THE MUCH AWAITED RETURN

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS

While returning, even if we take the same path, chances are that the things will be different around. A lot is different in Tanu weds Manu Returns. The characters have grown, relationships have changed and new equations have emerged. TWMR is again a journey that the Writer Himanshu Sharma and Director Aanand Rai decide to take you on and succeed in giving you a wonderful experience.

The film starts where TWM ended. Tanu and Manu getting married. Four years later, they can’t stand each other. Tanu leaves for Kanpur and Manu reaches Delhi. Tanu revisits her past while Manu sees his future in Kusum Sangwan aka Datto from Jajjhar who is studying in DU and aspires to make it as a National level athelete. Love blossoms between Manu and Kusum till Tanu realizes that Manu is and will remain her love. Will Manu realize whether his future lies with Tanu or Kusum, forms the rest of the story.

Tanu and Kusum are as different as chalk and cheese. So much so that you forget they are being played by the same actress. The credit goes to Kangana Ranaut who has again given a clap-worthy performance. Her mannerisms as Tanu and as Kusum are so distinct that you can’t help but appreciate the detailing that has gone behind creating these characters. Watch out for the freckles on Kusum’s nose and mole on Tanu’s neck. That is what we call detailing. Madhavan as the forty year old Manu is as loveable as the first part. You feel for him. He manages to evoke sympathy for his character even though he is the one who is marrying again.

Writer Himanshu Sharma has created a believable world, even though the story this time is slightly in the unbelievable zone. In one of the scenes, Tanuja Trivedi is compared to Batman whose legends do the rounds but is never seen. Story-wise, TWM was more real than TWMR. But what goes really in the favour of TWMR is that it’s crisp. After a long time, I have watched a film where I looked at my watch when the intermission slate came and I said – its interval already? Funny, witty, one-liners are again the strong points of TWMR. The whole hall was in splits when Pappiji asks Manu – Aap koi salman khan ho rakhe ho jo commitment nahi chhod sakte?

Supporting cast is bang on. All characters reprise their roles from TWM, except may be for Manu’s mother. She looked different. The character of Manu’s father played by KK Raina is quite different from TWMR and it does make you cringe. The new character added, that of Chintu, played by Mohammed Jeeshaan Ayub, is nice but also seems unnecessary at few places. The Jassi-Payal story is a nice sub-plot while the sub-plot where Pappiji tries to woo Jassi’s cousin Komal is funny as well as it takes the story ahead. Eijaz Khan and Swara Bhaskar are first rate as ever and Deepak Dobriyal is crazier than the first part. Watch out for the scene where he suspects that Manu is thinking about Kusum. Rajesh Sharma as Kusum’s brother shines in the scene where he blasts people of his jaat community.

Finally, the person who deserves all the accolades, the captain of the ship, the director Aanand Rai. Frankly speaking, I hadn’t like Raanjhana. For me it was glorified story of a stalker. But with TWMR, Aanand Rai delivers just the right notes. Each and every close-up, each and every camera movement means something. It conveys what the characters are going through and makes you feel for them. So when Manu’s father talks about how marriages last, or when Payal talks about how she got pregnant, or when Manu mistakenly calls Kusum as Tanu, or when Tanu tells her father – abhi aur jaleel honaa hai, your heart goes out for them.

For me, the music was not as good as TWM. I missed the soulful Piya na rahe manbasiya, or Kitni dafe dil ne kahaa and the evergreen Rangrez mere. This time we have Ghani Bawari and Banno tera swagger and Mat jaa re. But they fail to leave mark as much as their predecessors.

But all said and done, with all its little flaws included, TWMR is a film worth watching, not just once but at least twice. Second time, to experience the magic of nuances that you might have missed the first time. Tanu and Kusum are two different faces of modern woman – one is a rebel, a bohemian who is not answerable to anybody, while the other is a self made woman who is proud of the position she has earned for herself. To choose between the two is indeed a difficult choice. No wonder, Manu finds himself torn between the two. You will too.

Rating:        4 stars out of 5. 

The Invisible Torture

MR. X

VB: You will play an invisible man.
EH: But I am a hero. I need to be seen.
VB: We will establish that you can be seen in sunlight and neon light. So you will be seen a lot.
EH: But what will be the scientific explanation?
VB: We will have a dialogue that sometimes science has no explanation and that it’s a miracle. We will even have a Krishna idol with you. You will also get to recite a Geeta shlok.
EH: What’s the story?
VB: Something like hollow man. Just that, the heroine will love you and not the supporting actor. Also, you will not be negative.
EH: But Kevin Bacon was invisible only when he was without clothes. I have stopped removing my shirt.
VB: Don’t worry. We will establish that in the accident, your clothes have become part of your skin.
EH: Will the audience buy it?
VB: This is Bollywood.
EH: So I will play a scientist.
VB: That’s not relatable. You will be a cop.
EH: Will I be a superhero?
VB: We will show that in part 2. Mr X Returns. In this film, you will get the heroine and start living an invisible life with her.
EH: But my clothes have become part of my skin. How will I… (censored)

That’s all you need to know about Mr X. Invisible hero is something kids are fond of. Remember Mr India. But following the tradition of Vishesh Films, this is U/A certificate film. But that doesn’t stop the parents of India to take their 7-8 year olds to watch this film. Even the cinema-hall authorities allow this.

The film, written by Shagufta Rafique and directed by Vikram Bhatt, defies all logic. It neither starts on a promising note, nor takes off anywhere worth mentioning.

Raghuram (Emran Hashmi) is a cop from Anti Terrorist Department, who is about to marry his colleague Amyra Dastur. But he is made to assassin the chief minister of the state and then bumped off in an explosion. He survives the explosion and a laboratory worker (Shruti Ulfat) gives him an untested drug to rid his body of the radiation. He becomes invisible and takes revenge.

When Raghuram becomes invisible, his only motto is to take revenge. He never tries to be a Mr India to fight against corruption or smuggling or save his country. Even when he ridicules the law system of our country, you wonder what has prompted this. Because all said and done, he was wronged by a senior cop who had his own vested interest in the whole conspiracy.

Emran Hashmi manages to maintain exactly the same frown throughout the film which is commendable. Amyra Dastur is asked to breathe heavily so that it seems that she is acting. Dubbing artiste is asked to take care of the rest. Arunoday Singh as the main villain is earnest while Tanmay Bhatt as Popo plays the plump sidekick routine lazily. The actor who plays the cop Tiwari manages to evoke a few laughs. Rest of the cast is forgettable.

I really wonder why the film is called Mr X. Everyone knows who he is, what he wants. Moreover, he is visible in more than three-fourth of the film. So where’s the intrigue? Where’s the fun of watching a film about an invisible man where you watch the screen wondering where he will come from?

Mr X could have been an interesting if it had a different cast, different story, different director, in short, if only it had been a different film. This one is just torture.

Rating: 1.5/5

Daddy Uncool

Mere Baap Pahle Aap
I would not say I was disappointed. I was pretty much expecting something like this. Especially after seeing Dhol, Garam Masala and “the brutal murder of Manichitrathazhu” called Bhool Bhulaiya. Welcome to the Priyadarshan factory, he churns more films than any other filmmaker – once he had two releases on the same day. Remember Garam Masala and Kyon ki. One was a supposedly a comedy and other was supposedly a tear-jerker. It was for you to find out which one was what!!
In MBPA, we are supposed to laugh. We are informed that it is a comedy and be prepared to laugh. Especially, when the film starts with Om Puri prancing with bikini babes and you come to know that it was a dream sequence – you better laugh. When he selects bride on a matrimonial website – why aren’t you laughing yet? When he requests Paresh Rawal to accompany him to the Arts College – you should be in splits, what are you doing with that serious look on your face. When Archana the supercop arrests them and decides to book them for all sort of crimes – you should be rolling in you seats laughing. But you aren’t???
The film has many scenes that could have been funny but they aren’t. In fact, there are unnecessary serious elements like Akshaye had cut a girl’s long hair as a part of ragging and that girl had left the country crying. She comes back and what does she do? She troubles him over the phone in some silly way. Why keep that ragging part as a reason? Something funny could have been thought of!!! Then Paresh-Shobhna love track. Why make it so sad? Families accusing him and guest appearance of Naseer Saab and several unnecessary scenes that follow will make you fully aware that it is a two hour and forty minutes film.
Everyone speaks in one tone and one language – that of the dialogue writer. Heavy words decorated with idioms. Right from the hero to heroine to father to father’s friend to cop to salesman, everyone talks the same. And yes, there is Rajpal Yadav too. Terribly wasted in a miniscule role, even he fails to make you laugh! If you can laugh at seeing him beaten black and blue, you’ve got a laugh riot here.
Most of Priyadarshan’s films have been remakes of south-indian films directed by other directors. The producers should get the same directors to make it in hindi too. May be then, we will get better remakes.
Before signing off, here is the list. Happy Watching!

Billo Barber
2008 - Irfan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amisha Patel
[ORIGINAL: Kadha Parayumbol
2007 - Sreenivasan, Mammootty, Mukesh, Jagathy, Meena.
Director - R.Mohanan]
Mere Baap Pehele Aap
2008 - Akshay Khanna,Paresh Rawal
[ORIGINAL: Ishtam
2001 - Dileep, Nedumudi Venu.
Director - Sibi Malayil]
Dhol
2007 - Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Rajpal Yadav, Sharman Joshi
[ORIGINAL: In Harihar Nagar
1990 - Mukesh, Siddique, Jagadish, Asokan. Director - Siddique-Lal]
Bhool Bhulaiya
2007 - Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja,Amisha Patel
[ORIGINAL: Manichitrathazhu
1993 - Mohanlal,Suresh Gopi,Shobana Director - Fazil]
Bhagam Bhag
2006 - Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Paresh Rawal, Lara Dutta
[ORIGINAL: Mannar Mathai SpeakingNadodikkattu
1995 - Mukesh, Saikumar, Innocent, Vaani Viswanath. Director - Mani C kapan]
Chup Chup Ke
2006 - Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor
[ORIGINAL: Punjabi House
1998 - Dileep, Mohini. Director - Rafi & Macartin]
Hulchul
2004 - Akshay Khanna, Kareena Kapoor, Amrish Puri
[ORIGINAL: Godfather
1991 - Mukesh, Kanaka, N.N. Pillai. Director - Siddique & Lal]
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar
2001 - Sunil Shetty, Mahima Chaudhry
[ORIGINAL: Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam
1986 - Mohanlal, Karthika. Director - Satyan Anthikad]
Hera Pheri
2001 - Sunil Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal
[ORIGINAL: Ramji Rao Speaking
1989 - Mukesh, Saikumar, Innocent. Director - Siddique & Lal]
Doli Saja Ke Rakhna
1998 - Akshay Khanna, Jyothika
[ORIGINAL: Aniyathi Pravu
1997 - Kunchako Boban, Shalini. Director - Fazil]
Virasat
1997 - Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Pooja Batra
[ORIGINAL: Thevar Magan (Tamil)
1992 - Kamal Haasan, Revathi, Gauthami. Director - Bharathan]
Gardish
1993 - Jackie Shroff, Amrish Puri
[ORIGINAL: Kireedam
1989 - Mohanlal, Thilakan. Director - Sibi Malayil]

Once upon an era…

It takes a vision to create an epic. When I came out of the theatre, all I could say was Salute to Ashutosh Govarikar for making this film. The hard work shows on screen.
We’ve all studied about Jodha Bai and Akbar in our history textbooks but we have never known it as a love story. But even after watching Jodha-Akbar and getting completely awed by the scale, I still don’t see it as a love story. Jodha-Akbar for me was a great cinematic experience and a good historical film.
In the first fifteen minutes itself, the battle of Panipat blows your mind. As the story progresses, you come across interesting characters and intriguing sub-plots. A political marriage of a Hindu Rajput Princess and a Mughal Emperor is a nice plot but not necessarily a good story. Still, you feel hooked to the screen because of a good screenplay, wonderful performances and amazing production value.
Whether it’s Jodha practicing sword-fight with Sujamal, or Akbar taming an elephant or the Akbar-Jodha sword duel or the wars shown or the final Akbar-Sharifuddin fight, it’s the camera-work, production, sound design, art-direction, action-design, performances and direction that mesmerize you. Don’t go expecting a love story between Jodha and Akbar otherwise you’ll be heavily disappointed. In fact, to cut the length, the song that needs to go out of the film is the duet “In lamho ke daaman mein”.

Story wise, there is nothing that I can summarize in a line or two. Think of it as a section of time from the Mughal Era, which actually changed the political scenario.
Of all the performances, Hrithik Roshan shines as Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar. His sincerity shows in each and every frame. It’s difficult to imagine any other actor as Akbar. Aishwarya looks gorgeous and acts well. Though I had problems with her pronunciation of simple words like Parajay and Mrityu. Of the supporting cast, Sonu Sood and Niketan Dheer stand out amongst the male lot and Ila Arun amongst the female ones. In a film like this, characterization tends to look a bit sketchy but it’s the performance of these actors which makes a mark.

Songs “Kahne ko jashn-e-bahara” and “Azeem-o-shaan Shahenshah” are wonderfully picturised. The song “Khwaja mere Khwaja” is good but hampers the flow of the film. The Krishna Bhajan has been used well in the film.
The film is lengthy and you may feel that few scenes were a bit stretched. In fact the beginning and end titles together are some fifteen minutes long. But the way the film progresses from one scene to another, it is very unlikely that you’ll feel bored.
So enjoy the film, appreciate the vision, marvel the scale of the film, and admire the performances. Happy Viewing!

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

Naqaab – Plagiarized Intentions!

Picture this scene between Gael Garcia Bernal and Natalia Verbeke:

Gael : What harm is there if you see me just once? Would you like to see me beg? Believe me, I'm no stranger to humiliation.
[Gets on knees]
Natalia : Get up.
Gael : A coffee.
Natalia : No.
Gael : One glass of water. In a brightly lit public place.
Natalia : Nope.
Gael : Ok, we don't even have to talk to each other. We don't even have to sit together.
Natalia : Nope.
Gael : You sit on one side of the room and I sit on the other.
Natalia : Nope.
Gael : And if everything goes really well, we'll just wave to each other every once in awhile.

If you have seen Naqaab, you know which scene is this! Well, the synopsis goes like this:
Spanish flamenco dancer Carmen (Natalia Verbeke) is preparing to marry well heeled but dull Brit Barnaby (James D'Arcy). During her "hen night" at a French restaurant, Gallic tradition dictates she must bid farewell to singledom by choosing a man from those present for one final kiss. She picks out-of-work Brazilian actor Kit (Gael Garcia Bernal), and the earth moves for both of them.
While she's irresistibly drawn to the passion and spontaneity offered by Kit, Carmen goes through with the marriage, seeking stability and protection from her troubled past. But Barnaby's priggishness soon drives her into Kit's bed, provoking a drastic reaction from her betrayed husband.
However, appearances are not what they seem, and the story's layers are peeled back to reveal an elaborate sex-lies-and-videotape scenario of deceit, ingenuousness, remorse and self-serving artistic ambition.
Oops! I am sorry! That was the synopsis of “Dot the I” – the original film. But then, why should I bother writing an original synopsis.
Coming to Naqaab, the lead performances are good, editing is crisp, and length of the film two hours so all in all, it is watchable.
The twist in the tale is good. I have always liked the climax and anti-climax stuff.
***SPOILER*** There is a major blunder in the film – Akshaye Khanna’s VO refers to Bobby Deol as Karan where as he is supposed to know him as Rohit. Were the director duo sleeping when Akshaye was dubbing this VO?
Urvashi’s debut is confident and you’ll like her in the film. Akshaye’s tilted smile and sheepish grin works with the role so good for him. Bobby’s volte-face is good but his face isn’t. What happened to the Bobby who was supposed to have an Italian look?
As for others like Raj Jutshi, Vikas Kalantri (why is he still here?) and Vishal Malhotra, there’s nothing worth mentioning.
The smartest move was to keep the film short and with only three songs out of which, one comes during the beginning credits. So, enjoy this short and smart ride and have few laughs during the end scroll too which has all the NG takes!

To jhoom or not to jhoom...

I was not interested in watching Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. I am not a big fan of either of the starcast and was certainly not impressed by Bunty aur Babli. To top that, my friends who watched the film came back and said- “Koi free mein bhi ticket de to mat dekhna”. Taran Adarsh said, “The film is all gloss, no substance. Body beautiful, minus soul”. Ever cynical Raja Sen wrote, “The first half is merely, mindnumbingly boring, while the second gets exasperating. And it's all so inanely wasteful. There's nothing wrong with making a madcap comedy. Next time, though, a plot would be nice”.
So yesterday I decided to see the film for mere sadistic pleasure. I thought I will laugh at YR films, Abhishek and company, and Shaad and say, “what a waste man!”
But by interval, the only thing that had irritated me was the presence of cheese popcorn in my bag of plain salted popcorn.
When the film ended, I turned to my friend and said, “Itni buri bhi nahi thi yaar!”
Okay, so let me tell you what worked for me and what did not. Believe me friends; it’s personal, not business.
I liked the basic plot and the story. I sincerely felt that such story should have had the Basu Chatterji/ Hrishikesh Mukherji kind of treatment. The over-indulgence killed the story.
The screenplay should have been tighter. Preity walking against the escalator and Abhishek getting a tattoo were the two scenes that fell flat on their faces.
Abhishek has done a nice job. Lara was awesome and Bobby for once was very entertaining. Preity needed to put more energy in her role, she was the weakest of the lot.
Lara and Bobby actually have more interesting roles, never mind the length. Lara with her French accent in first half and abusive tone in the later half stole the show from right under everyone’s nose. Bobby was the surprise packet. When I look back, I wonder if anyone else could have fit in this role. It was the perfect casting.
The film suffers because of overdose of Punjabi. The filmmakers take it for granted that the whole of India understands Punjabi!! The songs and major comedy scenes were in thet Punjabi. I could understand so I was the only one laughing in the hall which had all of 15 people as the audience.
Gimmicks like playing “main jat yamla” or “Ye dosti hum nahi chhodenge” did not work at all. Mr. Director, please refrain from such acts in the future.
Vaibhavi Merchant needs special mention for her choreography, especially the pre-climax dance competition.
Amitabh Bachchan could have been utilized as a Sutradhaar but he was only breaking into a song (though at right moments) and not carrying story any further. And what was the need of telling the audience how they started creating stories and all. Once we come to know that they were creating stories, we know very well where they originated from.
All in all, it is worth a watch. See it just for Abhishek, Lara and Bobby. Go with zero expectations and to avoid any regrets later, chuck the popcorn.

Basu Da

Last night, when I saw Basu Da being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at IIFA, images of all his films that have deeply influenced me, played before my eyes.
Started with an off-beat film like Sara Akash, he was one of the pioneers of the parallel cinema movement. But he decided not to indulge into making movies that cannot be understood without a brochure and gave us middle of the path films. You'll realise what I mean if you look at his filmography - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154113/

He adapted literary works so well, whether its Rajnigandha from Mannu Bhandari's "Yehi Sach Hai" or Swami from Saratchandra's novel by the same name. Bernard Shaw's Pygmallion has been adapted to screen so many times but Basu Da's Manpasand holds its position.

His ear for good music can never be neglected. Just to mention a few:
Ye jeewan hai - Piya Ka Ghar
Rajnigandha phool tumhare - Rajnigandha
Na jane kyon - Chhoti Si Baat
Gori Tera Gaon - Chitchor
Ka Karoon Sajni - Swami
Koi Roko Na - Priyatama
Thoda Hai Thode Ki - Khatta Meetha
Kabhi kabhi sapna lagta hai - Ratnadeep
Suniye Kahiye - Baaton baaton mein
Rimjhim gire saawan - Manzil
Main Akela - Manpasand
Shyam rang ranga re - Apne Paraye
Jab bhi koi kangana bole - Shaukeen

Basuda, we need you to make a film again. Come out of your Banwaas.

Spidey gets sidey

After watching Spiderman-3 with my group, I got to hear response like "Ye to makkad ke sholay hai" or "Is bollywood standard rising or hollywood standard falling" or "Thoda filmy nahi ho gaya"?? But what matters is that the two plus hours I spent inside the theatre, I really enjoyed myself. The visual effects, breathtaking of course, literally made me jump in my seats. One shot even had me ducking when the glass shattered.
Toby goes chubby, tries to be cute but fails. Harry Osbourne was and remains my favourite. MJ looks devastated, being the damsel in distress. Sandman reminds you of The Mummy series. The black stuff was the real hero. It gave our spidey some cool moves, a new wardrobe and even made him a great dancer. So, from now on, whenever I'll do something evil, I will blame it to my black vest.
The film was paisa-vasool. I won't mind watching it again. They should try putting some songs in the hindi version. My suggestions:
1. मेरे यार ये क्या हो गया. सुनते हैं तू बेवफ़ा हो गया
२. या रब्बा, दे दे कोई जान भी अगर
३. ज़िन्दगी तो बेवफ़ा है एक दिन ठुकराएगी
४. बन्दा ये बिन्दास है

what say???

Aisa Sama Na Hota

Listening to Aisa Sama Na Hota for the 100th time since last week, I've decided to analyse the song. For all my friends who have not heard this song, you have missed out on one of the most beautiful compositions of Panchamda. Sung by Lataji and penned by Anjaan Sahab, this song according me works on several layers. Right from Ronu Majumdar's flute in the intro music, the song hooks you and the next 7 minutes are mesmerising.
Lataji's input to this song is extra-ordinary. Watch out for her renditions of simple words like samaa and shabnam, the feelings she has put in "Aise gungunati, yoon na gaati yeh hawa" or the way she gives clue to the interlude after the first stanza or the way she ends the song.
Salute to Anjaan Sahab for coming up with a line like "Raahein wohi, vaadi wohi badla kuchh nahin
Phir bhi tere milne se hai duniya kyun haseen"...
This is one of the songs where after coming up with a wonderful tune, Pancham da must have sat with his team working hard on transforming a good tune into a timeless classic. The arrangement compliments the lyrics, the singer and even inspires the filmmaker to capture breathtaking locales for a song that actually takes you to the scenic mountains.
In today's world, where each and every song is made with intentions of playing it in a discotheque, it's a treat to hear a song like Aisa Sama Na Hota. Panchamda, why did you have to leave so early?

Ideas and Ideation

I have this brilliant concept for a film. Well, everyone has. The idea is always amazing but then I simply wonder where it gets lost by the time it becomes a script and then a film.
I have been watching films only on channels these days. I can watch a film alone only if its on television. To got to a theatre, I need to go with a friend, so that I can constantly comment. Anyways, I happened to catch many a flop films. Well, the idiot box is where they land eventually. They say such films recover their money through "Satellite Rights"... yeah, yeah, whatever...
But I must admit that many of these films had a good idea! Things got lost in the process. Loaded with unnecessary tracks and scenes, the basic problem was that these films were unable to hold one's attention. They forgot the most important rule - keep audience glued to the seats. The final product has to be crisp. It should be a journey where each and every moment is worth it.
You can have thousands of ways to lure public to the theatres but once the show is over, either the public has liked it or it hasn't. But unfortunately, the blame will go to director, actor, music and the producer will start making another proposal with another director, more saleable actor, different kind of music. The most neglected part will always be the screenplay.

एक कविता

हमसे पूछो हमने इस गर्मी में जल कर देखा है

धूप से की दोस्ती तो छाँव को शिकवा हुआ
पड़ गये जो पाँव में छाले अगर तो क्या हुआ
आँच को अपनी हथेली पर मसल कर देखा है
हमसे पूछो हमने इस गर्मी में जल कर देखा है

पेड़ से छनती हुई किरणों से खेल खेला है
पीठ पर लादे हुए हमने अगन को झेला है
ओस में चिन्गारियों को भी बदल कर देखा है
हमसे पूछो हमने इस गर्मी में जल कर देखा है

As Graphic as it gets

I remember picking up a graphic novel by Frank Miller at Landmark (I like that place, good place to spend some time with books). Well, that was after Sin City had become such a craze and in every group, I used to be the only one who's not seen the film. I was booed with the same intensity and tone of the ad where the group shouts, 'Arre, ye PSPO nahi jaantaa"...
Well, I went through the graphic novel. It was a storyboard in itself. As the images hypnotised me, I said to myself, "there's no way, they can recreate this magic on screen".
I was so wrong. I saw Sin City today. Eyes glued to the TV screen, simply in awe of the visuals that flowed. You can call it a cult movie. You can say, its about a morally bankcrupt metropolis. Three different stories, many characters. But each one stays with you. Film Noir at it's innovative best!
I liked it when Clive Owen says, "Sometimes you can beat the odds with a careful choice of where to fight."
I have grown up on Amar Chitra Katha. Those illustrations have taught me sketching. They are also amazing storyboards in themselves. But its frustating how we have never achieved a masterpiece with our mythological tales which are full of action, drama, magic and what not!
Anyways, no point drifting from the topic. All you people, who haven't seen Sin City, believe me, the booing isn't for nothing. This is definitely a flick you shouldn't afford to miss!

Waves breaking on the shore

It was hard to remember when was the last time, I had felt really really happy! A moment to cherish forever. Then last night at around 1 am, I was at juhu beach, watching the waves breaking on the shore! It was high tide. A young kid was playing with the waves. It was quite obvious that he was enjoying it. Enjoying it to the core. I decided to do the same. It was a funny little game. He would run after the waves as they receded and run away from them as they followed him. I played that game with the sea for almost half an hour. And believe me, I got it. I got a moment which made me really really happy. Something that I will cherish forver.