Bollywood Movie Review

Dabangg 2010 Movie review

2010-09-13T04:27:00.000-07:00

Director: Abhinav Singh Kashyup
Cast: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha

Story: Corrupt cop Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) needs to bridge the distance with his step brother, Makkhi (Arbaaz Khan) and stepdad, Vinod Khanna, on the behest of his mother (Dimple Kapadia) even as he needs to set his own house in order by marrying the potter girl (Sonakshi Sinha) who refuses to succumb to his charms. And if that's not enough, there's the local goon, Sonu Sood and the crumbling administration of the small town that is craving his attention too. Can Chulbul Pandey deliver?

Movie Review Dabangg 2010 : Dabangg means fearless. Someone who doesn’t care a damn! As much as the film doesn’t care a damn for coming up with any innovative storyline. Like the intrepid Chulbul Pandey who tries to intermittently hide his soggy eyes behind his sunglasses, the film tries to camouflage its deficiency of substance with an abundance of Salman’s splendid style.

So what you have here is a masala potboiler with customary ingredients of two stepbrothers, a doting mother, a romance track, an item number, five action sequences, a topless Salman scene and a happy end. To cover up the conventionalism of his script, director Abhinav Singh Kashyup makes the action director and editor work overtime. And to make Salman Khan’s character look strong and supreme, every other character in the film is diluted or diminished.

So you have a dauntless corrupt cop Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) who fears nothing amongst family, friends or foes. Family comprises of stepbrother Makhi (Arbaaz Khan) and stepfather (Vinod Khanna) with whom he shares a love-hate relationship. Girlfriend happens to be village belle (Sonakshi Sinha) with whom he insists for a love-love relationship. Foe is the dubious goon (Sonu Sood) who will be ridiculed subsequently for his hole-some name Cheddi Singh and punched hollow in the climax.

Unarguably modeled on lines of Salman’s last hit Wanted, Dabangg is as much slick on stylized action, dialogue dramebaazi, a commanding protagonist and Salman’s signature dance steps. From his mortal combat entry sequence, to an introduction song, to the action-packed interval point (where he shields the heroine) to the climax tussle where he goes topless, Dabangg follows the same graph as Wanted in terms of its treatment. Unfortunately it fails to follow suit of Wanted in terms of its storytelling with a flat narrative.

One doesn’t expect an intellectual or inventive story from a Salman Khan film but the writing by Abhinav Kashyup and Dilip Shukla is pretty predictable and dated. Other than some domestic drama, a lighthearted love story and some heavy-duty action (where the same scoundrel-sidekick is mauled thrice), there isn’t much that happens in the first half. After his initial induction, the villain almost goes missing only to resurface in the middle of the second half. And while you expect a political conspiracy would initiate on his return, the film heads towards a routine climax.

Unlike sibling rivalry dramas like Gunga Jumna, Deewaar or Ram Lakhan where the younger brother is a competent contender to the elder, here Arbaaz ends up being a puny pawn before the glorified Salman. The potential drama between the two brothers is substituted by dishoom dishoom. Also Mahesh Manjrekar’s death was as needless as his existence in the plot.

Movie Review Raavan 2010

2010-06-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Movie Review Raavan 2010
'Raavan' is a film so terrifically inept, on so many levels of direction, performance and intent, that it demands and receives its audience's full, stunned attention. 'Raavan' runs for more than two hours, and too much is corny, cramped, and vague. Mani Ratnam's epic retelling of an ancient tale is amalgamated and cut to create a stylised but characterless piece with some spectacular imagery. The film is too celebratory of Bollywood's good guy-versus-bad guy, buddy-buddy ethos to rise above the limitations of the genre, and too obsessed with its own seriousness to be a truly 'serious' film. In short, what should be a moving story with big stars and sweeping landscapes by one of the world's greatest directors is a huge let-down.

Mr Ratnam had the chance of a lifetime - to film one of the greatest Indian stories, and blew it by tinkering with it so much that not only is it no longer the story many of us know and love, it's also a version that can't even be considered on par. Mr Ratnam, who can make romantic poetry out of a battle among three men in the confines of a bridge, seems defeated, or at least defused, by this increase in scale. Raavan's shortcomings have less to do with Ratnam's orchestration of his ambitious tale and more to do with the Frankenstein hatchet job enacted against it. The characters Beera (Jr B), Ragini (Aishwarya) and Dev (Vikram) function less as flesh-and-blood figures than obtuse archetypes. The three look and act as if they know they belong in an epic. The compelling emotion that marks the best Mani Ratnam movies is AWOL. The pacing is choppy, with most of the human moments lopped off. Is Beera Munda really the good guy? Or should we cheer the rebellious opposition with the sunglasses? And what the heck is a Munda? Is he related to Bisra Munda? Does he suffer from vocal cord paralysis? Was he inspired by Mukesh Rishi in 'Gunda'?

To say that Abhishek Bachchan hams it up is a gross understatement - he seems right out of a Kanti Shah film, a tinier version of Lambu Aata to be precise. Cringe-worthy. When she's not falling for the umpteenth time on a tree branch, or dancing awkwardly for Vikram, Aishwarya Rai either whines and yelps in a migraine-inducing tone, or stares vacantly, arching her eyebrows curiously. Her character, an outrageous collection of Hindi film heroine cliches would make even Sneha Ullal and Meghna Kothari blush. Vikram more or less sleepwalks as he has little to do, the man is overshadowed by the likes of Ravi Kissen. If it weren't all frustrating enough already, Vikram and Aishwarya indulge in an unintentionally funny seduction number that makes the ghastly Vikram and Shriya song "Meow Meow" in 'Kanthaswamy' seem like a beautiful masque. Mr Ratnam probably expected that Beera's battle with his demons would drive the movie, but unfortunately his own hackneyed script constantly gets in the way.

'Raavan' should really have been a tech demo. Manikandan and Santosh Sivan's cinematography is eye popping, the art direction and set pieces will blow you away. The film is drenched in atmosphere - you can't watch a frame of it without feeling that it has been generations since Bollywood tackled anything on this scale. It all goes to a waste as Mr Ratnam superficially glosses over what should have been the most interesting parts of the story to get to trite drama and stylized violence. A character-driven story like this should probably have spent more time on the characters and less time on computer wizardry. To top it all there's the flamboyantly overdone finalé on a suspension bridge, complete with surging musical crescendos and tears, it rings false given the earnest qualities exhibited in other Mani Ratnam films. Oscar winner AR Rahman's underwhelming score doesn't translate too well on the big screen, although Gulzar's lyrics stand out. Choreographer Ganesh Acharya makes a great cameo in 'Kata Kata'.

'Raavan' is a crushing disappointment. You will either be frustrated with its asymmetrical and manipulative storytelling or be captivated by the film's staggering nihility. As an alternative I recommend Mithun Charaborty's 'Teesra Kaun', a film packed with better written characters and a lead hero (Chunky Pande) who invokes raucous laughter as intended.

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai : Movie Review

2010-04-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Movie Review Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai 2010

Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ruslaan Mumtaz
Direction: Milap Zaveri
Genre: Romantic comedy/ Fantasy
Rating: /photo.cms?msid=5777588

They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus. But what happens when a man from Earth meets a woman from Venus!

Milap Zaveri’s breezy rom-com begins with a spoof on the Hindi film industry just like Om Shanti Om with Riteish playing SRK, Vishal Malhotra playing Shreyas Talpade and Ruslaan Mumtaz playing a superstar ‘Desh’ just the way Deepika Padukone played ‘Shantipriya’. OSO’s maker Farah Khan also makes an impressive cameo as she is the director who Rajesh Parekh (Riteish) and Kaushal (Vishal) assist.

24 year old Rajesh and best friend Kaushal are perpetual losers as both are kind of chick repellants. Why, because Rajesh is too simple and Kaushal too horny. The two keep envying Desh’s popularity and his craze amongst the female population. One fine night, a gorgeous girl falls from the sky and lands straight into Rajesh’s arms! To everyone’s surprise the girl (Jacqueline) happens to be from Venus whose mission is to find her true love on earth, just like Rajesh.

Riteish, Vishal and Jacqueline all three render impressive performances and are the saving grace of the film. Where Riteish and Vishal have perfect comic timing, Jacqueline looks every bit a woman from Venus. She is gorgeous, pleasant and a confident performer. There is no naivety in her performance. Her Hindi too is surprisingly decent.

What disappoints is the sloppy script. The idea between alien-human love is interesting but the story doesn’t materialize as we would expect. The dialogues are corny, characters clichéd and the genre confused. There are ample of heavy romantic cheesy lines but no interesting romance. The actors have good comic timing but there are no great humorous punches in the script itself for them to enact. Also the director gives undue space and time for supporting actors instead of focusing on his lead pair which seems futile.

Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Sajjid Khan also play cameos as they talk about superstar Desh just the way they did in spoke about Farhan in Luck By Chance. Again nothing new there!

Making Ruslaan Mumtaz as the superstar of Bollywood in the film too seems like a bad idea. The actor looks cute and acts well but doesn’t look the character he plays, as off screen, he himself is a newcomer and is thus unable to display the aura of a superstar.

The film had the potential to be better but disappoints

Phoonk 2 Movie Review

2010-04-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

Movie Review Phoonk 2 ( 2010 )

Director: Milind GadagkarStar
Cast: Neeru Bajwa, Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ahsaas Channa, Rishabh Jain, Anu Ansari, Ashwini Kalsekar, Amit Sadh, Ganesh Yadav, Zakir Hussain, Vikas Srivastav, Rakesh Raj, Chyan Trivedi, Jeeva

‘Phoonk 2’ is the sequel of the flick ‘Phoonk’ by Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) which got released in 2008. Though, ‘Phoonk’ was a total failure in the box office and failed to give even the slightest panic to the audience. Now, RGV’s all hopes are set to ‘Phoonk 2’.

‘Phoonk’ was all about black magic done by a female Madhu to traumatize the family of Rajiv (Sudeep), a businessman. The movie ended with the death of Madhu. The sequel ‘Phoonk2’ tells the story of Madhu’s evil spirit returning back to haunt the family and take her revenge from Rajiv.

In ‘Phoonk 2’, Rajiv (Sudeep) shifts to a new place and is immersed in his construction business and his kids Raksha (Ahsaas Channa) and Rohan (Rishabh Jain) are also happy with the new place which is surrounded with beach and woods. The horror in their life starts when the kids find a doll in the woods which they carry back home. Thus, the evil spirit of Madhu returns into the doll to haunt and torment Rajiv (Sudeep),his wife Arati (Amruta Khanvilkar) and his beloved children Raksha and Rohan.

Rajiv could not stand the torture that his family gets to face because of Madhu. Madhu’s evil spirit leaves no stones unturned to smite Rajiv’s family to take its revenge. Manja (Zakir Hussain), was the only man who could have helped Rajiv but Madhu’s spook didn’t spare him either. The family suffers in a gruesome and cruel way in the hands of the evil. The spirit of Madhu is shown far more dangerous than she was before when alive. She became more rebellious and filled with animalism. She is brutal, dangerous and cruel and unforgiving. The family got trapped in the evil spirit’s woven trap and the movie shows how a living evil person can be more rebellious and powerful in evil manners after death. The spirit becomes invincible which the family fails to overcome. The evil spirit brings Rajiv to the verge where he has to choose to save a loved one by sacrificing the other.

Let the climax of the movie be a secret which will give answers to as to how do Rajiv cope with the situation, did his family members survived? This can be found out only in the theatres.

The story of the movie has been penned down and directed by Milind Gadagkar who is a debutant. The movie has been produced by P. Chandrashekhar and Prashant Burra. The flick is presented by Zed Pictures and Sarthak Movies. The flick’s music is by Dharam and Sandeep.

The movie has a lot of scenes which has shown sheer violence, bloodshed and horror. Disfigured bodies have been shown to produce the scare and disturbing sequences of death. People who have heart ailments can stay away from the theatres as there are a lot of disturbing scenes and sequences in the movie.

Horror genre is a chancy venture. However, it cannot be denied that there are many Horror genre hits in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Indian horror movies like 'Bees Sal Baad' and 'Raaz'(Part 1) with a solid script, good cinematography and direction have successfully given goose bumps to the audiences. The fate of ‘Phoonk 2’ depends on the audience now.

Paathshala 2010

2010-04-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

Movie Review Paathshala
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Nana Pateka, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh, Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Avika Gor, Anjan Srivastava

Director: Milind Ukey

Rating: **

There are few films, a star does for friendship and some with the lure of working under a big banner, irrespective of their content.

An extremely choosy actor Shahid Kapoor after giving big hits like Vivaah, Jab We Met and Kaminey has been giving duds like Dil Bole Hadippa (Yash Raj Films), Chance Pe Dance (UTV) and an equally bad follow up with Paathshaala.

Shahid’s friendship with producer of the film, ace choreographer Ahmed Khan is well known. But still we wish, he should have not blindly trusted his buddy when it came to a film!

Shahid plays Rahul Prakash Udyawar the new English teacher joining Saraswati Vidya Mandir, a school established in 1941. Since the school doesn’t have a music teacher, he ends up being one as well.

He gets help in this from the school's nutritionist-cum-admin girl, Anjali Mathur (Ayesha Takia). School principal Aditya Sahay (Nana Patekar).

Anjali ends up falling for Rahul during this process. Sahay who has nurtured the school for 32 years, cannot see it going down financially. So, he gives in to the management's demands of generating more revenue by commercialising the operations of the school.

This is met with intense opposition from the teachers, but they eventually have to comply to save their respective jobs. The school management even decides t hired PR experts to change its image.

Thus began, film and ad shoots happen on campus wherein students are used as extras. And before they know it, all kids have to now keep aside studies for 10 days and prepare for a reality show audition.

The rest of the film is about how the reality show thing tortures the students and how Rahul stands against it.

Director Milind Ukey who gave us the very lovable animated film Hanuman has got a good topical subject on hand but falters big time in the script written by producer Ahmed Khan himself.

While it identifies the problems perfectly, a proper solution is not offered in the end. Also what happens to the school finally is also not made clear.
Bad dialogues are made only worse by loud acting by most of the cast. Certain emotional scenes leave you either bored or end up making you laugh. Hanif Sheikh’s music barring the Lucky Ali number Aye Khuda is nothing much to praise about.

In an attempt to showcase how education goes for a toss in private schools as the managements aims to earn the extra buck the makers also don’t lose out a chance to make a satire out of the media, shifting focus from his original aim.

The pathetic climax is unintentionally hilarious with no conclusion to what happened to the villains of commercialization and all suddenly become well!

Shahid Kapoor and Nana Patekar are the only saving graces of the film with their well nuanced performances. The rest including Ayesha Takia don’t really make a difference. The child stars are just about okay.

Avoid this Paathshaala if you are in no mood for a badly written gyan giving film.

Prince Its Showtime 2010

2010-04-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: Prince Its Showtime

Opening-weekend box office indicates 'Prince' could be in the Reliance Fresh Rs 10 dump bin as a worthy replacement for those hard to find rocking-coffee-table balancing objects. For incompetent and cartoonish are the best words to describe 'Prince'. The film actually wants us to ponder its moral and ethical implications, which is like a stripper telling you she wants to go to law school.

Fans of both action and comedy will likely be howling for director Kookie Gulati's head, and I can't say that I blame them. The IQ here is as low as the body count is high and the uncharismatic Vivek Oberoi might as well have been wearing a mask for all the emotion he shows. One can't call 'Prince' shoddy, exactly, and the actors take it painfully seriously - it's just dispiriting to see all this endeavour in the service of something so daft and hopeless. The fight scenes are saggy, the actors are stiff, and the sleepiness of it all is enough to make you nostalgic for the simple smackdown charms of a violent videogame.

'Prince' boasts some of the most involving special effects ever conceived by Bollywood. Of course there isn't really any acting to speak of, although Aruna Shields and Nandana Sen get to chew Vivek and scenery, the dialogue is pretty much what you'd expect. There is a tremendous amount of shooting and running. You could build a large pond just from the adrenaline we see expended in the course of the movie. Most of the film is good enough that way - dumb, but not boring. But does it have to be so witless, so stupid, so openly contemptuous of the very audience it's supposed to be pandering to? Not by a long shot.

The film borrows heavily from Hollywood's 'Crank'. Prince (Vivek Oberoi) wakes up one morning with a severe bout of amnesia and a gunshot wound on his arm. He realises that he is being simultaneously hounded by the CBI, India's secret service and a shadowy criminal organisation. He also finds out that he has committed the biggest crime in the history of the universe and embedded in his brain is a secret that threatens the ENTIRE human race. Three scantily clad girls (Nandana Sen, Aruna Shields and Neeru Bajwa) wag their tongues and claim to be his girlfriend Maaya. And if it all weren't uncomfortable enough already, Prince finds out that he has only five days to live. Will our hero vanquish the villains and save the human race? Watch the film before acute anticipation turns you into a squeezed lemon.

Action director Allan Aamin and cinematographer Vishnu Rao are the real stars of 'Prince' - if there's anyone who deserves Aruna Shields in a bikini its them. Oscar winner Resul Pookutty's sound design matches big budget Hollywood standards. Editor Nicolas Trembasiewicz could as well have been dropped considering there is no escape from Sachin Gupta's music. Director Kookie Gulati's concept is cookie, he seems so pleased with the fact that he came up with a thinly plausible pretext for this clash of the visual effects that he didn't bother to develop the characters or fashion a plot with any suspense.

Final verdict? If your favourite idea of fun involves staring at Vivek Oberoi who is attired in black leather, brandishing guns in various poses, grimacing and thrashing around violently, uncertain as to why he is doing it or what will come of it, then this is the movie for you. Others should take it as a warning to stay the heck away from this literally and figuratively deadly travesty.

Karma Aur Holi 2009 Review

2009-03-13T01:01:00.000-07:00

Directed by - Manish Gupta
Starring - Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda, Rati Agnihotri, Suresh Oberoi, Suchitra Krishnamurthy, Deepal Shah, Naomi Campbell ...

Post MONSOON WEDDING, films focussing on the Indian diaspora have been churned out by makers in the West. But, sadly, a majority of these projects still suffer from the MONSOON WEDDING fixation. KARMA AUR HOLI is one of those films.

One has often mauled Bollywood films for churning out gibberish at regular intervals, but we stay mum when it comes to films made in America. After watching KARMA AUR HOLI, it reiterates the fact that even Americans frequently come up with junk.

Frankly, nothing works in KARMA AUR HOLI. Not the plot, not the screen writing, not even the performances. What can you say of a film which, though serious in nature, makes you break into guffaws? Sad indeed!

Meera [Sushmita Sen] and Dev [Randeep Hooda] plan a get-together with a few close friends and relatives at their place. As time passes by, the guests get involved in each others' lives. The evening takes a dramatic turn when an unexpected incident triggers tipsy partygoers to confess their innermost secrets that have never been revealed.

On paper, the concept of KARMA AUR HOLI sounds truly interesting, but what comes across on screen is amateurish. The film attempts to say too much, but what comes across makes zilch impression. If the writing is bad, the direction [Manish Gupta] is worse.

Barring Sushmita Sen and Suchitra Krishnamoorthy, none of the actors [and that includes veterans like Suresh Oberoi and Rati Agnihotri] leave any impression whatsoever. Randeep Hooda is strictly okay. Naomi Campbell is a lousy actor. Deepal Shaw is plain bad.

On the whole, KARMA AUR HOLI is a sad case.

Rating

42 Kms. Music Review

2009-01-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

42 Kms. Music Review

Director : Nisha Chainani
Music : Tubby & Parik
Lyrics : Shahab Allahabadi
Starring :Mandira Bedi, Sameer Dattani, Purab Kohli, Bikram Saluja, Prashant Chainani, Nausheen Ali Sardar and Nauheed Cyrusi
Rating- 2/5


Powered by: Chakpak.com	42 Kms

In the ever-growing and fast-changing Bollywood musical world, 42 KMS, a low profile social entertainer brings out the likes of new composer Tubby & Parik, arranger turned composers to the marquee. After the supreme disaster of MEERABAI NOT OUT, it's another entertaining sport-filled dossier from Mandira Bedi, where she leads the show as the lead protagonist.

Ironically speaking, 42 KMS is hitting stands and theatres when Mumbai is healing fast from 26/11 attack with the advent of ''Mumbai Marathon 2009''. Despite its zilch expectations and low profile face value, it has the stuffing of bankable singers like Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Mahalxmi Iyer, Roop Kumar Rathod and Udit Narayan in its modest packaging of 6 original soundtracks. After the much-deserved success of Amit Trivedi (DEV D), can Tubby & Parikh be second probable new entrants in Bollywood? Does 42 KMS have the sufficient bag and baggage to deliver for its prospective multiplex listeners? Let's find this out...!

CHECK OUT: 42 KMS Movie Preview

Tubby-Parik make dazzling opening of the album by pulverizing out Indonesian style of rock-music in the theme-spirited motivational soundtrack ''Chand Zameen Par''. KK's racy vocals are at scorching pace with composition that sounds similar to chartbusting hit track ''Kya Mujhe Pyar Hai'' (WOH LAMHE). It tries to create the inspirational hysteria of another KK resounding number ''Aashiyan'' (IQBAL) but sounds too jarring and ear-splitting as it gushes down fiercely to its last beats. Tubby & Parik have done an overdo of rollicking rock-music substance with loads of ear-splitting percussion and racing guitar strumming. Rags and Clinton prove valued support as back-up vocals but Shahab Allahabadi's wordings aren't gripping enough to make thing work for this inspirational sounding soundtrack.

Upbeat sounds and hip-hop rhythms makes top slot again and the mood-swinging fervor takes the floors on fire in impressive sounding ''Zara Aankhon Mein''. Sonu Nigam experiments out in the caricature of hip-hop singer with his flickering cum quivering voice modulations. Gayatri Ganjawala makes delayed entry in her piercing rendition but its hip-hop emceeing (un-credited) that strikes chord with the feel of this racy soundtrack makes it an affable sounding hip-hop track. Tubby-Parik melodic inputs have remarkable trendy zooming arrangements that bring memories of super-hit hip-hop number ''Ek Main Aur Ek Tu Hai'' (BLUFFMASTER). Sonu Nigam makes another fervent presence as dependable vocalist and gives out the only hope for this album in this soundtrack.

As predicted, this soundtrack gets the preferred treatment as it gets flavor of ''club'' remixing in the only remix number of the album. ''Zara Ankhon Me (remix)'' punches hard with its stridently loud disco-beat fillers that is supported well with thunderous DJ bangs and claps to create passionate feel for the disco-freaks on dancing floors.

Roop Kumar Rathod's sublime and submissive soothing voice changes the mood with flavors of traditional ''ghazal-gayaki'' singing in modestly penned and composed ''Ae Meri Zindagi''. Despite sincere efforts, the outmoded melodic substance of traditional instrumentals and ordinary wordings fails to deliver out the needful that could make this another impressive attribute for Roop Kumar Rathod's prowess. Mahalaxmi Iyer's subtleness is added support that flows in tandem but fails to embark any nostalgia into the tonality of the soundtrack.

CHECK OUT: Mandira Bedi slaps her husband...!

Boredom enters into a new phase in the lackluster sounding ''Tumse Milke Hua'' where bankable singers like Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan sound completely wasted. Tubby-Parik makes an apology of composition with drooping arrangements and passable lyrics that ends up making up this a forgettable affair. Skip it!

Tubby-Parik go decades back and try to impersonate out 80's type of ''jhankaar-beats'' stylized love duet in unimposing ''Aate Jaae Mausam Se''. Udit Narayan's contemporary voice and Shreya Ghoshal sweetly timed vocals are at the helm of affairs to make credits look promising but the expectations dashes to doom in its unimpressive composition. It's a final nail in the coffin that sums up the disastrous musical show of this unassuming album.

42 KMS fails to even conquer 1 KM of success with the soundtracks that sounds average to ordinary and fall flat before it could inspire to rise. Tubby & Parik prove to be weak in their efforts and their music never props to deliver the desired musical flavors of our times. The sole exception of ''Zara Aankhon Me'' (above-average) makes things brighter but falls much short of being classified as ''chartbusting'' material. Low profile, bleak face value and now shoddy musical presentation makes this a ''non-starter'' material that will faint out in its initial run at the stands.

Jugaad Music Review

2009-01-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

Jugaad Music Review

Director : Anand Kumar
Music : Sachin Gupta and Krishna
Lyrics : Saahil Sultanpuri, Adeel, Priyank Dubey and Rohit Sharma
Starring :Manoj Bajpai, Hrishita Bhatt, Vijay Raaz, Mushtaq Khan, Govind Namdeo and Sanjay
Rating - 3/5

Director Anand Kumar, who hails from Delhi, comes up with a very interesting plot woven around the time of the infamous sealing drive in New Delhi, during which thousands of Delhites were affected when their houses and shops were sealed by the municipal corporation. And how those with good connections were able to escape through make shift arrangements/manipulations or 'jugaad' (hence the title), as it’s called in Hindi colloquial language in Western UP and Delhi. Serious actor Manoj Bajpai returns after a while in this situational comic-cum -thriller. The responsibility for the music department rests on the young shoulders of the immensely talented Sachin Gupta, who had shown enough potential in the melodious DIL KABADDI and is helped in his endeavour by the versatile Krishna. So, let’s see if Sachin Gupta is able to prove that DIL KABADDI was not just a flash in the pan.

After Salim -Sulaiman's "Tujhme Rab Dikhta Hai", we have Krishna with "Tu Hai Rab Mera'. Nice flute notes and light alaaps along with soft female English croonings commence the superbly, composed number. A delightful culmination of semi-classical, sufi and western, the song is a gem which needs to be heard by all lovers of pure blissful music, that is a fusion and retro mix at its best. The classical parts are not overdone and its blending with the western musical instruments is smooth and transgresses all boundaries between East and West. The tune though sounds familiar at times, and flashes of Ghulam Ali's superlative 'ghazal' "Yeh Baatein Jhoothi Baatein Hain" comes to mind, though it can just be a co-incidence as the raaga may be the same here. Krishna is a revelation as he skillfully masters the difficult high pitches and is a delight in the lower octaves as well. The lyrics are a lovely combination of easy to understand Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi and pay an ultimate tribute to the beloved. The number will appeal to all romantics at heart and those with an understanding of semi-classical and sufi and can be a good way to propose your beloved this Valentine!

After an outstanding romantic track, we have Adeel, "With the soul stirring "Kise Awaaz Doon", a number which has sheer melody at its base, albeit nothing extraordinary but nevertheless it is ear pleasing. Adeel is a promising artist from Pakistan who has shown great vocal effects in Pritam's KISMAT KONNECTION ("Move Your Body"). Some great electronic flute and bead sounds commence this sad number which will definitely make a mark with the listeners. The meticulous musical arrangements are in sync with the sense of deja vu and melancholic feel of the lead protagonist. Adeel's vocals are strong yet soft and sonorous and convey the right emotions without going overboard. The lyrics, though filmy, strike a chord and the feeling of helplessness, dejection and loneliness is brought to fore by some nice words. "Apni tanhahiyon mein koi saaya bhi nahin, Koi apna bhi nahin, Koi paraya bhi nahin, Kise awaaz doon." Nice number which grows after repeated hearing.

(While on Adeel and his number "Kise Awaaz doon", an expensive music video was to be shot with the handsome artist and was to be used as a promotional music video for the film, but had to be scrapped due to the tragic 26/11 incident. Adeel himself is very upset with the turn of events but understands the situation.)

The pulsating remix caters to the Gen X and it is fit for the clubs and discos but thankfully the tempo is not heightened and the soft lingering melody is left untouched.

Neeraj Shridhar comes out of Pritam's larger than life item numbers and is at once back to his winning ways in this zestful, humour laden, situational composition "Tension Lene Ka Nahin Dene Ka". The instantly catchy rhythm catches one off guard. The song could easily have been titled "Jugaad" as the word is interposed in between, countless times and in fact the whole song in a way embodies the mood and flavour of the movie. The song should be used as a background score in the film during dramatic and comic moments. The racy beat of the number is striking and the lyrics are humorous and they entertain to the core. Easily one of the best songs of the album, if well publicized has the capability to hit the charts due to its snazzy rhythm.

Lovely guitar beats (one thought it was the beginning of a romantic number) herald the rock mix of "Tension Lene Ka Nahin Dene Ka" and the number is converted into a soft rock ballad with lots of heavy drumming, guitaring in the background. The lead singer Aditya Jassi tries his best but is no match to Neeraj Shridhar's enticing vocals which are delightful in the original version. The music director Sachin Gupta puts in extra efforts to make this number a worthwhile experience for the listeners.

Mika Singh is turning out to be the number one item singer in Bollywood and along with Richa Sharma (more known for her folk songs) effortlessly belts out "Tabahi Tabahi", a strictly average item number. The song is supposed to be a raunchy item number but the very pedestrian tune at its baseline as well as its lyrics which are at times crude and crass, (though in Urdu) are its major letdowns. The 'qawwali' touch given to the 'antara' too is very routine and looks like it’s a number meant especially for the front benchers. The song is a big letdown especially after some lovely songs that we encountered in this album. A pure waste of talented singers like Mika and Richa and since this film is based in Delhi, one would have preferred a bombastic "bhangra' pop type dance number that would have found favour with the front benchers rather than going in for a moth laden item number.

Krishna returns once again in the heart touching composition "Mushkil Halaton Se Darna Kaisa". The number is strictly situational but conveys an outstanding message of never giving up and fighting in the face of hurdles and difficulties. The 'antara' has been given a nice, rhythmic 'qawwali' touch and Krishna excels in a composition which is his forte. The lyrics are at times dramatic but that is in demand with the script as the film is about a millionaire who has lost everything and it’s his fight to save his life and live with dignity.

Reverberating Shankh (conch shell) sounds and soothing sitar beats commence the devotional track "Jai Sai Ram" which brings the album to a beautiful, soulful end. A unique combination of 'bhajan' and 'sufi' devotional touch makes the composition more than an average prayer song and a lot of credit goes to this unique culmination of 'bhajan' and 'sufi'. The music arrangements are kept minimal with lovely sitar/veena and soft percussions sounds which convey the blissful feeling of being able to communicate with the Lord. The vocals of the lead singer are enhanced as a result of this minimal music in the background and his pleading with the Almighty to return his beloved is touching. The lyrics too are a combo of bhajan and sufi and so will have an universal appeal. Krishna does a mighty good job in keeping with the strictures of a devotional number and yet making it more interesting and less mundane.

On the whole, the album is definitely a good one with outstanding track in the form of "Tu Hai Rab Mera", a chartbuster in Neeraj's "Tension Lene Ka Nahin Dene Ka", the haunting "Kise Awaaz Doon" and of course the devotional tracks. However, the commercial viability of the product will definitely rest on its promotion, which is at present very weak and in this age of blitzkrieg publicity it appears that this album may go unnoticed until and unless the makers sit up and take action.

Delhi 6 Music Review

2009-01-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Music : A R Rahman
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi
Starring : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Om Puri, Rishi Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman
Rating - 4/5

Delhi 6 Music Review

Year 2009 has opened up magnanimously for maestro A R Rahman and expectations are humongous as the stage is all set for his first major Bollywood musical release- DELHI-6. It brings out another colossal combination for UTV, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, the team that created history with the critically acclaimed RANG DE BASANTI.

DELHI-6 holds another major significance in Bollywood as Rahman experiments out with ‘Continuum Fingerboard’ (a three dimensional music controller device) for the first time in many of his compositions for a contemporary Hindi film. Once again, the challenges are big and the feel is innovative as varied genres, styles and talents concoct again to create another hullabaloo of success. Does DELHI-6 have the sufficient fire to match up the high standards of RANG DE BASANTI and the internationally acclaimed SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE? Will DELHI-6 be adding up as another proud entry in the long listing of A R Rahman's successive grand successes? Let's get started with the tracks that deserve to be analyzed with full exactitude...!

After serenading out some tantalizing soft-rock ballads, Mohit Chauhan streams out in typical ''filmi'' overtones with wavering vocal modulations in ''ched-chad'' solo track ''Masakalli''. Prasoon Joshi's mischievously flowing wordings (''Zara pankh jhatak, gayi dhool atak aur lachak machak ke door bhatak...) about lovable bird (''Masakalli'') has that poetical ire (''Ghar tera saloni, badal ki colony, Dikhlade thenga in sabko jo udna na jaane...'') that epitomizes naivety, impishness in that gullible ''child-like'' character. A R Rahman's music tries to be edgy rather than syrupy in those modulating instrumental connotations that strikes rhythmical chemistry with Mohit's cheeky vocals. ''Masakalli'' is going to be raised up in volumes as well as in chartbusting listing for its rustic rawness and innovative feel and probably be catching fast for its massy appeal. Mohit Chauhan notches up his first major solo hit of this year with ''Masakalli'' and that also brings laurels to the poetical prowess of Prasoon Joshi. Chartbuster!!!

A R Rahman, a name synonymous to wide range of experimentation makes the most purist attempt at Indian classical music of our times in meticulously composed ''Bhor Bhaye''. This classically pristine number brings the most intellectual singing aspect of Shreya Ghoshal, where she almost gets tutelage as well as consistent backing of puritans like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in its traditionalist rendition.

Amitabh Bachchan's poetical exuberance in softer notes have the austerity and grace that epitomizes the ''emotional quotient'' (EQ) of the flick in concise but impressive ''Noor''.

The divine intervention of spiritualism comes in the form of ''Aarti (Tumre Bhavan Mein)'', a modestly pleasant ''bhajan'' in the voices of Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar. It can be termed as simplistically softer version of emotionally enriched ''O Palanhaare'' (LAGAAN) with traditional religious verses emoted out with serenity of pious sentiments.

Rekha Bharadwaj's folksy nasal twang leads the female bandwagon of traditional ''ladies-sangeet'' where typical ''Delhi-waala'' pre-marriage celebrations takes routes of ''disco-beat'' lounges in ''Genda Phool''. It charters the traditionalism of festivity where the pairing of Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar forms effective choir singers in this sluggish ''dhin-chak'' beats arrangement soundtrack.

There was ''dreams-unlimited'' euphoric feel in the subtle orchestrations in ''Tu Bin Bataye'' (RANG DE BASANTI) that captured the unveiled mysticism of undying romance in it. This nostalgia of tender emotions regenerates back in similar sounding sappy composition ''Dil Mera Giraftan'' with better sounding techno-generated sound effects that brings gifted vocals of Ash King along with back-up support of Chinmaye to the fore. Rahman's makes it a remarkable conglomerate of varied instrumentals (flute, keyboards, violin and piano) that are mellifluously interwoven in those tender beats and rhythmical beat flows. Ash King proves to be the ''find'' of the album for his sonorously porous vocals permeates subtly in those feather-touch lingering orchestral displays. Soulful!!!

Murky, mischievous and Machiavellian! A R Rahman's races out Afro-American hip-hop blasting beat-culture bombastic splurge in gibberish overtones of roguish wording in ''Hey Kala Bandar''. It sounds almost sequel to recently heard ''Shanno Shanno'' (YUVVRAAJ) where youthful spirits gets loud eruption of ''black humor'' in the vocals of Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas and Bony Chakravarthy. Prasoon Joshi's picks up snazzy one-liners in those Arabic-hip hop rhythmical beat patterns to make it impulsively bouncy soundtrack.

Somber tonality of supple jazz cum blues musical maneuvers takes over where Rahman along with Benny Dayal and Tanvi emotes out in lower octaves in impressive sounding ''Rehna Tu''. It's has that melodramatic situational song appeal with a strong international musical substance that transcends well from thumping beats in its prelude to oozing ''jazz'' substances in its concluding verses. It adds one more attribute in this soft-sentimental moods cadre that will be likely to be sapped by its potential listeners.

''Delhi-6'', the ''funk-a-licious'' title track forms a mix and match of ''Paathshala'' and ''Roobaro'' (RANG DE BASANTI) with that extra perky ''reggae ton'' rendition in its racy flows. Blaaze along with Benny Dayal, Vivinenne Pocha, Tanvi and Claire gets boisterously persuasive in symbolizing out the ''Delhi'' yuppie feel. Vivinenne and Claire lyrics try to be equivocal in its wishy-washy flows with infectious hip-hop cum reggae getting up straight into senses.

It's was divine bliss to hear something as pious as ''Piya Haji Ali'' (FIZA) and ''Khwaja Mere Khwaja'' (JODHA AKBAR) and again A R Rahman scores pure gold as he continues to be generously mellifluous in ''Arziyaan''. Despite some traditional classical instrumentals and composition there are added synchronized arrangements (preferably with support of ''Continuum Fingerboard'') that permeates well in its rhythmic flows. This holy musical piece comes in traditional ''qawalli'' form with Javed Ali and Kailash Kher excelling out with another gem of wordings by wordsmith Prasoon Joshi. Despite its longer duration (8.42), there is an ambience of divinity in the air as sounds of harmonium, tabla and sitar collages well in its well synchronized rigorous claps. Rhythm-divine!!!

DELHI-6 turns to be another globe-trotter for A R Rahman and the album surely heads for another big victory at the stands. It maintains the high-standards of RANG DE BASANTI and scores better in terms of versatility and upbeat musical substance. Mohit Chauhan's ''Masakalli'' leads the show with sure-shot chartbuster while tracks like ''Arziyan'', ''Dil Mera Giraftan'', ''Rehna Tu'', ''Hey Kala Bandar'', ''Genda Phool'' and ''Delhi-6'' will be catching up fast with three listeners. After the global success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the celebrations continues for all ''Rahmaniacs'' with DELHI-6 and things look brighter as flick get set for its big D-Day in coming weekends

Raaz The Mystery Continues Movie Review

2009-01-28T23:02:00.000-08:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Raaz

Raaz The Mystery Continues Movie Review

Director : Mohit Suri
Music : Sharib and Toshi, Raju Singh, Pranay M Rijia, Gourov Dasgupta
Lyrics : Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar
Starring : Mohit Suri,Sharib and Toshi, Raju Singh, Pranay M Rijia, Gourov Dasgupta, Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar, Emraan Hashmi, Adhyayan Suman and Kangna Ranaut
Rating - 1/5

There is no Raaz in this film. There is not story in this film either. And there are just two scenes that jolt you. Also, there are only two performers. One is Kangana Ranaut and the other, Adhayan Suman. The lad has improved after his HAAL-E-DIL disaster.

In the first few opening shots, we are treated to Kangana walking the ramp. You ask yourself, is this Fashion Part II. It could jolly well have been.
From the mundane, Mohit Suri movies, to the insane as he tries to plot a horror flick around the lives of Kangana and Adhayan. He also throws in Emran Hashmi, Vishesh Film's lucky mascot, for some added spice but it turns out to be the biggest disaster. He is greeted by laughter from the audience. From then on, the film moves downhill all the way, as Mohit tries to clutch at the straws to cling to whatever is left to make sense. But by then, the audience is already jittery; they know they have wasted their bucks.

You leave the theatre wondering what the mystery was all about!

Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye Movie Preview

2009-01-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye Movie Preview

Director : Madhureeta Anand
Music : Lalit Pandit, Siddharath Coutto
Lyrics : Javed Akhtar, Renuka Kunzru and Rohit Bhatia
Starring : Madhureeta Anand,Lalit Pandit, Siddharath Coutto,Javed Akhtar, Renuka Kunzru and Rohit Bhatia , Randeep Hooda, Raima Sen, Arbaaz Khan, Suhasini Mulay and Anjan Srivastava
Rating -3/5

There were sweetly charmed ''girly'' dreams in the melody ''Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye'' (DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE) that set the decorum and trend for path-breaking youthful and entertaining cinema. PVR Cinemas MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE talks about those ''girly'' dreams that get encapsulated in a package of Bollywood musical drama. Like its melodic subject, one can expect innovative and creative musical feel in it. Rock-music has been rage and can be termed as most sought after genre that has been fancied and materialized by every major composer. Lalit Pandit tries to surface out his grounds with this rollicking style of music and hopes for a big success. New music composer Siddharath Coutto comes out as another promising entrant who makes splashes as guest composer in couple of trendy numbers. Can MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE be setting new trends for musicals in Bollywood? Does Lalit Pandit along with Siddarth Coutto be able to create magical success? Let's get started with it by switching on to ''play'' button...
As the title suggests, the flick is bound to be story about aspiring talents and their dreamland and so the first major musical punch goes out in loud vociferous binge of aspiring female vocalist in belligerently rocking “Pahle Toh Meri Inn Ankhon''. Like ''Ye Ishq Hai'' (JAB WE MET), Shreya Ghoshal reinvents herself with peculiar variation and modulations that seems to be going perfect for ''aspirant-friendly'' emotions. Javed Akhtar's simplistic lyrics aren't that penetrative to core but it's the impressive orchestral flows in flute notes and later ''rock-music'' flows that set the mood on fire. After unnoticed ''Tere Woh Pyar'' (RU-BA-RU), this fast-paced feminine solo by Shreya Ghoshal shows her versatility and resilience of rising above the standards. ''Pahle Toh Meri Inn Ankhon'' should be going out special for all Shreya Ghoshal die-hard fans and this also marks promising start to this upbeat Bollywood musical.

''Sehmi Sehmi'', a soft mushy soundtrack about shy and demure girl brings an array of singers in the form of Shaan, Alka Yagnik, Lalit Pandit, Runa Rizvi, and Clinton Cerejo. It's welcome to hear specialist like Alka Yagnik making a ''cool'' comeback in a youthful track where Shaan leads the show. The melodic arrangements have Jatin-Lalit style of popular 90's music with suggestive feel of an angel entering the life of decorous girl. It might not be as impressive in contents as ''Pehla Nasha'' (JO JEETA WOHI SIKANDER) was in 90's but has that extra mushy feel to keep viewers on back of their seats.

Zooming and bombastic disco beat fillers marks the arrival of pompous disco-feast as mood goes full blast in the albums only remix number ''Sehmi Sehmi (''remix)''. It sounds appreciably hot from the original version for its rich peppiness and thrive that gets inundated with every upfront musical beats and thrusting rhythms.

Anushka Manchandani has surprise in store with her crooner stylized rendition in richly pulsating and strikingly western trendy rollicking soundtrack ''Kabhi Kabhi''. Experimentation goes to its full bloom with upcoming composer Siddharath Coutto getting his ethics perfect about rock-music and blues in right proportion to deliver out a racy remarkable solo track. Anushka gets into the skin of Sheryl Crow style of zany pop singing where rock music always zooms out with tinge of ''blues'', ''jazz'' or ''soul'' musical impact. Bollywood music is racing fast to genres and all complements to this upcoming composer for being innovative as well as appealing. Anushka impresses to hilt and adds herself to the cadre of singers like Alisha Chinai for her notable versatility. Renuka Kunzru's stylishly chic lyrics try to break loose and set the pulses rising up with those peppy one-liners. Excellent!!!
Siddharath Coutto maintains his pertinently striking ''rock-music'' flair in the sentimental number ''Kab Talak'', that makes Caralisa audible again as a vivacious soloist. After the soulful ''Phir Dekhiye'' (ROCK ON), Caralisa moves a step further in this ''dream-come-true'' solo number that makes remarkable maneuvers in its rock cum jazz composition. It goes out special for pulsating and comprehensive guitar strumming with its racy progressions concocting well with strident percussions. For all rock-music lovers, Siddharath Coutto delivers out a second hit in succession and all efforts seems to be going positive in making it a remarkably appealing rock number. Impressive!!!
Shaan makes author-backed presence in a track that emanates out the desolated and depressed expressions of protagonists in ''Pathraon Ke Bane In Shahron”. Lalit Pandit charters Pritam route in bringing out the flavors of tracks like ''Rishtey'' and ''Alvida'' (LIFE...IN A METRO) to fore but falls short of befitting composition to deliver the needful. Even the arrangements sounds outmoded and jaded at places and fail to usurp Shaan's penetrative vocals.

Lalit Pandit tries to add nostalgia of emotions in conventional Bollywood sensibilities par echoing impacts in sedate sounding poignant soundtrack ''Zindagi Me Nayi Bat Hone Ko''. Aishwarya does a good job with a number that has both meaningful as well as melodramatic affix in it. The loud drumming in conventional thumps at places impedes the melancholic feel but Aishwarya's voice booms well in effective echoing impacts. Javed Akhtar's lyrics are striking in its substance and get well narrated in those impressive vocals.

''Instrumental'', the finale in the form of album solitary instrumental number comes in varied tempo and textures of orchestral flows. It soothes out the flick's refreshing feel in genteel rhythms and races up in those jarring rocking percussions. Lalit Pandit signifies his masterly stroke of experienced campaigner by making it a significant background score (similar sounding to many of Karan Johar's family dramas) with fine set of musicians backing it up.

MERE KHWABON MEIN JO AAYE makes a noticeable impact with its appealing and innovative westernized fresh appeal. Old war-horse Lalit Pandit delivers some impressive number but new composer Siddarth Coutto turns to be show-stopper with two back-to-back valuable rock numbers. Despite its low profile, the album dares to experiment with numbers like ''Kabhi Kabhi'', ''Kab Talak'', ''Sehmi Sehmi'', ''Zindagi Me Nayi Bat Hone Ko'' and ''Pahle Toh Meri Inn Ankhon'' with promising success.

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review

2009-01-28T22:43:00.000-08:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Slumdog Millionaire

Director : Danny Boyle
Music : A.R Rahman
Lyrics : Raquib Alam, Gulzar, Blaaze, Wendy Parr, M.I.A., A.R. Rahman, & Tanvi
Starring : Danny Boyle
A.R Rahman
Raquib Alam, Gulzar, Blaaze, Wendy Parr, M.I.A., A.R. Rahman, & Tanvi Shah
Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Imran Hasnee, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review

What do you say of a movie that has won four Golden Globe Awards and is nominated in 10 categories at the Oscars? What do you say of a movie that has already wowed the critics and audience alike in the West? What do you say of a movie that has released with such rave reviews [minus doctored media hype]? Well, I just have this to say, it's a masterpiece! You don't even need a review to make up your mind to watch a 'once in a lifetime' experience in Indian cinema. Just go for SLUMDOG CROREPATI (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in English).

For an Indian to watch the underbelly of poverty is just another day on the street. This is not to say that there is no poverty or crime in the West or the dirty underbelly to explore there. It's just that it's so exposed and 'in your face' here, that for us, instead of shocking, it has become a way of life. But for Danny Boyle, the director from the West, he came, he saw, he sketched and then he captured... and how! It takes a person of intense creative intelligence to do what Boyle has done.

CHECK OUT: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE gets 10 nominations at Oscars

Cut to cut, the film is a marvel. The shift in scenes from then to now, as Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is on the hot seat with Anil Kapoor on the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, is slick. The tracing of the root of every answer Jamal gives on his way to the winning jackpot is stuff of what 'genius' is all about. Jamal's nerve of not falling in Anil Kapoor's trap, gives a new meaning to the phrase 'street smart'.

Slumdog... is a movie about a boy from the slums who lands on the hot seat of the game show. The movie is told in the questions asked and the answers given by Jamal. It traces his life from childhood [his mother, his struggle to survive along with his brother, his love and his dreams], till the time he hits the jackpot

There's action, painful romance, a dash of humour, life in the slums and the underbelly of crime. Everything is neatly packaged and delivered to the viewer. Yes, some scenes are unpalatable, but then that's the reality of life. And Danny Boyle is pulling no punches... he just delivers them in style.

Dev Patel who plays the central character of Jamal is a fine actor. In fact, he overshadows Anil Kapoor and the rest of the cast. The younger actors who play Jamal and his brother Salim are simply awesome. They take you on their journey with such glee not knowing what's in store at the bend. Freida Pinto as Latika is a class act. She lets her eyes do most of the talking. Mahesh Manjrekar, Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla all lend credible support. Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala the boy who plays a slightly older Salim (Jamal's brother) is a revelation. Ditto the boy who plays the role of a slightly older Jamal.

Karzzz 2008 Review

2008-10-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

Karzzz


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Karzzzz

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

A cartoon in a recent New Yorker magazine showed a director pitching a movie to a studio head. The director suggests: Let's remake an old classic with worse everything.

The pitch meeting for the new Karz must have been similar. Director Satish Kaushik's Karzzz is Subhash Ghai's 1980 cult film with worse everything.

Let's begin with the hero, Himmesh Reshmmiya. In the publicity interviews for the film, Himmesh has repeatedly declared that he should not be compared to Rishi Kapoor, the original film's hero because while Rishi was a handsome star, he, Himmesh is not at all good looking. The humility is appreciated but stating the truth doesn't change it.

Himmesh, despite intensive styling and waves of hair on his head, remains, an acquired taste.

He continues to sing with his trademark nasal twang but the unkindest cut is that here he tries hard to act. The scenes in which he attempts to emote by narrowing his eyes and furiously moving his lips are pure comedy.

His new heroine, Shweta Kumar redefines vapid. So Urmila Matondkar, who plays the murderous wife Kamini, must carry the burden of acting for all three of them. She delivers admirably, pursing her lips, widening her eyes and giving us five expressions when only one would have sufficed.

This Olympics of bad acting is constantly interrupted by brain dead Himmesh songs. A sample of the lyrics: If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right, Tandoori Nights, Tandoori Nights.

Giving the songs stiff competition are the dialogues. At one point, Himmesh playing the rock star Monty is trying to convince Kamini that he is the reincarnation of her long dead husband. He says he will give her intimate details that only a husband can know and proceeds to say: Jab tum kiss karti ho tumhari aankhen band ho jaati hain. Monty presumably knows many people who kiss with their eyes open.

The original Karz was a superbly orchestrated melodrama. Ghai created moments that still have the power to make your hair stand on end.

Watch the climax when Kamini, played by a wonderfully elegant and icy Simi Garewal, becomes unhinged and admits that she killed her husband.

The new Karzzz is a clossal joke. At six or eight reels, it would have been a wonderful unintentional comedy – a so bad that it's good film to add to classics like Manoj Kumar's Clerk and Sheetal's Honey. But at 18 reels, Karzzz is prolonged torture. Steer clear.

Hello Review

2008-10-15T02:57:00.001-07:00

Hello


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Hello

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

Chetan Bhagat is a conjurer of pulp fiction. His books are unapologetically low-brow, simplistic and contrived but they are also pacey and entertaining.

Bhagat hooks you with interesting characters and keeps you turning the pages, even as you roll your eyes and groan at the silliness of it all.

I thought it would be difficult, if not impossible, to dumb down a Chetan Bhagat book. But director Atul Agnihotri and Bhagat himself, who co-wrote the screenplay and dialogue, manage it in Hello.

The film is based on Bhagat's second bestseller One Night at the Call Center.

The book has a beautiful and mysterious woman narrating the story to the author on a train. But it's Bollywood.

So, instead we have helicopters and Salman Khan who essentially plays himself - an actor/rock star. Before he listens to the story he performs an item number, which of course includes him taking his shirt off.

The story involves six characters who work at a call centers and how their lives change one night. Each one is grappling with serious personal issues but at the end of the night, all of them have taken charge of their problems and decided to follow their bliss.

In more expert hands, this could have been a fun, popcorn movie but Agnihotri plays it at the level of a cartoon.

The characters aren't given any time to develop and there is absolutely no sense of atmosphere.

The narrative is laced with lame attempts at comedy and one very strange song, which features dancers doing a weird airborne ballet.

The dialogue occasionally shows some spark - at one point, a character describes an NRI as the perfect groom because he is both a Bondhu and ameer but mostly we have to suffer lines like: Aam taur pe gore bewkoof hote hain.

If Hello was more sophisticated, the America bashing would have been offensive but this is too low IQ to matter.

Sharman Joshi plays his part of the loser Shyam with conviction and I enjoyed watching Sohail Khan do another dumb jock type.

But they can't infuse air into this limp film. Hello is tiresome. Read Chetan's book instead.

Drona Review

2008-10-15T02:53:00.000-07:00

Drona Review


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Drona

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

In Drona, director-writer Goldie Behl has attempted to create a modern mythology. He has reworked elements of Amar Chitra Katha comics, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones into an exotic fantasy about an orphan, Aditya, played by Abhishek Bachchan, who grows up not knowing who he really is.

Only beautiful blue rose petals that arrive at regular intervals mark him as special. One day, a petal leads him to an intriguingly glowing bracelet, which is then seen on his wrist by a wicked magician who has enormous powers but apparently no hair stylist. And then all hell breaks loose.

There are things to be admired in Drona. It is a labour of love and the sweat can be seen onscreen. There are several nicely done sequences. I especially enjoyed Priyanka Chopra's entry. She plays Sonia, Drona's bodyguard who kicks butt with the same finesse as she carries off unwieldy brocade coats and boots.

The special effects here aren't organic but they aren't embarrassingly cheesy either and there is some high-octane action, including one sequence in a vast desert that concludes with Drona and Sonia on top of a horse, on top of a train. But, and this is the film's fatal flaw, Drona never lifts off from passable into spectacular.

Goldie Bhel has the ambition but he doesn't have the visual audacity. So the moments of shock and awe are too few and far between. Worse, the writing is painfully inconsistent. The are too many shifts in tone and Bhel is unable to create a fully-realised alternate universe.

There is a standard-issue suffering mother angle, which becomes unwittingly comical when the mother, played by Jaya Bachchan, turns to stone and poor Drona weeps hugging her statue. Abhishek plays the part convincingly but he doesn't look it.

Even when Aditya becomes Drona, he doesn't transform physically into a man of stature. He seems out-of-shape and weighed down by his costume, which looks like a left-over from Amitabh Bachchan's Toofan days.

But the weakest link in the tale is Kay Kay Menon, playing the evil asur descendent Riz Raizada.

The need of the hour was a memorable Machiavellian psychopath. What we have instead is tiresome hamming and not enough clever lines.

Disappointingly then, Drona remains a below average film. Given the scale, scope and effort, this is clearly not enough. But on a holiday weekend, with such slim pickings at the theaters, it will have to do.

Kidnap Review

2008-10-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Kidnap Review


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Kidnap

Kidnap

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

The world's richest man's daughter gets kidnapped. So what does he do? Among other things, he says: "Maine apne assistant ko bola hai ki mere dushmano ki list bana le". This is only one of the many spectacularly dim-witted moments in Sanjay Ghadvi's thriller Kidnap.

My other favourite is a scene in which Sonia, played by Minissha Lamba, tells her kidnaper Kabir, played by Imran Khan, that she really needs a bath. They don't have enough water so he takes her to the beach where she proceeds to do a sensuous dance in a transparent white tunic and sings, and I'm not kidding here, a song that goes: Mausam yeh awesome bada.

Of course, despite being in captivity, Sonia has a ready wardrobe of skimpy clothes just right for these special occasions.

Shibani Bhatija's script, about a young man who seeks revenge on a rich businessman by kidnapping his daughter, probably sounded good on paper. On screen, it is undiluted comedy. Ghadvi starts smartly setting up the back-story in the title sequence itself but then we cut straight to an item song which, I assume, was supposed to establish how carefree and cool Sonia is.

More than anything, she's miscast. Minissha is supposed to be 17 years old year and if that isn't enough of a howler, her mother is played by Vidya Malvade, who looks more like her older sister. What's worse is that Malvade spends most of the screen time trying to out-do Minissha with carefully arranged glimpses of cleavage. She seems barely traumatised by her daughter's kidnapping though we are told that she is coping by visiting the Siddhi Vinayak Temple.

For reasons that are never quite clear, the parents divorced when Sonia was a child. But they are forced to re-unite when their daughter is kidnapped and instead of a ransom, the kidnapper only demands that the father,
Vikrant Raina, played by a paunchy Sanjay Dutt, perform a series of tasks. Raina is an Indian Bill Gates. He is the world's richest man with a net worth of 51.7 billion dollars but the press or police never get a whiff of his actions even when he is stealing a bag of money or helping a prisoner escape by, believe it or not, disguising himself as a fireman. What can actors do with material like this?

Dutt looks bored. Imran scowls and tries to bring conviction to his role but the silliness of this enterprise is insurmountable.

See Kidnap only if, after Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na, you need to get another Imran fix. Or if you want a good laugh!

Ramchand Pakistani Review

2008-10-15T02:43:00.000-07:00

Ramchand Pakistani


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Ramchand Pakistani

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

At one point in Ramchand Pakistani, Shankar, a poor Dalit farmer from Pakistan, who is rotting in an Indian jail because he inadvertently followed his son Ramchand into India, furiously tells his son that its all his fault.

The eight-year-old boy looks shattered and slowly his eyes brim with tears. It's moments like these that stay with you even when debutant director Mehreen Jabbar's film becomes a ponderous test of patience. Working from a true-life incident, Mehreen tells the story of a loving family that falls apart when the defiant boy has an innocuous quarrel with his mother and storms off. He unknowingly crosses the India-Pakistan border. His father follows him. Both are arrested and spend the next five years in jail.

Ramchand Pakistani underlines the human cost of geopolitics. When an Indian policeman asks Shankar if he has read the news about their respective armies amassing at the border, the farmer says no. His concerns are more basic: his son who refuses to go to school, his wife who loves surma and the 50,000 rupees loan he has taken.

And yet, the long and bloody history of the two countries, keep Shankar and Ramchand in prison. Of course the irony is that being a low-cast Hindu, Shankar is at the absolute bottom of the social hierarchy in Pakistan. This story is rich in emotion and drama. Jabbar's heart is in the right place and her intentions are noble.

But in cinema, that is never enough. The telling of this tale is crushingly slow and often clumsy. Mehreen, working from a screenplay by her father and producer Javed Jabbar, sets up the tragedy skillfully but then, for far too long, the story stays still.

The writing is thin and the characters in the Indian jail aren't engaging enough to sustain the scenes. Soon enough, the parallel track of Ramchand's long-suffering mother, played by Nandita Das, also starts to sputter.
Thankfully, the bumpy narrative tracks converge into a predictable but immensely moving climax. The actors, Fazal Hussain playing Ramchand and Rashid Farooqui, playing his father, are very good. They give the film an emotional heft.

See Ramchand Pakistani for their performances. But be prepared to be patient.

Saas Bahu aur Sensex

2008-09-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

Saas Bahu aur Sensex
A GOOD ENTERTAINER


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Saas Bahu Aur Sensex

Critic's I-view

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'Saas Bahu aur Sensex' is a mix of 'Saas Bahu' kind of soap opera and stock market, ranging from the small to the big screen. Kitty party friends who watch 'Saas Bahu' opera come to know about shares and the stock market in this movie. So, this creates a curiosity among kitty players to participate in share market. Another reason is that one of their colleague turns wealthy by investing in shares. Thus, their kitty party conversations switch from TV soaps to share market and investments. That's why the director has titled it 'Saas Bahu aur Sensex'. The movie is produced by Jayshree Malhija and presented by the world-famous 'Warner Bros. Pictures'. The music is given by directors - Randolph Correa, Bipin Panchal and Blaaze, to the lyrics of Blaaze, Raqueeb Alam and Shona Urvashi. The movie begins with a family comprising a mother Binita Sen played by Kirron Kher and her daughter Nitya played by Tanushree Dutta. Binita, who lives in Kolkata, divorces her husband, as the latter wants to marry a younger girl. She moves from Kolkata to Navi Mumbai along with her daughter Nitya and is lost in the new city. Incidentally, a boy named Ritesh Jethmalani played by Ankur Khanna gets Nitya a job in a call center where he also works. The story takes a turn from here.

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While Ritesh is in love with another society girl Kirti Wagaskar played by pretty Masumeh, the latter though from middle-class aspires to marry a millionaire. But, she keeps Ritesh as an alternative. Ritesh believes that one day Kirti would realize the worth of his love and come back to him. But Kirti has her eyes set on Yash Modi played by Sudhanshu Pandey, a billionaire. Yash's father owns a large share of 'M & M', the financial call centre in which Nitya and Ritesh work. Kirti meets Yash and feels very happy.

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However, she soon realizes that Yash is engaged with the daughter of the owner of Macmillan financial group. This wedding proposal promises to be good for 'M & M' and therefore Binita and her 'kitty party friends invest in the company. After learning about Yash's engagement, Kirti returns to Ritesh and agrees to marry him. Ritesh is too good and is always ready to help anyone. But, he has a weakness - his blind love for kirti. Among other deficiencies of his personality are his fondness for non-vegetarian food coupled with often running late. At this time, Nitya learns that her father fell for a younger woman and this is why her mother had to divorce him and come to Mumbai. She also comes to know that Binita and her friends have invested in 'M and M'. Binita who inherited shares from her father wishes to sell some and comes across a sensitive stockbroker Feroz Sethna played by Farooq Sheikh.

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Farooq, a natural actor, has come back to the silver screen after a long hiatus. He guides Binita into proper investing. Binita turns rich, so her kitty party colleagues want to follow her in becoming neo-rich. They invest in stocks. It appears that the filmmaker thus succeeds in making the kitty players share savvy! Interestingly, Ritesh's romance moves in sync with a sensex backdrop, taking the movie to a climax. The film turns a satire on daily soaps with initial humor. However, it turns boring later following the introduction of share arithmetic.

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The star cast includes Tanushree Datta, Ankur Khanna, Kirron Kher, Farooq Sheikh, Masumi Makhija, Lilette Dubey and Sharon Prabhakar. Each and every actor plays his or her role very well. While Farooq Sheikh induces some funny moments with his pristine Parsi performance, Kirron Kher puts in a compelling act. Masumeh proves perfect in the role of an urban girl. Lilette Dubey sparkles from amongst the kitty participants. Sharon Prabhakar looks ageing and thus needed help of the makeup department.

HULLA Review

2008-09-24T03:07:00.000-07:00

HULLA Review


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Hulla

'HULLA' FAILS TO CREATE HULLA

Critic's I-view

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Bollywood seems to have undergone a revolution. New ideas and concepts are taking place with the introduction of newer and strange subjects. 'Hulla' released this Friday is one from this genre. Several movies in the recent past have touched the subjects concerning the man in the street. This is a welcome sign for Bollywood that's moving close to Hollywood.

Debutante director Jaideep Varma bases his movie 'Hulla', meaning noise, on those living in Mumbai, and attempts to inject humor in narratives. However, the writer in Jaideep fails the director in him. In spite of all this, 'Hulla' succeeds in bringing a smile on your face and at times laughter. Though the first half is interesting and enjoyable, the second half being a repetition bores the viewer. That's why the viewers were found saying that the writer has stretched the story too far, making the climax unjustifiable. There are other weak points too. Why does the writer introduce the Chief Minister in the story? Isn't it irrelevant? Similarly, a huge whistle blowing over a trifle issue of a night watchman's whistling isn't a big deal for a movie. Maybe Jaideep Varma wishes to convey how a trivial irritation can turn a person paranoid.

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The story is that Raj played by Sushant Singh, is an aggressive broker and Abha played by Kartikadevi Rane, a marketing professional. They shift into a new two-bedroom apartment in a Mumbai suburb. Raj, a sensitive sleeper, is disturbed by noises at nights. However, he discovers that the noise arises from the night watchman's whistle rather than any crack in the flat. While Raj objects to the night watchman's blowing of whistle, others in the building favour it, as it is to scare the thieves away.

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The Secretary of the building Janardhan played by Rajat Kapoor insists on the whistling for the security of the building. Even this trifle turns a big problem for Raj. Not being able to sleep at night begins to take a serious toll on him. At work, he becomes edgy and at home, he is obsessed with loud noise. Raj is all the more annoyed as neither his wife Kartikadevi Rane nor his friend Vrajesh Hirjee sympathizes with him.

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The performance by the cast is fine. Jaideep Varma proves a fine storyteller. Both Sushant and Rajat play their roles very well. In the movie, Kartikadevi Rane's presence is charming and a refreshing change from the regular heroines. Mandeep Mazumdar plays the role well. Vrajesh Hirjee is natural. Darshan Jariwala looks most convincing. The actor enacting the role of the security guard is indeed very appreciable.

Overall, the movie being a low budget one might turn out profitable to the producer in spite of its weaknesses. It's likely to fare well at select multiplexes of select cities only, though.

October 17, 2008 Sun will rise for 1.5 days (36 hours)

2008-09-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

October 17, 2008 Sun will rise for 1.5 days (36 hours)

Wooh… what an exciting news!!! Today, when i was working at my desk, i received a mail from my colleague saying,

“Coming October 17, 2008 the sun will rise continuously for 36 hrs (1.5 days). During this time the American countries will be dark for 1.5 days.

It will convert 3 days into 2 big days. It will happen once in 2400 yrs.We’re very lucky to see this. Forward it to all friends.”

What da the hell are you talking about?? Is it possible?? How?? (this was my first reaction to the mail)

I did not believe the mail. I googled and shocked to find that everyone here is talking about this news. But, I noticed one thing everywhere the text of the topic is same. I suspected whether it is a true information or someone’s imagination.

Its difficult, still i believe that above mail is true but,If i conclude it scientifically then days and nights are due to the rotation of earth on its own axis. The speed at which earth is rotating is constant due to which our ancestors concluded 24 hours a day, 7days a week, 30days a month and 365days a year. The whole human life is dependent only on this standard calculation of earth’s speed of rotation and revolution.

Now, this can only happen if the earth stops rotating on its own axis at a point where asian countries are facing towards sun. Is it possible?? Can anyone give me one logical reason why earth will stop rotating?? Please dont say “CONSEQUENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING” as these days if rain falls more than it should be, summers become warmer then it must be, winters become colder then usually it does, people simply says “CONSEQUENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING”. sounds funny…

I guess no.. No one has any logic behind it.. so how can we guys believe that this will happen on october 17, 2008.

You know, if may be it will happen then this can lead to the end of human existance which i guess in the near future is not possible.

Above all the world’s leading aeronautics organisation NASA has no information regarding this big news. WOW NASA, you are so busy in keeping an eye on universe that you forgot whats happening on earth. hehehe….

Well guys, i feel that we should wait n watch what will happen on october 17, 2008. If the information will be true then we must honor the person who has spread this information by giving him/her a good position at NASA. If it is not then start searching for that person….. :P

Good bye!! see you guys on october 17, 2008

Review: The Last Lear

2008-09-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Review: The Last Lear


Powered by: Chakpak.com	The Last Lear

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Preity Zinta
Director: Rituparno Ghosh

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"I shall be good simply because I cannot be bad." This is Harry, an aging, eccentric, Shakespearean actor in Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear. The line works equally well for the actor playing Harry: Amitabh Bachchan.

Here he delivers soliloquies, breathes fire, hams and generally chews up the scenery but even when he's way over the top, Mr B commands attention. He holds your gaze, even as the rest of the film wilts away.

Working from Utpal Dutt's play Aajker Shahjahan, Ghosh creates a character study of a theatre actor who lives largely on vodka and memories of past glories. Harry had spent precisely 30 years and 9 months on stage but then he suddenly quit and never came back.

A movie director convinces Harry to act in film. Harry takes on the role of a circus clown but this adventure ends in tragedy.

Ghosh's affection for Harry is palpable. The film works best when Ghosh is setting up his character - a man who has tins hanging on a rope instead of a door-bell. Harry insists this should work just as well - all it needs, he says, is that visitors have a little imagination. Harry's relationship with the director Sid is also nicely established - there is a wonderful scene of Sid and Harry trying to catch passers-by as they pee on the walls of Harry's house.

However, these sparkling moments are bogged down by a ponderous pace and a meandering script.

Ghosh spends too much time setting up his film within a film framework. There is also a tedious sub-plot that involves an actress, nicely played by Priety Zinta, and her abusive lover.

Post-interval, the script becomes even more incoherent and the climax is totally unconvincing. We are never persuaded by the events that take place so it's hard to conjure up ache for the tragedy. Ghosh veers between underlining too much-there is annoying voice-over telling us what we already know-and not telling enough - we don't find out why Harry left the stage until the last reel.

As a filmmaker, he also sends out a decidedly mixed signal telling us that theatre is a much higher artistic calling than cinema.

The Last Lear is a poignant story that doesn't realise its potential. It's frustrating because the material and performances are rich. Go to the theatre prepared to be patient.

Review: Ru Ba Ru

2008-09-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

Review: Ru Ba Ru


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Ru ba ru

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami
Director: Arjun Chandramohan Bali

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

Ru Ba Ru is a copy of the Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer If Only. That film about live-in lovers whose relationship changes after a serious automobile accident, went straight to DVD in the US. Which makes me wonder, if you are going to rip-off a film, why not at least find one that worked in the first place.

But debutant director Arjun Chandramohan Bali reworks this limp love story, setting it in Bangkok where Nikhil and Tara, a busy ad executive and a budding singer-actress, fight, cuddle, annoy each other, kiss, argue, cry and then, thankfully, one of them gets bumped off in a car accident.

While their non-stop banter might sound like many marriages you know, watching them do it is as much fun as watching paint dry. It's pure and absolute tedium.

Death brings some traction into the plot but then we are forced to relive the same day again, this time, with the protagonists making the right choices. In case you still haven't got the message, Nikhil spells it out for you: Hum log future mein kushi doondte hain but life is now.

The actors Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami are under a lot of pressure because this film wholly rides upon their talent and charm. Unfortunately both buckle under.

She's an attractive presence and manages to hold your attention for some time at least. Randeep's impassive face worked well in D but here he comes off as strained and stiff.

Ru Ba Ru isn't much fun. Steer clear.

Review: 1920

2008-09-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

Review: 1920


Powered by: Chakpak.com	1920

Cast: Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Music: Music

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films

Director Vikram Bhatt has an uncanny knack for blending divinity and cheap-thrill horror. So in Raaz, he tacked on the legend of Satyavaan and Savitri to the serviceable Hollywood flick What Lies Beneath and created a blockbuster.

Viewers applauded loudly at the notion that the Bhartiya Nari can go to any lengths to save her husband, including warring with an evil spirit. In 1920, we have a role reversal on the same concept. Here the husband finds his faith and saves his wife from an evil spirit.

There is a lot in 1920 that is downright silly. To begin with, we have a mansion in Yorkshire posing as a haveli in Palanpur. So the geography varies from scene to scene - we switch from wet, misty green fields with Gypsy horses to mud houses with peasants in colorful Gujarati dress-without explanation or pause.

The backstory about why this haveli is inhabited by the ghost who stalks is laugh-out loud funny - unintentionally of course. I cannot reveal the twist but it involves a very unique personal sacrifice for the Indian independence movement. Then of course there's the usual foolishness of horror films - even when his wife is stuffing her face with the flesh of a cat, the husband believes the medical doctor's advice that its merely a personality disorder.

But if you're willing to seriously suspend disbelief, 1920 provides mildly diverting entertainment.

Unlike Phoonk, this one has some genuinely scary moments. I jumped when a phonograph and later a mosquito net came to life. Bhatt uses the tropes of horror - creaking doors, eerie background music, long, lonely corridors - effectively.

His leading lady, debutant Adah Sharma, is a vapid presence until she becomes possessed. Then she lets loose her inner Linda Blair from Exorcist and becomes pretty terrifying, climbing walls and killing people.

The hero, Rajneesh Duggal tries hard to match her histrionics but stays largely stiff. Even in moments of high melodrama, in which he rages against his fate without blinking once, he remains oddly wooden.

Actually, the real hero of this film is the house. It's vast, gloomy and superbly creepy. 1920 is, as we say in Mumbai, time-pass. See it if you're in the mood for both laughs and chills.

Review: Tahaan

2008-09-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

Review: Tahaan


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Tahaan

Cast: Purav Bhandare, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Sarika
Director: Santosh Sivan

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films, NDTV

There is a small but telling moment in Tahaan when a little boy, frantically searching for his donkey, interrupts a bunch of kids playing chor-police.

Since we are in Kashmir, half the boys are playing militants and the other half the army. At the end of the game, they all fall down. This brief scene beautifully captures the irony, horror and unending tragedy that is Kashmir.

Director-writer-cinematographer Santosh Sivan gives us a fable about a childhood fractured by loss and grief.

Tahaan’s father was picked up for questioning three years ago and never returned. His mother weeps, prays, searches and endures.

When the money runs out, she sells her son’s best friend, a donkey named Birbal.

Tahaan’s struggle to get Birbal back leads him to a dark, dangerous space. Eventually, he's standing in a street, bewildered and afraid, holding a grenade in his hand.

The children in Tahaan, Purav Bhandre and Dheirya Sonecha, are natural born actors and their innocence adds to the ache in this story.

The adults—Sarika, Anupam Kher, Victor Banerjee, Rahul Bose—are also very good but the performances cannot mask the meandering and sometimes naïve script.

The first half of Taahan is a plodding test of patience. Sivan creates the daily grind of rural Kashmir where guns, bodies and bullet shots are routine but the narrative lacks clarity.

You register the horrific events, which are made more poignant by the stunning locales, but they don’t pierce your heart. Thankfully the plot gains momentum and urgency in the second half.

Kashmir is an epic geopolitical tragedy but Tahaan doesn’t probe these complexities. Neither does it provide any easy answers. Instead Sivan paints a portrait of sorrows, big and small.

This bittersweet film is inconsistent but still, I recommend that you see it. Because Tahaan is an elegy for our paradise lost.

A Wednesday Review

2008-09-07T22:48:00.001-07:00

A Wednesday Review

Tuesday, September 2 2008


Powered by: Chakpak.com	A Wednesday !

BOLLYWOOD'S already proved itself in the brawn department, having won itself umpteen brawny points for its high testosterone action dramas. Now, it seems hell-bent on showing off brains too, with slick, thought-provoking movies pouring out of its IQ-enhanced factories. A Wednesday is an intelligent diatribe against terrorism, refreshingly packaged as a racy thriller, reminiscent of the Diehard series. In fact, the teen hacker who claims to be a college drop-out by choice and ends up helping the technologically challenged cops to nab the cyber-savvy bomber is a straight take-off from Diehard 4 .

Doesn't matter. Because, despite the repeated reference to terrorism which seems to have become the pet theme today, A Wednesday is one of the most original dramas on aaj ka burning issue. Naseeruddin Shah essays the role of a mysterious bomber, who suddenly gets sick of living his life in fear and decides to teach everyone a lesson. His target: Mumbai, with the jailed ‘jihadis' and the pulverised Mumbai cops who seem to be on bended knees when it comes to an effective counter-terror policy. He packs a flask of tea, a box of sandwiches, buys vegetables for his wife, tells her he'll be home soon and then gets down to business -- with precision and savoir faire -- on the roof of an unfinished building which oversees entire Mumbai. The police commissioner Anupam Kher is asked to release four terrorists or else Mumbai would go up in flames. The rest is sheer dynamite!

One might quibble with the fascist end of the film where the rule of law is given a go-by. But hey, can terrorism and the death of innocent people ever be justified. The climax is an absolute knock-out with an accolade-winning speech by Naseer who becomes a flag-bearer for all those nameless, ordinary people battling with this modern-day scourge, the world over. The highpoint of the film is the class act by the two stalwarts of the industry: Naseer and Anupam pitch in riveting performances as the shuffling, seemingly inconsequential, nameless bomber and the no-nonsense cop. Add to this some finely nuanced acts by Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir and you have a topical, gritty, high-adrenalin drama. Don't miss it.

A Wednesday is one of those rare variety films about which one can’t discuss much despite a strong desire for it could hamper your viewing experience as an unapprised audience. It’s a film one wants to rave liberally about but even then you can’t conveniently converse on the instances of acclaim since those are the moments of surreptitious surprise held in reserve by the director. It’s the kind of film that is discussed in detail once it acquires the cult status.

From the outset it initiates as a basic edge-of-the-seat action-thriller where an anonymous individual (Naseeruddin Shah) makes a call to the Commissioner of Police Rathod (Anupam Kher) and warns him of six bombs being planted in the city of Mumbai. He threatens of detonating them if his demand isn’t met, which is emancipation of four hardcore anti-national terrorists. The caller is extremely insightful in his operation and always a step ahead of the equipped and efficient police force. The film progresses as a one-upmanship race between the two, detailing the intricacies in the techniques of the trade.

A Wednesday isn’t in those conventional potboiler categories where a hero goes fighting single-handedly against the villains or munificent cinematic liberties are attempted to accomplish an assignment. The minute specification incorporated in the script adds conviction to the trade-off that sets the film a class apart.

Neeraj Pandey’s well-etched screenplay adopts concise character introductions (without pointlessly probing much into their past), convincing buildup, an amazing pre-climax (where the suspense unfolds), a compelling climax (aftermath) and a satisfying conclusion. As a director, his hold on the script is admirable. At duration of 100 minutes, the film is crisply and effectively edited and appreciatively devoid of reels of redundancy. Fuwad Khan’s calculative camera movements influences subconsciously.

Though you are unremittingly glued to the screen throughout its runtime, it’s the superlatively intelligent pre-climax that catches you unaware. It’s at this juncture that the social genre of the film surfaces, which was so far camouflaged behind a thriller format. The meticulously worded common man’s discourse, here, addresses every single question that might arise in the audience mind out of ambiguity, if any. Thoughtfully this common man is not given the stamp of any religion for his rebellious actions. A Wednesday reminds of the prohibited path that the common man had to opt for to revolt against the defunct system like in Rang De Basanti.

The film doesn’t fall prey of the usual setback of thrillers starting off impressively but losing momentum midways. It’s consistent all through and the imaginative culmination imparts the film that extra sheen. One might attempt to find minor errors in the execution with some extra emphasis but the emotional appeal of the screenplay overpowers all these insignificant inaccuracies.

The film is blessed with fine performances with Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher topping the list as competent opponents. Jimmy Sheirgill and Aamir Bashir as fellow officers are equally adept and gracefully natural. Deepal Shaw as a news TV reporter is quite capable and her voice is dubbed with a typical accent characteristic of the profession.

A Wednesday has an unforeseen treatment and an unassuming demeanour. Don’t get deceived by its unpretentious title. This one is strongly recommended!

Rock On!! (August 29, 2008) Review

2008-09-04T03:48:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Rock On

Is ROCK ON!! DIL CHAHTA HAI 2, one is tempted to ask. DIL CHAHTA HAI was a trendsetter when you look back, paving way for storytellers who wanted a new story to tell. Now, the DIL CHAHTA HAI team of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar with director Abhishek Kapoor deliver ROCK ON!!, a film that makes you understand the true meaning of friendship.

Put your hands together for one of the finest films of our times. Put your hands together for a director who pulls off a challenging subject with élan. Put your hands together for the actors who pitch in superlative performances.
ROCK ON!! is not just about music. It's about relationships. And relationships can get really complicated and messy as all of us would agree. ROCK ON!! captures it so beautifully, so sensitively, so effectively on celluloid.

Everything is in sync here, everything is just perfect. Flaws? Perhaps, the slow pacing. But come to think of it, you can't play with the edit in a film like this. ROCK ON!! also works because you can relate to the characters, you can relate to the moods, the egos, the highs and the lows...
In a nutshell, here's a film you just can't afford to miss. We've had our share of masala films week after week. Now have a look at a film that India can proudly showcase to the West. ROCK ON!! simply rocks!

ROCK ON!! is the story of four friends [Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny] who put together the greatest band this country has ever seen, Magic, but never make it. Years later, fate conspires to bring them together again and set them on a journey back to where they left off... a soul-searching pilgrimage into their past.

ROCK ON!! bears some resemblance to the Hollywood film THAT THING YOU DO [Tom Hanks], but it could be a mere coincidence. Director Abhishek Kapoor sets it in the Indian milieu efficiently. Watch the bonding shatter into pieces for no fault of anyone in particular actually. It's the circumstances that play the villain here and Abhishek captures it on lens so beautifully. The fragile relationships, how piece after piece is put together and the journey to the climax… the narrative is so compelling, it makes you feel you're witnessing all of it first-hand.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is perfect. It's completely in sync with the mood of the film. Connoisseurs of music have already showered the music with rave reviews and rightly so! Jason West's cinematography is fantastic. The screenplay and dialogues are commendable.

Every performance in the film deserves brownie points. Farhan Akhtar makes his debut as an actor and he displays rare maturity for a first-timer. Known as an accomplished director all along, Farhan will now be acknowledged as a mature actor as well. Arjun Rampal delivers his finest performance to date. Watch him emote those tough emotional moments and also as a failed person in the latter parts and you'd realize that he has only grown with the passage of time. Superb is the word!

Purab Kohli is tremendous and so is Luke Kenny. Purab has always delivered fine performances, but he's touched a new high this time. Luke is equally charged.

Prachi Desai scores in her very first feature. She has a challenging role and footage-wise too, it's substantial. Prachi brings in a lot of freshness and poise. Plus, she's a competent actor. Shahana Goswami is a talent to watch out for. Her performance is one of the most difficult ones for a newcomer and the confidence with which she carries it deserves to be lauded. Koel Purie has a brief role and she enacts it quite well.

On the whole, ROCK ON!! is an amazing experience. The highpoint is the emotional quotient, the skilful performances and the superb execution of the subject. At the box-office, this urban film holds tremendous appeal for metros and mini-metros. Business at multiplexes of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and NCR, Kolkata and South in particular should be excellent. Very strongly recommended!

C Kkompany Review

2008-09-02T05:59:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	C Kkompany

Munnabhai M.B.B.S. started a trend of sorts. Gangsters with a heart of gold acting as modern-day Robinhoods. Robbing the notorious rich and helping the oppressed poor.

Writer turned debutante director Sachin Yardi borrows a leaf from Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and presents a tale that not only talks of Robinhoods, but also makes a scathing attack at news reporting hitting an all-time low [anything for TRPs], makes digs at Ekta Kapoor and her serials, also looks at the underworld-builder-cops nexus.

The story of three losers attaining power overnight makes for interesting viewing. But the problem is, C Kkompany
lacks consistency.

The comedy is truly hilarious at places, but there're times when you sit motionless, not reacting to the on-screen antics. If the first hour is a joyous ride, the second hour is akin to driving on a road full of potholes. The climax is also a letdown [in the mela], although the end sequence -- C Kkompany is now a movement -- was the right way to conclude the film.

All said, C Kkompany had the germs of being a cool entertainer, but it ends up being a one-time average watch.

C Kkompany is about three individuals, all living in the 'C' Wing of a middle class housing society: Akshay [Tusshar] is a crime reporter, Mr. Joshi [Anupam Kher] is a retired accountant trying to deal with his ungrateful son and Lambodar [Rajpal Yadav] is at loggerheads with his wife over his job. These three friends share their respective plight with one another and find solace in each other's company.

On one occasion, they play a harmless prank to tackle their problems. One thing leads to another and before they realize, the incident becomes big news. But things don't stop there. They put their new founded fame to good use and this in turn triggers off a series of incidents, which propel them to such heights that the three become the talk of the nation.

That Sachin Yardi has a flair for comedy was more than evident when he penned the thoroughly entertaining Kyaa Kool Hai Hum. C Kkompany also boasts of humour-laden sequences that keep you in splits at several points.

But keeping the humour alive from start to end is not everyone's cup of tea. Yardi's humour works till the beginning of the second hour, but things stagnate thereafter. Things get repetitive. There's not much movement in the story and the comic scenes also range from enjoyable to avoidable.

Music is quite okay, but the songs -- barring the Sanjay Dutt track at the outset -- show up without valid situations. The Tusshar-Celina track, although well shot, comes up from nowhere. Cinematography is alright.

C Kkompany gets its glory because of its three protagonists. Tusshar is only climbing the ladder with every film. He's excellent. Anupam Kher proves yet again that he's amongst the best in the business. Rajpla Yadav is efficient too.

Mithun Chakraborty is in command after a long time. The veteran is superb. Vinay Apte and Dilip Prabhavalkar do complete justice to their respective roles. Raima Sen is pleasant. Karan Johar, Mahesh Bhatt and Ekta Kapoor's appearances give the film that extra sheen.

On the whole, C Kkompany is funny in parts, not in totality. An ordinary fare!

Mukhbir Movie Review

2008-08-26T00:43:00.000-07:00

Genre: Action, Drama

Director: Mani Shankar

Producer: Sudhish Rambhotla

Banner: Color Chips Entertainment & Media Limited

Music Director: Karthik Raja, Illayaraja

Lyricist: P.K. Mishra

Cast: Sammir Dattani, Rahul Dev, Raima Sen, Alok Nath, Suniel Shetty, Om Puri, Sushant Singh, Raj Zutshi, Kelly Dorji

Guest Appearance: Jackie Shroff

Release Date: 1^st August 2008


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Mukhbiir

The love between bollywood and underworld does not seem to be coming to an end, at least in the near future. The latest director to focus on underworld is Mani Shankar, whose movie ‘Mukhbir’ is slated to be released on 1^st August 2008. It has been produced by Sudhish Rambhotla and will be released under the banner of ‘Color Chips Entertainment & Media Limited’. Karthik Raja and Illayaraja have provided music for the movie, while P.K. Mishra is its lyricist.

The star cast of ‘Mukhbir’ has Sammir Dattani, Rahul Dev, Raima Sen, Alok Nath, Suniel Shetty, Om Puri, Sushant Singh, Raj Zutshi and Kelly Dorji. Jackie Shroff will be playing a guest appearance in the movie. The story of ‘Mukhbir’ revolves around the dark world of gangsters and their gangs. It promises to offer you another look into the stark realities of the underworld and show you how almost every decision in the society is influenced by it.

Sammir Dattani is a young guy who ends up being an informer (mukhbir) for the police. However, soon, he gets entangled in a web that is full of deceit, lies, violence and almost total disregard for the human life. Will Sammir be able to get out of this web unscathed or will he turn up as one of the unclaimed bodies in a government hospital. Mukhbir does seem to have potential. Whether it translates into box-office success or not still has to be seen.

Chamku Moview Review

2008-08-26T00:40:00.000-07:00

Chamku Music Review


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Chamku

By glamsham

Wednesday Aug 13 12:31 PM

By Satyajit, Bollywood Trade News Network

Classy mellifluous feel of songs like "Jab Se Tere Naina" and "Saawariya" (SAAWARIYA) brought the name of Monty Sharma to the marquee, a phenomenal prodigy consistently working in various departments of Bollywood music industry for decades. Monty's immaculate talent has a wide spectrum of presence in Bollywood that ranges from a skilled keyboard player, reliable musical arranger, most successful background scorer and finally to the mantle of music director in Hindi films with the big success of SAAWARIYA. Now, CHAMKU, his second offering comes out as a realistic action packed thriller about Naxalites and outlaws, directed by Kabeer Kaushik (critically acclaimed SEHAR), with an intrinsic feel of ethnic and folksy music in every soundtrack. Despite its peculiar sounding title (CHAMKU) and low expectations, the album promises some quality music in its audio packaging. Can CHAMKU be another SAAWARIYA for Monty Sharma? Let's check this out!

Shreya Ghoshal's outstandingly melodious and sprightly ushered lively vocals in different shades and tones come as fresh whiff of air to brighten up senses and creating an ambience for a delightful love communion in lovable sounding "Aaja Milke". Monty's well synchronized westernized arrangements deliver an ethnical "hilly" feel in its serene sounds. Shreya's mellifluous vocals rule the show comprehensibly and do feel her sensuous "alaap" in the prelude followed by modulating overtones in following "antaras" that exhibits her immaculate command over delivering various emotions, shades and moods in one song. Shail's decently delivered rendition works in tandem, making this a 'delightful-to-ear' song. Sameer's appropriate wordings gel suitably with the tranquil love feel of the track but the song completely belongs to the singing prowess of Shreya Ghoshal. "Aaja Milke" adds up as another credible offering from the lead female singer who has been ruling the charts for years and this adds up as another proud addition to her praiseworthy hit collections.

Folk music makes their strong dominance as the first among this genre arrives in the form of painfully sounding "birah" (separation) song "Kithe Jawan" in the voice of Richa

Sharma. It's a fusion based folk song where inspiring westernized arrangement along with traditional instrumental flows collage together to deliver an upbeat background score appeal. The soreness of emotions and varying pitch in Richa's voice is the highlight of the song. Monty's strong inputs in arrangements and Richa's impressive voice should be making this an imposing background score for the film.

"Bin Daseyaa", another intrinsically folksy attribute comes as "remix" version of "Kithe Jawan" where relaxed "lounge" beat fillers are infused in it to give it poignant shades to this melancholic track. The recurring beat patterns and lounge impact works in tandem with Richa's voice. Both these folk songs are likely to have more takers amongst folk song lovers and are expected to be making a strong melodramatic feel on the big screen.

The festivity embroiled in rustic folklore comes striking all the way with traditional vows of "Holi" celebration in boisterously sounding "Gola Gola". Amitrajit Bhattacharjee along with Vaishali Samant makes their vivaciously striking vocal presence through their free-flowing rendition where chirpy wording sets the tempo for the song. Monty's music is big inspiration from tracks like "Dholi Taro" (HUM DIL DE CHUKE HAI SANAM) but overall the feel is satisfying and joyous in delivering out the celebratory exuberance.

Monty Sharma makes the first trendy move in delivering out a "party album" stylized song where racy electronic sounds, Arabic musical flows impounded with loud energized disco beat fillers and folksy rhythms collage affably to deliver "party" feel in song titled "Trance".

Sameer's wishy-washy wordings are hardly audible in the voices of Saleem Shahzaad, Soumya Raoh and pop diva Anaida but the outrageously pulsating disco beat sound flows are there to steams up the floors. It's a marketable effort to draw interest from urbane listeners and is likely to having more takers from frenzied party animals.

In terms of sounds arrangements, "Dukh Ke Badri", a melancholically expressive number comes as the most impressive song where optimism in life is glorified in meaningful lyrical works. It's a brilliant combination of voices as well as sounds as voices of talented Kalpana, Parthiv Gohil and Shail gels together in a backdrop of rigorous drumming arrangements. In terms of melodramatic impacts, the song reminds of A.R Rehman's beautiful composition "O Palanhare" (LAAGAN) but the feel is notably situational and not momentous. Upcoming talent Kalpna impresses immensely with her heartrending rendition that comes out with emotional sounding Sameer's wordings. This remarkable sounding situational song shows congenial amalgamation of soulful chorals, imposing arrangements and pleasant sounding vocals.

Monty Sharma's CHAMKU comes out as decent sounding album where the soundtracks reflect the rustic backdrop of events and characters. Shreya Ghoshal's rendered "Aaja Milke" is the finest of the lot and by far the most bankable number of the album. Soundtracks like "Dukh Ke Badri", "Kithe Jawan" and "Gola Gola" maintains the tempo and feel of the flick with quality melodic works. CHAMKU may not be another SAAWARIYA but surely is a reasonable sounding album for folk song lovers. It may not be having big takers from multiplexes audiences but will be finding its major acceptance in UP-Bihar circuits.

Rating - 2.5/5

Money Hai To Honey Hai - Movie Review

2008-08-26T00:31:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Money Hai to Honey Hai

Editor Rating 1/5

David Dhawan and Priyadarshan triggered off a trend -- of making brainless comedies -- and thus began a wave of leave-your-brains-at-home laughathons. Inspired by the success of these ha-ha-he-he fares, every second film-maker decided to join the bandwagon for that elusive Hit. But, of late, no-brainer comedies have reached a saturation point.

Ganesh Acharya's MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI actually tests the patience of the viewer. Fine, you don't expect a riveting storyline from a film of this genre, but you definitely expect laughs, don't you? You expect to be entertained, don't you? Alas, what you get to see is definitely not good, not even bad, it's verrry boring!

In his debut film SWAMI, Ganesh Acharya proved that he knows his job well, but what is this? How did the makers okay the script [writer: Muazzam Beg] in the first place? What did the actors see in this script? Did they want to be a part of a mini-multistarrer for the heck of it?

MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI is like flying in an aircraft without a pilot. You don't know where it's headed!

MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI deals with six characters: Bobby [Govinda] is a happy go lucky guy, who runs away from home to prove himself. Lalabhai [Manoj Bajpayee] becomes wealthy, but he's back on the road as his business fails and he loses all his money. Gaurav [Aftab Shivdasani], a copywriter, is fired from his job. Manik [Upen Patel] is a struggling model who sleeps with a middle-aged fashion designer [Archana Puransingh], hoping to make it big. Ashima [Hansika] is a successful TV star, but she's not happy with her career and is desperate to do films as the lead heroine. Shruti [Celina Jaitley] is a struggling dress designer.

One fine day, they all get an SMS informing them that they are the owners of a 1,000 crore company. However, their happiness does not last long for the lawyer reveals that there's a loan of 1,200 crore on the company and they must repay it and until the loan is repaid, they would be kept under house arrest.

The story sounds interesting on paper, but on celluloid, it's non-existent. Prem Chopra picks up random cellphone numbers and makes them calls. He wants them to inherit his fortune. But the entire first hour is devoted to why they became losers. It's only at the interval point that you expect the story to begin. But does it take off? Nope!

Instead of sticking to the core issue, it meanders into meaningless sub-plots, which only add to the boredom. The finale at the fashion show [well choreographed by Achala Sachdev] is interesting, but by then you're exhausted and want the movie to end.

The writer of this film is the biggest culprit. The writing touches a new low with this film. Ganesh Acharya tries to pack in funny sequences, but just two bring a smile -- the Archana Puransingh-Upen Patel track and Govinda's encounter with a Vijay Mallya lookalike, who is surrounded by a bevy of beauties.

The songs [music: Nitin Arora, Soni Chandi] too show up without any valid reason whatsoever, although a few songsare tuneful and well choreographed.

Now to the performances! Govinda looks too old for his part. The role demanded a 20 + actor and Govinda looks completely out of place here. The age shows! Imagine, he calls Jawed Sheikh his father and Ketaki Dave his mother!!!! Besides, why is behaving so kool by speaking in English? It looks fake!

You feel sad to watch an actor of the calibre of Manoj Bajpayee being reduced to absolute nothing. Is he the same actor who acted in SATYA? And ZUBEIDAA, PINJAR and 1971? Aftab Shivdasani looks right for the part, but he hardly gets any scenes. Upen Patel does a good job and his scenes are truly funny.

Hansika goes over the top. Celina Jaitley gets no scope either. Archana Puransingh, besides Upen, provides a few laughs. She's excellent. Prem Chopra is wasted. Ravi Kishan too doesn't impress.

On the whole, MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI is a poor show. At the box-office, a damp squib!

Cotract Movie Details

2008-08-26T00:29:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Contract

While on a hiking trip to reconnect with his son after the death of his wife, Ray Keene stumbles into a nightmare scenario of paid assassins and ex-military guns-for-hire. Frank Cardin is attempting to fulfill a contract to assassinate a high profile businessman when things go awry and he ends up in the custody of the U.S. Marshalls.

After an ill-fated attempt by his compatriots to free him Frank finds himself in the custody of ex-lawman Ray and his son. As they try to make their way back to civilization they are relentlessly pursued by Frank's friends who are intent on freeing their leader in order to collect on the contract. But one may be more foe than friend.


Production Status:	Released

Genres:	Drama and Thriller

Running Time:	1 hr. 36 min.

MPAA Rating:	R

Production Co.:	Revelations Entertainment, Emmett/Furla Films

Financiers:	VIP Medienfonds Film & Entertainment (VIP Media Funds)

Filming Locations:	Bulgaria

Produced in:	United States

Casr review and preview of hindi film Saas Bahu Aur Sensex

2008-08-26T00:26:00.001-07:00

Picture or Photo of Saas Bahu Aur Sensex 2008 bollywood movie

Banner : P.L.A Entertainment Pvt Ltd

Status : Under Production

Release Date : September 12, 2008

Language : Hindi

Producer : Jayshri Makhija

Director : Shona Urvashi

Starring : Tanushree Datta, Ankur Khanna, Kirron Kher, Farooq Sheikh and Masumeh

Lyricist: Raqueeb Alam and Blaze

Music Director : Bipin and Blaze

Hulla Moview Review

2008-08-26T00:21:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Hulla

Playing in Totem Lake Cinema - Hindi and other Desi Movies Pictures and Handmade Films HULLA is directed by Writer-Director Jaideep Varma. The film stars Sushant Singh, Rajat Kapoor, Kartikadevi Rane, Vrajesh Hirjee, Chandrachood Karnik, Mandeep Mazumdar, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Darshan Jariwala, Sushil Parashar, Dinesh Thakkerr, Balaji Deshpande, Nasser Abdullah, Datta Sonawane primarily. This Drama/comedy genre is scheduled to release on 12th Sept 2008.

Raj an aggressive sub-broker in a prosperous broking firm and Abha a marketing professional are a couple in their early-thirties. They move into a new 2-bedroom flat in a Mumbai suburb expecting peace and quiet. Life is sweet as their promising careers now seem to be nicely complemented by domestic stability.

Cracks start appearing in their ideal existence when Raj who is light sleeper is disturbed by noises at nights. They wake him several times in the nights (Abha is undisturbed though). Finally one night, Raj goes down to investigate and discovers that it is the night watchman blowing the whistle periodically in the night to scare thieves away. Raj scolds the watchman and forbids him from making any further noise but the secretary Janardan insists on the whistling continuing in lieu of the building security. Raj tries to garner support from fellow-residents but to no avail.
An issue that starts out lightly and amusingly trivial begins to escalate to take the shape of a serious problem for Raj. He begins to slowly go to pieces. Not being able to sleep at night begins to take a serious toll on him, both professionally and personally. At work, he becomes edgy and his usual smart sense of judgment suffers. At home, he becomes obsessed with any loud noises in the environment. His disgust at being unable to solve a seemingly simple problem such as this begins to drive him crazy. Moreover, to his great irritation, no-one really sympathizes with his problem - not Abha, not Dev - his friend at work, not any of the neighbours. It annoys Raj immensely, because he genuinely believes that this nightly noise-making is an illogical, uncivilized act (there is also a hint that it is Raj's conscience that's not allowing him to sleep, rather than the whistling, but it is deliberately left ambiguous).

HULLA is story of a simple annoyance affecting a person's life and bringing about dramatic unexpected change that brings the real character and emotions of the Raj and the people surrounding him, to the fore.

Hijack Moview review

2008-08-26T00:16:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Hijack

Hijack is an action thriller with an emotional twist. The protagonist of the film is Vikram Madan (Shiney Ahuja) who is an ex pilot in a commercial airlines and now works as a maintenance engineer in a ground job at the Chandigarh airport. The film marks the hero's journey of his life bringing him face to face with his demons from the past, where the hero is faced with a hijack situation with his daughter being stuck in the middle of it. Having lost his wife earlier in a similar situation, it is up to Vikram now to get over his past and save the day. The terrorists of the aircraft demand that their mastermind Rasheed (KK Raina) be released in exchange of the innocent lives of the passengers. It is now in the hands of Vikram and Saira (Esha Deol) an airhostess on the hijacked flight to join forces and somehow save the lives of the innocent passengers.

Good Luck! Movie review

2008-08-26T00:10:00.001-07:00

movie review Good Luck!

Critic Rating :


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Good Luck

By movietalkies

Tuesday Aug 12 6:16 PM

Director Aaditya Dutt too joins the bandwagon and churns out a comedy called Good Luck. The film's plot is supposedly based on a Hollywood flick called 'Just My Good Luck'. But without comparing the two movies, Dutt's film has too many jarring faults for it to have any kind of appeal. The premise of the film is interesting enough to make a good slapstick comedy if it had been developed more interestingly. That is the main fault which plagues the film. Its writers have been unable to develop it adequately and hence the comedy quotient is lost, thereby also the audience's interest as the movie sags once the plot is laid out. The second fault lies with the film's lead pair of Sayali Bhagat and Aryeman. The actors are unable to rise above the mediocre script and render lively performances. In fact, in the acting department, it is actor Ranvir Shorey and Lucky Ali, to an extend, who shine in the movie.

The film's story is roughly about our protagonist Vicky (Aryeman), who is suffering from a spate of bad luck. Sayali Bhagat, on the other hand, is blessed with the power to bestow Dame Fortune on whosoever she favors with a kiss. But the catch is that once she kisses someone, she loses her luck to that person. Vicky is a struggling rockstar while Saba (Sayali) is a PR executive. The two meet at a party and end up kissing each other. Saba's luck flies out of the window while Vicky is suddenly inundated with good fortune. He manages to bag a contract with a music company, which is run by Lucky Ali's character. Saba is told by a tarot card reader how to get her good luck back. She pretends to be in love with him and kisses him to get her good luck back. But the news about her and her potent kiss is soon out and she is inundated by people, all of who are desperate for a good luck kiss.

The film seems stretched unnecessarily and the climax is reached after quite a tortuous journey. The first half of the film, where the plot is laid out and the characters are introduced is crisp and moves well. But thereafter, the film drops. It loses its tightness and it seems to meander uselessly. Unfortunately, despite being good actors, the tracks featuring Archana Puran Singh, as the tarot card reader and Shorey as a gigolo are not very hilarious and have not been married into the plot seamlessly. The actors are good and hence are able to raise a laugh or two but no credit to the director or writer for that.

The film's music by Anu Malik, who seems to be everywhere these days, is competent. The songs go with the film, but independently may not stand the test of popularity. The film's production values are just about ok. The cinematography by KN Sebastian is mediocre and adds nothing to the film.

Dutt's film fails to grab one's attention. Just a kiss is not enough to hold an audience for the duration of an entire film. Unfortunately, despite being titled Good Luck, the film does augur to well for the director or its cast.

Movie Preview: Kidnap

2008-08-25T00:38:00.000-07:00

Movie Preview: Kidnap


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Kidnap

Sonia (Minisha Lamba) lives with her mother, Mallika (Vidya Malvade) and grandmother because her parents got divorced when she was only ten years old. A week before her eighteenth birthday celebration, she gets kidnapped.

The abductor, Kabir (Imran Khan) is interested in speaking only to her father, Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt), a New York based affluent Indian businessman, with whom he has an old score to settle.

Vikrant returns to India to retrieve his daughter from Kabir's clutches but has to carry out a series of daunting tasks set out by Kabir as a condition to rescue her. At the end of each task is a clue that helps Vikrant in coming closer to Sonia.

Is his mission as easy as it seems? How far will a father go to save his daughter? What redemption is there for Kabir at the end?

Mumbai Meri Jaan Review

2008-08-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Meri Jaan
21 Aug, 2008 10:55 am IST


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Mumbai Meri Jaan

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Irrfan Khan, Kay Kay Menon, R Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Vijay Maurya
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Rating:
“When you feel like crying, just urinate”, says a senior constable to his subordinate in the film adding, “That way you drain the excess water from your body”. This line acts as a metaphor to the pissed-off attitude of an average troubled citizen, about which he chooses to do nothing. That gives the gist of Mumbai Meri Jaan , a film that touches the lives of an assorted array of cosmopolitan citizens, in a way never witnessed before.

Even through its realistic proceedings, the film invokes spontaneous humour through everyday escapades and doesn’t have to go for farcical subplots. The way in which the nonentity Irrfan Khan is glamourized in the second half is imaginatively hilarious. Also, though Paresh Rawal doesn’t thankfully repeat his regular comic act, he hides his character’s inabilities through shades of humour.

While the film embraces an underlying social theme, it at no point tends to get preachy and also steers away from taking sides or getting judgmental. It’s the director’s slice-of-life approach that makes you receive the film with an unconditional open mind. Each scene has its own relevance to the script and even if there’s a feeling that the second half needs some trimming, one would realize that none of the scenes are redundant.

The deftly executed train blast sequence employs superior SFX and could give you a shock of the life. Yogesh Joshi pens genuinely witty and thoughtful lines. But it’s Nishikant Kamat who scores with his consummate hold on the subject and accomplished direction. Those conversant with his Marathi film Dombivali Fast would be aware of his distinct depiction of the frustrated Mumbai resident. His finesse comes handy in Mumbai Meri Jaan that borders around a varied blend of disturbed Mumbaikars. Also what needs a special mention is his laudable take on the emotional exploitation by the members of fourth estate (in the Soha Ali Khan subplot) to gain TRPs through scripted reality.

Mumbai Meri Jaan is embellished with superlative performances. Paresh Rawal comes up with one of his most poignant performances in recent times, a pleasant change from his customary comic act. His climax speech that covers the plot-points of all the protagonists brings a lump in throat. Despite playing a character with similar motivations in Shaurya , Kay Kay Menon brings variety to his act. Soha Ali Khan is outstanding in the scene where she breaks down in the hospital. Irrfan Khan doesn’t speak a single Hindi word in the film but yet conveys immensely through his expressions. His character oozes innocence in the climax sequence where he seeks pardon in his own charming way. Vijay Maurya is exceptionally good as the idealistic junior constable. Madhavan is at his natural best.

In another scene from the film, the senior constable (Rawal) says to his junior, “ Mumbai mein sirf picture dekhne ka, acting nahi karne ka ” (Just be a spectator, don’t attempt acting). It’s this evasive sense of responsibility that the film highlights our attention to. At least as an audience, be responsible enough to respect such cinematic attempts.

Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam Review

2008-08-24T23:39:00.000-07:00

Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam
22 Aug, 2008 10:14 am IST


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Maan Gaye Mughal-E-Azam

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Mallika Sherawat, Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon
Director: Sanjay Chhel
Rating:

Dialogue comedies could be effective entertains. But the setback with this one is that while writer-director Sanjay Chhel takes extra efforts in adding a punch to every single line in the film, he doesn’t show the same zeal in sketching stable scenes.

The movie starts with a preventable prologue about the 93 riots in India and pointlessly places the film’s story in the bygone era. Shabnam (Malllika Sherawat) is the lead actress of a drama company in Goa who plays Madhubala’s part in staged Mughal-e-Azam shows and aspires to fill the vacuum in Bollywood post the retirement of Jaya Bachchan??? Her husband Mazumdar (Paresh Rawal) is old enough to play her father-in-law Akbar in the drama. Arjun (Rahul Bose), a daily spectator of their show, is mesmerized by this Madhubala. The director wishes to waste no time in establishing their love story and what better way in Bollywood than opting for an incompatible item song.

Soon it turns out that Arjun is an undercover cop on a mission, though he seems to indulge in duty only by fluke. Enter Haldi Hassan (Kay Kay Menon) an ISI agent in the garb of a ghazal singer ala Naseeruddin Shah from Sarfarosh . Arjun seeks the drama company’s help to uncover the terrorist’s plans. Shabnam seduces the singer while Mazumdar poses as an underworld don. What follows is only confusion and chaos till the climax.

Additional efforts have been employed to match the rhymes in lines but comparatively such continuity is not reflected in the screenplay. At several instances the humour falls flat. Like Kay Kay’s introduction scene is supposedly a spoof on ghazal singer but he actually ends up singing an entire Pankaj Udhas soft number. One of the dialogues from the film very rightly says that the dialogue delivery of the dramatists is as loud as if they were delivering a child.

Throughout the film Paresh Rawal keeps claiming that he is a subtle stage actor but in contrast his performance is simply loud. Nevertheless he is the only saving grace of this film. Kay Kay Menon seems to be completely miscast. Mallika’s midriff and cleavage shows don’t amuse any more. The immensely talented Pavan Malhotra is wasted in a ham-personified act. Rahul Bose isn’t much impressive either. Tanaaz Currim can’t pull of a Punjabi accent and shouldn’t try too hard.

Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam could have been better if it had a more fine-tuned story, less muddled screenplay, fewer song distractions, restrained performances, crisper editing, competent direction... In other words they would need to rework the entire film to make it acceptable. Rather switch to the next screen.

On an ending note, the film shows how the drama company averts the 93 bomb blasts through their teamwork. But historic facts have a different story to tell. Unfortunately, Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam misfires in its attempt.

Phoonk Review

2008-08-24T22:41:00.000-07:00


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Phoonk

Readers rating :

Phoonk resorts to the standard horror film template that Ram Gopal Varma had adopted in his earlier films like Bhoot and Raat . A human is possessed by spirit. The lead protagonist doesn’t believe in supernatural. He checks up with a psychiatrist who follows a scientific approach and passes off the haunted hangovers as some dissociative personality disorder. But the elderly deem it as eerie. After much debate over science and superstition, an exorcist is summoned who liberates the possessed from the evil forces.

Phoonk follows an exactly identical outline and ends up being a regurgitated version of Bhoot (set in a Vaastu Shastra verandah) with minor modifications. Ram Gopal Varma perhaps attempts to give a new discourse to the narrative by having a child possessed here. Little does he realize that this juvenile dimension has already been exploited several times since The Omen (1976) to Aruna Raje’s Gehrayee (1980) where a teenaged Padmini Kolhapuri was possessed. The disbelieving protagonist is her father. Meanwhile a ‘black magic’ label is given to the story to renew the motivation of the horror. But the film, by no means, analyzes the intricacies or aftermath of the black magic practice in India. Rather the resolution of the sorcery is dramatically fabricated to formulate a filmi climax.

Phoonk routes for the conventional gimmicks to induce fear by opting for creepy background score, hovering camera movements and shocking sound effects. But these trifling technicalities do no account for an honorable horrifying feel, because the outcome of the sound effects is merely a natural reflex action to stimulus and not fervent fear. Beyond these technical mechanics, the legend in itself doesn’t have the potency to evoke much horror.

Another setback of the storytelling is that it’s absolutely predictable. Over that RGV employs his customary thrill tricks like horror in mirror, nightmares, hands from back, faces in front, et al. While retaining his regular erratic camera angles, this time Ramu shows an eccentric fascination of focusing on irrelevant props. Many scenes are tediously protracted and some trimming could help. And when you expect the least, a sad number pops up in the second half.

Ramu also can’t let go off his inclination to have characterizations derived from his past attempts. The domestic maid with a constant popping-eye b’owl’ed over look is reinterpretation of Seema Biswas in Bhoot and the exorcist is a version of Om Puri from Raat . The child actor’s (Ahsaas Channa) possessed act and voice variations is replica of what Urmila Matondkar did in Bhoot . The white-haired granny is a derivative of the Darna Zaroori Hai mascot but for hell’s sake what was that Ram-say like scene of the ghost’s hands stretching out of her body doing in a Ram Gopal Varma film? There are some redundant repetitive shots in the first half while some others have no relevance to the story but are added just to incite fear from anticipation.

Once again Ram Gopal Varma repeats a genre but shows no variation in its treatment. It’s his handling of the subject, more than the horror, which scares us. The audience is soon losing faith in his directorial prowess. Only if he would have kept his word of paying Rs 5 lakhs to a lone spectator in a cinema-hall, I would have gained some easy money and walked out of the hall happier.

PHOONK Review

2008-08-22T02:32:00.000-07:00

PHOONK casts a spell on you!

Story

Rajeev, a successful Construction Engineer with loving wife, and two children aged 10 and 8, is an atheist to the core. He scoffs at God and even more at people who believed in the dark forces till one day when an evil was let loose in his happy home threatning to destroy his family and shake up ...the very foundations of his convictions and belief systems.

Movie Details

Genre: Horror

Language: Hindi

Release Status and date: Released on Aug 22, 2008

Concept

Every once in a while we either hear or experience things which cannot have a rational explanation. The truth of the matter is that we have very little knowledge and understanding of life and its various mysteries.

The story of “Phoonk” demands an answer from you to the question that no matter how much of a non-believer you are, can you truly stand by your convictions especially when you or your loved ones are seemingly being threatened by demonic forces whose very existence your rational mind refuses to accept?

REVIEW:

A word of caution before you watch this film: PHOONK is not for the intellectuals or those pretending to be one. It's not for the hard-nosed critics either. (yes this is Taran’s Adarsh’s line n I love to repeat it here as well)

Now read on…

Ramu gives us the feeling it’s a horror genre story not only when the Titles creep up with a PHOONK but more with its spine chilling background score and intruding camera placements give the impression of what the Director wants to create on his viewers mind, and certainly this time round Ramu and his new DOP have played with the camera angles than restrict actors into tight close-up shots.

The film begins as a simple story of Rajiv (Sudeep – an established actor from down South) who is in the construction business in Mumbai. A profit minded business man and a core atheist, showcases through an incident when his construction work is stalled upon finding a stone shaped Ganesha and he refuses to oblige to build a temple over it at request of his own workers.

On a contrary his wife, Arati (Amruta Khanvilkar) is a traditional house wife and is a staunch believer of God and his unseen holy powers; their loving daughter Raksha (Ehsaas) & younger son Rohan and his mother Amma make up to be a small happy family. The characters are established well in the films first opening reels itself and give a glimpse of how Rajiv perceives his family above anything else in life, with much love and affection towards his daughter Raksha. He does not believe in the way his mother wants to educate his kids by telling stories of mythological characters and presence of evil to make one believe in God and his mythical powers.

As the film moves forward we are further introduced to Vinay Dev (Ganesh Yadav), Rajiv’s lawyer-cum-legal advisor and a close friend; followed by a husband-wife duo of Anshuman (Kenny Desai) and Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar) who are Rajiv’s close and trusted associates at his company. Need to mention that Madhu is quite a horror to watch her laugh at before the film begins to scare one!

Soon enough Rajiv bags a huge contract to construct a mini-city project and throws a grand party at his house to celebrate the big achievement.

Few days later, his maid notices a few nail-pierced lemons and sprinkled vermillion with bones stewed in his compound. Since everyone is scared of the sudden appearance of such unholy substances, Rajiv himself takes up the task to hurl the ingredients (believed to be items used for black magic) outside his compound and reprimands everyone for believing in such illogical and irrational things as black magic etc.

But this is only the beginning to a tale of events that take a strange turn- starting with death of a guy who was to join Rajiv as Anshuman’s replacement at work in a construction site mishap; his daughter Raksha has intermittent bouts of change in behaviour while appears for her examination at school. A panic call for Rajiv makes him rush to doctors for his daughter’s condition. However Dr. Pandey (KK Raina) brushes off the claims of any danger only as Raksha’s excuse to coverup for not being prepared for her exams and nothing else.

But Amma here believes her grand-daughter is possessed by an evil spirit and has no medical or psychotic complication and looks for divine help.

The film keeps you nailed onto your seat with instances of thrills how members of the family face experience of something unusual happenings along with them, and how insecure they feel about in their own house.

As the story reaches a culmination point, the sequences which happen turns Rajiv into a believer of the supernatural while Arati turns her back on God and believes Science alone cured her daughter.

Over all the film ends with the audience thinking and wanting to know more of what follows through.

However, performance-wise Raksha (Ehsaas) shines out as an effective young actor in her part of being a kid possessed with evil forces with an enthralling debut into Hindi films by Sudeep. Amruta comes out well as a worrying mother and rest of the cast commends to the film.

A one time watch for everybody who feels they are brave enough to watch a horror genre film and those who don’t as well because the horror element is not enough to give one a sleepless night. One needs to see through the message that the film portrays in its end and the process how things are through the so-called Primitive happenings still exist in today’s modern world.

Technically the film is excellent for the first time DOP Savita Singh, who is at the helm of giving the visual scares and has played with the camera angles throughout the film, barring the few visual effects given at the end of the film make the ending dramatic.

An absolute multiplex film and would do well in interiors as well considering the subject of Black Magic and coming from a well established director.

A film with a message to all is the surprise element than being dubbed as the scariest film of our times either Exorcist or our desi- Bhoot.

Watch it out without any prejudice and enjoy the scare. And since it’s the only film of the horror genre for this year it’s the much needed spice apart from the Comedies and Masala films released this year long.

Movie Preview: Drona

2008-08-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

Movie Preview: Drona


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Drona

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From the times, when time itself was a newborn baby, the universe has kept one secret carefully camouflaged within its folds. A secret, which if unraveled, could unlock the destruction of mankind and the entire cosmos.

Today, only one man can protect the universe's precious secret and thus, save the human race from absolute annihilation. He is Drona.

Rooted in the vibrant tapestry of Indian mythology, Drona is the compelling modern tale of one man's spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies. It is a journey that will force him to face his fears and make him the hero he was born to become.

As good and evil clash in this contemporary fantasy fable, a breathtaking journey beckons you into a world of mythic heroes and malicious magicians, of cunning curses and absolute innocence. A world, where spells can turn live-flesh into cold stone. A world, whose whispers lay closely guarded in a land of mirages. A world thriving with thrills, a world of mystical magic, a world where adrenalin bursts out into a riot of colours. A world of audacious adventures and of fantastic folklores.

The world of Drona!

Drona is a slick, twenty first century tale that travels across continents but is profoundly and proudly Indian.

Movie Review: Mumbai Meri Jaan

2008-08-22T01:13:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: Mumbai Meri Jaan

The serial bombing of suburban trains in Mumbai in 2006 is a nightmarish incident the nation would never forget. And Mumbaikars still get gooseflesh recalling the ghastly incident. MUMBAI MERI JAAN recreates the incident on celluloid, but is not about terrorism per se. It talks about the aftermath of this tragedy and how the lives of five people, not remotely connected or associated with one another, gets affected in the process.

MUMBAI MERI JAAN is more of an emotional journey. Five varied stories unveil in those 2 hours [a concept that's fast catching up with Bollywood] and each makes a statement.

Nishikant Kamat's first Hindi venture is one of those films that don't deviate from the core issue. It may not be foolproof in terms of writing, but the execution is so compelling that one overlooks those minor blemishes in the narrative.

MUMBAI MERI JAAN is more of a tribute to the never-dying spirit of this dynamic city called Mumbai. A film that every citizen should watch!

On July 11, 2006, the local train service, known as Mumbai's lifeline, was struck by a series of bomb blasts. MUMBAI MERI JAAN explores the impact of this devastating incident on the lives of people of Mumbai.

From a brilliant broadcast journalist to a patriotic corporate man; from a retiring policeman at the twilight of his life to a rookie cop at the dawn of his career; from an angry and xenophobic unemployed young man to a coffee-vendor struggling to survive and belong: MUMBAI MERI JAAN follows the lives of people from all strata of Mumbai's bustling society as they tackle the aftermath of a fatal incident that brings out the best and sometimes the worst in them.

MUMBAI MERI JAAN looks at the common tragedy, but diversifies into five different stories at the very start itself. Each of those stories and the characters depicted in those stories are relatable. If you haven't witnessed these people, there's a possibility that you may've heard or read about them.

Amongst the five stories, the ones that leave a stronger impression are Paresh Rawal-Vijay Maurya, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon. Soha's story may not appeal as much since it tends to go overboard, while Madhavan's story has its moments, but is not as impactful.

Nishikant Kamat has executed the sensitive subject with gloves, handling each of those five stories with care. A number of emotional moments in the narrative move you and at times, depress no end. Credit must also be reserved for its writer as also the art director, who has recreated the ghastly incident so realistically.

Every performance in the film is applaud-worthy. Paresh steals the show. This performance should easily make it into the Top 5 performances of the year. Irrfan is marvellous. Watch him hate the fragrance of the perfume soon after he has been insulted at the mall. It's superb! Kay Kay is fantastic. The actor makes his part appear so real. Soha is a surprise. Watch her emotional breakdown at the morgue and you know that she has gradually evolved into a terrific actor. Madhavan is equally competent, conveying so much even when silent. Vijay Maurya is superb. His scenes with Paresh are incredible.

On the whole, MUMBAI MERI JAAN is a well-intentioned film that should win praise for its execution and performances. It's more for the discerning viewer, those who swear by serious cinema.

Movie Preview: Kidnap

2008-08-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

Movie Preview: Kidnap

The abductor, Kabir (Imran Khan) is interested in speaking only to her father, Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt), a New York based affluent Indian businessman, with whom he has an old score to settle.

Is his mission as easy as it seems? How far will a father go to save his daughter? What redemption is there for Kabir at the end?

Movie Preview: Rock On!!

2008-08-22T01:09:00.000-07:00

Movie Preview: Rock On!!


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Rock On

Character Sketch

Arjun Rampal as Joe Mascarenhas
An idealist. A man of few words and lets his guitar do the talking. His loyalty towards his girlfriend and his band makes him the hero. It seems like God filled him with all the talent in the world but forgot to give him an opening to share it. He is the lead guitarist of the band.

Purab Kohli as KD (Kedar Zaveri)
Prefers to be known, as K.D. "Killer Drummer" is the scion of a successful jeweler family. His father and he don't see eye to eye on most issues. If one had to see K D in his work environment, one would think that he would suffocate and die. On stage it may look like he is slamming those drums with a vengeance but actually, he's only just breathing. He is the heart of magic

Luke Kenny as Rob Nancy
The Laid back quiet fence sitter of the band. If ever a disagreement arose trust Rob to step in and resolve the issue. He was part of the band because he loved what it was really all about, the friendship and the Bond. His Keyboard was an extension of his mind.

Farhan Akhtar as Aditya Shroff
A bohemian with boy from Delhi who left the comforts of his parents home to chase his dream of becoming a singer in a rock band. He has flare for unconventional poetry but at the same time with a message for today's youth makes him an instant hit with Generation X. He is the lead singer of magic

Synopsis

Rock On!! is the story of 4 friends who put together the greatest band this country has ever seen, but never makes it. Years later fate conspires to bring them together again and set them on a journey back to where they left off... a soul-searching pilgrimage into their past.

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam (Now Playing)

2008-08-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam (Now Playing)

Cast & Crew

Cast
Rahul Bose
Mallika Sherawat
Paresh Rawal
Kay Kay Menon

Pawan Malhotra
Zakir Hussain
Manoj Tiwari

Director

Sanjay Chhel

Producer
Champak Jain
Ganesh Jain
Ratan Jain

Music Director
Anu Malik

IT'S MISSION... MOHABBAT... MADNESS...

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam is a mad, contemporary comedy about how a small town drama company gets involved in a deadly mission to save the country. Circa 1993 - The country was burning due to the Babri structure demolition and communal riots. A small town like St. Louise near Goa, where Police, CBI and RAW officers were out on high alert due to illegal activities like Rdx and Arms landing at the coastal area! Set up in the same town is Kalakar Theatre Company, a theatre group of self indulgent dreamy actors who are always left with no choice but to perform the same age old period play 'Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam' every time. One fine day, they come to know that, an underworld don is planning a severe bomb blast in the country. A funny and thrilling roller-coaster ride begins when the entire drama company designs 'A Deadly Game plan' and gets into the act to save the entire city from this blasts. Performing multiple roles in disguise, the characters make you go crazy and eventually, save the entire nation from the big bomb blast in a hilarious slapstick climax. It's a story of losers becoming winners... 'Actors' becoming 'Heroes' ...A comedy which thinks and winks!!!

Still from 'Man Gaye Mughal-E-Azam'

Aamir smokes during stress !!

2008-08-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 20, 2008

Aamir smokes during stress !!

Actor Aamir Khan is workaholic. He hates sitting ideal and always involved in some projects or the other. Too much work pressure and stress sometimes compel him to take up smoking. Aamir has admitted this bad habit in his blog to his fans. Recently, he is basking in the tension for his nephew Imran Khan’s new release Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Naa and therefore taken up smoking.

The film is produced by him and it is all set to release in July 4. He is counting days and quite excited and tensed regarding the out coming of the film.He too promised his fans in his blog that he would discard smoking once the film hit the theater. He writes, I get really stressed when any of my films is about to release. Bear with me folks, I'll give up smoking once Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na releases."

Aamir is leaving no stone unturned to promote his nephew’s debut film and finds blogging an effective media to reach out to the public and send his message across them.

Comming Soon...........

2008-08-21T04:02:00.001-07:00

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Dostana (2008) Songs

Dostana is slated to release on November 14, 2008. The movie stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles and directed by Karan Johar's assistant, Tarun Mansukhani. The music is composed by Vishal - Shekhar and Karan Johar missed his favourite trio composers Shankar Ehsaan Loy for this movie.

Synopsis: This is a story about two guys (Sameer [Abhishek Bachchan] – a male nurse and Kunal [John Abraham]- a photographer), a girl (Neha [Priyanka Chopra]- a fashion Journo) and an apartment. Sam and Kunal bump into each other while looking for an apartment to rent and coincidentally head towards the same apartment. However, they are both thrown out because the owner wants to rent the apartment to girls only since her niece stays in that apartment alone.

Sameer gets an idea that if Kunal and him pretend to be lovers, then the owner will agree to let them stay. Even though their plan works, the boys are in a predicament as they both fall in love with the owner’s niece, Neha Melwani, who thinks they are gay.

To Download the Hindi mp3 Songs below:
Right Click on the links below and Select option " Save Target As..."

Desi Girl - Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan
Jaane Kyun - Vishal Dadlani
Khabar Nahi - Vishal Dadlani, Shreya Ghoshal, Amanat Ali
Kuch Kum - Shaan
Maa Da Laadla - Saleem
Shut Up & Bounce - Sunidhi Chauhan

Releasing Dates Of upcoming Movies till December 2008

September 19, 2008

- Hulla
- Saas Bahu Aur Sensex
- Welcome To Sajjanpur

Oct 2, 2008

- Drona
- Kidnap

Oct 3, 2008

- Ramchand Pakistani

Oct 10, 2008

- Dasvidaniya
- Hello
- Horn Ok Pleassss

Oct 17, 2008

- Karzzzz

Oct 24, 2008

- Emi
- Fashion
- Golmaal Returns

Oct 31, 2008

- Hello
- Hari Puttar - A Comedy Of Terrors

Nov 7, 2008

- Billo Barber
- Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi
- Khalbali - Fun Unlimited

Nov 14, 2008

- Dostana
- Rang Rasiya / Colors Of Passion

Nov 21, 2008

- Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
- Yuvvraaj

Nov 28, 2008

- Aashayein
- Paathshala

Dec 5, 2008

- Kambakth Ishq
- Raat Gayi Baat Gayi

Dec 12, 2008

- Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Golmaal Returns Movie Preview

By glamsham
Tuesday Sep 2 8:45 PM

Ashtavinayak's GOLMAAL stormed the audiences with its rib-tickling comedy. After creating magic with GOLMAAL Director Rohit Shetty is back with the sequel GOLMAAL RETURNS which promises to be more hilarious than the prequel.

Apart from Ajay Devgan who is a regular feature in all of Rohit Shetty's movies the movie is crowded with horde of stars like Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Arora, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Anjana Sukhani, Celina Jaitley, Mukesh Tiwari, Vrajesh Hirjee, Sanjay Mishra, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Murli Sharma.

The music of the film is composed by the talented music director Pritam Chakraborty.

Produced by Dhilin Mehta GOLMAAL RETURNS is slated to release on 31st October 2008.

Synopsis:

Gopal (Ajay Devgan) stays with his wife Ekta (Kareena Kapoor), sister Esha and a dumb brother in law Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor). Gopal for one whole night gets stuck in a yacht after he saves an attractive young woman Meera (Celina Jeitly) from few goons on his way back home from his office. Due to the circumstances they stay back on the yacht. He arrives home the next day, and meets his very suspicious wife, Ekta, who is a hard core Saas bahu television soap viewer and suspects him of flirting with girls from his staff. Gopal finds it difficult to satisfy her with the incident which took place last night, and he invents a story about spending the night with a fictitious friend named Anthony Gonsalves. Ekta does not believe that he ever had a friend by that name, and decides to write to Anthony to come and visit her. Gopal then convinces one of his juniors, Laxman (Shreyas Talpade), to pretend that he is Anthony, and thus convince Ekta that he was indeed telling the truth. Laxman agrees to do so, and everything goes according to plan until the address on which Ekta had written a letter to Anthony turns out to be real. Meanwhile Gopal finds out that a dead body was found at the same location where he saved Meera from the goons. The investigating officer Maadhav (Arshad Waarsi) who is even Esha's boyfriend and does not get well along with Gopal, finds out that Gopal was missing from his home that very night and the dead was an employee from his company. There begins Maadhav's investigation - resulting in hilarious chaos.

The Last Lear Movie Preview

By glamsham
Tuesday Sep 2 8:45 PM

PVR Pictures is all set to release Amitabh Bachchan's first English film - THE LAST LEAR in Indian Cinemas on September 12th.

This is PVR's second initiative with Planman Motion Pictures having previously distributed MITHYA.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rituporno Ghosh THE LAST LEAR sets itself apart with the number of innovations that it holds. It's the first ever-English Film for Amitabh Bachchan, as well as Priety Zinta and Arjun Rampal. A strong cast of performers like Divya Dutta, Shefali Shah and Prosenjit Chatterjee also supports it. THE LAST LEAR is also the first Indian film that explores Shakespeare's influences on actors' lives- a theme that has inspired many Hollywood stars like Al Pacino (Looking for Richard), Sir Peter O Toole (Venus) and Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) to turn over a new corner in their careers.

Synopsis:

Harry - 65, a Recluse, Eccentric. Passionate. Besides being a Shakespearean stage actor and an ardent fan of The Master, his life seems like a play after he meets Siddharth. A play replete with action, drama, love, emotions, tension - and an expected friendship. Siddharth is a new-age film director - his cool clothes and casual persona well disguise his eccentricities. He is a visionary, a visionary who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. As opposites attract, may be like-minded people get along well too. How else would one explain the fast blossoming friendship between these two eccentrically creative minds? When the cinema-ignorant Harry is offered a magnificent role in Siddharths' next film, he is apprehensive at first, reluctant later and finally acceptable to the idea.

As the shoot takes them to the sprawling mountainous landscapes of India, new relationships bloom. Upcoming actor Shabnam, who is struggling hard to cope with her messy personal life, finds an unexpected mentor in Harry. He teaches her more than merely the nuances of acting. From being a complete outsider to the world of commercial cinema, Harry soon becomes one of them - open to learning new methods of working, chatting with the unit members and sipping tea from a fancy thermos he never knew was invented, he is enjoying!

Little does he know that as the film rolls and he gets into the skin of the character of the Joker that he is playing, he may be taking his role a bit too seriously. Is he that good an actor, or is Fate really making him out to be a Joker on the set? As the intense moments unfold, which are even more engaging that the film itself, masks would be taken off a few faces. Towards the sunset of his life, long after the last shot is taken, as his memory fades, all that Harry can remember are his Masters words..

"..I am doubtful as I am mainly ignorant,

What place is this, And the skill I have

Remembers not these garments, nor I know not

Where did I lodge last night?

Do not laugh at me..."

Captivity Movie Preview

Saturday Aug 30 1:15 PM

PVR Pictures is all set to release 2007 thriller CAPTIVITY directed by Roland Joffe on 5th September. It stars Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Michael Harney, Laz Alonso, Maggie Damon, Chrysta Olson, Carl Paoli and Trent Broin primarily. Synopsis: A young model is drugged, kidnapped and subject to harrowing torture in a cell of horrors in this spine chilling horror thriller. Jennifer is young, beautiful and famous. Everybody knows her name and her popularity brings her everything she wants in life- but one mans jealousy lures Jennifer to a dimension in torture when she finds herself drugged, captured and held in an underground maze of terror. Taken against her will and subject to psychological punishment, Jennifer soon questions her sanity as her watchful tormentor pits her in numerous twisted traps. After struggling to keep her mind, she meets with Gary, another prisoner in the sick games and together they try their wits to escape from the cells and defeat the madman behind the sick games. When they manage to escape from their imprisonment, Jennifer discovers the truth about her sick kidnapper. Character Sketch: 1) Elisha Cuthbert plays Jennifer Tree 2) Daniel Gillies plays Gary Dexter 3) Pruitt Taylor Vince plays Ben Dexter 4) Michael Harney plays Det. Bettiger 5) Laz Alonso plays Det. Ray Di Santos 6) Maggie Damon plays Detective Susan Luden 7) Chrysta Olson plays Mary D'Abro 8) Carl Paoli plays Victim No.1 9) Trent Broin plays Victim No.2

Ru-Ba-Ru Movie Preview


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Ru ba ru

By glamsham Saturday Aug 30 1:15 PM

Percept Picture Company's latest venture RU-BA-RU hits the screens on 12th September. RU-BA-RU is a romantic thriller which will see Randeep Hooda romancing newcomer Shahana Goswami. The Film also stars, Rati Agnihotri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in a very mystique role. The film is directed by noted Ad film maker Arjun Bali, who is also marking his debut with this film.
While lyrics are penned by Soumik Sen than the film's music is composed by three music directors Satyadev Burman, Samirruddin and popular band 'Strings'.
RU-BA-RU is a modern day story of two ambitious individuals finding their destiny through the greatest human manifestation love, but of course with a twist!
Synopsis:
The film revolves around a modern couple Tara (Shahana Goswami) and Nikhil (Randeep Hooda) though are in love; Tara wants to cement the relationship by seeking commitment in marriage. But Nikhil, a workaholic, is always pre-occupied with his clients and work and he is happy with the way things are between the two of them. The trouble in paradise starts off with Nikhil constantly forgetting small little things that make a relationship. He starts taking his girlfriend, her family and friends for granted. And the day comes when Tara cannot take it anymore. As she decides to take matters in her own hand, a strange magical, mystical force intervenes, and the drama unfolds!

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Movie Preview

By glamsham Wednesday Jul 30 12:40 PM
PVR Pictures MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY is a romantic comedy which is set to release in August 2008. Directed by Bharat Nalluri it stars Academy award winner Frances McDormand, Academy award nominee Amy Adams and David Alexander in the principal characters. It was first released in USA in March 2008. This light hearted film is based on the 1938 novel by British author Winifred Watson. Synopsis: In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (played by Ms. McDormand) is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must for the first time in two decades seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level as social secretary. Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Ms. Adams). Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu and, within hours, living it up. Taking the social secretary designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysias orbit; devoted pianist Michael (Mr. Pace), intimidating nightclub owner Nick (Mr. Strong), and impressionable junior impresario Phil (Mr. Payne). Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe (Mr. Hinds), a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe (Ms. Henderson) the one person who senses that the new social secretary may be out of her element, and schemes to undermine her. Over the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower each other to discover their romantic destinies

Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur

In the Indian cinema, Shyam Benegal is renowned for creating masterpiece films on serious genres. He has been actively associated with the parallel cinema for past many years. But this time, the Dadasaheb Phalke awardee is all set to make an explosion of laughter on the silver screens with his maiden comedy flick titled, Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur.

As the name suggests, this movie would be a hilarious one which is entirely set within a rural backdrop. According to the filmmaker, this movie is an attempt to peep into the modern rural society which is no more alien to the technological advancements. Benegal, through his creation also attempts to arouse the interests of the urban society towards the present day rural life.

The Cast

The ‘Iqbal’ fame Shreyas Talpade and ‘Vivaah’ fame Amrita Rao are playing the lead roles in Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur. Treated with a potion of rib tickling humor, the entire story is knitted around the life of a freelance letter writer employed in the village post office.

Besides, movie also casts the illustrious Bhojpuri actor, Ravi Kishen playing the role of a compounder and Rajeshwari Sachdev as a widow, casted opposite to him. This flick has also been said to comprise of a total of six soothing and funky tracks.

Expected Release Date

Are you wondering about the expected releasing date of this maiden comedy flick by Shyam Benegal? Relax, you don’t have to wait for long because the shooting of this film has been completed and it is going to be released very soon in the theaters.

Movie Preview : Horn... Ok... Pleassss


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Horn Ok Pleassss

view HORN... OK... PLEASSSS movie stills

Produced by Samee Abdol Siddiqui under the banner of Sunrise Pictures Pvt Ltd, in association with Sarang films HORN OK PLEASSS...... is will create riots of laughter. It's a situational comedy of errors where the problems are all grim for the characters, but hilarious for the audience.

Directed by Rakesh Sarang it stars Nana Patekar, Rimi Sen, Muzamil Ibrahim, Ali Asgar, Shaurya Chauhan, Nirmiti Sawant, Mukesh Tiwari, Vrijesh Hirji, Rakhi Sawant and Satish Shah.

The music has been scored by Lalit Pandit and lyrics penned by Salim Bijnori & Sajid Farhaad.

The truck tycoon Govinda (Nana Patekar) is a simple, humble and loving but self made millionaire. He had started life as a truck driver, so he prefers to remain connected to his roots. Inspite of owning a Mercedes, he prefers to travel in the comfort of his truck...... He loves his wife Ria (Rimi Sen) to distraction. He believes life is all about love.

So when he saves the life of a disillusioned heartbroken young photographer Ajay (Muzammil Ibrahim), who is trying to commit suicide on learning that the love of his life Ria is already married, Govinda shares his life's mantra with him.

Govinda convinces Ajay that if the girl is also in love with him, the only solution is for Ajay to kill the girl's husband, a plan which Govinda chalks out for him.

However, the joke is on him because Ajay is in love with Govinda's wife.

Enters Rocky, who looks just like Ajay and has a girlfriend of his own. Add to this uncle Balam, brother Champak and a few more characters who also want to kill Govinda. Irony is that the master brain hatching his murder is Govinda himself.

Will Govinda succeed in killing himself????????

Will Ajay get the love of his life????????

Who is Vijay and will he clear the confusion????????

To know more about it just stay tuned till 10th October 2008.

Dil Kabaddi


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Dil Kabaddi

Dil Kabaddi’ is a forthcoming Hindi film directed by debutante Anil Sharma (Senior). The film stars Rahul Bose ,Irrfan Khan ,Konkona Sen Sharma , Soha Ali Khan , Payal Rohatgi and Rahul Khanna.
In Anil Sharma’s “Dil Kabaddi”, which is almost complete, Irrfan Khan and Rahul Bose have swapped each other’s roles. While Rahul plays a professor, Irrfan will be seen as an executive in the film that deals with friends and complexity of marriage while living in a big city.

Aamir Wants Asin in Ghajini Remake


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Ghajini

Aamir Khan plans his work meticulously. Everything is planned well in advance. But then he is also known to pull up surprises. Kareena Kapoor had been ecstatic about working with Aamir in Mani Rathnam’s ‘Lajjo’ early next year. Maybe she will have to wait a bit longer as Aamir may be launching his own home production a remake of Tamil hit film ‘Ghajini’ this January. The film has been tentatively titled ‘Kajri’ and will star Aamir in the lead role (A part played by leading Tamil actor Surya to ultimate perfection). Ravi K Chandran will be the cameraman.

In a news published in a popular Mumbai tabloid today, director of the original A R Murugadoss (He is directing the Hindi remake too) admitted that Aamir has told him that they will be starting the film soon. It has also been learnt that Aamir wants to cast Asin (She played Kalpana, the main heroine in the original) in the Hindi remake too. But the problem is that Asin can’t speak Hindi and since the film is going to be shot in Sync Sound, it won’t be possible for her to speak her own lines.

‘Ghajini’ is a story about Sanjay (Surya), a rich man who has an ailment of short term memory loss. He loves Kalpana (Asin), a model and a social activist who is killed by Lakshman (Pradeep Rawat). The manner in which Sanjay takes revenge for his lover’s death is the hallmark of the film. Surya’s acting both emotional as well as action sequences are the highpoints of the film. Apparently the film was shot lavishly and has enhanced the reputation of technical finesse in Tamil cinema.

I saw the video of a song ‘Sutram Vizhi Sudarae’ from the film. The beautiful music score by Haris Jayraj and heartwarming vocals of S Parthsarthy and B Jayashree are a treat. It would be a good idea to repeat Haris Jayraj (Remember he did the score for ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’) in ‘Kajri’ as well. The chemistry between Surya and Asin has to be seen to be believed. I must say if at all Asin is cast in Aamir’s remake, then she shall give all the top Bollywood heroines a run for their money. Those green eyes have an unexplored sea captured within them.

Let me pose this question to you that if Asin is not cast opposite Aamir, then in your opinion who do you think should be cast opposite Aamir in ‘Kajri’?

Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors (Coming Soon)


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Hari Puttar

Indo-Asian News Service

Monday, September 22, 2008: (Mumbai):

Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors, which Hollywood studio Warner Bros alleged was a copyright violation of their Harry Potter franchise, bears no similarity to the English film series and is actually the story of a lonely kid played by Zain Khan.

The film, which releases Friday, is directed by Lucky Kohli and Rajesh Bajaj. Produced by Mirchi Movies, it also stars talented Sarika along with Jackie Shroff.

"It is a fun film and a family entertainer. The film has nothing in common with the Harry Potter franchise as the story suggests. The Hari Puttar name has been in the news and has appeared at places for the last 18 months," Munish Purii, COO of Mirchi Movies, said.

The story seems to be loosely based on hit Hollywood series Home Alone. It revolves around 10-year-old Hari Prasad Dhoonda (Zain Khan) or Hari Puttar, as he is fondly called.

Hari's father (Zakir Khan) is a professor and is assigned to work on a secret project at a remote location in Britain. So Hari moves there from India with his father and mother (Sarika).

Hari's father has access to confidential information that is stored on a chip and safely kept at his house.

Within days of their arrival in London, Hari's aunt (Lilette Dubey) and uncle DK (Jackie Shroff) visit them with their children. The kids of DK's boss also accompany them.

Now, accommodating so many children in the house becomes a problem. At one point everything goes for a spin for Hari - not only he is thrown out of his room, he is also ragged and ridiculed by all the other kids.

Hari suddenly feels unwanted. But then when people try and steal his dad's secret chip, he displays valour and wit that shock everyone.

"It talks about the freedom of a child when he is left alone in the house with his cousin and the funny situations that follow when two burglars try getting into the house to get hold of a chip that his father has been secretly working on," said Purii.

So far very few children's films have made it big at the box office. But the legal controversy surrounding the movie may help draw some curious moviegoers.

Still from Hari Puttar

Hari Puttar is the awe-inspiring story of one kid who displays the valour, wit and presence of mind that belies his age.

Hari Prasad Dhoonda’s father is assigned to work on a secret project with the Defense Forces at a remote location in the U.K. and it includes safeguarding a chip that has access to confidential information.

One night before the entire family packs off for a vacation, Hari and his cousin Tuk Tuk are sent off to the attic bedroom as a punishment. The next morning, the family leaves in a tearing hurry, forgetting that they have left something integral behind.

Meantime, an infamous don, Kali Mirchi, assigns two bumbling burglars (Saurabh Shukla & Vijay Raaz) to steal the secret formula chip from Hari's house.

With his innovative plans, determined wit, and able support from Tuk Tuk, Hari Puttar manages to not only save the secret chip but also captures the two unsuspecting thugs.

Mera Pind
22 Aug, 2008 08:00 am

Cast & Crew

Cast
Navjot Sidhu
Harbhajan Mann
Kimi Verma

Directed
Manmohan Singh

Language
Punjabi

Genre
Family Drama

Release Date: 5th September, 2008

Sidhu (Navjot Sidhu) - a well to do, happy go lucky NRI who has chosen to settle in his native village, spreads the message of self-empowerment and entrepreneurship amongst the village youth. Led by Himmat (Harbhajan Mann), the youth set off a revolution of development in the village. Their lives are changed by Sidhu’s simple but extremely enterprising initiatives. Soon, the village transforms into a modern prosperous hamlet and becomes a model village. The film drives an important message targeted at Punjabi audiences to realize the importance of being an entrepreneur in one’s own land rather than showing their extraordinary entrepreneurship in the West where Punjabis are touted to be fairly successful and hardworking, an impression which belies the visible reality back home. ‘Mera Pind’ is a complete family entertainer with a perfect blend of emotions, drama and comedy.

Golmaal Returns (Comig Soon)
22 Aug, 2008 07:00 am IST

Cast & Crew

Cast
Ajay Devgan
Arshad Warsi
Tusshar Kapoor
Shreyas Talpade
Kareena Kapoor
Amrita Arora
Celina Jaitley
Anjana Sukhani

Produced By
Shree Ashtavinayak CineVision Ltd

Directed
Rohit Shetty

Release Date: 31st Oct

Gopal (Ajay Devgan) stays with his wife Ekta (Kareena Kapoor), sister Esha (Amrita Arora) & a dumb brother in law Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor). Gopal for one whole night gets stuck in a yacht after he saves an attractive young woman Meera (Celina Jeitly) from few goons on his way back home from his office. He arrives home the next day, and meets a very suspicious wife, Ekta, who is a hard core Saas bahu television soap viewer and suspects him of flirting with girls from his staff. Gopal finds it difficult to satisfy her with the incident which took place last night, and he invents a story about spending the night with a fictitious friend named Anthony Gonsalves. Ekta does not believe that he ever has a friend by that name, and decides to write to him to come and visit her.

Gopal then convinces one of his juniors, Laxman (Shreyas Talpade), to pretend that he is Anthony, and thus convince Ekta that he was indeed telling the truth. Laxman agrees to do so, and everything goes according to plan. Meanwhile Gopal finds out that a dead body was found at the same location where he saved Meera from the goons. The investigating officer Maadhav (Arshad Warsi) who is even Esha's boyfriend and does not get well along with Gopal, finds out that Gopal was missing from his home that very night and the dead was an employee from his company. There begins Maadhav's investigation - resulting in hilarious chaos.

Farhan Akhtar's 'Don 2' to go on floors next year

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Confirming the news that he is making a sequel to "Don - The Chase Begins", director-turned-actor Farhan Akhtar said he will start shooting the film with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role towards the end of next year.

"I will be working with Shah Rukh Khan for 'Don 2'. We will begin shooting for it in the second half of next year," said Farhan.

He was in the capital to promote "Rock On". He debuts as an actor with the film, which releases Aug 29.

Directed by first-time director Abhishek Kapoor, "Rock On" also stars Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny, Shahana Goswami, Koel Puri and TV actress Prachi Desai who is playing Farhan's love interest in the musical saga.

"Don-The Chase Begins" was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer action blockbuster "Don". While the original starred 70s glamour queen Zeenat Aman as the female lead, Priyanka Chopra played leading lady in the remake.

Although Farhan confirmed Shah Rukh's presence in the film, he didn't speak about casting Priyanka in part two.

Released in 2006, "Don-The Chase Begins" was labelled as a weak film against the profits and popularity that the original movie directed by Chandra Barot had garnered.

Rock On (Coming Soon)

20 Aug, 2008 11:54 am IST INDIATIMES MOVIES

Cast & Crew

Cast
Farhan Akhtar
Prachi Desai

Arjun Rampal
Purab Kohli
Luke Kenny
Shahana Goswami
Koel Puri

Director
Abhishek Kapoor

Music
Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Rock On is the story of 4 friends who put together the greatest band this country has ever seen, but never makes it. Years later fate conspires to bring them together again and set them on a journey back to where they left off... a soul-searching pilgrimage into their past.

Rock On marks the debut of director Farhan Akhtar (of 'Dil Chahta Hai' and ' Don ' fame) as an actor and singer. Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Farhan is also producing this film along with his partner Ritesh Sidhwani.

After the trailer of Excel Entertainment's 'Rock On' starring Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Prachi Desai, Purab Kohli, Sahana Goswami and Luke Kenny in the lead, was shown in the theatres last week, the film is attracting a lot of attention and heightened interest from the trade circles

It is heard that the makers have received offers as high as Rs 45 crore for all rights of the film.

'Rock On' is scheduled to release in two months.

(Image Courtesy - Dale Bhagwagar Media Group)

Tahaan (Coming Soon)
11 Aug, 2008 06:00 am IST INDIATIMES MOVIES


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Tahaan

Cast & Crew

Cast
Anupam Kher
Rahul Bose

Victor Banergee
Rahul Khanna
Purav Bhandare.

Director
Santosh Sivan

Production Company

IDream Production and Santosh Sivan Films

Music
Taufique Qureshi

Tahaan- A boy with a grenade is a fable-like journey of the eponymous eight-year-old boy, whose life revolves around the pursuit to find real purpose in his little world.

Tahaan (Purav Bhandare) lives with his grandfather (Victor Banerjee), his mother Haba (Sarika) and older sister Zoya (Sana Shaikh,) in the serene meadows of Kashmir. They all live in the hope that someday Tahaan’s father, who’s been missing for over three years, will return.

The death of his grandfather leads the local moneylender Lalaji and his manager Kuka (Rahul Khanna) to take away the assets of the family, including their pet donkey Birbal, against repayment of a pending loan. Now, life for Tahaan, his mother and sister takes a turn towards rougher pastures. For Tahaan, bringing his favourite donkey Birbal back home becomes the sole purpose in life.

Birbal is now sold to a trader Subhan Darr (Anupam Kher). Tahaan anyhow manages to accompany Subhan on his trade route across the mountains in an attempt to get Birbal back. Along the way he is tempted by a young lad Idrees who promises him the return of his donkey if he helps carry a package across the mountain.

Tahaan sets off on his second journey with Subhan and Zafar (Rahul Bose), the package tucked away under Birbal’s saddle. What is the price that Tahaan will have to pay for Birbal? And how far will he go to save his only meaning in life?

Cast: Anupam Kher, Rahul Bose, Victor Banergee, Rahul Khanna and Purav Bhandare.
Director: Santosh Sivan
Production Company: IDream Production and Santosh Sivan Films
Music: Taufique Qureshi

Tahaan- A boy with a grenade is a fable-like journey of the eponymous eight-year-old boy, whose life revolves around the pursuit to find real purpose in his little world.

Tahaan ( Purav Bhandare ) lives with his grandfather ( Victor Banerjee ), his mother Haba ( Sarika ) and older sister Zoya ( Sana Shaikh ,) in the serene meadows of Kashmir. They all live in the hope that someday Tahaan’s father, who’s been missing for over three years, will return.

The death of his grandfather leads the local moneylender Lalaji and his manager Kuka ( Rahul Khanna ) to take away the assets of the family, including their pet donkey Birbal, against repayment of a pending loan. Now, life for Tahaan, his mother and sister takes a turn towards rougher pastures. For Tahaan, bringing his favourite donkey Birbal back home becomes the sole purpose in life

Birbal is now sold to a trader Subhan Darr (Anupam Kher). Tahaan anyhow manages to accompany Subhan on his trade route across the mountains in an attempt to get Birbal back. Along the way he is tempted by a young lad Idrees who promises him the return of his donkey if he helps carry a package across the mountain.

Tahaan sets off on his second journey with Subhan and Zafar ( Rahul Bose ), the package tucked away under Birbal’s saddle. What is the price that Tahaan will have to pay for Birbal? And how far will he go to save his only meaning in life?

De Taali Released !!

2008-08-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 19, 2008

De Taali Released !!

Cast:Ayesha Takia, Rietesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Rimi Sen, Anupam Kher, Saurav Shukla, Mukul Dev, Pawan Malhotra

Directed by- E Niwas and Produced by-Ravi Walia Embrace in affection with a friend is probably the most done-redone and re-re-done plot in Bollywood history but if done a little intelligently, it becomes quite palatable every while. Much like our undoubted old dal-chawal. And De Taali is just that – a well presented good old dal chawal.

So Paglu (Riteish Deshmukh), Abhi (Aftab Shivdasani) and Amu (Ayesha Takia) are the outstrip of friends. And they are all normal characters (Thank God). And one day, Amu realises that she is in loyalty with Abhi. Rootstock she does not really realise it all by herself. Paglu shows her the metaphorical mirror. But it's not that all consuming, I-will-cry-till-I-die kind of love at all. And guess what, that's the genuine part - There is no melodrama in the film.

Though Abhi obviously is in loyalty with another girl and talks it in front of Amu who by the way was expecting him to say those three magic words to her, it does not demit the damsel too much in distress. There is no excessively sad arithmetic where the heroine cries her eyes out over her unrequited love.

In lore, the heroine though visibly sad, does not seem to shed even one drop of precious tear over Abhi. She forms a plan with Paglu's upgrade to get her love back. And a run of odd and quite enjoyable incidents transpire. And for those who are thinking that in the process, Paglu will fall in liking with Amu and they mind start living happily ever after or Paglu will suffer a huge heartbreak (Thought courtesy: Sangam, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai etc)…he won't. Come on guys, it's a movie backwards friends who are quite normal – as commonplace savor me and you.

As for performances, the film is out and out Riteish's. He may NEVER be able to be a Yash Raj lion, but the actor surely can make his testimonial curiousnessing enough to fall in love with. He is good with his funny expressions and quick retroactions. And the character of a loving, helpful and rather sweet friend really suits the guy.

As for Aftab Shivdasani, after a very very long time, perhaps after his first film Mast, the guy is looking un-sleazy. He is actually aspecting cute with his dimples and has lived up to his character. The female lead, Ayesha is cute and bubbly and actual though we seriously hope she changes her designer and dressing sense. The t-shirts and jeans were fine but the unsightly outfits that she tried to pass as sexy…just did not work!

Rimi Sen. Did we forget about her now? Parent she runs the extra woman – the Rani Mukerji in KKHH and Madhuri in DTPH. Except for the fact she lacks the goodness of heart of a Tina or a Nisha. She is not one to talk Om Jai Jagadish Hare in college or lot in to her foster parents' wishes by subduing her own. Moreover, the inquisitivenessing part is, Rimi Sen divergent her other films is not just a decorative share in this one. Of course she wears short garment and does some sensual dancing steps – but she plays a character, a fountainhead maked, well perception about, complete character for a transit.

There's also an Anupam Kher in the movie, who's much gaunt if you ask. It seems like he left his acting valor at national when he came to shoot for this one. He is just obsessed with his dog called Jhumroo and busts to be the plighted funny relief. There was actually no penuriousness of a superimposed comic relief character in a film which was already so light hearted and funny.
So should you watch this film?

VERDICT: Well you go out for serious 'meaningful' cinema and multi-starrers – consider them your eating out days. And there's always a venture – you may or may not savor the cuisine you selected. As for this film, it's probably the same boring dal chawal you've big up eating – but you savor that it never goes out of wise.
Go for it if you are looking for a light enjoyable evening without the fear of being dissappointed..

HI THERE

2008-08-20T03:28:00.001-07:00

HI

HOW R U

"Ugly aur Pagli "Summery And Cool Pics

2008-08-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ugly aur Pagli (Now Playing)
02 Apr, 2008 10:56 am ISTINDIATIMES MOVIES

Cast & Crew

Cast
Mallika Sherawat
Ranvir Shorey
Tinu Anand
Sushmita Mukherjee
Vihang Nayak
Bharti Achrekar
Payal Rohatgi
Sapna Bhavnani
Zeenat Aman
Manish Anand

Director
Sachin Khot

Music
Anu Malik

Lyrics
Amitabh Varma

We have all heard of soft romantic comic love stories.

Now get set for a love story with a punch, a thud and some serious arm twisting thrown in with zero bedside manners.

Ugly aur Pagli is the story of Kabir (Ranvir Shorey), a carefree guy who has been studying engineering for the last 10 years now, whose life goes for a sixer when he meets the quirky and kinky Kuhu.

Kabir always wanted a girl to love but he never in his wildest dreams thought he would encounter a girl who could make him dance around circles, run semi naked, ride cycles without seats, wear high heeled ladies shoes....

Oh trust us it gets worse.

Get set for one of the quirkiest love stories of the year!

From the makers of Pyaar Ke Side/Effects comes the ultimate vicious battle for love!

We have all heard of soft romantic comic love stories.

Now get set for a love story with a punch, a thud and some serious arm twisting thrown in with zero bedside manners.

Mallika Sherawat, fresh from her success as the unforgettable Trisha in last year's biggest, most amazing romcom hit, comes back in her new avatar as Kuhu, the Pagli of Ugly aur Pagli. Impossible, incorrigible, irresistible

Ranvir Shorey as Kabir, urf the Ugly of Ugly aur Pagli, is cast in the role of a lifetime. He's the nerd: goofy, charming, desperately trying to escape Pagli's clutches and, in the process, falling even more miserably in love with her. Haven't we all experienced this sometime or the other in our tragic love lives?

This film also debuts Sachin Khot as the director to watch out for. He has returned from a decade long vanavas in Indonesia, where he was making television serials for local channels. We welcome him back to India and the big screen, and to PNC where the finest motion picture talent is incubated-- and encouraged to realize its true potential.

Ugly aur Pagli is the story of Kabir (Ranvir Shorey), a carefree guy who has been studying engineering for the last 10 years now, whose life goes for a sixer when he meets the quirky and kinky Kuhu.

Kabir always wanted a girl to love but he never in his wildest dreams thought he would encounter a girl who could make him

dance around circles,

run semi naked,

ride cycles without seats,

wear high heeled ladies shoes....

Oh trust us it gets worse.

Get set for one of the quirkiest love stories of the year!

From the makers of Pyaar Ke Side/Effects comes the ultimate vicious battle for love!

Ranvir, who never enjoys dancing, did the intricately choreographed steps by remaining in the character

"Singh is King" Summery And Cool Pics

2008-08-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

Singh is Kinng (Now Playing)
24 Jun, 2008 12:32 pm


Powered by: Chakpak.com	Singh Is Kinng

Cast & Crew

Star Cast
Akshay Kumar
Katrina Kaif
Neha Dhupia
Sonu Sood

Director
Anees Bazmee

Producer
Vipul A. Shah

Distributor
Indian Films – Studio 18

Running Time
35 minutes (approx)

Music
Pritam

Guest Track
RDB (Rap by Snoop Dogg)

Singh Is Kinng , the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl...

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the ‘king’ of the Australian underworld accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.) Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him – Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar). The village is fed up of his magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend, Tony Singh (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life. Following the hilarious altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new ‘kinng’!
For More Pics Click Here:>>>
The series of chaos, shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!

Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh Is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar’s re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008.

It comes from Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee, the master-makers of blockbusters like Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, No Entry and Welcome .

Bas Ek Singh track of the much-awaited movie of the year, Singh is Kinng is already gaining popularity among the masses. This lavishly picturized groovy Punjabi hip hop number is said to be the soul of the movie and justifies the title of the film to the perfection.

When we quizzed Akshay Kumar, the lead actor of Singh is Kinng , what he thought of the track, he says, "I was traveling by road when I happened to stumble up on this title written behind a truck. Bas Ek Singh song is very nice...Sardars are always made fun of in our films, so I wanted to show what Sardars are and this song supports my thinking that 'Singh is Kinng' .

Anees Bazmi completely feels that the credit goes to all in the team. The director of the film says, "A song comes out good only when every one in the project feels equally passionate about the song as much as the music director does. In this case the end result is so good because every one who was a part of the song felt the passion and delivered the best."

When Vipul Shah started working on the project with Anees Bazmi, they both briefed Pritam on the music to be just like the title, king size. He says, "When we were thinking of the Bas Ek Singh track, I told Pritam to think of the most energetic song in the world and then make a song of that caliber, then Pritam came up with this idea that lets do a Punjabi number in hip hop, a fusion never ever tried in Hindi Films. We have used lot of lights in the song so that its glamour is spread all over the sets making it look more lavish."

Anees Bazmi seconds the producer saying, "The songs in the film are picturized very beautifully and sumptuously and when the picturization and the soundtrack comes together it creates magic."

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

Still from Singh is Kinng

"God Tussi Great Ho" Summery

2008-08-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

God Tussi Great Ho (Now Playing)
08 Aug, 2008 06:00 am ISTINDIATIMES MOVIES

Cast & Crew

Cast
Amitabh Bachchan
Salman Khan
Priyanka Chopra
Sohail Khan

Director
Rumi Jaffrey

At the end of the worst day in his life, Arun Prajapati (Salman Khan) angrily rages against God for making his life miserable. To his astonishment God (Amitabh Bachchan) appears before him in human form and endowing Arun with all of his divine powers, challenges Arun to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better.

Arun responds to his newfound powers with childlike zeal and sets off making one hysterical yet disastrous, decision after another. The love of his life Alia (Priyanka Chopra) is astonished at the 'new' decisive and confident Arun. He thinks he can make the world a happy place by granting everybody their wishes. But to his horror, this results in unprecedented mayhem. Ultimately, Arun realises that he is only human, and being God is tougher than he thought!

"Bachana ae Haseeno" Summery And cool Pics

2008-08-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Cast & Crew

Star Cast
Ranbir Kapoor
Bipasha Basu
Deepika Padukone
Minissha Lamba

Director
Siddharth Anand

Producer
Aditya Chopra

Music
Vishal-Shekhar

Why do girls always fall for the wrong guy? Their mothers warn them about him. Their friends shake their heads disapprovingly. Their minds tell them to escape while the going is good. But no! Oh no! Their hearts are another story altogether. You see, they are always sending all the wrong signals. His name alone is enough to scramble their brains and set their hearts racing. Meet Raj. He is the stuff of dreams, with the looks of a 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' good boy. Who can blame him for falling in love as many times as love is fortunate enough to find him. It's not his fault that he's a heartbreaker, its in his DNA.

Come... discover his three love stories; Raj and Mahi, Raj and Radhika, Raj and Gayatri. Different ladyloves at different times in his life. And each one of them teach him a little bit about love and a little bit about life, in their own sweet, sexy or sassy way. Come fall in love... three times over!

More Pictures:

Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

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Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

Still from 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'

Jimmy Review

2008-08-18T04:51:00.003-07:00

Jimmy Review

May 12th, 2008

(3 votes, average: 2.33 out of 5)

Subhash K. Jha, Film: “Jimmy”; Cast: Mimoh Chakbraborty, Vivana and Zulfi Syed; Director: Raj N. Sippy; Ratings: *
“Do you think I’m a rejected man?” - the villain asks repeatedly after his true intentions are exposed at the end of this tediously assembled pastiche of bad and ugly.
Don’t know about the poor battered psycho who contorts his face like his pants were just bitten off by a colony of ants. But this film sure looks like a collage of rejected footage from a series of canned films that filmmakers made and forgot to go back to.
The characters don’t talk in “Jimmy”, they scream dialogues and matching their screechy decibel of dialogue is the sound of cars skidding, screeching and groaning in and out of the frames.
“Jimmy” takes us into the kingdom of the dangerously damned. And none as damned as the audience, which sits to the end to watch Mithun Chakraborty’s son Mimoh dance on glass, in a manner of slipping.
Mimoh doesn’t dance; he glides! He doesn’t moonwalk, he trapezes through a field of corrupted corn planted by a screenwriter whose mind seems to have stopped working two decades ago.
How else do we explain the crass and clamorous crowd of crippling clichés, like the over-painted weepy mother, the over-painted giggly girlfriend, her over-panting suitor, the hero’s rich friend (Zulfi Zayed in the think-less part), the gaggles of villains and good Samaritans - all crammed in one line of strained vision, which recalls the worst moments of television from the time when Doordarshan ruled the roost.
Mimoh gets a nightmare launch worthy of being canned for good. What were the people behind this film thinking when they decided to put together a film so tacky and tattered at the edges it makes a mockery of poor Mimoh’s star aspirations?
Director Raj N. Sippy made some engaging wannabe Hollywood flicks in the 1970s and 80s, all cleverly adapted from American films, but never slipshod.
Ironically, “Jimmy” rips off Hindi films from the 1970s including Mithun’s gyratory Jimmy-hijinks like “Disco Dancer” and the Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Majboor”.
All in vain. The plot is propelled by gallery of grotesque caricatures.
This is cinema at its worst. Gimmicky and overblown with no hope for escape because you want to watch Mithun’s boy trying to make his way out of this film with no exits.
Only Rahul Dev seems to be blessed with a twist of sobriety in the film.
— IANS

Jannat Review

2008-08-18T04:51:00.001-07:00

Jannat Review

May 19th, 2008

(11 votes, average: 4.36 out of 5)

Film: “Jannat”; Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sonal Chauhan, Javed Sheikh, Samir Kochar; Script: Vishesh Bhatt and Kunal Deshmukh; Director: Kunal Deshmukh; Music: Pritam Chakraborty; Ratings: ***

With Jannat, Vishesh films have yet again served us the diet of a romantic love story mingled with problems due to crawling insect of crime infused in it. Pre-release, the production house may have underlined the match fixing factor as the well treated fact in the fiction of Jannat, but post-release, all the bookie issues seemed gimmicky for cashing on the nationwide IPL fever. The main story focuses on the love story between Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) and Zoya (Sonal Chauhan) while cricket funda is just a forgettable backdrop.

Arjun’s character in Jannat is that of a young guy who is obsessed with money only. Once he finds his love in Zoya his obsession fuels up and he decides to make big bucks as soon as possible by indulging into the dirty game of match-fixing.

The problem starts where he has to choose between his true love Zoya and his addiction to earn quick bucks wherein the police (Samir Kochar) start suspecting Arjun.

As Arjun struggles to choose between the two, the Don (Jawed Sheikh) offers him a whole lot of money in exchange of his soul and draws him into his core entourage of money spinners.

Writers Vishesh Bhatt and Kunal Deshmukh surely deserve a pat on their back for keeping the script tight and moving the story forward with every scene. The speed at which Jannat unfolds is the USP of this movie. The climax, too, is very dramatic and really leaves a great impact on the viewers. Important moments are given space and time to develop properly. There is a certain human element in these movies that clicks and you can sense the expected chemistry.

Debutant director Kunal Deshmukh has also done full justice to his screenplay and deserves a great deal of applause. The confidence with which he has handled the smooth flowing of the script is clearly visible on the celluloid. This young lad has shown a lot of maturity and looks like he is all set to play a long innings in Bollywood.

Cinematographer Manoj Soni, too, has supported Kunal Deshmukh’s vision by beautifully framing some exotic locations of South Africa.

As expected with Mahesh Bhatt’s films, here, too, is couple of songs like Zara Sa and Jannat Jahan, which you would like to add to your CD collection.

Whereas actingwise, Emraan has yet again proved that he is one of the under-rated actors of Bollywood. This guy surely seems to be improving with every film he does. Sonal Chauhan looks gorgeous with her first appearance and she has proved that she has a long way to go when it comes to acting. As expected, Javed Sheikh is brilliant in the character of Don. Samir Kochar, too, has portrayed his character very well.

Overall, Jannat is a well-made commercial film and surely deserves to be viewed at least once mainly due to its brilliant script and excellent direction. - (SAMPURN)

Via Darjeeling Preview

2008-08-18T04:49:00.000-07:00

Via Darjeeling Preview

May 27th, 2008

(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

VIA DARJEELING directed by Arindam Nandy with Kay Kay Menon, Sonali Kulkarni,Vinay Pathak and Parvin Dabas in the main lead, is a psychological thriller produced by Moxie Entertainments and co produced by National Film Development Corp production which is scheduled to release in India on 20th June, 2008. The film is about a recently married couple on their honeymoon. On the day of their return, one of them disappears. The mystery returns to Calcutta one night…via Darjeeling. Faces are unmasked and new ones emerge.

The film is set in modern day Calcutta & Darjeeling and is based on an age old Bengali tradition called ‘adda’ where friends get together in the rains, & exchange stories & gossip, over drinks & dinner.

The story revolves around Ankur (KK Menon) & Rimli (Sonali Kulkarni),a recently married couple on their honeymoon in Darjeeling. But on the eve of their return to Calcutta, Ankur disappears. The Inspector in charge, Robin Bose, searches high & low, but Ankur is no where to be found. When he questions Rimli, the only clues she is able to give him, are of a taxi driver Ankur had fought with & a mysterious looking man whom she thought was following her throughout their trip in Darjeeling. Two years later, Inspector Bose relates this story to a few friends; they are intrigued by this story, & question him about the outcome. But he has no answers.

The film goes through several peaks & twists in its narrative, opening itself up to new meanings, interpretations and solutions, leading from one to another, with some what diverse ends!

The cast includes Sonali Kulkari, KK Menon, Parvin Dabbas, Vinay Pathak, Simone Singh, Rajat Kapoor, Proshanth Narayana and Sandhya Mridul playing friends gossiping on a rainy night, bantering & discussing the mystery of the missing husband amongst them. Intrigued by this story, they start a tale about the possible outcome and all take part to give their own versions where personalities, motifs and professions change. The past and the future come rushing back and the characters in the room blend in to the ’story’ themselves giving it a new turn, every time.

The plot following a pattern of ‘one story, multiple endings,’ is full of drama and draws inspiration from Kurusawa’s ‘Rashomon’…leaving the audience in suspense and thinking about it after they watch it. The screenplay is written by Ranjan Das and Arindam Nandy while the dialogues are written by Atul Sabharwal.

To increase the feeling of mystery, the sound design of the background score is sequential and also incorporates the ambient sounds of a North East Indian hill station like tolling bells, Buddhist chants etc. The songs have a rock & acid jazz overtone to them.

The film is shot in straight angles to keep a simple look. The intensity of camera movements and shot compositions grows along with the intensity within a particular scene.

Woodstock Villa Review

2008-08-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

Woodstock Villa Review

May 31st, 2008

(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)

Oberoi, Shakti Kapoor, Sachin Khedekar, Dayashankar Pande, Gaurav Gera, Gulshan Grover, Sanjay Dutt, Anupama Verma (Guest appearance); Director: Hansal Mehta; Rating ***

It’s Sanjay Gupta again and it’s again his incessant energy and nonpareil endeavour to make something different. And it’s much waited Woodstock Villa which is now on screen to open up its secrets revealing layer after layer.

Film opens with the hero Sikandar kidnapping Arbaaz Khan’s wife Zara Kampany (Neha Oberoi). But soon the story reveals the kidnap is a brainwork by Zara herself to know about how much her husband loves her. But that simple revelation doesn’t simplify the further story woven around mainly three characters.

As soon as the kidnapping mystery gets over, Zara gets killed and the responsibility to hide the corpse away comes on Sikandar. Sikandar accomplishes his job very well and to get rid of his past he tries to go to Bangalore. But the moment he reaches airport, he comes to know that Zara is still alive. Here, the search of Zara begins. And the search ends up revealing another layer of truth that shows the Zara who is dead is the actual wife of Arbaaz and Neha Oberoi is another Zara.

The veil drops soon and it reveals that Arbaaz and Neha actually used Sikandar to remove that unfortunate lady who was impediment between Arbaaz and struggling model cum actress Neha. Story flows on and at an interesting turn Neha gets Arbaaz arrested by police for an amount of fifty lacs and runs away with Sikandar. But unfortunate to her, Sikandar plays the ultimate game and runs away with all the money leaving her as the ultimate loser.

The screenplay creates moments to bag applaud enough for the beautifully plotted scenes. But the central plot is still lost in gloom. Neha ditches Arbaaz and gets away with a mere amount of fifty lacs. Was not it easy for her to get married to Arbaaz and enjoy all his crores?

Sanjay is happy with his director and says that Hansal has well justified his job. On the other hand, Sikandar has proved his legacy of Anupam and Kiran Kher with his acting ability and excellent dialogue delivery. He has well been hyped with all PRs and media relations and the growing expectation of audience is truly satisfied with his screen presence in Woodstock Villa. Neha fits well in her character of intriguing model running behind fast luck. Gulsan Grover looks really cool in the skin of Alim Bhai. Shakti Kapoor is truly juvenile in his Punjabi character. And last but not the least, Sanjay Dutt rocks in his small spanned appearance in a rock-star look.

In a nutshell I have to admit that Sanjay Gupta has again proved his mettle and intention of creating difference on Bollywood screen. It’s all now a matter of waiting to have reactions from Bollywoody audience.

Rajnee Gupta (SAMPURN)

Sarkar Raj Review

2008-08-18T04:46:00.002-07:00

Sarkar Raj Review

June 8th, 2008

(13 votes, average: 4.23 out of 5)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan. Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Tanisha Mukherji. Govind Namdeo, Upendra Limaye, Dilip Prabhawalkar, Sayaji Shinde; Director: Ram Gopal Varma; Rating: **1/2

Looks like Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘one of a kind’ cinematic sensibilities have flown out of the window. ‘Sarkar Raj’ is laden with star power and some good characterizations, yet it’s not impressive enough.

‘Sarkar’ was a landmark film of the year 2005. But the sequel can hardly be considered an apt follow-up. Maybe making the sequel wasn’t a very great idea after all (is that why creatively crazy Ramu has been telling the world that the film’s not a sequel?).

Now no one’s yet doubting his capabilities as a filmmaker though! He was an avant-garde filmmaker of his times with movies like ‘Satya’ and ‘Company’ to his credit!

Untill creative diarrhea happened to him and he decided to churn out stuff like ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’ and ‘Shiva.’

‘Sarkar Raj’ takes off where the earlier movie ended and has similar half lit settings (which becomes irritating after a point)!

Shubhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan)’s power regime in Maharashtra has happily continued. His Bal Thackrey inspired ‘father of Maharasthra’ character has come to terms with the death of his elder son (Kay Kay in the earlier film) and is satisfactorily doing his duties towards the people.

Abhishek’s Shankar Nagre has aptly taken over his father’s mantle (as shown towards the end of the earlier film) and is married to the homely Avanatika (Tanisha).

The family rules the hearts of happily citizens.

Until Aishwarya Rai power woman character enters! She is Anita Rajan whose multinational company is looking at building a huge power project which would cover some rural areas of Maharashtra.

The problem is that the project would make a million families in the surrounding villages homeless. That leaves the ground open for the start of a struggle for supremacy between the Nagre family, the various power brokers and political pawns.

The actual condition of people and the environment in Mumbai and Maharashtra’s villages has been explored well in the story and a whole lot of things appear very very authentic!

Wish Ramu hadn’t loaded the story with unrealistic things like the abrupt beginning to the Abhi Ash dosti. Just after the first meeting, Abhi is mighty impressed by Ash’s project and Ash of course. So much so that she joins him as he tours a dozen villages of Maharashtra.

Looks like Ramu was seriously trying to cash in on the miya biwi real life pyaar.

Also unrealistic are the murders happening left, right and center. Wonder what happened to the law of the land!

In the Godfather, The Corleones were a mafia family, so the bloodshed was kind of justified. But for God’s sake, this is a political family based in the heart of Mumbai!

The way the wife gets killed by the car bomb (which was meant to be for the hubby) again reminds one of the ‘The Godfather’ effect!

Amitabh Bachchan yet again delivers a flawless performance and Ramu quite literally gets what he expects from an actor like him. Abhishek essays the Shankar part pretty well, as well as in the previous film.

Their chemistry of the father–son jodi is heartwarming and excellent.

Same can’t be said of the Abhi-Ash chemistry though, which comes across as superficial. Ash looks the sophisticated corporate women’s part and her beauty shines through here, too. Only the characters looks jumbled up as from a steely foreign bred business woman, she turns into a big sympathizer and ‘too close a friend’ of the Nagre family. As a whole, she doesn’t really come across as a strong character (the way it was portrayed in the media by Mr. Varma!)

Tanisha looks the Maharashtrian wife’s part but as guessed by many she has very little to do. Supriya Pathak is amiable as in the earlier film. Rukhsar( the elder bahu)’s and her little son’s characters just get mentioned here. But the mention of their names very well leave the option for another sequel open!

There is a gamut of good character roles written in the film and the character actors from Upendra Limaye ( Vora), Dilip Prabhawalkar (Rao Sahab) to Bala (Sumeet Nijhawan), Sayaji Shinde (Karunesh Kaanga) and the Raj Thackrey kind of character stand out. They make the otherwise confusing proceedings quite interesting.

The entire premise of the movie is mighty dark and depressing and there’s a hell lot of violence happening around. If you’re a fan of feel good movies, this ain’t your cup of tea.

The cinematography (by Amit Roy) is again Ramuish (you can almost categorize it as that, after all these years, especially post ‘Sarkar’) but there are a lot of haphazard and out of focus shots (must be all for the sake of Ramu’s ‘over’ creativity).

The music doesn’t have a great role in a film like this one, so that way, it’s alright. They try to cash in on the ‘Govinda Govinda’ track here too. Though the effect isn’t the same this time around! The background score is decent (and almost similar to the earlier film).

If you are a huge fan of the Bachchans and intricacies of a political power struggle interests you, this movie sure is a one time watch! Sampurn Anand (SAMPURN)

Haal-e-Dil Preview

2008-08-18T04:46:00.001-07:00

Haal-e-Dil Preview

June 12th, 2008

(1 votes, average: 2 out of 5)

Cast: Adhyan Suman, Nakuul Mehta, Amita Pathak; Director: Anil Devgan; Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj, Anand Raj Anand, Raghav Sachar, Pritam

When love is not madness, it is not love…

Haal-e-Dil is about the same neurotic madness that one suffers from when stuck in the maze called love. It’s a young love story of people who’d go any lengths to loose themselves as smoke loses itself to the sky. They’d go any lengths to fuse that they’d not know where one ended and another began.

It’s the story of Sanjana for whom love is chaste and sacred. For her love is not part of life but life itself. It’s the story of Shekhar who keeps tripping for every second girl and loves to be in the perennial state of love not realizing that soon he is going to meet a girl who’ll change his existence. It’s the story of Rohit who would fall so deep in love that resurfacing would be not possible and he will stop at no barrier and boundary from achieving the love of his life.

Sanjana suddenly discovers herself in the crossroad of life where she has to choose between her perfect love and a perfect stranger. What will you do when you find yourself falling for a man who is completely wrong for you and what if you are already in love with someone else?

Haal-e-Dil is about ordinary people about to do extraordinary deeds in the name of love.

a film by anil devgan produced by kumar mangat. (SAMPURN)

Summer of 2007 Movie Review

2008-08-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

Summer of 2007 Movie Review

June 13th, 2008

(5 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)

Cast: Sikander Kher, Gul Panag, Ashutosh Rana, Uvika Chaudhary, Arjan Bajwa, Alekh Sangal, Vikram Gokhle, Sachin Khedekar, Neetu Chandra (Special appearance); Director: Suhail Tatari; Ratings: **1/2

The cluster of the society, who travels in its air conditioned car and spends peaceful nights in their air conditioned houses, finds newspaper and few minutes of television news as their only source of information about the country. They even don’t bother to know about the section of people belonging to the lower sectors of the society. Director Suhail and his colleagues have understood and depicted the scenario very well in Atul Pandey produced movie Summer 2007.

Life is mere a name of fun and enjoyment for five friends namely, Rahul Sharma (Sikander Kher), Vishakha (Gul Panag), Priyanka (Uvika Chaudhary), Kanteel (Arjan Bajwa) and Bagani (Alekh Sangal), all of whom are final year medical students at Kasturba Medical College. They know about how to rein their ego and that’s how, without thinking for the second time, they all jump into the college politics. When they realize the bleak of the otherwise alluring excitement, they evade making an excuse of projects. Next, being invariably keen on having fun and having less interest in final year project, the five of them reach a hospital in a village near to Goa. There they meet Dr. Mukesh Jadav (Ashutosh Rana) who single handedly runs the hospital which is on the verge of closing down due the absence of help from government. People in the village are so much indebted for monetary helps that they prefer to engulf poison than to ask for money for buying food. The person responsible for the dwindling condition of the village is the moneylender of the village Bagh (Vikram Gokhle). If someone cannot reimburse his amount then he thinks killing them as one of his responsibilities. He doesn’t want the villagers to be self-dependent. That’s why he tries to kill Shankar Gaetonde (Sachin Khedekar) who endeavours on development of the village. Dr. Mukesh, alias Mukya, who also dreams about independence of villagers, comes at the right time and saves Shankar. In that mission of saving Shankar all the villagers come in helping Dr. Mukesh without even thinking twice about their lives.

Suhail deserves claps because of his meticulous eyes on the beauty of Maharashtrian village along with the balance he maintained through his characters, their outfits as well as the language. Sikander Kher, Gul Panag, Uvika Chaudhary, Arjan Bajwa and Alekh Sangal are well in tune with their characters. We especially can talk about Alekh, who attracted the maximum number of eyeballs because of his nonpareil performance in the film. On the other hand Sachin Khedekar and Vikram Gokhle are up to the mark depicting their Marathi characters. Ashutosh Rana throws his Marathi dialogue very well (maybe having a Marathi wife has now been cashed with this film). Mere two scenes depict the chemistry between Ashutosh and Gul but the mere moments are enough to prove their maturity as actors.

People, who think farmers attempting suicide is a mere forgettable issue, should go and watch the film as the film can tell them well about how the issue is derogatory for the prestige of the nation.

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"Ugly aur Pagli "Summery And Cool Pics

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Jimmy Review

Jimmy Review

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