Category: Hindi

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

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

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.

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

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