Superstar

A film that holds your attention within the first two minutes itself promises to be an entertainer. And this film manages to keep its promise. A very crisply edited film, well directed and well enacted.
The story remains true to the one line you must’ve read on the posters. Destined to be a nobody, an accident made him a superstar. That’s the story of Kunal, who bears a striking resemblance to the superstar in making Karan Saxena. Kunal always wanted to be a star but when he achieves it, he has to understand what was it about stardom that he wanted? Was it the money, the fame, the name or an artist’s satisfaction? And once this realization happens, he has to make a choice.
Why the film works for me is because of – a, the characters that’ve been created; b, the way the story has been told; and finally, because of the way it has been filmed. Subtle metaphors at the right places, intelligently woven seed-ins and seed-outs and wonderfully played out silences are things that make this film different from a regular masala film.

Kunal Khemu has really done in a role which seems to have been tailor-made for him. He has grown as an actor and does justice to both his roles. I am sure, many people will like his “Karan Saxena – the star who cares a damn” role better than the “Kunal Mehra – struggler turned star” role. Sharat Saxena gets to do a very good part after a long time. Reema Lagoo is extremely good as the understanding mother. Darshan Zariwala might seem a bit loud at the start but as the film proceeds, you begin to understand the layers of his character. Its good to see Vrijesh Hirjee under control. Zafar Karachiwala and Rushad Rana leave an impact in small roles. Tulip Joshi is loveable as Mausam and Ashima Sahni gets to play a better role than what she did in her debut Dhoka. Its hard to say who is the main heroine of the film because one gets the hero and the other gets a better length in the film.

Rohit Jugraj is definitely a director to watch out for. He has indeed bounced back with full force after the debacle of James. He has handled the complex scenes really well and has managed to extract good performances out of everyone in the film. He has been ably supported by a very nice screenplay by Sudip Sharma and Rahul Singh. Some digs on the industry might not go well with the pseuds but hey, just take them sportingly.
The film does suffer from the most dreaded word for any film – predictability. But since the whole film travels on a uniform pace, you actually don’t try and guess the next scene. You just enjoy the scene that is going on. I am sure, the film will gets its due because the movie-goers are dying to see an entertainer where they don’t actually need to leave their brains home. So go and enjoy the moments.

No big deal about the missing Sunday!

I’d like to title this film – How to kill an interesting plot!
To write anything about suspense thriller means giving away the suspense. But then, believe me, when you’ll come to know of the suspense, you’ll be disappointed anyways.
The film is based on a runaway telugu low budget hit film that was shot in 90 days and went on to win many awards for best screenplay and best actress. The film was “Anukokunda Oka Roju” and was appreciated a lot. Go to mouthshut dot com and you’ll understand what I am saying.
I don’t know what they have changed in the hindi version but the hindi version seemed like a bland cocktail where the ingredients are right but may be the quantity is not.
Sahar (Ayesha Takia), a dubbing artiste, goes to attend a wild party on a Saturday and wakes up Monday morning. Almost two-three days later, she comes to know that she has missed a Sunday. That means almost till Wednesday, she was thinking that everything is fine. Her best friend Ritu (Anjana Sukhani) also doesn’t ask her any question like – why did you leave the club without telling me? Or what did you do on Sunday? She doesn’t receive any missed calls or messages that Sunday that’d tell her that she has indeed missed a day. It takes many goons and an accidentally recorded conversation to make her realize that.
Then there’s a corrupt cop Rajvir (Ajay Devgan), a cabbie (Arshad Warsi), a struggling actor (Irfan Khan) and many others who are suppose to provide one missing clue, one missing link. And then suddenly, almost like magic, the case is solved. A case about missing twenty eight hours had to be much more interesting and eventful.
Few scenes evoke laughter but those are the scenes you’ve already seen in the trailers running on all channels. Action sequences do not engage you either. Characters are ill-baked and their presence uncalled for. I felt the problem lies in the screenplay which doesn’t try to tie any loose ends. The bigger problem lies with the direction which was all stylization and no substance.

Ayesha looks pretty and does what the role demands. Ajay Devgan is okay. Anjana Sukhani is just there. Arshad and Irfan are really good and only saving grace. But alas, even they fail to save.
Irfan and Arshad provide you with few gags but that can’t be a good reason to watch this film in the theatre. There is show on filmy called “Meri bhains ko anda kyon mara” which shows comedy scenes from films. You’ll soon see the Arshad-Irfan scenes from Sunday in this program. So wait till then and spend your weekend money on some other film.

My Name is XYZ

Reviews had already started pouring in and the comments were not at all positive. But the idea of watching a film in a recliner chair for seventy bucks, ten in the morning, is that however bad the film might turn out, you’ll still like it.
So, there I was ready to watch E-Niwas’s My Name is Anthony Gonsalves. The film was predictable and full of clichés right from the word GO. Now, I have seen GO too, but I am still trying to erase that terrible experience from my memory. Coming back to MNIAG, what really bothered me was the lethargic pace. I have generally liked E-Niwas’s work – I’ve seen Shool, Love ke liye kuchh bhi karega and Bardaasht. But MNIAG was not what I expected from him.
It starts off as story about a bartender who wants to become an actor. Then you come to know that he is mentored by a gangster. Then you come to know that he was brought up by a padre. Then he sees a girl in the cemetry and falls in love with her. Then he finds her as an assistant director in a production house. Then he sees his mentor trying to dump a body. Then he fights with his consciousness about sticking to truth or being loyal to his mentor. In between he overhears his mentor’s sidekicks plotting against the mentor and then draws comparision with the story of Julius Caesar for which he is auditioning. Just when you thought, the plot cannnot get any thicker, the film resolves by itself and ends on a happy note. So well, that’s all I can tell you about the storyline.

Several taps were opened like the Julius Caesar comparison, Saurabh Shukla angle, and several characters that come and act as if they are so important to the main story-line. But most of these taps are not closed and the film ends.
Nikihil Dwivedi is certainly not what you’d call “new kid on the block”. He has been presented as the next star but doesn’t work. In the bar song, when everyone cheers for Anthony to perform, you expect him to break into an amazing dance jig; but instead, you see him rapping in few successive wide shots. And then at the end of the song, you have people appreciating his “dance”. Whom are we trying to fool?
Amrita Rao, a pretty face with nothing to do. Lillete Dubey in a role that any junior artiste could have done.

It feels sad to see actors like Anupam Kher and Pawan Malhotra in good but badly executed roles. The storyline was good and am sure the film could have been much much better. I guess, Mithun’s judo in the climax was the only “paisa-wasool” thing. A scriptwriter friend of mine felt that “Apun Mumbai to kya, bandra chhod ke bhi nahi jayega” was also a paisa-wasool line.
All said and done, the film was neither in the category of meaningful cinema nor an entertainer. It was something that made me realize that a 2-hour film can also seem like a really really long film.

Om Saawariya Om

Om Saawariya Om
Two big releases of 2007 – that too, Diwali release. The promotions were all over the place, with the lead actors coming as chief guests on almost every other show on television. Talks about SRK’s six-pack and Ranbir’s butt. Comparisions between Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor. The hype was high, enough to ensure a huge opening. I could not see these films till late because I was celebrating Diwali with my folks. Till then, I had read enough reviews that praised OSO and ridiculed Saawariya.
Now, after seeing both films, I felt that OSO disappointed big time and Saawariya was not “that” bad.
Both belong to the same genre. Surprised? Yes, both belong to the genre of “self-indulgent” cinema. While OSO’s self-indulgence lies in flaunting SRK’s goodwill that can get stars to play “special” appearances, Saawariya’s self-indulgence lies in the opulence that can actually make the giant emotions seem small.
Om Shanti Om is no tribute to 70s, it is just a spoof on everything that has happened in cinema. Very conveniently, it starts with the tag “30 years earlier” and begins the post-interval with “30 years later”. They dare not use the tags “1977” and “2007” because the film starts with shooting of KARZ which released in 1980, shows Deepika dancing with Sunil Dutt of late 60s and also gives a hint of “Meri pyari bahaniya” being shot; from Sachcha Jhootha which was released in 1970.
But I don’t care about time and era. When we listen to stories as a kid and our mother starts with “Ek baar ek raja tha”, we don’t stop her and ask whether the king was of Maurya Dynasty or Guptas.

Saawariya can also belong to any time and place. It starts with Rani’s commentary that states that it is a city of dreams that exists only in her dreams. It’s like a singer going to stage and announcing before he starts singing that his throat is bad.
So, coming back to OSO, the spoofs work as they raise a few laughs but when it tries to get serious, it fails. So why try? Let it be a “Hot Shots” or “Scary Movie” kind of a film. Let SRK regaining his previous birth knowledge be a spoof or let the final revenge be a spoof. At least, give us an uninterrupted storyline where we can just laugh our hearts out.
Screenplay seems to be the weakest area in both OSO and Saawariya.
Saawariya is a visual delight. 2 hours 10 minutes of film contains 187200 beautiful frames. Each gesture, posture is staged to perfection. Few scenes are good, they touch your heart but in the whole film, they lose out on their meaning. Several scenes look like they are there just to showcase Ranbir’s acting skills. He is the find of the year, no doubt about that. The way he emotes, says his dialogues, dances, it’s amazing. Though I wonder, which guy newly-in-love will stand on the balcony and flash himself to the world outside.
If I have to select who had a better debut between Deepika and Sonam, I’d choose Sonam. Mainly, because Deepika had nothing much to do in OSO. She says her first dialogue fifteen minutes after she has been introduced and is re-introduced almost an hour after the interval.

OSO is a SRK film all the way. If you like him, you’ll like the film. As simple as that.
You’ll like Saawariya if you like going to musicals where each scene is written with an intention to introduce a song. Rani’s song “Chhabeela” is one such example.
As my friend Sudip said, out of numerous films released in an year, you can count good films on your finger tips. So keeping in mind the efforts that Saawariya has taken to create magic on celluloid, we should give it at least one star more than Om Shanti Om.

Jab We Fell in Love

Jab We Met
I’ve watched Socha Na Tha 10 times. You can read my review of Socha Na Tha here - http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Socha_Na_Tha-72034-1.html
I’ve loved that film and therefore I was expecting a lot from Jab We Met. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed at all. The film not only shows Imtiaz Ali’s growth as a storyteller, it also presents Shahid and Kareena as never seen before.
Two diametrically opposite characters Aditya and Geet meet on a train and their journey starts. One is nursing heartbreak while the other is looking forward to a life with the one she loves. Love happened. They don’t know when. You travel with them as an audience, experiencing their emotions, living their life. That’s the power of celluloid. You empathize with them, you laugh with them, and you cry with them, you celebrate with them.
This is easily Kareena’s best performance till date. There is always a risk in playing an overtly bubbly character. You end up looking like a caricature but Kareena knows the sharp edge she is supposed to walk on. Her character goes a major transformation post-interval and she just flows along. Watch out for the scene where she cries after calling herself Pagli, or when she abuses her boyfriend over the phone or the scene where she hugs Shahid minutes before the film ends. I doubt if this character could have been played by anyone else.

Shahid shows remarkable maturity. He handled all his scenes brilliantly and very subtly. Whether it’s his interaction with his mother, aptly played by Divya Seth, or the scene where he tries to make Kareena laugh by saying that he knows Karate, or the scene immediately after their intimate moment where he says, “Oye hota hai yaar!” You’ll just admire him with awe when he tells Kareena, “Yes I like you, but ye mera problem hai”.
Other characters that manage to leave an impact are Pawan Malhotra, Dara Singh and Rusty who plays Geet’s pretty cousin Roop. Tarun Arora gets to play an interesting character. You’ll get to laugh a lot at his expense.

Music by Pritam is very soothing. The picturisation of these songs are not only well-timed, they are also well-shot. Hum jo chalne lage, Ye ishq haye, Nagada, Tumse Hi are all testimony to this. Mauja hi Mauja comes at the right time drawing whistles from the crowd.
At the expense of nitpicking, I’d like to point out few flaws. Kareena’s excessive luggage gets miraculously transformed into a bag and a half. The second time she misses train needed a more strong reason. Shahid finds Kareena very easily in Simla. Can’t think of anything else but yes, I’ve carried home a memory of a wonderful film.
Imtiaz Ali manages to create wonderful film and a very smooth-flowing narrative. A big salute to him and the producers who trusted his vision. Jab We Met added to the list of my favourite films.

AAG se BHAAG!

I am still wondering what it was? Was it a remake, or a tribute or a spoof? Two and a half hours of disjointed scenes those neither impress nor express. The way Mr. RGV has taken the story forward; he has gone ahead with the assumption that everyone has seen Sholay. So he never bothers to etch out the characters, or establish the conflict or create drama. Each scene just comes and goes making you wonder whether it’s a remake of the original, or a tribute or a mere spoof.
I don't even want to list here, how the changes made in this "re-interpretation" have totally worked against the narrative. Or how the scenes that have been retained have become a poor parody... Let's just talk about this AAG... sorry! RGV ki AAG.
The background score that tries to copy Sholay goes insanely wrong whenever it tries to do something original. So here we have “Ye dosti hum nahi chhodenge” in the background when Heeru-Raj decide to go to Kaliganj, the mouth-organ piece when Raj looks “oh so lovingly” at Durga “Deviji” and the slow instrumental version of “Ye Dosti” when Raj dies. Most of the times, you’ll hear pieces of music that you’ve heard before in Bhoot, Vastushastra and other RGV films.
Some of the shots are interesting but nothing to carry home. May be just the one with Amitabh tossing the apple up in the air towards the camera. I am sure, I will come to know in a day or two that the shot was borrowed from some European film.
Amitabh Sir tries to be sincere in a role which can best be described as a caricature of Gabbar. His expression, just before he kills Jai, is amazing.
Rest of the cast, lesser said the better. Mohanlal takes pause within sentences thus changing the complete meaning of the sentence but who cares! Ajay looks like a retard every time he tries to be funny but who cares! Nisha hams so much you feel like shooting the screen but who cares! Prashant speaks in two voices. Surprised, may half way through the film, he joined voice-modulation classes. He should ask for a refund. But then, who cares! Sushmita Sen shouldn’t have done this film but then she isn’t doing anything in the film either so who cares!
RGV wanted to make this film and he did it. All that the critics and viewers can do is make fun of it after they have watched it. But again, if they have watched it once, RGV’s mission is accomplished.

Phir Dekhenge...

कुछ गुनगुने अहसास
मेरी साँसों की आँच में तप जाने दो
फिर देखेंगे
खुशबू में बसे ख़्वाब
मेरी पलकों के हिजाब में छिप जाने दो
फिर देखेंगे

पहले यकीं तो कर लूं, ऐसा भी कुछ हुआ है.
है खेल हवाओं का, या सच में तुमने छुआ है.
फ़िलहाल तो आँखों में सर्द आहों का धुंआ है.
हाथों का थोड़ा ताप
आँखों पर चुपचाप से मल जाने दो
फिर देखेंगे

ठहरी हुई यहीं पर, है कब से समय की कश्ती.
तुम तक पहुँच भी जाते, लहरों पर ग़र ये बहती.
चल चल कर चाहे रुकती, रुक रुक कर चाहे चलती.
फिर मोड़ हैं वही
बातें हैं अनकही, बस कह जाने दो
फिर देखेंगे

© S. Manasvi