E! Talk...

Firaaq

2009-04-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

'Such movies should not be made when it is peace time!' ~Mom
'How come they release such movies just before the elections?' ~Friend 1
'Pure exploitation. People suffered, yaar and these people want to make money out of it...' ~Friend 2

This is what happens when you do not watch the movie before your environment does. Rare occasions these, where I get so many opinions. All hinting at the same thing - yet another riot movie. So there I was, almost 2 weeks since the movie released and already put off by these comments. The only factor that would tickle my decision making faculties was the fact that it marks Nandita's debut as a director. They finally decided to give a nod ahead.

And what a good decision it was. What a movie – I was totally blown away. The movie is much similar in thought and intention as a Mumbai Meri Jaan (or a Parzania even) - to some extent in treatment as well. But, I felt this movie was tighter in narration and notches better in direction. Where a Mumbai Meri Jaan ropes in some amount of commercialism in the form of heavy dialogues and light humor, or a Parzania grips you by showing explicit scenes of rioting, Firaaq revels in subtlety. The plot drives the movie – no story with a start and a finish – is a day; yes, just one day; in the lives of 10-12 people 1 month after the shameful riots in Gujarat. It talks about people in varying age groups from various strata of the society both economically and socially and their ‘day in the life after riots’. Much like Mumbari Meri Jaan - where the director quite nicely portrays the lives of ordinary Mumbaikars after 7/11. Firaaq talks about a young Muslim couple from a lower economic background who have their house burnt, a Hindustani classical singer (lost in his own world refusing to accept the existence of evil) with a loyal helper and a (Hindu) doctor who also forms his only audience, a higher middle class Hindu-Muslim couple, a set of 4 Muslim friends from the botttom social strata, 2 friends - a Hindu girl and a Muslim gir, a Gujju couple and a common friend & of course the little boy through whose eyes we quite start seeing the movie in the latter half.

Where a Mumbai Meri Jaan leaves us with a communally unbiased taste, Firaaq concentrates on the minority group and its suffering, much like Parzania. Time and again the question of ‘Why not cover Hindu’s losses’ is raised; both by the characters in the movie and by our minds in the audience - and Nandita puts a stop to all such questions when one of the character mentions – ‘Yes, our losses – covered by insurance!’ While not all might agree to that statement, I thought the statement in itself is much loaded.

With little or no background score, the onus was on squarely on the director, actors and the cameraman to build tension. All of them do it with ease and élan. Nandita has got her touches in quite a few scenes and certain frames stick to the mind like photographs, long after the movie is over. Not a single riot scene is shown, though the opening sequence is quite bold. Yet, throughout the 2 hours Nandita is able to maintain the tension amongst the audience. The curfew due to a possible riot that evening is shown – and you find yourself just short of gripping the arm of your chair. The scene where a set of young and inflamed Muslims see the pistol for the first time - they place it on a table and gather around it like little children to marvel at the newfound symbol of power. The childlike glint in each eye is superbly captured. The touch lies not here - but in showing the little kid walking across them in the background as if to contrast the blisfully ignorant child's mind to the power-corrupt minds of the youth. The closing scene where the child go backs to the camp, refusing to take part in a game of marbles and taking his seat near Nasser, each looking once at each other, and then the camera zooms in to the child's face as it begins to accept the new changed life is a beauty. The movie is punctuated with profound and poignant dialogues. There is this wonderfully crafted dialogue where Tisca Chopra says 'Our life is packed in boxes...' which seems like a nod to the famous 'Life is a box of chocolates'. Then there is Nasseruddin Shah exclaiming 'The giver (God) is blind!' And, these dialogues bewarned wouldn't come with crescendo backed music or be preceded with pregnant silences. They would be spilled out in the most obvious manner - like you or I were to be in their shoes.

Where in a screen time of 120 minutes one chooses to fit in an array of powerhouse performers - most established directors would struggle to do justice to each. And this is one area where Nandita decides to let the narrative decide. And what a touch of class this move turns out to be. Barring Nasser, each one of the actors shares near equal screen time and establish their characters effortlessly in less than half a minute. Tamil actor, Nasser – one of the most irrationally underused and wasted actors of all time, is seen in a delightful 2 scene cameo – opening and closing. Performance wise – almost everyone comes up aces. Paresh Rawal, Nasseruddin Shah seem to be doing a daily chore while portraying the respective character – excelling in a delightfully non-chalant way. Sanjay Suri essays a character which, if the budget permitted, would have been bagged by Madhavan. Raghuveer Yadav is brilliant in his little character, as is Dipti Naval as the troubled soul. The young Muslim couple is the only underfit (not a misfit, mind you, they were sincere and in any other assembly would have been stand out - but here they fade) amongst this ensemble of brilliant performers. Due credit to Sreekar Prasad who has edited the movie in as crisp a fashion as seen ever. Not a single moment of wasted screen time. Nandita, in yet another display of amazing maturity makes a brilliant film making decision; she restrains from interlocking the lives of the plot holders leading to a high tension climax, which I thought added much more realism while compromising on the masses. The emotions are under check - and the result is a most objective display of a 'work of fiction - inspired by a thousand true stories!'

Overall – for its many moments and freshness in spite of being a follower to Parzania and MMJ; Firaaq stands on its own. It is not as hard hitting as a Parzania. It doesn't have the national/ mass appeal of a Mumbai Meri Jaan. It has its share of charm - not in conten - but in style.

Into the night we all go
Troubled minds and bags
Life as we know, no longer so

Little faces wake up with a grin
The scar from yesterday fades
A new life begins!

Waiting for the Mahatma

2008-11-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

RK Narayan is best known for putting life into the small town that is Malgudi. And within its perimeters he is a master.He could dissect the daily details to nuanced perfection and (if you are a South Indian) you are transported right into the small household on Kabir street. Such is his narration and attention to (otherwise neglected) details. But, that is when he is talking about Swami and his friends. Or say about small town people and their daily chores.

Here, the canvas he has chosen is much wider. The characters he tries to sketch are itching to take a form much larger than routine. The circumstances are such. The backdrop is political. And he tries to set a love story in it. There are quite a few tracks which RKN tries to weave in this story.

1. The protagonists characterization - his coming of age, love for the woman and his inner emotional and moral tribunals
2. The woman - strong-headed, in love and totally dedicated her life to the service of Mahatma, and hence the people
3. The various events in the late pre-independence era

And, this is where he loses touch. His narration style is stuck to Malgudi whereas the protagonist here is no Swami. RKN, though, treats him none too differently. The character is brought out by reading his thoughts aloud. He is a child sitting by the window struggling to come to terms with the world. And he has fallen in love - with the first woman he has come in conversation with. This woman is level headed. Knows what she is doing. He worships her for what she is. And she leads him unto Mahatma Gandhi. She likes him too - but would not nod till the Mahatma gives the go ahead. He is awed and then on the tale revolves around his meanderings amidst the political turmoil. His emotions and state of mind are ventedout as actions. He becomes utterly vulnerable. He fights to find his balance while being shoved around by a revolutionary. There is a fight that is taking place between his ego and his sense of duty. He is blinded in this fight and ends up in jail. Every moment his inner turmoil is marked by reactions to his woman's (imagined) actions. The day he is released he leaves for her and finds her in Delhi. The climax, though predictable, has been well written. As you read the final pages - you know what exactly is going to happen - and hence doesn't punch you hard enough.

The narration is not tight - and at places slackens in both pace and coherence. The power of the plot lies in the character sketch of the protagonist. That comes across quite well. Politics does not look like RKNs playground. Or maybe it wasn't his intention to bring in politics in the least. Either ways - its fleeting presence does not deliver the goods. The socio-economic sketch that the reader envisions has not been given enough verbose backing. The plot doesn't hold you - it flows a bit easily - like the stories set in Malgudi. But here somehow, the style does not suit me. The plot, if it had been much tighter say in like say 'Train to Pakistan' the novel would have risen notches.

All said, this is a very good read - especially for fans of RKN. All those who are in for a dose of light pre-Independence set-up, pick this up.

'Once the wait was over; he bade us good-bye!'

Fashion

2008-11-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

It was Page 3 revisited sans the powerhouse performance and the punches packed in. Nothing special in this 'trying to be gritty' tale about how a Chandigarh di Kudi becomes a diva and after seeing the 'highs' falls hard to the lows - and how!

The movie does start off earnestly albeit in a cliched manner with Meghna Mathur (Priyanka Chopra) leaving her house in small-time Chandigarh to make it big in the City of Dreams - Bombay. Her efforts are sincere - and some cleverly attended parties brings her straight into the company of the Fashion World's high fliers. Her confidence and attitude sees her through the 'struggle period' with charming ease. Her morals are held high and all's well for the damsel. One questionable comment about her morality by a leading designer and she walks away from her first big break! But surprise, surprise - a silent Mr. Sarin (Arbaaz Khan) of the leading designer brand (Panache, nice name - I thought) ropes her right in as their ambassador, terminating Shonali's (Kangana) contract for no apparent reason. Within no time we see Meghna walking the ramps being the show stoppers for most fashion shows littering Bombay. Her attitude builds up and thus slowly, very slowly begins her downfall. Starting from her break-off with her live-in boy-friend right to her going into depression.

Throw in Priyanka sleeping around with a black guy, a whole lot of homo-sexuals, drugs-drinks-smokes and a slip-down on a ramp walk... that is what the movie is all about. The plot on its own is decent enough and lays down a decently wide canvas for the director to paint in. Where Madhur falters, I thought, though is on two counts - there is nothing new shown in this movie. And at nearly 3 hours it is simply too long. The dialogues in the pretext of reality cinema are banal. The screenplayis nothing to talk home about. Music by the talented duo Salim-Suleiman is reminiscent of Page 3 - so are the characters, so are the actors, the scenes, the treatment. Heck, everything.

On the performance front, except for Priyanka and a little bit of Kangana here and there, there is none too much on display. Priyanka gives her best performance till date. Not to say she was brilliant or anything throughout - but let us just say, the rest of her performances till date have been nothing special. As long as Kangana keeps her mouth shut and has to act stoned - she is fine. In fact she meanders in that margin where you might think she might give in a brilliant moment but the director spoils it all by giving her a dialogue or two. (Note: Swearing, especially in English, by all Bollywood actors seems so contrived and unconvincing.) Anyway, one scene warrants special mention. The first time Kangana is shown walking the ramp - she looks all high and disinterested when she has to walk in. Then she takes the 10-odd steps that leads her to the ramp and the camera is right at her face as she takes the turn. Watch her expression change ever so lightly at every step and from being a drunken-little thing backstage she takes her first step on the ramp as if she owns the stage. She walks the ramp and jaws drop. The music in the background that rises to a crescendo is subdued by the mere walk Kangana possesses. That moment - I liked! Priyanka looks a kid - every step an amateur on the ramp.To give her due credit - it suits her image of being a small-town girl and all that. But her walk looks unnatural even during her last supposedly emotional ramp and that looks stupid. Anyway.

As for the director - he is trying to outdo himself and that is apparent. Why - one couldn't fathom. He is doing fine with his relaity bytes cinema - but to merely take a framework and apply it to different scenarios is appalling.You got to treat the subject differently. Show different shades. The protagonist undergoes a character change and that is shown quite well - but it lacks depth at every scene. That - maybe is limitation of the actor, rather than the sketch itself. However, the end result is poor. Humor is pathetic at best. Where he scores is despite the topic - you could watch it with the family. It is glamorous alright, but never vulgar. The fashion world that Madhur has created never looks pretentious. All's fine except the way he has executed. He wants to make a movie rather than tell a story. He takes extreme moral stands and that is probably because that is the way Indian audiences work.

At the end of it all - it doesn't look like the work of a 3 time national award winner. Fashion - lacks the passion.

The Happening

2008-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

So, in Central Park people come to a stand still all of a sudden. A lady removes a long sharp object, that is used to hold her hair intact, and pokes herself dead through her throat (the gore, admirably not shown!). So, one (read, Me) is not at fault if one thinks the movie has a lot to reveal, especially if the movie opens with a sequence like the one mentioned above! Anyway, just when the part of the mind which is kept safe and secure to revel in some insightful movie which drops by with the occasional meteor sighting, sets itself up to revel in the likely event of a meteor sighting, you are bombarded with a scene that is an oh-so-cliched version of a science class! And the scene after this was the best of the movie.

Picture this. 3 construction workers are talking; cracking jokes as you would expect them to especially after having done so in innumerable movies before! Which might prompt one to think, why do construction workers always joke when they are in a movie? Anyway, this is probably the only part of the movie, if at all, on which I may spare inflicting sarcasm. Having so decided, let me move on. So, these guys are generally joking and laughing, when one of their colleagues falls to death. "John!" exclaims one of them, only to show he knows his name - for there is no other consequence of that exclamation! He then goes on, as a good samaritan would, to inform medics about this accident, when he hears another sound - another colleague fallen to death. Then another. Another. Another. And the scene I like the most, as the camera moves upwards you see people - in line - walking off the planks from the top floor. Not being pushed. Not thrown. They are walking off; to their own deaths.

And this is exactly when I would request, and in keeping with good humanitarian practices, even beg you all to leave the movie hall. Just get up and leave. Do not worry about the rest of the movie - or the gross amount of money you paid only a few minutes ago. Unless, I know you love this unless, of course you like humor! Because, that is provided aplenty.

It is at this stage that the viewer is introduced to a new character, one which changes color and character all the time. The boom mic. I have seen many a movies, but none like this. None where you can see the boom mic all the time! They appear is various colors and shapes - black, silver, black with a red ring, lolly-pop shaped, a wholesome one, etc. It is really funny, and you have to see it to believe it. It is otherwise impossible that such a thing 'happen's but for in a movie titled so - it is after all the Happening! The laughter in the movie hall reaches hysterical proportions when in a certain scene we can actually see the mic oscillate between actors as they exchange conversations. Frankly, this was the only entertaining part and for one, I could claim that I have indeed seen this phenomenon actually happen!

Disclaimer: This 'happening' though been reported in many a movie halls across the world; some claim that they haven't seen anything that hideous as I describe. So, in case you are one who would risk that - please do at your own cost

Well then, back to the plot! There is a news bulletin (yes yes, like the one in Signs) where some Ph. D. guy from MIT claims that this is due to some toxin released in the air by some, yes you guessed it right, terrorists who are now indulging in bio-chemical warfare. And shortly, there is another comment which says that the pattern (oh yes, this phenomenon is now spreading all through the North East) suggests this is not in fact a terrorist attack. Also, the toxin works in a 3-step process.
1. Person looses short term memory
2. Person is completely disoriented
3. Person gets this immutable drive to kill himself

In the meantime, it attacks the hero's city and they are advised to vacate the city. The way MNS (not of the Sena fame, duh!) has shot this scene is indeed interesting. For once, he does not create panic-filled-helter-skelter-running scenes, instead choosing to show people moving out in numbers very calmly. That, I would submit is indeed soothing.

Now, after their train stops mid-earth and people run from there too (of course the hero and his wife are left behind, duh!); they meet this guy who offers them a lift and some botanical mythical-facts like plants communicate amongst different species and such-like. He says plants react and evolve. When a certain kind of worm attacks the plants, they release a toxin to attract wasps and thus evolve with self-protective mechanisms. Thus, he claims, much to the humor of our hero-heroine jodi, that now plants are reacting to human stimuli. We have wronged them and they are taking revenge! And a few more random scenes-of-people-dying-in-various-ways later, hero finally not just believes in the plant stimuli thingy, but also brings out a pattern wherein the plants react only if a minimum number of people are around.

Oh man! I just realized that my narration doesn't sound half as bad as the film itself! Well, after they are given refuge by an eccentric old lady and surprisingly the 'winds' victimize her (Oh! Her death is irritatingly dramatic!) leaving the hero-heroine untouched! Then what MNS does is bizarre, not only 3 months later does he show that the wife is pregnant but also ends it with a similar Central Park scene in some part of the world!

End of movie.

And, in keeping with my good nature of imparting credit where it is due - I give it to the director for making the movie so effective, in the sense -

Immediately after getting out of the movie hall -
1. I had a short term memory loss
2. I was completely disoriented
3. I got this immutable drive to kill myself and/ or Manoj Night Shyamalan

End of review.

PS: For the keener audience - I loved the plot. The hero-heroine jodi were spared because they are in the process of getting back together and exchanging lovey-dovey sweeteners. And, at some point in the movie the botany-maniac says talking sweetly has a positive effect on the plants and such-like. Hence, probably spared. Or whatever! But for the boom mic, I guess the movie would have been much better!

Tingya

2008-06-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

A wonderfully crafted story narrated with the simplicity of a grandmother! Tingya is about this little boy who loves his bull. And that is all. No; the movie doesn't boast of breath taking cinematography. It doesn't have any intriguing screenplay to keep the viewer engaged. The performances, but for a few scenes, are just adequate. The music is just one song, throughout the movie, sung (or played) in varying moods and tempo.

And yet, the movie is super. Because it relies on what I feel is most fundamental - the plot/ story and more importantly the sincerity of all involved in its treatment. That is where Tingya strikes. None of them, not the director, not the actors, heck - not even the story tries to become bigger than the story to be told. The viewer is engaged because the narrators want the viewer to listen. It is that sincerity that shows. The characters are beautifully developed. Right from the hapless farmer, to his ever understanding wife, the girl next door who plays Tingya's friend and the innocently brave Tigya - the characters are sketched to perfection.

There are scenes written which reach out, without being dramatic. There are lines which are strong, without being preachy. There is a message which is important, without being explicit. The movie is dedicated to the farmers who committed suicide across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, and the movie mentions but only once about the same. The extraordinarily simplistic movie making is what drives it home. The sincerity is so evident, that the movie seems almost documentary-ish. It is clearly not for the popular masses - but as with Shwas, no one can not like it! Such is the movie, that it might put many a film makers to shame, and quite a few to revisit film making!

Do watch!

Sarkar Raj

2008-06-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

So I came up, close and not too personal with Sarkar Raj on the first night of the release. A lot did I expect from this movie, from RGV especially after the 'Aag' debacle. WIth expectations come disappointments. And besides, RGV is a kind who is nonchalant about falls, unperturbed by the loss and wouldn't care less about the flak. He makes movies for one simple reason - he wants to make it. With an attitude as that, the onus of liking the movie falls head first on the viewers. First things first, I didn't find the movie as bad as the reviews all over portray it to be. It isn't a good movie though, despite a decent plot, strong actors and whimsical camera work.

So, the movie begins with a typical Sarkar like execution sequence where Chote Sarkar (Abhishek) has taken over the mantle and Sarkar is celebrating his birthday! In such a world where people prefer dying falling off trains than to wait a couple of minutes for the next train, Sarkar's birthday does attract a lot of crowd. An inexplicable number of people are seen standing in the Sarkar-Mahal grounds much like in the olden days when the King would come onto the balcony on his birthday. Of course, then the King would throw away gold coins, and other such ostentatiously expensive items and enjoy the ongoing stampede for money and its like, which sort of explains the inexplicable crowd! But no such luck here for Mumbaikars, who after having created much applause and jingoist cheer receive much to their disappointment only the wave of a hand from the Big B! In fact, keen movie goers might even notice a section of the crowd moves out in sheer despair with the sound department doing a very commendable work in cutting out comments like 'What has the world come to...', 'Chya maaila...' etc.! It is then that the Big B announces that there is nothing more joy-giving to a parent than to see his own son take his place and excel; and hence calls Chote Sarkar to give darshan to the audience. This time the already frustrated audience cheers up doubly well and some in fact throw in a couple of cheesy 'Chote Sarkar ki Jai ho' and the likes thinking this might remind them of the duty due to be executed! Oh btw, good work sound department! However, Chote sarkar comes in to give a much 'chota' darshan and immediately leaves to attend another phone call (which, by the way, would make you wonder at the end of the movie as to who the hell was calling him up all the time!). And all this while, the only part you would enjoy is the engaging camerawork.

Now seriously, I doubt if RGV had heard the background score even once before meshing it up with the film. If in Sarkar you felt that the Govinda chants were a bit too many; please, and I mean it sincerely, please take your ear plugs along. Why would someone want to westernize the chants, Amar Mohile is to answer. On top of that, a rural setting with a local leader leading a pack of vollage folks on top of a truck does not warrant a rock sound in the ~~foreground~~ background. The sitar which was sufficiently abused in Sarkar returns, only to annoy the sitarists further. Overall, the only points that the music department garners is for pure audacity. Why would anyone, even if the anyone is Ram Gopal Verma himself, want to do this time and over again, no one can explain! The songs, huh!

The camera is, I felt, the only aspect that keeps the film alive. The angles and the light has to be entirely credited to Ram Gopal, as the indulgence of the maverick (?) clearly shows. If you thought Sarkar was full of close ups, this time around you move at least an inch closer to the characters. While it might irritate some beyond measure; I did find out two things. Abhishek does not have a clear complexion and Aishwarya puts on a hell lot of make up! These apart, the angles surprise you frame after frame. The overly done sepia tone of the movie makes the setting a lot more surreal than the plot itself.

The dialogues in the movie had to be given a re-think. The father-son combo have been given a lot of screen space together and they converse only in punch lines. Good to begin with, cheesy after the first half. IMO at least a couple of them are classics - Faayda wahi hai jo sabka ho and Khoon karna jurm hai; sahi samay par jurm karna - raajniti! That apart, the rest of the cast is hardly given anything noticeable, which focuses all our attention to the father-son duo which didn't make me much too happy.

The performances are good, though Abhishek doesnt seem to be mature enough to handle the chair of Sarkar! One shivers when Aishwarya is seen asking for a cup of tea in the closing scene. Amitabh's role in the movie was weak, despite which he emerges a winner. 'Chander' who enacted the classic opening sequence in the first volume is reduced to unfortunate nothingness.

All said, I loved the plot. It has politics mixed with corporate profit and the rural junta playing scapegoats - all masterminded, of course, by the one whom you would, under ideal conditions, least expect! And there in lies the undoing of the movie too. It is the screenplay to a large extent which doesn't put in enough to weave the crucial sequences into an intelligent sequence. And hence, unfortunately Amitabh in his now-over-heard base voice is left to narrate the whole plot to Aishwarya in one sequence, much as a grandfather would to his granddaughter. It is a plot so cunningly conceived, says the grandpa to granddaughter; only it is not the Mahabharatha now - both sitting in chairs, and we are left listening to the plot unfold in less than a minute while watching the camera focussing through Amitabh's fingers from behind him, or something to that effect!

The direction moves from good to mediocre to amateurish. The only romantic scene before between Abhishek and Aishwarya is forced in only to heighten the effect of Abhishek getting shot; which by the way I felt fell flat. You wouldn't wince once while he gets shot some 5-6 times! And RGV, if the hero is on a terrace with the heroine and saying cheesy lines like all the thorns in our path are gone, no more villains and nobody can stop me - the viewer no longer expects; he knows the hero is gone for the movie!

The closing scene (read Aishwarya may be the next lead in Sarkar Rani (or whatever!)) still sends down shivers and I am left wondering; Shiva, Satya, Company, Sarka, Sarkar Raj - what next?!

PS: Next of course is a movie titled Contract with a tag line that reads 'where underworld meets terrorism'

PPS: Some changes made to the grandpa-granddaughter bit after Harini's inputs

Bhootnath

2008-05-10T02:40:00.000-07:00

First things first. The movie is for kids, at best qualifying as a summer vacation family entertainer. And to make sure he caters to the family, the director includes a supposedly tear jerking second half, which in my accordance is the primary undoing for the film which could otherwise have been an out and out kids entertainer. There is something in the DNA of the Indian movie maker that compels him to insert a song here and there, the relevance taking the back seat. Well, to give due credits the opening song has been fantastically directed and shot. Everything from the music to the camera adds to the glam-sham.

The first half is funny, with a couple of scenes just qualifying to the hilarious category. And it is after the initial 35-40 mins that the director's total loss of control over the genre or direction of the movie starts becoming apparent. Why anyone would choose to turn a potential laugh-riot for kids into a 'mukti' seeking 'aatma's story is beyond my intellectual reach. There is not much to review in the movie per se, as the story has been seen, lived a hundred times at least in Hindi movies.

As for the performances, the kid is good. Though only a Mani Ratnam could do full justice as far as eliciting realistic emotions from kids are concerned. Well, now Aamir too. This kid is not Darsheel-good; but the comparison at best would be unfair. Amitabh is really cool as the 'bhoot' in the first half, and keeping in sync with the movie loses it in the second. Juhi, as much as I love her bubbly roles, is slowly getting irritating. Shahrukh sizzles in the measly guest appearance screen time he has. Apart from that the Satish Shah and Rajpal yadav comedy track seems banal. Camera, SFX, sound and other technicalities are just fine, nothing adding to the movie in particular but thankfully not taking anything away from it either. In the music department, Vishal-Shekhar under-perform yet again. Though the background score is efficient.

Overall, the movie is worth a dekho on a weekend night with plenty of kids around so you feel good sitting amidst sounds of laughter riots, at least in the first half.

Shaurya

2008-05-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

For those who don't have the time or inclination to read the review... the movie is good. If you haven't watched A Few Good Men (AFGM); do not miss this one. For the rest...

Putting together a cast that any director would die for, Samar Khan pulls together a much better attempt this time than his forgettable Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye! With KK Menon, Rahul Bose and Javed Jaffery the lead powerhouse characters were in place. Minissha Lamba ably plays the second fiddle. The movie overall is a tight piece of work with some good scenes and creditable performances, especially Javed Jaffery. Samar Khan seems to have taken scenes directly from AFGM to the extent that even the dialogues and the delivery seem to be rehashed versions. Technically, the movie is good. Camera work is helped by the very backdrop: Kashmir. The court room scene is well enacted by Rahul and KK, though Tom and Jack in the original leave the viewers astounded. I thought KK had the toughest role to do. Especially because his sequences were almost a replica of Jack's from the original.

As far as the plot goes, the original even today amazes me because nothing is personal there. Whereas, the Indianized version, though tightly woven, has the personal vendetta touch to it, the Hindu-Muslim yet again forming the backdrop. As much as the plot seems to be trite and banal, the director ensures a good flow and does not deviate with unnecessary songs or comedy tracks. Rahul, I feel, is falling with each movie into his own trap. His characterization of the carefree lawyer is very much like the one in Pyar ke Side Effects. He, I advise, has to come out of this self-typecasting. KK, in his introduction is a touch comical which doesn't hold up with his character. But again, holds his class in the scenes that matter the most.

Overall, a very good remake of an excellent movie. Go catch it.

Johnny Gaddar

2007-10-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I could simply review this film with a 3-word, "Watch this flick...!" (note the exclamation mark for effect...). But, that would not do any justice to what I am currently feeling 2.5 minutes after watching this movie.

This genre of movies comes as a complete refreshment amidst crappy self acclaimed laugh riots that seems to pollute the movie screen once too often these days. Sriram Raghavan pulls off a Guy Ritchie with this one. The best part of the movie is that it is not a 'whodunnit' thriller. We know all along who has done it, and the question is... how is he gonna get away...!

A brilliant follow up to his crisp hollywood-inspired Ek Hasina Thi, JG comes through as a lot more crisper in terms of editing, music, background scores and not to leave out the camera work.

The performances are credible, with Zakir Hussain and Vinay Pathak riding high. Neil looks the part a 100%, but his dialogue delivery is a major pull-back. I didn't expect anything more out of Rimi, so she is OK. Ashwini plays a brilliant role in the measly screen time allotted to her! The strength of the movie is the pace and the total lack of (melo)drama...!

The under-potrayal of emotional attachment of the protaagonist/ antagonist is a stronghold. For absolutely no reason you never hate this guy, in spite of the fact that he goes around killing people and disposing their bodies. And, this is probably what lubricates the little bit of brakes that movies tend to apply.

Music warrants a special mention. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (after a long time) strike a genius. Barring the brilliant title track you wouldn't ever want to hear any of the other songs a second time, and there in lies its beauty. You might watch the movie twice over and end up saying there was no song somposed for this movie! The bar songs, the 'item number' are composed to blend in with the scene to perfection. you hardly notice them. Credits to Sriram and SEL for the same. The title credits sets the tone and the pace for the rest of the movie. Editor Pooja Surti and director Raghavan take you through the rest of the movie without a single moment of boredom.

If this movie is anything to go by, Bollywood has a revisit to its 70s in the waiting...No remakes, just inspired originals... :)

Nonetheless, let me add...

Watch this flick!

Rahman...

2007-07-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

I just did an absolutely redundant job of re-instating (as if he was ever de-instated, if there is a word like that...!) A.R.Rahman as my favourite most music director in this universe... listening to themes of the Deepa Mehta movie Fire... I would have told you how it feels...but, sadly, I don't know how to express music in words...

Maximum City

2007-06-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

The diamond is but only coal...

Taking a deep breathed dive into the murky waters of the Bombay drain, Suketu Mehta delivers gold. Try as I may, to shrug it off as a brave attempt seems criminal. The brilliance of this piece of non-fiction stares you in the face, even when your mind tries to decide if this is not for real after all.

The premise Suketu sets up seems no lesser than a backdrop for any art-house cinema. Suketu Mehta is an American writer, who has come down to Bombay after a 24 year hiatus to write about it. As he introduces himself, and tries to get comfortable with plumbers fixing his electricity mains, he has set up for the reader a campus in which we live, but of which we know so less.

The way the book sets off, puts the reader off balance. The narrator, with whom we are just getting comfortable, has not even cleaned his desk at his new-found home and is already lunged into the commercial capital of the country of 'NO'.

He exhaustively covers four main ingredients of the Bombay which is often talked about in hushed tones or shown in Madhur Bhandarkar movies...Underworld (not the Satya- types where people go about man-hunting on seasons...!) Here he takes on some people living in your nearby slums, who might well be in touch with the who's who of the famed Mumbai underworld! His friendship lurks on the brim of him giving in to the temptations of power and you beginning to pray that he doesn't give into it. Next up, Bar Girls... he befriends one of them and lives with her, as literally as figuratively. You stare in to a mushy love-plot that nowadays haunt Indian directors who want to be stylishly off-beat. The human side of, yes the cliched human side of these 'self proclaimed victims' is subtly intertwined in the overall thriller plot. There are instances where the rawness of the bar girl comes bare out in the open like when she meets her father after a decade. Or when the underworld thug gets a new flat for his family and says he can't get stleep unless 12 of them are around him in a 10x12 room.

One statement where the slum-life profoundly manifests itself is, as put by the protagonist,... 'While in the slums, we never used to ask our children if they are hungry... because some one would have surely fed them!'

Then, Mr. Mehta takes a shot at sketching a wannabes life in Mumbai. As before he traces the daily life of a wannabe poet who has arrived at the Land of Golden Footpaths, away from his village up north. He runs away from home after deciding for himself that the first ray of moon and the diminishing seaside sun is what he has to write about, and not chemical equations. He again brings out in the open the hope that this darned city has on offer to the tens of thousands of villagers from around the country. The reunion of this wannabe poet with his father is another poignant moment in the book.

To round it off, Suketu peeps into the life of a Jain. Bombay, alone pays more than 40% of the nation's income tax. Jains, less than 1% of the population, pay around 20% of the nation's income tax!!! And these Jains, are a part of the commerce that is Bombay. Mehta dwells, somewhat irrelevantly into the life of a Jain, who is giving up worldly possessions to follow an ascetic life. Further, he follows the entire proces of how the family goes on to actually do it. The only relevance this holds to Bombay or rather Suketu tries to infer is the rich diamond business Jain population and the way this city tires the people. Personally, I thought he could have done much better if he had dwelt less on this, and probably painted something more of Bombay...

A book worth reading, that will make an impression... that shows you the darker side...you like Bombay for what it is...in spite of what it is! Something like Don Corleone... you like him not because of what he is but... because,

In spite of stating coal, it sells diamond...

Life in a ... Metro

2007-05-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Movie: Life in a ... Metro
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Pretty long... read on!

Rishtey, toh nahi
Rishton ki ... parchaiyan miley!

Yeh kaisi bheed hai
Bas yahaan ... tanhaiyan miley!

Pretty much setting the tone for the movie, Anurag goes a step forward from Gangster and delves into the daily 'affair' of the Metro-kars or should I daresay, Mumbaikars! Trying to get as close to realistic cinema as the subject would let him, the you-and-me types teenagers get the goosebumps when you over hear worried mothers behind you in the cinema say, 'Hope my son isnt...'

Performance wise, movie strikes gold, again! Much to the cine-goers delight, the level of performance at offer is on the rise, Metro being no exception!

Kay Kay Menon is on a streak where he is out doing himself every movie. Essaying the chauvinist role to near-perfection, he would have as well had the rest of the star-cast for dinner. Irrfan though comes close in hand, with his easy going, hey!-you-show-I-see kinda attitude. He has got the wittiest lines, which sort of took away what Sharman would otherwise have banked on. This new kid on the block though feels pretty much at home playing the perfect tail-chaser to his seniors. Shiney Ahuja seems to lose his sheen when trying to fit into unbranded lower middle class boots. He just hasn't got the looks, I feel... I mean, he looks so out of place in the Andheri-Churchgate second class compartment!

The ladies compartment, delightfully is not left behind. With each character being given enough character to pull through. Shilpa playing the troubled wife stuck in an 'innocent' love affair carves a niche for herself amongst the slightly better male cast. Konkona Sen, still to get a role that actually challenges her potential, does nonchalant justice to the '30-single-still virgin' character! Kangana, with a new fresh young look, looks good and with much of Anurag's effort seems passable! Kanagana, work on your voice and modulations!

The supposed 'surprise' package of Nafisa (she still looks ravishing!) and Dharmendra (Dev Anand has inspired a new generation it seems!) fails miserably. The on-screen chemistry (?) goes dud! The already so brilliantly entangled affairs would have been much more effective, only if Anurag had decided against taking breathers in the form of Nafisa and Dharam paaji.

What strikes gold for this movie is the fact that see-it-to-believe-it kind of entangled relationships actually seems believable! The on-the-face kinda attitude, though waved off by many a hand, leaves a kind of pinch somewhere, enough to set you thinking...

The music, though tailor made for the movie, seems to get on to you for the monotone adapted. The concept of the videos are good, but in excess, they test your nerves. James, the lead singer better learn at least one other expression if he has to make people bear his mannerisms! Lyrics are rendered well, songs move with the story and but for the all rock attitude, music does well.

The climax, a well known weak point for Indian cinema is handled in a Nagesh Kukunoor-ish style and serves mainly as an ending point than anything else...The build up to the climax also could have been managed better.

Overall, a certain one time watch, at least for the performances and some really good dialogues!

Go catch this flick!

Bheja Fry!

2007-04-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

New age Indian Cinema... low on glamor, high on quality! Laugh through the movie. Vinay Pathak and Rajat Kapoor put on a commendable performance!

Though, the movie is (sadly?) a rip of the French movie, Dinner Game!

Life Is Beautiful...

2007-01-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well... I saw it at last...!

(Thanks a lot, Shetty and Narsi...)

Simplicity at it's best... Go watch it today!

Kabul Express...

2006-12-17T04:35:00.000-08:00

Indian Cinema: Arrived...
A feather in the cap for Indian Cinema: Kabul Express...

Not a great movie, not a classic, not even worth a second watch (some may feel)... however, its different!

Watch it... humor in terror...

Kannathil Muthamittal - An excerpt

2006-12-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

Movie: Kannathil Muthamittal
Director: Mani Ratnam
Scene: Sujatha (A short story)

The Story: A 9-year old adopted kid, Amuda, is told about her adoption by her parents on her 9th birthday. After two scary attempts to run away from her home in search of her 'mother', her father decides to take Amuda to riot-stricken Sri Lanka and try to meet her mother. The father, a writer, is giving a speech to a packed house to tamilians in Sri Lanka...

The Scene: Bored by the speech, Amuda wanders off the auditorium. There is security around, poicemen all around. She crosses the road and playfully walks along a foot-path with blades of grass she has picked up. She finds a lame young man sitting on a wheel-chair. She playfully walks upto him,

Amuda (A): 'Hi!'
Lame Man (LM): 'Hello!' (With a stern face, just about to show a smile...)
A: 'What are you doing?'
LM: 'Nothing!'
A: Realizing he also speaks her tongue, 'You are also a Tamilian?!'
LM: 'Yes...'

Amuda plays around, realizes that the Lame Man has a diary with him... takes it and opens it. She finds poems written...

A: 'My dad's also a writer, he also keeps writing such poems... Bore! I do not understand anything.'
LM: 'Is it?', seeming interested, 'What's his name?'
A: 'Thiruchelvan, but writes under mother's name... Indra! Actually, she is not my real mother... just the one who's bought me up! Have you heard about him?', with extra pride, 'He is really famous! He is giving a speech... there, across the road in the auditorium. House full... people are clapping after every sentence!'
LM: 'Impressive!'
A: Realizing the bizarre tamil accent, the typical one from a Lankan, 'Why do you talk Tamil like this?!'
LM: With a meaningful smile, 'This is also Tamil!'
A: 'Hmm...'

Indra now sees her ahead on the walk-way... Shouts for her...

Indra (I): 'Amuda... '
A: Looking at the Lame Man... 'That's my mom... always worried. She fears that I will run away again!'

Amuda runs towards her mother... meets her,

A: 'Amma, that guy there. He is also a Tamilian, nice man. I was talking to him only... He is also a poet, but not as famous as father...'
I: From a distance, 'Thanks, Sir! Did she trouble you? She talks a lot... Sorry for the trouble!'

The Lame Man just smiles back...

A: 'Uncle, please do come to our house if and ever you come to Madras... We will have fun. You can meet my father... Address is: Flat 3, Ground floor, Poongavanam Society, Royapettah, Chennai - 14! Do come...'

The Lame Man smiles and begins to move forward on his wheel chair... Amudha and indra turn back, when Amudha realizes that she still has his diary with her... in a jerk, she turns around murmuring ...

A: 'Oh! Amma... I have to give his diary back...', and breaks into a sprint...
I: 'Amu...', Indra shouts out for her in reaction...

A convoy of government cars come around the corner... the Lame Man stands up... runs across and jumps on one of the cars... and BOOM! A huge blast, Amudha flies backward... glass pieces wounding her face... Indra falls down in shock!

Guru

2006-12-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Listening to: Jaage hain...
Movie: Guru
Director: Mani Ratnam
Music: Rahman

Jaage hain der tak hamein,
Kuch der sone do...
Thodi si raat aur hai,
Subah to hone do!

Aadhe adhoore khwab jo,
Poore na ho sake...
Ek baar phir se neend mein,
Woh khwab bone do!

Gulzar saab... what would poetry be without you!

Check out... Rahman at his lowest pitch... and with a little more keenness, starting 04.27 mins ... Rahman goes to a super-high pitch heard faintly in the far background...! Gets clearer after 05.06 mins...

Sneak peek: Can already hear this music at emotion-wrenching scenes of the movie...

Tune in to:
Themes of Subhash Chandra Bose

Swades - We, the people...

2006-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

Listening to: Yeh jo Des hai tera
Movie: Swades
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Music: Rahman

A 'Bass drum' and probably the metal ring of a drum rim... a slow rythm starts... add a string layer and vocals... Shehnai starts as if on cue, and... just when you get comfortable with the melody, almost on a half beat Rahman oozes out...

Something about Rahman, he just sounds too damned patriotic...

Tune in to:
Maa tujhe salaam, Vande Mataram
Aazadi, Subhash Chandra Bose

Rahman, Ratnam and Sachin...

2006-11-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Three names that keep me hooked up to the world of entertainment...

Watch out for more...

E! Talk...

2006-11-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

Heya fellas...

Music, Movies, Sports, Books... and the likes...