Student Of The Year | Movie Review

Is it worth your time and money??: If you’re looking to kill some time, then yes, Student Of The Year might be your cup of tea. It’s a time pass flick, and has its moments. Unlike any of the previous Karan Johar movies, there’s no real drama in this one, and that works. Both the guys, Siddharth and Varun are real hunks, but I thought Alia looked odd. Give it at a watch, am guessing you won’t be disappointed.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 7.5/10

English Vinglish | Movie Review

Is it worth your time and money??: Oh yes, English Vinglish is an absolute must watch for everyone. The script connects with almost every household in India, and that’s what makes the film work. The script is very well executed by first time director Gauri Shinde. There a smile on your face pretty much throughout the film. Do I even need to get started on Sridevi?? She is exceptionally brilliant, and carries the film on her shoulders all the way.

And with Sridevi in the film, does it really matter if its worth your time and money?? 😛

Ab toh Laddu khilana hi padega!! 😀

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 9/10

Barfi | Movie Review

Barfi

Acting: 10/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Absolutely!! Barfi is one of the best film I’ve watched in recent times. Simple yet heart-wrenching, it is a movie which makes you feel good. While the direction and screenplay are very good, Ranbir and Priyanka out perform each other. You’ll walk out of the theatre with a smile on your face, pakka!! 🙂

Verdict: 9/10

Ek Tha Tiger | Movie Review

Ek Tha Tiger is not a regular Salman Khan film. There are no cheap jokes, nor is it another of his harebrained potboiler. Instead, it is a pure action packed entertainer, and Salman is the new Jason Bourne of Indian cinema.

Though the story of Ek Tha Tiger is heavily inspired from various Hollywood blockbusters, Aditya Chopra (Story) gave it a fine Indian touch, and director Kabir Khan was able to pull this story off effectively. Though silly at times, Kabir made sure that the action episodes are very well shot. Unfortunately though, he couldn’t do justice to the pensive shots. Both Salman and Katrina looked out of sorts in such episodes. Otherwise, the direction is pretty good. Screenplay by Kabir and Neelesh Misra, though a tad bit slow at times, is effective.

Salman Khan is a perfect fit for the role, and was able to breathe life into Tiger’s character. He looked cool and dashing in the action episodes. Katrina Kaif was good, but I thought she looked pale for most of the film. She had quite a few action sequences herself, and she pulled them off with ease. Ranvir Shorey and Girish Jarnad were apt.

Music by Sohail Sen and Sajid-Wajid is decent. For an action entertainer, there are not many songs in the film. Background score by Julius Packiam is good. Editing by Rameshwar S. Bhagat could have been better for the film seemed a little too long. Cinematography by Aseem Mishra is  awesome. Landscapes of Iraq, Turkey and Cuba looked breathtaking. The action episodes were very well choreographed. Production values by Yash Raj are of top-notch quality. The film looked very very grand.

Overall, an entertaining film. While Salman, action episodes and the grand visuals are the plus points, the at-times slow narration is a big negative. It’s very different from the recent Salman Khan films, which in itself is a very good thing. Give it a shot. Am guessing that you won’t be disappointed.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Yes!! I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It’s very slick and very well shot. Not a treat for Salman Khan fans, but a good movie nevertheless.

Verdict: 8/10

Bol Bachchan | Movie Review

I had no intentions of watching Bol Bachchan, but was forced to do so as there was nothing better running in theaters. After two and half hours, I walked out with a bad headache.

Director Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan, like his earlier films, is a run of the mill, senseless comedy. Even for such a senseless dumb film, the first half is pretty decent. But the second half is such a drag, that even the dumb comedy turns out to be repetitive and boring. For the  tagline don’t talk, just watch, add don’t think. Ajay Devgan is pretty decent in the lead role while Abhishek Bachchan proves it that he is suitable only for such kinda roles. I wonder why they even do such kinda films. The rest of the cast is either too loud or doesn’t even have a proper role.

Music by Himesh Reshmiya and Ajay-Atul is decent, while the cinematography by Dudley is pretty good. Editing by Steven Bernard could have been way better. Most of the scenes in the second half could have made the cut.

Overall, an utter waste of time. If you really want to watch a comedy film, grab a copy of the  original Golmaal instead of wasting your time on this crap.

Acting: 5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 3/10
Technical Aspects: 6/10
Is it worth your time and money??: No. Unless you happen to like such boring comedies, or have time and money to space, skip this one please.

Verdict: 4.5/10

Gangs of Wasseypur | Movie Review

Gangs of Wasseypur starts off with a bunch of guys raiding a house tearing into pieces in the year 2004. It then flashbacks to 1941, and then, 3 hours later, ends in 1990, with a “To be continued”. By this time, my head was hurting like crazy, and half the theater had walked out. Now take an intelligent guess on how good the film was.

Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur absolutely had no story. Except for people from 1940’s looking still the same even in 1980’s, a lot of swear words, vulgar dialogues, and infidelity, there is nothing the film has to offer. The screenplay is very haphazard, and so bloody slow. I just can’t describe how disappointed I was. The acting, music, cinematography, thankfully, were good, and helped me survive!

There’s no point writing more. If you happen to like the movie, be my guest and finish the review for me 😛

Acting: 7.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 3/10
Technical Aspects: 6/10
Is it worth your time and money??: NO!! No matter what other reviews say, people started walking out of the theatre post interval. Unless you like such dark, vulgar films with no story, stay away.

Verdict: 4.5/10

Ferrari Ki Sawaari | Movie Review

Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a joy ride, yes. But there is so much drama in this joy ride, that you stop enjoying it and wonder when it’ll get over.

Written by the director, Rajesh Mapuskar, and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Ferrari Ki Sawaari narrates a story which is too good to be true in today’s world. It starts off establishing the characters of a lower middle class Parsi family of a too good dad, Rustum Deboo, his son who aspires to be like Sachin Tendulkar, and his grumpy father who doesn’t like his grandson playing cricket. Once established, there are heart-wrenching moments which make you connect to the families woes until the Ferrari comes in. From then on, the script takes a fantasy route. Sachin’s worker handing over Ferrari’s keys, and the guard letting the Ferrari leave without checking who’s in the car were just plain stupid. What follows are a bunch of brain-less, easy to guess drama sequences which last till the end of the movie. Thankfully, most of the cast do justice to their characters, and that’s what helps the movie survive. Dialogues by Raj Kumar Hiraani are not as good as you expect, but decent enough for the script. The direction good, while the screenplay could have been better.

On the acting front, Boman Irani and Ritvik Sahore are very good in their respective roles. But it’s the main lead, Sharman Joshi, who disappoints. He tried his best to be the perfect father, but it was too much for him to handle. Paresh Rawal is brilliant in his small yet vital role. Deepak Shirke (security guard) was fun to watch. Vidya Balan looked plump. The rest of the cast was pretty good. If only Sharman was replaced!!

On technical front, music by Pritam is mediocre. Background score on the other hand was pretty good. The re-recording was very good (I had goosebumps every time Ferrari engine roared). Cinematography by Sudhir Palsane was decent enough. Editing by Deepa Bhatia could have been more crisp. It’s a low-budget film and the production values by Vidhu Vinod Chopra films are pretty decent.

Overall, a decent film and one might actually enjoy it, but it’s very long and dramatic. It starts off with great intent, but becomes too much of a fantasy towards the end. It’s nowhere close to the recent films from the Vidhu Vinod Chopra films (3 Idiots or the Munna Bhai series), but is a modest effort nevertheless.

Acting: 7/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10
Technical Aspects: 7/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a movie with its heart at the right place, but it just doesn’t deliver enough. It’s a family movie, for kids and parents will enjoy it, but I don’t think youngsters will like it so much. Unless you want to take along your parents (like I did) or kids, wait for the DVD.

Verdict: 6.5/10

PS: Watching a movie at Cinemax in Inorbit mall is an utter waste of money. The screens are smaller than ones in preview theaters, and the viewing angle isn’t great either. Stay away if possible.

Shanghai | Movie Review

Shanghai

After creating quite a buzz with its trailer, Shanghai finally hit screens today. Coming from the talented director Dibakar Banerjee, Shanghai delivers, but not to everyone’s satisfaction.

Adapted from the 1967 political novel Z by Vassilis Vassilikos, Shanghai is a political thriller which aims to put forward the dark side of Indian, or in general, politics. Dibakar Banerjee sticks to the original thread, adapting the political scenarios to the suit the current Indian situation. His presentation is perfect, but it’s the very predictable script which hinders the film from making you sit on the edge of your seat. Added to this, the film is tediously slow, and at times borders on being an art film. Nevertheless, Banerjee is able to create an intense thriller, which depicts the depressing reality of today politics, while creating some wry humor. The characters are very well sketched and he was able to extract the best out of every actor. The slow pace of the film has to do with the screenplay (Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee), but to be honest, I can’t think of it being any better. It is its strength as much as its weakness.

On acting front, Abhay Deol excels as the smart IAS officer caught between the dirty politics and his conscience. His performance in the climax was just perfect. If only he could have worked a little more on his Tamilian accent. Kalki Koechlin comes up with a very aggressive performance. She is a perfect fit for the role. Prosenjit Chatterjee is very good in his brief role as the social activist. After Shor In The City, Pitobash Tripathy shines again. This chap is full of raw energy. But the clear winner on the acting front is definitely Emraan Hashmi. Shedding the image of the serial kisser, he digs into his role with all his might and comes up with a brilliant performance.

On the technical front, music by Vishal-Shekhar is pretty decent. “Bharat Mata Ki” makes an impact. I thought the way “Imported Kamariya” song was inserted between shots was very effective. Background score is never too loud and just perfect. Editing by Namrata Rao is neat. Cinematography by Nikos Andritsakis is very very good. PVR Cinemas should be appreciated for investing in such kind of different film.

Overall, Shanghai is one of the finest films made this year. Dibakar Banerjee’s drama less way of story telling and some brilliant performances by its cast act as the positives. On the other hand, the slow pace of the film, and its serious monotone might not help it sink in with all kinds of audience. Though I thought it was slow, I liked it. You might too 🙂

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Shanghai is a very well made film, bordering on artistic genre. Its problem is the pace and a very predictable script, but some fine performances by all the artists makes it watchable. It’s a one time watch, provided you like such kind of dark movies.

Verdict: 8/10

Department | Movie Review

I was so not interested in watching Department, but here I was for I wanted to see how bad it could be. Plus, I had this review to write. Two and half hours of comedy and torture, together! RGV has gone nuts!!

Honestly, Department shouldn’t have been such a bad film. The script, written by Nilesh Girkar, is pretty decent, and if handled properly, it could have made a pretty good movie. But Ram Gopal Varma just does the opposite and brings to screen a lazy dull boring film. He doesn’t manage to extract the best out of any of his cast. The screenplay is tediously slow, and at times starts to test your patience. RGV has this knack of picturizing a scene in slow motion while making it effective, but in this movie, all such scenes seemed totally out-of-place. The slow motion climax fight and the overused stunt camera work are just a couple of examples of where the film went wrong. On the whole, RGV disappoints!!

On the acting front, no one shines. Rana can’t act for nuts. One wonders how he made it into Bollywood when he can’t even survive in Tollywood. To be fair to him, he tries to act, but he needs to realize that its something physically impossible for him to do. His voice is the only saving grace. Sanjay Dutt looks like a stone and has a straight face throughout the film. It was as if he was reading lines of the script with no expressions. Amitabh Bachchan over does his part and was totally wasted. I don’t think an actor of his caliber should even do such kinda roles. Anjana Sukhani is pretty good, while Lakshmi Manchu is alright. Vijay Raaz was too loud, Abimanyu Singh looked dumb. The best act probably was by Madhu Shalini, for she atleast tried her best to create the oomph factor.

On technical front, it’s a disaster. Music by Bappi Lahiri, Dharam-Sandeep and Vikram Magi is mediocre. It was the most pathetic and horrendous background score I’ve heard for any movie in my life so far. I don’t have words to describe how bad it was. Cinematography by FXS team (Ravichandran Thevar, Siddhartha More, Zaryan Patel, Sapan Narula and Harshraj Shroff), shot using small cameras was good initially, but every shot of the movie being shot at odd angles made it lose the effect. Editing by Vinay Abhijit was again mediocre.

Overall, a disappointing film. Ram Gopal Varma has definitely got the talent, no doubt about that. But he seems to ditch it and tries to make some dumb-ass films at times. Department just happens to be one of those films. Can the real RGV please stand up??

Acting: 5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 4/10
Technical Aspects: 5/10
Is it worth your time and money??: I so wanna say yes for I want you to go through what I went through. But I’ll be nice and request you to stay away from Department. RGV has gone bonkers, and so will you if you do go watch it. Stay away!!

Verdict: 4.5/10

Ishaqzaade | Movie Review

Ishaqzaade

Ishaqzaade is an example of how a film without a proper script can get ruined. Its got some amazing chemistry between the lead pair, but like many other films these days, doesn’t have the script power to give them the boost.

Director Habib Faisal (writer and director – Do Dooni Chaar, screenplay and dialogue – Band Baaja Baaraat) had a promising story line at hand, but unfortunately, he doesn’t convert it into a promising script. Ishaqzaade, though predictable, starts of really well. Kids of  the rival Hindu and Muslim families, fighting initially but slowly falling in love. This half of the story (the first half) is very good, pacy, and has some amazing moments. The chemistry between Arjun and Parineeti is perfect, and you have an ideal interval bang. And then starts the trouble cos the latter half goes haywire, and Faisal loses it all. So you have a pretty much boring second half which ends with one of the most ridiculous and clichéd climax ever. Nevertheless, the film is entertaining and every character, though mostly clichéd again,  is very well sketched. The dialogues are very well written, and the screenplay is pretty neat. Only if he had come up with a better script, he would have had a definite winner at hand.

On the acting front, Parineeti steals the show. She has a very meaty role and she takes full advantage of it. She is a total firebrand and looks absolutely b-e-a-utiful (I have a new favorite actress). She breathes life even into a dying script. Arjun Kapoor makes a very good debut. He looks very raw, but to his advantage, the character needed that rawness. He still has a long way to go though. The rest of the relatively new cast is pretty good.

On the technical front, music by Amit Trivedi is very good. I am love with the title track and ‘Pareshan’. The background score could have had a little more punch to it. Cinematography by Hemant Chaturvedi is fantastic. Editing by Aarti Bajaj is good. The film barely crosses the two-hour mark. Production values by Yash Raj are, as usual, good.

Overall, an entertaining film. Plus points are good performances and Parineeti. A dull second half and the cliched climax form the other extreme. It’s not a movie you need to run to the theater for, unless you wanna watch the gorgeous/pretty/beautiful Parineeti scorch the screen.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Hmm… That’s a tough one. I guess yes, for its got some awesome performances by Parineeti, and even Arjun. Give it a shot at your leisure.

Verdict: 7/10