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Reviews
Bang Bang (2014)
Bang Bang Boom
Until now I believed God has given me enough IQ to understand a movie plot, but this movie proved me wrong. From the start itself when a military officer goes for extradition (not intelligence officer) of a most wanted convict (and tells him that instead of bilateral extradition treaty India has negotiated an extradition treaty with all nations now! Wow, that kind of achievement would be hard even for US),you start to gear up yourself for what is going to follow next.After a non-effective clichéd patriotic dialogue we are made to believe that the whole building is taken over by a group of militants and they(militants) find time to change clothes to sherwani before taking our most wanted militant.This is just the start of a to be 'thrill ride' where you would find yourself bamboozled by a lot of questions. For instance our hero starts driving on a Shimla road but later he is found traversing Delhi's narrow gullies.And, after a while they are in Manali, which by the way we are told is Shimla again. Our hero who is a champion swimmer starts swimming from an unknown island most probably in India and finds himself in Prague after sometime and that too when Interpol is after him. In one of the chase scenes our hero hurts his legs (nd probably breaks it) just to find himself showing his dance moves just the same day. And yes our pretty lady lives in Shimla ,works as a receptionist but lives in a house akin to GM's and believe it or not she has to rely on blind date site to get a date.Also it snows heavily in Dehradun in fact it is snow covered as we are told.It makes you wonder what motivates these stars to agree to do these non-sense movies.
The movie is not all bad. Hritik and Katrina look good,though have no chemistry whatsoever.Even the (unnecessary) kiss could not make their chemistry any good.Hritik has his charms and tries very hard to carry the movie on his shoulders, but the script fails him umpteen number of times.Background music and to some extent cinematography (especially Prague,Greece) are also good. Action is one of the best you would see in a Bollywood movie,but it happens so vaguely you hardly understand why is it happening. The music disappointed me apart from 'Tu meri' song.Overall a passable movie which you can easily do without watching. In fact I wouldn't have strongly recommended the original mediocre 'Knight and Day' leave alone a caricatured copy if it.
Haider (2014)
Haider.
The movie Haider, as most of you would be aware of is an adaptation of Shakespeaes' Hamlet. It does help if you have read the original work ,but believe me there is nothing in the movie which you cannot understand if you have not read it.In fact if you have not read it till now,its better because the story would be anew to you.
Set in Kashmir it takes the essence of problems faced in Kashmir valley due to insurgency and counterinsurgency measures though it doesn't focus on the problem alone. In a broad sense this movie is about search of a father by a son and subsequent events which leads him nearer towards revenge.
First of all the movie is not everybody's cup of tea. You've to be very patient throughout to get the real pleasure out of it. The film is slow paced so as to draw you into it, just like an old wine. And, like an old wine you are supposed to sip it and not drink it in a hurry.
The ensemble actor list is itself worth mentioning from Shahid ,Shradhha,Kulbhushan Kharbanda to the talented KK Menon,Tabu and of course the ever reliable Irfan Khan. Their performance is indeed flawless in the movie.The relationships are well portrayed ,the agony and trauma well expressed and the hate ,betrayal ,action scenes well-choreographed and scripted(especially the action sequence in the last scene). The only fault I could find in the acting department is that because of the presence of so many good actors (though the movie has good runtime still) much is left to be desired especially from Irrfan Khan whose performance is too succinct for an actor of his caliber.
As said earlier, the movie is slow paced but the script doesn't fail the plot often. There is hardly anytime where you find yourself napping in the movie. Songs are good especially Arjit Singhs voice again creates magic with 'khul kabhi'.Cinematography, background score(which sometimes sound like Bourne trilogy) are also good. Accent training for the actors could have been better as anyone who has visited Kashmir for even a short duration would find only the two Salmaans accent to be genuine. But then it is a minor fault in a movie a cut above rest.
If you are patient and could immerse yourself in the plot ,then the movie holds a lot of promise for you. But wont recommend to those who could not find tickets for another movie or those who want to have party time without application of brain.It is certainly not the best work you will ever see, but certainly a cut above rest, deserving a watch.
Daawat-e-Ishq (2014)
Detoxifying Delicacy
In this festive season many big budgets movie are coming up with top stars, most of us are saving time and money for them. Frankly speaking despite a talented star cast I didn't had much expectation from this movie and was saving for future releases.
The movie positively surprised me with the content, the delivery by the lead actors and overall execution. Daawat-e-Ishq is a tale of a young girl who is rejected by many grooms because she is unable to meet their dowry demands. She eventually makes a plan to find out the greediest groom and make him pay for it. The cast has put in great effort especially the lead cast. Though one may argue that Parineeti is used to doing loud characters, but the ease with which she carries off this role makes you crave for more . Aditya Roy Kapur's role is different from what he has played till now and frankly I can't think of any other actor who would have put more into the character than himself. Anupan Kher again proves to be a class act. Support cast, cinematography, editing are also good. One another good point in the movie is it never takes itself very seriously. Even some scenes which you would expect to be somber are lightly done, so it never loses the overall mood of the film. The dialogues and props also deserve a special mention for their ingenious humor and relevance. The only down point which I felt was the music which could have been better and have had leveraged the chemistry between the two lead actors. Also the movie slows down in part especially in the second half.
Overall a good movie with a very important message. Miss it if you don't like light hearted, meaningful comedy. Otherwise take your family to this delightful treat you won't find it distasteful.
Dhol (2007)
Another Lackluster Comedy
Priysdarshan started his Bollywood career with a bang directing movies like Hera-Pheri and Hungama but recently his graph is going down as his movies now lack a good story(sometimes there is no solid plot in the movie as is the case with Dhol where things seem to happen out of nowhere) and the comedy standards which he promised with his earlier flicks.
Speaking of Dhol ,it has no plot .The story is of four friends(which is very common in recent movies where the focus is on a group of friends EX Golmaal,Dhamaal,Heyy Baby etc) who want to impress a girl (who is the only heir to her rich grandfather and grandmother).They try several things but everything they try backfires.The movie follows what they do and how things backfire. The plot might seem to be interesting but the movie has many flaws .Many scenes and part of plot seem to be missing from the movie ,but acting overall is good especially Rajpal Yadav.His expressions will certainly make you laugh.Priyadarshan seems to be directing many movies at a time and hence is not able to produce the same product as his earlier ones.
FINAL VERDICT-Don't go to watch this movie just because a newspaper has given this a high rating.This might not be as funny to you as many have described.If you are a movie buff save your money for big budget movies to be released during the last 4 months of this y
Ek Villain (2014)
"Dobara Shikayat Ka Mauka Nahi Milega"
The speed at which Mohit Suri makes his films, should by common sense hamper the quality of his movies. Here he stands firm again to prove our common sense wrong. With Ek Villain he brings to you a fast paced psychological thriller(no suspense) which keeps you to the edge of your seat at least through the first half. The film is based on the love story of a gangster, who falls in love in the first half and his revenge in the second half. The movie has a very well-paced non linear first half which keeps you guessing. The expectation created in the first half is carried through to the second half which is not below par but a little slower than the first half and sometimes loses the grip over the audience.
The movie has beautiful music and good background score which adds to the tension and keeps you involved . The script and screenplay is pretty tight throughout. All actors have done a good job.Siddharth Malhotra is one of the best looking actors in Indian movie industry, and though he tries hard, it is hard to believe with his bulked up body and upmarket look that he is a veteran gangster. He acts well in the parts where he has to give tough and serious looks but in the scenes which require emotional intensity, his inexperience lets him down. Shradhha has a similar role as in Aashiqui 2.She looks good, vulnerable and fragile which is what actually her character demanded. But the star of the show is Ritesh .First time in his career he has got an opportunity to show his talent and boy doesn't he grabs it. He looks both vulnerable and dangerous and dons both the moods which an admirable ease,truly never giving you a chance to complain/ "shikayat".Supporting cast have done their job well. It was a pleasant surprise to see Aamna Sharif and Remo but the biggest surprise in this department is Kamal Rashid Khan who plays a character quite similar to his real life outspoken persona and yes his character evokes both disgust and laughter from you.
All in all the movie starts on a very promising note and is very well done in first part but losses on the second part a bit .The movie does well in not being predictable. The songs, cinematography, background score all add to the mood of the film.
This holiday season which is facing movie drought it is definitely a watchable movie.Those who hate to see cinematic violence and don't get moved by a romantic flick should give it a miss to this remake of Korean thriller.
Humshakals (2014)
Brainless Comedy - Sajid Style
Fresh from one of the biggest debacle in Indian cinema, Sajid Khan presents to you his tried and tested formula of brainless comedy. It is conspicuous that Sajid tries hard to tickle the funny bones of the audience. He doesn't shy away from using his own formula of confusion, using clichéd homosexual gags, imitation of actors, making fun of his own films and even copying scenes from movie such as scary movie which itself is a parody and not considered a classic by any standard. The movie is a no brain-er and in the starting half an hour makes you wonder whether it was meant only for kindergarten children. The plot has hardly anything to discuss, songs act as a loo break, acting flawed at some places and technical part, well let's say it was never a forte of Sajid.
But all faults apart though the movie totally departs from the established logic of world we see, it performs well in what it was meant to i.e evoke laughs. Yes the movie in parts do evoke laughs (even if its on the sheer stupidity of the movie )and the best part being it never takes itself too seriously so you could just join in the fun without straining your brain. Acting wise Ritesh has done many such roles so he seemed very natural, Ram Kapoor shows how good an actor he is by handling those cheeky scenes, Saif tries hard but frankly some scenes were not meant for him ,actresses hardly had anything to do but Tamanna shows potential. Overall if you are a movie buff and have been waiting for a movie this movie drought season this might bring you some respite, if you keep your brain at home also this is worth a watch if you want to enjoy a clean comedy with family, especially kids. If you are not a fan of Sajid Khan,Saif Ali or brainless comedy this one is definitely not for you.
Highway (2014)
Spiritual
Well the movie is simple,realistic,beautifully shot,has nice music and is diligently acted.If you are looking for an out of the box movie,this movie is not for you. It is for those soul, who believe more in spiritual form of love rather than physical.It touches you at various level, though revolving around a linear storyline.The movie also touches upon various important social issues without being redundant and preachy such as child abuse,class difference etc.It also never appears to be overacted, though the scene in the second half where Alia confronts ghost of her past seems quite elongated.All in all a good clean family movie with a soulful core and a genuine message you can take back home.One of the best works of Imtiaz after Jab we Met ..one of the most soulful indeed.Though we all know practically in real life a lot of things are not possible ,but these movies sometimes gives us a hope to believe in good ...and in spiritual love.After all some movies are meant to make you oblivious about reality...for sometime.
Besharam (2013)
College Days
While watching this movie I became nostalgic and started thinking about my college days how prior to exam we didn't study anything and during exams wrote anything out of context just to get passing marks. Also I remembered a movie 'Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam'(HTHS) (if I remember the name correctly )it featured three of the biggest stars at that time. Why do I mention them well the script of the movie is just like my answer sheet ,reading which the examiner would have gone mad ,sadly we are the examiner here. Well HTHS had the biggest stars but somehow all of them lacked star power-the charisma in the movie , same is the case with Ranbir Kapoor in this movie. Talking about acting Neetu Kapoor has overacted and though Rishi Kapoor is OK his role is insignificant , the actress tries hard and acts well but her constipated expressions in the songs are a big irritant, Ranbir Kapoor though does good job but the script lets him down. Sadly I would also give the movie what the person checking my paper gave me 3/10.The only thing I liked in the movie is the costume of Javed Jaffery ..someday will get one of those .
Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013)
Family Entertainer
In an era when Bollywood movies are becoming bolder with new treatment and storyline and are getting plethora of kudos for it ,it is actually quite a risky business to follow the old school way of movie making.Yes you do get all the clichéd characters,songs out of sequence,over the top acting and intermixing of a few Bollywood plots but what stands out for the movie at least for the first part is that it has got its soul in the right place.In contemporary times the plot of a movie gets praised just for showing a couple of intimate scenes (and promoted as pathbreaking) and live in relationships this movie tries what others have forgotten,that is a movie which you could watch with your entire family without being embarrassed .Talking about the movie the first half is better than the second which looses what already was a thin plot.Still the movie will make you laugh(the guffaws of audience in the cinema hall at least proves so).Overall the movie stands on the thin line of passable vs watchable,personally born in late 80's having grown up watching films with my family throughout I found the movie a nice refresher.If you have free time go out with your family and enjoy this movie.
6+1 ..extra one for being a clean family entertainer (pathbreaking for contemporary times i guess!!!)
Satyagraha (2013)
Non Cooperation with Satyagraha
Well there is a scene in the movie where Manoj Bajpai (arguably the best performer of the movie) mocks Satyagraha movement of Mr Ambitabh Bacchan. He ridicules the protesters because of their corporate (read westernized) culture ,rock bands (hard to believe)and serving of eateries at a site of a hunger strike.The scene captures the essence of the movie which tries to be too serious about the topic but fails to stir an emotion in the audience. The actors don't have well defined roles ,songs are irrelevant ,cinematography below par (believe me I have stayed in Bhopal for more than two years and she has much better places to shoot than a couple of sets and educational institutions which are shot so many times that somewhere down the line you pray you were HANUMAN so that you can burn down those sets to ashes) and direction well Prakash Jha direction personifies his role in the movie (Watch out for the beggar in the crowd).The protesters in all the scenes seem to be more zealous than they actually should be ( to add some somber tone afterall we are not there to watch a Rohit Shetty film). The movie lacks any emotion and even the most heart breaking or heart aching ones leave you unaffected. On the acting front I would say Manoj Bajpai has done a decent job , Ajay Devgn is totally wasted , Karina seems more fashion conscious for a professional journalist and Amitabh Bachhan is more of an authoritarian (without violence) than a Gandhian.All in all the movie is a waste of time with a runtime of about 3 hours. Go outdoors or watch a repeat run on TV rather than wasting your time on this.
4/10.
Kai po che! (2013)
My oh My!!!!
This movie exceeded my expectations.Kai Po Che! does not redefines Indian cinema and brings nothing new to the table but still it ranks among the best films made in recent times just because it gets the essentials right.The acting by all lead stars and the supporting cast is excellent,editing is good ,direction is commendable and so is the story(much much better than the novel). Speaking of acting Sushant Singh deserves all the praise but one has to agree his role was the most likable of the three.Amit and Raj's role was challenging as well which they have played with due diligence.Even the support cast of Omi's "mama" and Vidya were brilliant and did justice to their role.But the real beauty of this movie lies in its simplicity.I never felt a scene overdone in the movie.The fight scenes (among the friend and riots)specially don't look pacified as in most of the Hindi movies for censor certificates.There is enough use of abuse in the movie but it never looks overdone and out of context.At the end of the day Kai Po Che! makes you feel nostalgic ,gives you heartwarming moments and heart breaking moments as well but then you realize that good cinema does not necessarily needs to be ground breaking,you can make a good movie just by following simple rule of good story,good acting and good direction.
Agneepath (2012)
Not a "Paisa Vasool"
OK rising above the stupendous look of Sanjay Dutt in the movie how did the movie actually fare and was it worth a watch. In one word the answer is no. Why? Let me explain. The movie revolves around revenge of Hrithik (Vijay) against Sanjay Dutt (Kancha).Vijay's father a school teacher is accused of false allegations and killed by Kancha along with the residents of Madwa a small town near Mumbai. Vijay swears revenge and grow up to be a gangster with the help of Rauf Lala played by Rishi Kapoor.The rest of the plot is about his journey towards ruling the Mumbai underworld and getting his revenge. The characters in the movie are well woven except for Priyanka Chopra who just features for the dance numbers. The cinematography is good and makes ravaged Mandwa looks haunting. The background score is good especially the fight scenes. All the lead actors look good and do a fine job especially Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor. Then where is the fault? Well the movie does not have a good script which makes characters do things which makes no sense. For instance Hrithik Roshan in the last sequence takes on the whole army of Kancha single handedly while for the rest of the movie he keeps making deals and fixing meetings with him. Now if you have such power why not kill the person first (and take Ur revenge) and then take on the Mumbai underworld thereby saving us two hours of runtime at least. Talking about runtime the movie is very long (almost 3hrs) and slow which bores you to death. Songs are good but I personally found "Chikni Chameli" (touted to be energetic) dance steps very vulgar. As I have not seen the original so I can't draw any comparison but going by the cult status of the original it might have been better than the remake. Watch it if you get cheap tickets in your city theaters as for the likes of me who have no option but multiplexes with high ticket price this is certainly not the "paisa vasool" you are looking for.
Rockstar (2011)
"Soul Stirring" ????
OK i know i m going to get lots of not useful votes but still somehow the movie didn't appeal to me as "soul stirring" as to various critics. To start with the first half of the movie is fantastic with tight script and humorous dialogues.Ranbir Kapoor shines in the first half where he tries to woo the lead actress. The first half is somewhat a trade mark of Imtiaz Ali where he narrates a love story with the warmth and soul that seems to be missing from the contemporary Indian movies . Don't get me wrong the first half does "rocks" and raises the expectation from the second half and that is where the film falters.The second half is soulless journey of Ranbir Kapoor to regain his lost love . The second half does become lame because of overacting by Nargis who just proves to be an eye candy in the film. Any Indian actress would have been better off than her , at least some soul could be instilled in the character.Ranbir tries hard and can be said to have evolved as an actor.No reason could be sighted for casting international actors when they are portrayed as Indian and could not even deliver dialogues in Hindi. There is enough talent in India that could have done the character with some zeal and justice.All in all I would say its not a very bad film but still its not the best from him.I would still go for "JAB WE MET " as his best as found it more refreshing and "soul stirring" than this one.I am going for 6/10 just for the entertaining and engaging first half and A R Rahman's music.
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007)
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Parody(read Sholay ki Parody)
As many comments have already stated this movie as a bad remake,i went to see to know how bad is it? ,and i found out that the comments (stating this movie as the worst of all remakes in Indian cinema) are true. First of all not being a die hard fan of the original i went to see the movie unbiased (not that i don't like Sholay but certainly don't agree with comments like that of Farah khan stating in a recent interview that the script of Sholay is the best ever script written in Indian cinema history and giving much of the credit of the commercial success of Sholay to its memorable and famous characters(Sambha,Gabbar etc),instead i think the characters became memorable and famous because of its great commercial success(which depicts the amount of people who have seen the movie) and there are many films which have better script than Sholay ,BUT as i said earlier Sholay is ONE OF THE BEST film made in India and thus should be treated respectfully.) Personally i feel the name of RGV's AAG should have been something like date movie or scary movie or "The mockery movie" because thats what he has done with this film ,he has made a mockery of himself and all the actors including Amitabh.
The film is a scene by scene incarnation of Sholay with some slight variations from the original movie.The story is of a police inspector Narshihma who hires two local 'tapories'(Heero and Raj) to kill(or catch) a gangster Babban.The rest of the movie depicts how these two 'tapory' catch Babban. The movie is completely lifeless ,there is no Jai Veeru memorable 'dosti' ,there is no feeling whatsoever in the love story between Durga-Raj or Ghungroo-Heeru,there is no vengeance in the character of Narshihma,and most of all there is no spark in Baaban's role.it seams that the entire cast already knew during the shooting of the film that this would be a big flop and that's why everybody has performed way below their standard's, except Nisha Kothari who seems to have improved from her previous ventures but then too she is so irritating that i was pulling my hair half the time she was on screen.The actress don't even know which expression to give in a particular scene or song which is quiet eminent from all the songs in which she keeps mumbling something to herself (not in sync with lyrics) and then when camera focuses on her she gives a surprised look as though she just came to knew that a scene is being shot. Acting is poor Ajay imitating Dharmendra's style ,Nisha kothari looks irritated all the time ,it seems that she has constipation( at least her irritated looks suggest that),Baban seems to be suffering from asthma and his gang looks like the 'raamleela nautanki wala's'.Sushmita is too dull and often in conversation with Raj looks like his(Raj's) elder sister.
The direction of the movie is poor as well and its disappointing to see a director who made a good(read acceptable) remake of The Godfather(Sarkar) making a movie like AAG.The songs are bad with no catchy number and very badly shot and with no lip sync in many songs with the lyrics ,which is usual in RGV's movie nowadays (even though its execution time is less it is very irritating).I would like to suggest Ramu to cast according to the character requirement rather than casting his favorites,and if he thinks of casting Nisha again please send her first to an acting school.
RGV's AAG seems to be making fun of Sholay in its every scene. At last i want to suggest a new name for the film, what about RAM GOPAL VARMA KI PARODY!!!.
Ra.One (2011)
Nothing extraordinary here!!!!
I was waiting for the release of the film for a long time and got a chance to see it first day first show.I wont reveal much of the storyline.The plot revolves around two computer game characters Ra-One and "family" superhero G-One fighting a battle of good against evil. The story is in someways similar to "Robot" but the the latter in many ways was better. The CGI is in no ways world class when compared to films such as Dark Knight or Spiderman for instance and leaves much to be desired but some scenes such as the fight sequence between Ra-One and G-One involving lots of special effects in the first encounter is good.
The film is not all bad the songs are good especially "Dildara" and "Chammak Challo. SRK acting is good though it seems similar to "Rizwan Khan" of MNIK .Kareena Kapoor looks very good and Armaan has also done his job well though he is in desperate need of a hair cut in my opinion.Arjun Rampal doesn't have much to offer in the film. The climax was one of the most disappointing part for me especially the last fight sequence.The chemistry between SRK and Kareena seems to be missing.SRK did well but the story did let him down.The editing could have been more slick in the movie.The computer game turning into reality was also quite hard to digest but still given its a film for children you can ignore it.All in all its not a world class super hero movie but still one of the best India has produced in terms of special effects.But still SRK spending a fortune on the making of the movie after reading the plot still amazes me. Go for it if you are a big SRK fan and want to see him in action after nearly 2 years otherwise wait for its DVD release.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
The next gen DCH
Well I don't usually write reviews for movies but after having watched it about a week ago I thought this movie deserves to be reviewed.
Well to begin ,this movie embarks a journey of three friends across Spain to keep a promise they made in school. Throughout the movie they meet new people , undertake new adventures and overcome their worst fears.
The movie falls on the lines of DCH and Rock On!! but is slightly different in its execution with a fresh exuberance.The dialogues are very well written by Farhan Akhtar and are very spontaneous and humuorous . The script itself is very well written though a little editing could have been done.Coming to the main USP of the movie that is the portrayal of friendship which is novel in my view.Some scenes seems to be taken from your own personal diary.The poetry by Javed Akhtar is again a high point of the movie. The particular poetry where three friends are traveling across the roadside thinking about their latest discovery is worth mentioning.
Hritik Roshan looks good and has done a very good job so has Abhay but the real show stealer is Farhan Akhtar with his comic timing.Katrina looks good and a few extra pounds has only made her more attractive :).The cinematography especially the adventure sport scenes are shot very beautifully and at times you feel that you are a part of the scene.
So thats it ... finally going to grab my popcorn again to watch the movie the second time. Do enjoy the movie once if you like to watch a good movie.
Chak De! India (2007)
well done Shahrukh!!!!!!!
As Shahrukh khan is trying do work in different type of movies than he has done till now(mostly romantic) he makes an attempt at the sports genre and delivers yet another brilliant performance.
The story is of the Indian women hockey team which because of its poor performance and lack of sponsors is unable to find a good coach.Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan ) a former national hockey team player steps in to take the responsibility of the new coach .The rest of the movie shows how he takes Indian women hockey team to a new hight and how he regains his lost dignity The plot of the movie is linear and predictable without any twist or surprises, in fact it is quality of direction and acting by Shahrukh khan ( well supported by the rest of the cast),which sucks you in the movie and does not let you get bored. Music of the movie is good including the title song which is quite inspirational.It has to be said that good level of effort has been put into every part of the movie whether it is casting or hockey(matches)choreography (which is acceptable).
Although the winning streak of the team at the world cup may seem to an extent unrealistic but overall Chak De India can be said as an entertaining and inspirational movie and is a must watch for every Shah Rukh Khan fan and critic for his brilliant performance.