As the new year kick-started, there was one new film that released on 1st January, courtroom drama Nailpolish. The first offering on ZEE5, which has been at the forefront right through 2020 when it came up with newer content relentlessly week after week, Nailpolish was expected to be gripping drama with some unpredictable twists.
This is what happened too in this two hour long tale that surprised at many junctures. Arjun Rampal is known for his brooding act, as seen in number of his films in the two decades that he has been in the industry, and hence it was good to see him take that forward in Nailpolish as well. As an intelligent no-nonsense lawyer well versed with the fine print of the law, he nails the part in the film.
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On the other hand Manav Kaul's double act comes across as a bit labored. Though he does demonstrate good sensitivity for the part that he plays, he goes overboard even in bringing on subtlety on screen, something that is rather paradoxical. Still, the fact that the movie as a whole keeps you thinking right till the end ensures audience engagement. Though director Bugs Bhargava adopts a slow and immersive approach for Nailpolish, something that could have gone against the story considering it's in a film (and not a series) format, it works decently.
Coming soon
Though there is no new series arriving this week, a couple of original movies would be releasing on different OTT platforms. These are Maara (on Amazon Prime) and Kaagaz (on ZEE5). Former is a film that was originally designed for theatrical release. However, with pandemic shutting down theatres and things still waiting to come back to normalcy at the box office, the producers (Prateek Chakravorty and Shruti Nallappa) have decided to give it a straight-to-OTT release. An official remake of Malayalam film Charlie, this one is directed by Dhilip Kumar.
Promo of this Madhavan and Shraddha Sainath starrer has done quite well amongst the audience and there is good curiosity to check out what the Tamil version has to offer. Right through 2020, there was a flurry of films that were centered on crime, drama and thrills. However, Maara comes across as a welcome change due to its fantasy feel which is about the quest of a girl to find her dream man, right through the pages of a fairy tale. Madhavan has been hailed by audiences for his lover boy act over the years and Maara should only take that forward. The film releases on 8th January.
On the other hand Kaagaz, which arrives a day earlier on 7th January, sees Pankaj Tripathi on screen once again in quick time. Of late, he has been quite prolific in number of web series [Mirzapur 2, Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors] and film outings [Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Ludo, Shakeela]. Now that he is being seen in a rustic avtar and that too while telling the true story of a man who fought for 17 years to be brought back alive in the government records, one waits to see how he has performed as a central protagonist.
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The film also marks the comeback of director Satish Kaushik, who has made quite a few successful films in the past, including musical drama Tere Naam. Hence, it is a professional reunion of sorts for him along with Salman Khan who has given a nod of approval to co-produce Kaagaz. With this combination coming together, it is expected that Kaagaz would indeed turn out to be an emotional film which would hit the right chord. Moreover, since Satish Kaushik is at the helm of affairs as a director, one can also expect a touch of humor right through the film.
Release dates
Kaagaz - ZEE5 - 7th Jan
Maara - Amazon Prime - 8th Jan
(Joginder Tuteja is a trade expert and film critic, and loves to talk and write about anything that is related to films. Views are personal)