Author: sandeepadnani

Sandeep Adnani is the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author of ‘The Codes of the Exiled Rogue’ , ‘The Origin of the Exiled Rogue’ and ‘The Prophecy of the Exiled Rogue’ eBooks. He nurtured this metaphysical and transformational fiction idea for over six years before publishing the first part in July 2019. All three books of ‘The Exiled Rogue Series’, a trilogy about the purpose and meaning of life and beyond, are Amazon #1 Bestsellers in multiple categories. His first book, The Codes of the Exiled Rogue was declared an Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Visionary category of the 2021 International Book Awards. His second book, The Origin of the Exiled Rogue was an Award Winner in the Science Fiction: Alien/Space category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. It was also an Award-Winning Finalist in the Visionary Fiction category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. His third book, The Prophecy of the Exiled Rogue was an Award Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Visionary category of the 2021 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest. The omnibus of the trilogy, The Exiled Rogue Series, won the Silver Medal at the Global Book Awards 2022, in the Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction category and Gold Winner at the ABLE Awards in 2024 in the Book Series category. Embarking on new genres, he has seven new stand-alone books in the offing. In 2021, he completed writing a futuristic sci-fi-romance which he is currently querying. The unpublished manuscript was a finalist for the Writing Award in the 2022 Page Turner Awards. He finished writing a mystery novel in 2022 and an Alternate Fiction novella in 2023. He has published three non-fiction novellas in the YOU DECIDE series. He is currently working on an illustrated children's book. He changed careers from the advertising/media industry and is now a mental health counsellor in Melbourne, with bases in Mumbai and Dubai as well.

Jai Gangajal (2016)

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Make way for a new hero! Prakash Jha, director of hard hitting reality films makes a strong debut in his film, cleverly putting Priyanka Chopra as lead, covering many issues between the both of their characters who are part of the same team.

The film essentially offers nothing new, but more of a revision of sorts. A reminder what our system is like. And that, I feel is very important. The anarchy and total lack of law in smaller towns and rural areas, the plight of farmers, the politics of capitalism and the level of corruption in the police force are all explored.

Priyanka shines as SP Abha. She carries the film on her slender shoulders, and Jha ensures she doesn’t get caught up in stereotypes and delivers justice. She is a good strong cop. Jha shows energy and solid strength, not going over board yet communicating his loyalty and angst.

When we see evil getting punished and the righteous doing their work well, we get a sense of control and balance. Such films work as regular reminders because we lack the same in reality, living out the ‘way life should be’ through film. Mob mentality and lynching is condemned, an important message.

Such films are a necessary part of life in India and are enjoyed mainly for the sense of justice that prevails. We feel good and hopeful, and for that they should keep making them.

3/5

How to be single (2016)

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What starts of as a typical ‘why to be single’ movie, quickly turns in to ‘how to be’. Different youngsters want to be single or attached for various reasons, highlighting the dilemma of both in the modern world.

A light breezy film, it could have packed more laughs but it had enough to get us through. Not overly reliant on sex or cliché feminism it had a balanced yet mostly bland view of relationships. Dakota Johnson plays her vulnerable card well and Rebel Wilson is dependable with the erratic laughs.

Predictable yet funny, it ended on a surprisingly unconventional note which did justice to the story.

2/5

Carol (2015)

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Set in 1950s Manhattan, you quickly understand why this tender tough tale of unexpected love is so stifling yet endearing. It’s during Christmas that Carol and Terese meet, and their meek advances take the film forward.

The mood is captured in simple yet detailed ways. There is an air of taboo but nothing melodramatic. Cate Blanchett’s very breath and eye contact screams her caged sexuality, whilst Rooney Mara is the docile yet determined girl who is prepared to be spontaneous and take risks.

The film moves slowly so you can take in all the nuances. It seems, so to speak, a gateway into the era, and is appropriately paced. Fortunately they haven’t shown stereotypes and prejudices which would be so strong at that time, rather making it a reasoned situation which can be seen purely for what it is.

Director Todd Haynes has made a sensitive film with the grace and dignity it deserves. It gives you a sense of freedom and responsibility while you get enraptured by the story telling.

3.5/5

The Revenant (2015)

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Leonardo DiCaprio is proof why fine actors shouldn’t be given Oscars. Not that an Oscar is the pinnacle of achievement, but maybe the fact that he hasn’t won made him push every boundary in so many of his previous films, this being the jewel in the crown. His grit and agony ooze from every pore of his being as Hugh Glass.

Director Alejandro Innaritu chose a set of impossible circumstances to tell a story so difficult that it created awe and shock in equal measure. The terrain though sub-zero, was oddly hopeful, with life fighting to survive and the force fuelling it a mixture of grief, revenge and humanity.

While Tom Hardy makes the perfect antagonist as John Fitzgerald, his performance is remarkable to say the least. All cast have the appropriate accent and the director recreates 1823 with unobtrusive camera work. He shot everything in highly abrasive conditions. Almost everything you see is real and believable. We are captured by Nature this time round, the rest I leave for you to see and experience. Subtitles and translations make it easier to comprehend and digest the proceedings.

A grisly tale of survival, which leaves you tense, horrified, fulfilled and astounded. Having won all major awards, this might just break the jinx that surrounds Leonardo. Do us a favour though… Continue doing projects which are synonymous with you.

4/5

Neerja (2016)

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Director Ram Madhvani brings a story on the silver screen 30 years after it happened. The highest Indian award for bravery, the Ashok Chakra, was given to Neerja Bhanot, who saved over 300 lives on a PAN AM aircraft which was hijacked in 1986, with the help of her crew. The film is a dramatisation of the event.

Sonam Kapoor works in the title role purely because she is supported so well by a gifted cast. She gives a sincere, strong and under-stated performance with sparks of brilliance and realism.

The film is as much Sonam’s as it is Jim Sarbh’s, a theatre actor who plays one of the menacing hijackers. He is unpredictable, unforgiving and truly terrifying. The other hijackers show us the varying differences between people and personalities who would take up such a mission.

Shabana Azmi as Neerja’s mother is a typical Punjabi woman in the 80s, who dotes on her daughter and tries her best to deal with her own trauma. Neerja’s father instills independent and fair values in her, while her brothers adore her.

Shekhar Ravjiani makes a special appearance as the man who likes Neerja. The film is cast heavy with dozens of actors playing passengers, airport staff, her neighbours, crew etc. They have recreated a tricky era well, getting nuances and details right for the most part.

The film is taut, with a riveting plot, crisp editing and appropriate tension. It pays homage to one of our heroes at the tender age of 23 and is a pure ensemble effort.

3/5

Spotlight (2015)

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Story telling is at its best by director Tom McCarthy in this evenly paced yet riveting film. An ensemble cast it may be, but you feel as if you are observing a real life story unfold in the office of the Boston Globe.

The era is recreated appropriately, for people who knew Boston and how it looked at the time, you feel transported back through the years. The way research was done, the mention of the World Wide Web, is proof how soon the world has progressed to its current state.

Performances are stable and dependable, whilst covering every aspect of a very sensitive and horrific reality. We see the sides of the survivor, the people fighting for them, those who want to keep it quiet, the people who support through silence and the perpetrators. Though humanity is very adept at closing its eyes and ignoring something wrong, this film awakens the sense of responsibility we all have towards justice.

Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci are superb in their various roles, amongst many others who play their parts with sincerity and strength. They have altered their body language and communicate nuances which don’t scream for attention, but demand it, purely through their simplicity.

The lesson out of it is very clear: TRUTH WILL OUT, Always. Watch to see a reality that is still happening everywhere. A subtle slap in the face.

3.5/5

Room (2015)

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We read about people who have been held captive for many years and are miraculously found. How they adjust to normal life post their ordeal and the trauma they go through is portrayed in this film which hits you hard.

A mother and son, played eloquently by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, are in a room with just a skylight for a connection with the heavens and make do with their imagination to live out a horrifying existence. How they escape and integrate with their family and the world, is shown in this nuanced and depressing film.

It leaves us with hope, but not before delving into how much one human being can damage an other, possibly scarring them for life, making them question their very sanity. Enlightening but not entertaining.

2.5/5

The breadth and depth of Love

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Being a big fan of the opulence, drama and aesthetics of the eccentric director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I analysed his penchant for incomplete love stories. Being single himself (or unattached in public life) he probably has felt the despair of heartbreak at some point in his life.

No other director has shown us so many hues of this universal emotion. While his first film ‘Khamoshi’ achieved a complete couple, ‘Guzaarish’ united an unlikely pair. We saw the ultimate sacrifice in ‘Hum Dil de chuke Sanam’ in the traditional marriage. A courtesan was capable of love while childhood sweethearts remained unfulfilled in ‘Devdas’. Love broke all barriers of the senses and age, albeit for a second, in ‘Black’. Doomed were the lovers who belonged to warring families in ‘Ram Leela’ and taboo was the warrior princess’ devotion for her saviour, in ‘Bajirao Mastani’. The innocence of unrequited love in ‘Saawariya’ broke our hearts while the prostitute gave us hope in humanity.

This Valentines’, focus on the highest, most important form of love: the one for self. Only when we love ourselves are we capable to fully love another. And if you have attracted the right significant other, celebrate them, and yourself, ALWAYS…

Steve Jobs (2016)

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Director Danny Boyle presents us a handful of scenes which communicate various layers of stories, both professional and personal, in Steve Jobs’ life. The scenes themselves are genius; lengthy, fluid, intense and dialogue heavy.

Michael Fassbender plays the Jobs we knew, and it makes the previous film with Ashton Kutcher pale in comparison. What version is accurate we can never be certain, but this film leaves an impact about how he approaches his relationships, both in the corporate world and at home.

Kate Winslet is herself. And by that I mean flawless. Her accent, her frustrating concern, the way her character bulldozes in to his life and guides his decisions is uncanny. In many ways she was the anchor in the life of a man who was being pulled in many different directions.

Seth Rogen plays his partner in crime and invention well. He is representative of all who, in Jobs’ world, were part of the journey but didn’t get their due. Jeff Daniels has outdone himself in a role which required an assertive character who knows when he is beaten.

It was a riveting watch with many insights into a man’s life who has changed the way we live and consume technology.

3.5/5