Movie Review- Ghajini

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Ghajini

By now everyone knows the storyline of the movie. The girlfriend is killed. The enraged lover has a problem recalling his memory after fifteen minutes but is nevertheless in pursuit of killer of his love. Contrary to the conventional mode of building up of a Bollywood story this one declares its intent in the beginning and takes on the audience from there. It’s a tall order indeed and Murugadoss the director of both the versions of the movie has acquitted himself rather well but only just. Am I declaring my intent as well?
The weakest link of the movie is the villain. I would imagine that Pradeep Rawat has been faithful to his brief of playing the ruthless don but his characterization of a Haryanvi hoodlum falls a little flat. The consistency of his accent is missing which really caricatures him. One moment he is speaking normally and then in an instant the Haryanvi in him jumps out only to revert back to original drone. It’s extremely rare that a movie is named after the villain and his role could have been worked upon a little more. The characterization of this pivotal player is too loose to merit the title of the movie.
Jiah Khan was a disappointment, period. Bad acting, bad figure, bad clothes! Whoever is promoting her as a sex symbol needs to get his eyes and head examined. And surely the make up staff could have done a better job of making her complexion dusky. That just might have saved her from looking like an tired and a sweaty babe. I am being harsh on the poor girl but the director must share the blame. I also think that her character wasn’t really necessary for the story to develop.
The Malayalee beauty Asin Thottumkal seems to have continued her good work from the original 2005 version. As opposed to Miss Khan, Asin can act, her clothes could do with a little improvement but she looks like a million bucks. Saying anything else about her would be a-sin. She plays a bubbly budding model for small time ads who is also a Good Samaritan at heart. Her activism puts her in the cross hair of the don who becomes her brutal nemesis.
Enough has been written about the famous eight pack of Aamir Khan so I won’t waste any more space on it. Suffice to say that this time the method actor has surpassed even his high standards of preparation for a role. Anyone with lesser physical proportions would have looked ridiculous not to mention unbelievable playing the extremely violent role. The movie rests on the well muscled shoulders of Aamir Khan. He suffers from Anterograde amnesia, which the producers were kind enough to explain is a short term memory lapse especially after a physical trauma which he is subjected to while being a helpless witness to the death throes of his beloved. To keep in tune with the reality while lost in his amnesic and meandering mind he photographs and labels everything. There is only one constant. The name of his tormentor Ghajini and his relentless quest for revenge! The memory of his loss is so savage on his conscious self that his consequent frightening screams are reminiscent of a helpless and a caged animal overwhelmed with deathly remorse. Kill, says his mind and he blows away everything that comes in his way with ruthless and clinical efficiency. Aamir’s searing intensity is actually unsettling and invokes fear. The man is a true thespian and this round of the clash between the Bollywood Khans clearly belongs to him.
The story is based on a Hollywood movie “Momento” but this time I will close my eyes. It isn’t completely believable but the sequence of events provides a good platform for the players to display their wares. Some did and some did not which is alright but the length of the movie could have been shortened to maintain the pace which trips at times. The background score is appropriate and touches a nerve but the songs were totally unnecessary. It’s not often that A R Rehman’s music is overshadowed by other aspects of the movie but having said that Mr Rehman has certainly done far better stuff
The violence in this movie touches a new level. Not after the famous massacre scene of Sholay have I seen such a brutally executed onscreen killing as Asin’s. The expressions of both the victims stab you in the heart. All the other fight scenes are extremely well crafted and computer effects have been used with spectacular results. Aamir’s exertions are like a Force 10 storm. Simply unstoppable. Despite its faults this one is a must watch because like all good movies it stays with you a while.

Movie Review- Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

My Chhamak Challo wants to switch onto the Surya channel and watch a Tamil/Telugu/Malayalam/Kannada movie which she will not understand and listen to Carnatic music which she will not appreciate. My Gharwali is ready to revert back to her Garhwali while treating her patients. All this anger is a reaction to the overdose of Punju themes which are being repeated ad-nauseam by the Punjus and other criminals in Bollywood. On the other hand I feel that maybe this is the Bollywood Punjus’ way of giving a resounding slap to the scum that defines the ilk of Raj Thakeray. In any case I am the prosecution and not the defence.
I do feel like twirling my colored moustache and asking Aditya/Yash Raj/SRK combine “Kya soch ke aye the? Public bahut khus hoga, kyun”. Bloody clowns, what the hell were they thinking while plotting (annihilating more appropriately) the story. This one too is set in Punjab, Amritsar actually. Anyone who knows Amritsar better than I do will please tell the location of mountains near the city and also the high vantage point which affords a bird’s eye view of the city. The Chopras have discovered what I never found in forty and something years. Well, the start was promising enough. A glimpse of the Golden temple, which never ever fails to set my pulse racing and the camera pans to the cobbled streets of the old city of Amritsar. Road side eateries, the mad undisciplined traffic, the tall towers of the sundry Gurudwaras, the jolly sardars and the pot bellied Punjab Police constables who are invariably found scratching their nether regions, yessir that’s my Amritsar. In walks the middle class hero with his newly wedded heroine. Quickly enough we learn that the girl loved another/the lover dies on the day of the marriage/our hero is conveniently present/the girl’s father loves the hero as his son (favourite student? Some Guru dakhshina the fella owes)/hero marries heroine as per the pop’s last wishes conveniently disguised as a request (Main tumhari marzi ke khilaf kuchh nahi karma chhahata but if you don’t do it I will never die peacefully, blah blah blah…Jesus man). This was the nice part. Our man gets the bride home and promptly shifts his bed on the first floor and the torture of the audience starts now. For the next two and something hours SRK and Co lose their nuts. The hero is ordinary, supposedly boring, faithful to his work and staid and uncommunicative and so not very appealing to the vivacious heroine. She finds a way out. Dance classes! Eureka! Our hero also finds a way to vibe with the other side of his wife so that she can fall in love (with whom? Read on). Become her dance partner! Great! How do you keep yourself from being recognized? Simple baby, just shave off your mustache, gel your hair, wear cowboy shoes and an attitude. This is for the trouser wearing guys. So how is it going to work for a Kurta Pajama dehati like me? The initial ploy works when it is still fun and games for the wannabe lover boy and the heroine. As expected the heroine starts having feelings for her dance partner which is cool. But what about our man? Who the hell is he? Is he the pining husband or the manipulative dancer/lover boy? The machinations and the expectations of the alter egos become surrealistic after a point. Neither character justifies his existence. The dancer tries to make the girl fall in love with him but the husband in him doesn’t want that to happen. I hope you are getting adequately confused because that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The reality remains confined to Anushka, the debutante. Her character is human, her smile is real, her pain is hurting. The best part of SRK is the friend he has in Vinay Pathak, the Hair Dresser Bobby Khosla. Fantastic performance. This is one Bihari I would love to vote for.
The good thing about the movie is some of the thought in the dialogue. Love somebody to the extent of madness is something I agree with. With farcical pretence I do not. Leaving everything to God may be a fatalistic compulsion but can not be the conviction of a man. If you love her then go and get her.
I am angry because my Chammak Challo loves Shahrukh and she is acutely disappointed and since I love my Chammak Challo I am also acutely/obtusely and right angley in agreement with her. Punjabis in movies are fine by me. But why caricature them? The abundance of “Jees” in the dialogue is not the way we speak. The Bollywood hasn’t the faintest idea of what or how the Jatts are. Ropar is not a village. Every female in Punjab does not wear Phulkari all the time. Short kurtis with salwars went out of fashion a long time ago. So where is the research Mr Chopra? It seems to have been done in the air conditioned confines of the Mumbai offices. Next time you make a movie learn about the place and the people before you come to shoot there. Or else my nephew who is soon going to participate in the Air Pistol shooting event in the Nationals next month is likely to be handed another gun.

Movie Review- Quantum Of Solace

I, may or may not like it but life/kids/nieces are bent upon making me believe that I am ageing. So how? Sean Connery is in danger of becoming a memory? Roger Moore’s wrought features are no advertisement for the Bond brand. Pierce Brosnan’s awful flirtation with the Man’s role has mercifully come to an end. So where do I have a problem? None really!! I sayeth cause it cometh ! This movie starts like no other. There is no traditional gun barrel sequence of the Berretta shooting at you with Bond bending sideways. No strains of the old familiar music. Bond has changed. In more ways than one, actually. There are quite a few firsts for Bond here. For starters this movie is not a stand alone story. Our man has got his emotions on a high and so goes on a revenge trail. Revenge for Casinoroyale’s Vesper’s death. Who the hell was she? Oh, Bond’s love interest who committed suicide? What the devil is happening here? An uncertain ending in Casinoroyale and a pursuit in the sequel? Yup and so for the first time Bond is not chasing a villain who is out to destroy the world or neutralizing a Russian Mafiosi but following his emotions. How sweet but I can tolerate Daniel Craig in a love sick mode only once. A quarter of a century ago in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, George Lazenby who was the worst Bond ever, fell in love and even got married (horrors) but mercifully the wife gets bumped off in the end. The Bonds of this world are supposed to simply love ‘em and leave ‘em. Surely they can’t be married and still be in business. The next worst thing is a brooding Bond who behind the garb of chasing villains is actually seeking to destroy the guy indirectly responsible for his girl friend’s suicide. He has forgotten to laugh. There are no gadgets so no Mr. Q. The same guy plays Felix Leiter twice in succession. Bond does not sleep with the heroine! The famous martini, shaken not stirred is missing. And not once does he mouth, “My name is Bond, James Bond”. Yessir Bond has changed.
Commensurate with the new age Bond the villain is no longer threatening the world order but seeking to control the water supply of Bolivia (whatever the hell for?). Mathieu Amalric plays the pseudo environmentalist who is a leading member of the evil organization Quantum responsible for Vesper’s suicide. He is the corporate face of the modern day villainy and does a splendid job of looking creepy. The long legged lass Olga Kurylenko plays the first Bond girl not to share his bed but what the hell, brooding lovers lose their desire anyway. She too is on a revenge trail. This story seems to be an adaptation of a million Westerns of the revenge theme. Only the horses were missing. Judy Dench as M is getting classier by the day. All women ought to age like her. Of all the Bond women the one I miss the most is Miss Moneypenny. I wonder why she has disappeared. Bond’s flirtation with her has always been one of the most endearing scenes of this spy saga.
However all is not lost. The gadgetry may have made an exit which is not such a bad thing after all but the intensely raw and physical action in its place is simply awesome. Craig with his superbly fit physique carries it off with eminence. Free style running which made its debut in the last movie does an encore here. It’s beautiful to watch. The Aston Martin makes a singular appearance in the breathtaking car chase at the beginning of the movie. Another highlight of the gripping action is the dog fight between an ancient Dakota and a fighter plane. The last I saw of Dakotas was in the Indiana Jones movies which are period pieces but its featuring in a contemporary story was a pleasant surprise. Miss Moneypenny may be missing but there is another beauty by the name of Strawberry Fields! The casting director must be a Beatles fan and I would like to think a Bond buff because the manner of her killing is reminiscent of Goldfinger’s penchant for killing by applying gold paint on the victim’s body. Only this time oil replaces gold. Sign of changing times? But then Bond has changed, right? However I am never going to forgive the makers for removing the signature tune of Bond movies. The title song ‘Another way to die’ by Jack White and Alicia Keys is a piece of forgettable trash which will never find a place in my cherished collection of the Bond songs.
I am a die hard Ian Fleming/Bond fan so I have my observations and reservations but like all Bond movies this one too is hugely enjoyable. Only guys like me start thinking. Why is Bond changing? Well, isn’t everything around us changing too? But the sanctity of some things ought to be maintained. The aura of Commander James Bond is one such thing and it should not be messed around with.

Movie Review- Fashion

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Fashion

This is Madhur Bhandarkar’s reality check on the razzmatazz and cheesecake world of fashion. The story is ordinary enough. Starry eyed winner of a beauty contest from small town Chandigarh (welllllllll??) goes to big bad Bombay to pursue her dreams of becoming a super model. Struggle, the big break, the high leap, the pitfalls of delusional fame, descent into the abyss of excess, the realization of truth, rising of the phoenix and everybody lives happily ever after. Well almost.
The characters are a bit of a cliché. Bhandarkar has liberally based his players on real life guys. So you have a blonde haired Rohit Bal rip off. Surely a more handsome guy could have been chosen to ape Rohit. Kangna Ranaut’s character has been based on the unfortunate Geetanjali Nagpal no matter how much Bhandarkar denies. Every designer is a gay and all models seem to be on a trip to high life. Nevertheless the pot pourri created is interesting. Priyanka was a bit of a disappointment in the way she looks. Her looks came across as harsh. On the other hand the second lead Kangana Ranaut actually steals the thunder right under the nose of the main lead. She looks devastating, especially in the ramp walk scenes, and has acted with a lot of zest as the drug crazed super model convinced of her infallibility. Mugdha Ghose is the surprise package. Tall, statuesque and carefree, she could be one of the actors to watch out for. Chitrashi Rawat (Komal Chauthala of Chak de India) has a small and a cutely pesky role of a deal fixer. She is quite a natural. The movie is about women models so there is no hero so to speak but the male characters are pretty strongly played too. Arbaaz Khan as the owner of a company which is peddling some top brand is good. And Harsh Chhaya’s portrayal of a gay designer is absolutely devastating.
Did I say it’s a reality check? Well, yes and a no. The ramp walks and the tribulations of the struggling models seemed real enough. But is every model exploited and must sleep with the boss? I am not so sure. Besides smart businessmen do not lay off people on whims. And how come the fashion world seems to be revolving around just one company? Loose ends but not serious enough to harm the overall content which is good. I felt real life characters could have been used too but the only guy who gets to do it is the superb designer and my friend Wendell Rodricks. Good show man, rock on.
The opening shots of the movie show prominent places of Chandigarh which thrilled me but the reference to it as a small town (true as it may be) got my goat. In the age of Internet no place is now really big or small. But if it gives somebody a kick then so be it. The movie is nothing to be taken very seriously and is a good time pass. Chalega !

Movie Review- Welcome To Sajjanpur

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Welcome To Sajjanpur

I have never been a fan of the so called art/parallel/serious/meaningful cinema and by corollary its promoters. Hence I gave a miss to most of the movies favoured by the jholawallahs & the bidi smoking intellectuals. A few that I did see only reinforced my belief that these film makers were the Johnny come lately residuals from the smoky decadent sixties and wannabe rebels full of pretences bent upon glorifying the poverty and slums of India. Wily nilly I had always included Benegal in the same category because I could appreciate only two of his movies namely Ankur & Junoon. The rest of his repertoire didn’t really appeal to me. Too slow and too boring. But with ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’ he has forced me to revise my opinion.
The first brownie point is won for the original and unusual story related mostly in spoken Bhojpuri. Set in the rural Hindi heartland it revolves around a young village lad who puts his education to practical use in the art of letter writing. It provides him his daily bread and also enables him to keep his hand on the pulse of the lives, politics and love affairs of the village. Like any engaging story this is also a combination of various sub plots in which each character has been carved with affection. There is this political family which wishes to rule by the gun. Yashpal Sharma is in his element as the resident don. I specially loved the expletives that he used. Baggarlandu, Jhapperkanju, Landeroo are just some of the many endearments he uses to decorate his language. Then we have Munni the eunuch who decides to challenge the hegemony of the don but through democratic means.The village compounder, played by the Big B of Bhojpuri films Ravi Kishan, is besotted by the child widow daughter in law of the local fauji. The widow is not portrayed as long suffering and in fact responds to the amorous advances of her suitor. Add to this the undercurrents of attraction between our letter writer hero and his married childhood classmate and we have the makings of a minor revolution in the rural India. Ila Arun is the hyper superstitious mother of an unmarried daughter bent upon marrying her to a dog to ward off the evil eye. If I was heading the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, this year’s Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in a Female Role would go to her. Shreyas Talpade as the letter writer is endearing and a joy to watch. I only hope that his sweet acts don’t limit him to Amol Palekar type of roles.
The movie is a telling commentary on the country’s divisive politics and how a change is desirable. It’s presented through songs taking a dig at religion based politics and how both the mandir and the majsid groups have utterly failed to address the problem of the common man. So the question is asked if a eunuch should now take charge. This is not supposed to be the Third Front but maybe a radically different choice. At the same time the brutal truth of social rigidity and intolerance, the exploitation of village migrants, the rampant superstition is also brought home. You can’t win them all. So while there are some success stories there will remain some evils which will take time to go away. Benegal has taken a practical viewpoint although his winding up of the story could have been a little less weird. It sort of grinds to a halt but that doesn’t take anything away from an otherwise outstanding movie.

Movie Review- A Wednesday

Powered by: Chakpak.com	A Wednesday !

I had thought of writing about this movie on the weekend and suddenly the bomb blasts of Delhi gave it a whole new significance. Why do we react strongly only when something happens at our doorsteps? And how do we define the proximity of disaster? Is the threshold of danger the border of my country or my city or my locality? The blasts of Bangalore and Ahemdabad were disconcerting but Delhi had us all in a spin. Why? My daughter is studying there and I have a number of friends and relatives there. My apathy was suddenly challenged. So am I a good & an aware citizen? What’s my contribution in stemming the rot that has set in the system? Who created the system anyway? The movie explores these stark facets of our daily lives.
Bollywood is finally waking up to the fact that realistic cinema can be both thought provoking and gripping. We can thank the noveau Multiplex culture for making this ideal commercially possible. The producers even had the guts of not permitting any songs in the movie! And the wonder of all is that the movie gets over and you realize you never missed the songs at all. Brilliant stuff!
The story is contemporary. Mumbai faces a threat of serial bombing if certain terrorists are not released. Anupam Kher & Naseeruddin Shah play the cop & the tormentor. Shah places the bombs at strategic locations and then starts communicating with the police using guile & state of art technology. The police react with alacrity & the game of cat and mouse begins culminating in a surprising climax. The forte of the movie is the slick editing which results in the unfolding of the events which are spaced within a seven hour frame at a breathtaking pace. There are no unnecessary emotional histrionics or loud claims of patriotism or religious fervor. People on both sides of the fence go about their jobs with clinical efficiency. They do it because it needs to be done.
Both Kher & Shah are powerhouses of talent which has been unleashed to devastating effect. Kher’s portrayal of a cerebral police officer is as telling as that of Aamir Khan in “Sarfarosh”. Shah is efficiency personified and then some. His seething anger is brilliantly restrained and the beautifully long justification of his actions threw me back to the era of Sohrab Modi movies where powerful dialogues swathed across a person’s consciousness. Jimmy Shergill hardly speaks thrice in the entire movie but his expressions & actions fully justify his role of an efficient if brutal officer. The only weak link in casting is the press reporter played by Deepal Shaw. She can’t talk and she can’t walk and her dialogue delivery was like raucous staccato. Baby Doll seems only good enough for titillating videos.
The movie forces the viewer to ask a lot of questions of him and any work, movie or otherwise, which succeeds in doing that has justified its existence. However it would be tragic if our concerns get diluted with time and daily routine.

Cricket Info

Movie Review- Rock On

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Rock On

“Ajeeb dastan hai yeh. Kahan shuru kahan khatam. Yeh manzilan hain kaun si. Na woh samajh sake na hum.” The Lata Mangeshkar classic from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai effectively captures the spirit and the innocence of this engrossing work. It’s the story of almost all of us who at their early twenties feel the world is just waiting for us to take it over and ten years later find ourselves where we never belonged in the first place. This is about dreams, about love & heart break, about lasting friendship and above all about music. This one is straight from my heart.
The mainstay of the movie is music and Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy have excelled once again. They have composed rock music before but Rock On’s melodies are special. All the numbers with the exception of “Zehreeley” can be listened to time and again. My car stereo has been blasting the movie’s music & my pony tail bobbing up and down for the past two days and people are beginning to give me weird looks every time I stop at a traffic light. Why can’t it be understood that no self respecting rock fan can hear the music at low volume and with a little bit of head banging? Farhan Akhtar’s talent in the craft of movie making is a proven fact but he has been a revelation as a singer and an actor, in that order. An awesome stage presence and his primal screams were reminiscent of Jim Morrison’s stage acts. The live performances have been flawlessly executed and the enthusiastic participation of the audience beautifully captured.
So far as others performances go everyone has done well but I found Luke Kenny to be a wee bit wooden which was surprising considering his long career as a VJ with MTV. Arjun Rampal has put in a restrained and an intense portrayal of a passionate guitarist torn between his longing for his passion and the daily domestic struggle to earn bread. I also loved his long hair. Sigh, mine are never going to be as long as his. Purab Kohli has walked effortlessly through his role with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. His jiving to the song “I Will Survive” was a masterpiece. We ought to see more of him soon.
The pace of the movie is electric and does not slacken even when going through the mushy part. The story is of four friends who pick up the threads of their broken past and strive to realize their unfulfilled dream. Each one is an adept musician and seems made for each other until fate & reality steps in to destroy their dreamlike existence. But since the good guys should always win they are given a second chance by the Man up there. The progression of their quest is peppered with flashbacks of the past which torments their souls but also contains the elements of their salvation. For those who seek happiness with passion, the paths are not always lined with roses. The trick is to keep the passion alive and happiness will follow. Our dudes do just that. Like I said, this one is straight from the heart. We have all been there.

My Changed Life

All my wonderful days of eating & drinking & making merry are taking a well deserved break if not totally over (I hope not). Mother nature decided to tell me that there is no such thing as always being the King of good times. Besides my fanatsy world it happens only on TV. So when my wiser half, my beautiful muse Chhamak Challo observed that I had lost seven kilograms while paying obesiance to Bacchus followed by the curries that Supriya grudges me, she marched me off to a pathology lab. I turned out to be Medical Resident's dream. All the counts would have done Late Sir Edmund Hilary proud. They had all climbed unheard of peaks. Mr Pancreas had decided that I shall be sweeter to the fair wenches than ever before and to help me in doing that instead of considerable shots of Glenmorangie I now freak out on Insulin twice a day. Mr Liver had decided to gain weight and girth but is getting back to shape now. Mr Heart was also fnding it hectic to keep pace with my speed of indulgence. Both these guys are behaving themselves now as I have put them in their proper place. But I have had enough of being betrayed by my own flesh & blood. The loss of the next 7 kgs was entirely my own doing. I found this reallly pretty & passionate (about her work, silly) dietician in Fortis Hospital who made me this fantastic diet plan. I am now on very intimate terms with various vegetables. The curries of yore are beginning to become a bit of a dream. Before you burst into tears let me assure you that I am still me. Every twenty days or so I eat whatever I like (nothing sweet though) but that evening its an extra ten minutes of exercise.
Pegbaazi I don't do now but fear not, the bar is still stocked and open and no one is turned away from my door thirsty. Thou shall imbibe and the pleasure shall be all mine.And I still cook for others and I am loving it.

Movie Review- The Dark Knight

Two superhero movies in two weeks is not my usual choice but the near simultaneous releases turned out to be a happy coincidence. Batman has always been my favourite comic book character, right after Phantom & Mandrake and since I have followed all the movies of the caped crusader right from my childhood, The Dark Knight was a must see. In my review of Hancock I had dwelled upon the change in the characters of the super heroes keeping up with the changing social mores & perceptions. It’s a more humane face of the super league that we are presented with. Even the dark & blue hues of Gotham city have been substituted with the metropolitan ethos replete with crowded streets and towering skyscrapers. Of course, the tall buildings are a great incentive to our hero for those un-nerving dives and the elegant flights. My vertigo prone Chammak Challo watched all those scenes with her eyes closed.
Val Kilmer had been my choice for Batman’s role till Christian Bale took over in the Batman Begins and what a powerhouse performance that was! Incidentally, for the movie buffs, Bale’s first major performance was the key role as a 14 year old in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. In The Dark Knight we find him much more restrained. In fact he’s more appreciable when out of the costume and the contrived voice of Batman didn’t quite impress me. Apart from that he has acquitted himself well. The freshness of the character of Batman is in the realization of the fact that he is human after all and despite all the super mega talents not entirely invulnerable. He bleeds, is getting aware of the passing age and feeling a wee bit tired in the persistent role of the singular vigilante of Gotham City. As a logical progression of this thought, in steps the District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who takes on the city’s scum with single minded fortitude. Batman is almost relieved that perhaps he can pass on his mantle to the zealous D.A. Both crime fighters team up the police chief Gordon (Gary Oldman) and devise a plan to clean up the city.
However they are up against Batman’s arch foe, Joker. Even when he is drawn out in the open by the crusading trio he turns the tables on them by some ingenious maneuvering. Amongst all the action the Joker also seeks to test the limits of incorruptibility of men and their social conscience. He partially succeeds only to discover that the good guys do get to win in the end. I thought Jack Nicholson was the ultimate in the Joker’s role and never thought that Heath Ledger had it in him to match the earlier version but the man has made it his swan song, may his soul rest in peace. While Nicholson’s portrayal hinged on comic, the late Mr. Ledger has given a stunning performance as the menacing psychopathic Joker. The timing and the content of his dialogue and the delivery thereof is flawless.
Morgan Freeman plays the CEO of Wayne Enterprise and Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s man Friday. Caine is becoming as much a permanent fixture of Batman movies as was Desmond Liewelyn as “Q” in the James Bond series. The heroine is forgettable.
Although the special effects are awesome as would be expected from an A list movie, the real thrill is in the high powered hand to hand combat. The sound and sight of a Batman hit does great credit to his prowess. Both the principal gizmos viz the Batmobile, a souped up Lamborghini and the monstrous bike were great fun to watch.
For a comic book movie the dialogues are thoughtful, almost philosophical. The climax is surprising and nerve wrecking. And the debate between honour & corruptibility continues.

Moview review- Hancock

All ye DC Comics and Marvel aficionados need to reorient your conception of superheroes. In the constantly meandering labyrinths of social transactions where the nature of man is redefined everyday our good old superhero hasn’t remained unaffected. Gone is the emotionless face wearing which he would clinically execute the fall of his super foes. Now they feel the love, get affected by loss & rejection and also get drunk & roundly abused. Are these the super guys we have grown up with? I am not complaining but merely marveling at the imaginative twist that the movie makers have come up with.

Will Smith has come a long way since his hip hop days. Back in the mid eighties to early nineties he was better known as The Fresh Prince, the lead vocalist of the group DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. His rendition of “Summertime” still remains one of my favorite songs. The movie’s Big Willie, Mr. Hancock is thousands of years old fellow whose flying skills can put Superman to shame. And while he is not busting the villains, destroying property worth several million dollars in the process he is busy emptying bottles of whiskey and taking a nap where he wills (pun intended). Besides defying gravity he is also bullet proof, knife proof and hit proof. In short nothing affects him physically. And here is the twist! The superhero goes ballistic whenever he is abused. How human! Due to his flawed crime fighting abilities and a foul mouth the media, the police and finally the public turns against him.

This is the age of celebrities who conjure up a hyped image of themselves aided and abetted by media manipulators euphemistically called image consultants. In walks Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) who becomes eternally grateful to Hancock for saving him from being run over by a train. Sensing an opportunity to put his PR skills to test he proposes an image makeover to Hancock which involves surrendering to the police, spending some time in the jail and waiting for the police to call him back because crime is bound to rise in his absence from the streets even as the public property is safe from him. There are some interesting shots of the jail. One of them is of the self purging meetings on the lines of those of Alcoholics Anonymous. After consistent refusals to open up, a single line comment “I am Hancock and I drink and stuff” is enough to be reciprocated by loud and encouraging applause. Soon Embrey’s plan begins to bear fruit and Hancock is back in mainstream circulation and this time without the previous opprobrium. At this time everyone can happily live ever after but what about twist number 2?

Mrs Embrey (Charlize Theron), as it turns out, is a super heroine as well and to top that she is “technically” Hancock’s wife since the like of them were made in pairs. The cynical Hancock suddenly finds that his love quotient has taken a northward swing. Only the object of his affection is torn between the loyalty to her husband and the love of three thousand years. The raison d'etre is twist number 3. The invulnerability of the super couple goes down when they come closer emotionally. In some ways it is a Greek tragedy where love is doomed despite best intentions. The resolution of this mess is what rest of the movie is all about. Its entertaining, its different and its fun. Go watch!

Movie Review- Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

It’s been way too long for Indiana Jones to whiplash his way back to the silver screen and only Spielberg could bring alive the persona of Indiana Jones, hat, boots, bull whip and all. For the uninitiated let me first give a small history lesson. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, two of the hottest talents of the seventies decided to come together to make a movie which at the time was promoted as “the return of high adventure”. The movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was directed by Spielberg & produced by Lucas, and went on to be one of the highest grosser of all time. Set in the time of 2nd World War, the pulsating story of the search for the Ark of the Covenant moved from US to Nepal and climaxed in Egypt.
It was followed by the not so good “Indiana Jones & the Temple of the Doom”. Amrish Puri made a forgettable Hollywood debut but the romance of Indy’s adventures remained alive. The third “Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade” is my second favorite because it had the unflappable Sean Connery who plays Indy’s father. The search of the Holy Grail is one of my all time favorite yarns.
The common thread in all the above movies was the swash buckling, devil may care Indy Jones who got into and out of the most impossible situations with charm and panache. He plays a professor of archaeology who goes after the most difficult searches for old and forgotten relics, fights the bad guys, gets the girl and always has a happy ending.
The latest offering is all of the above but hey, Indy is twenty years older and yet hasn’t seem to have lost his appetite of jumping over unjumpables and avoiding the million bullets that chase him. But then he has an illustrious contemporary in our own Rajnikant who can do all of this and more.
The movie is set in the mid fifties when US saw a commie behind every pole and the obsession of UFOs was coming of age. However Spielberg’s obsession with aliens continues to be unrelenting as ever. So this time we have a sword brandishing Kate Blanchett, a protégé of Stalin, who with a little help of stoic faced hoodlums manages to get hold of Indy to guide them to the high security warehouse where the US Govt. stores all its rare, unexplainable artifacts. Those who have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark would remember the last scene where the Ark is being wheeled into this warehouse to its new and anonymous residence. The desired object this time is, well what else, a crystal skull which is the key to untold knowledge and unlimited power. Indy scores in round one and escapes, only to resume the chase later in the time honored tradition of the perennial adventurer.
Accompanying him this time is a John Dean look-alike teenager with an attitude. As it turns out he is Indy’s son and from whom? Surprise, surprise, its Karen Allen, the vivacious, hard drinking, kick ass girl friend from the first edition of the series. Like Indy she has aged but the passion remains alive. It was great watching her all over again.
The end is predictable. The special effects from Lucas’s factory Industrial Light & Magic are awesome, especially the aliens sequence at the end. And Indy decides to settle down with his old lady love and the new found progeny. I loved his reply when asked by Karen if there were other women in his life and why he didn’t marry them. The man says”Yes there were some but all of them had the same problem. None of them was you”. Here’s a toast to old love and fairy tale endings. Cheers !!

Movie Review- Sarkar Raj

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Sarkar Raj

The Bachhan family gets together finally and it’s a reasonably good for a fist time togetherness act. Also Ram Gopal Verma must have found his smile back. What intrigued me particularly how after safely copying the storyline of The Godfather in the first movie, would RGV hold the story together in the sequel. There is however a thinly disguised difference. Those familiar with the Godfather story would remember the Sollozo episode where he makes an offer of partnership for import of drugs to the Don and is turned down. And then all hell breaks loose. Well over here there is a proposal of setting up a power project (worth two hundred thousand crores, no less) by a well meaning Ash but she is surrounded by sleazy characters who are in it for their pound of flesh. The senior Nagre(AB) declines help because it involves displacement of thousands of people. The junior AB however keeps quiet because he has his own opinion on the project. His silence does not go un noticed. To quell a possible backlash AB junior goes to the masses. Things are not so cut and dried because opposition and resistance to his convictions erupt in the countryside spearheaded by the grandson of the mentor of the senior Nagre.
Interesting concept, yes, but the sequence of the action drags till the intermission. The story changes to political power play with the end game being to destroy the hegemony of the Nagre family. The opposition succeeds partially but the end is predictable. Paying homage to all the three Godfather movies RGV bumps off the entire opposition and at the end you are left with the feeling that Sarkar III is on its way. Whew, where will he find the story this time. Well there is no dearth of homegrown gangsters. Maybe now he won’t have to look for American aid.
Powerful emotions are sought to be highlighted by thumping background score rather than the expressions of the lead actors. Honorable exceptions are Sayaji Shinde, who plays the buffoon of a leader of opposition and Govind Namdeo who plays the sleazy fixer and of course Rao Saheb (AB senior’s mentor) brilliantly portrayed by Dilip Prabhavalkar (remember the Gandhi of Munnabhai). Amitabh is his usual competent self. Ash looks pretty. Abhishek is capable of much better.
The music is ordinary and (sigh) copied. “Govinda Govinda” is a straight rip off of “Ave Satani” from Omen II (Damien). Nothing to die for but the flick is a good watch especially if you have seen the first one.

IPL Masala

i think Bhajji has been taught the right lesson by being hit where it matters the most, monkey business was good but one can't go around hitting fellow players on the field. Bhajji should learn few lessons from our MP Sidhuji... he will teach him the trick to box without any loss...

IPL rocks.... but think cricket won't be the same here on... but then only thing permanent is Change so who cares..!!

Movie Review: Tashan

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Tashan

Tashan

For all those who haven’t seen this movie due to lack of interest/bad reviews/ time kahan milta hai/ main office main bahut busy hoon, its time to reschedule your thinking of orthodox perspectives, leave your brain behind your PC and enjoy this movie. Ask me why? We have seen the likes of this many times over BUT none has been executed this professionally. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the epitome of the great Hindi masala movie. Ask me how?

The story has the classical theme from the genre of James Hadley Chase novels where interesting episodes are woven together to form a story, which is there but you can always predict what’s going to happen next. In there lies the excellence of the movie making craft in making the predictable interesting. The flashbacks have been artfully deployed for proper narration as also the stage whispers which have been effectively used to shove the story forward. The editing is slick and the action fast paced. I wonder if the audience has properly appreciated the action. Before eulogizing let me explain. The action in this movie is sublime and gross. It’s the gross you carry in your memory. But Bollywood has finally paid homage to the kung fu genre of movie/craft after a long time. The exaggerated and the gross violence have an eminent precedent. His Eminence Run Run Shaw of the Golden Harvest Productions fame made this genre a craze way back into the 70s. He was the guy who introduced Bruce Lee. Every Chinese movie of his with crazy names like “Snake in the monkey’s shadow” or “The drunken Shaolin Monk” had the hero fighting a couple of dozen guys and blasting all of them with a single roundhouse kick.

Most of the songs could have been done without but I love the improved quality of extras dancing in the background. Of course Sukhwinder’s rendering of “Very happy in my heart, dil dance mare re” is out of this world. The locales of the Mediterranean and Ladakh are breathtaking

Kareena has chiseled her body to perfection and is one of the few Bollywood heroines who look stunning in a bikini. Now whether it’s a before or after a Saif development I would leave to the gossip mongers but Man she looks like an angel with a deceptively innocent smile. Her vivacity comes across like a whiff of fresh air. Saif is his usual competent self. I am partial to Akshay Kumar , so whatever I may say about him will seem biased. But his characterization of the UP local hoodlum ought to win him a few awards.

Anil Kapoor deserves a separate paragraph. Bhaiya ji, has rendered am exemplary performance as a killer don desperately wanting fluency in English. Saif is the Guru ji employed to teach and for all his efforts what comes across is an amazing mix of English and Hindi from the streets of Kanpur. A scene or two could have been managed by everyone but carrying it through the entire movie is a feat for which Kapoor as well the script writer deserve kudos. The sequence where he recreates in Hinglish the unforgettable monologue of Amitabh Bachhan from Deewar. “Aaj khush to bahut hoge tum” turns into “Lots happy you must be”. But let me not play the spoiler. This you need to experience yourself. Celebrate the gross and the ordinary and enjoy

Movie Review: Shaurya

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Shaurya

I hadn’t been to a movie theatre since mid February and was beginning to get withdrawal symptoms. I am so glad that I ended this sabbatical with Shaurya. For once I happily overlooked that the story is a straight lift of “A Few Good Men” and thoroughly enjoyed the drama adapted to the Indian context.
The story is about the Court Martial of an army officer accused of killing a fellow officer. He maintains a silence on his guilt or otherwise. Two friends in the JAG branch are transferred to the accused officer’s place of incarceration to take on the roles of the opposing counsels in the trial. What is supposed to be an open and shut case takes another dimension when a chirpy journalist, the forgettable Minnisha Lamba, introduces some doubts in the mind of the defence counsel, Rahul Bose. In a happy go lucky and devil may care life a sense of purpose is introduced. The movie is as much about the awakening of maturity of the dedicated to fun Mr Rahul Bose as about the ready to die for his convictions Mr Deepak Dobriyal who plays, ah what else, but a conscientious and a nationalist Muslim army officer. The evil that men do find a persona in the character of Brig Pratap who confuses every Muslim with the demon who had wiped out his family. KK does immense justice to this characterization with his usual professional competence. Deepak Dobriyal rides the movie with a searing intensity which flows from his glowing eyes. Javed Jaffery like me is at last beginning to look old but still, like me retains his sense of fun. He sizzled a bit in the beginning of the movie, a totally unnecessary dance number accompanying the not so sizzling Rosa of the Saif fame. It’s a bit tragic to see the could be Begum of Pataudi reduced to an item number.
The songs are forgettable, the background music is tremendous and the photography is good. It was great to watch shots of Patiala’s Mahindra College and the beauty of Manali which is supposed to be Kashmir in the movie.
A word again about the two principal players in the movie. I admire Rahul Bose on many counts. He lives life the way he wants to. Does movies, plays in the national Rugby team, stays single and remains fit. Deepak Dobriyal, for the uninformed is an Uttarakhandi and my parochial Uttarakhandi chhamak challo has decided that he is the real hero of the movie. So as of this evening my children have a new Mama. So what does this have to with the movie? I feel that both of them bring freshness to the cinema that at least I have been yearning for some time. Both are young and different and harbingers of a new era. Cheers and amen to that.

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Jodhaa Akbar

Movie Review:Jodha Akbar

After just about tolerating all the semi comical and amateurish stuff on television I had been expectantly waiting for a long time for an Indian movie maker to do justice to a historical/period movie. Jodha Akbar was a trifle disappointing but not a total disaster either. In today’s times when the attention span of the audience is progressively on the descendent holding interest for three and a half hours is no mean feat.

My disappointment as usual lies in the lack of direction of the story. The director is clearly confused on what he wants to present. It’s Akbar the conqueror at first and the reluctant lover next. Suddenly the statesman in him manifests amongst the angst of the ruled and secular dialogues are spewed forth. Where does that leave the pretty Jodha? Her character development is a little better. From a bride made out of political compulsions of her father to the Empress of Hindustan having an unbending will of her own, Aishwarya has conducted herself with élan. Her eyes flash a million expressions. The supposed love story and the impact it had on the Indian polity (as we are reminded at the end) remains half baked but interesting in patches.

It is inevitable that comparison with movies of similar genre be made and well, the good old ones like Mughal-e-Azam, Anarkali score higher in a lot many areas. For once the music of A R Rehman did not sound fetching except the song “Khwaza mere khwaza” which is a masterpiece of flawless performance and execution. Hritik’s sway to the beats of this song was synonymous with the devotion with which it has been sung by Rehman. One of his best, I reckon. Although Hritik looked fetching to the moony eyed girls in the hall, he lacks the gravitas and regal demeanor expected of a scion of the Mughal dynasty. But since he and Prithvi Raj Kapur potrayed different ages of Akbar a comparison would be unfair. However JA has been eminently successful in recreating the feel of the times it talks about. The photography is superb. The forts, desert, costumes and the princely splendor of Rajasthan has been captured with an expert’s eye for detail. Reportedly Neeta Lulla designed more than three thousand costumes for the movie. Her hard work shows and beautifully so. The battle scenes are good and gory but again no match for those of Mughal-e Azam. Gowariker missed a trick here. K Asif had hired the services of 63rd(or is it 61st) Cavalry for the war scenes. Computer graphics could have been a good substitute but they are atrociously expensive. However for the sheer scale of production and for the spectacle value I would rate the movie pretty high. Some of the scenes are unbelievably real especially where Hritik tames a wild elephant. The single combat at the climax, although a-la Troy is pretty engrossing and full of energy.

Some howlers are there but they are inevitable I guess. Just imagine, a full house “Deewane-e Aam” is adjourned because Aishwarya decides to sing a bhajan to Lord Krishna in a voice loud enough to reverberate in the corridors where state business is being transacted. My wife, however, was pretty charitable saying “Bhai, who Raja hai. Kuchh bhi kar sakta hai”. Agreed but I cannot forgive the next. The king is seriously wounded and unconscious with the medicine men pronouncing the worst possible prognosis. The queen instead of holding his hand or assisting in medication goes in for divine intervention and sure enough the next morning he opens his eyes. Sigh, it will take some time for us to come out with a Benhur or a Cleopatra. But till then the likes of Jodha Akbar will do.

Movie Review: Mithya

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Mithya

This one is strictly for Multiplex movie types who are still caught between the erstwhile art and the nouvaeu experimental cinema. I admire Rajat Kapoor for having attempting this at all. But, but, but (Oh my buts, no pun intended) the movie begins and ends from nowhere to nowhere. Well that’s the feel I got. The story is there but not quite. The performances are great but from entirely unexpected quarters. The music is forgettable. The locales are fantastic. The photography is surrealistic at times but efficiently done. So like the movie where do I begin and where do I end this write up.
The words of the immortal James Douglas Morrison flashed through my mind while watching the movie and crystallized at its end.
“The program for this evening is not new
You’ve seen this entertainment through and through
You’ve seen your birth, your life and death
You might recall all the rest
Did you have a good life?
Enough to base a movie on?”
Apparently Rajat Kapoor thought so about his hero. This dark comedy is about an aspiring actor, brilliantly portrayed by Ranvir Shorey, emulating the countless wannabe heroes in the tinsel town of Mumbai. His idyllic struggle in the moviedom is rudely interrupted when he is becomes an unwilling witness to a murder attempt on an underworld don who, well, looks exactly like him. The don’s enemies devise a plan to takeover the business of reigning Don. So they kidnap our hero, terrorize him, threaten him, pay him and then train him to take the place of his look alike, who is then waylaid and shot. All the pieces are now in place or are they?
He settles down reasonably well in his new role and just when things seem to be going as per plan he falls down from a banister and loses his memory. I won’t play the spoiler and reveal the subsequent developments. The sudden twists and turns in the story keep the viewer interested but somehow one doesn’t quite find what one is looking for. Like I said, almost there but not quite.
The spectrum of human emotions has been explored quite cleverly. The character of Ranvir takes off from being a happy go lucky youth, to a contented family man, to a terror struck brutalized victim, to hopelessness and bewilderment with remarkable aplomb. Vinay Pathak walks through his role of a Mafiosi thug with consummate ease. Neha Dhupia, despite her rapidly expanding bottoms, was a pleasant surprise. Saurabh Shukla and Naseeruddin Shah were the two unexpected disappointments. The first was too loud and Mr Shah too quiet in a most insignificant role. Harsh Chhaya, as the dead don’s brother exuded the menace of a professional gangster.
Despite my reservations, my compliments must go to Rajat Kapoor for being there in frontline of the brave new movie makers. It is a fantastic effort and he can only get better. He has created a laudable mirage. Take what you can from it !

Movie Review: Halla Bol

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Halla Bol

The master of cliché Raj Kumar Santoshi makes a valiant effort to break out from the masala mode and all but falls flat on his face. My eternal complaint to Bollywood regarding good and original stories remains firmly in place. Here, our man, cashes in on the Jessica Lal episode and has tried to interpolate it with the tragic saga of Safdar Hashmi. Even the name of the movie has been inspired (groan) by the play being enacted by Hashmi when he was murdered.
Nevertheless there was enough potential to make a powerful political statement. Here is where you need a director with a strong political conviction and not just an ordinary movie maker. You will have to wait till the interval for the movie to develop any substance. The basic question of the untapped collective social conscience which the movie chooses to explore and explain remains unanswered. The elusive bird called social responsibility is sought but lost in the reams of wasted celluloid. A laudable cause but a lost effort. So who is responsible?
Ajay Devgun, for being the wooden and unlikely hero for a cause. He moves through the movie like a disinterested zombie. What the hell happened to him after Ganga Jal and Omkara??
Vidya Balan, for choosing to remain in doormat roles despite her huge talent and her atrocious sense of dressing. I can do far better shopping from my local Rehri Market.
The honourable exception, of course, is Pankaj Kapoor who as usual has turned in a powerhouse of a performance and will remain my only reason for recommending to anyone to watch the movie.
Sukhwinder Singh is one of my favourite singers but I am not sure he can deliver as a music director as well. Where the hell did he find this ten ring fingered over nourished overfed Sabri for rendering a horrible quawalli? None of the other songs do credit to his talent either.
Santoshi ought to contemplate retirement! Farcical and pretentious directors like him and of his ilk like Bhansali, Karan whatever should be dumped in the Arabian Sea. And arise Aameer Khan, the future belongs to you.

Movie Review:Taare Zameen Par

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Taare Zameen Par

Every time I saw a movie by Speilberg or Ridley Scott or the older classics of David Lean or William Wyler I asked myself why we did not have a comparable movie maker to show us the great big story. We have had pretenders like SL Bhansali stealing ideas and having delusions of grandeur and also Farah Khan cashing upon the greatness of the ordinary. At least FK did not boast of being original. Am I happy or am I ecstatic at learning that a new star director has evolved in Bollywood. Spielberg knows the child in every man and always brings out the deepest emotions in the most moving ways. Aamir Khan has finally done it for me and beautifully so.
The movie bursts forth with a magical collage of colors and the best of animation seen in Hindi cinema. You would love to see the titles. Of course it’s not for the first time you would be seeing the struggle of a dyslexic child, a caring and a supportive outsider and the eventual triumph. But the dream of every movie maker of carrying the audience with every rise and fall of emotions is effectively realized here. You want to reach out to comfort the distraught child and you soar with the happiness of his achievements. For me the movie once again brought to life the pains of growing up. The sudden shattering of a protected environment and to be thrown amongst strangers at a tender age is a trauma for any child. Standing alone and staring forlornly at the back of the vehicle carrying your mother away, bitter shedding of tears behind closed toilet doors and the all consuming sense of loneliness brought back memories from the deep recesses of my consciousness. I am not ashamed to admit that my tears flowed freely.
Darsheel Safary’s disarming innocence reflects in his eyes. The boy is a natural and has carried the movie on his small shoulders. Whether it’s his childish pranks or his discomfiture in the classroom or his lonely grief, he makes you believe in him. It’s what I would call an honest portrayal. Having said that a huge amount of credit should go to Aamir Khan the director for not cornering the lion’s share of footage for Aamir the actor. That’s what was required of a good director and he delivered. In fact he makes his first appearance just before the intermission.
The narrative is gripping and unrelenting. For an emotional movie there isn’t a single dull moment. Its storytelling at it’s best. The camera moves swiftly from one compelling image to another. Ordinary people and everyday images of the ordinary are beautifully juxtaposed with the curious journey of the child. The parents are who you find in almost every second household. The busy father who goes into a denial mode when confronted with his son’s handicap. The helpless mother who can only watch with dismay at her loved one. Aamir the actor excels again, this time as an art teacher who was dyslexic himself in his childhood. He recognizes Darsheel’s problem and from then on the story is how he finally succeeds in helping him overcome it. There are other lovable characters too. It seemed as if the teachers had jumped right out of my boarding school days. Anyone who has been to a public school would readily identify the English teacher who is always more English that the English themselves. Even the fake British accent has been copied to perfection.
Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy are only getting better. “Tujhe sab to pata hai meri Ma” is heart rending and soulfully depicts a child’s tortured mind. However what takes your breath away is the haunting background score. Aamir Khan is reported to be a perfectionist and he has more than proven it. This one ought to be a winner at the Oscars.