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 The unpublished manuscript was a finalist for the Writing Award in the 2022 Page Turner Awards.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.

Philomena (2013)

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Judi Dench brings us yet another deep and understated performance as Philomena, supported brilliantly by screenplay writer and actor Steve Coogan. A political journalist needs to resurrect his career and a real life story takes him and his subject to the USA and back, where he unravels not only her past, but deals with his present as well.

The theme is difficult to bring alive, the proceedings make you wonder how it will all end. Theories of religion, the instincts of a mother, tolerance of sexuality, the past of the church all make a compelling story, which has a fair pace keeping in mind the length and breadth of the mystery. Peppered with footage which gives us glimpses of the past, we too feel like discovering and putting this piece to rest.

A film directed by two time Oscar nominee Stephan Frears (The Grifters, The Queen), it is filled with emotion and drama in the most tight-lipped, restrained manner possible.

3.5/5 

2 states (2014)

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A book written by and apparently based on Chetan Bhagat’s own dating and marriage story, has Arjun Kapoor (Krish) in a positive role, finally! Alia (Ananya) shines in a confident yet traditional role, different from her other two outings. They make a sparkling couple thanks to the way the director Abhishek Verman has presented them.

The story is simple, reminiscent of a side story in Vicky Donor where the Bengalis finally party with the Punjabis. Here of course, its the ‘Madrasis’ who are subject to Punjabi antics, dished out deliciously by Amrita Singh. She is up against Revathy, who gives it back with equal fervour. Wish there were subtitles for such a film, to let the audience truly be part of both states.

Its an ensemble cast effort, be it the strong and silent Shiv Kumar Subramanium who plays Alia’s dad, or Arjun’s alcoholic father Ronit Roy plays so convincingly. Both families put together, you have a southern buffet served with a north Indian tadka, made sensitively and sincerely.

The director has planned his highs and lows well in the film, sometimes stretching the plot too thin, but taking you to a beautiful conclusion nevertheless.

3/5

Blue Jasmine (2013)

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Only Woody Allen can attempt such films and do justice to them. We have seen why actors have been lauded for their performances in the past. They get into the character, display a range of emotions. They are raw, unaffected, soulful, dramatic or understated.

Cate Blanchett manages to do all of the above mentioned, in one scene, weaving in and out of hysteria, breathlessness, denial, delusion, throughout the film. To beat Meryl Streep’s performance in August Osage County, she did something right. Strike that. Many things right. And just for that you should watch her as Jasmine.

Alec Baldwin lends able support, as do Sally Hawkins, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Dice Clay. What we learn about are ‘patterns’. Either we repeat them, or we doubt them and try and break them. The key is to identify which ones are good for us, and which ones are detrimental.

The music makes the turmoil easier to digest and the skyline gives us something concrete to balance the erratic behaviour of the cast.

3.5/5

Rio 2 (2014)

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We are back in the world of Blu, Jewel, Linda and the gang, where they travel from Rio to the Amazon. While the earlier story was told from a singular point of view, this one was about the entire species and of course, the in-laws (always a funny subject!).

The ‘other’ love story that happens on the side is highly unlikely and perhaps provides more entertainment than the domesticated Gunderson family. Andy Garcia as the father-in-law, Kristin Chenoweth as Gabi, Bruno Mars as Roberto and Philip Lawrence as Felipe add more to the already talented cast.

It has more colour, resonance to current issues, family values, the whole animated experience.

Watch if you are a ‘Rio’ fan.

3/5

Divergent (2014)

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A post apocalyptic Chicago is divided into factions, based on human virtues. They are ‘Abnegation : selfless’, ‘Dauntless : brave’, ‘Erudite : Intelligent’, ‘Amity : peaceful’ and ‘Candor: honest’. While it would be impossible to divide a complex human race on such grounds, it has been done to control them and maintain peace.

Of course, everyone doesn’t fit neatly into the above. This is the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s first novel in her trilogy and makes an interesting watch especially for someone who hasn’t read the book. The beginning has an aftertaste of Harry Potter and its sorting ceremony, but quickly becomes far more riveting than a sorting hat putting you in a particular house.

It seems like a simple world, but disintegrates into similar patterns of power and politics, where one’s innate virtues are first used for them and later against them. The story is told via Beatrice’s (Shailene Woodley) journey, which is inspiring as well as predictable. She is supported by Four (Theo James), Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn and many others, who are restrained by a system which is utopian to say the least.

Kate Winslet makes a special powerful appearance, bringing a quality on screen which only she can. Director Neil Burger, who has made The Illusionist and Limitless, seems very much at home with the subject, weaving a believable world for us to experience.

Watch out for Insurgent and Allegiant which are already in pre-production.

3/5

Main Tera Hero (2014)

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David Dhawan is back! And he offers us a 6-pack cocktail of all his popular heroes! Varun manages to go over the top and entertain, not annoy. We see shades of Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor and hams and styles of many others in this comedy caper.

While coerced love brings the twists and turns, its the one-liners and silly character traits that kept us laughing throughout. The music was good and this time round, they attached logic to some key details in the plot.

Short at 2 hours 8 minutes, it also stars Illeana D’Cruz, Nargis Fakhri and Arunoday Singh who may not be spot on with comic timing, but do a decent job. The real laughs were provided by Anupam Kher, Saurabh Shukla, Rajpal Yadav and Shakti Kapoor, when ‘Seenu’ (Varun) wasn’t up to his antics.

A fun, light watch.

3/5

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

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A complicated plot and mythological style shield warfare made the movie tedious, entertaining and laughable. I guess the audience had to just identify ‘good guy bad guy’ and relax into watching the events unfold.

The action sequences were brilliantly shot, as were the special effects, which have become standard in Hollywood. Made on a budget of 170 million USD, its already grossed over 300 million USD in its OPENING WEEKEND!

Watch it for the stunts, CGI and scale of weaponry. You have been warned about mindless anarchy, a predictable whodunit and some ‘kuch bhi’ (anything goes) scenes.

2/5

Jal (2014)

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The promos of this film showed the sweeping landscapes of the Kutch desert and ‘beautifully shot’ was a unanimous opinion before we entered the cinema. What remained to be seen was the story and its execution.

The plot was simple, real and rural. It does not come close to anything contemporary. If you can appreciate it for what it is, a tale of villagers shot for the multiplex audience, then you will like the film. The cinematography did not let my attention waver, as there were ample doses of drama interspersed with gorgeous natural scenes and time lapses.

Purab Kohli shines in a difficult role, playing a spectrum of emotions with ease. The director, Girish Malik, has put together a great cast who does their part well, but he doesn’t develop any one character in detail, giving them a ‘caricature like’ feel. They say their stories whilst making ‘jal/water’ the prime focus of survival in the desert.

The two leading ladies Tannishtha Chatterjee and Kirti Kulhari deserve special mention for their appropriate restrain and abandon when required. Overall, the language and diction could have been perfected and subtitles were definitely needed. It ties up well in the end, but could have been shorter. The background score is effective as is the track ‘jal de’.

It seemed like a film which should be edited for IMAX viewing, a short 60 minute feature where people can gasp in awe at one of the many untapped beauties of India.

2/5

Noah (2014)

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If you are expecting to see Noah build an arc where animals walk single file into it, in neat pairs, this is not for you. The film tells us precisely what it calls itself; its all about Noah. Earlier depictions of this film have been pretty safe and by the book. Here of course, cinematic liberties have been taken, to show you the inner turmoil and moral dilemma that Noah faced.

I have maintained time and again that 3D shouldn’t be used if its not required. In a film like this which was mainly over cast, stormy and rainy, it surely wasn’t. There were tough questions which were asked of Noah and his family, sacrifices for the rest of humanity, doubts about how mankind would survive and repopulate the earth. If those questions are seen from the perspective of a single family handed a task to save creation, than this film has come close to showing us what it could have been.

The cast was impressive, with Russell Crowe and Emma Watson being the highlights. Jennifer Connelly has one hard-hitting scene, besides being the strong female figure throughout the film. The length and costumes were perhaps the biggest drawbacks of this film, besides the 3D.

Director Darren Aronofsky has tried a different approach to say his story and has partially succeeded.

2/5

Need for speed (2014)

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A simple film about racing and speed, director Scott Waugh spaced out its highlights in a sensible manner to keep the audience occupied. There were enough moments to keep us guessing, tense, on the edge of the seat or purely entertained.

While it doesn’t have a convincing back story or a strong motive for the proceedings, the gang of four and the cool attitude of the protagonist Aaron Paul makes it watchable. Dominic Cooper does a decent job as the bad guy, while Imogen Poots provides classic British flavour as Julia. Micheal Keaton makes an interesting cameo, while we enjoy the changing landscapes of America and the coolest cars of the world.

2.5/5