D v d r e v i e w s

Concussion ( 2015) ( PG- 13) Will Smith proves that he’s still one of Hollywood’s leading men by taking on the role of Doctor Bennet Omalu, a brilliant forensic neuropathologist. Following the doctor’s real life story, the movie depicts how he discovers CTE — a fatal brain trauma that occurs due to American football. As Omalu struggles to make his discovery public, there are strong forces opposing him, specifically the National Football League that has a lot to lose. Soon, the doctor and his family are persecuted, and forced to leave their home — but nothing will stop Omalu from sticking to his beliefs. Duration: 2 hrs Genre: Drama/ Biography What’s good: Smith gives one of his best performances yet What’s bad: Dramatisation of an important issue Cast: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks Rating: Joy ( 2015) ( R) Based on the life of Joy Mangano comes a drama on the importance of family and career. Joy ( Lawrence) is a divorced housewife and mother. She dedicates her time to helping her family, to the point of giving up her higher education to help her parents during their divorce. In return, she is taken for granted and humiliated by her overachieving sister. But Joy has a passion for creating odd devices, and she uses her skills to slowly build an enterprise. Her rise from a housewife to a successful entrepreneur is a joy to watch and comes with a lesson — it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Duration: 2 hr 4 mins Genre: Comedy/ Biography/ Drama What’s good: Great acting from De Niro and Lawrence What’s bad: A slow pace; clumsy plot Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper Rating:

STRONG PERFORMERS:

Radhika Apte, Swara Bhaskar and Richa Chadda are invariably called when it comes to unconventional roles in offbeat cinema

They may not be in the A- list of glamour heroines. But whenit comes to knocking out accomplished performances in roles of women of substance, they are the first options.

Now, in the largely formula- ridden system of Bollywood filmmaking, that can lead to a Catch- 22 situation. The three actresses — Richa Chadda, Swara Bhaskar and Radhika Apte — have established themselves as gifted artistes in serious, off- mainstream cinema. But they aren’t even thought of when it comes to casting leading ladies in the projects of frontline film companies, be it Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions or Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

Once in a rare while, the decidedly different Nimrat Kaur may land up with Akshay Kumar in Airlift. Or the puckish theatre force Shriya Pilgaonkar may debut in Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan. The downside is that they aren’t assigned equal status to the heroes who hog the footage and the limelight.

The fact is that there is no Shabana Azmi or Smita Patil, who once fitted into the disparate worlds of hyper- commercialism as well as offbeat realistic cinema perfectly. Evidently, the divide between the two brands of films has deepened instead of moving towards a free- flowing inclusiveness.

Not surprisingly, Richa Chadda says ruefully, “If Karan Johar ever makes a small- budget film with a purposeful theme, I am sure he will call me.” Wishful thinking perhaps, but the statement does indicate that Richa as well as her peers, Swara and Radhika, deserve infinitely better treatment.

The trio, as it happens, has several elements in common. They are all highly educated and have trained themselves in the complex art of acting. Twenty- seven- year- old Richa attended the Barry John Acting Studio soon after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi’s St Stephen’s college, besides a diploma in social communication media from Mumbai’s Sophia College. Her mother teaches political science in a Delhi college.

Also from Delhi, the 28- year- old Swara Bhaskar is an English literature graduate from the capital’s Miranda House and secured her master’s degree from the presently beleaguered Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU). Her mother, Ira Bhaskar, is a professor of cinema studies at JNU.

It was natural for Swara to initially gravitate t owards experimental theatre and cinema that was realitybased. “I don’t care about the money I’m paid if a film is geared towards social awareness,” she emphasises, adding, “That’s feasible in big- budget films, too, which is why the effort of any actor should be to do his or her best in both worlds.”

Over to the 30- year- old Radhika Apte, who’s an economics graduate from Pune’s Fergusson College. Her f a t her i s a neurosurgeon who supported Radhika’s move to progressive theatre and unconventional films in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Trained i n the kathak dance form besides securing a degree from London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, here’s an artiste who could go places, if it wasn’t for t he r i gid mindset against heroines who are more performance- oriented instead of doling out the mandatory glamour quotient.

Is this trio over- qualified for Bollywood? To an extent, yes. And that sets off a sense of insecurity among filmmakers who wield substantial clout but aren’t academically qualified at all. Female actors are expected to just listen and obey. By contrast, males, when they’ve achieved market equity, invariably question everything from the script and dialogue, to the camera angles and the final edit.

Believe me, there’s an age- old resistance towards actresses who have a mind of their own. Even if they’ve been garlanded with national and international awards and have achieved a substantive measure of public recognition, it’s still an ongoing war to own their rightful place in show town’s firmament.

Recently, Swara Bhaskar was showered with praise for her nuanced portrayal of a maid who dares to dream impossible dreams for her teenage daughter’s future in Nil Battey Sannata. She has been noticed and liked for her supporting stints in the Tanu Weds Manu series and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, and is to feature in an upcoming movie with Sonam Kapoor.

Radhika Apte has made an impact with Badlapur, Hunterr and the Marathi film Lai Bhaari, besides numerous short films. At this moment, she’s making waves, thanks to the Best Actress Award in an International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca festival for her performance of a neglected housewife in Anurag Kashyap’s short film Clean Shaven.

Richa Chadda has a loyal fan base ever since she debuted in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! followed by her implosive performances in Gangs of Wasseypur, Goliyon ki Leela: Raasleela, Fukrey and Masaan. In the pipeline, count the Pooja Bhatt- directed Cabaret, the biopic Sarbjit, and yet another riff on the classic Devdas, helmed by Sudhir Mishra. That’s quite a haul.

Despite the estimable achievements, there’s a restlessness. Ask Richa and she spontaneously responds, “No matter how much we achieve nationally or internationally, we’re always called actors, not stars. How fair is that?” TACKLING REAL ISSUES: ( clockwise from above) Radhika Apte received much acclaim for her role as a neglected housewife in Clean Shaven; Richa Chadda takes on the role of a traumatised small town girl in Masaan; Nil Battey Sannata sees Swara Bhaskar as a maid helping her daughter study

Female actors are expected to listen and obey. Males, when they’ve achieved market equity, question everything from the script and dialogue to the final edit