Noida Online Movie Reviews
MY NAME IS KHAN****
Movie Review
Synopsis and Review
In short: The movie is a must watch with some great performances and
thoughtful messages.
Review:
The SRK-Kajol starrer has once again struck the right cords with the audience.
Karan Johar's My Name is Khan is a journey of Rizvan Khan post 9/11. The character starts on a journey to let the world know that there are only two types of people in the world. Good and Bad.
No other difference is there and the world needs to realize that. With some Positive and thoughtful messages MNIK comes out as a Powerful film.
To add to that there are power packed performances lead by SRK.
The movie in its true sense is a celebration of Humanity and teaches a valuable lesson to people who try to divide people.
It is a must watch for SRK comes with a lifetime performance after Swades, Veer Zaara and Chek De.
Kajol delivers yet again and makes you believe that the lady is still there. Her eyes do the talking most of the times. MNIK has its moments between SRK and Kajol. The chemistry is still there and credit goes to Karan Johar and his team.
Music is soulful with some great numbers by Shankar Ehsaan and Loy.
Over all MNIK becomes a must watch. Go out and you wont be disappointed.
PYAAR IMPOSSIBLE**
Movie Review
Pyaar Impossible**
Starcast: Uday Chopra, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Jugal Hansraj
Average Rating:**
Review:
Pyaar Impossible, is the second production venture of Uday Chopra (first was Yeh Dillagi in 1994). Directed by Jugal Hansraj under the Yashraj Banner, the movie is written by Uday Chopra himself and has Priyanka Chopra as his female lead. Anupam Kher and Dino Morea have supporting roles . The promos looked good and the music has done well too. But does the film entertain?
Pyaar Impossible is about a geek, a patent part of every college, Abhay (Uday Chopra) who-not-so-surprisingly falls head-over-heels in love with the hottest girl of the college Alisha (Priyanka Chopra). And going with the universal truth, the stunning Alisha never notices our hero Abhay. He never gets a chance to confess his feelings, since she moves back to India midway of her semester.
Then we zoom in the days and there we are seven year forward; Nothing much has changed, Abhay is still a bespectacled geek and still madly in love with Alisha. Now he owns a unique program that can hold and run all the operating systems in the world but to his misfortune his program gets stolen. He for the first time sets out to fight for his right and in this journey stumbles upon Alisha, now a divorce with a child. Does he win back his fortune? What about the Beauty and the beast, well actually just a geek. Is Pyaar possible?
Loaded with glamour, the film actually had the potential to be much better, if only the love track was more refreshing and the story had some twists to avoid getting too predictable.
Agreed, the story is simple but it neither has the charm of a romantic tale nor the breeze of a comedy and hence boredom begins to creep in 20 to 25 minutes into the first half. Its not just the story that is at fault here, but the execution, which is absolutely amateurish. Barring a couple of scenes that manage to evoke some kind of emotion, the film is extremely sluggish and highly predictable. Its the pace, that requires you to watch Pyaar Impossible with a lot of patience.. it unnecessarily drags along.
Also let’s have a reality check here, since when did software companies of high grade get this easy with the dress code? Priyanka is always in minis, baring most of it for any and every occasion - a treat for the guys in the audience though. Also we have six year old Tanya who can understand her nanny’s (Uday) love for her mom and helps him hook up with her by having sleep overs at a friends place. Absurd ain’t it?
Music by Salim-Sulaiman is peppy and hummable but simply adds to the runtime.
Coming to the performances, Priyanka Chopra tops the rest. She looks stunning in every frame of the film, very natural and confident in her act. Perhaps one of the only reasons to watch this flick. Uday Chopra passes off as a geek, he does well in a few scenes.
Dino Morea as the program thief alias a business man is bad with nothing more than one and a half expressions. Anupam Kher has very little to do and is okay in his act. Advika Yadav (Priyanka’s daughter) is excellent.
Overall, Pyaar Impossible is a formula flick high on prediction. Watch it for the gorgeous Priyanka Chopra, but only on DVD, a fast-forward option is a must while watching this flick.
Times Of India Says:
In the film, Uday Chopra devices a computer software on which any operating system is compatible. The script that he writes is as much compatible with any operative feel-good film, frequently coming out from the Yash Raj banner. The geeky loser-in-love act that he attempts is not much different from what SRK did in bade bhaiya Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (though thankfully there isn’t an image change).
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Glamsham Says:
1 beauty + 1 geek = PYAR IMPOSSIBLE! Equations, permutations and combinations but still impossibilities of love prevails and to break ice, actor turned director Jugal Hansraj makes it clear that this equation fetches credible results. YRF's dark horse Uday Chopra gets second lease of life as solo hero with hot "n" happening Priyanka Chopra, pep-fizz music and modish American location as its trendy back-up supports. Musical technocrats Salim-Sulaiman has always been at helm of musical affairs for YRF in recent times and this one too promises substantial buzz with stylish "Alisha", already a big craze among young listeners. It bears spanking new look with Anvita Dutt Guptan's modish lyrics with bunch of feminine fresh soloists making their peppy act together with style.
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Taran Adarsh Says:
SHREK [and its instalments] has been one of the most loved movies of our times. An ogre falls in love with a princess and after overcoming their share of obstacles, the couple live happily ever after. Most Hindi movies take a similar route, don't they? We love happy endings. We want the underdog to accomplish his dreams. We feel euphoric if he walks into the sunset, holding the hand of his beloved.
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3 IDIOTS****1/2
Movie Review
Noida Online Reviews 3 Idiots
Average Rating: ****1/2
Starring : Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan
Director : Rajkumar Hirani
Genre : Comedy
Banner : Vinod Chopra Productions
Review:
The movie is produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and it has a huge star cast which includes Kareena Kapoor, AamirKhan, Madhvan, Boman Irani and Sharman Joshi. The story of the movie revolves around the 3 idiots; Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R. Madhvan. The movie is about these three friends in college and these 3 friends make the movie a complete laughing riot.
The movie is somewhat inspired by Chetan Bhagat’s novel, FivePoint Someone. The 3 friends study in a college where engineering is taught, Rancho (Aamir) is a rebel and believes that acquiring knowledge is just not about the usual education one receives. He persuades Sharman and Madhvan to do the same, but only gains the fury of Viru Sahasrabuddhe, the director of the college. The turning point is when rancho receives the Student of the Year, he goes missing. And the other 2 friends Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Farhan (R. Madhvan) set out on a mission to look for their friend Rancho.
Kareena Kapoor plays the role of Pia alongside Aamir Khan. This movie will make you laugh at the same time it will make u cry and think as well. Like Rajkumar Hirani’s other movies this one also has a message, this being about student pressures. The movie has a flashback from the past, and that is how the story of the movie is told; with the present and flashbacks. The story of the movie is about friendship, student life and how these 3 idiots go about it. The dialogues of the movie are very effective and thought provoking.
Review by TOI
Masand's Movie Review: 3 Idiots, satisfying not best
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ROCKET SINGH****
Movie Review
Noida Online Reviews Rocket Singh****
What makes Harpreet Singh Bedi run? Honesty — the same quality that makes him seem like a zero to his blithely corrupt boss. But that boss isn’t the villain in Shimit Amin’s “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year,” a smart, focused Bollywood movie. That honor goes to Business as Usual, which Mr. Amin portrays as fundamentally dishonest, fueled by bribes and payoffs.
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Times of India Reviews Rocket Singh
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KURBAAN***1/2
Movie Review
Noida Online Reviews Kurbaan***1/2
Kurbaan the new fick starring Bollywood babe Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan is finally here. Here’s the Kurbaan movie review for Bollywood movie buffs. The movie is directed by Rensil D’Silva and shot overseas. Kurbaan proves to be a powerful movie of most Hindi movies released during 2009. The movie gives an insight on the psyche of a terrorist and a person who has spent the life of a helpless spectator.
Rensil has chosen the burning issue of terrorism for his debut film. Although the movie is being compared to Fanna (Amir Khan, Kajol) and NewYork (Neil Nitin Mukesh,John Abraham) but there is no similarity. Kurbaan is one of those movies that are not just meant to entertain but in fact they leave an enlightening impact on the spectators. Having said this movie deserves a double thumb up.
Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) is a University teacher in Delhi who has retuned from US to take care of her Dad who has recently suffered a heart attack. During this time she meets Ehsaan (Saif Ali Khan) another professor and hence their love story begins. Few months down the road Avantika gets a call from her University in Delhi calling her back to work. When she tells Ehsaan he agrees to go with her but wants to get married before they leave.
Soon after their marriage they move to NY to start a new life. They are invited for dinner by their Muslim neighbors one day and that’s when the real story begins. Kurbaan is a love story between Saif and Kareena and the story of Islamic terrorists. There are some intimate scenes between the love birds as much touted about on the media. The high point of the movie is its thirty five minute climax. To sum up the Kurbaan its worth the money you spend.
Times of India Reviews Kurbaan
TUM MILE***
Movie Review
Cast & Crew: Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan, Sachin Khedekar and RJ Mantra
Director: Kunal Deshmukh
Our Review:
Director Kunal Deshmukh's second movie, Tum Mile, is a passionate, contemporary take on relationships,
with the July 26 deluge as a backdrop. A word of caution here: the film is not really about the deluge
but about two lovers who rediscover their love for each other in the midst of disaster.
For More Read On
Times of India Review***1/2
Taran Adarsh Reviews Tum Mile
WAKE UP SID ***1/2
Movie Review
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Rahul Khanna; Director: Ayan Mukerji;
Rating: ***1/2
Review by us:
Next time when a star son gets an opportunity to get an author-backed role, let’s not complain. That’s because if he actually goes on to come up with as flawless an act as seen in “Wake Up Sid”, there is no reason why one should really be looking around for anyone else.
Ranbir Kapoor comes up with a neat, simple and believable performance. When most actors would have been happy to establish their standing in Bollywood with a quintessential romantic hero role, Ranbir is anything but a hero here.
This is why he allows himself to be treated as a ‘kid’ by Konkona Sen Sharma, who by the way is happy to play a woman five years elder to him. However, there is this special something which brews between them that pretty much gives the true meaning of a platonic relationship.
There are five things that make “Wake Up Sid” a delightful affair. It has a constant flow throughout; no over the top or understated drama; no ultra emotional strangulation of audiences; absolutely no yuppie cool dude act; and last but not the least, this is an original and refreshing story.
While the film actually becomes really engrossing in the second half, the first half facilitates an adequate groundwork for the story to progress. There are bitter sweet moments in the first half as well but one still wishes for that extra something to kick start that would make “Wake Up Sid” go beyond a regular “coming of age” film.
This is where young director Ayan Mukerji’s writing comes in handy because unlike a conventional movie, he doesn’t just bring a turnaround in Sid’s character by throwing a song to bring in that ‘overnight transformation’.
He keeps it soft and subtle starting from something as simple as Sid learning how to prepare an omelette, keep his comic books stacked, prepare his own bed and of course, earn his very first cheque.
By the time he returns to his dad (Anupam Kher in a short but effective role), you realise that the destination was eventually met even as the journey wasn’t quite ‘on your face’ or ‘over the top’.
Meanwhile Konkona gets yet another complex role for herself. She is brilliant. Watch out for her in the interview scene or the outburst when Ranbir decides to go back to his parents’ house. Her irritation in certain scenes with Ranbir is utterly believable too and so are the tender ways in which she looks after him.
The supporting cast fits in well too. The young man who plays Rishi (Namit Das - last seen in “The President Is Coming” as Ramesh) is just effortless. Kashmira Shah, in her four-scenes act, is a pleasant surprise while Rahul Khanna is decent in the limited footage.
While “Wake Up Sid” would of course raise Ranbir’s stock in months to come, it would be noticed in a major way for Mukerji’s script sense and direction. He makes the kind of debut that made Farhan Akhtar hot property after “Dil Chahta Hai”.
Other Reviews:
NY Times Review
IBN Live Review
JASHNN**1/2
Movie Review
Average Rating **1/2
Our Review: A good Script, can give a try
Starring: Adhyayan Suman, Shahana Goswami, Anjana Sukhani, Humayun Saeed
Director: Raksha Mistry and Hasnain S. Hyderbadwala
"Jashnn", like Mahesh Bhatt's "Jannat" before it, wallows in the transparent hunger of today's lifestyle and how far individuals are ready to go in pursuit of the next thrill.
Guitar-slinger Akash wants to be a star. And he sets out on his journey, aided and abetted by reluctant sister Nisha, and loyal girl-friend Sara.
Vishesh Films’ latest ‘Jashnn’ reminds you of the kind of low-on-stars, high-on-emotions films the banner used to make when Mahesh Bhatt was at the helm. The women are strong and needy and vulnerable, all at the same time. The men are the weaker sex, and shed tears freely. There’s also a deeply obsessive brother, and an abusive lover. And there’s some mandatory sex.
But these elements, which Bhatt used so effectively in his best films (‘Arth’, ‘Naam’, ‘Zakhm’), are seriously diluted here. ‘Jashnn’ starts off with verve, but sinks into a weepy, soppy second half. The director duo who filched a Hollywood thriller for their previous film (‘The Train’ ) stays safely within homegrown boundaries, and despite the fresh-sounding dialogue, keeps everything oh-so- predictable: you know, as soon as he opens his mouth, the curly-haired Adhyayan and his pals will run from old pillar to proverbial post, and will then hit the jackpot.
Read More
Other Reviews:
Times Of India Review for Jashnn
Watch the Trailor
SANKAT CITY ***
Movie Review
Average Rating ***1/2
Our Review: Go enjoy the ride
Starring: Kay Kay Menon, Rimi Sen, Anupam Kher, Chunky Pandey, Yashpal Sharma and Dilip Prabhawalkar
Director: Pankaj Advani
Guru (Kay Kay Menon) is a car thief whose partner in crime is a garage owner Ganpat (Dilip Prabhawalkar). Fouzdar (Kher), an underworld don sends his driver to deliver Rs. 1 crore cash to deliver it to filmmaker Gogi (Manoj Pahwa). But Guru ends up stealing this car and is over the moon on finding the cash bag inside. But before Guru could savor the money, he is caught by Fouzdar. When Fouzdar sends his henchman Lovely (Jehangir Khan) along with Guru to get back his money hidden in garage, Lovely unintentionally ends up hurting Ganpat’s head. Since Ganpat before that had hidden the money at a different place it gets crazier since Ganpat now has lost his memory with the assault on his head. Now Guru is given three days by Fouzdar to get back his money or else face death. Guru then chances upon his old partner in crime Mona (Rimi) and both join hands. What helluva crazy ride it all leads as Guru goes on to get Rs. 1 crore forms the rest of the plot.
The film’s biggest assets are the zany humour and also the acting by each and every actor. Pankaj Advani’s narrative style is terrific and keeps you engaged throughout. It is good debut by the filmmaker. While the first half breezes quickly, the second gets a little slow but however the film picks up well during the climax. Amongst the most hilarious scenes are Anupam Kher’s sequences with a nervous wreck builder played by Yashpal Sharma, Kay Kay and Ganpat’s friendly banter, Kay Kay and Rimi’s theft at Yashpal Sharma’s flat and Kay Kay’s taxi ride with a Sardar taxi driver who is hunting for his lost brother. Ranjit Barot’s background music is impressive.
Kay Kay is simply superb while Rimi gives her best performance till date. Her constant Bengali banter is cute. Anupam Kher is top class. Chunky Pandey in a double role is hilariously good. Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Hemant Pandey, Virendra Saxena and Sunita Rajwar lend able support. Rahul Dev in a short role of a hit man impresses.
Sankat City is a must watch for all those complaining to see something different yet full of fun.
Other Reviews:
Times Of India Review for SankatCity
Watch the Trailor
SHORTKUT **
Movie Review
Average Rating **1/2
Our Review:
Shortkut – The Con is On is an entertaining tale of con, deceit, super stardom and the subsequent fall.
It is a story of the trials and tribulations of two con artists, a struggling director and actor, and the wacky situations they face in the pursuit of their tinsel town dreams.
Shekhar (Akshaye Khanna), an aspiring assistant director and Chandu (Arshad Warsi), a wannabe junior artiste meet each other while struggling to make it in the film industry. While Shekhar is supremely talented and confident, Chandu is a buffoon and a non actor who thinks he is God’s gift to Bollywood!
Chandu manages to steal Shekhar’s prized script and is catapulted to super stardom. Following this incident, Shekhar plunges into a phase of self pity and dejection, which results in his wife Mansi (Amrita Rao) leaving him. Shattered, Shekhar is now looking for that golden chance to get even with Chandu.
Shot in picturesque Thailand, Shortkut comes with a generous dose of laughter and emotions that tug at your heartstrings.
It comes from the production house of veteran actor, Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire) and director Neeraj Vora (Phir Hera Pheri).
Other Reviews:
Times Of India Review for ShortKut
Masand Reviews ShortKut
Watch the Trailor
99****
Movie Review
Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: People Pictures
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Thriller
Cast: Kunal Khemu, Soha Ali Khan, Boman Irani, Cyrus Broacha, Simone Singh, Mahesh Manjrekar, Vinod Khanna & Amit Mistry
Music: Ashu, Roshan Machado, Shamir Tandon & Mahesh Shankar
Cinematography: Rajeev Ravi & Prakash Kutty
Art: Pradip Redij
Story - screenplay: Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK & Sita Menon
Directed by: Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK
Producer: Anupam Mittal & Aditya Shastri
Release date: 15 May 2009
Review
Story
The story is set in the backdrop of 1999/2000 in Mumbai. Sachin (Kunal Khemu) and Zaramud (Cyrus Broacha) are thick buddies who do illegal duplication of SIM cards for a living. AGM (Mahesh Manjrekar) is a cricket bookie. Sachin and Zaramud are forced to work under AGM because they owe tons of money to him. Rahul (Boman Irani) is a gambler who loves to bet on cricket and play poker in illegal clubs at Delhi. AGM summons Sachin and Zaramud to recover the betting money from Rahul. In a strange circumstance, Sachin and Zaramud are forced to join hands with Rahul to save their neck from AGM. The rest of the story is all about how these three people play the game!
Actors:
Kunal Khemu has improved in this film in terms of histrionics and looks. A different hair-do did the trick with his looks. He is excellent. Cyrus Broacha is at ease and provided comic relief. Boman Irani is superb. He epitomizes typical mentality of a gambler who is very good at heart, but has a strong weakness for gambling. Mahesh Manjrekar is extremely impressive as the bookie. Soha Ali Khan is adequate as partner in crime. Amit Mistry is amazing as the smalltime kingpin. Vinod Khana is perfect.
Technical departments:
Story - screenplay - direction: Raj, DK and Sita Menon came up with an authentic storyline by inserting references to the events occurred in 1999/2000. The ongoing mobile phone revolution and eruption of betting scandals are well incorporated. The direction of the film is neat. Screenplay is pretty good. Hooking the initial accident to join three major characters, using of Rahul’s bag and ability of Rahul to read signs/people are well used in writing an interesting screenplay. On the flip side, the relationship between Kunal and Soha Ali is not properly exploited. The runtime of the movie is lengthy for a story like this as the main story starts only in the second half. I liked the following things in the movie –
1. Title cards: The way titles cards are made in this movie is highly innovative.
2. The scene in which Kunal slaps Amit Mistry. This is best scene of the movie. The character of Dimple adds lot of fun.
3. Cell phone: Kunal and Zaramud believes that using cell phone will affect your brain, heart and other parts. Boman flaunts the cell phone used in Matrix film. The discussions about the snake game also reminds us of the days when cellular market was penetrating in India.
4. Boman Irani character: His character is full of surprises and his ability to read signs is very good. The way he tried to appease his wife by saying ‘jaan’ is also good.
5. The final 20 minutes of the movie after the last cricket match is shown.
Other technical departments: Cinematography of the film is warm and realistic. Music is nice and reminds us a little of retro music like ones they use in Quentin Torantino movies. Dialogues are witty. Editing is fine. Art directions deserve special mention for capturing the late 90’s.
Analysis: Telugu directors duo Raj – DK started off their journey with a nice English film titled ‘Flavors’. Their second outing is this Bollywood flick ‘99’. Though it is a nice comedy thriller, it is an off-beat movie for the regular film lovers who enjoy the commercial cinemas in Bollywood. 99 is a hatke movie made on an interesting premise of cricket betting. It is a different movie and it will take time to sink in. The things that work against the movie are the runtime and the bonding between Kunal Khemu and Soha Ali Khan. If you want to see a different yet entertaining movie, 99 is the one for you!
FIRAAQ***
Movie Review
Banner: Percept Picture Company
Genre: Drama
Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Raghuveer Yadav, Deepti Naval, Sanjay Suri, Shahana Goswami, Tisca Chopra, Nassar, Shafi
Music: Rajat Dholakia & Piyush Kanojia
Cinematography: Ravi K. Chandran
Art: Gautam Sen
Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Story - screenplay: Nandita Das & Shuchi Kothari
Direction: Nandita Das
Producer: Percept Picture Company
Story
This film is set in the backdrop of Hindu/Muslim riots aftermath Godhra incident in Gujarath. It has got five separate (some of them are interlinked) stories running together.
1. Munira (Shahana Goswami) and her husband (Nowaz) return from a vacation to find that their house is burnt during the riots. Munira’s husband suspects a Hindu neighbor to do this act and want to take revenge by shooting him. Munira has a good hearted Hindu friend who wants to help her out.
2. Khan (Naseeruddin Shah) is a musician who is passionate about teaching music to the people around. His disciples stop visiting him during the tumultuous period. He is assisted by a loyal servant (Raghuveer Yadav).
3. Sameer Sheik (Sanjay Suri) and Anuradha Desai (Tisca Chopra) are married. They want to relocate to Delhi as their electronic shop in Gujarath is ransacked during the riots.
4. Arti (Deepti Naval) is going through psychological problems since she could not help in saving a Muslim family who were burnt alive at her doorstep by Hindu fanatics. Her husband (Paresh Rawal) is an uncompassionate person.
5. Mohsin is a small kid whose family is killed in front of his eyes. He is in search for his Abu who was not among the people who were killed in his house.
Actors:
Shahana Goswami is believable and is true to her character. One can see the fear and insecurity in her eyes. Naseeruddin Shah gave one of his profound performances in this film. Sanjay Suri is very good. Deepti Naval is very good as an elder woman going through a psychological problem. Paresh Rawal is good. The kid who did the role of Mohsin is adorable. Telugu actor Shafi did a small role and gave a commendable performance. Another south actor Nassar did a guest role and he is excellent.
Technical departments:
Story: Actor Nandita Das who ventured into direction for the first time through this film has chosen a multiple stories and multiple layers concept which is in vogue in Hollywood and world cinema now. This kind of multiple story narration has come in Bollywood films like Life In a Metro, Salaam E Ishq and Mumbai Meri Jaan in the past. A film with similar content Parzania was made a couple of years back. Nandita Das gave a triumphing ending to each of the five stories –
1. Musician Khan resumes taking classing and a handful of Hindu disciples attend him.
2. Small boy Mohsin finally reaches Muslims rescue camp after going through struggles.
3. A docile housewife Arti emancipates from the clutches of her husband.
4. Samir Sheik wakes up to the reality and decides to stay back in Gujarath and face it instead of escaping to Delhi.
5. Muniraa comes out of her suspicion that her Hindu friend was present during her house burning scene.
The stories of this film are based on true incidents. Screenplay of the film is good. Direction is intense. This film does not show much violence and blood in the film, but it plays well at the psychological levels with disturbance the Gujarath riots unleashed. The following scenes are highly disturbing -
1. A truck full of dead bodies dumps them like stones.
2. A man from upstairs dropping a big stone to kill a Muslim.
3. Arti putting severely boiled oil on her wrist to divert her attention from the unforgettable incident.
Other technical departments: Cinematography by Ravi K Chandran is exemplary. He experimented with lighting to get a dark look to the movie. Dialogues in this film are strikingly realistic and intense. Music is good. Editing by Srikar Prasad is fine. This film is extensively shot in old city of Hyderabad and locations are realistic.
Analysis: Firaaq has two means in Urdu – quest and separation. This film beautifully captures the fear psychosis during the Gujarath communal riots in 2002. As this film is aimed at international market, it might project a wrong impression on India as a Hindu-fanatic country though there are four Hindu characters (doctor, Arti, Munira’s friend and Sameer’s wife) that are shown in a good light. However, endings of certain stories in this film are forced and do not have convincing narration. On a whole, Firaaq is a commendable film that deals with realism using highly disturbing content. This film is not for everybody.
DILLI 6***
Movie Review
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor, Om Puri, Pawan Malhotra, Surpiya Pathak, Sheeba Chaddha, Vijay Raaz, Divya Dutta, Aditi Rao
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Pincode, Zero Six. Rakeysh Omraprakash Mehra sets his coming-back-to-roots story in Old Delhi: the never-empty narrow ‘galis', the ‘havelis' within, the connected rooftops, the ‘patang-baazi', the cows and the cars, the rickshaws and the hand carts, the `jalebis' and the ‘golgappas', the mandir and the masjid, the skull caps and the saffron `gamchas' .
And the people, people, people: seldom has Chandni Chowk, currently Bollywood's flavour du jour, been recreated on screen with such verve and fidelity.
The film opens with New York-based Roshan (Abhishek), flying in with his dying grandmom (Waheeda), straight into the bosom of her large, extended family and neighbours.
They—estranged brothers (Om and Pawan), trying-to-keep-the-peace ‘bhabhis' (Supriya and Sheeba), spinster ‘bua' (Aditi), and the free-spirited Bittu (Sonam) who wants to be the next Indian Idol—envelope the new arrivals in the warmth and the bustle, old affections and new rivalries of Purani Delhi.
The trouble with ‘Delhi 6' is just this: Mehra is so focused on getting the setting right that he forgets to move his movie along. It's one thing to translate the slow, old-world quality of the place; it's quite another for your story to have to struggle to come up for air.
Roshan spends a lot of his time sitting, listening, talking, only once in a while breaking out into a jog. Which is fine when he starts out doing it—it's all new to him, as it is for us—but the repetitive loops start getting in the way all too soon.
As does the inordinate time spent on building up the urban legend of the ‘kala bandar', (a mysterious monkey that terrorized Delhi some years ago), as a metaphor of the growing communal unrest simmering under the surface and the by-play of the Ram Lila on the make-shift platforms and the theatrics of the street-life: it's all done with admirable authenticity, but it leaves you yearning for something to happen.
It does, right at the end, but it's done with a staginess at odds with the rest of the film: Mehra keeps heading towards his intent—to show the incredible syncretic nature of one of the oldest parts of the world (at heart ‘Delhi 6' is an old-fashioned cry for Hindu-Muslim amity), but spends all his time in the foreplay, not going all the way. The end peters out.
But meanwhile, there are stellar performances from the main supporting cast—Om Puri and Pawan Malhotra, even if Vijay Raaz as the abusive Haryanvi ‘thulla' comes off more caricature than real, as does the ‘jamadarin', played by the excellent Divya. Rishi Kapoor effortlessly and superbly creates the still-alive ‘nazaakat' and decay of the ‘nawabi' traditions of Delhi Chhe.
And this return of the native has to be Abhishek's most convincing starring role: he manages the transition from the cool NY dude to a potential Old Delhi resident with panache.
You wish, though, that Mehra hadn't short-changed the refreshingly natural Sonam, who is all girl: she deserved much more screen time.
In the end, ‘Delhi 6' remains a film which promises more than it delivers, but with a message that bears repeating: sometimes, it is possible to come home again.
BILLO***
Movie Review
Rating **1/2
Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Irfaan Khan, Lara Dutta
Direction : Priyadarshan
Billu is a story of Billu (Irfaan Khan), who is a barber by profession lives a life close to truth and down to earth. He however is not ready to give up his values in front of struggles - even when his children are been thrown out of school or when his earnings get reduced day by day. His children make fun of him but his wife (Lara Dutta) with whom he ran away from the home village share his struggles. Billu is also the story of Zahir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) who was a class mate of Billu and now flying all high and the superstar of the time. Each success comes with attached strings ofdanger and he is now having a Z category security. Zahir Khan’s unit comes to a small city near to Billu’s village. The news is been flashed that Billu and Zahir were classmates and the life is not the same again for him. Watch Billu (Billu Barber) to know more about it.
The movie is a remake of Malayalam super hit ’KathaParayumbol’. Priyadarsan has done an excellent job in replanting the story to a different soil with perfection. This remake is on par or a bit better than the original in many aspects. (In the climax however Mammootty definitely took an edge over Shahrukh Khan). When the project was first announced I was less convinced that this is a product which will go in line with the tastes of Bollywood audience. However, after watching the movie I now think wish and expect my earlier conviction to find wrong.
The director who has proved many times that he is a superhit director for comedy movies. He however also proved that he is more than a comedy director. Billu Barber is definitely a superior product from Priyadarsan. With the help of a fine story (Sreenivasan)the movie keep the audience engaged and in the hands of Priyan the characters got more strong and the presentation far better. With the added technical brilliance and glamor the film is well made in a commercial format but applause is on for keeping the soul intact. All congrats to Priyadarsan! (Screen play is very good and dialogues need special mention.)
Irfaan Khan is known for his excellent performance in many films and Billu gives a perfect platform for this brilliant artist and see how he performs! Superb!! Shahrukh Khan is more natural in the film where the role demands exactly the same. The climax scene gives an excellent opportunity to the actor to show his caliber and Shahrukh did a good job. His dance scenes well mixed to the plot and he was quite cool in them as well. Lara Dutta who dared to play the typical village woman and mother of two in the glamor filled industry proved more than a point. Two child artists were natural and cool. Rajpal Yadav and Om Puri had to settle with small roles but they added fun in many places. Jagadeesh could not create the magic he did in the original or his earlier outings in bollywood. Asrani, Manoj Joshi & Rasika Joshi all did their small roles convincingly.
Cinematography is first class. The beauty of a virgin village or a poor but naughty night Manikandan’s camerawork is an added attraction. The closeup shots in the climax scenes however could have been better. Otherwise it is a beautiful work by the cinematographer who created the mood for each frame in the style required for it.
For a change I had heard the films songs earlier but somehow didn’t attracted me much, except the Khudaya Kher. However on screen the other songs too were looking good. Choreography is competent. The song shot on Shahrukh and Deepika is the best choreographed with good creativity. The song which mixes various Shahrukh film parts is innovative and will surely makes some nostalgia. Other songs too choreographed well but less creative in comparison.
Editing is one department Priyadarsan need to fix a quality editor whose absence can make a difference to a film. This time around the damage is less. Only on few scenes the fault comes out otherwise the film is well edited in most parts. However, have to say in the hands of a good editor the climax scene would have been definitely better.
The film has all it takes to keep a viewer to stick to the seat and we could not ask for better. Fora Shahrukh Khan fan this may be a treat where one can identify with the situations better. I have to make my reservation on the box office success of the film but the best possibility is that this film may become a hit among classes and masses where the film has something for both the groups to identify with. The film may not be a match to the romance mood on air, but it is a good entertainer and a good cinema. Go for it!
DEVD****
Movie Review
Rating ***1/2
Banner: UTV Spot Boy & Bindass
Genre: Romance/Drama
Cast: Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill & Kalki Koechlin
Music: Amit Trivedi
Cinematography: Rajeev Ravi
Editor: Aarti Bajaj
Art: Sukanta Panigrahy
Writer: Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya Motwane
Direction: Anurag Kashyap
Producers: Ronnie Screwvala
Story
Dev (Abhay Deol) and Paro (Mahi Gill) are childhood friends. Dev is sent to London and returns after a long gap. Their love is intact. They have a quarrel and Paro is married to another guy. Being a rich and a spoilt brat, a depressed Dev resorts to excessive booze and cocaine. Chanda (Kalki Koechlin) is daughter of a high commissioner in Delhi. Her sex MMS is leaked during school days and it leads to the suicide of her father. She comes out of her house and joins an escorts place where she goes to the school in the morning and works as a sex worker during nights. Dev and Paro find solace in each others miserable past. The rest of the story is about who Dev chooses at last – his eternal love Paro and his new flame Chanda?
Actors:
Abhay Deol has become the master of underplay. He is perfect as Dev – the man who resorts to drugs, sex and vodka. Mahi Gill resembles Tabu a lot in lots of angles. She is exceptionally good. Kalki Koechlin brings innocence as well as oomph with her performance. The guy who did the role of Chunni is good. The kids who did the roles of Dev and Paro are also cute.
Technical departments:
Story: Dev D is a modern adaptation of classic Devdas. To make this a contemporary, the director has stuffed the narrative with drugs, sexual innuendoes and misuse of internet and cell phones (mms, mailing of nude photos, phone sex to name a few). If Devdas drinks to glory for the loss of Paro, Dev D meanders aimlessly among sex, coke and vodka. If Chandramukhi did classical dance to woo the customer in Devdas, Chanda performs role plays and phone sex to excite the customers. If Paro in Devdas is an honest lover, Paro in Dev D is a sexually driven and does not mind sleeping around with others though she loves Devdas. The director also used famous delhi scandals (DPS sexual MMS and Sanjeev Nanda BMW hit and case). There are lots of reference to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas in terms of posters and videos in this film.
Screenplay – direction: Direction by Anurag Kashyap is good. He interpreted the old film well and written to the Dev D to represent the latest world of immoral youth who drown themselves in drugs and sex. The non-linear screenplay in the first half is very good. The way he has shown the two girls sitting on the train and the flashback narrative of Dev D reaching Chandra’s room is interesting. However, the second half drags with repetitive content. The screenplay in the second half should have been better.
Other technical departments: Music of the film is very good with emosanal atyachar being the highlight. Cinematography deserves great applause. The biggest highlight of the film is superb cinematography that brought out exuberant and vibrant colors. Art direction is futuristic. Dialogues are crisp and efficient. Editing is fine.
Analysis: Initial part of the film is excellent and first half is good. The second half is slow and repetitive. Climax of the film is interesting. Dev D is a brave film with bold content. If you are emotionally attached with Devdas classic, Dev D’s sexual overtone, drug abuse and dark life might offend you. Otherwise, Dev D is worth a watch (not to be seen with kids or parents) for multiplex crowds.
LUCK BY CHANCE ****
Movie Review
Rating ****
Zoya Akhtar does a commendable job with this one, where not only she captures the moments from the day to day life of the Hindi film industry but also succeeds in putting things in a lighter perspective.
Why you should watch this one :
Script, Direction, Performances, Music.
Zoya Akhtar it seems is not new to Direction. She keeps you hooked for the entire movie.
Script is the backbone of any movie and this movie it seems gets that right.
Music of the movie by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy goes with the flow and is soothing to the ears.
Farhaan puts up a Power packed Performance after Rock On. He plays the Role of a struggling actor trying to find a place in Bollywood.
Everyone from Rishi Kapoor as Rolly, the Director, to Konkona Sen as struggling actress and Dimple Kapadia as the star mother do a terrific job.
Story :
The movie revolves around the most glamorous industry in India : Bollywood.
It brings to you the hardships faced by an outsider, the struggle they go through. And how Luck plays such an important factor which is aptly conveyed by the Title.
In one of the scenes from the movie, Karan Johar tells to Hrithik that its only because 11 actors left a movie that a Superstar was born, and so was the case with Darr and Bazigar.
All in all you just cant afford to miss this one. Its once in a lifetime movie which will take you into a different world.
Watch it for the star cast of the movie, for the amazingly talented Zoya and Farhaan Akhtar.
RAAZ ***
Movie Review
The Bhatt camp is known for their romance and horror types of films. 'Raaz' of 2006 falls in this category and though denied by all and sundry, 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues' also belongs to the horror genre though not similar to its predecessor 'Raaz'. After all, 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues' is rich in horror though it has other positive plus points, too. Ram Gopal Verma's 'Bhoot' may be a bit more horror-specific, but 'Phoonk' and '1920' have been equally frightening. Significantly, this is one of the most successful movies of the Bhatts inasmuch it has the best of the performances by its cast, the director as well as the music director. Mohit Suri has proved his competence without any doubt. We wish he had paid as much attention to its climax as he has devoted towards the beginning and the middle parts of the movie.
In the movie, Prithvi played by Emraan Hashmi is an artist who experiences mysterious thoughts about Nandita played by pretty Kangna Ranaut. Though Emraan has never met her yet he paints her on canvas, and also cautions her to guard against the accidents that are waiting to happen to her! Initially, Nandita dismisses Emraan as an eccentric stalker but later dares not ignore his warning. Incidentally, one of Prithvi's paintings reveals her as dead. The only way left for her is to unravel this mystery with Emraan's help! But the moot question is if she would believe Emraan and risk her love as well as her life to unravel this mystery?
In any case, even the Bhatts start believing in ghosts/ spirits, as they had to face several real problems during the shooting of the movie. Mohit and his screenplay writer Shagufta diligently build the story by depicting Emraan and Kangna Ranaut's first encounter at a mall, then inside an elevator and yet later when the spirits attack her at the New Year bash coupled with her experiences in her bathtub and also when she looks at the mirror. All these as also when angry bulls attack Emraan and Kangna lead the latter to jump off a cliff.
The credit for the success of the movie goes to Mohit Suri for his deft choice of the cast and the theme. Among its other strengths are Shagufta's tight screenplay, a spirit lilting musical score with two songs -- 'Soniyo' by Raju Singh and 'Maahi' by Sharib-Toshi -- and Ravi Walia's impressive cinematography. Most of all, the movie has an advantage of a 4-day long weekend with January 26 being a Republic Day holiday. The analysis will not be complete without admiring the excellent performances of the lead cast -- Emraan and Kangna earning laurels from the audience. Adhyayan Suman also leaves a huge impression especially towards the climax. Jackie Shroff isn't far behind and fully justifies his role though brief.
This is to remember that Kangna Ranaut was signed after Bipasha Basu declined to do this film. Similarly, Mohit Suri directed it when Anurag Basu couldn't complete the project. While Emraan is a sure shot for a Mahesh Bhatt movie, Mohit picked up Adhyayan Suman as a second hero? In spite of these changes Mohit successfully shot the movie in Britain's Yorkshire and India's Mumbai, Pune and Shimla within three months.
The love affair rumor between Adhyayan and Kangna and their hot scenes including a nude scene by Kangna, not only gave the movie a lot of publicity but also created a curiosity among the viewers. That's why the Censors gave it 'A' category certificate. It is said that the Bhatt camp may add one more movie to their Raaz brand. Incidentally, two more movies - 'Aasma' starring Hrishita Bhatt and a new face named Shubh, and Mandira Bedi's '42 kilometer' are also releasing today, though in the left over multiplexes of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA**
Movie Review
It seems Nikhil Advani is unable to deliver without Karan Johar. The Director fails again after Salaam-E-Ishq. CC2C could have been a Landmark movie something like Slumdog Millionaire but due to not so good Direction even Akshay Kumar is not able to Pull Off the movie.
In the end you wait for the movie to end somehow.
Nikhil Advani pays homage to Ramesh Sippy's movies by merging SHOLAY and SEETA AUR GEETA. But this concoction called CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is as bland as khichdi.
Come to think of it, Nikhil Advani had everything going for him. It's a dream project, what with heavyweights such as Warner Bros., Ramesh Sippy, Akhay Kumar and Gordon Liu agreeing to be a part of this mammoth project. But Nikhil slips and trips, falling flat on his face.
A masala film is always welcome. In fact, two desi films [RAB NE BANA DI JODI and GHAJINI] have been lapped up by the junta in a big way, but CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is an unbearable masala fare that insults the intelligence of the moviegoer.
The problem with CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is that it lacks a watertight screenplay to keep you glued for those 2.45 hours. Agreed, you don't look for logic and reason in hardcore potboilers, but the least the director and his team of writers could do is provide loads of entertainment. Sadly, writers Shridhar Raghavan and Rajat Aroraa make mincemeat of a plot that had the potential to woo viewers from Chandni Chowk to China to Chicago to Cape Town.
So, what's the verdict then? Enjoy Chinese food instead. This one's a big, big, big letdown!
Sidhu [Akshay Kumar] cuts vegetables at a roadside food stall in Chandni Chowk in Delhi. He longs to escape his dreary existence and looks for shortcuts -- with astrologers, tarot readers and fake fakirs -- believing anything except himself, despite his father figure Dada's [Mithun Chakraborty] best efforts.
The story takes a turn when two strangers from China claim he's a reincarnation of a war hero and take him to China. Thanks to the devious translator, a conman by the name Chopstick [Ranvir Shorey], little does he know that he is being taken to the Chinese village of vicious smuggler Hojo [Gordon Liu].
Therefore, Sidhu blissfully sets forth to China with Chopstick, who instigates dreams of a delicious future and forgets to reveal the perils, which await him. Along the way, he meets Sakhi [Deepika Padukone], who has embarked on a journey to pay homage to the land of her birth and her dead father and twin.
Hojo catches up with Sidhu and eliminates Dada right in front of everyone. Sidhu seeks revenge and finds the one man who will make him a Kungfu expert and set the village free from Hojo's tyranny.
On face-value, what do you expect from CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA? Laughter unlimited, great martial arts, a glimpse of China. But what's served on the platter is so insipid, so lame, so senseless that you wonder if there was a script in the first place. The comic scenes [that make you laugh] are few and far between. The scenes depicting martial arts are hardly exciting. Also, barring the Great Wall of China, don't expect China darshan here!
There are big holes in the script. Sample these… * How and why do the two oppressed Chinese men suddenly land up in Chandni Chowk in Delhi? Also, how do they zero on Ranvir Shorey? No explanations offered. * Deepika's track of visiting China is trite. Wasn't the twin-sister, an infant, thrown off the Great Wall of China? How did Gordon Liu suddenly decide to bring her up? * Similarly, Deepika's father was also pushed from the Great Wall, but he survives. Akshay too is beaten black and blue and thrown off [coincidentally, from the same place -- Great Wall], but is rescued mid-air by Deepika's father. Miracles never cease to occur, must add.
Post interval, Akshay undergoes a gruelling training session, but not once does the preparation give an impression that Akshay is seething with anger and vengeance. That's because the director has injected humour in these scenes and that takes away the seriousness from the plot. The climax is equally contrived and hence, makes no impact whatsoever.
Although the year 2009 has just begun, this film is sure to be a strong contender in Razzies in two departments mainly -- direction and writing. Nikhil Advani goes horribly wrong this time. As for the writers, well, they ought to take a crash course in film writing pronto. The songs are okay, with the title track and 'Naam Hai Sidhu' being the pick of the lot. The stunts [Dee Dee Ku] are plain mediocre. Even the dated martial arts' movies produced in the East offered better stuff. Himman Dhamija's cinematography lacks the picture perfect look.
Akshay Kumar is the sole saving grace, but the director hasn't tapped his potential to the fullest. Deepika Padukone is passable. Gordon Liu is decent. Ranvir Shorey is functional. Mithun Chakraborty is bland. Roger Yuan, Deepika's father in the film, is fair.
On the whole, CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is a brilliant opportunity gone appallingly wrong. The film falls way below expectations and is a major disappointment in all respects. At the box-office, the hype might translate into a bountiful weekend, that's it. Thumbs down!
GHAJINI ***
Movie Review
The wait is finally over. Ghajini is now Running across India and that too with packed houses.
First things first, Ghajini is a complete Bollywood Commercial movie with all the ingredients of a Masala Flick.
It is a Complete Aamir Khan movie where his stardom takes over the movie.
We have seen Aamir do this before, long time back in action flicks like Baazi. So Ghajini marks his comeback into the Commercial world and Aamir dosent disappoints.
Ghajini has its own twists and turns and its own special moments. The Power packed performances makes the movie alot better.
GHAJINI is a revenge saga, one ingredient that has been the staple diet of Hindi films since time immemorial. It is a powerful film. It has the power to sweep you off your feet from the word 'go'. It has a riveting story, which has been told with flourish by director A.R. Murugadoss. And, of course, it has a knockout performance by Aamir Khan. If at all there's a shred of doubt whether Aamir is The Best in the business, all you've got to do is check out GHAJINI.
Flaws any? Running time [almost 3 hours]? Not at all! There's so much happening in every scene and the screenplay is so gripping that you don't feel the need to look at the auditorium ceiling or at your watch at brief intervals. You aren't restless. As moviegoers, we've watched countless good versus evil fares over the years and although GHAJINI belongs to the same family, not once does it take the beaten track. The story has been told differently and most importantly, the story offers so many twists-n-turns that you just can't guess what would unfold
next.
Is it violent? It is, at times, but the violence here is justified. In fact, every time the protagonist bashes up the evil-doers, you clap and root for him. The climax is jaw-dropping -- dissimilar from the original, but it's an out of the world experience nonetheless.
To sum up, GHAJINI is commercial Hindi cinema at its best. The film has 'Hit' written all over it. Let me put it this way: Cancel whatever you're doing today and go watch GHAJINI instead.
Aamir Khan is suffering from acute short-term memory loss set off by the violent murder of his girlfriend Asin. He's got to work around this handicap, but with methodical and meticulous determination. Aamir etches a path of clues that lead him on his road.
To aid him in his quest, he carries around a sheaf of Polaroids and when he is really sure of a piece of information, he has it tattooed on his body, which stands in for the damaged part of his mind. His indelibly marked torso is the repository of his grief, his rage and his reason to go on living.
Any more revelation would do gross injustice to the film and to its viewer.
First things first! GHAJINI is not MEMENTO. There're minor similarities, but GHAJINI takes a completely different route to tell its story. Director A.R. Murugadoss tells this one differently. It starts off with what happens in the past, comes to the present-day, goes back in time again and returns to the contemporary again. This is a breathless, exciting story, heart-breaking and exhilarating at the same time.
Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from amnesia/memory loss, but GHAJINI is poles apart because the protagonist recalls events only for 15 minutes. The story is its USP, without a doubt. But what adds sheen and glory to the story is Aamir's portrayal of a man suffering from short-term memory loss. Aamir hardly speaks. In fact, the leading lady [Asin] speaks more than Aamir in the film. But Aamir speaks volumes with his eyes, he conveys whatever has to be conveyed through his body language, he says it all with his facial expressions and that only makes GHAJINI a memorable, never-seen-before experience.
Director A.R. Murugadoss deserves brownie points for not just coming up with an interesting story, but also presenting it [refreshingly] differently. The storyteller balances the light moments and the ones demanding intensity with expertise. There's dum in every sequence. Even if the director has to depict violence, he doesn't resort to blood-n-gore or knives-swords-pistols for effect.
A.R. Rahman's music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable stamp of a genius -- 'Guzarish', 'Behka' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Ravi Chandran's cinematography is stunning. The film bears a stylish look all through. The action sequences are brilliantly executed. The Hindi moviegoers haven't seen such scenes ever.
Aamir delivers his career-best performance. In the first place, it requires courage and maturity to name the film after the villain. Knowing how egoistic our stars are, something like this is next to impossible in Hindi films.
A lot has been said and written about the GHAJINI look -- Aamir's hairstyle and his dream physique. It's awe-inspiring and if more and more people adopt the 'Aamir look' or hit the gym, it would be courtesy the actor.
Unlike Surya who didn't show much of his body in the original, Aamir Khan uses every opportunity to show off his now-famous eight-pack-abs. There isn't much of dialogue in this role but his angry outbursts are a treat to watch. Aamir adds his own touch to both the humorous and the intense portions of the film. Age is however showing on his face especially in the close ups. Asin makes a confident debut leaving a lasting impression in the minds of the viewer. Her chatterbox character Kalpana reminds you of Kareena in Jab We Met. But those comparisons aside she lights up the screen every time she appears. This was a role she had perfected in Tamil so it would be interesting to see how Asin performs in her forthcoming projects. Jiah Khan and her accent make little impact. Whereas villain Pradeep Rawat, who plays the title character deserved more footage and better lines.
On the whole Ghajini is not a boring film by any stretch of imagination and packs in enough punch through its running time. But the massive buildup does not translate into an exceptional cinematic experience. It is much ado about nothing. Aamir is both the film's biggest strength as well as weakness. His presence and star power take the film to another level. The brownie points the film earns are only thanks to Aamir who saves it from being just another action flick. It's his most commercial performance in a long time. One that doesn't aim for greatness but is wholesome nevertheless. Having said that, the expectations one has from an Aamir film aren't quite met in terms of content. Aamir's filmography reveals the two sides of this versatile actor. If Ghajini works it will be clubbed with Raja Hindustani and Fanaa instead of Rang De Basanti or Taare Zameen Par.
Verdict: Watch it only for Aamir and the well-shot action sequences.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE*****
Movie Review
Starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal
Director: Danny Boyle
First things first Slumdog Millionaire is a movie about two people and there lives, how they arise from Rags to Riches, how they grow up in the Slums of Mumbai and there continuous fight for living. Its a Movie in a lifetime where someone dares to unravel the real India.
Danny Boyle takes you through a gripping story picked up from the Slums of Mumbai.
The movie is shot entirely in India with major portions in Mumbai. After watching this movie you are able to realize what makes it the most accepted International movie of 2008. It has not only broken records Overseas but also received rare Critical acclaims. And surely this movie leaves you with some thought for the people for whom Life has a different meaning and value.
For in the end you are made to realize that Love and Happiness are two major things which always elude you.
With the Starcast of the movie giving some real life performances and the realities highlighted throughout this becomes a must watch.
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel of the British TV series "Skins"), the slumdog of the title, turns out to be an impoverished 18-year-old orphan who works hurriedly serving tea to harried telephone solicitors in the great city of Mumbai.
We see Jamal in two places almost at once in the film's cross-cut opening. He's on stage on the "Millionaire" telecast, being needled by Prem (Anil Kapoor), the show's arrogant host. And he's also in a police station the night before the final telecast, being brutally interrogated ("Slumdog" is rated R for "some violence, disturbing images and language") because no one can believe that such a lowly, uneducated person has been able to answer all the questions that he has.
To get back on the show for the final question -- by explaining to the dubious police inspector (Irfan Khan) how he came to know what he does -- Jamal has to tell him (and us) the story of his life, a story where, in true Frank Capra fashion, chance, luck, suffering and street smarts all play major parts.
Jamal's companion in most things is his older brother, Salim (Madhur Mittal), a hard-headed cynic where Jamal is a passionate dreamer, the kind of kid who is willing, in one of the film's most piquant scenes, to literally wade through the offal from an outhouse to get to his hero, Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan.
Because Jamal's and Salim's lives are full of incident despite their youth, it takes three actors apiece to tell their stories. The youngest of them are Hindi-speaking street kids whom casting director Loveleen Tandan (whose work was so crucial that Boyle gives her a co-director credit) both discovered and worked with closely.
As Jamal describes the specific incidents that led to his being able to answer each of the quiz show questions, he is simultaneously telling several stories, tales of the link between brothers, the never-ending battle with poverty, the lure and pitfalls of crime and the rapid modernization of India.
But most of all -- and it wouldn't be a Hollywood-style movie if this weren't true -- he's telling a romantic story as well, a tale of love at first sight with the beautiful Latika (played as an adult by Freida Pinto), a love that has to fight against all manner of privations, disappointments and despair.
To make this kind of story modern, Boyle and his team, especially cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantel and editor Chris Dickens, have told it in the jazziest way possible, breaking things up into numerous then and now sections and making the dark elements (like the torture used in the initial police interview) much darker than would have been the case in Hollywood's prime. The Warner brothers would have blanched at that, but they would have loved this story, and in that they would have been far from alone.
The Music of the movie is something special. AR Rahman has again proved that
there are very few in India and Internationally to give him any competition. The music haunts you throughout with scores for every moment in the movie.
It is then easy to say that Movies like Slumdog are needed to make inroads into a different style and world of cinema.
A must watch for all.
RAB NE BANA DI JODI***
Movie Review
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak
Director: Aditya Chopra
Call it the magic of Shah Rukh Khan which still spellbounds you and leaves you asking for more. Rab ne belongs in its entirety to SRK and the character he portrays.
Surinder Sahni is the character he plays. A simple guy who leads a normal life, working from 9-5 in a Sarkari Daftar.He has a best friend who revels in the name of Bobby aka Balwinder (Vinay). And he’s just acquired a new wife, Taani (Anushka), who’s mourning the untimely exit of an old love.
Tiny three-membered cast, instead of the standard full-scale Yashraj ‘baraat’. Middle-class homes and offices, instead of ornate palaces and Swiss chalets.
A hero who wears a thick moustache, black-framed spectacles, and pants which don’t fit. And a simple, unmade-up heroine, dressed, for the most part, in ‘salwaar kameez’ and ‘phulkari dupattas’. No, gulp, pastel chiffons. Could this really be Yashraj turning over a welcome new leaf ? Uh huh : the outlines of the characters are new, but the brush-strokes that fill in the whole, aren’t. In its telling, the few fresh touches in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ are overpowered by those that are all too familiar.
It opens with one of the oldest tricks in the book – dying dad asking hero to wed heroine. You’re still getting over that when the film whisks you off to Amritsar, where Surinder and Taani’s love story is destined to unfold. It begins well—they sleep sweetly in separate rooms, and swap such winsome exchanges as her saying ‘aap lucky ho ji, ki aap ko kabhi pyaar nahin hua’, with him replying, a tad poetically, ‘isse zyada pyar ki na toh mujhe aadat hai na zaroorat’.
Whenever SRK plays an average joe, he scores. Surinder Sahni is all set to be one of his most loved parts—his Punjabi ‘leheja’ and his quiet bashfulnesss is pitch-perfect. But superstars can’t be made to appear ill-dressed wimps who don’t know how to keep their women in the kitchen, when, of course, they are not being meek and pliant in the bedroom.
SRK’s double role arrives in the guise of Raj, and this version is very up to the Amritsar minute—skintight tee, ripped jeans, spiked hair. And there you have it, another creaky nostrum—dull office-going Surinder, or boisterous, brash Raj, what’s a Taani to do?
Anushka makes a confident debut, but there’s only so much they can do to keep us engaged for a long 2 hours 40 minutes. The rest of it is same old.
Yashraj set the gold standard for youthful romance back in 1995: ‘DDLJ’ retrieved the kind of lover that Hindi movies had lost to lust and violence. What we get in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ (I doubt if it will ever be shortened to ‘RNBDJ’), like in their inflated movies of the past couple of years, is a flurry of the ideas that have worked in the past. ‘Aap toh Dhoom 3 ho, ji’, says Raj, applauding Taani’s motorbike-riding skills.
And you cannot get more self-referential than having your hero say ‘yeh dilwala apni dulhaniya le hi jayega’: that’s seriously scraping the barrel.
‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ has some sparkling moments, featuring Surinderji Sahni. The rest is done that, seen this. Are there any new ideas left in the Yashraj chest? Now is the time to delve deep.
But its a movie packed with emotions something like a Yash Raj flick promises.
There are moments when Sahni Ji will bring tears in your eyes, remember Veer Zaara.
All said and done, its the Starcast of the movie and few humming numbers which uplift the movie. And there are no guesses for who the winner is : SRK.
DIL KABADDI ***
Movie Review
Cast: Irrfan, Soha Ali Khan, Rahul Bose, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rahul Khanna, Payal Rohatgi, Saba Azad
Director: Anil Senior
Spanking. Whips. Masks. The only thing missing is handcuffs. Or maybe they got shoved under the jumble of sheets on the bed, during the strenuous activity thereon?
Dil Kabaddi tells you Everything You Wanted To Know About An Urban Marriage But Were Too Petrified To Ask: four years down the line, boredom sets in (whatever happened to the seven year itch?), and there are enough men (and women) out there who are itching to romp, regardless of marital vows. Fidelity, what’s that?
Meet Samit (Irrfan) and Mita (Soha), who turn the constant sniping into separation. Their best friends Rishi (Rahul Bose) and Simi (Konkona) are at a similar pass, but they don’t know it. Yet. Mita’s too intellectual, declares Samit, and clutches the willing bosom of yoga instructor Kaya (Payal). Rishi, who teaches nubile young ladies the art of writing, starts coming on to a kohl-eyed, sexy student (Saba). Your script is sooo wonderful, he says. Really sir, she smiles, all lush invitation.
Everyone is too something: Samit is too bored, Mita is too fond of art movies, Rishi is too pliant, and Simi is too passive-aggressive. Even the bit players are excessive: Kaya is too into soups and salads, and screaming, and Veer (Rahul Khanna) is too much of a wuss to do anything. In the beginning, it’s all quite amusing: we know people like this, and yeah, marriages can turn into dull swamps where the only excitement seems to come from the outside, and the only people who can spark it are sensualists in touch with their hot bods. The main leads look as if they could be couples in real life, and some of the lines are very, very funny.
Where it scores is in the way Dil Kabaddi talks, unself-consciously and very naturally, of sex, and size, and inflatable dolls, and long-lashed whips (“Yeh Bandra se liya ya Bangkok se?”), and other objects of that nature. But having pushed Bollywood’s carnal boundaries, the film seems to lose its way, and doesn’t quite know how to wrap. So Samit wants to come back to Mita, so what? So Simi is agonising, yet again, about Veer. Wow, really. By the end, when the bedsprings have stopped creaking, and the pairs have shuffled into new positions, you’re quite happy to let the quartet be. Or should that be a sextet?
OH, MY GOD **
Movie Review
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, Saurabh Shukla, Harsh Chhaya, Gaurav Gera
Director: Saurabh Srivastava
What if, one fine day, God comes to earth, and tries fulfilling your deepest desire? Oh, My God borrows its central idea from Bruce Almighty by putting Saurabh Shukla in a very Morgan Freeman-like white suit and white shoes, but the ‘bhagwaan’ in Oh My God is an eater: he devours pizza slices, burgers and wafers by the minute.
That’s one of the funnier parts of this film, which mines its familiar territory for small laughs. Vinay Pathak plays an office-goer whose prime wish is to become a millionaire, by pushing a money-spinning scheme on unwilling individuals. Loving wife Divya Dutta is all for him, even when he fumbles, and stumbles, at every step.
Oh, My God is a nice, quirky tale, but it’s come too soon after Dasvidaniya, which had almost this same bunch of actors: Vinay Pathak should be careful of being confined to the ordinary-guy-next-door roles, because it can get too much of a muchness, even for a performer of his calibre. How about playing a deranged killer next?
OYE LUCKY ! LUCKY OYE !
Movie Review
Now here's a chor who robs just about everything -- car, TV, music system, crockery, artefacts, furniture, even dry fruits, also a pomeranian. Whatever he can lay his hands on. Dibakar Banerjee's OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! is, reportedly, straight out of real life. A conman who gave sleepless nights to many a cop in Delhi.
A couple of summers ago, Shaad Ali's BUNTY AUR BABLI focussed on two thieves, who went on a robbing spree, sporting a different guise every time they played the con game. OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! traces the journey of a teenager who grew up in one of those crowded bylanes of Delhi and slowly and gradually took to the world of crime.
Set in Delhi, like Dibakar's debut vehicle KHOSLA KA GHOSLA, OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! has its heart in the right place and that's made abundantly clear 15 minutes into the film. But the problem is its waferthin storyline. Things get repetitive after a point.
It tells the story of Lucky [Abhay Singh], whose modus operandi is to outsmart people, chowkidars and policemen with his sharp mind and wit. He is an aspiring individual who loves the good things in life and is generally enamoured by the lifestyles of the rich and affluent Delhi families.
OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! traces Lucky's journey from a middle class boy to a popular thief.
OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! starts off really well. The teenage years of Lucky, his relationship with his father, his first crush, his friends... the seeds are sown rightly. But once Lucky starts committing one crime after another, the story stagnates. There's no dramatic twist in the tale and that is its biggest flaw.
Gangster films with Mumbai flavour are restricted to Mumbai/Maharashtra mainly. Similarly, a film like OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! has its share of limitations because you can't expect the film to find universal acceptance due to its Delhi-centric theme and flavour.
Despite the shortcomings, there's no denying that Dibakar Banerjee is a director with potential. He has been faithful to the material, making the goings-on look believable. There's not much scope for music in the film, although Dibakar should've played the title track at all significant points throughout the film.
Abhay Deol excels in a role that offers him ample scope to display histrionics. From a gawky youngster in SOCHA NA THA to a conman in OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE!, Abhay has only evolved with the passage of time. Paresh Rawal is magnificent yet again. He gets to portray three diverse roles and he lives up to the demands of the script. He's terrific as the shrewd and calculating doctor.
Neetu Chandra makes her presence felt in an enterprise that doesn't really belong to her. Archana Puransingh is fantastic and compliments Paresh beautifully. The actor enacting the role of Abhay's friend is competent.
On the whole, OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! is a well-executed enterprise, which has its share of limitations. At the box-office, the film caters to the Northern audience mainly -- Delhi and Punjab specifically. Besides North, the plexes in Mumbai should fare slightly better.
YUVRAAJ **
Movie Review
Director : Subhash Ghai
Music : AR Rahman
Cast : Salmaan Khan, Anil Kapooor, Katrina Kaif,Boman Irani
Yuvaraaj is an attempt by the Showman Subhash Ghai to reinforce the Family Values which have somehow got lost in todays world. Its an attempt to bring back the Cultural Values which is quite rare to see today.
Well the film could have been better if more stress would have been given to the Story and Screenplay.
The movie fails to impress in the initial stages when you feel there is nothing more than Katrina Kaif to watch out for. She looks stunning and again proves that she holds more promise as an actress than many of the current actors.
The movie gains momentum once Anil Kapoor pitches in. The family values strike chord with the audience but the thing is Audience is expecting something different. With films like Hum Saath Saath Hain and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham which have already explored the age old family values this one fails to impress.
Salmaan is good in Emotional Scenes but he agin fails to deliver the kind of performance one expects in the character he plays.
Its quite difficuilt to understand why Subhash Ghai targets the NRI Audience when the fact is they are also looking for some gripping storyline and solid direction.
The movie is good in parts but those are real few.
Movie Soryline:
Deven Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan, sleepwalking) is a chorus singer with the Prague Orchestra, where Anushka (Katrina Kaif) is the star Cellist. They are in love, but her father Dr Banton (Boman Irani in Groucho Marx get-up), a doctor who lives in a house that looks like a museum, won't hear of them getting married. Instead, he wants his daughter to marry the evilly-grinning son of a pair of stupefied looking "millionaires from South Africa."
Then Deven's billionaire father dies, and he hopes his share of the fortune will change Banton's mind, but the lawyer (Mithun Chakraborty) reveals that neither Deven nor his playboy-gambler brother Danny (Zayed Khan) have got anything, the billions have gone to their autistic half brother Gyanesh (Anil Kapoor). There is a regular menagerie of uncles, aunts, cousins, servants, children, (a particularly eerie bald kid) and a slinky noodle-strapped vamp, all supposedly in London, but in a haveli, all living off the Yuvvraaj fortunes, when nobody seems to be actually working to earn it.
Deven and Danny gang up to entice Gyanesh and get their hands on some of the money – "just my share" as Deven keeps whining—but Anushka discovers his autism and his musical "genius" – the billionaire father never even took him to a doctor?
In the end, they understand the value of family bonding and, well, that's it. For this, one has to suffer almost three hours of unintended comedy and the sun coming out of the clouds only when the beauteous Katrina is on screen.
Performances :
Anil Kapoor gives a good performance and plays his character quite honestly. Even he cant manage to Pull a movie like this.
Audience is forced to think that why the only "Actor" in the film is given this character.
Salmaan Khan it seems was asked to give up his accent and play a character somewhat like hil older versions of family dramas.
He is good in parts but again fails to leave his charm.
Katrina is someone to look out for. Her innocence and charm instantly appeal to you and you expect more of her.
Rest of the starcast including Zayed Khan fail to impress.
In the end Yuvraaj turns out to be another debacle from the Showman. With movies like Dostana and Fashion already doing good business this will find it difficuilt to even run for a week.
All the actors act like they were in a different film—from old Madras melodrama (Anil Kapoor) to Parsi theatre farce (Boman Irani), and there was no directorial control. The lyrics (Gulzar) are bizarre and the music… well not Rahman's 'Taal' quality.
DOSTANA IS JUST FANTASTIC****
Movie Review
It has been long since an Indian Fim has managed to make everyone laugh there hearts out in the theatre. Forget India even in US and UK people cannot hold there laughter back even on subjects like Gay Relationships and double meaning talks. That is the magic Dostana is Creating with its amazing Screenplay Direction and Performances.
It will make you forget your tensions and just relax and have fun.
And not only that Dostana has some good storyline also. It brings back the memories of Friendship and refreshes your outlook on relationships between two men or for that matter between a boy and a girl.
There is something which Clicks instantly when you sit to watch this movie. John, Abhishek,Priyanka, Boman all churn out some amazing comedy stuff.
Something which maybe Munna and Circuit created or for that matter Amir and Salmaan in Andaz Apna Apna.
This movie could have been boring or maybe irritating if the direction or for that matter if someone other than Dharma Productions would have taken the job.
All thumbs up for Karan Johar and his fantastic team. They not only thought out of the box but also managed to handle the "GAY" angle so well without hurting any sentiments.
The movie is about two people from different walks of life looking for an accomodation. But no one is ready to take them since they are bachelors.
Abhishek(Sam) and John(Kunal) are desperately looking for an accomodation when they have to pretend as being a Gay couple to share an apartment with Gorgeous Priyanka.
Then the series of events which start to take place make you sit up and laugh.
Right from the story which Abhishek narrates about how the two of them fell for each other to Kiron Khers realization that her son is gay. The movie unfolds a series of surprises and leaves you falling in love with the characters.
Bobby Deols character in the movie is short but he suits the character to perfection. As the CEO of a Magazine Company he is so well composed and plays his character without doing any extra bit.
All in all the series of laughters and twists associated with the movie make you hooked to your seat.
And the most important thing : the music is simply amazing with all hit tracks making your foot tap, the performances of John,Abhishek and Priyanka with amazing sense of comic timing and also the parts played by Boman Irani and Kiran Kher just make the movie more special.
All and all a fun film to watch.
Thanks KARAN .....
QUANTUM OF SOLACE****
Movie Review
Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric
Director: Marc Forster
Well, it was always going to be a tall order following up Casino Royale, the movie that relaunched Bond as an anti-hero for the 21st century and proved to be his finest outing since Sean Connery’s heyday. Not for nothing was it awarded a six-star rating on these very pages two years ago.
Unsurprisingly, Quantum Of Solace isn’t in the same league. While a respectable addition to the Bond canon with another powerhouse performance from Daniel Craig, it’s still a bit of a disappointment. Think Return Of The Jedi after The Empire Strikes Back, or Ocean’s 12 after 11.
Picking up from the last film – making it the first proper 007 sequel – we catch up with our hero in his Aston Martin being chased along clifftop roads by a pair of Alfa Romeos with machine gun-toting passengers.
Villains duly dispatched, we barely have time to draw breath before Bond is leaping over piazza rooftops to catch another bad guy who may know who killed his girlfriend Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale.
This time, the inevitable world-saving plot revolves around the mysterious Quantum organisation, headed by the ruthless Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) who’s supporting a coup against the Bolivian government. But foiling the plan isn’t top of Bond’s to-do list. Instead, he’s out to avenge Vesper’s death – a journey which takes him, in true 007 fashion, to a string of exotic locations around the world. Meanwhile, his exasperated boss M (Judi Dench) sends Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton) to bring the rogue agent back home.
So what’s good? Well, Craig is as mesmerising as ever, almost as if he’s sticking up two fingers to all those – including some on this very paper – who said he wasn’t the man for the job. It’s great to see 007 evolving as a character, growing darker and meaner and not once delivering his trademark line, “The name’s Bond… James Bond”.
Olga Kurylenko, as Greene’s conflicted moll Camille, also stands out – not just fulfilling her contractual obligation to hang off our hero’s arm in a cocktail dress, but actually seeming like a real person.
The action scenes – which probably ate up much of the movie’s £130m budget – come thick and fast, and include a set-piece aerial dogfight as 007, at the wheel of a battered cargo plane, attempts to evade a pair of fighter jets. Yet sequences like this, which should be the film’s high points, are its weakest moments. That airborne stand-off may look great but it doesn’t set the pulse racing, while an early boat chase is over before it begins. Things aren’t helped by some frenzied editing which presents us with highlights of the action rather than the full picture.
I suspect much of the problem lies with director Marc Foster. While he’s made some great films (The Kite Runner, Finding Neverland), this is his first action movie and he doesn’t yet seem to know where all the buttons are.
Whatever its drawbacks, Quantum Of Solace is a solid, enjoyable Bond film whose biggest problem is the shadow of Casino Royale.
THE REEL LOWDOWN:
BEST QUOTE: Dominic Greene on 007: “Everything he touches withers and dies.”
BEST BIT: Craig is once again on fire.
WORST BIT: Many of the action scenes disappoint.
EK VIVAAH AISA BHI***
Movie Review
Banner: Rajshri Productions Pvt Ltd
Cast: Sonu Sood, Isha Koppikar, Alok Nath, Smita Jaykar, Srivallabh Vyas, Anang Desai, Vishal Malhotra, Chhavi Mittal, Amrita Prakash, Kunal Kumar, Daman Baggan, Ritu Vasishtha, Jaya Bhattacharya, Anand Abhyankar
Direction: Kaushik Ghatak
Production: Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Tarachand Barjatya, Rajkumar Barjatya, Ajit Kumar Barjatya,
Some things can never change. And never will! One may have a very modern outlook towards life, but most of us continue to be very traditional at heart. Every Rajshri film is rich in emotions and mirrors the traditions and culture with utmost simplicity and understanding. EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI is no exception!
The present-day adaptation of Rajshri's own classic TAPASYA [Raakhee, Parikshit Sahni], EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI is a simple story of sacrifice that aims at pulling your heart strings. Every Rajshri film works for two reasons -- the storyline and strong emotions -- and EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI follows the tradition well.
Of course, a story like the one in this film may seem regressive to the multiplex junta of metros, but the fact remains that cinema is all about narrating stories and EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI has a strong story to tell. Besides, there're ample moments in this film that strike a chord, that touch the core of your heart, that make you moist-eyed. And that's where this film scores big time.
It's really disheartening to note that family sagas have actually disappeared from the face of Hindi movies. Come, watch EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI with your family and re-connect with your roots!
Chandni [Isha Koppikar] belongs to a middle class family, living in one of the tiny bylanes of Bhopal. She lives with her father and younger siblings -- Anuj [Master Amey Pandya/Vishal Malhotra] and Sandhya [Baby Ishita Panchal/Amrita Prakash]. Chandni, who is deeply attached to her school-going brother and sister, is trained in classical and folk music. During a stage performance, she falls in love with Prem [Sonu Sood]. Prem hails from a rich business family.
Life is picture perfect, until on the day of their engagement, Chandni's father [Alok Nath] passes away. Suddenly, she becomes the eldest in her family. On one hand, her mehendi adorned hands beckon her to the dream home of her fiancé. On the other hand are her younger siblings whom she cannot take along. Chandni decides not to marry, so that she can raise her little brother and sister with self respect.
Prem understands her and waits for Chandni for twelve long years, until she fulfils all the responsibilities as an elder sister.
Debutante director Kaushik Ghatak [a known name on television circuit] remains faithful to the subject material and most importantly, captures the sensitive moments well. The tale of sacrifice has been witnessed time and again, but it works only if the characters make you cry, even weep. In the latter part of EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI, you can't stop tears rolling down your cheeks at several points in the story, especially the Raksha Bandhan sequence and towards the end, when the brother returns with his wife. Rajshri has placed ample trust in Ghatak and the debutante doesn't let you down one bit.
On the flipside, the music [Ravindra Jain] could've been better. 'Mujhme Zinda Hai Woh' is the only track that merits a mention. Also, too many songs in the first hour put you off after a point. Dialogues are good at places.
Both Sonu Sood and Isha Koppikar vie for top honours. Sonu is restrained, mature and acts the part well. Isha is first-rate, exuding simplicity and strength that this character demands. Alok Nath is very good. Ditto for Vallabh Vyas and Smita Jaykar. Vishal Malhotra springs a surprise. He's excellent. Chhavi Mittal is effective as the sister-in-law. Amrita Prakash doesn't get much scope. Anang Desai is okay.
On the whole, EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI is akin to a delicious Indian thali in times of Pastas and Pizzas. You may opt for international cuisine at times, but Indian food, for an Indian at heart, would never go out of vogue. At the box-office, expectedly, the film may start slow, but it has the merits to climb the ladder with each passing show. The strategy of releasing the film at single screens and that too at limited centres makes wise business sense, since EK VIVAAH... AISA BHI is not the multiplex kind of movie. Business at single screens of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar should be the best.
HEROES **
Movie Review
After two debacles, it’s obvious that one would put his heart and soul to make the third one a massive hit. Similar is the case of director Samir Karnik. Samir after encountering failure (Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Nanhe Jaisalmer) has applied all techniques and included power house of star cast for making Heroes rich in star value. The film looks very bright in picturization and locations are eye-catching. The film did have all masala of a commercial entertainment but still failed to attract the audience on scripting ground.
Heroes is very strong on emotional front. Characters on the uniform of a soldier doesn't mean that it is totally based on a story of war and bloodshed or anti-Pakistan issue but yes patriotism is at the backdrop. The movie successfully speaks about the pain and tension that one goes through when his or her dear ones remain miles away from them safeguarding their nation and people. Simultaneously, it tells the agony of the family whose beta or husband faces death. Amidst everything, something is missing in Heroes. The characters are well placed and also they played their part finely but what lacks in the film is the blood and soul, the director told the story in a very ordinary way which is not acceptable in today’s world of flamboyance.
The story encircles around two youths Saand (Sohail Khan) and Nawab (Vatsal Seth). They are both students of film studies and as per the curriculum, they are assigned to make movie. On the suggestion of their classmate Amrita Arora’s war journalist cousin (Monish Behl), they took up Indian soldiers a subject matter of their studies. They move from one part to another to deliver three letters to those families who has lost their loved ones.
The first family they met is in Punjab, the second in Manali, and the third in Leh. On meeting those families and on experiencing their pain for losing their loved ones, they are moved and got to encounter the bitter truth of life. At that point, they realized that life is not a bed of roses, it also contains many hardships.
Salman Khan best suited in the role of a soldier. Really his Sardar getup is quite promising and he is completely up to his character. Preity Zinta is as usual fine. Her Punjabi conversation is top-notch. Sohail Khan showed his acting capability, he is first-class in his role. Sunny Deol is as usual superb. Mithun Chakraborty showed maturity in acting. Dwij Yadav is superlative. Prateeksha Lonkar is fine. Amrita Arora and Ria Sen are okay. Bobby Deol is excellent in cameo.
Speaking about the other aspects of the flick, Binod Pradhan and Gopal Shah's cinematography is up to the mark. It’s appealing. Sajid-Wajid's music is an advantage. Dialogues are magnificent at some sequences.
In a nutshell, Heroes is mediocre to watch and do not have a mass appeal. The story idea is noble and pure, but people are already fed up with their own problem and they do not want to moist their eyes anymore by watching such a rona-dhona flick. Preity and Salman factor may drag some audience to the theatre. As the festive season continues, it may refresh one’s mind. Box office collection will not be much favorable.
GOLMAAL RETURNS **
Movie Review
Fun Cinemas Show Timings
09:15 AM,12:15 PM,01:45 PM,03:15 PM,06:15 PM
09:15 PM,11:00 PM
Star Cast: Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, Arshad Warsi and Shreyas Talpade; Director: Rohit Shetty
Golmaal Returns tells the story of Gopal (Devgan) who along with his wife Ekta (Kareena) stays together house along with sister Esha (Amrita) and a dumb brother in law Lucky (Tusshar). Ekta’s is a very suspecting wife whose suspicion habit is further influenced by watching Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji TV serials. One night, Gopal has to spend the night out with a beautiful young lady Mira Nair (Celina) on a yacht due to some unforeseen circumstances. But to avoid any misunderstanding with his wife, he lies to her that he was with his friend Anthony Gonsalves that night. One lie leads to another and Gopal to save his skin has to involve his junior, Laxman (Shreyas) but then a corpse of his office employee is found and the investigating officer happens to be Madhav (Arshad) whom Gopal hates. All this leads to a huge chaos where everyone is busy hiding something and ending up lying to one another to avoid further problems!
It needs to be made clear that the film is not actually a sequel of the hit comic caper Golmaal (2006) by the same team. It just has the same four main protagonists of the original in a different situation. Shreyas comes in place of Sharman Joshi though. Golmaal Returns aims to be a light entertainer which expects you leave your brains at home before you enter the cinema hall. But if it aims so then it’s the maker’s responsibility to keep you engaged with some really entertaining histrionics by everyone involved with the film. To begin with the plot is banal. It instantly gives one a feeling of déjà vu. There is nothing new in the offering. The plot situations aim to be hilarious but the writing is so weak that it all falls flat. It is then only the actors who give out their best and make the film a little bit bearable. Rohit Shetty had committed the same mistake in his last outing, Sunday where he managed to assemble a talented cast but failed to pack in the right content that could compliment them. No wonder the film flopped badly at the box office.
To be fair there are a few funny situations here and there but they appear funnier only because of the actors enacting them, especially Tusshar and Shreyas. One also fails to understand why the makers felt like poking fun of Ekta’s Balaji serials when it was just done to bad results in the recently released flop C Kkompany also starring Tusshar Kapoor! While C Kkompany had Ekta Kapoor’s K series serial actress Sakshi Tanwar making an appearance you have another Ekta protégé, Ram Kapoor making a special appearance to zero effect! One of the biggest contributing factors to Golmaal’s success was Paresh Rawal. How one wishes he was there as a main character in this film as well!
Amongst the actors, the ones who impress the most are Shreyas Talpade and Tusshar Kapoor. Ajay and Kareena do well but don’t really make a good pair. Poor Arshad Warsi gets the least scope as compared to others despite being excellent in his comic timing. Amrita Arora continues with her dumb belle act. Celina for a change fully clothed manages to bring a few smiles. Murli Sharma, Rakhi Vijan, Ashwini Kalsekar, Vrajesh Hirjee and Mukesh Tiwari lend good support.
The music by Pritam is average barring Tha Karke which is very lavishly shot and is entertaining to watch.
If you expect more fun in Golmaal Returns than Golmaal then you are going to be in for a major disappointment. So venture in if you wish with zero expectations and there are chances you might enjoy a moment or two but the end result wouldn’t be that satisfactory!
At the end Golmal Returns is a major let down in terms of content.
FASHION ***
Movie Review
Fun Cinemas Show Timings
09:45 AM,11:30 AM,02:45 PM,04:30 PM,06:15 PM
07:45 PM,10:15 PM
Director : Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mughda Godse
Are you ready for an expose on the fashion industry? Where designers pass off 'Indira Market, Bangkok' stuff as their own creation. Where ad agency/fashion mag honchos call the shots. Wild lifestyles, backstage dramas, wardrobe malfunction, casting couch… ouch, ouch, ouch!
Madhur Bhandarkar, the undisputed king of realistic fares, comes up with yet another hard-hitting film that enlightens you, moves you, motivates and deflates you, even shocks and surprises you and of course, entertains you.
The solid reason why FASHION works is because Madhur brings alive everything you've read in newspapers or watched on TV as an outsider, to the big screen. And that works and how!
But let's not give the subject material all importance, for Madhur's handling of the subject is exemplary. Madhur dresses up his mannequins well, but most importantly, infuses life in those prime bodies. A number sequences leave you tongue-tied [more on that later].
But there's a hitch. And this problem tones down the impact considerably. The running tine of almost 2.40 hours makes you restless, especially the penultimate 25-odd minutes. Yet, all said and done, FASHION has all it takes to be the showstopper this Diwali!
FASHION tells the story of a small-town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality. Meghna [Priyanka Chopra] is ambitious, she wants to attain the status of a supermodel. She realises her dreams and rises to walk the ramps for leading designers across India.
But Meghna has to pay the price for her fame and her journey to the top. Her career starts sliding downwards. In this journey of Meghna, she encounters a number of people. Most importantly, Shonali [Kangna Ranaut] and Janet [Mugdha Godse]. Also, Abhijit Sareen [Arbaaz Khan], a tycoon who controls the fashion industry.
CHANDNI BAR, PAGE 3, SATTA, CORPORATE, TRAFFIC SIGNAL -- every Madhur Bhandarkar film has a new story to tell and he tells it most convincingly. In fact, Madhur strikes a fine balance between realism and entertainment in every film. Given the fact that FASHION is all about the fashion industry, the narrative is inevitably filled with lots of glam-n-glitz moments. The fashion shows, the stunning models, the superb styling, the vibrant colours and the behind the scenes drama is worth every penny spent on the ticket.
But it's not just ramp shows and style-n-fashion here. There's a story running concurrently -- of three models. One, the rise of an unknown into a supermodel. Two, the fall of a supermodel to dust. Three, the ambitious model not achieving success, but opting for a marriage of convenience.
While Madhur has handled the theme as if he were an insider, this review would be incomplete if you ignore two major sequences that are simply outstanding. One, Kangna's wardrobe malfunction and two, when Priyanka exposes Arbaaz to his wife [Suchitra Pillai].
Mahesh Limaye's cinematography captures every aspect of the fashion industry to the fullest. The screenplay [Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Ajay Monga] is perfect, except for the penultimate portions. Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are fantastic. Nitin Chandrakant Desai's production design is truly upmarket. The costumes and styling are top notch, a feast for the eyes. Salim-Sulaiman's music is well synchronised as well. 'Mar Jaava' and 'Jalwa' are lilting creations.
Madhur places immense trust on Priyanka and she is remarkable all through, more towards the second hour. Post AITRAAZ, FASHION is another medal that shines the brightest when you look at her body of work. But the real star is Kangna. Her role may not be as lengthy as that of Priyanka, but the actress pitches in an awesome performance. Her confidence at the very start is infectious and her overall performance deserves an ovation.
Mugdha Godse is, again, supremely confident. She has dum. Arbaaz Khan is first-rate. Arjan Bajwa does well. Harsh Chhaya, the gay designer, stands out with a realistic performance. Ashwin Mushran, Priyanka's confidante, is top notch. Samir Soni is good. Suchitra Pillai and Kittu Gidwani are effectual. Raj Babbar and Kiran Juneja are seasoned in such roles.
On the whole, FASHION has tremendous curiosity value and also shock value for the Indian audiences. Its subject -- the behind the scenes working and drama of the fashion industry -- is its USP. At the box-office, the pre-release hype and buzz will ensure a successful run for the film. Its business at multiplexes mainly should be bountiful. However, trimming the film will only help; not only will it enhance the film, but also its business. Must watch!
Synopsis:
The journey of the rise and fall and phoenix like re-birth of India's number one Supermodel.
Set against the glittering backdrop of the glamorous but ruthless world of haute couture fashion, this tells the story of one small town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality.
Meghna Mathur knew in her bones that she was meant to be famous. Ever ambitious and bright with stars in her eyes, even as a girl with conservative parents from a small north Indian town - she dared to dream of bright lights and the big city...
The world of fashion - the clothes, the colors, the make-up. . . all of these form a part of a fascinating world that Meghna longed to be a part of.
Meghna never wanted to compromise on anything on her journey to success - as she puts it - whoever said intelligent women couldn't be glamorous?
She reaches the peak of her success and rises to walk the ramps for leading designers across India.
The fashion world lies at her feet - the parties, the brand endorsements, the photographers, the models, the romance and of course - the shows, the shows, the shows!
However karma catches up with Meghna as she slowly starts to pay the price for her fame and her journey to the top.
Her attempt at a comeback was going to be a near impossibility . . .
However she was never a woman to turn away from a challenge...
"Fashion" explores the world of style through the emotional personal journeys of the key people that make the industry - the dream-weavers of that elaborate world of glamour: the models, designers, photographers, businessmen, agencies etc.
In the world of image - makers - is it possible to conquer it and remain true to yourself?
KIDNAP*
Movie Review
Genre: Action, Thriller
Director: Sanjay Gadhvi
Producer: Dhilin Mehta
Banner: Shri Ashtavinayak Cine Visions
Music Director: Pritam, Sandeep Vyas, Sanjeev Vyas
Lyricist: Sandeep Vyas, Sanjeev Vyas, Mayur Puri
Star Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Minissha Lamba, Vidya Malvade, Rahul Dev, Amrita Arora, Malaika Arora
Release Date: 2nd October 2008
If not for Minissha Lamba's ample bosom, there'd really be nothing worth watching in director Sanjay Gadhvi's Kidnap, a tired ole' thriller about bad boy Imran Khan who kidnaps Minissha, and puts her richie-rich dad Sanjay Dutt through a series of twisted challenges as revenge for an old grouse.
As far as thrillers go, Kidnap is a pretty lame one, considering not once during the film's two-hours-plus running time do you feel your pulse racing. The challenges Imran puts Sanjay Dutt through are silly and juvenile, and they lack that edge-of-the-seat tension that is so essential in a film like this to keep the pace brisk. Ashamed as I am to admit it, here's one time I wished they had whacked a few good ideas from a smart Hollywood film. Instead, Gadhvi and his writer seem to have chosen to whack the plot of an obscure Pierce Brosnan-starrer "Shattered" from which they've derived the premise of Kidnap.
The least you expect from a thriller are a few fantastic sequences that will make your jaw drop for their sheer inventiveness. In Kidnap, there's precisely one good scene -- it's that breathless chase sequence between Imran and Sanjay which is the film's finest stroke.
Much of the film's problem lies in its sloppy narrative which is repeatedly punctured by unnecessary songs and unintentionally hilarious dialogue that digresses from the film's thriller theme. Too much time is spent establishing and then repairing Sanjay Dutt's estranged relationship with his ex-wife, played by Vidya Malavade. Vidya's character, in fact, is the weakest link in Kidnap, serving no real purpose in the plot, instead slowing down the narrative every time she shows up on screen. It doesn't help that the poor lady can't act to save her life, she can't even deliver a simple line of dialogue comfortably.
The worst disease a thriller can suffer from is predictability, and Kidnap falls bang into that trap. You know exactly what's going to happen when Imran takes Minissha out to the beach when she begs to be allowed to bathe -- although you probably can't predict the erotic dance she breaks into once there. You know exactly what's going to happen when Minissha has an opportunity to escape when Imran's injured himself. And you know exactly how the climatic challenge Imran puts Sanjay up to will turn out.
You see what I mean, there's virtually nothing good about this film. Which brings me back to Minissha's cleavage. If clothes were invented to cover one's body then Minissha's costumes in Kidnap reveal more than they hide. Her entire wardrobe in this film looks like it was stitched out of the bits and pieces of cloth you find lying around in a tailor's room, the bits that didn't get used when he was stitching a real dress. Not that there's anything wrong in showing a little skin, but the problem here is that you're convinced Gadhvi went the whole hog because he knew the film had nothing but Minissha's curves to keep the audience glued to their seats.
Of the two male protagonists, Sanjay Dutt looks completely disinterested in what he's doing; and Imran Khan appears earnest acting out his scenes but seems to be taking his character and the film a little too seriously. The final, most deadly flaw in Kidnap is the bizarre back-story about why Imran wants revenge from Sanjay. It's not only an unconvincing motivation but it's also a fundamentally wrong plot point especially when you consider Sanjay's 'crime' against Imran seems perfectly justified given the circumstances.
DRONA**
Movie Review
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon, Jaya Bachchan
Direction: Goldie Behl
To be able to enjoy a film like Drona you have to be willing to suspend disbelief and your common sense too. If you succeed in doing that, you might agree it's a sincere attempt to translate onto Indian screens a kind of modern mythology.
Director Goldie Behl doesn't look too far for inspiration – Drona borrows its basic plot structure from the Harry Potter story, and then proceeds to generously steal scenes from The Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones and even the Star Wars movies.
Tormented all through his childhood by his foster family, Adi (that's Abhishek Bachchan) grows up to be a glum young man who seldom smiles. When an evil 'asura' in the guise of mad magician Riz Raizada (played by a way over-the-top Kay Kay Menon) goes mental on him for no apparent reason, an agile young woman in strange headgear (played earnestly by Priyanka Chopra) shows up out of nowhere to protect Adi by performing some really cool chop-socky on his attackers.
She reveals to him that he's actually a 'drona' – a member of a long dynasty of men entrusted the responsibility of safe-guarding a coveted mythological secret – the elixir of life, which Riz Raizada wants to get a hold of so he can take over the world.
Adi travels across to his real home – a palace in the middle of an unnamed desert town – to be united with his birth mother (played by Jaya Bachchan) who immediately breaks into the lullabies she's been rehearsing all these years. When Riz follows him there and puts a spell on his mummy, Adi decides to accept the role he was destined to play.
I have a few complaints against the film, and main among them is the fact that our protagonist isn't a particularly likeable character. To root for the hero you have to be fond of him, you have to want him to succeed. But it's difficult to feel affection or pity for Adi because Abhishek Bachchan plays him as a grump who's always grimacing.
You'd expect to see some emotion from him when he discovers his real identity; you'd think he'd be excited when he learns he has these hidden powers; surely he'd feel cheerful at overcoming his lifelong fears – well no, what you still get is the scowl. Abhishek Bachchan delivers a one-note performance; rarely letting go of his pained expression, almost as if he was worried he'd slip out of character if he showed us a warmer side.
The film's other big weakness, in my opinion, is that the script's real backbone – the mythological relevance and back-story – is conveyed in such a boring, affected manner that it simply comes off sounding like mumbo-jumbo.
Take scenes likes the ones in which Priyanka Chopra's character and her cronies reveal to Adi who they really are and why they've suddenly turned up; or the ridiculous scene in which Riz Raizada creates his own clone and then destroys it just as easily but not before rattling off a long speech which makes no sense whatsoever; or even those scenes in which Adi's birth mother explains to him his role as a 'drona' and how he must protect the secret – these scenes could have been written more interestingly instead of
being filmed as labored monologues by the actors.
Then there's the romantic track between Abhishek and Priyanka's characters which is so forced, it practically jumps at you out of nowhere.
On the upside, there's a spectacular action scene involving the rescue of a horse from a train carriage. Everything from the cable-aided stunts performed by Abhishek and Priyanka, to the special-effects-generated horse-leaps to and from the top of the train carriage is stunning.
An underwater sequence involving Abhishek Bachchan is dramatically filmed, and it's in scenes like this – where the effects blend in seamlessly without drawing any special attention – that the CGI really works.
All said and considered, if Drona disappoints, it's not for lack of trying on the filmmakers' part. After all, the effort to make a special kind of film is visible on the screen. The director has the means, but seems to lack the imagination required to pull off what he set out to achieve.
A crisper script and a lighter directorial hand is what's missing here. Director Goldie Behl makes the grave mistake of adopting a very lofty tone to tell his story. Alas, it's a fantasy film without any of the fun and excitement that ought to go with it.
RIGHTEOUS KILL **1/2
Movie Review
Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Jon Avnet
De Niro and Pacino star as ageing NYC detectives with the unlikely nicknames of Turk and Rooster respectively, and they're on the trail of a vigilante serial killer who's bumping off scumbags who've escaped the legal system.
This killer has the habit of leaving little poems with the corpses as his signature, earning him the nickname The Poet, though the quality of his rhymes is highly debatable.
Two younger cops from another precinct (played by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg) are also called in to investigate the murders, and pretty soon it becomes clear to all four of them that it's a cop who's doing the killing.
T's not just the predictable nature of the film; it's also the manner in which both veterans are wasted in this film that breaks your heart.
The film may not be total rubbish, but it falls way below expectations.
WEDNESDAY****
Movie Review
Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Anupam Kher and Jimmy Shergill
Director: Neeraj Pandey
An Eye Opener and more than just 'cinema', for a Nation in the grip of serial terror strikes.
A Powerful movie with some great Performances. This one is just going to grip you and leave you thinking.
There are numerous points where this movie scores. The Subject and Screenplay dont let you get off the track for even a minute.
Its that kind of movie where one dosent wants to even give any clue to the Climax.
Do watch this one.
A great message and a good watch.
ROCK ON ****
Movie Review
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny, Purab Kohli, Prachi Desai, Shahana Goswami, Koel Purie
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Producer: Ritesh Sidwani and Farhan Akhtar (Excel Entertainment)
Music: Shankar Ehsaan and Loy
A movie about four people and there Dreams and Ambitions. Certainly a breakthrough movie for Bollywood with loads of High Energy.
A film about the life and times of a boy band seemingly does not have mass appeal, but its message is for everybody – it’s never too late to live your dream. For all those with unfulfilled dreams and ambitions lost in time, “Rock On” will impart hope.
The plot moves back and forth in time as we learn what Aditya (Farhan Akhtar), Joe (Arjun Rampal), Rob (Luke Kenny) and K.D. (Purab Kohli) do, and did 10 years ago. Back in time they were members of Magik, a rock bank which splits soon after winning a ticket to possible success.
So bitter is the parting that they head in different directions, not to meet till 10 years later. By now, Aditya is an investment banker, Joe a part time music teacher, K.D. dabbles in the family jewellery business while Rob works as a session musician.
Aditya is the most affluent of the lot but beneath all that looks ideal, he’s a tormented soul. Wife Saakshi (Prachi Desai) accidentally discovers the reason for his aloofness and arranges a meeting with his estranged band members. After some initial awkwardness and hesitation, the four set off again, from where they left.
Farhan Akhtar makes an impressive debut as an actor. Though not as explosive as his directorial debut, his foray into acting works just as well. As Magik’s lead vocalist as well as an investment banker, Farhan is controlled, but highly affective. True to his self he pays a lot of attention to his on stage rock musician act, and comes across quite like one.
The movie’s other debutant, Prachi Desai, makes a mark too. Her transition from the sari-clad Bani of “Kasamh Se” to the beautifully syled Sakshi of “Rock On” is refreshing.
Shahana Goswani, as Joe’s ever slogging wife Debbie, has a longer role though, and does very well too. Largely unnoticed in her earlier three films, it will be difficult, and unfair, not to recognise her henceforth. Along with Farhan Akhtar, hers is the best performance of the movie.
Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny and Purab Kohli do complete justice to their parts, which often get demanding. Their effortless acting is supported by good dialogues and some witty lines.
This one is going great guns and getting more popular with the youth.
A must watch.