. The makers seem to be in a hurry to tell the story. Even the female gang’s entry into the drug business happens without much spice. One by one they happen to come together, and in no time they are already cooking the most addictive products. Where is the thrill? Where is the edge? It is filmed rather lazily in a matter-of-fact way. There is no flavour in the visuals, no bite in the editing. The novelty of the initial idea begins to fade away.

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Gajraj Rao, Jisshu Sengupta, Sai Tamhankar and Anjali Anand

Director: Hitesh Bhatia

Creators: Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur and Akanksha Seda

Streamer: Netflix

There are some portions in the series which are delightfully elevated by the actors, like a scene where Mala and Shahida decide to taste a fresh batch of a new drug. In no time, their eyes turn red and heavy. The world around them begins to seem hazy. “Kuch ho hi nahi raha. Nalla maal hai (Nothing’s happening, this is bad stuff),” Mala says hysterically. Shahida joins in the laughter. It is a mad trip. The show needed a similar energy to sustain. Right now, its dullness is heavily lifted by the performances. Shabana maintains a no-nonsense demeanour throughout, even though the writers fail to give the right release to her character. She is grossly underwritten, with no high moments to really subvert her image. Jyotika is compelling too, especially in some of the emotional portions. The real beast, however, is Nimisha, exerting a crazy energy with her distinct Mumbaiyya accent. When a scene is going nowhere, she brings a manic charm to it. It is a shame that the makers don’t realise the real potential of the character; she ends up being just a laughing stock in the later episodes.

The show finally ends with a promise of the next season with the hurried introduction of a new enigmatic character in the climax. But do we really want to go back to this world? It is miles away from becoming India’s Narcos or Breaking Bad—shows which rose from the bare basics to become a reflective rumination on the human condition with a detailed exploration of morality and violence. Dabba Cartel has no such ambitions. It is happy being substandard, satisfied with being generic. It has no local touch. You open this Dabba with a heart full of hope. The fragrance is appealing, it looks delicious. As you take a bite, though, blandness begins to kick in. It is, after all, the same old.

News Credits: cinema Express

Synopsis

The film ultimately fails to entertain on any level, making it best to avoid this tragedy disguised as a comedy.

Sarkari Baccha Movie Review : This comedy misfire tests your patience and fails to deliver

Critic’s Rating: 2.0/5

Story: Aditya loves Pari, but her father insists she marry someone with a stable government job. When Aditya and Pari elope, their marriage sets off a storm of chaos and conflict.

Review: ‘Sarkari Baccha’ is the kind of film that sets its tone within the first ten minutes, making it clear what’s in store. Right from the start, it warns you to brace yourself for an absurd plot, lacklustre performances, and unintentional comedy. Unfortunately, the film never recovers from this shaky beginning, offering nothing redeeming and ultimately turning into a complete waste of time. Its attempts at humour fall flat, making it a tedious watch from start to finish.

The film revolves around Aditya (Ruslan Mumtaz) and Pari (Aanya Tiwari), a couple deeply in love but facing a major hurdle—Pari’s father, Suryakant Shukla (Ehsan Khan), insists on marrying her off to a groom with a stable government job. In contrast, Aditya’s father, Tripathi Ji (Brijendra Kala), is understanding and aware of their relationship. Meanwhile, Pandey Ji, whose son Golu Pandey (Rizwann Sikandar) is a government employee, demands a hefty dowry for the marriage. With no solution in sight, Aditya and Pari elope and secretly marry. However, when Shukla Ji hears that Pari is pregnant, he has a sudden change of heart and accepts the couple—only to later discover that Pari isn’t actually pregnant.

Terrible performances and an insipid screenplay drag this so-called comedy down. Most of the actors, barring a few, resort to excessive hamming, making it a painful watch. There’s no proper build-up to any scene, and the film is filled with unintentionally hilarious moments that fail to land. The less said about the dialogues, the better, as they only add to the film’s overall mediocrity. Even the direction feels uninspired, making it seem like a half-hearted attempt at storytelling.

Among the actors, only Brijendra Kala manages to deliver a performance worth noting, while the rest either overact or sleepwalk through their roles. Ruslan Mumtaz and Aanya Tiwari share no chemistry, making their sequences fall completely flat. Javed Rizvi as Mama and Mehmood Junior as Pandit Ji attempt to provide comic relief, but their forced antics only add to the agony. The film ultimately fails to entertain on any level, making it best to avoid this tragedy disguised as a comedy.

News Credits: Times of India

About the movie

8.1/10 (3.2K Votes)

Crazxy is an emotionally charged edge-of-the-seat thriller about a father`s redemption.

News Credits: bookmyshow

Quick take: Superboys of Malegaon is a heartwarming tale about a group of friends who dared to make films their own way.

Critic’s rating (4.0 / 5)

Superboys of Malegaon is a jubilant celebration of the human spirit, a love letter to the art of storytelling, and an ode to the transformative power of friendship. Directed by Reema Kagti and penned by Varun Grover, this layered film is a heartfelt exploration of the magic of cinema and the unbreakable bonds that fuel its creation. Inspired by the acclaimed documentary Supermen of Malegaon (2012), directed by Faiza Ahmed Khan, the film pays homage to the real-life dreamers of Malegaon who defied the odds to create their own brand of cinema. It’s ironic, to say the least, that Superboys of Malegaon is a mainstream Hindi film based on a group of people who bucked the system to come up with their own brand of cinema. Life has come full circle for the Malegaon film industry, which thrived on making copies, even parodies, of popular films such as Sholay. What began as a grassroots movement to reclaim storytelling from the clutches of commercialism has now inspired a mainstream film that celebrates their spirit of rebellion and creativity.

At its heart, the film follows Nasir (played with an irresistible charm by Adarsh Gourav), a wedding videographer with an unshakable love for the golden age of cinema. His journey is one of passion, resilience, and audacity—from screening Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movies in a crumbling theater to rallying his ragtag group of friends to create a shoestring-budget homage to iconic films like Sholay. Nasir’s efforts are defiant acts against a system that thrives on replication. They also offer a heartfelt tribute to the daring innovators who once defined the medium. Through his eyes, we are reminded of a time when cinema was about bold experimentation, not safe formulas. Varun Grover, through Vineet Kumar Singh’s character Farogh, shows how badly writers are treated in our industry. “Writer baap hota hai,” roars Farogh. He’s someone who stands for originality and makes a beeline for Bollywood when his friends mock him for bringing original ideas to the table. It’s another matter that he finds no takers for his originality in the Hindi industry. Then, there’s also Shafique (Shashank Arora), a glorified ‘extra’ on the sets of Nasir’s films who becomes the catalyst for bringing the friends together again after they part ways due to jealousy and misunderstanding.

See also: How Vineet Kumar Singh Improvised A Key Dialogue In Superboys Of Malegaon

Set against the backdrop of a changing India, from the late ’90s to the early 2010s, Superboys of Malegaon is a vibrant celebration of India’s jugaad culture. The film offers a poignant exploration of the tensions between artistic vision and compromise, and is also testament to the power of collaboration. What truly sets Superboys of Malegaon apart is its celebration of diversity and representation. In today’s strange times, where the Muslims are often made out to be villains, the film portrays its predominantly Muslim characters with dignity, warmth and authenticity. They aren’t crime lords or terrorists. Their biggest crime is that they are dreamers. Kudos to Grover and Kagti for not succumbing to the concurrent narrative.

But perhaps the film’s greatest triumph is its celebration of friendship. The chemistry among the core group of friends is palpable, their banter and camaraderie infusing every scene with joy and heart. Their collaborative misadventures, filled with laughter, setbacks, and small victories, become a moving tribute to the human spirit.

Superboys of Malegaon is more than a quirky comedy or a nostalgic homage to cinema—it’s a bold, hopeful statement about the cyclical nature of art. It reminds us that even in an industry built on copies and parodies, there is always room for originality, passion, and innovation. The ensemble cast, which look and feel as if they were actually from Malegaon, have given a credit worthy performance. Their timing is spot on and they play off each other to provide sincere portrayals. Director Reema Kagti has kept a realistic tone throughout. Though the conflict resolution between the friends is too sudden, it fits with the overall narrative. The production design and costumes are on point as well. Cinematography by Swapnil S. Sonawane captures the film within the film plot lines effectively, while editing by Anand Subaya keeps the pace flowing.

It’s a film that celebrates the beauty of imperfection, the power of community, and the enduring magic of cinema. For anyone who has ever been moved by the art of storytelling, this is a cinematic experience that will leave you inspired and uplifted. It’s a salute to all the unsung heroes who have kept their dreams alive even in the midst of adversity.

News Credits: Filmfare.com