Friday, January 27, 2012

Better Wine in a New Bottle



After about 21 years, Mandwa, a village on an island near Mumbai will be in trouble again. But this time, the atrocities, the bloodshed and the cruelty will get only meaner. Mukul Anand’s Agneepath, the old wine is improved and re-packaged in a new bottle by Karan Malhotra, and produced by the same production house, this time the son- Karan Johar.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Bodyguard - One (Sal)Man Show


Salman Khan has done it again. Like a magician he has pulled a rabbit out of the hat. ‘Bodyguard’ is Salman Khan’s third consecutive Eid release, which had a record-breaking opening.

In a village called Jaisinghpur, there hails a rich man, Sartaj Rana [Raj Babbar] who strives on to give justice to his fellow villagers. Years ago, this person had saved his faithful bodyguard’s wife from an accident in the state of pregnancy. Thus, the bodyguard’s son, Lovely Singh [Salman Khan] who also grows up to be a bodyguard is highly indebted to Sartaj Rana. Years later, Lovely Singh gets an opportunity to pay-back, when he gets an assignment to work as a bodyguard to Rana’s daughter Divya [Kareena Kapoor], as Rana suspects threat to his daughter’s life. Divya’s best friend Maya [Hazel Keech] also stays with her (however it’s not clear if she is being abandoned by her family).

Divya and Maya are annoyed with the bodyguard constantly following them, and with his tough work-out schedules. Hence Divya plays a prank and begins a fake love story by anonymously calling him on his cell phone. Eventually bodyguard Lovely Singh falls prey to the prank and falls in love with this anonymous girl. Needless to say what happens next?

The movie starts like a typical ‘Salman Khan’ film, with Salman’s entry executed through a song, a weird dance step (this time flexing his biceps) and a punch line. The action scenes are a visual treat, and look to challenge Rajni Kant and Spiderman. Pritam as the guest music director in ‘I Love You’ is great. Himesh Reshammiya’s music in ‘Teri Meri’ is superb. Rest all songs can be easily chopped off.

Majority of the movie is quite predictable, and thankfully no slapstick comedy. The mood of the story is action and romance with light-hearted comedy. The climax of the movie is a notch better than the rest, which brings back the memories of DDLJ and KKHH.

Raj Babbar was the most appropriate actor to play Sartaj Rana, and plays the role well. Kareena Kapoor as Divya is also good, even though she had no scope to show any exceptional performance. Rajat Rawail as Tsunami brings in a few laughs. Rest of the cast is passable. The soul of the movie is Salman Khan. Salman Khan as Bodyguard Lovely Singh is macho, stylish and a larger-than-life character. In the majority of the scenes, the ruthless aggression in the eyes is portrayed to near perfection.

The verdict: don’t have high expectations. As an entire package, the movie is average with a mass appeal (and not class). The action would entertain you if you are blessed with the ability to keep your brains at home. Slightly a better effort as compared to other Salman Khan movies like ‘Ready’.

Highly recommended if you are a die hard Salman Khan fan.  

My Rating: **1/2 
My Reality Check: *

Friday, January 7, 2011

O Maria - The Goan Odyssey

Rajendra Talak’s movies are always awaited. When ‘O Maria’ promos started showing on TV, it had its elements which are characteristic to a Talak movie. A few notable faces from Bollywood, Goan flavour and a plot with a message- this movie had it all..! But this time there was a touch of a slightly different look-and-feel then his past movies.

Cut to a village probably in South Goa, where we are introduced to Maria [Shernaz Patel], a forty-plus hardworking spinster who runs beach-side shack alongside her house. She also shelters tourists as paying guests, and we are soon introduced to one Mike [Cory Goldberg], an American resident who lands in Goa as a tourist, but ends up staying here more and more (at Maria’s guest house of course!) in search of inner peace. Maria does well to run the house, the business and also look after her bedridden mother [Sulabha Arya] who cannot talk because of her paralysis.

In the immediate neighbourhood, Maria’s late brother’s [Rosefern] wife [Meenacshi Martins] and her elder son Jack [Aryan Khedekar] have an eye on Maria’s property. Maria’s late brother, we are then told, had signed a contract with a top real estate developer Jitu Shah [Tiku Talsania] to sell his entire property. But Maria refuses to sell her share citing her mother’s deep attachments with the property and also because she believes in preserving the sanctity of Goan culture. Her denial results in a tiff between the brother and sister. The rest of the movie portrays Maria’s struggles with her family members in keeping the property intact and away from the selfish eyes of the real-estate builder. In the process, the story gives a message about Goa’s land being put to sale rather meekly to foreigners.

Screenplay by Rajendra Talak doesn’t bore, but keeps the audience engrossed. Cinematography is not exceptional, but serves the purpose. Background score by Ashok Patki also adds to the Goan flavour. Music by Remo Fernandes is soothing and adds life to the beautiful lyrics penned down by Sai Panondikar, to result in a wonderful and trademark song- “Laara laarachi… aik ti kataraan…”

Of the cast, Kevin D’Mello as the well-cultured nephew is pretty impressive. John D’Silva with his short cameo (surprisingly a serious one) is still able to bring a smile on the audience’s face. Aryan Khedekar as the spoilt brat looks apt and delivers well. Sulabha Arya, Tiku Talsania, the American actor- Cory Goldberg and the lead- Shernaz Patel are all great actors, but they all had very little opportunity to show display their talent.

The biggest flaw with “O Maria” is its lack-lustre and shallow treatment of the subject. The story and the message could have been told with a much better conviction. The film makes the audience thinks, but in the process, if it could touch the heart, then it would have made a much better impact on the minds. The narration was so much uni-dimensional, that it looked like just reading an essay on a stage. The characters could have been worked upon better. The old mother’s attachment towards the ancestral house could have been shown by showing some snap shots of her past- some good times that she spent there. The American resident’s craving for peace in Goa could have been justified by telling a bit more about him. The well-natured nephew and his close bonding with Maria should have been shown visually in a couple of scenes rather then just saying it in dialogs. Maria’s struggle with his family and the real estate builders was the most promising part, where the best out of the talented actor like Shernaz Patel could have been tapped. Look at Shernaz in Black or Guzaarish, and look at her in O Maria, and then you will know what I mean.

But let’s not be too cynical. What I liked about the film is its realism. The dialogs between the American citizens are shown in American English and not in Americanized Konkani, like in some Bollywood movies. No unnecessary songs. Rajendra Talak is still the best when it comes to Konkani film industry. Perhaps we expect the best only from people who show promise. And we know he is getting better with every new film.

My Rating: **

My Reality Check: ***

Monday, November 22, 2010

Guzaarish - Story of a Magician, From a Magician

The debacle of “Saawariya” didn’t stop me from advance booking the tickets for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next – “Guzaarish”. And it didn’t let me down. This is another masterpiece from one of my favourite Directors… 

Cut to Goa, where we are introduced to a helpless, quadriplegic Ethan Mascarenhas [Hrithik Roshan], a victim of Paraplegia and is paralysed from neck to toe. He is dependent on his sincere nurse Sophiya [Aishwarya Rai] on everything but talking. We are then told that Ethan was in his glory days, a big time magician- the best in the business. As fate would have it, 14 years ago he meets with an accident and because of a grave injury on spinal cord, ends up being a paraplegic. He now earns a few pennies by working as a Radio Jockey on FM for a show called- “Radio Zindagi”, inspiring people to live a beautiful life. 

But this magician who is full of life despite his disabilities, surprises all by his decision to file a petition in court for Euthanasia – Mercy Killing! He turns to his old friend Devyani Datta [Shernaz Patel] to fight his case for him. Initially reluctant, Divyani decides to fight the case for his friend. However Ethan’s doctor, Dr. Nayak [Suhel Seth] is not too convinced about the idea, but his mother [Nafisa Ali] and his assistant and love of his glory days Estella [Monikangana Dutta] stand by him with his decision. 

In the meanwhile, we are also introduced to a young lad with a bushy hairdo who calls himself Omar Siddiqui [Aditya Roy Kapoor] who sneaks into Ethan’s house with a lie, and persuades him to teach him his magic tricks. With his little family, the rest of the film is a wonderful journey of Ethan’s struggles with his court plea for a mercy death. It also reveals a strange and unique love between Ethan and Sophiya, as the story unfolds. 

Like all Bhansali movies, this one also has exotic sets and minutely worked costumes. The scenic beauty of Goa is shot with an eye for aesthetics. Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee’s work is praiseworthy with Hrithik’s magic tricks defying the laws of physics like dancing on light beams, floating in the air, lighting a candle under water, are shot to perfection. Sanjay Leela Bhansali debuts as the music director, and his music adds to the narrative. The songs are not at all a hindrance. Just one song- “Udi..” could have been avoided, but even that is made enjoyable with Aishwarya’s classy act. The story is undeniably different, but it’s sad to hear claims from the critics that the story is lifted from movies like – the Oscar winning “Mar Adentro” and “Who’s life is it anyway” (1981). 

Of the cast, Nafisa Ali as Hrithik’s mother touches the audience’s heart in a scene where she speaks for her son. Shernaz Patel and Suhel Seth as Ethan’s well-wishers do a very commendable job. Aditya Roy Kapoor as the obedient student was better noticed as compared to “Action Replayy”. Aishwarya Rai as Ethan’s nurse is superb. But the show-stealer is Hrithik all the way. He is mind blowing playing Ethan. With this, Hrithik has raised his stature to be with great actors like Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan or Kamal Hassan. I can’t imagine any other actor playing Ethan as perfectly as Hrithik. 

Finally, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s direction is the heart of the movie. His eye for such a detailed portrayal is an attribute worth admiring. A few glitches like, having a court hearing taking place in a house could have been done away with. A bit more light into Aishwarya’s dark past could also add a bit more credibility to the story. But all these can be ignored very easily when we look at the end product.

On an ending note, if Hrithik doesn’t win the Best Actor award for this movie, then I am going to join Amir Khan in his protest against the award ceremonies. 

My Rating: ***1/2

My Reality Check: ****      

Friday, November 12, 2010

Action Replay: Zorr Ka Zhatka..!


The nostalgic look and feel of the promos did create a bit of a curiosity in my mind. Akshay Kumar shaking a leg with the Rajesh-Khanna-like hair style and bell-bottoms, and the playback songs sounded like Uma Devi of yesteryears.

Vipul Shah’s “Action Replayy”, attempts to take you back in time, and the journey is more painful than a journey in packed Mumbai train from Andheri to Dadar!!

The story is about one Bunty [Aditya Roy Kapur], who is a misogamist. His girl friend [Sudeepa Singh] insists him on marriage. But Bunty hates marriage because he has only seen his parents at loggerheads. His girl friend’s grandfather [Randhir Kapoor], who looks like Einstein, is a scientist who has invented a time machine.

Fed up of his parents spats, he decides to go back to time on this time machine, to create love between his parents. Zoom he goes to 1975 to find his bachelor Dad Kishen [Akshay Kumar], who looks like a nerd, and his beautiful Mom- Mala [Aishwarya Rai], who is goonda wearing mini-skirts (I wonder if mini skirts were a common sight in 1975!). The rest of the movie has some painful scenes which has been tried and tested, outdated and thrown out from the lot of plots in Bollywood. Through such scenes, Bunty somehow creates love between his Mom and Dad, and all’s well that ends well!! There are too many songs, and sometimes it really bores. The only song that leaves some mark is – “Zor ka jhatka”.

The story is pathetic, and you really wish there was atleast some amount of substance. It was purely old wine in new bottle. We have seen tens of movies of a makeover of good-for-nothing kind of heroes to smart and cool dudes.

Akshay Kumar as the simpleton Kishan looks horrifying before the makeover. Thankfully after the makeover, the dentures suddenly disappear (Were the braces introduced in 1975?), but he is sincere in his role. Aishwarya Rai as the hot tempered Mala was also good, but the story was too weak to have an impact by such good performances. Rannvijay Singh (of the Roadies fame) as Kundan – the villain is not bad. Neha Dhupia has nothing to perform. Music by Pritam is good only in “Zor Ka Jhatka…” Direction by Vipul Shah is confusing. I am still confused if this movie was a comedy, or a drama or a science fiction. However costumes and set design were very apt. Re-creating the streets of Mumbai in 1975 is really a commendable job! Hats off to the set-designer. If you are looking for comedy, you won’t find much. If you are looking for drama, there isn’t any. And if you come to theatres expecting a science fiction, then you will go back with a big “topi” on your head. The best part of the movie was – “The Popcorns”.

My Rating: *

Reality Check: Not Eligible.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Golmaal 3 – Or should I say Tod Maal?


Rohit Shetty is back again with the third version of his Golmaal series. The promos did give a clear indication that it would again be that “forget-your-brain-at-home” kind of movie. But are the audience that stupid? Or is the Director stupid? Golmaal 3 is a clumsy effort of making people laugh… Sheer waste of money and of course – talent!

Shot in Goa, the story revolves around two notorious groups of siblings – Gopal [Ajay Devgan] and his brother Laxman [Shreyas Talpade] and their best friend Daboo [Kareena Kapoor], and Madhav [Harshad Warsi] and his two brothers, Laxman [Kunal Khemu] and Lucky [Tusshar Kapoor]. They incidentally end up starting the same kind of business financed by two different underworld gangsters [Johny Lever and Tiwari] and in trying to outdo each other, find themselves in serious quarrels which are supposedly funny!

In between the quarrels, the Mother [Geeta – Ratna Pathak Shah] and Father [Pritam – Mithun Chakrawarthy] remember their 30-year old incomplete love story and decide to marry. The marriage invites more (to audiences’ dismay) quarrels… and the rest is… no not history, but forgotten.

Claimed to be a laugh riot, Golmaal 3 seems to rely upon cheap comedy like tumbling cars, breaking stalls, shops and glasses, pants falling down and slaps. The dialogs also look like they have been borrowed from a book of children’s jokes or comics -“Jiske ghar sheeshe ke hote hai, woh basement mein kapde change karte hai” and referring an aged man as “Doobti hui Titanic”… to mention a few.

During the entire movie I could only see things breaking and cars flying and bursting and people thrown in the air as if they are made of paper. In fact there is nothing that is not left broken in this movie. They didn’t even spare the fingers! The movie would have been better named if it was called – Tod Maal.

Of the cast, Ajay Devgan and Harshad Warsi are the most noticeable, but yet they can perform little apart from shouting aloud. The other lot of actors are all great actors, but they have very little to show their talent. Even the veterans- Mithun and Ratna Pathak Shah are wasted. Technically, the kinds of stunts shown are seen a zillion times in Hindi movie. The story- well there is none! There is certainly a better way to make people laugh! You don’t need to break tens of dozens of cars and tens of stalls. If you don’t believe me Mr. Rohit Shetty, then watch Golmaal by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and learn a lesson or two about quality humour.

My Rating: ½ (Half the star, just for the sake of rating)
My Reality Check: Not eligible

Monday, March 1, 2010

Karthik Calling Karthik: A Pretty Descent Call


Farhan Akhtar’s fondness towards off-beat cinema mixed with entertainment continues with Karthik Calling Karthik. The film is aptly so named, which gives the idea of the unusual nature of story that’s in store!

Somewhere in Mumbai, there hails Karthik [Farhan Akhtar], working in a construction company called ACL Constructions. A loser in life, he is bullied by his landlord [Vipin Sharma] for not paying the extra deposit, looked down upon by his boss [Ram Kapoor] who expects miraculous performances from him, setting unrealistic targets. He is so short of confidence and temperament that he remains un-noticed by his love interest Shonali [Deepika Padukone] working in the same office as him. He is not able to gather enough confidence to start a conversation with her. The professional advice from the psychiatrist he visits too bears no fruit. Karthik is pained by the way life shapes up for him, but suffers in silence.

Till one fine day, Karthik receives a mysterious call from himself! He hears his own voice on the phone, and the caller identifies himself as Karthik. But this Karthik counsels him on phone day after day, which turns his life upside down. He becomes a winner from a loser. He takes care of the landlord’s tantrums, gets his lost job back with a better designation and even wins the heart of his silent love – Shonali.

Things then change in the later half of the movie, when Karthik reveals to Shonali about the mysterious calls. This disturbs the “calling” Karthik and he ruins his life. How the mystery of the calling Karthik unfolds forms the rest of the movie.

Direction by Vijay Lalwani is refreshing. The screen play is patchy at times. The songs portray the theme and the situation of the story, and are more like back-ground score. Music by Shankar Ehsan Loy is not too catchy, but that suits the requirement of the script. Of the cast, Farhan Akhtar performs well as the frustrated Karthik. The character of Karthik can give a lesson or a two to Aditya Chopra and Shahrukh Khan that you don’t have to have a funny walk or oily hair combed flat, or wearing a spectacle with a thick black frame to portray a simple or a nerdish man (Remember Surinder Sahani of Rab ne..?). Deepika Padukone as Karthik’s love is also excellent. The supporting characters of Ram Kapoor (Boss), Vipin Sharma (Landlord) and Shifali Shah (Psychiatrist) are cast accurately and executed well.

The plot is different, but not exceptional. When the mystery is revealed, then there are certain questions or arguments that can be raised about the story which can even be regarded as the flaws of the script. Conceptually, the film doesn’t have a moral or a message, nor does it educate or portray any issue. It just attempts to be different. If you are tired of those stereotyped movies and are looking for something unusual, then this is certainly what the doctor advised.

My Rating: **1/2
My Reality Check: ***