Category: Hindi

Vicky Donor | Movie Review

So finally, after 2 weeks, here I was watching Vicky Donor. Having heard so many good things about the film, I was quite apprehensive on whether I would actually like it for I was going in with huge expectations. 10 minutes through, and it looked like I was in for a disaster. But then, it got better and better, and there was no looking back. It’s an awesome movie.

Director Shoojit Sircar brings onto screen a beautiful, lighthearted rom-com, set against the backdrop of sperm donation. In a country where the concept of sperm donation is still considered a taboo, and in a film industry where there are more double meaning dialogues than simple ones, he comes up with this brilliant masterpiece, throwing light on the tabooed subject without stooping low. He handled the subject in a very sensitive way, while making sure to insert some subtle comedy into the film. The direction is very good and he was able to generate best performances from the relatively new cast.  Though it tends to get cheesy at times, Sircar comes up with some beautiful moments – mother and grand mother episodes, the wedding episode – brilliantly picturized. The dialogues by Juhi Chaturvedi are very well written, and help set the mood for the film. They have this typical Delhi flavor to them. The screenplay, also by Juhi, was very good.

I’ve never liked Ayushmann so much, until now that is. He couldn’t have asked for a better debut. He is fun to watch on-screen and it never seemed like was trying too hard either. His Punjabi accent and comic timing are his best assets. Yami Gautam is perfect as his love interest. She so got into the role, that I actually thought she was a Bong. She’s got a beautiful smile. Kamlesh Gill and Dolly Ahluwalia are the best saas-bahu pair I’ve seen in a long time. Their chemistry is extraordinary, especially in the drinking episode. Jayanti Das is very good as Ashima’s father. The scene where he talks about sex with Ashima is hilarious. The hands-down winner in the acting department though is Annu Kapoor. Be it his comic timing, or sensibility in serious episodes, he is an absolute delight to watch. There is no Vicky Donor without Dr. Chaddha, period!!

On the technical front, the movie is flawless. Music and background score is decent, and never too loud. Cinematography by Kamaljeet Negi is simple, yet perfect. Editing by Shekhar Prajapati is crispy. It’s a perfect debut for John Abraham as a producer. I only wish he didn’t flaunt himself in the end title credits.

Overall, a lovely movie with some impeccable direction and acting. The fact that a tabooed subject with sex as its background is able to run packed houses without being derogative in any sense shows how good this film actually is. It’s one film you might enjoy with your family as well. The second best film of the year for me (after Kahaani).

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8.5/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10
Is it worth your time and money??: Yes, don’t miss it!

Verdict: 9/10

Agent Vinod | Movie Review

Agent Vinod is one of the weirdest films I’ve seen in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad film in entirety, but the taking, screenplay and cinematography were so bloody confusing that I began to wonder if The Matrix was simpler to understand.

Director Sriram Raghavan seemed to have been inspired from Casino Royale so much for he decided to make this film on pretty much like it. The plot is no where close, but to me, it seemed like a lot of shots were rip off’s from the James Bond film. Saif Ali Khan tried really hard and put a lot of time and effort to become the Indian Bond. He even put his decision on marrying Kareena on hold until the film was out. Alas, though he comes up with a pretty good performance, the boring, boring script fails him. Except for him, the millions of actors playing different characters in the film do nothing but confuse you. Of them, Kareena looked the most out of sorts.

The fast paced action in the film is so bloody fast that you can neither make head nor tail out of what’s happening on-screen. The cinematography, thought brilliant in few episodes, could have been way better. The screenplay, especially in the first half, is so confusing, that I couldn’t differentiate between the good and the bad guys.

Agent Vinod is a film you can watch once. Give it a shot if you have nothing else to do this weekend!!

Verdict: 6.5/10

For a detailed review, read on…

Plot
Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) is an Indian RAW agent trying to get hold of an ISI Colonel who is in turn trying to get hold of a suitcase bomb which could kill millions of people. In the process, he bumps into an undercover Pakistani ISI Agent Iram Parveen Bilal (Kareena Kapoor) who is also trying to get hold of the suitcase. Together, they travel from Moscow to Morocco, Latvia, Somalia, Karachi, and finally to India, only figure out that there is more to the conspiracy than what meets the eye.

Actors Performance
Saif Ali Khan looks suave and fits the bill perfectly. He carries the film on his shoulder with ease. Some of the dialogues mouthed by him are really good. But his characterization, though best of the lot, could have been much better. Kareena Kapoor, as already mentioned, looked pale and dead. He character required her to be sad for most part, but I thought she over did it. She looks gorgeous in “Dil Mera” song though. Ram Kapoor and Zakhir Hussain shine in their respective roles. Ravi Kishan and Prem Chopra are alright.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
Sriram Raghavan is a director with potential. With Agent Vinod, he tried to take his films a notch further with this film, but unfortunately for him, his efforts fall flat. The script is more or less a stitch of the Bourne, MI and Bond series; the problems with the stitch being the gaping loopholes and weak characterizations. The first half pretty much makes no sense, thanks to the mediocre screenplay. The second half helps us connect the dots, but not without rattling our brains. His brilliance though is showcased in the canning of “Raabta” song. The single shot sequence is one of the high points of the film. That apart, the direction is decent.

Other Departments
Music by Pritam is alright. He did a very good job ripping of some International tracks. “Raabta” is my favorite from the movie. Background score by Daniel George is pacy and good. Editing by Pooja Surti could have been crisp. Cinematography by Muraleedharan seemed very experimental. The upside down shot in the first few minutes, and the one shot picturization for “Rabta” song were brilliantly done. Action sequences by Perter Heins were, as usual, totally overboard, and made no sense to the naked eye. A lot of money was spent on the production (shot in 12 countries), and the effort is visible on-screen.

Kahaani | Movie Review

Vidya oh Vidya!! Wait, did I start my The Dirty Picture review with the same line?? Actually, who cares, for Vidya Balan has stumped me again!! This girl is absolutely brilliant, and is most probably gonna win all awards even in 2013!

Kahaani is a thought-provoking suspense thriller. It’s not perfect by any means, but the sheer presence of Vidya Balan, and some beautiful performances by the rest of the cast makes you forget all its flaws. Vidya is, am running out of adjectives here, stunning, and Parambrata Chatterjee is brilliant. After delivering a couple of duds, director Sujoy Ghosh comes up with a winner with the help of his co-writers Ritesh Shah, Sutapa Sikdar and Advaita Kala. As mentioned in the film, a pregnant woman searching for her lost husband against all odds makes you feel for her, and you can’t help but take part in her quest. Sujoy was able to maintain the tempo perfectly, creating beautiful moments, not once giving away the suspense to make you a part of that quest. Exciting screenplay, excellent cinematography in the bustling by-lanes of Kolkata, and a decent background score keep you, maybe not at the edge of you seat, but close enough.

Kahaani was not so well promoted, and doesn’t have good openings to boast off. It’s got no dancing numbers nor any sleazy skin shows. But it’s got Vidya, and Vidya brings all the entertainment we need. After The Wednesday, this is one of the best Bollywood thrillers I’ve come across. Don’t miss it!!

Verdict: 8/10 + 1 for Vidya

And for the first time so far, amma loved a movie more than me.
Amma’s Verdict: 9.5/10

For a detailed review, read on…

Plot
The film kicks off with a deadly gas attack in a metro rail in Kolkata. Two yeas post the attack, Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), seven months pregnant, arrives in the city from London in search of her husband, Arnab Bagchi,  who had come on a project at the National Data Center a couple of weeks ago, and has been missing ever since. Satyoki/Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee), Asst. Sub Inspector of the Kalighat Police Station offers to help her in the search. The rest of the story is about the mysterious turns and events which finally help her find her lost love.

Actors Performance
Enough said about Vidya Balan, so I am not going to talk about her any further. As already mentioned, rest of the cast, though relatively new, was absolutely perfect and helped sustain the suspense. Parambrata Chatterjee looked really handsome and came up with an amazingly good performance. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was perfect as the rude IB officer.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
It looks like Sujoy Ghosh and Advaita Kala had an interesting intensive story to tell, but lost some steam when it came to script writing (Ritesh Shah, Sutapa Sikdar and Sujoy Ghosh). There are a number of loopholes in the script. Nevertheless, director Sujoy Ghosh was able to pull it off without ridicule in the end. He was able to extract terrific performances while keeping the audience thrilled. The interval episode was canned really well, leaving you asking for more and the twist in the climax was totally unexpected. The screenplay (Sujoy Ghosh, Suresh Nair and Nikhil Vyas), though a little hazy in the beginning, was really good. Leaving apart a couple of blunders, it is all connected very well in the climax.

Other Departments
Music by Vishal and Shekhar (couple of songs were used in the movie) is pretty good. “Ekla Cholo Re”  sung by Amitabh Bachchan is haunting. Background score is also good. Cinematography by Setu is awesome. He was able to capture the colors of Kolkata. Editing by Namrata Rao is neat. Production values by Viacom 18 are good.

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu | Movie Review

Post Jab We Met, we’ve had a bunch of chirpy love stories release. Most of them had the same old concept of rich kids (either one) falling in love, then breaking up, and finally ending up together (Anjaana Anjaani, Break Ke Baad, etc). From the trailer, this pretty much looked like one of those films. There were even rumors of it being a Hollywood rip-off. But, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is nothing like those idiotic flicks, nor is it a rip-off. It’s a very cute little movie with some excellent, if not brilliant performances.

Directed by debutante Shakun Batra, EMAET has its heart in the right place. It is not one of those typical love stories (I would  infact not categorize it as a love story). It’s more of a lighthearted comedy with friendship as its backdrop. Imran Khan is getting better as an actor, Kareena, well, is just gorgeous, and their chemistry is great. Perfect casting, decent music, excellent cinematography, slick screenplay, what more do you need to make a good feature film??

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu might be predictive, but is a very well executed movie with a refreshing feel  to it. Some might not like it, but I did, and suggest you go watch it.

Verdict: 8/10

For a detailed review, read on…

Plot
Rahul Kapoor (Imran Khan) is a parent’s pet, one who doesn’t live a life of his own. His dad (Boman Irani) expects him to be work for the best architecture firm, while his mom (Ratna Pathak Shah), a fashion obsessed socialite, wants him to work on his hairstyle. Meanwhile, Rahul loses his job. As expected, he bumps into the lovely-lively-bubly Riana (Kareena Kapoor), a girl who lives her life to the fullest. They get ‘Talli’ one night and end up getting married. They plan on annulling it, but before that happens, spend two weeks together. The rest of the movie is about how these two weeks change Rahul’s life.

Artists Performance
Imran Khan has improved so much as an actor. He’s getting better and better with every movie. He’s fantastic in the serious episodes, and pretty good at comedy. Though his mom keeps going on and on about his hairstyle, I kinda liked it. I strongly feel that he’s got the potential to make it big, but he definitely needs to try different things instead of working in films with similar genre (something like Delhi Belly more often).

Kareena Kapoor plays Geet all over again, but its more of a dignified and controlled performance this time around. She is the soul of the film, and looks gorgeous. Being a senior artiste, she gives Imran enough space, and not once overshadows him.

Rest of the cast is perfect. Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah are an awesome as the obsessive, over concerned parents. Kareena’s bunch, each and every one of them, are absolutely fantastic. Ram Kapoor is perfect in his small role.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
Scripted by Shakun Batra and Ayesha DeVitre, EMAET borrows concepts from various sources , a bunch of films we’ve already seen, but it’s the execution which makes this movie stand apart from the rest. Its got ample amount of freshness to it. Direction by Shakun Batra is good. He uses his cast to perfection, and so was able to create few great moments. He was also able to generate subtle humor from the actors at ease. More than the direction, it’s the screenplay which makes the movie work. It’s very slick, and there is not a single dull moment in the movie. I especially loved the parallel story telling shots at the therapy center. And I loved the climax!!

If he sticks to his basics and makes movies with such freshness, director Shakun Batra might make be the next Imtiaz Ali.

Other Departments
Music by Amit Trivedi is a definite asset to the movie. It’s actually a worth buy album in itself. My personal favorites are ‘Aunti ji’ and ‘Gubare’. Background score by Clinton Cerejo is good. I liked the way he used an old classic for one of the most hilarious scenes in the movie. Lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are perfect. Dialogies, I am assuming by Shakun Batra, are excellent. Editing by Asif Ali Shaik is really good. At 1 hour 50 minutes, the film, as already mentioned, is never boring. Cinematography by David MacDonald is very innovative. After the agni pariksha of Agneepath, Dharma Productions comes up with a feel-good breezy film.

Agneepath | Movie Review

Ok, firstly, I am no big fan of Amitabh’s 1990 version of Agneepath, and so went to watch the movie with no expectations. But still, I walked out of the theater with a head ache. Karan Malhotra and Karan Johar, what the hell was that?? I mean, I really wonder what these guys were thinking when they started to make the movie. With this script, and the obvious comparisons to the 1990’s film, they should have known that it was an absolute disaster in the making!

Except for Sanjay Dutt, and maybe Katrina Kaif, the film stands no ground. It is a three-hour long, slow, boring movie (did I mention long??). Sanju baba is really good, but he aint Dark Knight’s Joker to save the movie. Hrithik tried really really hard to live up to Amithabh’s character, but failed miserably. How can he, when he does not appear on the screen until exactly 45 minutes have passed by? And Priyanka, our irritating slum dwelling heroine makes sure that she wears designer sarees with backless blouses all the time, her pallu covering less than half of her bosom, is horrendous. The best part of the movie though is in the climax, when our Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, twice stabbed by the intimidating, bald, scary Kancha Cheena, lives long enough to avenge his father’s death. I can’t believe that I live in a generation where such kinda dumb and dull movies are still made.

I suggest you stay away from this movie at all costs. Instead, go buy a DVD of Amitabh’s version, which though not a classic, is way way better than this version. I expect Mithunda to entertain you much more than Chikni Chameli!!

In one sentence, it’s not Agneepath, but agni pariksha for us!!

Verdict: 3/10

PS: There are people I know of who liked/loved the movie. If you happen to be one of them, well, nevermind…

For a detailed review, read on…

Plot
Master Dinanath Chauhan (Chetan Pandit) is an upright, principled and role-model citizen of a small island south of Mumbai, Mandwa. Kancha (Sanjay Dutt) wants to take over Mandwa and use it as a base to export cocaine. He accuses Masterji of child abuse, and hangs him to death. Vijay (Hrithik Roshan), Masterji’s son, vows to himself to return to Mandwa and avenge his father’s death. He, along with his mother move to Mumbai, where he joins Rauf Lala’s (Rishi Kapoor) evil gang. Rest of the story is about how Vijay rises through ranks in Rauf Lala’s empire and fights Kancha to get Mandwa back to its people.

Actors Performance
Hrithik Roshan tried really hard to be Amitabh Bachchan, but thanks to the script, fails. Dont get me wrong here, he did a pretty good job, but his characterization fails him. He seemed to have worked quite a bit for this role, and the effort shows on-screen. But there is no charm in his character, and his dialogue delivery was no where close to AB’s. However good he was, bottom-line, he ain’t the Vijay Dinanath Chauhan we know.

Priyanka Chopra looked awful. Except for a couple of songs, she barely had screen space. And when she did, was irritating. I thought she over-acted in most of the shots. She seriously needs to work on her wardrobe, and stop showing off her curves unnecessarily. Rishi Kapoor shines as Rauf Lala. He, along with Om Puri, easily walk-through their respective roles. The rest of the cast was alright.

Katrina Kaif sizzles in her brief appearance in the item song. She looks yummy delicious, and was way better than Priyanka Chopra, looks wise.

The star of the movie though is Sanjay Dutt. He was brilliant, and I mean absolutely brilliant as Kancha Cheena. He bald look is scary enough to put children to sleep. His expressions and the menacing laugh were great. But again, the script fails him. Such threatening Kancha Cheena losing the battle to a wounded Vijay without a fight in the climax seemed really silly.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
Debut director Karan Malhotra simply makes a mess of the original movie. Mukul Anand’s Agneepath is not a classic in itself, so when remaking, I am guessing Karan intended to better it. But unfortunately, he, along with co-script writer Ila Dutta Bedi (story-screenplay) completely ruined it. Firstly, something I don’t understand is why the movie was scripted to happen in 1992. Is it because they thought that people don’t use common sense in that period?? It is a slow, draggy movie which makes no sense. It is so senseless that our hero, Vijay not only enters Kancha’s den, but blasts Mandwa just like that, single-handedly, while whole of Mumbai’s police force does not even dare to enter the island because of its high security. And then, he, twice stabbed, has the strength to lift our heavy Sanju baba on his shoulders before hanging him. Awesome!! And oh, did I mention the sister sentiment in between (which is followed by a song)?? The screenplay is mediocre. Direction, though good in parts, is not worth talking about. With actors like Sanjay, Hrithik and Rishi Kapoor at bay, even I can do a better job.

Other Departments
Music by Ajay-Atul is alright. Except for ‘Chikni Chameli’ and the background score, rest of the stuff is forgettable. The re-recording is good. Lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are alright. The old Agneepath had amazing dialogues, but the current one lacks punch. Editing by Akiv Ali could have been way better. I can’t stress enough than mention that people started walking out of the theater on the first day 30 minutes before the movie ended. Cinematography by  Kiran Deohans and Ravi K. Chandram is good. Art work by Sabu Cyril could is bad. The sets, especially the banyan tree looked so bloody artificial. Graphics are pathetic. Production values by Dharma Productions are not up to the mark. For a film from their house, we expect it to be atleast technically brilliant, even if story wise pathetic.

Don 2 | Movie Review

Did I go to watch the Don return, or was it Mission Impossible 5?? There were car chases, buildings being bombed, hi-tech bank robbery sequence, 300 feet jump off a building, a mask involved.. did I miss anything?? In one word, it was a potpourri of say all the MI, Ocean’s Eleven, and every other Hollywood action film of similar genre put together into a 2 hours 26 minutes film. But wait, it doesn’t end there; unlike all other films, this one has the bad guy playing the lead role.

Directed by one of my favourites, the film is very stylish, but is also long and disappointing. I expected something more sensible from Farhan. I never thought I would say this, but go watch the film only for Shahrukh. He’s perfect for such kinda roles, and he sure delivers. He tried to carry the entire film on his shoulders, but its the script which fails him. If you aren’t too fond of him, wait for the DVD to release.
 
Verdict: 6/10
 
For a detailed review, read on…

 

Plot
With the European mafia planning to kill him, Don (Shahrukh Khan) surrenders to the Interpol in Thailand. He  is sentenced to death, and is sent to a Malaysian prison where he meets Vardhaan (Boman Irani). Don and Vardhaan escape from the prison and reach Berlin. Together, they plan to rob a bank while Interpol officer Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is trying to chase them down. The rest of the story is all about how the robbery is executed, and Don’s real motive behind the robbery.

Artists Performance
Shahrukh Khan is brilliant as Don. He suits such kinda roles to perfection. I cant think of any actor from the current generation who can do a better job than him. Hrithik Roshan just proves that in his brief cameo as Don (oops, sorry!!). SRK looked really stylish all throughout the film. I liked his antics (which are very decent unlike his regular films) and dialogue delivery. Priyanka Chopra has a limited role in the film. She tried too hard to get into the character, and failed miserably. Kunal Kohli was alright in his brief role. Strangely, both Om  Puri and Boman Irani looked out of place. The guy who played the role of Jabbar, Nawab Shah, was pathetic. Lara Dutta was pretty good in her cameo.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
Written by Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah (also credited for the screenplay), the film, as mentioned, relies too much on other films of similar genre. The first half of the movie was well written, and made sense, but the second half was like a half-baked cookie. The whole episode of the bank robbery, which forms the crux of the story, just doesn’t make sense. If anyone could walk into a bank and get into its safety vault so easily, I believe there would be a robbery every other day. And ya, why did Don need Vardhaan with him exactly?? The best part was Don going back into the bank with Roma in order to save the hostages. Even better, what’s with the bomb blast after Roma was shot?? The whole episodes involving Don and Roma seemed entirely ridiculous. The screenplay was decent, but too haphazard, especially towards the climax. For the first time, Farhan Akhtar fails as a director. Except for SRK, I thought that everyone looked out of place, with blank/straight faces for most of the movie. He shot the film very stylishly and even brilliantly in parts, but failed to generate performances from his artists.

Other Departments
The usual’s of an Excel production film are all here. Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is a definite asset to the film. There are only three songs in the movie though. More than the music, its the background score and the re-recording which make an impact. Lyrics by Javed Akhtar, and dialogues by Farhan are good. Editing by Anand Subaya could have been more crisp. Cinematography by Jason West is again, fantastic. The action sequences were alright, but a little to much to handle. With the 3D, I could neither make head nor tail of most of the action sequences, cos everything happened really fast. Otherwise, the 3D effect was alright. Production values by SRK and Excel Entertainment are pretty good. It is apparently the first Indian film to be shot in Germany.

Analysis
Inspired from a whole bunch of movies, Don 2 lacks the punch of the first Don. Its not that MI – Ghost Protocol dint have its flaws, but it managed to cover them with the action and direction. But for this film, except for SRK, nothing else holds. Plus points are SRK, music, cinematography and a couple of action sequences. But its the senseless script script and mediocre direction which pull the film down.

The Dirty Picture | Movie Review

The Dirty Picture

Plot 
The Dirty Picture tells the story of Reshma (Vidya Balan), a small town girl who wants to make it big in films. She runs away from her house to Chennai a day before her wedding. She tries to get a supporting role in a movie but is insulted for her looks and is rejected. She somehow manages to get the role of an erotic dancer at a later stage. Her act goes viral and she is christened ‘Silk’ by producer SelvaGanesh (Rajesh Sharma). She continues to act in sleazy film and achieves fame envied by her counterparts. The rest of the story is about how she handles the criticism and responds to it.

Artists Performance
Oh Vidya Balan, you have stumped me!
It’s an out-and-out Vidya Balan film and she oozes out oomph factor in each and every frame. She should be really appreciated for taking up such a role, shedding all her inhibitions. She looks dusky and really good during the first half of the film, and then puts on flab like crazy for the second half (I know how difficult it is to lose those tummy tires, god knows how she managed to lose it so soon). She was absolutely brilliant, and is sure to bag all the awards for best actress in 2012.

Naseeruddin Shah is excellent in the role of the elderly actor who sleeps around with all his female co-stars. I cant imagine anyone else doing a better job. Its one of the best roles Tusshar Kapoor could have got, and he doesn’t disappoint. He looked idiotic in his costumes, but he does justice to the role. Emraan Hashmi has limited presence in the film, and portrays a character very different from his usual genre. He was very good as well. Rajesh Sharma (SelvaGanesh) was excellent as the director. Rest of the cast was alright.
 
Story-Screenplay-Direction
It is very difficult to make a film based on the life of an actress who committed suicide (Silk Smitha). But writer Rajat Aroraa (story, dialogues and screenplay) comes up with a very good script without going too deep into details on Silk’s personal life. The plot of the film is something similar to that of Kalki Koechlin role in Dev.D – people want and watch girls in skimpy clothes doing sleazy dances on-screen, but then insult the same girls and label them as sex-sirens off screen. The story revolves around how Silk handles this situation, and how she gives in into it towards the end. Though well written, the story tends to lose steam towards the second half of the movie. Dialogues are brilliantly written and act as the second lead in the movie. Screenplay could have been more effective towards the climax. Direction by Milan Luthria is good. He’s certainly improved on his directorial skills since Taxi 9211.
 
Other Departments
Music by Vishal-Shekhar is alright. Audiance were going nuts for “Ooh La La”. Background score is good. The south-Indian track “Naka Muka” is very effective as the BG. Cinematography by is pretty good and editing by Akiv Ali is decent. Production values by Balaji Telefilms are very good. They did a very good job recreating the 80’s.
 
Analysis
As already mentioned, it’s a Vidya Balan’s film. If it weren’t for her, this film would have been crap. She has portrayed the best role of her career so far. Brilliant dialogues, superb acting by Vidya and Naseeruddin Shah, effective background score, and the oomph factor are the plus points of the film. On the flip side, since its based of a true story, it might/will bore you. It’s not a great film by any means, and even I found it boring at times, but Vidya made sure that I walked out of the theater satisfied.
 
To quote Vidya, ‘Filme sirf teen cheeso ke vaaje se chalti hain – entertainment, entertainment, entertainment.’ She definitely was Entertainment!!
 

Verdict: 7/10  + 1 for Vidya 🙂

Desi Boyz | Movie Review

Plot
Jerry (Akshay Kumar) and Nick (John Abraham) are two friends living in London. Both of them lose their jobs during recession period. Unable to find anything else, they end up working as male escorts with ‘Desi Boyz’ as Rocco and Hunter. Nick’s fiancee Radhika (Deepika Padukone) soon finds out about his job and dumps him, and Jerry loses custody of his nephew to a foster home. Rest of the story is about how Jerry and Nick accept responsibility and find better jobs.

Artists Performance
After delivering series of flops for the last 3 years, I don’t know what better I was expecting from Akshay Kumar’s movie (other than the loud cheap comedy and double meaning dialogues that is). On the scale of pathetic acting, he scores a perfect 10. He’s a 44-year-old guy, why doesn’t someone tell him that he should start acting in sensible movies now at least. He’s a good actor, but I don’t understand why he’s wasting his talent by acting in such second grade movies.

John Abraham scores even better than Akshay, for he cant even act. As in Force, his body looked a little too beefed up. He seriously needs to go train at an acting school before it’s too late. Deepika is alright as Radhika, but even she needs to find better scripts to work on. Chitrangda Singh had no major role, and looked horrible in the film. Anupam Kher and Omi Vaidya are wasted. The kid couldn’t act for nuts. Rest of the cast was mediocre.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
David Dhawan was very famous for his cheap comedy, but his movies did make sense even if they were too loud. But his son, Rohit Dhawan (story, screenplay and direction) seems to have forgotten to use his brain while scripting and filming this movie. The story made no absolute sense. The best part is that Jerry doesn’t lose his job because of recession, but because of his careless attitude. But then, he’s good enough to become male escort. Nick joins him because he doesn’t want to leave his friend alone (I have tears in my eyes). I don’t wanna talk of rest of the movie, cos it will take forever for me to finish. To nail the coffin, direction is pathetic. Forget John, he couldn’t even make the kid act. Screenplay was mediocre.

Other Departments
Barring two songs (Desi Boyz and Hero), music by Pritam is nothing great. I liked ‘Hero’ song quite a bit. Background score by Sandeep Shirodkar is alright. Cinematography by Natarajan Subramaniam is pretty decent. With so many films being shot in London, he dint have anything new to capture. Editing by Nitin Rokade was alright. Production values could have been much better, for the sets used in the film are worse then the ones used in 1950’s (a very bad painting of a skyscraper at the window is supposed to make us believe that the courtroom is in London).

Analysis
Unless you are jobless like me, or unless you have a thing for cheap senseless humor, please avoid this film at all costs. It’s an absolute waste of money. The story is pathetic, direction worse, and acting mediocre. I wish Akshay Kumar would stop acting in such ‘ghatiya’ movies.

If you want to watch this film even after reading this review, go watch this film with a group of close buddies so as to have a laugh at least.

Verdict: 4.5/10

Rockstar | Movie Review

Spoiler Alert!!

Plot 
Rockstar Janardhan Jakhar/JJ/Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor), a middle class Haryanvi guy is a wannabe Jim Morrison. His college canteen owner, Khatana bhai (Kumud Mishra) philosophizes that a person needs a heart break to create awesome music. Going by this, JJ tries to woo the heart-breaking chick of the college, Heer (Nargis Fakhri). After a series of comic episodes, they become very good friends, and JJ helps organize Heer’s wedding. The rest of the story is about how JJ and Heer realize their love for each other, and how the heartbreak makes JJ a Rockstar!

Artists Performance
Ranbir Kapoor is fantabulous in the lead role. Its clearly visible that he had put in a lot of effort into this character. He has about five different get ups in the movie, and he carried all of them with ease. The only problem was his characterization (Il get into that later). Nargis Fakhri is a good find and looks really beautiful (though I thought that she looked very very lean). On acting front, she ain’t that great. It looked like she tried to imitate a number of actresses through the film. She’s definitely got talent which can be probably be put to use in better films. Shammi Kapoor has a very small role, and was good. Kumud Mishra is excellent as JJ’s manager. Aditi Rao Hydari was good as the journalist, who later becomes JJ’s ***. The rest of the cast was relatively new, and alright.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
Boy oh boy, where do I even start?? After roaring success of Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal, director Imtiaz Ali seems to have lost his head. With Rahman to support him on music front, all he could churn out was a pathetic story; a married woman suffering from cancer, who cant even stand on her feet, sleeps with the lead actor, gets pregnant, and then slips into coma. And this forms the core story around which our loser becomes a Rockstar. Seriously dude, WTH?? I don’t even want to get into rest of the details. The first five minutes of the film had brilliant screenplay and so I was hoping for one hell of a film. Even the first half of the film actually turned out to be good. But post interval, everything went down the drain. The guy sitting in the next seat kept repeatedly asking his friend “Why is he doing this???”. We all need an answer Imtiaz!.

Being titled Rockstar, there is nothing rocking about the script. All the characters were very badly scripted, worst being Jordan. This guy seriously doesn’t know what he wants. He initially cant even pronounce Prague properly, but then becomes perfect at everything. He is supposed to be in love with Heer, but is more than happy to kiss and play around with other girls. There was absolutely no conflict point in the movie for Jordan to actually go through pain, cos Heer is more than willing to sleep with him (forget constantly kissing him backstage, while her husband is sitting in the front row). The most disappointing part was the lead up to ‘Sadda Haq’.

Imtiaz was able to get awesome performance from Ranbir, and even from Nargis in parts, but with such a weak, draggy script, Rockstar/Imtiaz disappoints!!

Other Departments
The pre Slumdog Millionaire Rahman is back, and he absolutely mesmerizes us with his music (though it aint exactly Rock music). The background score is very good as well. I loved the way he mixed the tracks for the bg. I was disappointed on the fact that my favorite song ‘Sheher Main’ was missing in the film. Lyrics by Irshad Kamil are a lil too complicated to figure put, but good. Cinematography by Anil Mehta is excellent, but most of the shots in Himachal looked similar to the ones in Jab We Met. Editing by Aarti Bajaj is pathetic. The story itself was such a drag, and on top of it, there are like ‘n’ number of scenes which could have made the cut but dint. Production values by Eros and Ashtavinayak are excellent.

Analysis
I’ve been waiting for this film for a long time now, and was really hoping that it would do well. But alas, it competes with Ra.One on the level of stupidity (actually, ignore that, nothing can ever be compared to Ra.One). As mentioned, the first of the film is pretty decent and promises a good film, but the interval bang and post interval episodes are pathetic. I really couldn’t understand why Heer would sleep with Jordan in the first place, and then scream her lungs out after everything was done. And this leads to ‘Sadda Haq’ (listen to it lyrics, then you’ll  probably understand why I keep saying that). The audience started clapping when Heer slips into a coma, which proves how good the movie was. And later when she steps onto the stage for ‘Tum Ho’, followed by the end credits, I could hear at least ten people scream ‘What the …’.

So that basically sums up my Rockstar experience. I got out of the theatre with a nice head ache. Except for the music, this film doesn’t even deserve a one time watch.

Verdict: 5/10

PS: Go get a DVD of a Telugu movie ‘Prema’ which runs on a pretty similar but much better story line instead of watching this!!

Force | Movie Review

Plot
Yashwardhan (John Abraham) is a force/tough police officer working for the narcotics control bureau. He keeps bumping into a social worker Maya (Genelia D’Souza) often, and eventually falls in love with her. On job front, he kills a drug lord Anna (Mukesh Rishi). Anna’s brother Vishnu (Vidyut Jammwal) kills Yash’s team member to avenge his brothers death, and is after the rest of the team. The movie ends with an wrestle fight between Yash and Vishnu.

Artists Performance
“I don’t want to do action like that because it does not look real, but the masses like it and the film becomes a hit. Maybe sensible people don’t like it, I don’t know. I am comfortable doing realistic stunts.”
–John Abraham in an interview with Rediff.

Oh John, what was all that about?? He himself says that sensible people might not like it, and still goes ahead with the project. That’s fine, but I really dont understand why he had to look so beefy in the movie. He looked more like a goon or the villain than the hero. And in which country does a police officer walk around wearing a vest while on duty?? John is not a great actor, period. His assets are his body and good looks. But since they aint enough for a movie to work, he needs modulate his expressions in a better fashion. In certain scenes, it was like, as my friend put it, watching a piece of furniture act. He was alright, but could have been much better. I cant think of a better choice than him for this remake, but he was no where close to match up with Suriya (Tamil).

Genelia needs to realize that Bommarillu (Telugu movie) is a thing of the past. Yes, she is great while portraying such bubbly characters, but I believe this was a more serious kinda role. After watching Jyothika (Tamil) and Asin (Telugu) do such beautiful job in the regional versions, it was quite difficult for me to watch her. She was good in parts, and a little irritating in few other.

Vidyut Jammwal is a cool hunk. Similar to all the guys with the great body, he cant act much, but can do much better if he works on it. He gave a tough fight to John in the climax. Mohit Behl, Mukesh Rishi, Raj Babbar were alright. Sandhya Mridul overplayed her role.

Story-Screenplay-Direction
It is very tough to remake a film. There are a number of factors which help a film work, and you cant get all of them right every time. The original will always be better (and mostly work better) when compared with the remake. Keeping all this in mind,  I deem Nishikant Kamat did a pretty good job. He stuck to the original Tamil plot while making very few changes, but he could have worked a little more in fine tuning the script to suit Hindi junta. The screenplay was really good. I loved the way where in he showed multiple fights at multiple locations in parallel. Direction was good in parts. He should have tried to generate more from John while extracting little less from Genelia.

Other Departments
Music by Harris Jayraj  is good. He used two of his old tracks, Uyirin Uyire from Tamil original and Manasa from Munna (Telugu). Other than these two, the rest were nothing great (He should have used Ennai Konjam as well). Background score by Sameer Phatarpekar was mediocre. The sound mixing and recording was good. Action by Alan-Amin was fine, but went overboard at times. Cinematography by Ayananka Bose, and editing by Aarif Sheik was alright. It was comparatively low budget film.

Analysis
Frankly, I liked it better than the Telugu ‘Gharshana’ according to the story line. The Telugu one was a drag in the second half, but this one had better screenplay and left out lot of unnecessary senti crap. Acting wise, Tamil ‘Kaakha Kaakha’ wins the trophy hands down. Both John and Genelia could have performed better. Music is a plus. Overall, a gory but neat film, and a decent watch.

Verdict: 7/10