Once Upon A Time In Mumbai: Review

Successes and Failures aside, Milan Luthria’s works so far reflect his penchant for exploring new vistas. Starting as a Mahesh Bhatt protégé and later venturing out on his own with films like Kache Dhaage, Chori Chori, Taxi No 9211, Hattrick, Deewar and now Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (OUATIM), Luthria has shown diversity in his work. His films had something about them that got him noticed. With OUATIM, he is sure to earn respect.

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Love Aaj Kal - Review

There is a cruel law of the nature that’s called the law of averages. If you are good one day, you are bound to be bad the other day to keep it even. Imtiaz Ali, it seems, is an exception to this rule. After Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met, Imtiaz’s third film Love Aaj Kal promises to hit the bull’s eye yet again!

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13B | Movie Review

After innumerable discussions that I have had on films with friends, I surmise that there is a commonality in most of these discussions. We actually don’t discuss films but the people behind them. And I think this is the case with a lot of people who think they discuss films. Probably that is the reason why we sit and spend hours analyzing even silly things made by big people and overlook some good things done by small people. 13B is one such film. I will keep myself from saying that it is a very good film. It is indeed an average product but the idea and the efforts put in by the team are creditable.

I decided to watch this film after I figured that no one who had watched the film trashed it. I was surprised because I never thought that a non-entity like Vikram Kumar could team up with Madhavan (a talented but unsuccessful actor in Bollywood) and come up with a decent film. The song Sexy Mama that later changed to Crazy Mama too reinforced my belief that the film didn’t stand a chance at the Box office.

13B is a spooky thriller. It belongs to the same genre as The Ring. The film is not copied but it sure looks inspired to an extent. The best thing that I liked about the film is that it thrills you without creating any sort of paranoia about ghosts. In fact in the whole film, it is just Madhavan and then later his friend and a doctor who get to know that there is a ghost in the house while the others live normally without realizing that they are a part of the supernatural game played by the invisible ghosts (quite a welcome change from the Ramsay ghosts who made you puke). The film is about paranormal activities and has some bizarre moments but the genre is such that these unbelievable events need to be a part of the film. The biggest problem is its length. I don’t know why can’t Indian filmmakers break the rule when it comes to deciding on the length of their films. The film stretches to nearly 2 and a half hours and at times you want to question what the editors were doing when the film landed on their tables.

Vikram Kumar is the director of the film. He does a good job with this one. The film is a bilingual made in both Hindi and Tamil and released simultaneously. Vikram Kumar deserves credit for doing it as both the films have different supporting cast. He weaves a lot of interesting and thrilling scenes that make this enterprise edgy at times. To help him in the endeavor is a charged up Madhavan and an eerie background score that add value to the fare. Sadly, the length reduces the impact. The dialogues seem to be the work of an amateur. There are loop holes in the story that will seem obvious when you watch the film giving a feeling that despite a commendable effort, there is ample scope for the writer to improve. Also, Vikram Kumar’s ability to handle different characters did not come to test here as the focus was majorly on Madhavan who has been around for a decade now. I will not pass any verdict on Vikram’s caliber but for this film of his, he deserves a pat on the back.

13B is a total Madhavan movie. Besides him and the blind old man played by Dhritiman Chatterji, no one gets to portray much and they end up looking like props. Poonam Dhillon appears on the big screen after a long time but sadly, there is no meat in her character. Neetu Chandra is okay. Sachin Khedekar does a routine job. Deepak Dobriyal as the mentally challenged Ashok leaves an impression. Murli Sharma as the police inspector is relegated to playing a side kick.

The music is by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and they deliver ordinary stuff for this small budget movie. I liked a song whose words I can’t remember now but it was not required in the film at all. And just for the records it was not Crazy Mama for sure.

Now, a few scenes that I found interesting:

a.) The scene where Madhavan starts to turn the pages of a photo album and figures that the people clicked actually appeared on a television soap.
b.) The scene where the blind man’s dog refuses to enter the flat
c.) The scene where Madhavan realizes that there is something wrong in the house by clicking his photograph by stepping inside and then outside the flat.

Everyone has an opinion and since Barkha Dutt is in no way related to this film, I can take the liberty to comment on what I feel could have made this film better. First and foremost the length. Had it been a two hour affair, it could have been an out an out edge of the seat thriller. Second, the director should have worked on creating a fear inducing impact through the serial ‘Sab khairiyat’ that gets telecast in Madhavan’s house. The serial looks like a regular soap opera and hardly makes you believe that it could be a supernatural phenomenon at work. Lastly, the final scene of the movie looked more like a joke rather than anything else. If it was meant to make a shiver run through the spine, it failed to deliver. The director could have thought of a better closing scene.

13B will in all probability be a film that most of the people give a miss not because it is a bad film but because it doesn’t have any big name associated with it. I watched it on recommendation and didn’t come out feeling robbed of my time. Since it is a super natural thriller, many of the ‘real’ film enthusiasts will find it absurd. But I will give it a 3 out of five for the novelty of the effort. Mind you, 13B is not your typical Bollywood horror flick. Whether I recommend it – I will rather leave it to your judgement!

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The Curious Case of Alok Nath

I am not sure how many of you have watched or would want to admit watching the Barjatya marriage fares. Amidst all the good people who painted the picture of a happy family in Rajshri’s films, there are two characters that have become their trademark – Prem (the lead protagonist) and the doting uncle/father. The character of Prem changed hands between Salman, Hrithik, Abhishek and Shahid Kapoor but the uncle/father has been essayed by one man who has long been ignored in Bollywood chit-chats – Alok Nath!

Expression 1: Smile

I regard him as the true heir to fill the void created by A.K.Hangal’s retirement. Just as Hangal breathed life into the submissive, sympathetic, old chacha type roles right from his childhood, Nath has left an indelible mark playing the modern avatar of Bhishma Pitamah, Dashrath and all fatherly figures that draw a parallel from their mythological counterparts. The fact that he has survived in the industry for over 25 years with the same set of expressions and demeanor is praiseworthy.

With so many ‘father’ roles to his credit in Bollywood, Alok Nath is the front runner for being awarded with the title of Male Nirupa Roy in reverence. Alok Nath started quite early in Bollywood while he was in his late 20’s unlike Hangal who started at 40. Don’t be amazed to know that he started off as a hero opposite the sultry Tina Mumim in the erotically titled Kamagni. It takes a lot of doing to resurface as the idealistic father material after a start such as Kamagni but the guy did it.

Yes, that's Alok Nath about to kiss the forehead of the heorine in a non-fatherly way

He gained fame with TV Series Buniyaad (1987) where he played a patriarch at the age of 30 and later Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989). He was around 9 years older than Salman and all of 32 when he played a father to a 20 something Bhagyashree. Incidentally he was 14 years younger than Amitabh when he played Amitabh’s father in Agnipath (1990). He then never looked back. Alok Nath took to playing Bauji roles with a vengeance. His ability to flash that sugary sweet smile non-stop and maintain a bald plate with a paunch on which you could draw half the world stood him in good stead and helped him gain acceptability.

There were minor aberrations in films like Bol Radha Bol (1992) where he turned the bad guy but quickly corrected himself with the Kaka type roles like the one in Rajshri’s magnum opus Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994). He understood the fact that people didn’t want to see him change. He remarked in an interview:

“When I played a villain in ‘Bol Radha Bol’, people remarked why have they made such a good man play a negative role? How do you think a director will take the courage to try something different with me again? This way Alok Nath will remain a ready-made father.”

Expression 2: Emotional

Just as Hangal’s image of the Maulwi Chacha breaking the Sannata in Sholay lingers in our minds to date, Alok Nath’s string of acts as the loving father will also find a place somewhere in the history of Hindi Cinema. There will be a day when people will see beyond the frozen expressions of the man to see the actor who overcame an actor's monotony to keep on doing what people wanted him to.

“Again I play the father. I want to play a villain. But no one wants to cast me in a negative role. I wish I were as good in real life as I'm constantly made to be on screen” - Alok Nath.

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Delhi – 6 : The Movie Review – and being Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra

Its always interesting to review a movie such as Delhi 6 which has invoked such mixed reactions. So I am sure I am going to enjoy writing this review as much you are going to read it! :P

Being born in the heart of Delhi – 6 (Chandini Chowk / Old Delhi) is no mean feat on its own. Being born there with a name that reads, Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra makes it all the more difficult.

Rakyesh is the man who has given us Aks and more importantly the iconic Rang De Basanti. RDB made me and probably a good chunk of the youth think and look beyond the oblivion of our lives and made us more responsible, more thinking – somewhere in the subconscious it made me respect the man who got us RDB – a generation awakened. RDB was sorta Classic.

An RDB doesn’t happen every year – agreed. Butt, there is a big one out there! The evolution and thus the expectations just can’t stop. The hunger and the thirst just grow.

Anyways, let’s be modest with our expectations as we all know that Delhi 6 isn’t in the same league – however, it still doesn’t suggest if it’s poor cinema. Let’s see what works and what doesn’t.

No harm in starting with what works. Yes, if something works beyond any doubts whatsoever: that’s Delhi 6’s music. Rehman does a good job sinking in the movie and giving us tracks which is just not restricted to the brilliant Masakali and Dilli 6. If you are sensitive to music you may even find Genda Phool and the Aarti equally enchanting. Rehman very successfully creates music which sounds contemporary, yet is full of old world soul – and interestingly sounds very local. Not to forget, Prasoon pens down lyrics which radiate the vibes of Purani Dilli – trust me its difficult doing so as the place has a culture not really found anywhere else. Enough of discussing Rehman and Prasoon – we surely have come to terms with them – they almost every time pleasantly surprise us with what they come up with. I just hope that they continue with their good work. The movie does not have an anthem number – as it could never have one. It’s difficult to fit a Paathshala here. It’s a fact we must understand as only this would help us appreciate the simplicity and subtlety of the music.

Let’s get into difficult territory now. Music was the high-point where in it is quite likely that there would be consensus of sorts. So let’s explore where that may not be the case. The movie was built on ideas and the Kaala Bandar was supposed to drive things home. As awkward as it sounds is what reflects on the screen too.

Abhishek (a second generation Indian American) gets his Grand-Mom home (Dilli-6) as she is anticipating her death. India is a revelation of sorts form him. He finds a lot of issues around that people need to fix. So he comes as the change agent who eventually becomes the sacrificial lamb for a greater cause. Too idealistic, for some; but this is what the movie is about.

Rakyesh is not just another film maker – we undeniably agree to it; so it does not come as a surprise that he wants to communicate to his audience – he just doesn’t want his movies to remain a monologue. He wants us to think and take his movies out of the theater and to discuss it on the streets and our homes too. He is social revolutionist of sorts. He tries to touch the entire canvas of the contemporary problems in our country - Caste conflicts, communal divide, corrupt political system, dowry, dysfunctional social infrastructure, economic disparities, moral policing, sensationalism in media, sexual repression and exploitation, suppression of the girl child, superstitions and more...

But this time around the revolutionist nearly fails in execution despite the technical brilliance that the movie exudes. The weakest links are the Story, Screenplay and the Lead Actor. The story telling just doesn’t work this time. It fails to keep you glued. It just does not have the moments. Abhishek fails miserably in what he does – all you have his empathy for him as you see him as the nice guy – which just isn’t enough.

He irritates you with a faker accent than you can imagine – but it would be very mean and superficial of me to make it the yardstick. He is carrying the movie on his shoulders so they better be capable. Interestingly all the sidekicks (I know that sounds derogatory for the wonderful cast ensemble that the movie boasts of) do more than what was expected of them but they can’t make up for the lead (else why would you call the lead, the lead!!) Taking names would be an injustice to the rest – so I would take all… Sheeba Chaddha, Prem Chopra, Deepak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Rishi Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Pavan Malhotra, Supriya Pathak, Om Puri, Vijay Raaz, K.K. Raina, Aditi Rao (oh my my, she is cute in her Sari clad avatar) and Cyrus Sahukar – nearly everyone has a small story which gives movie whatever little it has for the viewers.

Abhishek somehow fails to grow beyond the nice guy who has come down from the US to his roots. He is supposed to be the change agent – but just somehow doesn’t fit too well. Partly it’s his failure; partly it is Rakyesh’s. While Abhishek failed in delivering, Rakyesh failed in developing the lead. I am not competent enough to tell you what it should have been like – but I can surely tell you the ideas just did not get onto the screen successfully. Kaala Bandar has a louder presence than it should have had – it rips the movie of its sensitivities while it gives some of it. Maybe, Kaala Bandar was not the right choice to weave the story around. I don’t know if it were; but it somehow does not work.

I am not considering Sonam to be in the lead, because in all honesty she is not. In my humble opinion, playing the love interest of the lead does not make you another lead. She is a part of the sidekicks - who has been blessed with longer screen presence as she is our Hero’s sweetheart. This is surely not to question Sonam’s performance. She does what she is expected to; and that too at an acceptable level. She is cute, chirpy and a rebel within with her feet on the ground, yet hopes high in the sky.

Binod’s Camerawork is top notch – makes the movie easy on the eyes especially the songs – the simplicity remains the biggest virtue.

The most bizarre part of the movie was the presence of Amitabh Bachchan: you wonder whether Amitabh was the obvious choice or was he forced upon the script.

The movie as a whole is a mixed bag – there would be definitive reasons to like it as would be to find it loose and disoriented.

At the end of everything we tend to feel being Rakyesh isn’t easy. When the entire world is watching, he has to put his best foot forward.

I used to think, to err is Human, but not when your name is Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra! ;)

The ratings would not be able to give true representation to what the movie deserves [coz for me its between 1 and 4 stars out of 5 on different parameters]. I would want you to rate and reason it. Please leave a comment especially if you have a rating in your mind!

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Flashback - RDB Review

With Delhi 6 releasing this week, I couldn't help but remember Rakyesh Mehra's Rang De Basanti - a film that took me comepletely by surprise and a pleasant one at that. I am getting mixed reviews about Delhi 6 and I hope to catch it sometime over the weekend or early next week. Until then, freshen up the memories of Mehra's last outing. I wrote this around three years back and feel a bit differently about the film and my review now. But that's a different story. Here's what one amongst the charged up audience of RDB felt as on Feb 09, 2006.

There are two kinds of movies, some make you feel good, some don't register anything once you get out of the theatre. And then you come across the third kind, the ones which leave you numb. RDB is a movie that will make you think and the thought would linger long after you have come out of the theatres. A highly experimental film which despite its shortcomings succeeds in conveying a message is how I would describe it. Is it all about Patriotism? - Not really. Its more of an interpretation of freedom by the youth of today and as the title suggests - the awakening.

The hero in the film is not only Aamir Khan, its the vision of Rakyesh Mehra - the director who has finally arrived. Its an original work. Though many believe that even Aks was unusual and ahead of its times, I still feel otherwise. For all the Aamir Khan fans, if you feel that it is an out and out Aamir Khan flick, you are in for big surprises. Siddhartha(the new face) has a role of equal standing.

The director weaves two plots into one and what you get is an experimental but seamlessly joined story that sees the present day situation in the context of the Indian struggle for freedom. So you have these bunch of college pass-outs leading a somewhat confused, carefree and flippant lives suddenly discovering Chandrashekhar Azads, Bhagat Singhs and Ashfaqs within them.

The basic difference between RDB and other films of this genre is that unlike other movies, in RDB, the protagonists do not plead with the people to stand up against corruption, nor do they rant about patriotism and preach. This is where Swades, another brilliant film failed. This works for the film as it does not end up being another film with an overdose of nationalism/patriotism. The director seems to have picked up the cue from Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades where SRK says - "Hamara desh sirf hamare kehne se mahaan nahi hoga." The protagonists are unapologetic of what they do and they stand up for it.

The story is for you all to go and see but let me give you 5 reasons for watching this film:

The screenplay and the crisp editing - Rakyesh Mehra has brought out his imagination brilliantly on celluloid. Tout screenplay by him and Renzil D'Silva. The script did have loopholes( you can’t just go and shoot a Home Minister at his home and get away without harm, comparing the lathicharge incident with Jallianwala Bagh tragedy and finally handling the climax) but then lets give him the allowance of cinematic liberty to give an entertaining/inspiring climax to his film within the 2.5 hours that he had. If he had gone all by logic then the message that the film conveys couldn't have come across. Though there are actually two plots running together, the transtition from colourful palletes to sepia tone does not look disjointed.

Peformances - First rate! So you have Aamir Khan in yet another stellar act enthralling you with his antiques. He is hysterical, sensitive, headstrong, insecure and even breaks down after gulping down a few bottles of beer. A welcome respite after Mangal Pandey - the dud. Soha Ali Khan is a revelation. She surprises you with her acting for sure. The rest of the cast is equally good and you also have veterans like Anupam and Kirron Kher, Om Puri and Waheeda Rehman besides the head-line makers of the movie.

Music - Its like a comeback for Rehman as well after Mangal Pandey. The way these songs are interwoven into the narrative adds to their quality. While the title track gives you that earthy feeling, the song Ru-ba-roo takes you into a trans. The background score is also great. To get the best music for his film, the director and his music director have to know exactly what they expect of each other and hats off to Mehra and Rehman for getting their efforts bang on target.
Dialogues and cinematography - Prasoon Joshi's dialogues exude a youthful exuberence and Binod Pradhan's camerawork is top class.

The Moments:
- The scenes where these guys whizz past Kiron Kher taking her dupatta away in boyish naughtiness and where Aamir speaks his heart out to Sue.
- The improvisation on 'Choo kar mere mann ko' when the band of boys gets to meet Sue for the first time.
- Aamir Khan mugging up his dialogue lines - "Bismil ka sandesh hai.." and the one where he gets embarassed when he comes to know that Sue understood Hindi.
- The camaraderie that all of them share in general. The 'Pathshala' song needs a special mention here.

Rang De Basanti paints you in its colors. It surely does..

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Billoo - The Review

With the world going ballistic over the performance of DevD, I feel a bit like an outcast speaking about the erstwhile Billoo Barber that came out as Billoo. I didn’t find too many takers for this movie either when I proposed to go for it. I now have a growing feeling that brand SRK doesn’t work the way it used to a few years back. Is it the beginning of the end for King Khan or is Billoo not qualified to be called his film? Anyways, without getting philosophical on the reasons behind the rise and the apparent fall of the uncrowned king (which unfortunately becomes the talking point with each of SRK’s release), let’s get down to discussing Billoo, the film.

Priyadarshan is an acclaimed director down south and the highest paid even in Bollywood. He makes some inane comedies that are essentially remakes or re-remakes but is still able to command respect at the box office. He gave a hit in Malamal Weekly with a non-existent star cast. This time around, he plays it safe by casting stars such as SRK, Irfan and Lara Dutta and getting guest appearances from all top notch female superstars. You name them and you have them swaying to Pritam’s foot tapping numbers in the film. Quite sadly, these expected ‘pluses’ are what make Billoo fall short of the mark. I felt that Priyadarshan’s idea of Krishna-Sudama story got mixed and mashed with commercial gimmicks and lost relevance. Amidst the hype and hoopla of item songs and SRK’s extravagant portrayal of the superstar, the theme of the story took a backseat and the effect didn’t come out as it should have.

Of all directors of repute, Priyadarshan is the only one who doesn’t know when to throw in a song in the plot. He falters this time too. If passing off south Indian village setting as a north Indian one was not enough, he decides to show the shooting of Star Wars like scenes in a small village. My question is – Why on Earth will a film crew shoot a high quality action sequence with an amazing set on an outdoor schedule in a village? Defying logic is another name for Priyadarshan’s commercial ventures so let’s just blink and give it a miss.

Despite cribbing about Priyadarshan’s sticking to the same old formula films, one cannot discount the fact that some of his films have good messages behind them. It is this fact that makes him command respect even after delivering some nonsensical stuff every now and then. Billoo too has a very nice message behind its story line that comes to the fore partially despite all other shortcomings. And the person responsible for it is not Priyadarshan but Irfan Khan. The guy is amazing in his art. He gets into the skin of the character beautifully. Just look out for him in the scene where he calls up the guest house and gets screamed at. Some people might accuse him of being repetitive but for me he is a genius. Lara Dutta looks efficient in her deglamorised part. SRK had to play himself and he ended up playing some more. Maybe there was a need to capture the aura surrounding a superstar in loud terms. This is by no stretch of imagination a SRK film. He makes a guest appearance and gives a long sermon at the end. That wasn’t his doing but someone’s got to share the blame.

Music is strictly ‘chaalu’ kind. It sounds good only while it lasts and has little recall value. Pritam is like Rajendra Kumar. He gives hits but will never be remembered for his work. The copycat tag too works against him because you never know when someone will come out telling where he picked his latest tune from. The support cast is the same as in any of Priyadarshan’s films. There is no novelty or a surprise package. Having said that, they all are good actors so they do a decent job but nothing worth mentioning.

Billoo is a film that undoubtedly has a soul even though the purpose is all lost. The oft repeated formula of Priyadarshan would prevent people from going for it. It will probably get average returns at the box office banking on the star value and a good performance by the lead protagonist Irfan Khan and also because the budget wasn't all that high. I will give it a 2.5 out of 5 and I wonder why I wrote this review.

..And would you believe it..I went to watch DevD the other day, walked upto the ticket counter and then decided against it! I don’t know why I don’t want to watch that film despite all the rave reviews.

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Luck By Chance - Review

There is a lot of curiosity for a film that comes from the stable of accomplished film luminaries like the Akhtars. So what if the director at the helm is a debutant. Zoya Akhtar is Javed Akhtar’s daughter and that raises the hope. Does she live up to the expectations is what prompted me to go ahead and watch Luck By Chance primarily. I can’t answer that question in a simple ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’.

The second reason for me going to watch the film was obviously Farhan Akhtar. I wanted to see if Luck By Chance was going to be second time lucky for Farhan as an actor-producer. Is it lucky? The answer is again a confusing ‘yes and no’. Yes – as an actor and probably No – as a producer. But I must stop predicting box office success with Ghajini’s mind boggling business worldwide. When I see a Ghajini poster roaring an unprecedented ‘235 Crores Worldwide’ collection, I pretend to be blind. Hindi film audience is fickle-minded and any prediction on the fate of a film is nothing more than a guessing game founded on individual biases.

Coming back to Luck By Chance, Zoya Akhtar debuts in the movie as a story/screenplay writer and a director. She did not write the dialogues as Farhan did for his first film. That doesn’t mean that she won’t be compared with her accomplished brother. She is indeed quite good in the screenplay department. The story too is very commercial in its form. She did spend the seven years working on this story for some good reason afterall. I can’t say the same about her direction. I found it meandering and confusing at places. What started as a film centered around Farhan Akhtar and kept the focus on him suddenly shifted focus on Konkana in the climax scene. I couldn’t get the sudden shift in focus after relegation of Konkana’s character to the background for most parts of the second half. Maybe being a woman played a part. The film ends on a note where you see Konkana’s character refusing Farhan to enter back into her life and then carving a small place for herself in the tinsel world on her own esteem. I couldn’t understand how that could be the culmination of the film. That was like a dash of Madhur Bhandarkar to me!

Having said that, there are some high points in her effort as well. The way she portrays the Hindi film industry is filled with a dose of intelligent sense of humor. I must say that this is the one of the better films on Bollywood that gives us an inside view of the glamour world. She has deftly handled a few scenes in the film. Notable among those are the two break down scenes. One, when Rishi Kapoor breaks down saying that he commands no respect and two, when Farhan breaks down on the stairs after his fall out with his childhood friend. Another notable scene worth a mention is the one between SRK and Farhan. It could have looked like a discourse on remaining level headed but the director does control it quite well.

In the acting department, Farhan shows us that he is an able actor. He underplays his character and is believable. He doesn’t look out of place except in some dance sequences. Especially the Pyaar Ki Daastan song where he repeats his steps and imitates the oft repeated ‘SRK stretching his hands’ dance move. He can dance but something just doesn’t seem right. Maybe I have a preconceived notion of thinking of him as a director and not an actor. That’s my view, see for yourself.

Konkana’s acting prowess has never been in question. She is top rate as she always is. Rishi Kapoor is unmatchable. Juhi Chawla looks as pretty as she did 20 years ago. Sanjay Kapoor is a revelation. Dimple Kapadia plays the character of a star mom and a yesteryear superstar with perfection. Watch out for her outburst against the Magazine editor in the film. Isha Sharvani is a dancer and not an actress. The rest of the cast is competent. Hrithik is superb in the character of the insecure superstar.

Music is not the high point of the film. It has a couple of very good songs but not a pillar on which the film stands. It’s not a dud but Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio is not in full form here.

Overall Luck By Chance is a good movie that will be liked by the multiplex audience only. No one can deny that the film is well made but that would probably not translate into monetary gains as the pace of the film is lethargic and has no smash hit songs to aid its publicity. Given a choice I will prefer to watch it on DVD rather than in theatre. With Victory and Raaz as its competitors, Luck By Chance can hope to stay afloat for sometime to come. Watch it if you like sensible cinema and want a break from over publicized trash that is served day-in and day-out as BLOCKBUSTER material. The first watchable film of 2009 is how I would describe Luck By Chance. 3 (left hand limit :-P) out of 5 is my rating.

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Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - The Review

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is no DDLJ. It’s not even an Om Shanti Om. But does content make any difference in a film that features SRK? Aditya Chopra is back at the helm as a director (if you don't believe in the rumors of him having ghost directed Dhoom and some other films coming from the Yashraj stable). A lot was expected out of him as this was a long hiatus after which he was returning as a director. He disappoints and not because he is bad as a director in Rab Ne. Screenplay was considered a strongpoint of Adi’s films and this is where Rab Ne flounders big time.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’s story idea does have a soul. It is about the extraordinary achieved by the ordinary for love but the way it is portrayed is too amateurish. By the end of it, you tend to feel that some of these Bollywood directors have started taking the audience for granted. If OSO was stupidity at its peak, Rab Ne dethrones it and sits atop that chart. Having said that I will not say that all is bad with the film. The flashes of Aditya Chopra-SRK combination’s brilliance does show up intermittently. But it is too less to satiate the hunger of a cinemagoer who waited for 8 years to see the pair recreate magic. They might say that Rab Ne has an entertainment value to look forward to. Of course Mr. Chopra, we sure like to be entertained but not get fooled!

Is it possible that you shave off your moustache and your family stops to recognize you?

Is it possible that the reticent YOU suddenly gel your hair, wear snazzy clothes and put on an overtly extrovert exterior overnight to appease your lady love?

Show us how it is possible. Come on, you didn’t even give an interview for your film and the character that draws from you on the shyness quotient and moustache, if not on anything else! At least that would have sent a signal that a transformation is indeed possible. It is unfathomable to imagine how you could even think of such a silly portrayal. Did you have a dearth of actors? Couldn’t someone else have played the role of Raj and so that we enjoyed the refreshing change of watching SRK as the commoner Surinder Sahni in your epic saga that stretched endlessly? Why the SRK fixation? The day is not far when you guys would have SRK clones doing every trivial role in the film.

Does that mean that Aditya Chopra, the man who gave us DDLJ has failed completely? The answer is NO! The film’s first and the last 25 minutes are the saving grace. And that is solely because he created the character called Surinder Sahni and got SRK to play it. Aditya Chopra is not a funny man and Rab Ne is how funny he could get is what SRK told in an interview. There are indeed some moments that will bring a smile on your face. That gives a little hope that Aditya Chopra magic is not over yet!

The music is strictly okay. No experimentation by the music director duo of Salim-Sulaiman. They seem to be the next Vishal-Shekhar in the making and I say this because their Fashion scored on the music front. The whole dance item in the climax which forms the background for the entire 3 hour affair is a dud. It looks totally off color and repetitive. But yes, the way the story unfolds before the eyes of the heroine during the climax dance sequence is good. It reminds you of the Adi Chopra magic that I talked of earlier.

SRK is top class as Surinder Sahni, the average middle class man who doesn’t wear designer clothes or mouth filmy dialogues to win the love of his life. But enter Raj - naam to suna hoga, the “seen that 100 times” over-the-top character from so many of Yash Raj Films and boredom sets in. You yawn and wonder when the 20 year old boy Raj would transform into a 43 year old man on celluloid. You really can’t stop time by replacing 30 year old heroines by a fresh crop of 20 year olds. Can you? And by the way, the new girl Anoushka is pretty good. She looks cute and sweet and acts fine too for her first film. I hope she doesn’t end up the way some other fresh faces from YRF banner did (read Tulip Joshi, Preity Jhangiani, Shamita Shetty and Kim Sharma). Vinay Pathak is top rate. There is no one else in the movie that I can remember of.

One of the most enjoyable moments of the whole movie is the end credit. Please do not leave the theatre when THE END sign flashes. It is at this time that Suri ji shares some picture postcards of his honeymoon in Japan. It is indeed these five minutes that save the day for Rab Ne team in some ways besides Surinder Sahni's character because you exit the theatre with a smile rather than tearing the hair on your head.

When the film ended the audience started to move out of the theatre not knowing what was in store in the end credits. Then all of a sudden SRK’s voice over started describing Suri Ji's honeymoon photographs. The whole theatre stood still. Such is the magic of the man. He can hold your attention even after the film has ended. He is called a Badshah for some good reason after all. Sadly, even though SRK does liven up proceedings in parts, his film does not.

My rating is 2 out of 5 for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

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Dasvidaniya - The Review

Dasvidaniya is a film that you will probably connect with. Vinay Pathak and his team deliver it third time in a row after Bheja Fry and Mithya. As for what makes Dasvidaniya worth a watch, there are ample reasons for that.

When you have a gang of actors like Vinay Pathak, Saurabh Shukla, Rajat Kapoor and Ranvir Shorey the director's work becomes easy. The debutant director Shashant Shah looks in form in the film but I am not too sure if he would be able to pull of something like Dasvidaniya again. Remember Sagar Bellary of the Bheja Fry fame? Last heard he was planning sequels to Bheja Fry. I hope I am not sounding too much of a cynic but this is more of an actor's film rather than a director's. So, I am not going to attribute a larger share of the success of Dasvidaniya to the director.

Vinay Pathak - the actor turns into a producer with this film. Having played character roles so far in Bollywood, I think he must not be having the kind of money a Subhash Ghai has to splurge on something as inane as Yuvvraj. That shows in the film. The production value is very poor indeed. The outdoors are evidently manipulated. What is shown as Russia might as well be some place near the Amby valley. Sure the story is not about Russia but when the title is Dasvidaniya, you ought to show that dude. If money was the problem, we should probably excuse him because the overall product turned out to be good.

The music is refreshingly good. Kailash Kher's music does stand out in the film. It is difficult to compose music in a film that doesn't have too much scope for a song and dance. It is not a Yash Raj movie where situation for songs are created and picturised in exotic locales to add to their value. The movie has three songs and they gel well with the mood of the film. Maa is the better one of the lot because of the sentiments attached.

The story is not well developed. There are no surprises and it toes the "expected" line. A man suffering from cancer decides to do what he always wanted in life but could never do. The team probably wanted to pick a straight forward story of a terminally ill man and give the meaning of life their own interpretation. I must mention here that Dasvidaniya is not inspired from Anand. Anand was about spreading happiness in everyone's lives before exiting the World's stage while Dasvidaniya is about making oneself happy (not in a selfish sense though!). It is inspired from The Bucket List in that sense. The screenplay is good. The characters are introduced in the plot seamlessly. The dialogues are intelligent.

One place where the film scores heavily is acting. And that again was expected when it comes from the stable of competent actors like Pathak and Co. They are all good actors but it is easier said than done. Vinay Pathak plays two characters - one of the seedha Amar Kaul and the other of his hidden shaana Amar Kaul. It is unbelievable how he convincingly plays both of them. They look two distinctly different people. Very few actors besides Vinay Pathak can portray that. You have to look minutely to witness the subtleness with which he changes expressions on his face.

There is a scene where he gives a lift to his childhood sweetheart and she gets a phone call. He thinks its her boy friend and gets sad but the very next monent when he realises that it was her mother, his expressions change to being happy suddenly. Very natural! Another scene that needs a mention is the one where he expresses his love to her. There is no dialogue exchange but the emotion is conveyed. Though it is cliched to say I Love You in films, this one scene would probably count as one of the better ones among the lot that capture the moment.

Rest of the cast supports Pathak ably. No one has a lengthy role but they make their presence felt. Saurabh Shukla as the inconsiderate boss, Gaurav Gera as the estranged brother, Sarita Joshi as the mother, Ranvir Shorey as the Chunni Babu (of Devdas fame) reincarnation and Rajat Kapoor as Amar Kaul's childhood buddy. Everyone gives the film the support it requires.

Dasvidaniya will not be an Anand that will be remembered in the years to come. Probably because the story is not novel and has oft been retold in different ways. It will at best be remembered as a profitable attempt catering to the taste of the urban audience that watches films in multiplexes. But it will always be a film that will probably cheer you up and tell you that life is a bigger deal than death is!

Though its quite late in the day, go watch Dasvidaniya if you haven't. My rating 3.5 out of 5.

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Rock On - Review

Rock On is bang on! Rock On will not set the box office on fire the same way that Singh is Kinng did. These might seem two contradictory statements but it is true. The primary reason is that Rock On is made specifically for the multiplex audience. It limits itself on many accounts – the music genre, the milieu from which its protagonists come and the sensibilities of the creators of the movie. Despite these factors that unfortunately decide the fate of a film commercially, I would still say that Rock On gets close to becoming a cult film.

The team of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar come up with another ace. This film belongs to the same genre as Dil Chahta Hai. However, comparing the two would imply injustice to Rock On because of several reasons. One, Dil Chahta Hai did not have a precedent before it to which it had to live upto. Two, there was a marked difference in the casting of the two films. Of course the film does seem to have a DCH hangover – friendship, misunderstanding, separation, leading
individual but incomplete lives, reuniting after realizing that no one was happy after all. But you cannot take away the freshness that the team Rock On brings to the film.

The casting is intelligent. Farhan Akhtar as the lead actor and singer did create a lot of interest in the film. The rest of the cast, though not renowned, still looks apt for the roles they portray. I am sure that the producers could very well have afforded major stars to play the well etched out characters of the film but think about the economics. It does a film of restricted audience a whole lot of good financially if a lesser paid but efficient Purab Kohli portrays a character with the same intensity that a Saif Ali Khan would have played. The production value is great. If the product overall is good, the producers must be applauded. Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar have done their job well.

Abhishek Kapoor debuted as a lead actor in an obscure film that went unnoticed. His only claim to fame was being Jeetendra’s relative. He chooses this film to show that he is more than that. The script shows how hard he has worked on the story. Each of the characters is so well defined. The film spans 10 years or so with the characters undergoing major life overhauls in the intervening period but he has remarkably succeeded in maintaining the basic personality traits of each of the characters despite their changed circumstances. This is so very true. You cannot change your inherent characteristics as a person. As a story writer too, he succeeds. He tells you a story about emotions and relationships without too much of drama. A relief in the era of – “Agar tum kisi cheez ko shiddat se chaho to saari kaaynaat tumhe usse milane mein lag jaati hai” crap. Thumbs up for Abhishek Kapoor. Let’s hope that the film didn’t drain you of all your creative juices!

Farhan Akhtar is competent as an actor but not remarkable. He will get applauded for his acting but I think it will have to do a lot with the character that he gets to play. We all want to be rock stars at some point in our lives and it doesn’t hurt if you also get to play a rich investment banker with a sensible and beautiful wife by your side. The verdict from my side is that Farhan is a much better director than he is an actor or a singer. Although he does the other two tasks reasonably well.

The dream role for Arjun Rampal, I always felt, would be playing the Bodhi tree in a film based on the life of Buddha. The reason – he has got wooden expressions. I was wrong. Rock On proved me wrong. Not that he got to play different shades and explored finer nuances of acting but he got a character that was within his reach. He got to play a brooding guy who sat on a chair and got up only to play a guitar. He did it quite well. His entry in the climax was great and yet not over the top. Finally he has a good film to show his kids.

Purab Kohli is a fantastic actor. I think he was the best in the film. The paradox is that such actors do not fit the billing of a leading guy in commercial hindi films. He reminded me of Saif Ali Khan in DCH. Good performance.

Luke Kenny is a rock star. He has been one for all these years. A decent performance from a debutant who gets to play a pivotal role.

Prachi Desai is good. She didn’t have much to do except play the woman with a great soul, an understanding wife and add to the glamorous quotient of the film. The actress who plays Arjun Rampal’s wife, Debbie is quite a good actress. She got a complex role to perform and she delivers. The rest of the cast is more of a filler. They exist but don’t really matter.

Music is a high point. Die hard rock fans might cringe saying that the songs are adulterated. But music has to sell as well. I am not a rock fan but I like the music. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy know how to hit the right notes. Barring Sindbad the Sailor, all songs have a good recall value.

Negatives – lack of dramatic moments and music of universal appeal. The story has a steady flow and it sails but it doesn’t create a storm. This would work against it because it doesn’t have a solid star cast or a wide mass base to back it up. Rock is not the music of an average Indian. Not many people would like Zehreelay or Sindbad the sailor. The biggest challenge for Rock On would be its comparisons with Dil Chahta Hai.

The film I believe stays on track and is in synch with its theme. I give 3 for the film and 0.5 for the novelty of the effort. So, it’s a 3.5 out of 5 from my side for Rock On! I recommend it.

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Singh is Kinng - The Review

The King is here! Akshay Kumar and SRK have been involved in a rat race to become Bollywood's King. Though they both have been running neck to neck for sometime now, there was always this difference in the way they fared. While SRK churned single big hits, Akshay churned a number of smaller hits. With Singh is King’s collections touching 28 crores in the first weekend, Akshay has gained a slight upper edge for the moment. SRK’s OSO had grossed 26 crores in its opening week. So much so for the stats. Now coming to the film, Singh is King, like OSO, is a glossy affair with little substance. Just like OSO, the credit for the success of the film should go to the producers of the film who have left no stone unturned to ensure that it runs on the steam generated out of its super publicity. Getting down to the dissection part now, let me talk about the film and the people behind it.

Producer (Vipul Shah): A smart Gujju bhai. Vipul Shah is man with the Midas' touch. Each of his films has been a bigger grosser than his previous one. He has an astute mind of a business man no doubt. Since he was not at the helm behind the camera this time around, he spent his energy on giving the film a very good production value. A lot was spent on publicizing the film. Tremendous hype generated now has Mr. Shah laughing his way to the bank. He wanted to make money with the investment and he has succeeded. Part played with aplomb. Kudos to him!

Director (Anees Bazmee): You don’t associate Anees Bazmee with Stanley Kubrick style of film making. He makes no brainers and that’s just about it. He completes a hatrick of sorts with his third straight film being declared a super hit (if you discount his Govinda starrer Sandwich that sprang out of nowhere a couple of years back). Anees Bazmee would give more hits in the times to come but he will never go into the annals of film history as a great director. There was a time when David Dhawan too gave back to back hits. They made money but never got the respect. Making money is one thing and getting acclaimed for them is another. This film is more about Vipul Shah and Akshay rather than Anees Bazmee. Having said that, you have to admit that he is an intelligent film-maker who understands the sensibilities of the Indian audience very well.

Actors (Akshay and Team): Akshay Kumar has slogged hard to be at the place that he is in now. Nothing seems boring when he is onscreen. His rise in comedy almost coincided with Govinda’s decline as the comedy king. He has given the art a new perspective and despite looking repetitive at times, gives you enough to smile about. As the goofy Sardar from sadde Dharmendar da pind, he excels and carries the whole film on his capable shoulders.

Katrina is one lucky girl. How many new faces get to become the arm candy of a superstar like Salman Khan and then get to work opposite another in films after films? Her plus – she looks beautiful. Her minus – she can’t do what she is intended to – act! But in hindi films, the heroines don’t need to act. Can’t help sounding like a male chauvinist here but sorry folks, that’s the status quo in the film industry today. Anyways, she might learn in the long run. More importantly, we all love Katrina, don’t we ;)

Support Cast: Able. Sonu Sood makes a dashing entry and is then relegated to playing the silent ‘ungli wale’ baba. Kirron Kher is just about okay. Javed Jaffery is likeable as the partially deaf and blind gangster. Ranvir Shorey is wasted in a part that even a TV actor could have played (Gosh! Am I sounding like a pig now? First the females and then the TV actors). Neha Dhupia plays the ‘Mona Darling’ part. She did it in Mithya recently and this one’s just an extension with a dash of nonsense.

Music (Pritam): Pritam the copy cat comes up with another hit album. Songs are good. I just hope that this album does not have at least one ‘inspired’ song for the sake of originality. Teri Ore is a romantic number and is picturised in Egypt. Picturization is similar to the Suraj Hua Maddham song from K Jo’s KKKG. The title song is a Sardar anthem. Bhootni Ke is an offbeat marriage song that you would love to mischievously play at a foe’s wedding. Jee Karda is a dance number. The other song(s) are passable.

Product (Singh is Kinng): Singh is Kinng is at best Welcome Part II. Overall just about a tolerable affair as it gets over in little over two hours. Songs are forced into the film at times. The climax is shoddy like it was in Welcome. The dialogues are funny. The Sardar touch is very much there. A film that you would best love to go with your buddies. Go watch it if you were able to handle mindless affairs like OSO and Welcome.

2 points for the gloss and 0.5 for what’s inside. That makes it a 2.5 out of 5 rating from my side!

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Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na

Jaane Tu.. is not a college romance despite taking off with a scene from the last day at college. Aamir Khan’s first film as a lead, if you remember, also took off with the song Papa Kehte Hain at the college farewell party. Similarities end there as the story then veers in a different direction than Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT), maintaining the refreshing touch that QSQT had. Jaane Tu, unlike QSQT, is a non-violent love story with happy characters. The ‘Cuteness’ quotient is too high and that is majorly because of the act put up by the lead pair.

Jaane Tu is indeed a well made film that would do Aamir Khan proud but there is a warning for all you guys going to watch it (if you haven’t!) – The film is best appreciated by people in the age group 16-23. Why? I will give you the reasons:

1.) Being in love with your best friend and not realizing it is something that you can at best associate with the teens.

2.) People start to work by the time they are 23 in India. The gang in Jaane Tu.. doesn’t really seem to go to work and enjoys partying and singing songs together. Something that people can’t spare the time for once out of college.

3.) It was all a happy setting saved from the debaucheries of the wicked world. You need to be in that age group to really relate to it directly. For the others it will remain a fantasy film with good things in abundance.

There is a particular reason why I decided to categorize the target audience. When I came out of the theatre, I had liked the film but still felt that the premise of the film was based on college students. I didn’t feel the same when I watched QSQT a few days ago. This is where I feel that Jaane Tu.. loses against QSQT. It will go down as a good film but will fail to become as successful as QSQT due to its partially limited reach.

Now, coming to the usual business of strengths and weaknesses.

Direction: Abbas Tyrewala brings that refreshing touch to the film that I was talking about earlier. He is in control as a director and manages to get the best out of a totally new star cast. The only point where he falters a bit is in the climax. Until the climax scene at the airport where Jai barges into the airport the film looks very intelligently made. But watching 20 gun toting commandoes at the airport making a mockery of themselves while chasing Jai makes it look typical Bollywoodish stuff that you might have seen in umpteen number of films. But I think all that was done to give the climax a ‘mad’ ending and not for want of a better idea from the director.

Story/Script: Nothing unique. Abbas Tyrewala’s approach to story telling in the opening scenes is similar to Chetan Bhagat’s style. There is a group of friends telling the story of two of their best friends on an airport while waiting for a flight to land. It is the usual love story where two best friends can’t live without each other but fail to realize that it is love. A boy friend and a girl friend later, they understand the love that they have for each other and then it all ends in a happily ever after fashion. The good thing is the way the story is told. You know what would happen but you still enjoy it.

Acting: Imran Khan is a notch above what Aamir was when he did QSQT. That doesn’t mean that Imran will certainly better his uncle in times to come. He is good and he is in good hands – that makes him better than what he actually is. Good to see a non-muscular hero after a long time. Six-pack has become so common that you almost get irritated by the numerous bicep flaunting plastic faces that come and go off the screen in no time every other Friday.

Genelia is cute but she doesn’t really know how to act. She struggles speaking in Hindi it seems.

There is one surprise package in Prateek Babbar. He is Smita Patil and Raj Babbar’s son. Prateek makes an interesting debut as Genelia’s brother in the movie. A pretty interesting character. The chemistry that the onscreen brother-sister duo shares on screen is again ‘very cute’. I especially liked the scene where Prateek talks about Genelia’s friends to tell her how she and not he had created the void in their relationship. Another good scene is when he takes her to his room for the first time and talks about her decision to marry her supposed boy friend.

Naseeruddin Shah play a hilarious part as the dead sword wielding Rathore from Ranjhor. He speaks to his wife from a life size portrait and keeps manipulating his son’s dreams to turn him into a true blue Rathore Rajput. A really funny character indeed!

The other characters are also interesting. Ratna Pathak Shah as Imran’s Mom, Paresh Rawal as the ‘villainous’ police inspector, the friend circle of Imran and Genelia, Jayant Kriplani and Anuradha Patel, Rajat Kapoor and Kittu Gidwani in that one off scene and guest performers Arbaz and Sohail Khan. All in all efficient casting.

Music: A. R. Rehman is not at his best but there is something about maestros that makes them a cut above the rest even if they don’t perform at their optimum levels. The music score is youthful. Easy songs to go with it. Pappu Can’t Dance is already hugely popular. The other songs are soothing and pleasant to hear. Not a bad album to buy from the music store if you haven’t yet (I don’t know why I think that others are as lazy as me!)

All in all an entertainer that will find its niche in the multiplex and college masses. Jaane Tu.. will prove to be a good launch pad for a few careers in the industry. I rate it with a 3.5 out of 5. Watchable, Enjoyable!

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