Mardaani 2 and The Body movie release LIVE UPDATES
Rani Mukerji’s cop drama Mardaani 2 and Emraan Hashmi-Rishi Kapoor film The Body releases today. While Rani will be seen reprising her role as Shivani Shivaji Roy in the actioner, Emraan and Rishi’s movie is a thriller.
Mardaani 2 has been helmed by Gopi Puthran and has been bankrolled by Yash Raj Films. The movie also features Vishal Jethwa, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Shruti Bapna and Deepika Amin in significant parts. The film was announced on December 10 last year, and the principal photography for the movie began on March 27 this year.
“She (Shivani) is there wholeheartedly because Rani is also a no-nonsense person. I speak my heart. I stand up for what I feel is right. And sheās absolutely like me, or I would say I am absolutely like her. Yes, she is inspired by all the women officers that I have met through my research work. But at the end of the day, Shivani is a woman, and she is what all of us are,” Rani had earlier said about her character in Mardaani 2.
“It is physically and mentally draining because these are films inspired by true events. So obviously, it disturbs you. But at the same time, my character Shivani inspires me to be more empowered. And I feel empowered when I play her because she is bringing perpetrators to justice,” Rani added.
Meanwhile, the Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor film The Body will mark the ‘return’ of Rishi Kapoor to films, as the actor will be once again seen on the celluloid post his cancer treatment. The Body is a remake of the Spanish film of the same name, which has also earlier been remade in multiple languages, including Kannada and Korean. Apart from Emraan and Rishi, The Body also features Sobhita Dhulipala and Vedhika Kumar in pivotal parts.
"Worthy follow up to #Mardaani... Relevant. Intense. Hard hitting... Excellent finale... Rani outstanding, enacts her part with aplomb... Vishal Jethwa - the antagonist - terrific... Strongly recommended! #Mardaani2Review," shared @VimalSh85844892 on Twitter.
The Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film 1 star and wrote, "Everything in it is flat: the plot, the performers, the alleged twists. And that must have taken some doing, given that the filmmakers had a ready-made plot to dip into."
Read More | The Body movie review
Mardaani 2 makers managed to create secrecy around the actor who plays the main antagonist. Television actor Vishal Jethwa plays the rapist-killer. This is Vishal’s first Bollywood outing, and from the reviews, it seems the young talent has managed to surprise all with his performance. He made his acting debut with Bharat Ka Veer Putra: Maharana Pratap in 2013. While Faisal Khan played the lead, Jethwa played the parallel lead of King Akbar in the historical series.
Read More | All that you need to know about Mardaani 2 villain Vishal Jethwa
"Best crime thriller movie of the year 2019! Brilliant performance by antagonist #RaniMukerjee & protagonist #VishalJethwa. This movie will blow your mind! Four Star from my side and Sure shot clean Hit!," @varindersingh24 shared on Twitter.
Mardaani 2 director Gopi Puthran told PTI, "If you are finding uncanny similarities with the heinous crimes committed against women across our country, it is because Mardaani 2 as a film is a mirror of the society to audiences. This is our way of showing everyone what is really happening around us and trying to tell everyone to keep their eyes open because the threat is around us. We need to be vigilant and aware and extremely cautious because the culprit cannot be recognised because of his age."
Emraan Hashmi told indianexpress.com, "Jeethu Joseph has an astute understanding of the genre because he has done thrillers before, especially Drishyam which went onto become very popular. He understands the story beat of thrillers, which is a gift especially for a film like The Body. It is an adaptation of a Spanish film, and you need the right director to kind of Indianise the script while keeping the elements of the story without fiddling around much. So, I think he has been successful at doing that."
Rani Mukerji told PTI, "Mardaani as a franchise stands for a woman standing up against crimes against women. So it’s a franchise built on that. On the other hand, it also stands for… I will not say real cinema, but real events portrayed in as real way as possible. It’s a depiction of true events that people would have seen the actual cops dealing with in the real world. That’s what we are trying to achieve with this franchise."
The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta wrote in her review, 'Rani Mukerji is clearly the hero. The men around her, a subordinate who badmouths her, a few loyal juniors, a senior who both supports her and scolds her, all have familiar beats. Mukerji is also a familiar presence even as she fills the screen, and is in command right through as she works to a script which pushes her to the fore at every given chance.'
Also Read | Mardaani 2 movie review: Shivani Shivaji Roy is a necessary protagonist
In an interview with Firstpost, Rishi Kapoor said, “It’s a suspense thriller, a remake, and I cannot tell you more about the story. Only after watching the film one would understand. But obviously, The Body is not in the same genre as Mulk or 102 Not Out because in those films, I had the scope to perform. This is more of an avante-garde film, you will like it for its content but not so much for the performances. But then too, I have tried to put little bit from my side."
Film trade analyst Rohit Jaiswal tweeted, "#Mardaani2 is the best woman centric film of 2019... Actually I should take back the word “Woman” because the basic lesson Mardaani 2 teaches you is to STOP discriminating between a man and woman, #RaniMukerji deserves the BEST ACTOR award of 2019 and Not Actress... RESPECT 4*/5"
Emraan Hashmi told indianexpress.com, "It was surreal and nostalgic. I was a little anxious before we shot it because I was like, ‘how will it match up to the original track.’ However, after I heard the track, I got a lot of confidence. It is rendered very well for the present generation. Also, I was skeptical about me as an actor recreating my own piece of work as that has not been done before. I eventually dived into it as I love the song, and it was important to give the millenials a certain taste of what music was some 16 years ago. So, I am happy that they are lapping it up."
"#Mardaani2 - HARD HITTING crime thriller brillianty executed by Gopi Purthan. Watertight script, fast paced screenplay & PHENOMENAL performance by #RaniMukerjee & #VishalJethwa are major highlights. Film will shake your soul with its message. Rating - 4 stars #Mardaani2Review," shared @SumitkadeI on Twitter.
"#TheBody Nice suspense and thriller movie. Keep you on the edge of your seat from start to end. 3***," shared @PKhatri6 on Twitter.
Rani Mukerji told indianexpress.com, "I think the first and foremost reason would be that this is a film for everybody, not only women but also men. So that’s the first reason. Second reason is that it’s a very empowering film. The third reason is it is a film that educates you and also makes you aware of the growing threat that we are facing today in our society. Fourth reason, I think should be that it’s going to be a film, which is going to keep you on the edge of your seat because it’s a thriller. And fifth would be it’s my movie, so you got to go and watch it."
"#Mardaani2 has just 1 hours 44 mins runtime .. I can sense it's story gonna engage viewers for sure.. Makers have done good job by keeping the movie's duration lesser," @STawdee shared on Twitter.
Emraan Hashmi spoke about working with Rishi Kapoor and told indianexpress.com, "I have always looked up to Rishi Kapoor as an extremely natural actor. He performs with such ease, which I got to see in person. I am more of a studied actor while he is more spontaneous on the set. He learns his lines on the set and gives his all (to the film). He is an absolute gem of a person. People have a perception that he is extremely erratic and volatile, but on a one-on-one basis, he is a great person and co-actor."
Tanishaa Mukerji shared on Twitter, "All the best for #Mardaani2 today babe I know you’re gonna kill it. So proud of you for making a film about a subject that needs to show women fighting against this heinous crime and inspiring more women to stand up and fight! #ranimukerji #inspire #womenempowerment @yrf"
Siddharth Malhotra posted on Twitter, "It’s absolute treat to watch #ranimukherjee she is outstanding in #Mardaani2 and pitch perfect .what an impactful and relevant film delivered by @gopiputhran #VishalJethwa is a revelation @yrf #AdityaChopra kudos to the team."