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In the early 1920s, young Asta Narayan Manandhar got to ride a bicycle that belonged to a Rana aristocrat, for the very first time. Bicycles were very rare at the time and only a handful of them were seen on the streets of Kathmandu, almost all belonging to the ruling class. In his excitement, Asta Narayan crashed the bicycle and broke his leg.

The accident did not quash Asta Narayan’s enthusiasm for bicycles though. They would definitely sell in Nepal, he thought and began exploring their import. When he learned that he could buy bicycles in Calcutta (now Kolkata), he left immediately, and returned with six units of British-made Hercules bicycles. Hence in 1925 began the “Pancha Narayan Asta Narayan” store on the ground floor of his own home at Ason Kamalachhi, making it the first-ever cycle shop in Nepal.

At around Rs 100 a piece, the bicycles he brought were quite expensive for the time. But Kathmandu’s government officials and merchant class soon took to riding, sparking a bicycle culture in Nepal. As business became brisk and imports more frequent, in 1934 the firm also started selling Raleigh bicycles. And bicycles became a family business for the Manandhars.

Asta Narayan’s son Tirtha Manandhar took over the firm in the 1950s, by which time bicycles had become an important mode of conveyance in the city. There was a major shift in ownership as commoners also started getting bicycles for regular use.

The “Pancha Narayan Asta Narayan” firm saw yet another generation at the helm of the business in the 1970s when Asta’s grandson, Tri Ratna Manandhar, took over the family business. He would see it flourish as in the capital as well as other parts of Nepal.

Tri Ratna, who had a degree in mechanical engineering from Poland, set about changing the business model. He first renamed the firm “Pancha Asta Narayan Cycle” as the previous name was too long. Tri Ratna was collaborating with India’s largest-selling Hero Bicycles and planned on setting up a factory to produce bicycles in Nepal. Unfortunately, his plans had to be shelved when he died in a motorbike accident in 1982. Other members of the family continued the business, but not with the same vision and enthusiasm of Tri Ratna.

Bikes to motorbikes

Then came the 1990s when the change in the political system also brought changes to the country’s socio-economic environment. With rapid infrastructure development and people’s growing need for faster mobility, bicycles gave way to motorbikes, cars, and public vehicles. The demand for bicycles started dwindling and Kathmandu’s streets were soon filled with motor-vehicles instead.

“The business was hit really hard then,” recalls Tirek Manandhar (37), the fourth-generation owner of the original “Pancha Narayan Asta Narayan” store who got into the business from 2000 and shortened the name to “Panc Bikes.” Tirek, also a mechanical engineering graduate from IOE, Pulchowk, was about to leave the country to pursue his career abroad before he decided to give the family business a chance.

“First, I thought of diversifying our imports,” Tirek says. “There are generally seven categories of bicycles and from 1925 to 1990, we were only importing category one, and had just about started importing category two.” The categories, Tirek explains, are city road bikes (Rs 7,000-20,000), hybrid offroad bikes (Rs 12,000-30,000), casual mountain bikes (Rs 25,000-30,000), cross-country bikes (Rs 50,000+), trail bikes (Rs 100,000+), enduro bikes (Rs 250,000+), and downhill bikes (Rs 350,000 and above.)

“Back then, only tourists bought a bike above category two. I started importing category three and four and that changed our market altogether,” Tirek says. From people using bicycles only to commute, the Panc Bikes had penetrated the market for recreational and fitness enthusiasts. Now the demand for casual mountain bikes, cross-country and trail bikes are extremely high, with many users also upgrading to higher categories.

The reformed store not only sold bicycles in wholesale and retail markets, but also started organizing bicycle tours around the city to promote bike culture. Tirek himself is a cycling activist and is associated with many organizations promoting it in Kathmandu. With many international cities now becoming more and more bicycle-friendly, Tirek and his fellow enthusiasts believe a strong bike culture in Kathmandu will greatly reduce the city’s traffic and pollution. Also, if bicycling is promoted all over the country, the country’s dependence on imported fuel will decrease.

Tirek understood changing customer demands and market dynamics, which he addressed by introducing new services besides import and sell. “We now have exchange schemes that let people upgrade their bicycles. They can bring their old bikes to us and go home with a brand new one,” he says. The exchange scheme has attracted a great number of customers already, he informs. Also, commercial banks have started issuing easy loans to purchase bicycles, payable through EMI, which in turn is motivating people to opt for higher-end bicycles.

Not just business

But even as bicycle culture tries to gain a foothold in Kathmandu, lack of infrastructure and policies hinder its growth, Tirek complains. “It’s not only about my business but about people and society as a whole. A city that cycles is healthy. Our government, as well as private organizations, need to address this.” Apart from infrastructure development, organizations can motivate more people to cycle to work by giving them incentives, Tirek suggests.

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced people to maintain social distance and avoid public vehicles, as well as to exercise for greater immunity, resulting in a rocketing demand for bicycles. The same is true in Nepal, Tirek explains. “Many people have bought bicycles in this period to exercise, for recreational purposes, and to avoid public transport,” he says. “We are already in short supply, especially of categories three and four bikes. Our suppliers have put us on a waiting list of six to seven months.”

Despite the surge in demand, Tirek fears this might be a temporary phenomenon. “When full traffic resumes, the roads will be too crowded and people might have other things to do. But I sincerely hope that more and more people take up cycling, be it for commuting or recreation,” he says. He adds that the growth of his business is inextricably tied to the growth of a healthy Nepali society.

When the eponymous Enola Holmes, in her introduction within the first few minutes of the movie, says, “Mother said we were free to do anything at Ferndell… and be anyone,” you immediately realize that this is more than just a detective movie. Released by Netflix on September 23, “Enola Holmes” masks as a mystery movie but deep inside is a feminist reiteration that challenges men’s traditional positions and beliefs.

The analytical, penetrative, and eccentric private detective Sherlock Holmes and his aristocratic elder brother Mycroft are brought to the screen again. But this time, they are not the center of attraction. This is the time for young Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) to show her prowess and establish herself as an independent woman. Tutored by her mother Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter) at home on literature, history, science, and martial arts, Enola possess skills similar, or maybe even surpassing, Sherlock. The 16-year-old is a free-spirited, independent, and outspoken girl, exactly like her mother raised her, but considered ‘unladylike’ and even criminal in Victorian England, the era this story is based on. 

The credit for creating the powerful character of Enola does not go to Sherlock Holmes’ original creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film is rather based on the first book published in the series “The Enola Holmes Mysteries” (2006) written by Nancy Springer, and adapted for the screen by Jack Thorne, and directed by Harry Bradbeer.

Enola’s quiet and comfortable life at Ferndell Hall changes abruptly one day when her mother disappears without a word. Her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin)—who have long since abandoned their family—return home to help find her, but are not as serious about the task as Enola would like. Instead Mycroft, who is legally Enola’s guardian after their mother’s disappearance, wants to admit Enola into a finishing school where she will be taught to be ladylike and get ready for marriage to the best possible suitor. Obviously, Enola has no intention of being trained or married, so she escapes from her home to London to find her mother, on the way getting entangled with the young Viscount Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) who will also be a part of this adventure.

As said earlier, Enola Holmes is not your quintessential mystery movie. Most mystery movies/detective flicks we’ve watched—including the various productions of Sherlock Holmes himself—focus more on the plot, the crime, the situation, and on finding the culprit. But Enola Holmes, even with its twist and turns, gives more space to the personal and political aspects of being a woman in the aristocratic English society.

The story is of a time when women were not allowed to vote and any woman asking to be treated equally would be charged for sedition. Enola is detested by her eldest brother Mycroft, for possessing the same spirit and qualities of Sherlock. Fearing her free spirit and liberality would not be accepted by his high society, Mycroft wants to “break up and build her up” in a strict boarding school.

The movie features stellar performance from 16-year-old Millie Bobby Brown. She embodies Enola’s characters with energy and sparkle. Brown personifies the young, intelligent, insightful, defiant, rebellious, and yet oppressed Enola as if she was born into that era and lived through Enola’s experiences. The rest of the cast are only supporting crew for Brown as she makes the entire film her own.

But despite ticking so many right boxes, the movie has a few shortcomings. First, in trying to depict the socio-political context to establish its setting, the film falters on storytelling. The mysteries are jumbled up and predictable, and do not complement the extraordinary skills of Enola. Also the 2hrs 3mins length is a little too long.

Who should watch it?

Enola Holmes is similar to the stories of Sherlock Holmes, but retold with a modern touch. The film has a feminist bent and a diversity of characters. While most reiterations of Sherlock Holmes onscreen productions were dominantly white, Enola Holmes gives some space to colored faces as well. So this is a must watch in this time as the society embraces greater diversity and inclusiveness. We’re sure the audience will enjoy Enola Holmes as much as any other detective movie they have watched of late.

Enola Holmes

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Crime/Drama

Actors: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Run time: 2hrs 3mins

“Man created God in his own image,” said Ludwig Feuerbach, a German philosopher, in 1851. Come 2019, and “man has created demons in his own image” would be the perfect description for the Hindi-language science fiction film “Cargo”.

Originally premiering at the 2019 MAMI Film Festival, Cargo was released on Netflix only this month, not generating as wide a viewership as was probably expected but still creating enough interest. Written and directed by Arati Kadav, Cargo is one of the rare Indian cinemas based on future time and science fiction. And Kadav’s imagination reels in Hindu mythological demons to be a part of the film that is borderline dark comedy.

Prahastha (Vikrant Massey) is an astronaut abroad the spaceship named Pushpak 634A run by the Post Death Transition services. A 100-plus-year-old demon himself, Prahastha’s job is to recycle dead people and get them ready for rebirth. He has been living in the spaceship alone for 75 years, following the same daily routine, with the video call with Nitigya (Nandu Madhav) his only regular contact with the outside world.

As retirement approaches for Prahastha, he is given an assistant in the form of Yuvishka Shekhar  (Shweta Tripathi), a fellow demon and astronaut. How the two interact and what changes the younger demon brings to Prahastha’s life makes up the movie’s main plot, which has plenty of undercurrents of dark humor and satire on human life and society.

Evidently made on a low budget, and not very sci-fi friendly despite its literal out-of-the-world setting, Cargo is a film that tries to bank more on its writing and acting than exciting visuals. Nonetheless, Kaushal Shah’s cinematography is crafty and manages to capture scenes that are well suited for the genre. In line with the writing that makes use of comedy, irony and satire to substantiate a very simple, twist-less plot, the cinematography and direction create an interesting collage of ideas to form Cargo.

But despite noticeable performances form the behind-the-camera team Cargo fails to capitalize on the talent it features. For one, the use of the talented leads Vikrant Massey and Shweta Tripathi is underwhelming. These actors, although relatively new to the industry, have made a mark with meaningful roles in critically acclaimed movies. But in Cargo, there is nothing to compliment them on their acting. Also, guest appearances of gifted comedian Ritwik Bhowmik and the immensely experienced Konkona Sen Sharma, which could have been delightful additions, don’t make the movie any less mundane.

Not to take away the credit from the actors, it’s the film’s slow pace that takes away the luster from what could otherwise have been a compelling premise. While there have been feature-length films in the past with just a handful of cast and next to no outdoor shootings that nonetheless have entertained us for two whole hours or so, unfortunately, Cargo, even with all its witty dialogues, off-center setting and surrealistic approach, doesn’t hold its ground for its 1h 59mins runtime. In fact when Prahastha talks about uploading the memories of dead people (the cargo) onto digital drives, it feels like the movie would have fared well as an episode of the British dystopian science fiction anthology “Black Mirror” (2013-2017) that were between 40-90 minutes.

Also noticeably underwhelming is the film’s background score. In a movie that is otherworldly, dystopian or surreal, we expect the score to be as arousing as the visuals. We understand budget constraints, but the background music doesn’t even match the effort of the cinematographer and the director.

Who should watch it?

“Cargo” is one of those films that could become a cult classic. It does have its Kubrickian moments and the writing has enough material for sequels or spinoffs. But this particular movie does not sit very well with the larger masses solely in it for entertainment.

Cargo

Rating: 2 stars

Genre: Science-fiction

Actors: Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi, Nandu Madhav

Director: Arati Kadav

Run time: 1hr 59mins

The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated economies and destroyed industries all over the world. In Nepal, which went into a lockdown in March this year and is still under restrictions, the pandemic meant an end of thousands of businesses. For some, there might be a chance of a revival but for many others, their doors may have shut forever. Among businesses that do not see any hope of a comeback in the near future, wedding photography—albeit fairly new as an organized industry in Nepal—might soon be a dying art.

When you type ‘Wedding photography in Nepal’ in any search engine or social media, you’ll find a couple of dozen names pop up as suggestions within the first few pages. And then a more thorough search will lead you to at least a 100 or so companies providing wedding photography services, with most of them fully dedicated to clicking weddings.

Such was not the case even a decade ago. It was mostly your local studio photographer covering weddings with a single camera, a photojournalist doing part time-work at weddings, or a family friend with a camera doing the honors. But the concept of having a whole team of photographers dedicated to creating photos and videos of different events within a wedding came only around 10 years ago, say photographers APEX talked to—with companies like Wedding Diary Nepal and Foto Pasal among a few others taking charge. Mixing art and creativity with commerce, the wedding photography companies not only started giving best services to their clients, but also created opportunities for budding photographers and helped them gain financial independence.

Shahnawaz Mohammad, the founder of Wedding Diary Nepal, worked in the Nepali media industry for 12 years before opening his company in 2010.

“First of its kind for photography services in Nepal” is how Wedding Diary Nepal’s introduction reads on its Facebook page, and Mohammad reiterates that the company was indeed one of the frontrunners in wedding photography. With a team of 16 professional photographers, Wedding Diary had built good enough reputation to keep it busy all year, especially during the wedding seasons, before the pandemic took over the world.

“We were looking forward to another busy wedding season this year when the pandemic spoiled all our plans. Everything got cancelled,” Mohammad says. “As we are purely a wedding photography-based company, we have now been out of work for over six months.” Although a pioneer of the business in Nepal, Wedding Diary had already been facing challenges from freelancers, with growing competition in prices, even before the pandemic. The current situation has forced Mohammad to reevaluate the company’s business structure.

“We might now have to start taking small private events and couple shoots as well,” he says. “If that doesn’t work, I am thinking of getting into some other profession. It’s not that I will forfeit this business for good; but this alone may not sustain my livelihood.”

In better days, the 16-member crew of Wedding Diary with their individual gear worth Rs 800,000 to Rs 1 million each were earning enough not only to sustain their lives, but also to make some savings. The savings are still providing for them, Mohammad informs, and the only major loss so far has been having to relocate their office due to rent issues. “We have been fortunate enough to have some savings to tide us over these hard times,” he says. “I think compared to freelancers, it is especially difficult for business owners.”

Pritam Chhetri, owner of Kathmandu Wedding Studio, has not been as fortunate. Originally from Pokhara, Chhetri is a former employee of APEX who quit his photojournalism job in early 2019 to make a full-time career in wedding and event photography. His company, established as a part-time business in March 2018, was barely two-year-old when the pandemic hit Nepal. Starting from ground zero, Chhetri had invested in assets worth millions and created a 14-member team by the start of 2020.

“Now the team has broken up after so many months of being without work. Some have joined other professions or taken up new jobs,” Chhetri says. “Some of my team members even had to sell their equipment to cover their living expenses.”

Kathmandu Wedding Studio was also training a female photographer, a rarity in Nepal, who is now back at her home in Butwal, Chhetri informs.

Chhetri himself had to forfeit his office space and move all equipment to his small rented flat. As the situation gets worse and prospects of getting back to normal appear slim for his business, Chhetri has been trying to extend his portfolio by working in product photography as well as creating presets and plugins for photo-editing softwares.

While many photographers into Events and Wedding photography have started looking for alternatives to the profession, it is not an option for Indian national Param Narain who has been running Wedding Sutra Nepal for three years. Originally from Chandigarh, India, Narain comes from a family of photographers and is the fourth generation in the family to continue the profession. “My family has moved to Mumbai now and my brother and his children are established photographers there,” Narain says.

Narain himself had a successful run in India, also taking professional photos of Bollywood celebrities, before coming to Nepal to start Wedding Sutra. Married to a Nepali, Narain co-owns the company with his local partner Anil Shrestha. Despite the complete disruption in business for over half a year, he is determined not to give up. “Quitting is not an option for me as this is family legacy, and also the only thing I know,” Narain says. “I will wait out the pandemic and I am positive that once it is gone, we will go back to our normal lives.”

Our favorite karate boy Daniel LaRusso is back, fighting his arch-nemesis Johnny Lawrence again. But this time, the story of the Karate Kid is not as black and white as it used to be in the “Karate Kid” film series that started in 1984. Sensei Mr Miyagi’s prodigy Daniel san is not the same innocent, meekly, bullied kid we’ve known all these years, nor Cobra Kai’s best fighter Johnny the same brute, insensitive bully from 30 years ago.

In fact, the roles seem to have reversed a bit with Daniel now a successful businessman and Johnny a washed-up handyman trying to revive the notorious Cobra Kai dojo in their hometown of San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. But again, the latest installment of the Karate Kid series “Cobra Kai” is still not polarized into a hero v villain story. There is so much grey area for the characters to play in this 21^st century adaptation that taking sides becomes impossible.

Actors Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel and Johnny respectively in “Cobra Kai” Seasons 1 and 2, consecutively released on YouTube Red (now YouTube Premium) in 2018 and 2019. The series, which did get critical acclaim on its release, only got its due recognition from a wider range of audience after its recent Netflix debut. Now at the top of the most watched list on Netflix, Cobra Kai—with each of ten episodes running 22-36 minutes—is something for everyone to enjoy over the weekend and reminisce the good old times.

Daniel and Johnny show the same bitter rivalry we saw 36 years ago, with their teenage students and children now doing the fighting for them. The coveted All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship that Daniel won in 1984 reaches its 50^th Anniversary in the first season and the battle for the prize is as tough for the two aging senseis. In the second season, the rivalry is taken up by the students of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, as competition gets fiercer and the proceedings more violent.

Johnny finds his prodigy in the asthmatic teenager Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), whom he rescues from bullies in a strip mall and decides to teach karate. Daniel, miffed by the possible revival of the Cobra Kai dojo, coaches his young employee Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), who also happens to be Johnny’s estranged son. Both the newly turned senseis now carry forward the legacies of their dojos—Daniel teaching the defensive, pacifist form of Miyagi-do, with Johnny applying the brutal attack tactics of the ‘no mercy’ Cobra Kai dojo.

Directed episode-wise by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Steve Pink, Josh Heald, Michael Grossman, and Jennifer Celotta, Cobra Kai offers a modern touch to the story of the Karate Kid. While most movies in the series have been about underdogs fighting the evil, the Cobra Kai series widens in perspectives as it also narrates the point-of-views of the people that are considered dark. The web television series, in the most mature way, portrays the travails of broken families, a bullied individual’s coping mechanisms, as well as the fact that there is no sure right or wrong side between conflicting parties.

Although the story of rivalry and competition is similar to its predecessors, the content of Cobra Kai is more mature and personal as it offers many situations people can identify with. The series is more inclusive, diverse, and dispels many social constructs from the 80s. There’s a Season 3 in the pipeline and with what transpires in the first two, the third installment is already highly anticipated.

Who should watch it?

As a biased 90s kid for whom the Karate Kid movie series was an important part of growing up, Cobra Kai rekindles nostalgia not only with its characters and storyline, but also with a lot of classic rock music from the likes of Whitesnake, Van Halen, and AC/DC, to name some. But in all fairness, the web series may be as enjoyable for the younger generations that haven’t followed the original series. (We recommend you do.)

Cobra Kai

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Action/comedy/drama

Actors: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka

Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Steve Pink, Josh Heald, Michael Grossman, Jennifer Celotta,

Run time: 5hrs approx. for each episode

They are young, they are energetic, they are groovy, they are “Chakachak”. Formed in early 2018, Chakachak is a one-of-its-kind Nepali band that records original music in the ‘nu-metal/rap-hardrock’ genre. Band members, aged 21-40, exude an enormous amount of energy not only in their recordings and music videos, but also in live performances. Chakachak stages a spectacle every time it is on stage, and as the audience, you can do nothing but bang your heads to its infectiously groovy music.

Two brothers, Biraj (guitars) and Bikrant Singh Thapa (drums), collaborate with Ashutosh ‘Multi’ Pandey (vocals), Sabeen Shrestha (bass), and DJ Vital on turntables, to form Chakachak. Inspired by international artists like ‘Rage Against the Machine’, ‘Limp Bizkit’, ‘Fever 333’, ‘Turnstile’, and our very own ‘Tumbleweed Inc.’, to name a few, Chakachak is all about spreading positive energy and vibe to its listeners, say band members.

“Chakachak, in Nepali, stands for positive hope/energy. We found this word representative of what we wanted to portray through our music,” says Biraj, the guitarist. “We used to play with different underground bands before this and connected through the local underground scene. We got together just to play this kind of music.” DJ Vital, the oldest band member, and a popular music producer in Nepal’s EDM circuit, was the final addition.

The band released its eponymous debut album in 2019 and has since been causing tremors in the local music scene. The audience has swiftly picked up songs like “Sabda,” “Damadol”, and “Netapal”. Chakachak’s latest music video “Gatibidhi” featuring rapper “5:55” has pushed it further into the limelight, from where its visibility is spreading to a larger audience.

But Chakachak is not here to attempt to ‘make a difference’. Rather, it wants to remain true to its music, and spread positivity with it. “We try to express ourselves in the most authentic and truthful way possible. We think speaking the truth is the seed for making a difference,” Biraj says. The band’s honesty and passion for its art can be felt in its lyrics and music. It speaks about what’s wrong in the society, creating awareness, and even warns those abusing authority, even while it sounds aggressively groovy at all times.

Usual hindrances that every band faces—personal commitments issues, lack of finances—does slow the band’s progress at times, but the highly committed band members pool their resources and manage time to take the music forward. The independent band has self-sponsored all of its audio and visual productions, without letting anything come between it music and its audience.

Even the Covid-19 lockdown since March has not ebbed its enthusiasm. “We do miss the energy of performing onstage and also hanging out with our friends, but we have been busy writing new material even during the lockdown,” Biraj informs. The band released music videos of its songs “Gatibidhi” and “Wake-up” during the lockdown and already has another music video in the pipeline. Still, live shows and concert tours are what the band looks forward to when the pandemic is over.

Comparatively a new entry in Nepali music, Chakachak is one of those bands that have made an impact within a short time. “We have been blessed with the most amazing response so far and are always grateful to our audience, friends and seniors,” Biraj says about their acceptance in the local music scene. “The family is getting bigger and stronger.”

So after a week’s break, my ‘Turkish trials’ restart and this time I turn to Google before committing myself to a movie from an industry that is still largely alien to me. A quick search on IMDB lands me on the page featuring “7 Kogustaki Mucize” (Miracle in Cell No. 7), a 2019 film that’s been given 8.3/10 ranking by more than 23,000 users—enough reason to spend 2hrs 12mins on a movie which requires subtitles.

“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is a remake of the highly acclaimed Korean movie with the same name released in 2013, with not much change in storyline besides the setting and a few minor adaptations. With the original film loosely based on a true incident, Miracle is one of those movies that continue to pull your heartstrings long after you have watched it.

Memo (Aras Bulut Iynemli), a shepherd in rural Turkey, suffers from an unnamed cognitive disorder and is said to be the same mental age as his daughter—Ova (Nisa Sofiya Aksongur)—who’s six. His family consists of Ova and grandmother Fatma (Celile Toyon Uysal), with whom he has a happy life in a village where people love and support them.

But tragedy befalls the little family when one day fate plays a trick on the mentally challenged Memo. He finds himself charged with the murder of a little girl Seda, his daughter’s classmate. Seda’s father is a high-ranking military official who uses his powers to get Memo arrested, tried and then sentenced to death, without giving him the opportunity to explain his story.

Falsely accused but unable to prove his innocence due to strong circumstantial evidence, Memo is jailed, and locked in cell number 7. There, he is treated with utmost brutality by jail authorities as well as his cellmates. Memo feels helpless. But then his cellmates and jailors quickly recognize his mental condition and start sympathizing with him. The rest of the story is about Memo wins their hearts with his childlike innocence, resulting in a real miracle in the climax.

Categorized as a ‘comedy-drama,’ Miracle is in a whole different league among whatever little Turkish movies I have watched. The execution of all aspects of filmmaking is nearly flawless, which changes my perception of the industry. While most Turkish movies I’ve watched have been frivolous ‘pass-times’, Miracle is a hard-hitting film made with all earnestness and deserving of every bit of attention it is getting.

Miracle is one of those films where everything goes right. With a storyline that is already strong, the screenplay adaptation gives a sense of authenticity. It becomes a Turkish movie, based on real incident.

Even with English subtitles, the original punch of the dialogues can still be felt. The writers have incorporated religion and philosophy into the script and presented it in a simple form, one of the most difficult tasks to pull off for filmmakers.

Besides excellent writing, the cinematography and direction deserve a big round of applause. The movie is a visual delight, to say the least. There are a number of visual cues and metaphors that play with the audience’s senses and create a mesmerizing sequence of scenes. Normally a two-hour plus movie tends to feel stretched and borderline lethargic, but not Miracle, where the whole cinematic cosmos comes together to make the film enjoyable throughout.

Also, a review of this movie would be incomplete without showering accolades on actor Aras Bulut Iynemli. Aras, as Memo, is a jukebox of different emotions in the movie. As a grown man with the mind and the innocence of a six-year-old, Aras performs his role with such dexterity and elegance that he can easily be ranked as one of the finest actors in global cinema.

Who should watch it?

“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is an emotionally charged, excruciatingly beautiful movie, meant to be watched by film lovers of all genres. Even for those not interested in tearjerkers, Miracle is worth a watch for its cinematic brilliance.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Drama

Actors: Aras Bulut Iynemli, Nisa Sofiya Aksongu,

Director: Mehmet Ada Öztekin

Run time: 2hrs 12 mins

The most appealing thing about the latest Hindi-language movie “Class of ’83” (released on Netflix on August 21), apart from Bobby Deol’s promise of a comeback, is its length. At 1h 38mins, this movie is one example of how Indian filmmakers have been trying to cut down runtime to suit the preference of new audience. A 90-something-minute movie is the new undefined feature length and totally worth one’s time. Even if turns out bad, you wouldn’t regret, not having spent two (or more) grueling hours getting past it.

As a ‘resurrection’ for Deol, who never did have a career high since his debut in “Barsaat” (1995), Class of ’83 was moderately anticipated, and the trailer showed it as an out and out action thriller. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and adapted for screen from Indian journalist/author Hussain Zaidi’s 2019 book with the same name, the film claims to be inspired by real life stories of the officers of the law and yet also gives a disclaimer that it is mostly fictional.

So there seems to be a general confusion on the portrayal of fact vs fiction, and this shows throughout. The film doesn’t stick to a line; it rather zigzags, confusing the audience. If the phrase ‘all over the place’ had a face, it would definitely be Atul Sabharwal’s direction. Because even with his years of experience in writing films, Sabharwal loses the plot here. So many times the film feels like a labyrinth of ideas that just go round and round and never amount to anything. Sabharwal can’t seem to decide on the important conflicts in the film, and what scenes should be given time.

Class of ’83 is about a batch of students at a police academy in Maharashtra, India and their new dean Vijay Singh (Deol), an honest, resolute cop who has been transferred to a ‘punishment posting’ after falling out with a powerful politician. Feeling he has been failed by the system, and that system needs an overhaul to maintain law and order, Singh decides to recruit a bunch of wayward students in the academy and nurture them so that he can inject them as ‘anti-bodies on the corrupt system’.

Vishnu Varde (Hitesh Bhojraj), Aslam Khan (Sameer Paranjape), Laxman Jadhav (Ninad Mahajani), Janardan Surve (Prithvik Pratap), and Pramod Shukla (Bhupendra Jadawat) are the five misfits dean Singh selects and trains with his unorthodox methods, also making sure they pass academy exams. Now the premise that since the selected team is from the bottom list of eligibility in the academy they must be honest, is flawed in itself. But that’s just one of the over-exaggerated, glorified accounts of police training the film portrays.

Then come twists and turns and the saga of failed expectations, corruption, betrayal, and retribution that we are made to watch as dispassionately as possible.

We know for fact, after watching Deol onscreen for more than 25 years, that the actor does not have serious acting chops. But still, Class of ’83 fails to bring out even the little acting skills he may have. It provides him with the perfect premise to create a memorable character, but deprives him of the opportunity because of a badly written role. Singh, struggling with family issues as well as professional problems, could have been someone with more intensity, depth and character, but lack of screenwriting and direction skills fail him more than the ‘system’ he is fighting against. As for the rest of the characters, there is not a single name that stands out.

Who should watch it?

Class of ’83 might not exactly be a “Shootout at Lokhandwala” (2007), but it does have moments that may be enjoyable for audiences interested in cop movies. This genre, where good cops are glorified to some extreme, sits well with some. And its brevity is also an advantage. For the rest, don’t bother.

Rating: 2 stars

Genre: Crime/Drama

Actors: Bobby Deol, Bhupendra Jadawat, Sameer Paranjape

Director: Atul Sabharwal

Run time: 1h 38mins