John Abraham’s upcoming thriller drama Batla House has been mired in controversies ever since its release.Inspired by the controversial encounter operation which took place in Delhi in 2008, the film also stars Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan and Nora Fatehi in pivotal roles. Despite all the disputes, the film was all set to hit the theatres on August 15, 2019. However, it seems like there may be a change in the original plan.
(Also Read: John Abraham and Akshay Kumar are Goofy Desi Boyz! See Pics)
A press show was scheduled a day before the film’s release for the journalists at Sunny Super Sound, Juhu. However, right before the film could see the light of the day, the bad news came in stating that the film has not yet received clearance from the Delhi High Court.
Just about at 1.45 pm, T-Series was informed to not screen the film before they get a clearance on the release. Thus, T-Series took immediate action and sent out messages to the media saying that the screening stands canceled until further notice, reported Spotboye.
The Delhi High Court had declined to entertain a PIL last Friday, seeking to halt the film's release as the petitioner had not seen the film."You (petitioner, his lawyers) have not seen the film. Out of trailer nothing can be done. Then why should we hear you," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar stated. The plea by an Azamgarh resident in Uttar Pradesh was withdrawn taking note of the view expressed by the bench.
The report further stated that Ariz Khan, who is currently facing trial in the Batla House encounter case and Shahzad Ahmed, who has appealed against his conviction and a life sentence in the same matter, have sought the postponing of the film's release claiming that proceedings in their cases would be affected.
Both Khan and Ahmad are facing trial in the 2008 Delhi serial bomb blast case, and have contended that the movie would affect further proceedings in that matter also.
Now, this legal complication has raised a question if John Abraham’s Batla House will hit the theatres on Independence Day i.e August 15, 2019, as per the original plan?
Originally posted by: ght_shona_4evrhttps://twitter.com/Spotboye/status/1161355620496207872?s=19
Mrunal❤️ I want her to get the deserving appreciation n love <3 she is wonderful actress, hope she gets more offers <3
Review by Bollywood Hungama News Network
14 August 2019 11:51 am IST
4.5
Batla House Movie Rating
Films based on or inspired from true incidents always have an edge, especially if made well. A recent classic example being ARTICLE 15, loosely inspired from Badaun rape case and Una flogging incident, and which became a commercial success. Now Nikkhil Advani attempts to unravel the mystery behind the more-than-a-decade-old Batla House encounter in his flick, also titled BATLA HOUSE. So does BATLA HOUSE give viewers an entertaining and thrilling time? Or does it fail to entice? Let’s analyse.
BATLA HOUSE is the story of an upright cop caught in a sticky situation. The year is 2008. The Indian Mujahideen has conducted a series of blasts across the country. Their latest attack is in the capital city, Delhi, on September 13. ACP Sanjay Kumar (John Abraham) is having trouble in his marriage with Nandita (Mrunal Thakur). On September 19, he is informed by his team that the terrorists responsible for this blast are holed up in a flat in L-18, Batla House in the Okhla locality of the city. Before Sanjay could reach the site, his junior officer K K (Ravi Kishan) orders the team to engage with the occupants of the said house. The occupants who are Okhla University students fire at the cops, injuring K K grievously. Sanjay meanwhile reaches and he along with the rest of the police team eliminate the shooters. One of them, Tufail (Alok Pandey) is arrested. Even before the cops could leave, the residents begin raising slogans against the police. Soon, the media and political leaders blame the police for staging a fake encounter. K K on the other hand passes away in hospital. Sanjay meanwhile finds it difficult to prove that he’s right and that these residents of Batla House were indeed a part of Indian Mujahideen. He also informs the police department that there were two more guys in the Batla House flat who escaped, one of which is Dilshaad Ahmed (Sahidur Rehman). He escaped to Nizampur, Uttar Pradesh. Sanjay’s senior Jayvir (Manish Chaudhari) sternly tells Sanjay not to head to Nimzapur to arrest Dilshaad. Yet, Sanjay defies the orders and heads to nab Dilshaad with his team. In Nizampur, he encounters hostile residents and a leader of a political party who tell him to back off. Yet, he goes ahead and attempts to take Dilshaad back to Delhi. The locals on one hand are baying for his blood. On other hand, Jayvir and other senior cops are slamming Sanjay for his irresponsible action. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Ritesh Shah's story is well researched and gripping. Moreover, it’s extremely relevant in today’s times. Many might not be aware of this case and how it led to such a huge controversy at that time. Hence, the novelty factor is also there. Ritesh Shah's screenplay is captivating for most parts but is shaky in the first half. The film should have been simpler yet thrilling and devoid of too much of docudrama feel, for a better impact. However, there’s no doubt that some scenes are exceptionally scripted. Ritesh Shah's dialogues are acidic and sharp. The one-liners in the climax work very well.
Nikkhil Advani's direction is quite satisfactory. He understands the material he has in his hand and its sensitive nature. He has handled some scenes deftly and shows his brilliance in the interrogation scene in the first half and later in the courtroom sequences. Also, the Rashomon effect works well here to make the audiences wonder as to which version is correct. However, a few scenes in the first half are not up to the mark. Some scenes might even confuse viewers. For instance, it is bewildering why Sanjay switches off the camera during a crucial interrogation. Thankfully, the plusses outweigh the minuses by a huge margin here.
BATLA HOUSE’s first half is decent but one misses the overall ‘Wow’ factor here. The reason behind the straining of relations between Sanjay and Nandita is not explained properly. The encounter is only partly shown and hence, one remains confused as to what exactly transpired between the police and the students. Also, Sanjay’s constant hallucination sequences become a little too much after a point. But on the positive side, a few scenes are quite promising. The film picks up in a big way when Sanjay quotes from the Holy Quran while interrogating Tufail. This powerful scene will surely be greeted with claps and whistles and it also proves how vested interests smartly misinterpret religious texts for violent gains. The Nizampur episode is a bit over the top but is quite thrilling. The intermission point also comes at a great moment. Post-interval, the interest levels increase as Sanjay gets determined to nab Dilshaad. The entry of Victoria (Nora Fatehi) adds charm to the film. But the best is reserved for the last 35-40 minutes. The courtroom drama is quite exhilarating and clap worthy. Also, once the entire scenario becomes clear, the film becomes simpler. As a result, audiences would be even more interested once they know the complete picture. Sanjay’s monologue at this hour ensures the film ends on a high.
TOUGHEST QUIZ : John, Mrunal & Nikhil’s Battle On ‘Real Events’ Based Films | Batla House
BATLA HOUSE belongs to John Abraham, without a shred of doubt. He is not just playing a brave, decorated police officer. He also essays the role of a person who is abused and slammed from all quarters. No one wants to know or believe his version of truth. The trauma he faces is brought out beautifully by John. Also, he’s first-rate as expected in action scenes and also in dramatic and confrontational sequences. Mrunal Thakur is letdown a bit by the script as the back story is never revealed. But she gives a decent performance. In the second half, she impresses even more as the woman who stands up for her husband. Ravi Kishan leaves a huge mark in a small role. Manish Chaudhari is efficient. Rajesh Sharma (Advocate Shailesh Arya) is quite scathing, as per his character’s requirement. Nora Fatehi provides much-needed sizzle in the film. Her character has a small but important role in the film. Alok Pandey and Sahidur Rehman play their respective parts with earnest. Pramod Pathak (Defence counsel P Krishnan) has a late entry but makes an impact. Others also do well.
Songs aren’t memorable except for of course 'O Saki Saki'. The item song is quite entertaining but it starts off quite suddenly though. 'Rula Diya' and 'Jaako Rakhe' are okay. John Stewart Eduri's background score is subtle yet adds to the impact. Adil Shaikh's choreography in 'O Saki Saki' is visually great.
Soumik Mukherjee's cinematography is topnotch. This is especially in the interior scenes of Batla House flat and in the chase sequence in the small town. Priya Suhas's production design is quite realistic. Amin Khatib's action is thrilling and yet not gory or disturbing at all. Maahir Zaveri's editing is razor sharp in many scenes and also stylish. But this kind of editing also affects the impact in some of the scenes in the first half.
On the whole, BATLA HOUSE is a powerful saga which is sure to spark off discussions and debates. The relevant plot, watertight screenplay, clapworthy moments and terrific performance by John Abraham make BATLA HOUSE one of the finest films of the year. At the box office, it will have a promising run. Recommended!
Batla House Movie Review: On Independence Day, a battle of perspectives on the controversial encounterIn the times, when social media has become the battleground for the ‘nationalist’ versus ‘liberals’, True lies, an oxymoron, is going to be the crux of debates on Batla House. Even the makers confess the movie is based on true events labelled untrue.
Written By Vaibhavi V Risbood
****
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, this fictionalised account rides on the perspective of DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav as he struggles to fight the politics, trial by media and a marriage on the verge of divorce.
The first half of the film is crisp, engaging and filled with some raw action. It is heartening to see action heroes such as John avoiding filmy and choreographed action scenes. It works with the audience when you are recounting the real-life incidents. The second-half is saturated with emotions, salvaged by the director before becoming over-dramatic.
In the last few years, John Abraham has veered towards films with more patriotic tones, vigilantes, and stood by the account of the men in uniform. The makers have subdued John’s physique and not made it the USP of the film. The actor has done a good job emoting a conflux of disappointment and anger of hapless officer who faces the trial both within and outside the court for his fight against terrorism.
Mrunal Thakur has played her small but pivotal role of Nandita (DCP Sanjeev Kumar’s wife) with conviction. The director has intelligently used talented actors as supporting cast in an attempt to take some ‘hero-sheen’ off the protagonist. Nonetheless, the film still largely revolves around the protagonist only. Rajesh Sharma is under-utilised but does justice to the part offered. Manish Chaudhari as Police Commissioner Jaivir is impressive. Ravi Kishan, who essays the role of KK, has a very small role but has played his part well.
There are few impactful dialogue; a glimpse of which was also visible in the trailer of the film. Brownie points to the makers for not forcefully inducing songs in the film but for Saki Saki. Noora Fatehi’s character is a dancer and girlfriend of one of the terrorists the special crime cell is chasing. The art and makeup department have done a decent job to give the audience a visual connect with the characters and locations.
In brevity, Batla House is a movie made for those who want to revisit the pages of history. On the Independence Day, the police officers deserve a film like Batla House to remind us that there is a world in between the two extremes of ‘memes’ and the ‘hyper-national portrayal of the forces’.
This is getting great reviews so far.
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