It's been a long time since I have been anticipating a Hindi Movie. In fact, I had given up on Hindi movies this year as some very forgettable movies with weird names have been released to equally damning reviews. However, 2 States, breaks that trend and not surprisingly - I liked it.
2 States works because it's unabashedly indian with a bit of western values thrown in. It's based on the popular novel by "2 States" by Chetan Bhagat. Giving full credit to the team who made this movie- they stayed true to the book and in my opinion, made a movie better than the book!!
Let me tell you what I loved. The setting, the clothes (especially Alia Bhatt's ). She has worn some lovely Kurtis and south Indian Sarees in the movie. I can see them becoming a rage. The red saree she wears at the end, during the marriage, is simply exquisite. Secondly, the narrative is easy and fluid. In fact the film flows and you don't notice the passage of time. No time is wasted.
Third, the music is good. After a long time, some good decent music in a movie. The song Locha-se-Ulfat ho gaya is catchy. The background score works.
Fourth, Arjun kapoor - He is a new comer; did come across a bit wooden, but I think he has great potential. He did a fine job and though it seemed that Alia Bhat would overshadow him (she did in a few scenes) but, he held on and marked his presence. Watch out for him.
Finally Alia. Among the new actresses, she is has great potential and has done some good work already. She was in charge here - Of the relationship, of the movie. Great job!!. Ronit roy and Amrita Singh as Arjuns parents are good and so are Alia's parents - Revathi, Shiv Kumar as Ananya's parents also contribute effectively.
The screenplay is good and flows. the direction is spot on (never a dull moment) and editing is tight. All what I expect of Karan Johar - and he delivers again....
You all know the story. I saw it in South India and certain dialogues like " All Madrasis are Black and Punjabis are loud and uncultured" could raise a stink.. but the audience lapped it up and CLAPPED and the end of the movie. haven't seen that in a while!!!
Finally, 2 States works because its about love and family. Ananya, though a Tamil Brahmin, eats meat and drinks, but still obeys her parents. Arjun kapoor - lives in dysfunctional household, but still yearns for his parents and gives them a chance- doesn't give up on them. I think thats what we want to watch and want. Loving Family, loving spouse and all of us embracing our differences to make things work. Thats our India Today...
I would rate it 4 stars and recommend everyone to watch it.
Rating - **** (heart says 1/2 more because I am a romantic at heart)
Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan - The movie must be good, or rather, the movie should be good. So with great expectations, I ventured into the hall for a dekko. I must say, I made up for my lack of sleep last night!
Thats what happens to the most awaited rom-com of the year! Its like a ho-hum marriage between the movie and the audience. Well , getting back to the movie.
The movie starts on a promising note with a role play thrown in - Sid (farhan) picks up Trisha (Vidya) in a disk and in a few minutes, cannot keep their hands off each other. One thing leads to another and they both end up in a hotel room. But Big brother is watching (Hotel CCTV).!!! The security officer comes knocking and reprimands Sid for his actions, however, when Sid tells him that Trisha is his wife and this Role play was done to keep things spiced up in their marriage, the security officer becomes his fan and asks Sid for some relationship advice!!!! WTH.
Well, thereafter, the movie is a set of cliches. Guy cant grow up, the wife is the only responsible one and blah, blah. Along comes a baby and trisha goes bananas. From Sid centric to Baby centric (cute kid but the casting director got it wrong with this kid!!!). Dads are depicted as either complete wimps or those Tiger Dads who will push and shove everyone in the kids party to get the goodies from the balloon... with the wife looking at him with adoring eyes. If the director wanted us to see the foolishness of all this, tongue in cheek, he did'nt succeed!!!!
So he goes to another "Perfect Dad"- Ram Kapoor for advice. Ram takes off a couple of days a month to a hotel for some me time, so that he can get back to being the perfect dad... and reduce the number of fights with his wife. Trying to follow this, Sid takes off on a similar journey, succeeding at first but then, foolishly comes clean with his wife, who just shuts him out over this "Betrayal". God forbid if he had an affair!!! She would have donned Kali Mata avtaar and made blood her favourite drink!!!!
There are lotsa twist and turns with a couple of funny moments thrown in, but overall , the story and screen play disappoint. I'M SORRY is the most popular dialogue in the movie, with all the husbands forever apologising. So according the the movie, the side effects are:-
1. I'M Sorry works in all cases, even if you have won the nobel prize!
2. Women change after Marriage and post childbirth, are completely unreasonable. Nothing that the guy does or say, will be correct. period.
3. If you work too hard to meet her expectations, she will crib you have no time for her, and if you spend time with her, she will crib that you have no money to meet her requirements!!!!
4. The modern woman cannot live without a maid...even if the hubby is willing to help!!!
5. Husbands and Fathers cannot even think of going back to a semblance of their old lives - Wives will not allow it!!!!
6. What ever happiness you give her is only fleeting- She will think of something which is your fault in making her happy !!!!! You can never make her happy!!!!!
The movie didn't work for me because what was portrayed was too cliched and ..lets face it, boriiiiiing. The subject had tremendous potential but sadly, it fell way short. Pyaar ke side effects was wayyy better and entertaining. Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat worked ,., but alas , Vidya and Farhan failed miserably to create that chemistry. I wouldn't be surprised if guys stop marrying after this movie!!!!
Should you watch it. Well, it depends. If you are an incurable romantic- go ahead, if you are a guy - definitely avoid. The single guys may be able to - Married guys - No chance :D
Ishqiya was a brilliant all round movie with top class acting, gripping script and classy cinematography. A sequel would be challenging to make as sequels are seldom better or even as good as the original. So with a sense of foreboding I landed up to watch Dedh Ishqiya one Saturday afternoon, only to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome :)
The casting in the movie is as great as the first one. Naseeruddin (Khalu) and Arshad (Babban) are arguably the most lovable Scoundrels on the screen today. Madhuri and Huma , most probably, a pairing no one saw coming do a fine job of adding a twist to the ending.. The rest play a great supporting cast (Vijay Raaz as Jaan Mohammed and Manoj Pahwa as Noor Mohammed Italvi...
The movie starts with Babban in trouble with his uncle and is about to be buried. His uncle treats him a reason to keep on living and allows his to escape from time to time. The two scoundrels are upto no good as usual and steal a necklace. However, the heist goes wrong and the two have to separate. Babban gives up Khalu as lost/dead.
The movie revolves around a challenge thrown by Shahi Begum (aka Madhuri), who has proclaimed that she would marry any poet who can win her heart. Its an open challenge and many wannabe's who want to win her heart come to compete. One of the competitors is obviously Jaan Mohammed , the local goonda who wants to be a Nawab and is rich. The other is Khalujaan, who has been yearning for Shahi Begum for a long time. The entire plot revolves around the shenanigans of this ensemble to win her heart. A word for Huma Qureshi - she plays Madhuri's lady in waiting (a brazen hussy with no qualms!!) quite convincingly. She comes across as a sensual temptress of yore and is a welcome addition to the script.
The script is good at the start and maintains the momentum, but somewhere towards the last 45 mins, it starts meandering and borders on the ridiculous. I agree with the writers who wanted to give a twist to the ending, but the manner in which it has been executed leaves the much to be desired.
Acting is top class and makes the film engaging. Madhuri and Naseeruddin once again prove that good actors need not get sidelined to Mom-Dad roles when they age. They can play the lead comfortably and carry it off.
The movie is slow placed and full of twists like the old historical drama's. The ending is unconventional and is probably a first in Hindi movies. I would recommend people to watch it atleast once to develop a taste for a finely crafted movie unlike the wham-Bams like Dhoom 3 and chennai express that we are slowly getting accustomed to.
The Dhoom series, so far, has been quite path breaking and interesting. This particular edition of Dhoom, clearly, breaks the momentum!!.
Right off, at the start, the movie meanders, in trying to build up the background on the lead characters. In doing so, they manage to kill the pace and make it almost tedious. The narrative is slow and laborious (though Jackie Shroff in a cameo is impressive !). The pace picks up after the interval but is it it too late??
Ok, the good part. Action sequences are great and well shot. No expense has been spared. The motorcycles are far more capable than even Batman's car!!!. Aamir's acting is excellent as usual, but I felt it to be a bit mechanical. There was no emotiona connect between him and the audience. Katrina looks fab and thats just about it. The motorcycles have more screen time than her!!
The bad part!! Where do I start? The story is weak and what is even weaker is the thrill of the robbery is missing. I mean, there are three robberies, but we are only shown action sequences post the robberies!!! How does the robbery take place, the planning etc are all missing. The movie seems to be an excuse for displaying chases with a storyline thrown in between. Abhishek and Uday Chopra are bland and repetitive.
There are too many loose ends and many things that dont make sense. Less said the better.
The so called twist is also quite obvious. Though the movie picks up pace and shows promise post the interval, it leaves us unfulfilled. Definitely Aamir's worst movie ever. Considering the fact that I caught a 10 min nap and still picked up the story line without a problem....
Definitely a miss. See Dhoom 2. Its far better and tighter. This one is a definite miss, even if you want to see only Aamir.
What hype has been created around this movie!! First, the music created a flutter with its folksy-fusion feel and energy, then the promotions with Ranveer and Deepika, literally scorching the telly with their chemistry and finally, the audience reaction post the release. Now a days, I just hear Ram-Leela (Krissh and the other movies seem to have disappeared from discussions.
Coming back to the movie, this is a Either-you-hate-it or You-Love-it movie. You know its surreal, but it still captivates you. You know its illlogical, but you still want to sit through it. You will find over 47 minutes of songs in the movie and compare it with chayyageet but you will still sit through it. The movie is compulsive, obsessive and fatally grand.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has painted a canvas of Gujarat - Vibrant Gujarat (Modi inspired???) , with a riot of colours, music and explosive emotions. A violent gujarat seems almost a paradox, but love and violence are shown to go hand in hand. As the credits bring out - This movie is SLB's version of Romeo and Juliet - by Shakespeare and believe me, it captures the essence, the comedy, the tragedy of the original. The emotions are unrestricted in their intensity, be it hate, love or sadness.
The backdrop of the film is in the Rann of Kutch and the life of two warring clans - Sanedo's and Rajri's. Sanedo's are rich, Rajri's are poor. They both deal in arms - in fact, guns and bullets are sold in the open along with potatoes and bread. The enmity between the clans dates back over 500 years.
Ram - Ranveer Singh- the son of the head of the Rajri clan - runs a porn parlour and other such businesses and leela-Deepika is the daughter of the head of the Sanedo Clan - Supriya Pathak . The story revolves around how they meet, fall in love and overcome obstacles.. but as this is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet , you know how this ends. We all wait for the HOW????
Herein in lies the movies weakness. Amidst the grandeur, the photography and music, the script meanders, it flounders and finally comes to life in the endgame, but fails to please as it been left too late. The twist is brilliant, but I only wish it had come near the interval. Too many songs take away the urgency and intensity of the movie and make the audience believe that the director wanted a long movie, so he stretched it. A shorter, snappier movie would have made this movie a brilliant one.
The lead pair are brilliant - Deepika is effortlessly sexy and confident, Ranveer is the Alpha Male with a soft side and together they make a potent combination. The unabashed sexual chemistry portrayed between Deepika and Ranveer is a
refreshing change from the subtle and muted scenes we are used to... :)
The songs are beautifully composed, but there are far too many of them - too much of a good thing is also bad!!! The best song is "Nagada Sang Dhol" as its a visual treat and the start of the endgame. The picturisation is a visual delight with the Sanedo's in Red and white and Ranveer in Blue. I just loved the contrast, the mood the song portrays... here's a look
Ram Leela could've been the first movie I would have given five stars to, but the script and editing have let it down - But please watch this movie on a large screen, and get immersed in it. Leave logic aside and soak in the emotions the lead pair go through. Feel the excitement, the pounding heartbeats and remember the first time you fell in love, that feeling of never wanting to let her/him go, to spend every waking moment in his/her arms, the wretched feeling of separation, the sinking feeling when you both fought, the tears, the joy..
The "leela" that SLB tried create didn't quite work out to be perfect... but hey.. just do it..
I'm back!!! After a slew of really forgettable movies for which really did'nt deserve a review, I was off movies for quite some time. Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani piqued my interest, being a Ayan Mukherji movie ( I absolutely loved the movie (review here) ). Ranbir and Deepika (my current two favourites!) also drew me towards the movie, and well I had to watch it.
The movie starts off with Naina (Deepika) and Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) meeting at a supermarket. Naina is a geek (she looks gorgeous!!!) studying hard to be a doctor and Kalki is the proverbial art student having fun. Aditi tells Naina that she is off to Manali for a trek. Naina's Tiger Mom (Dolly Aluwahlia of Vicky Donor fame) looks down upon Aditi as a bad influence but is unable to see her daughters interest has been piqued by this trek. Basically, Naina wanted to do something different for a change, rather than be just a bookworm, studying to be a doctor. She wants to have fun in life. Her solution - Logging on to MakeMy trip and joining the trek !!!! Just imagine - one night prior she expects a train booking!! Duh.. but as they say fortune favours the brave.
At the station she meets the rest of her classmates - The "Kool" gang - Ranbir as (Bunny AKA Kabir) and Aditya Roy Kapur as Avinash/avi). from thereon, its a roller coaster ride for Naina as she is learning how to have fun and hand out with the cool crowd. In turn, the kool crowd slowly discovers that though Naina is a bookworm, she has a side to her that they never knew!
The four of them discuss their plans and then realise that this trek will the last time they are going to be together. Naina realises that she is in love with Kabir but he has dreams of making it big and she does not figure in that picture- so she steps aside. Aditi loves Avi but he is ignorant of that fact... Now we start descending into Karan Johar territory.
The second half is set against the backdrop of Aditi's marriage in Udaipur (Destination Wedding). All the friends converge. The dynamics of their changed relationship is explored in detail by Ayan and the screenplay with all elements of love, anger, betrayal, Jealousy and friendship being explored.
Make no mistake - This movie is centered around Ranbir and to some extent Deepika. Ranbir is beautifully portrayed as a flirt who will not get serious because he wants to do everything in this lifetime without anyone hindering him. Deepika is the traditional, rooted girl who savours the moment without worrying about what she is missing in the process. There are a host of characters - Aditi's husband, Ranbir's dad, the flirty Lara (Evelyn Sharma) and the icing on the cake - Madhuri Dixit.
Madhuri's song "Ghagra" at the start is very well shot and choreographed. Madhuri shows why she rules Bollywood where dancing is concerned. She is truly magical and graceful and retains her dancing skills.
The performances are top class - Ranbir, I firmly believe is the next superstar. Deepika is just nsuperb and delivers a very composed and convincing performance. The direction,screenplay and production is top class. However I felt that the story was a hash of old Karan Johar movies. Reasons as follows:-
1. The names - Naina, Kabir.
2. The scenes - Naina almost missing the train for the trek, the realisation that she loves him and he something else (his dreams), the entire wedding (reminds me of Kuch Kuch Hota hai).
3. Loaded with cliches - All geeks are boring. If you have'nt done wild stuff in life, you are un cool and sidey)
However, the movie is feel good, emotional and well put together. A decent watch for a weekend.
Rating - *** (would have given it 4.5 stars for a different ending. )
I just loved the First installment of this movie - Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster. The story of intrigue, deception and betrayal was woven so beautifully in to the fabric of a small town UP Royal Family, that one could almost empathize with them. The Rich and royalty have money and servants who are fanatically loyal to them, but they have different problems. Loneliness, betrayal and a longing for the good old days when they were kings and treated like one. But, stopping my rambling and getting back to the movie, I really liked the second edition too.
This edition too has it all. Love, intrigue, betrayal, sex, despondency, greed, revenge and a lot more. Saheb is Jimmy Shergill, Biwi is Mahi Gill (Man, we are up to our "Gills" in this cast!!! ) and the Gangsta is Inderjit Singh - A poor royal whose family was wiped out by Jimmy's family somewhere in the past.... REVENGE!!!
Mahi as Madhavi is the Sozzled (and Sizzling !!) wife, who is also the MLA of Devgarh, in name. She is controlled by Saheb and he doles out favours using her as a proxy. Continuing from the last movie, he is wheel chair bound but as deadly as ever. The venom that he displays while talking to Madhavi can only be rivaled by a Cobra! Madhavi, as the neglected wife, displays a perplexing love for Saheb and is perpetually drunk. She drinks to forget her loneliness and neglect.... u almost feel sorry for her!!!
The game changes when Saheb's mother ask's him to get married again and shows him Soha's photo (Ranjana in the movie). He is floored and then plays a game to force her father to get her married to him. But there are no free lunches in life... her father starts plotting his downfall by attacking him where it hurts.. his criminal enterprise and sending Irrfan (who is Soha's lover) to work on Mahi and subvert her.
And man!!. How he subverts her..!!! But Madhavi is smart and manages to subvert Irrfan..thereby creating a weird foursome.... and setting the stage for a very strange ending.
The movie is slow, but the screenplay manages to grip you. The plots, sub plots and betrayals just add to the charm. However only the main characters are well defined.. the rest are wishy washy.. I can understand his predicament.. the movie wxyould have been too long. However,,, the acting is really really good.. Irrfan shines.. Jimmy is suitably ruthless and at the same time vulnerable. Mahi is mind-blowingly sexy, sluttish, vulnerable and ruthless. Soha is competent as she really does not have much of a part to play.. Rana as Kannaiya is strong and silent....
Btw.. the lone item song is really ghastly and spoils the mood the movie creates. Mugdha is pretty and all that,, but she was not looking sexy nor could she dance to save her life..... on the other hand, Mahi was born for this role... she has the body (or bawdy!!) language to pull it off....
I liked the movie because it is different. It is subtle and has wheels within wheels within wheels. Do go and watch it. My friends found the movie slow and were waiting for something to happen!!! The Rowdy Rathore effect!!! Maybe that's why I am known as the NERD..
It is said that Art imitates Life. Sepcial 26 is one such movie which sticks true to the saying and delivers what it promises- making it truly special - well almost !!!
The movie, most would have guessed, is based on real life incidents in the late 80's where a scamster stole crores worth of jewelry by executing a bold and an absolutely genius plan, based on Human Psychology and greed. However, the way the director (Neeraj Pandey) builds up the story up to the finale is commendable.
So, the story (or the gist of it!) . Akshay, Anupam, ---, --- -are four low key and extremely confident scamsters. The movie begins with an income tax raid on a Ministers house, complete with all the trappings of police, typewriter, official documents.. . The raid is conducted swiftly and a lot of black money and jewelry is recovered, hidden at various places in the house and car! As quickly as the raid was done, a list of all confiscated goods was made and the minister made to sign on that. When the police officer assisting the raid is told to hang around to ensure that no calls to the higher ups are made, one smells a rat. However, before one can think, the loot is transferred to another car, the four disperse by bus, train and air to their respective houses and lives, done all in a low key manner- no flashy stuff!!. Hey bingo,,, the loot is complete and everyone can get on with their lives. Except the guy who was looted!!. Now here in lies the genius of the heist. As the money and jewelry was all unaccounted for, the minister does not want to file an FIR, but only asks for the cops(divya dutta as the woman constable, and Jimmy Shergill as the Police Inspector) to be suspended - which they are!. Finished.
The script then builds up upon the lives of the four scamsters. Akshay is a single guy, living alone in Mumbai. He is in love with a beautiful girl , Kajaal Agarwal, who lives opposite his balcony. Why no beautiful girl ever lived across by balcony!!! Boss, it only happens in the movies!!. Kajaal is betrothed to another guy, Tukaram (not seen in the movie- virtual ) and is pestering Akshay to marry her. He promises her but she is scared that he will get caught one day, executing his scams. Akshay tells her that The man who can catch him hasn't been born yet..!! But she still is scared....
Anupam Kher is a married guy with some 7 children and one on the way. He uses the money to marry off his daughter and in general have a good life. He seems scared and under confident but is in his element when conducting a raid.
Rajesh sharma is shown as a henpecked husband and Mukesh Bhatt as a devotee of some sadhvi.. thats it!!. Not much footage is wasted on them. But every good thing has to come to an end.
Enter CBI Officer Waseem Khan. He is introduced by showing him ferrying his kid on his shoulder to the bus and in the next frame making a dash to Connaught place on a lambretta/Vijay Super scooter to catch a criminal. He catches his man after a nice chase... well executed and taut. The end is near, when Jimmy shergill, as the suspended cop, appraches Waseem Khan with a list of fake raids conducted by the scamsters and wanting to catch them. Waseem is intrigued and setups up an operation to catch the four in the act.
Well, thats all I am going to say about the plot!!! You should watch it for the execution (even if you know what the ending is going to be!) After a long time comes a movie with a well written, well executed and believable script. The screenplay is pretty good and so is the acting by all the guys. What stands out is the how one's fears can be played upon by scamsters to part you from your assets.
Highlights - Anupam Kher is very good as the nervous old man, Akshay is great and play his role with a lot of restraint... very believable, Manoj Bajpai is also brilliant in his zeal to catch these guys. Kaajal looks heart achingly beautiful (yeah you guessed right - she is the new heartthrob). Even with hardly any makeup, she looks every part the role of a teacher, in love with a scamster. Would have loved to see some more footage dedicated to her but......
In conclusion, an excellent movie that does not drag a bit (only when the songs start-- but that is still ok). Well executed and acted. A must watch!
Well, Well, Well.... What do you say about this movie! At the outset, I must admit that all that controversy around the film piqued my curiosity so much so that I had to watch it (Pooh- As you all must have guessed- Any flimsy reason is good enough for a movie junkie like me to watch any movie.. and sometimes no reason is good enough!).
Anyways, back to the movie. The movie start is quite tepid and left me wondering whether I was watching an episode of Cheaters!!! Kamal Hasan (Vishwanath) is a kathak dancer, shown teaching his students (all women) a particular dance sequence (and thankfully the only song in this movie!). During the sequence, a detective hired by his wife, Dr Nirupama, a PH.D, who is having an affair with her boss and wants to divorce Kamal Hasan. The story is narrated by her when she is talking to her shrink. about how she married a much older man just for a green card ..blah, blah.. blah...
The detective (Peter) stumbles upon an astonishing fact, regarding Kamal Hasan's religion. What is, is not real and what is real is not it! By the way, Kamal is depicted like a complete Pansy dancer type male and is well...... pansy. The detective stumbles upon a terrorist hideout and well.. is killed. One thing leads to another and enter Rahul Bose (Playing Omar- the Mujahideen from Afghanistan).
There is a scene where Dr Nirupama discovers a different side to Kamal hasan and behold- she looks en;lightened! Have I been living with THIS guy for the past three yearr? me thinks - She Thinks. However, to cut a long story short and not act a spoiler - there is a long flashback wherein the entire Afghanistan War is shown along with the the code of the Mujahideen's. The american's as the aggressors in their Apache Helicopters and fighter jets is shown quite realistically. The Afghan landscape is shown in all its austere glory and is an eyeopener.
Cut to the chase- the story is a spy thriller, classic cat and mouse with an atomic bomb involved and a last minute defusing of the same. Who does it and how needs to be seen. The story moves along leisurely (at a pace we are not used to in spy thrillers) but allows us to soak in the characters and understand them. This movie is not a wham bam only, it build up relationships slowly and allows events to sink in. I felt that some parts were inspired by The Spy Next Door,Babel, New York (hindi) Kurbaan, and a few others interspersed but still maintains some originality.
New York and London emerge as popular destinations for a terrorist attack.. Kamal Hasam has managed to portray, quite realistically, how the New York police and FBI operate. At some places in the movie you actually feel that you are watching a hollywood movie...
As far as acting goes, Kamal is brilliant but looks tired. Shekhar kapur as the diplomat spy makes his presence felt, Pooja as Dr Nirupama, Kamal's confused but intelligent plus cheating wife is passable. Rahul bose as Omar is suitably ruthless. The other characters have not been given enough time to develop but do their job admirably.
Cinematography is excellent - the action shots are captured very realistically. The story line is jaded (unfortunately) but ..kya karen! Thankfully, other than a melodious song at the start, there are no songs to spoil the mood. I feel the first half could've been shortened by about 20 mins (Yes my dears, the movie is almost three hours), but hey.. creative license.
Overall, I would rate the movie *** to ***1/2 for its treatment and technical competence. Watch it if you have patience..
The
reason James Bond movies are so popular among men and women is that men want to
possess his panache and scant regard for death, while women swoon over his
devil may care attitude, lack of attachment and the element of danger he seems
to possess. We also love the tech wizardry, the relentless action and exotic locales. But what has this got to
this movie? Well, Abbas Mastan wanted this movie to look like a James Bond thriller and to some extent they seem to have succeeded.
Now,
Abbas Mastan are known for their thrillers, their last one being the dud,
Players. This time they offer a sequel to the highly successful Race 1,which
actually was a genuine thriller with a great storyline, screenplay, songs, and
and acting.I expected Race 2 to be
similar but If all expectations came true, then I would be a billionaire :). However, all is not lost.
Here's the gist. The
movie starts off with a narrative about how John Abraham (Armaan Malik) has made it big in the
world of crime in Istanbul(yeah,the
entire movie is set in exotic Istanbul). Deepika is also introduced as his able,his step sister.A hit man is shown blowing off a
Lamborghini,the significance of which
we realise only later. Thereafter, a train robbery is shown, wherein thieves
steal a complete train bogie full of currency paper users to make Euros.
Thereafter Saif meets a casino owner, thakkar,who owns five casino's in Istanbul, with a proposition that he executes
in style.He places a bet of five
million dollars on the roulette table and loses. On being asked why he seemed
so cool losing 5 million,he says they
were made from the stolen paper. So after gaining Thakkar's trust,Saif makes a proposition to him, that he
would give him 1500 million of that currency for 500 million cash.Thakkar agrees but he has to borrow 500
million from John to make good the deal.John asks him for his 5 casino's as collateral. You can guess the rest.
This scam was such a juvenile one that it set the tone for the movie. I mean
how gullible do u think a casino owner is...!!
Anyway,
the short of the long is that Saif tries to gain John's trust but as the
short flashbacks in the movie show,deception is the name of the game,with nothing being what it seems.Jacqueline as Omisha plays John's love interest.Deepika is suitably sexy and
icy and plays the role of the bad girl quite comfortably and is believable.However,I must admit the plot had its twist and turns,but frequent explanations spoil the
surprise.John is quite good as the gangsta who loves money and Omisha.Anil kapoor is wasted as the fruit eating detective.
Amisha Patel as Anil's sidekick is quite useless and is given pretty inane
jokes to make, but is bearable. It's sad to see her in roles like these.
Saif,
does a competent job and looks suitably suave but fails to connect with the
audience. I think if the songs in the movie had been given a miss,the director would have had enough time to
pay attention to the characters.
and Be Intehaan are so-so. (Atif Aslams voice on Saif sounds like Saif has Pneumonia !!)
Overall,the movie is a decent entertainer, with
plenty of action and better than many B grade Hollywood movies.Good production values are a plus. Overall
I'd say timepass
MOD by Nagesh kukunoor is a slow paced story about a girl Anya (Ayesha Takia) staying on a hill station "Ganga" (whereever that is !!). She repairs watches and waits tables at a restaurant to make ends meet. Her father (Raghuveer Yadav) a singer, smitten by Kishore Kumar, has taken to drink and is under debt. The various characters - the businessman GangaRam smitten by Anya, the restaurant owner (Tanvi Azmi), the Doc - Anant Mahadevan, her classmates ...all are beautifully defined and fit it very well with the overall story line.
Anya has thrown her dad out of her house (her mom has left the house to her) because of his drinking. One day Andy (Ranvijay) comes to her door step to repair his watch. She makes him stand out side her shop for over an hour before she takes up the job. He pays her with a Rs 100 note shaped like a swan. This becomes a regular affair and she starts having feelings for him. One day at the market place, she sees him and he does not acknowledge her greeting. She starts following him and tries to unravel the mystery behind this "Sanki " Lover. If this is not enough, a builder is after her to sell her plot to make a resort.
When she comes to know the truth, she (like all women) wants to help Ranvijay recover. But the parents are against it. The story has shades of Kartik Calling Kartik with a slightly different twist.
The movie has a nice feel to it. The storytelling is taut and does not loose grip. Ayesha Takia's and Ranvijay's performance, individually are good but they lack the chemistry together. A trademark Nagesh kukunoor film worth a watch for a sentimental evening.. :)
Vishal Bhardwaj has built up an enormous reputation as a director with movies like Omkara and Kaminey. His treatment of the complex story lines and well defined characters have left their mark on his audiences. Therefore, there is tremendous excitement whenever he starts another movie and especially if the movie has a quirky name like "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola".
In fact,when I told one of my friends, (He is not into Hindi Movies!!..the poor sod), about my desire to see this movie, our conversation ran like this:-
Me: Hey, I am going to watch this movie - "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola".
He: Whats that? Is it a dialogue from the movie?
Me : No boss, its the name.
He: Was this guy drunk or does he want people to get curious about the movie?
Me: Obviously.. duh!!!!
He: I think this movie is going to be terrible. With a title like that, I am sure, he didn't know whether the audience would come- What better than a weird title which would pique audiences curiosity and help to make some money during the weekend!! Isn't it?
Me: Arre baba, the director is the same one who made "Kaminey", Remember? The movie you couldn't stop raving about - Especially Shahid's Torso :):) !!!
He: That fellow - Vishal Bhardwaj! (or is it Wee Shall= (he smirked!). I guess, it may be good, but , I still have a bad feeling about this. I mean, what does the title mean anyway? and what is Matru? Is Bijlee a girls name? and Mandola? Is it "Man" and "Dola" as in the hindi word or it means something else. Maybe Mandela?
Me: Boss, Let me see the movie and get back to you.. I too am confused and only watching the movie shall clear all doubts.
**************** xxxxxxxxxxx********************
After the movie----
He: Hey , How was it? Do I need to get that "I told you so" look!
Me : (Valiantly trying to keep a straight face), not exactly.
He: So what was the movie about? You know, Matru, Bijlee, Mandola ?
Me: Matru is Imran Khans name and he is the personal valet/driver of Harphool Singh Mandola (Pankaj Kapoor) and Bijlee is Mandola's daughter. They all live in a village called Mandola.
He: Thanks... but so what? Still don't make sense.
Me: Well, Matru has returned back to Mandola after studying in Delhi and is half a communist. Mandola is the rich landlord who wants to buy up all the farmland to
setup a SEZ. Shabana Azmi is the MLA. She with her son want to buy up all the land, take over Mandola's assets by marrying Bijlee. Bottom line, Shabana is the scheming B**** (its good she is taking up different roles in the twilight of her career). She is helping Mandola to declare all the land in Mandola as useless and then buy it from the farmers for a price. So in order to do that, water and electrical supply to irrigate the fields have been curtailed so that the farmers can't grow anything. The farmers are resisting it, god favours them by giving them good rainfall after three years. Therefore, supported by a good crop, the farmers resist this high handed take over. The biggies are in no mood to relent and continue their offensive on the farmers by refusing to buy their produce and foreclosing their loans etc. To add to the Melee, there is a faceless benefactor, MAO (how original !) who is guiding the farmers in their fight against the Biggies. You get the picture.
He: Yeah, some what. but I also heard some pink Buffalo was there in the movie. Where does that fit in?
Me: Mandola is a drunkard. He can do anything to get a drink and is always promising to leave drinking in the morning to start drinking again in the evening. Whenever he starts drinking, he starts slurring and makes decisions based on his conscience. When he stops, he starts seeing a Pink Buffalo, which drives him mad. (BTW, Gulabo Bhains is also the liquor brand that he drinks!). When he is sober, he is cold blooded and calculating.
He: This seems to be making some sense. So how do you explain the Matru ki Bijlee.
Me: Bijlee is Mandola's daughter, who is a wild chick. She loves Shabana's son and wants to marry him. Shabana's son is foolish but petty and dangerous. Shabana couldn't care less about these two, but wants the wedding only for the land. Mandola thinks by his daughter marrying Shabana's son, political clearance for converting agri land to Non Agri shall be given. Matru secretly loves Bijlee but tries to show his indifference so much so that, he does not even try to stop their engagement or wedding. So the story is about Matru and Bijlee's love in Mandola (their village), with the land grab as a backround (or vice versa). Understood?
He: Man, this seems like a convoluted way of making a movie. And you were missing most of last evening- was the movie that long.
Me: Yeah, too long for comfort. It really dragged at some places. It is however a satire based on the mindset of Land grabbing and how rich literally bamboozle the poor into submission. However, he could've made it far more taut, which would have really made it a brilliant movie.
He: So what do you suggest? Should I watch it? How was the music?
Me: Well, you could , if you have the patience. But I thought Imran's character was not clearly defined. Anoushka's too was wishy-washy. Pankaj kapur and Shabana were pretty good but they way he told the story, he ran out of time to make it better and any longer than the present would've made it un watchable - Catch 22. Music was so-so. So you can safely miss it if you are not into political activism else watch it to understand the problem.
He: Food for thought and how much would you rate it?
After a spate of wham-bam movies like Dabang 2, Son Of Sardar, Khiladi 786 etc, here comes a movie with no big names save one - Paresh Rawal, with a twisted story that seemed interesting but had a Been There Done That Look, transforming towards the end into a.. what can I say ... a sort of a Thriller!
Vivaan and Ria, a married couple (have to mention married as there are various types of couples nowadays), have won an all expenses paid trip to Fiji. They have a ball there in spite of Vivaan losing his job prior to the trip. Things begin to get interesting towards the end of their trip, then they are invited to celebrate their marriage anniversary in style in one of the many islands of Fiji.
At the Island they are introduced to Mr Khan (Paresh Rawal- looking menacing), who has sponsored their trip and the anniversary celebrations. During casual conversation, he brings up a game show that he runs called "Table 21". The rules of the game are simple - 9 questions, Do not lie (or if you do, you Die), you cannot quit, each question has a task which has to be completed or someone dies. Simple.... yet deadly. The prize money - Rs 21 Crores ($10 million Fiji, didnt know our currency is that weak !!!!). For an "Back to the wall" Vivaan, this seems like a godsent opportunity to make some money and setup something of their own. They agree to play, sign the disclaimers and then the fun begins.
The movie narration is based on a mix of present events being explained by Flashbacks. The story brings out what devastating effect money can have on us and our relationships. As the story unravels, Vivaan and Sia are forced to confront their fears and deceptions which have the potential to wreck their relationship. The director, Aditya Datt, does a pretty decent job and the screen play/Story by Sheershak Anand and Shatanu ray Chibber is quite taut. Though the movie seems like a rehash of "An Indecent Proposal" "Death Race" and "Sach Ka Samna", it ends quite differently. The suspense is kept up right till the end and generally the audience does not get any cues as to where the entire saga is leading to.
However, the level of suspense is muted and does not grip you... the sore point in the movie as the story had the potential to keep you on tenterhooks!!
Paresh Rawal as Mr Khan is suitably competent, Rajiv Khandelwal as the out of work cad, Vivaan, is above average. Tine Desae looks like another pretty face but her acting skills are nothing much to write about (I've written too much in this one line!!). The rest of the case serves a purpose and the surprise package is Ashraf - Dhruv Ganesh, who plays his role very competently.
The movie is watchable and though there are certain discontinuities and inconsistencies, I would high recommend that you watch this movie. It is bereft of big names but I think the movie's underlying message needs to be seen by all.
Let me be Frank. I liked Dabang- It was fresh, had great songs, a decent storyline, clearly defined characters and above all Salman was in full form and did a wonderful job as Chulbul Pandey AKA RobinHood Pandey. The direction was tight and editing was good. So after the tremendous response Dabang garnered, the cash cow was ripe for milking and sure enough Dabang 2 was launched and now released on 21 Dec 2012 - The apocalypse date.
Was the film's release on the day of Apocalypse a cataclysmic event. Absolutely not! The movie started off with a bang, (Chulbul has been transferred to Kanpur, so he has relocated lock, stock, barrel with his father, brother and wife and wants to do great things), with a kidnapping scene and chulbul in his trademark style, single-handedly bludgeons the kidnappers and rescues the kid. In trademark Dabang style and with unabashed simplicity asks the kids dad to give the ransom money for his welfare and police welfare fund..
So much for that scene. The movie rolls on and we are introduced to the baddies du jour. Prakash Raj as Baccha bhaiyya (local goon and aspiring politician) and his two brothers have spread their reign of terror in Kanpur and loot and kill at will. Chulbul has given them an open challenge that they will regret that he ever got transferred to Kanpur. A series of incidents are shown, which highlight the goons activities and how Chulbul Checkmates them. Bachha is restrained and does not want to make outright war with him, but is forced to after a particular incident.
Chulbul's senior officer, the SP is a pisa loving cop with a belly bigger than the globe. Sonakshi as his wife is suitably demure and give enough come hither looks. She is dressed in absolutely skimpy backless blouses and some gorgeous sarees. Arbaaz as Makkhi is extremely subdued and is portrayed as an extremely stupid guy. Mahi gill as Makkhi's wife Nirmala is completely wasted. Vinod Khanna is Ok in parts. It is Salman's show all along. Songs are atrocius (including the Fevicol Song).
The only thing worth mentioning is the action. Crisp and defying laws of gravity wherein humans bounce like rubber balls and nothing can happen to Chulbul. He is superman. The fight sequences are well shot nevertheless and are the highlight of the movie.
Summing up : Watch it only, and only if you are a Salman Khan Fan, otherwise it is a waste of time.
After the slew of hi-profile releases last month (and supposedly hi brow and classy), here comes an offering which is a study in contrast. Akshay "Khiladi" Kumar is alive, kicking and in every frame of the movie (but strangely enough you dont feel overwhelmed !!).
At the start, we are given a visual demo of how punjab police have outsourced their job to curtail smuggling to one "Bhattar Singh" or 72 Singh as seen on his name tally. I mean, if one guy can do the job ( smash into a smugglers den, beat up about 100 goons and re-appropriate the spoils amongst themselves and then some for the villagers and the government) then why waste time and effort of atleast 20, pot-bellied and pan-slobbering police men!!!!!!!
Anyway, we are informed that 72 Singh is actually a goon, robinhood and a demi-god , all rolled into one. This khiladi is a non-starter when it comes to wooing the opposite sex. He and his family are desperately trying to find a good match for him, but no dad is willing to give him his daughters hand because of his reputation. Now, it seems that the same problem was faced by his dad and chacha. His dad's mother is an African lady called Mandela Kaur!! , his mother is a canadian and his Chachi is a Chinese!!!!! And boy, their offspring look indian.. !!! Genetics... what a bummer!!! as to their names, Dad is Sattar Singh, Chacha is Ek Hattar Singh, Khiladi is Bahattar Singh, 73 Singh (I cant recollect the hindi name for 73) was lost in a mela (thankfully, not the Kumbh one!!), 74 Singh is his chacha's son (the chinese babes kid)..and now I am lost..???
To cut a long story short, we move to mumbai where Mithun as the dreaded Don TTT (Tatya Tukaram Tendulkar) has a maniacal sister Indu (Asin - Looking absolutely gorgeous and shapely - Lipo or workout.. I am not sure), who drives of prospective goons oops... grooms by her dare driving skills, because she is in love with a Hare Brained, criminal with a Hyderabadi accent called Azad, who is Jail Prone (see the movie to understand this term!!).
The third element is a wedding planner, Himmesh bhai, whose father is the owner and has completed some 450+ marriages and is looking for completing 500. But-- Himmesh, with this goofy behaviour is jinxed and says the wrong things at the wrong time and instead of getting married, the marriages are called off... So he is kicked out and wants to prove a point to his dad that he can also get people married. Therein lies the story... of how Himmesh, tries to marry off 72 Singh with Indu and thereof..
The story is whacky and non-sensical but the director makes no bones about it. The direction is like Rohit Shetty meets Crouching Tiger and Moon Acrobatics.. I mean, flying cars, flying people, punches that send people into orbit and cars that keep blowing off.. there is enough excitement to whet your appetite. Believe me, this film is for the masses and please see it for the sheer incredulity of events that the director want you to see.
Music by Himmesh Bhai is as nasal as it can get, but watching his voice resonate through akshay is hilarious. The songs are tedious and continuing with the trend this year(Almost all hindi movies had awful sound tracks!!!).
Verdict - To be honest- there was never a dull moment on screen and your belief systems were being stretched every second. Asin was wasted in this movie (but she looked gorgeous, and I dont know why she wants to do these movies, she looks too sophisticated !!!). Raj Babbar and Mithun - the old warhorses prove that they still have it... Himmesh is believable and cute and I guess has now found his space.. :). Akshay is really good and holds the movie together.. very entertaining - Overall-
RATING - **1/2 ( and ***1/2 only for Akshay).
Warning - Watch it with no pre-conceived notions..!!!!!!
Aamir Khan has set the bar very high. All movies starring him in the past few years have done extremely well - Critically as well as Commercially. I guess the law of averages has to catch up some day and Talaash is that average for Aamir.
Don't get me wrong. Its a good film, but not an excellent one. It has an interesting story line, but not an unique one. In fact, I found some shades of The Sixth Sense in the movie. It has been cleverly interspersed with other characters, but I guess, the basic theme remains the same. As it is purported to be a suspense thriller, I will not give out the plot and be a party pooper but here are the bare essentials:-
Aamir Khan is an honest cop - Surjan Singh Shekhawat A.K.A as Suri by his wife and friends. Rani is his wife. The movie starts off with an accident of a superstar - Armaan Kapoor, witnessed by three persons. All of them say the same thing - The road was empty, the car swerved and went into the water. End Result - Armaan Kapoor is dead. The media goes off on a frenzy, the cops are clue less and so is the audience - till then atleast.The plot begins to unravel when a constable tells Suri that this the the third accident on that road and both cases were closed as there was no rational explanation for them. This gets Suri thinking. What follows is a story wherein, demons of Suri and Rani's past (their son died in a boat accident while they were on a picnic ), interspersed with the dark underbelly of prostitution, greed, murder, betrayal, faith and burning human desire to escape the filth that one is drawn into.
The characters are well defined - Sashi - the sleazy pimp, blackmailer, Sanjay Kejriwal - the actors best friend turned partner in crime, Nawazuddin as Temur- the cripple sidekick (a big change from his role in Kahani), Shernaz Patel as the Psychic who can talk to spirits and of course - Kareena Kapoor as Rosy, the call girl. Unfortunately, though everyone has given a competent performance, not a single performance stands out. Aamir is suitably shown as the honest cop turned insomniac turned believer in supernatural events.
The movie, unfortunately has no lighter moments to dispel the gloom. In that regard, the screen play and direction are top class - Its we, who are jaded and seen too many movies of this type, who find nothing new or great in the movie.
Three idiots may have crossed 100 crores or more, but I think this movie may struggle to achieve that figure. There is nothing wrong, but somehow the movie as a whole does not touch you or make you crave to know the ending, because you can figure it out for yourself immediately after the interval..so much for suspense.
Overall I would rate the movie
Rating -- **1/2
But acting - ***
Go watch it if you have nothing better to do on a sunday .. else you can safely miss it..
