Shaadi Ke Side Effects Movie Review

Shaadi Ke Side EffectsStory: Sid & Trisha have moved beyond dating days. They've survived multiple lovers' tiffs and overcome PMS (read: pre-marriage syndrome). Bravo! Now they are a happily married couple. Wait! Only until a 'pregnant' pause changes it all.

Review: He says it. She disagrees. He reacts. She overacts. He makes mistakes, he says sorry. She makes mistakes, 'he' says sorry. So there! Even geniuses like Socrates and Einstein couldn't crack a fool-proof plan to a 'happy marriage'. Even novel cosmic concepts like Men are from Mars and Women are from all over the place (lol!) can't explain this 'heavenly' intervention. So then? Let's take a look at Saket Chaudhary's insightful story of shaadi and its shocking effects.

Sid's (Farhan) married life seems to be rocking with his adventurous wife Trisha (Vidya), until a chance 'unprotected' moment of pleasure lands them with a 'bundle' of unwanted problems. He puts his musical ambitions to rest, from composing jingles to singing lullabies for his little girl (even breaking into 'Sweet Child of Mine' - Wake up, Guns 'n' Roses! Hilarious!).

Trisha turns into an idiosyncratic, full-time mommy and Sid is left missing their lovely 'twosome' life. Pillow talk turns to potty talk and spousal spasms crawl into their shaadi, leading Sid to seek advice from bro-in-law (Ram Kapoor, lending good support). Does the quick-fix save-the-shaadi solution create more cracks, or stoke the chemistry? The best part is that Sid and Trisha don't 'fake' it. Ever! They are believable characters living real life situations. Yet, their quirkiness leaves you with delightful guffaws. Saket's story (sequel to 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects') pulls everything together skillfully, with conversations that turn into epigrams and chemistry that exudes wit and lovability. There's nothing schmaltzy or superficial about it.

The director strikes a fine balance between humour and emotion in this slice-of-marriage story. The first half takes a while to catch up, but the dialogues (Arshad Sayed) provide ample laughs, while giving wisdom for wedded bliss. Vir Das in his funky avatar is a riot. Vidya is brilliant and hits a high note in the emotional scenes. The film belongs to Farhan who stuns you with his straight-faced witticisms and plethora of expressions that amuse and move dramatically.

Single or married, this film will have more of a 'special effect' than 'side effect' on you.

source: toi

Shootout at Wadala Movie Review

Cast:
John Abraham, Kangana Ranaut, Anil Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Siddhant Kapoor
Director: Sanjay Gupta

Another thriller about cops and goons set in the Mumbai underworld? Yes, pretty much so. But Shootout at Wadala is more than just a series of action scenes strung together with the purpose of revealing the many dangers that lurk in mafia land.

As far as the plot goes, the film does not proffer much that has not been seen before. But director Sanjay Gupta brings a degree of flair and finesse to the table and gives the hackneyed and violent story a sustained edge that is difficult to ignore.

Shootout at Wadala is no different. Set in the late 70's and 80's the film is an unapologetic gangster flick that milks every opportunity to  play to the gallery and titillate its core audience with violence and sex.

With many dates, ranging from the 1970s all the way to January 1982, thrown into the narrative to create the film’s historical context, Shootout at Wadala freely fictionalizes details drawn from the police files.

The film scores on two fronts – the niftily choreographed action sequences and the sharply written dialogues (Milan Milap Zaveri). But in both respects, a tendency to err on the side of excess mars the overall impact.

Tusshar Kapoor who plays his side kick, sinks his teeth into the meaty role and chews on every scene written to showcase his diversity. The ensemble of supporting actors gives Wadala a definitive edge. Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Sonu Sood and Ronit Roy despite the short comings of their characters are 100% in character all the time and never lose the pulse of what's happening around them.

The dialogues are hard-hitting in parts, but occasionally go overboard with the cuss words. Expletives have really lost their ability to shock – in Shootout at Wadala they raise a few laughs.

The laboured comedy is out of place in a two-and-a-half-hour film replete with high-voltage action sequences interspersed with dramatic confrontation scenes that keep it on the boil all the way through.

The well-calibrated and explosive climax provides a fitting finale to the blood-soaked crime drama and makes up for some of the more slipshod portions.

Shootout at Wadala is enlivened by a clutch of solid performances. At one end are the men in uniform (Anil Kapoor, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ronit Roy), at the other the gangsters (John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee, Sonu Sood, Tusshar Kapoor).

A sense of déjà vu is inevitable. Yet Shootout at Wadala delivers many an ace in terms of style. Premises of a jail, congested bylanes, seedy gangland hideouts, and sordid brothels and police vans are Sanjay Gupta’s favourite sites and they serve to enhance the noir feel of the film.

This is Gupta’s first film in eight years – his last directorial outing was the derivative dark thriller Zinda – and his storytelling methods are still as dry as gunpowder.

Shootout at Wadala has the makings of a blockbuster, but unlike many Mumbai films that are part of the 100-crore club, it has a logical core that, despite relying on many of the conventions of commercial Hindi cinema, does not degenerate into outright pulp.

If there is a major weakness in the film, it must be the fact that John Abraham plays the central character and is called upon to carry the venture on his shoulders. He is in virtually every frame of Shootout at Wadala.

He plays Manya Surve, a college student who, after a murder rap and an escape from prison, rose to challenge the dominant underworld gang of the era and was eventually killed in a police encounter, the first-ever recorded in the city’s crime history.

Abraham goes all out as a tough-as-nails criminal (warding off rivals and cops alike) and a genteel lover (wooing, losing and reclaiming Kangana Ranaut), but the pressures of the histrionic range that he must traverse leave him groping for the right emotive chords at times.

Mercifully, the cast of Shootout at Wadala has a couple of seasoned actors who never seem to falter – Anil Kapoor (ACP Afaaque Bhagran, Manya’s principal tormentor) and Manoj Bajpayee (Zubair Imtiaz Haskar, a character modelled on Dawood Ibrahim).

Add to that the presence of Sonu Sood (Zubair’s younger brother, Dilawar), who, too, is in fine fettle, and you have a drama that has the acting firepower to blast its way through trouble.

Thrills of the cheaper variety are provided by not one, not two, but three item girls – Priyanka Chopra (Babli badmaash), Sunny Leone (Laila) and Sophie Chaudhry (Aala re aala).

These raunchy numbers are fillers unabashedly designed to provide eye candy relief from all the virility on show and, therefore, add no real intrinsic value to the film. But they do not get on the nerves quite in the manner that item numbers tend to do.

Shootout at Wadala captures the grit and grime of the mean streets to perfection thanks to the classy camerawork of DOP Sameer Arya and additional DOP Sanjay F. Gupta.

The film is generally entertaining without attaining the sort of innate quality that could attract favourable comparisons with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya and Company or Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda. But that could hardly be a reason to write off the film.

Aashiqui 2 Movie Review

Film: Aashiqui 2
Starring: Aditya Roy Kapoor,Shraddha Kapoor,Shaad Randhawa
Director: Mohit Suri
Producer: Mahesh Bhatt,Mukesh Bhatt
Banner: T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd.,Vishesh F
Music: Jeet Gangulli,Mithoon,Ankit Tiwari

It's no coincidence that this surprisingly moving film is inspired by Frank Pierson's 1976 drama "A Star Is Born". And I deliberately mention the funky psychedelic 1976 version and not the older (1954) version of the same story.

In spirit and in the way the two principal actors perform their parts of two soul-mates and singers torn asunder by their allegiance to the same competitive spirit of showmanship, "Aashiqui 2" is robustly reminiscent of the Kris Kristofferson-Barbra Streisand film where he discovers a co-singer who steals his heart and also his career.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee made his melodious "Abhimaan" on the same theme. It was easy for Hrishida to portray Jaya Bhaduri as a better artiste than Amitabh Bachchan quite simply because she sang in Lata Mangeshkar's voices. In "Aashiqui 2" the two protagonists are pretty much left to their own devices to create that unbearable frisson between two people whose love is trapped in the whirligig of showbiz. For their love to be liberated from the rituals of competitiveness, one of the lovers must make a huge sacrifice before the end.

For love to live the lover must die. It's a curious tradeoff and one carried off in this film with an exuberance of emotions.

The premise for the plot presumes love to be selfless all-giving and unconditional. Just to see Shradha Kapoor's eyes melt in mutating emotions of unflinching devotion to her alcoholic star-on-the-skids lover is a vision that makes us believe true love still exists. This petite beauty with eyes that never stay silent gives to her part so much heart, you want to just embrace her and protect her from her self-destructive mentor-turned-tormentor.

Aditya Roy Kapoor as a rock star who is rapidly slipping from the charts gives all of himself to the character. And then some more. In Aditya's persona, Rahul becomes a metaphor for all the success in showbiz that goes awry. In pursuit of pleasure derived from the bottle his character becomes a cross between Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas, Ranbir Kapoor's Rockstar and Kris Kirstofferson's John Norman Howard.

Like all the heroes of Mahesh Bhatt's cinema, Aditya has to portray a man who frequently creates a scene and embarrases the person he loves the most. This young actor is not afraid to look compromised on screen. A fearless actor, Aditya falters in the higher notes.

But then as I said, the singing here is not quite what we heard Lata Mamgeshkar, Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar do in "Abhimaan". Having said that it must be admitted that the music by Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon and Ankit Tiwari stands by the characters and never lets them down even when the pitch gets really steep. The finely written poetry also helps to furnish the lovers' journey with a feverish and fecund pitch.

"Aashiqui 2" is a film with its heart in the right place. There are many moments of pure cliche between the lovers. And these moments, so deeply entrenched in the conventions of our cinema, blossom into fresh statements on modern love. It's a joy to see writer Shagufta Rafiqui and director Mohit Suri ferret out those feel-good places in the script where the protagonists plonk their emotions with a confidence and conviction that reaches out to the audience.

Is that really acting that we see each time Aditya into Shradha's eyese

If cinema is all about faking human emotions, then I must admit this film does a very competent job of making us believe that true love still exists in this world.

Man, woman, music,ambitions, dreams and despair... Director Mohit Suri traverses the angst-soaked territory with a sincere and deep understanding of the dynamics that destroy love and trust between couples in the glamorous and competitive profession. Yes, there are some clumsily-written episodes in the love story, for example the character of intrusive struggler who barges into the plot at the start during the opening music concert and again in the climax almost as if he was waiting impatiently in the margins of the screenplay.

What lifts the film beyond the realm of the routine are the jagged edges that the film constructs around the central relationship without wounding the film's fragile core. Full credit to the actors who fill up the screen with a measure of voluptuousness allowing the emotions to spill over without creating an excessive drama. Aditya Roy Kapoor is impressively implosive while Shradha Kapoor plays off against him with a steel willed vulnerability that echoes Jaya Bhaduri in "Abhimaan". Another fine performance comes from Shaad Randhawa as Aditya's friend and manager.

Watching this smoothly-oiled drama of disintegrating love I couldn't help remember Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal's wooden performance in "Aashiqui".

Our cinema has a come a long way, and not always in the right direction. "Aashiqui 2" makes us grateful for the movement of the love story away from the standard Romeo & Juliet format into the dark destructive domain of "A Star Is Born".

Players Movie Review

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Omi Vaidya, Sonam Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Sikander Kher, Johnny Lever
Direction: Abbas Mustan
Genre: Thriller

Story: In 1915 Romania sent its pure gold collection worth a zillion crores to Russia for safe deposit. Russia of course chose to never give it back. But now good bilateral terms between the two countries means Russia is sending all that gold back to Romania. How? Just the way it came -- by train. That simple? Not really especially when there are some well trained players out there whose mission is to get that gold....

Movie Review: From its very original version in 1969, with its classic cast of Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill to the much later 2003 version with Donald Sutherland, Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and other stalwarts, the Italian Job has been entertaining its viewers as amongst Hollywood's most fascinating thriller films which involve a simple plot of stealing gold worth $35 million from the canals of Venice to LA. The transfer is supposed to take place over a high Alpine pass that hasn't been disturbed since the time of Hannibal and the fact that it all gets messed up due to human error and modern technology only makes humans to turn out more puny than they seem. Natural laws are after all always supreme, never to be challenged. But ah! for human greed... Can you expect something like this from our desi Players, a supposedly Indian vision of the Italian Job?

Charlie ( Abhishek Bachchan) is the catalyst behind the mission to steal gold worth crores for himself and his role model Victor Dada ( Vinod Khanna). Naturally then, Dada, the bad man in jail repenting for his earlier sins, helps Charlie form a team of the world's best players. Once the team is in place, the deadline is 10 odd minutes to steal the gold from a moving train. This leads to a series of events where traitors and loyals are revealed creating mayhem in the hurriedly patched up team. While Bilal ( Sikander Kher) as the explosive expert and Rony ( Bobby Deol) as the illusionist make a brief cameo, it is Johnny Lever as the auto expert and Sunny ( Omi Vaidya) as the makeup expert who do manage to tickle the funny bone with their usual antics. On the other hand, Abhishek once again reprises the character of Dhoom he seems to have perfected while Bipasha goes glam as in Race. She doesn't mind bad company as long as it takes her to the pinnacle of material success. Sonam Kapoor (Naina) joins the team in the second half (though she is there in bits and piece in the first half). She wants to meet Neil since he is the one who killed her dad. That's where she puts her hacking knowledge and her body/looks to use since she is the only one Neil has not met before. But eventually, it is Neil Nitin Mukesh (Spider), the ultimate no-strings-attached man, wild gambler at heart with a twist in the soul and tango in the feet, who slam dances his way away as the ultimate crook. Music by Pritam is good while it lasts. Some editing sorely needed, visual imagery quite polished, and the look as usual is of new age Bollywood.

But would you go out for a DVD of Players and put it in that cherished section of your home video corner saying: Hundred movies to see before you die! All you brave Indian filmmakers, do pick up classics, but first, get a bit classic yourself and learn about cult film making which is so much different from commercial cinema. You'll find the difference. Your Bollywood ventures end up like cold cuts - stylishly done - are so different from piping hot goulash.

'Don 2' Review

Star Cast – Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor
Director – Farhan Akhtar
Producer – Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shahrukh Khan
Music Director – Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Lyrics – Javed Akhtar
Genre – Action Thriller
Rating:

Farhan Akhtar’s magnum opus is finally out. The lavish product has been dished out for the entertainment of the viewers luxuriantly lush style. The film was being hugely awaited and the fruit of the patience is undoubtedly scrumptious. Akhtar’s sequel to his classically and lavishly made Don (2006), which was the biggest blockbuster success, is supremely high on all fronts – direction, story, screenplay, dialogues, music and the look. Don 2 is a winner all the way.

Farhan’s attempting to remake Amitabh Bachchan’s classic ‘Don’ (1978) was without any doubt the biggest decision of his career but the luminous filmmaker very intelligently churned out the venture in a style that gave the viewers the Bond look and international feel to enjoy with the swanky thriller. The response was super abundant at the box office rather was much beyond the expectations. This gave him the courage to attempt the sequel, though he went for chewing up the product after the hiatus of five years, and he now emerges with his much ambitious project.

Farhan even showed his confidence on the expected success of the movie prior to the release. Well, when one consumes himself fully into the making of some venture, the surety of the success is valid. The same is the case with the adroit filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.

Attempting sequels in Hindi cinema has become a fashion and much-used trend now. Admit, the sequels to the blockbusters normally run and give good collections to the investors. But the fact remains there attempting a sequel is more difficult than making the original since you carry a big burden to confer the audiences the same rather more entertainment with the new offering. Farhan and his team succeed again this time around.

Akhtar’s concept with Don 2 is novel and he provides the moviegoers with extra dose of entertainment and a lush thriller to enjoy with that is laced with well-delivered actions, eye-candy visuals and a story to rave big about. Don 2 has an international feel and utterly fits to the international standards. Frankly, the movie looks inspired by the Bond and Tom Cruises’ flicks when you look at the action sequences and the international locales.
The most interesting thing about Don 2 is that the viewer is not aware of what would be offered in the sequel and from here the film generates values and interest quotient for the cinemagoers. Don’s every action is different and you cannot predict at all what he would be doing in the next frame? The suspense element has been intact in the narrative considering the values of a true thriller.

The story is brilliant and the screenplay is a class in itself. There is hardly any holes seen in the script and that‘s the worth of the movie. Farhan has very masterly executed the script on the celluloid showing the world that he is a classy story-teller. He flaunts his ability to get glued the audiences to the screen putting them on the edge of the seat.
Don is a cold blooded man, he is super hazardous getting laced with a new agenda to follow this time around. Roma too is stiff to deal with. She shares turbulent rapport with Don and both are involved in a cat-mouse chase in the sequel.
The film just suffers a few hiccups such as the first half of the movie lacks some punches in terms of entertaining the viewers (but not overall, just a few times a viewer feels un-entertained) and the other weak point is that the movie lacks on emotional values as human emotions have not been given deserving space in the film.

The post interval portion is simply magical swathed with the adrenaline rush sequences to get glued with.
The reels unzip in Thailand and then the flick moves on to Malaysia. Don (Shah Rukh Khan) capitulates to the police (Om Puri and Priyanka Chopra) who send him to the jail in Malaysia. In prison, he bumps into his old enemy Vardhan (Boman Irani) with whom he schemes a plot of escaping. They do successfully. Both land into Zurich from there in Berlin. Don has the agenda of looting the currency plates. It’s not that easy thus he ropes into a hacker (Kunal Kapoor) to get this task done. Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is after Don.
Farhan Akhtar has proved that he is the man who can successfully make the lavish and stylish thrillers. His execution is supremely high on successful notes. The script is well crafted and has urban values, which is why it attracts the viewers. Don 2 is the biggest gift for those thriller seekers who love the film with international feel attached. The twists and turns in the movie further add values to the flick. The film is a big change in the routine Hindi celluloid.
Dialogues compliment the script utterly. They are the ones which would be hummed around in daily life from now onwards. The lines delivered by Shah Rukh Khan are really splendid and attention-grabbing.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is mellifluous and it too has the thrilling effects on the music lovers. The cinematography by Jason West is eye-pleasing – the locales of Germany, Thailand and Malaysia are breath-arresting. Editing is crispy. The special effects and visual effects are true life of the movie. The action is the hallmark of the film done by Matthias Barsch.

Shah Rukh Khan has reinvented himself in anti-heroes characters after such a long hiatus and it is a good change for him and his audiences. He has delivered the cold-blooded and dangerous DON with his usual brilliance. His star power has dragged the audiences in theater and will be doing so in the days to come. Priyanka Chopra does the meaty role of a stern cop. Boman Irani portrays the character well. Om Puri is wasted. Lara Dutta is glamorous and does fine. Kunal Kapoor looks good as well. Rest of the cast fills the bill.

Final Verdict by the Critic:
Don 2 is the brilliantly executed lavish film by Farhan Akhtar. It is undoubtedly the best movie, he has made so far in his career. With the star power of Shah Rukh Khan, Don 2 will generate bigger collections at the box office. Since two biggest occasions are to follow – Christmas and New Year, the mammoth collections would be witnessed on these events.

Bollywood Movie Mausam Review

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Aditi Sharma
Direction: Pankaj Kapur
Genre: Romance

Story: Harinder Singh aka Harry ( Shahid Kapoor), whiles away his time in his native village, waiting for the letter to join the Indian Air Force. But before the letter arrives, he falls in love with Aayat ( Sonam Kapoor), the displaced Kashmiri girl who lands up in the village when Kashmir falls prey to insurgency. However, the ill-fated romance gets disrupted by the political events like the Ayodhya dispute, the Mumbai bomb blasts, the Kargil war, the Gujarat riots.... The world simmers, violence spreads, but love never dies as Harry and Aayat keep hoping for a re-union, despite the passing years and the turbulent landscape

Movie Review: Mausam begins on a beautiful note. Loads of atmospherics, mood, sentiment and stunning visuals of a sleepy rural backdrop, captured in arresting mode by cinematographer Binod Pradhan make you sit back determined for an artistic tryst with cinema. Sonam's shy femininity as the anguished Kashmir migrant, trapped in alien terrain and Shahid Kapoor's boyish buoyancy add a spark to the proceedings as does their old-fashioned style of romance.

Yes, the allure of the first half of the film lies in the vintage love story which proceeds through unsaid words, unexpressed feelings, stolen glances and lots of melody (Pritam Singh). The affair which begins in 1992, before the demolition of the Babri mosque has an oriental charm to it and makes for some moments of great viewing. It's not only Shahid and Sonam, but the entire ensemble cast comprising the villagers that lend a spontaneity to the proceedings. The demolition of the mosque and the political turmoil that ensues puts a brake on the tender banter and causes the lovers to separate. Aayat leaves for Mumbai and Shahid joins the Air Force.

And it's here that director Pankaj Kapur seems to lose his grip, at least partially, on the story which crosses continents and slips on the natural charm and high emotional quotient that made the first half eminently watchable. The lovers meet again in Scotland, but a Mozart concert can never really compensate for the rustic splendour of misty greens, mustard fields and rain drenched terraces. Too many comings and goings, meetings and separations, missed calls and opportunities, spurred on by the cataclysmic political events of the nation, tire you with their repetition, even as the evolution of Sonam into a style diva robs her off her native innocence. Shahid's daredevil Air Force pilot too loses a bit of depth as he battles too many odds: an unfulfilled romance, enemy bunkers on Tiger Hill and a debilitating battle injury. Cut to the climax -- the lovers trapped on a burning street during the Gujarat carnage -- and things slip completely out of hand.... Too bizarre, too unnecessary, bordering on the ludicrous.

Don't be dissuaded however, for Mausam has lots to offer to the viewer who doesn't mind his cinema languorous, laid back and moody, with loads of beauty.

Tip Off: The film tries to strike a balance between art and mainstream cinema and succeeds partially.

Hindi Movie Bodyguard Trailer

Hindi Movie Bodyguard Trailer

Hindi Movie Bodyguard story

When it comes to being punctual and doing his duties perfectly, Lovely Singh is unmatchable. Taking great pride in what he does, he spares no effort in giving his everything to his profession. Summoned for an assignment of guarding Divya, the daughter of Sartaj Rana, a business tycoon Lovely Singh accompanies her to her campus, but ends up rubbing her the wrong way with his over-protective nature and paranoia about security. She finds him to be a major obstacle in leading a regular campus life. To throw him off-track and get him out of the way, she comes up with a 'master-plan'- that of trapping him in a fake love affair. 'Once he's smitten by the girl of his dreams and is reveling in his new-found romance, he will leave us alone, and we shall be free to do our own thing unhindered', says Divya to her friends. She becomes an anonymous admirer of his and starts hounding him, expressing her 'feelings' in no uncertain terms. Lovely Singh however proves to be a tough nut to crack, and it takes quite a bit of doing from her side to penetrate his fort-like exterior. But once she succeeds in doing so, he transforms into a completely different person. Divya is triumphant and is all set to relish her regained freedom. But things take an unexpected turn when she learns a few things about Lovely Singh. Things that she could've never even imagined! And she soon finds herself trapped in a dilemma that she's unable to resolve! And with her, soon enough, Lovely Singh finds himself ensnared in a web of lies, trickery and deceit! Bodyguard is the story of conflict- between innocence and mischief, love and power and life and death!

Bollywood Movie ' Khap ' Review

Cast: Om Puri, Govind Namdev, Manoj Pahwa, Mohnish Bahl, Anooradha Patel, Uvika Choudhary, Sarrtaj Gill

Directed by Ajai Sinha

Rating: Honour spilling

'Khap' sounds like a blunt instrument cutting through flesh and ironically refers to Khap Panchayats or village bodies that brutally skin young couples who marry within their own clan, village (or cow-shed?). Although, the Supreme Court of India has banned Khaps from exercising medieval methods to simulate the phrase, 'till death do us apart', no court has proof-read the script of the film, 'Khap', so here we go again.

Luckily, movies made on grave topics are usually intercut with a lighter parallel screenplay to balance the mood. Unluckily, 'Khap' takes the parallel story so far, it leaves the core issue like an abandoned baby outside a deserted church. So amidst the barbaric chopping, tractor mowing and sword stabbing of couples marrying within their 'gotra' (clan) in a quaint village called Sajod, lies a diabetically-sugary urban love story.

Welcome to Delhi, where 'sweet16' aka Ria (Uvika Choudhary) giggles in front of her laptop when she's pinged by 'cool_stud' aka Kush (Sarrtaj Gill). Under the guise of being a Canadian babe and an Australian mate, the two exchange some tacky messages and odd pictures of each other (a close-up of Ria's pouting lips and a widescreen of Kush's eyes with his shades hanging by the tip of his nose). Clutching on to these quirky photos, the duo indulge in a tedious song to find each other. Being from the same college and not across continents comes in handy and this hunt ends soon. To celebrate their union, we break into another song, which traces their relationship with signboards like 'Love has begun', 'Love in mid-air' and 'Love in danger'. Ok, back to some chop-chop in Sajod. Another couple forgot to spot 5 differences between their 'gotras' before saying, 'I do'. Chop! Slash! Splatt! Enough? Ok, go back to downtown Delhi!

Now, the city and village sequences can't be parallel forever, so Ria's dad, Madhur (Mohnish Bahl) happens to be the son of Khap President of Sajod, Omkar Chaudhary (Om Puri), aka Commander Slash? Disturbed by his father's atrocious ways, Madhur had forsaken Sajod life decades ago to move to Delhi. But what Madhur couldn't give up (and something that we all have to unitedly endure) are his charred and wormlike expressions (possibly produced by placing a transparent box of fart over his face?).

Anyway, to connect the dots, Riya and friends also happen to visit Sajod for a picnic/ field trip/ Khap darshan etc and discover the dark order of the place. Later, Madhur, who is also a human rights officer, is sent to investigate a possible case of honour killings in Sajod. And with all roads heading to Sajod, it's hardly imaginative to guess where this headless chicken is headed. Following a series of 'Papa, I'm not coming home', we have some dishonorable and some accidental killings. Ria and Kush also get intricately mixed up in this severely melodramatic story that results to naught.

Critical character actors that define this story with their unnecessary presence are as follows: 1. Alok Nath plays a random bloated person lecturing college kids in a library about the demerits of marrying one's siblings. He hammers his opinion by screaming across the library, to a point that you want his unfriendly appearance to end or offer him hammer-killing. 2. Kaka or Omkar's household help, who's eternally playing with dough to fix his special 'mooli ka paratha', much-loved by Madhur. Go figure who's not making it for dinner. 3. Mad village idiot, whose bizarre antics are deliciously scary. He may not have his way with words but like a pug that attracts attention to the scene of crime, he manages to convey an important happening towards the end of the film. 4. Manoj Pahwa and Govind Namdev playing Omkar's loyal aides Sukhiram and Daulat Singh sufficiently sneer, grunt and display numerous flashes of fury.

Using cinema as a medium to sensitize audiences about social evils like honour killing is noble indeed. But not if it turns out to be a criminal murder of time, like this film.

Review: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey moves you, but sporadically

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (U/A)

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Sikandar Kher
Rating: ***

Think of all the things you expect from a Hindi film about India’s freedom struggle. Songs about love for the motherland are a given, dialogues that speak of revolution a must, there will usually be a bunch of very bad firang actors cast as Britishers who will speak anglicised Hindi and at least one character will lay down his life to protect his friends’.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (KHJJS) has all of the above ingredients that have usually resulted in films that are slightly over-the-top, even jingoistic, but which serve a purpose – that of giving you the thrill of watching the lives and stories of those who fought for the freedom we enjoy today.

But director Ashutosh Gowariker, in his trademark fashion, keeps the hyperbole minimal and opts for a simpler treatment, and focusses primarily on narrating a story.

Thankfully, in KHJJS, the story is what makes it watchable. Firstly, few of us may know of Surjya Sen – the protagonist – like we are aware of, say, Netaji Bose or Bhagat Singh or Mangal Pandey or even Rani Laxmibai.

History textbooks, to my knowledge, rarely made mention of the Chittagong Uprising, about a group of teenagers that attacked British forces in five different places on one night under the leadership of their schoolteacher Sen, lovingly known as Masterda, in the year 1930.

KHJJS borrows its story from the events narrated in Manini Chatterjee’s novel, Do And Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34.

Sen (Bachchan) is fighting the freedom struggle along with his associates Nirmal (Kher), Anant, Kalpana (Padukone) and a few more. However, with most of his other saathi in jail, he turns to a group of teenagers who want to do their bit against the British Empire.

Impressed with their gumption and desire to free India, Sen trains the teenagers – who keep growing in numbers – in combat and weaponry. With help from his revolutionary friends, Sen plans an attack on five locations that are of importance to the Empire on one single night.

The film chronicles the preparation that went into the execution of the attacks and the aftermath.

All the things that make KHJJS different from other films of the same genre go against it too. For one, Gowariker takes his own sweet time to narrate the story.

Even though the film is Gowariker’s shortest, at close to three hours, it’s still quite long to make you shift in your seat more than once. Also, the film seems to lack the fervour you expect from a film with a patriotic theme.

Having said that, the strong points of the film is the novel storyline – that of kids fighting for independence – and the performances of most actors, especially the children.

Also, Gowariker manages to recreate the era well (with art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai), and draws you in the plot slowly and steadily.

While the pre-interval portions are enjoyable because of the camaraderie between the kids, the film shifts into action mode immediately after half-time. The attacks and the planning that went into them have been depicted well. Also, some penultimate scenes are sure to move even the stone-hearted.

However, the film drags at a number of places, and takes a little too long to wrap up. Also, Sen’s romance with Kalpana Dutta looks forced and takes a great deal away from the central plot. In fact, Sen makes a mention of his wife who he says died due to his mistakes, but you don’t really know what actually happened. Lame attempts at establishing a ‘Bengali’ set-up, with characters calling others’ with a pronounced ‘O’ in their names (like Kolpona), jar.

Performance-wise, Abhishek does quite well in the central role, but somewhere falls short of delivering the kind of performance you expect from the lead actor of a film like that. Deepika is confident, and doesn’t have much to do, something you won’t really complain about.

Sikander Kher and the actors playing Sen’s other associates pitch in good performances. Special mention, though, has to be made of Vijay Maurya, who like in many of his earlier roles, excels in this one too.

The film’s biggest plus, though, is the performance of the kids. Each and every one of them enthuses life in characters, creating an immediate connect. You smile when they are happy and feel the anguish when they experience it.

After having seen the words ‘Vande Mataram’ uttered in almost every film set in pre-independence India, watch the kids discuss its meaning. It’s among the scenes that make a strong impact. Wish there were more.

Guzaarish - Movie Review

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Monikangana Dutta, Suhel Seth, Shernaz Patel and others

Screenplay-Music Director-Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali-UTV

Rating: ***

Background
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has made films like 'Khamoshi – The Musical', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Devdas' and 'Black' before. His last attempt at the box office – 'Saawariya' was a disaster. He has a lot to prove with this film.

Storyline
Mercy killing or 'Project Euthanasia' is what Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) demands. Ethan is a magnificent magician... He has the world under his thumb. He holds his audiences spellbound every time he performs. But one fine day one of his best friends does a foul play leading to a mishap and Ethan's bed ridden, never to be able to move on his own.

But his love for life does the magic as he turns into an RJ and solves the problems of all his listeners by giving them a mantra – that life is beautiful – go and enjoy it. He also gives away all the mantras of magic to his best friend's son, forgetting his evil deed.

But then one day, he feels that he wants to end his life and gets his listeners involved... He wants an audience poll on whether or not he should die with dignity of his own free will. The story also has an impression of undying love that the nurse Sofia (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) nurtures under her pious bosom.

He then engages a lawyer Devyani Dutta (Shernaz Patel) who is also his best friend. But she is unable to procure mercy killing that he so desires.

Sofia who looks after Ethan is happy as she does not support the idea but when the mother and doctor also agree to it then Sofia extends her support too for the mercy killing.

Is Ethan able to get the desired death or not? Will Ash get a divorce from her husband under the domestic violence act? Will she disclose her love for Ethan and finally will she turn to be Mrs Mascarenhas? All this form the crux of the story.

The making
Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a way of narrating stories. He has a thought process that is out of the box. 'Guzaarish' is about a lot of pain. It translates the agony and the emotions that tug at the heartstrings of the viewer. Every sequence in the film is handled with utmost care and the intricacies have been portrayed delicately. Sanjay's mantra 'love for life and love perhaps keeps the world going' – will surely touch the hearts of one and all.

Music by Sanjay Leela Bhansali has its own charm. A classy music may not pep the ears of the masses, but the classes love it. Excellent cinematography will surely be liked by one and all. Editing is almost up to the mark, but the editor needed to push the director into chopping the last few minutes leading to a better climax.

Performances
Hrithik Roshan, the protagonist Ethan Mascarenhas, has performed this unusual character brilliantly. His expressions manage to translate the pain on screen. Certainly his outstanding performance deserves a pat on his back. Aishwarya's effortless performance with ample brilliance brings life into the character. Monikangana Dutta is good as long as she is blowing off the candles. Others are decent.

Recommendation
Go watch the wonders of Sanjay Leela Bhansali this weekend.

ACTION REPLAYY MOVIE REVIEW

Bollywood Movie Action Replayy Review

Producer: Blockbuster Entertainment, Hari Om Entertainment, PVR Pictures
Director: Vipul Shah
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor
Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 05 November 2010

As the lights dimmed in the cinema hall, I wondered how would Action Replayy be like. On the one hand, there’s a director like Vipul Shah who has had three back to back successes as a director – Aankhen, Waqt - The Race Against Time, and Namastey London; and a mixed London Dreams.

On the other hand, there’s Akshay Kumar, whose last couple of films have been disasters at the box office, namely Chandni Chowk to China, 8x10 Tasveer, and more recently, Khatta Meetha. But most of us movie buffs do know that Vipul Shah has always concocted a success formula with Kumar, even as producer, with his presentation of Anees Bazmee’s Singh Is Kinng also clicking at the ticket window. Now, Shah is back, and devises an unusual pairing of Kumar with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in a movie that promises entertainment, comedy and outstanding performances. With the music of the film doing very well and promotion being rock solid, does this Diwali entertainer succeed in winning the hearts of the audience?

Based on Shobhana Desai’s Gujarati play Action Replay, with very light traces of the 1985 Hollywood success Back to the Future, the movie is about Bunty (Aditya Roy Kapoor), who lives a disillusioned existence as a son of two parents – Kishen (Akshay Kumar) and Mala (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) – who constantly squabble as a result of an arranged marriage which didn’t work out. This is why he keeps running from Tanya’s (Sudeepa Singh) repeated marriage proposals. One fine day – the day before his parents’ marriage anniversary – she takes him to her grandfather, Anthony Gonsalves’ (Randhir Kapoor) laboratory to convince him about their marriage, which is where Bunty discovers the time machine. After a severe spat between Kishen and Mala, Bunty runs back to the laboratory and steals the machine, going all the way back to 1975, with a mission to make his parents fall in love. Does he succeed?

Every movie needs a good story and screenplay, and this one has it all. With a well-penned story by Suresh Nair and Aatish Kapadia (also the writer of Waqt - The Race Against Time and the writer-director of Khichdi: The Movie), who has also supported Vipul Shah in the screenplay department, the movie’s narrative moves at a consistent pace – neither fast, nor slow – and the storytelling is pretty grounded for most of the first half. The comedy isn’t over the top, and ends up generating a bountiful dose of laughs. Kapadia’s dialogues are witty and creative. Direction by Vipul Shah is as usual, excellent. It’s a shame that his last sincere attempt at executing London Dreams was supported by an inconsistent screenplay, but this time, he’s back in form. As good as he is at handling the comic moments, he deftly executes the emotional scenes as well.

Technically, the movie tries to get it all right. The movie boasts of terrific production design, with art direction and set design by Aparna Raina and Anisha Gulati respectively. Be it the whole seventies look of Mumbai, or the laboratory, or even the set design for the Holi song – ‘Chhan Ke Mohalla’ – the movie gets it right. Cinematography by Sejal Shah is decent with tightly executed composition of shots, and the camerawork is smooth, supporting Shah’s visual support well. Amitabh Shukla’s edit is really good; especially to the shots in songs like ‘O Bekhabar’ and ‘Zor Ka Jhatka’.

Motion Graphics for the opening and closing titles are very impressive. The opening titles deserve special praise for setting a base to the thematic element of the film. Action by Allan Amin suits the theme. Visual effects are decent, but could have worked on a bit more. Sound design and audio post-production has been interestingly executed. The punch sounds as Kumar does his epic Eastwood-meets-Bollywood fight to save Yadav make the scene hilarious and literally transport you to the seventies, making for a decent spoof that’s not loud at all. The background score by Salim and Sulaiman bowl you over, and help in enhancing the varied set of emotions in the film. The music by Pritam is massy and the visuals totally support the songs produced; the notable ones being ‘I’m Dog Gone Crazy’, ‘Zor Ka Jhatka’, ‘O Bekhabar’, and ‘Chhan Ke Mohalla’.

Performance-wise, the movie hits bullseye with the casting. I’d like to start off with Aditya Roy Kapoor, who has given a fantabulous performance. This film will take him places, and his rise is inevitable. Akshay Kumar is usually the loudmouth nutcracker or the filthy rich over-excited person who’s usually on a sugar rush. But this time, he’s managed to restrain himself, by becoming an uncomely geek who needs a lot of change in presentation; and how! The best part about his collaborations with Shah is that despite having enough slice of comic timing, he manages to get a variety of roles. Even with his last Namastey London, he played a crushed lover to perfection. Here too, he has done very well, and has brought out a different side of him in a spew of repetitive roles in which the only time he strived to be different was in Blue.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks like she’s on a roll! The tomboy role suits her to the T, and post her performance and the imminent success of Enthiran/Robot, it looks like this one’s taken the cake. Neha Dhupia is decent and does the seventies sharmilee act with ease, without making the spoof look loud. Sudeepa Singh is decent in her short role. Randhir Kapoor looks comfortable with his role; in fact with it good to see him on screen. Om Puri and Kirron Kher are hilarious and they handle their roles, however caricature-like, powerfully, which makes it difficult for us to ignore them. Rajpal Yadav is okay – in fact, he’s not funny here, as there are lods of other performers who get the comic timing better off than him. Rannvijay Singh is efficient.

What doesn’t work here then? The first half is a tad slow, and quite a few inches of the pre-intermission reels try to develop the character. But no sooner than Kapoor’s character gets transported into the seventies, the laughs, the drama and the fun starts, the movie becomes a ride. The climax too could have been written differently, though there’s nothing wrong with the present climax anyway. Other than that, the minuses are difficult to find.

Overall, the movie turns out to be a highly enjoyable romantic comedy with top-notch performances and terrific execution. Akshay Kumar is finally back with a bang in this potentially successful collaboration with Shah. Worth the watch!
Akshay Kumar Profile
Aishwarya Rai  Profile
AISHWARYA RAI Childhood, Teenage And Marriage Photos

The first official Theatrical Trailer of Lamhaa (2010) Bollywood Film Cast & Crew, LAMHAA Stills, Reviews

Lamhaa (2010) Bollywood Film Cast & Crew, LAMHAA Stills, Reviews

Star Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, Shernaz Patel, Aman Verma, Yashpal Sharma, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Vipin Sharma, Yuri Suri, Anupam Kher

Director: Rahul Dholakia
Producer: Bunty Walia, Jaspreet Singh Walia
Banner: G S Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Release Date: 16 Jul 2010

LAMHAA STORY

Lamhaa movie is based on the Kashmir valley. An unknown company who is generating millions of unaccountable dollars benefiting politicians and bureaucrats in the Indian and Pakistani intelligence is likely to disrupt and possibly paralyze Kashmir.

Thus Vikram (Sanjay Dutt) an undercover intelligence officer is sent to investigate this highly confidential mission using the identity of Gul Jehangir. The same day that he lands in the valley, Haji (Anupam Kher) a top separatist leader, survives a blast. Only leaving Vikam to wonder whether there is connection between the blast and the operation?

To solve this conundrum, Vikram teams up with Aziza (Bipasha Basu), Haji’s young, aggressive and outspoken protégé. They embark together on a journey full of intrigue, suspicion, betrayal and danger, to uncover the truth. Vikram and Aziza exposes the dirty secrets of a state’s fight for freedom, the corrupt nexus of politicians, intelligence, militancy and the crucification of idealistic and passionate people.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? Bollywood Movie is entertaining

FIRST CUT: Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is entertaining
It's all about loving your elderly guests

Warner Bros production Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is based on Sharad Joshi's novel Tum Kab Jaoge Atithi. While going to watch this film, do remember that it is not a madhouse comedy like Priyadarshan's or David Dhawan's. It takes you there slowly and subtly, bringing home the message.

Puneet (Ajay Devgan) is a scriptwriter who's landed a big film project. He has an interior designer wife, Munmun (Konkona Sen Sharma) and a little son.

Life is pretty much routine for them until a relative arrives one day from Gorakhpur, calling himself Chachaji (Paresh Rawal). While friends and neighbours are irritated with guests at home, Puneet and Munmun actually welcome their new arrival.

But right from the moment he enters the building complex, Chachaji causes havoc with his old-fashioned and some very weird and annoying ways. Soon, Puneet and Munmun start looking for ways to get rid of him, but to no avail. This old worldly and simple uncle just doesn't seem to get the hint.

The first half of the film goes in establishing all this, and does a pretty good job of it. There are twists and turns in the second half, all tackled with the help of comic situations.

What scores is that the film does not have slapstick or in-your-face comedy. It is just about loving and accepting your guest, the way he or she is - taking the good things from them and ignoring the bad. However, thefilm does not say whether one should accept and endure guests who are not relatives of the hosts. That could be a different story altogether.

Paresh Rawal is the rockstar in Atithi.... Here is one character actor for whom people flock to the box office.

It looks like Ajay Devgan would continue his successful spree after 2009's All the Best, although London Dreams didn't do that well. The actor is in full form in the scene where he confesses he wouldn't even have tolerated his dad as a guest for more than four days, and that his son would do the same.

Konkona Sen Sharma is a natural as the modern, working wife, mother and daughter-in-law. She looks pretty, too, and adds a freshness to the film.

It's an exciting week for Satish Kaushik, with two films releasing on the same day. He convincingly plays the film producer in Atithi..., as well as the mechanic in Studio18's Road, Movie. The beginning of a good year for the lovable 'Calendar' from Mr. India - who is more successful as an actor than a director.

Writer-director Ashwani Dheer's Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? almost reminds you of Karan Johar's 'It's all about loving your family' punch in his films - although in the message, not the treatment. But Atithi... is a good eye-opener for today's youngsters who lead a fast life just like Puneet and Munmun, and have no time even for parents. And never does thefilm get boring or sermonic.

But remember, it's not a laugh riot, but displays comedy with the help of dialogues, situations, and parodies (like Beedi Jalailey becomes prayer song Jyoti Jalailey).

Verdict: All in all, Atithi... is a family film, and seems like a best bet this week to watch with one's family, as compared to the other films.

Rating: Good.

Karthik Calling Karthik Bollywood Movie Review

Have you ever received a call from yourself? Is it possible in the first place? There are several theories doing the rounds about the two Karthiks in this movie. So what is it? Is Karthik hallucinating? Does he have a double role? Or a split personality? For most parts of the film, you actually buy the explanation that Karthik does receive calls from, well, Karthik.

Let's accept the fact that a concept like this instinctively generates curiosity in the film. But the real test is to make the story work in those 2 hours. Also - this is vital - the identity of the caller should come as a jolt when the film concludes. Karthik Calling Karthik works in parts, but during the penultimate part, when the story shifts from Mumbai to Kerala, the sand castle, so beautifully built by debutante director Vijay Lalwani, gets washed away.

One doesn't want to challenge the behavioural patterns of a person with a certain disorder, but when it comes to the big screen, when you are narrating a story on celluloid, you need to do a lot of spoon-feeding and make it look convincing. In this case, unfortunately, the finale is just not convincing and therefore, acts as a spoilsport.

Meet Karthik [Farhan Akhtar], an introvert by nature and shy by choice. Karthik suffers with huge confidence issues and is miserable at his average job that yields less than average results. His boss [Ram Kapoor] treats him like dirt. Shonali [Deepika Padukone], his colleague, who he secretly loves, doesn't even know that he exists. Karthik is a loser. He knows it. He accepts it.

Suddenly, one night, the phone rings. And Karthik speaks to someone he never thought he would. He speaks to a man who also claims to be Karthik. The man on the phone says he's here to change Karthik's life. Karthik accepts the phone in his life and soon it becomes his guide, his mentor, his friend, his guardian.

Karthik Calling Karthik is a love story as also a suspense fare that teases your mind. Any love story works if the chemistry and also the moments between the on-screen lovers looks real and the chemistry between Farhan and Deepika works well.

Correspondingly, a suspense film works if the viewer keeps guessing what the culmination to the story would be. The mystery only deepens when not only Karthik, but also his girlfriend and psychiatrist are engulfed in this storm. All hell breaks loose when Karthik's life goes upside down and Karthik is back to square one. But from this point onwards, the graph of the film only goes downwards.

Debutante director Vijay Lalwani knows his job well, but he's letdown by his own writing. The second hour not only looks stretched [two songs flow one after the other, with the story coming to a grinding halt], but the pace also gets excruciatingly slow at this juncture. The climax, as mentioned earlier, is a complete downer.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score is an asset. The film has some lilting tunes. Cinematography [Sanu John Varughese] is perfect. Dialogues are simple mostly and at times, very witty.

This is Farhan Akhtar's third film as an actor and it must be said that he takes giant strides when it comes to acting. The story throws several challenges at him and fortunately, he emerges trumps in the most difficult moments. This is, by far, his best work.

Deepika Padukone looks bewitching and acts natural throughout. Ram Kapoor is fantastic. Why don't we see him so frequently on the big screen? Shifaali Shah is excellent. Vivan Bhatena is good. Tarana, Vipin Sharma and Yatin Karyekar are serviceable.

On the whole, Karthik Calling Karthik is a decent product with an unconvincing conclusion. Watch it for the wonderful performances of Farhan and Deepika, if you have to. Caters to the youth in metros mainly.

Review: My Name Is Khan remains on the fringes of great cinema

Film: My Name Is Khan (U/A)
Director: Karan Johar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Zarina Wahab, and others
Rating: ***

The other day, I managed to catch bits of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK) on TV — the first time since I saw the film when it released in 2006 — and remembered how disappointed I had been after watching it. It’s not like it was a bad movie or anything of the sort, but given its interesting plot, it failed to rise above the multi-starrer entertainer it ended up being.

Four years later, KANK director Karan Johar’s latest film, My Name Is Khan (MNIK), suffers from a similar problem. It has everything a director needs to execute a grand vision — an interesting plot (Shibani Kashyap gets story/screenplay credit), good actors, excellent production values (art direction, locations etc), and is technically superior (Ravi K Chandran’s cinematography is a treat). And it’s fairly entertaining, too.

But, sadly, MNIK ends up somewhere between a film with a larger statement that strikes you with its honesty and a film with the typical trappings you would find in what is annoyingly referred to as a ‘Bollywood’ film.

MNIK is quite good, but not the great piece of cinema it could have been.

Rizvan ‘Shah Rukh’ Khan suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a disorder which makes it difficult for people to interact socially, and comes to live with his younger brother (Shergill) in the US after their mother dies.

Here, he meets hairstylist Mandira (Kajol), a free-spirited woman who lives with her six-year old son, Sam, from a failed marriage. While Rizvan falls in love with Mandira, she too grows fond of the good-natured Rizvan. An unlikely romance later, Mandira gets married to Rizvan.

The perfect existence of the Khans gets disrupted, howevrer, after the September 11 attack on the twin towers in New York City. Sam gets involved in a tussle with a few college ruffians who beat him up because his second name is Khan.

Sam dies of his injuries and a shattered Mandira blames Rizvan for his death. "He died only because his name was Khan,” yells Mandira and asks Rizvan to leave her. Rizvan tries to assure Mandira that things would get better, but she tells him that as long as he remains a Khan, he would be looked upon as a terrorist, even if he persuaded the US president otherwise.

Rizvan sets out on a journey that takes him from one US state to another, following the movements of president George W Bush, for whom he has a message: “My name is Khan, and I’m not a terrorist.”

The film makes an important point. Not all Muslims can be typecast as jihadis — something that is not entirely novel, but is still valid. A two-hour-long intense drama with well-crafted, emotional sequences (which MNIK has in plenty, actually) would have driven the point home.

Instead, the film combines elements of a love story with a message-oriented theme and ends up being what can now be referred to as a ‘Johar’. At 2 hours 45 minutes, it’s a bit long, and certain sequences in the first half are welcome only because they give you opportunities for quick toilet breaks.

The love story between Mandira and Rizvan, pre-interval, is likeable in places but makes it that much longer for the film to settle into its groove. Once that happens, however, MNIK is a compelling watch.

The scene showing Sam’s tussle with the bullies, and what follows, grabs your attention and sets up a dramatic second half. Certain sequences tug at your heartstrings and the film moves you and leaves you feeling satiated in the end.

What adds to the enjoyment is the performance of the real-life Khan. Shah Rukh, as someone suffering from a disorder, gets the character just right. His body language and expressions are fabulous. Some may find his way of talking monotonous, but Shah Rukh inculcates that aspect in his character well enough for you to stop minding it after a while.

No Karan Johar-directed film would be complete without a Shah Rukh Khan monologue. Be prepared to be bombarded with a few here, too. Thankfully, though, Khan nails it every single time.

Kajol is the perfect foil to Khan, as she has always been, but how you wish she wasn’t the bubbly, ‘cute’, loud woman she has already played in previous Johar films. In scenes requiring her to display emotional and intense histrionics though, she is at home. Watching the two performers in their element together after a long time will be cherished by fans of films the duo appeared in through the 1990s.

With the two dominating the proceedings, the other actors — Shergill, Sonia Jehan, Arjun Mathur, Parveen Dabbas, and others — are left with little to do. Zarina Wahab, in a cameo as Rizvan’s mother, is a welcome addition to the long list of ‘mummies’ in our films, while the child actor playing Sam is quite good.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is strictly functional, ‘Noor-e-Khuda’ being the only song that stays with you.

For Karan Johar, the film is another step in the direction he has been charting since KANK and with his recent productions — of giving audiences their fill of escapism, but finding a way to experiment within the minimum space his entertainers allow him. He may not be there yet, but in MNIK, Johar shows sparks of the brilliance he displayed with his first cinematic effort, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which remains a personal favourite from the director’s stable.

Hopefully, he will better even that soon. C’mon KJo, let’s have a sappy romantic comedy — melodrama, music, family values, et al — next. Others can worry about social issues.

Bollywood Movie ' Runway' Review

Runway (June 26, 2009)Review

Been there, seen that, moved on. RUNWAY doesn't have anything new to offer, it's a run of the mill action love story recited in the

The problem is, RUNWAY is handicapped by poor direction [Suniel - Praful]. Besides, the screenplay is too weak since the story wastes valuable time in ineffective emotions and scenes, whereas the encashable portions have been cut short. Especially the climax, which has been altered so severely that it gives an incomplete feeling. The beautiful locales of Mauritius too haven’t been explored completely.

Music by Shamir Tandon is dull, except the hit track 'Khuda Kay Liye', which is consistently repeated in the film.

Amarjeet is okay as an actor, but does well in action scenes. Tulip Joshi under-performs. Deepal Shaw is below average. Sharat Saxena has a minimal role. Shawar Ali puts on an act. Lucky Ali is adequate.

On the whole, RUNWAY is saddled with a weak script and therefore, has limited chances.

Bollywood Movie 'NEW YORK' Review

Bollywood Movie 'NEW YORK' Review

Rating: ****

Myth: New York is about 9/11.
Fact: It's not. But it reflects the mood that's prevalent across the globe, post 9/11. The world is divided today. No two opinions on that!

Myth: New York bears a striking similarity to KHUDA KAY LIYE.
Fact: Nope. KHUDA KAY LIYE and New York may belong to the same family, of an innocent person being picked up for questioning after the WTC catastrophe, but the similarities end there. In fact, KHUDA KAY LIYE and New York are as diverse as chalk and cheese.


New York, helmed by Kabir Khan, attempts to be as real as possible. A tale of friendship, with terrorism as the wallpaper, New York hits you like a ton of bricks at several points in the narrative. In fact, there was a possibility that New York may turn out to be a dry experience, a documentary perhaps, but the drama is so well structured and so gripping that you get sucked into the world of Sam, Omar and Maya from its inception.

New York is a triumph for Kabir Khan, who deserves distinction marks for handling the subject with remarkable maturity. Also, this film should be a turning point for John, Katrina and Neil. More on that later...


The verdict? New York is, without doubt, one of the finest films produced by this premier production house, Yash Raj. Grab a ticket today!

Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) has gone abroad for the first time in his life and soon enough, he begins to see and love America through the eyes of his American friends, Sam (John Abraham) and Maya (Katrina Kaif). But an incident changes the world round them.

At this point enters Agent Roshan (Irrfan), an FBI agent, who sets the ball rolling for a series of tumultuous events that turn the lives of these friends upside down.

New York affects you like no other Hindi film has done so far (on 9/11). In fact, there are portions that give you goose bumps, especially towards the second half of the film, when John recounts his past.

One of the reasons why New York works is because not once does Kabir Khan borrow from the past or tilt towards predictable stuff. You just can't guess what and where the story is headed and what the culmination would be.

The director and his team of writers establish the plot and characters beautifully, but the real action is reserved for the second half. The nightmarish experience that John undergoes is disturbing, but lifts the film several notches up.

But New York has its share of loose ends. The film dips in the second hour. It tends to gets lengthy before it reaches a powerful, brilliantly executed climax. Also, a few sequences only add to the length of the film, which could've been curtailed in the writing stage itself.

Director Kabir Khan picks up a real incident -- innocent civilians being suspected as terrorists, soon after 9/11 -- and weaves a brilliant tale around it. The screenplay is its biggest star, without a doubt. Given the fact that New York isn't one of those routine masala fares, Kabir has injected songs only when required. Cinematography is striking.

Now here's another surprise. John, Katrina and Neil, all actors, deliver their career-best performance. If the first half belongs to Neil, John takes over the second hour completely. John is superb when he recalls the past.

You can feel his pain, that effective is his performance. Also, note his expressions towards the end. This is a different John, for sure. Just one word for his performance -- fabulous!

Neil was remarkable in JOHNNY GADDAAR, but disappointed in AA DEKHEN ZARA. Fortunately, he's in top form this time around. Katrina gives you the biggest surprise.

Known for her glamour roles, Katrina proves that she can deliver if the director and writer offer her a role of substance. She's outstanding. In fact, people will see a new, different Katrina this time. Irrfan is, as always, first-rate.

On the whole, New York is amongst the finest films produced by Yash Raj. At the box office, there's no stopping this one. Go for it now!

Bollywood Movie Dev D Review

Film: Dev D (drama)
Cast: Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill, Kalki Koechlin
Direction: Anurag Kashyap

THANK God for the mavericks, the non-conformists, the infidels, the les enfant terribles. They make things happen when kitsch becomes king; when creativity crumbles; when formula pervades, fungus-like. Imagine a world without rule breakers. And then imagine, like Anurag Kashyap: unbridled, unbounded, ungrounded....

Indeed, Dev D is one such flight of fancy from the filmmaker that definitely defies all conventions and demolishes all moulds. Not only does it rewrite the technique of the artistic medium, with its unusual cinematography, dizzy editing, non-linear plot narration, turn-of-the-century dialogues and breathtakingly bizarre audio track (music: Amit Trivedi, lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya), it completely revises the ancient text which has already made its mark in its various avtars , the latest being the high-pitched rendition of the self-destructive hero by Shah Rukh Khan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.

Kashyap has always been a contrarian filmmaker, consciously steering away from traditional Bollywood with films like Black Friday, Paanch, No Smoking. However, while his earlier films were an innovative search for his groove and rhythm, Dev D is like that heady cocktail which has the vodka pitched perfectly with the tang. (Incidentally, Dev D likes his vodka with thumbs up, washed down in unlimited portions, morning, noon and night!) Set against the rich rural backdrop of Punjab and Paharganj (Delhi), the film traces the self-destructive sojourn of a young, contemporary hero who mirrors the existential angst of the proverbial outsider, made legendary in the writings of Satre, Camus, Kafka, Kerouac and the ballads of Kurt Cobain.

But Dev D (Abhay Deol), unlike Devdas, isn't a blast from the past. In his rootlessness, his lack of purpose and his complete disconnect with the real (read traditional) world, he reflects the mindset of the archetypal new millennium 20-something who doesn't know how to blend tradition with modernity, permissiveness with orthodoxy, Oxford with Bhatinda. And so, he asks his childhood sweetheart, Paro (Mahi Gill) to send him her nude photographs through e-mail, yet can't handle the quandary about her virginity and pronounced sexuality. In a fit of aggrieved machismo, he spurns her wild sexual adventurism which sees her cycling to the neighbouring fields at the break of dawn with a mattress meticulously rolled up on the carrier for a clandestine tryst with him. (Ever seen the bharatiya naari do this in Indian cinema? Bravo, brave new Bollywood!) Little does he realise that Paro isn't mere putty in his hand and is unwilling to subject herself to any kind of ‘emotional atyachar', in the name of love.

Having given vent to her anger and pain, she simply moves on while the already disconnected Dev becomes even more dysfunctional with his alcohol and drug addiction. He moves to a seedy hotel in Paharganj and ends up after a drunken stupour in young Chanda's (Kalki Koechlin) pink and purple boudoir. Once again, Kashyap reinterprets the self-sacrificing courtesan, Chandramukhi in completely post-modern terms. Here, she is Lenny, the schoolgirl who ends up as the sex worker, Chanda, after being disowned by family and friends because she featured in a lewd MMS, that sent the whole nation in a lustful tizzy. `And they call me a slut!' exclaims the feisty escort who attends college by day and plays Florence Nightingale in shorts by night.

The relationship between Dev and Chanda begins with hate, scorn and derision with the decadent Dev unleashing his chauvinism and me-centrism on the hooker. But when the haze of cocaine lifts, the heartburn begins, once again. After having stooped to unimaginable lows, our hero dreams of a second chance. Will he get it or is Devdas destined to waste away forever? The last we saw him was at a non-descript momo joint in the seedy by-lanes of Paharganj, waiting for nirvana. Of course, he's all by himself, since proud little Paro's moved on and survivor Chanda's too strong to play doormat, willing to give up her slutty ways, for love alone.

Dev D is indeed a coming-of-age film, not merely for the protagonist, Devender Singh Dhillon, but it is a brilliant breakthrough for Bollywood too. It really doesn't matter whether the film ends up as a box office scorcher. What matters is the fact that for the discerning viewer, Dev D is a tryst with milestone cinema, reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann's Shakespeare-shaken-and-stirred in Romeo and Juliet. Kashyap, however, gets even more adventurous and adds a progressive flourish to both the plot and the characters which are played to perfection by the three lead players. If Mahi and Kalki are riveting new finds, assured of a long innings in cinema, then Abhay Deol adds a whole new meaning to the term `Unconventional Hero'. Manorama Six Feet Under, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye were just teasers. Dev D is the class act from the Deol who cleverly flew over the cuckoo's nest. Don't miss this film which completely reinvents the musical love story, with zany numbers like ‘emosanal atyachar', ‘saali khushi', ‘nayan tarse' and the rest. More importantly, it might just go down in history as one of the most radical Indian films, at least in its delineation of male and female sexuality.