Movie Review - Kaminey

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Kaminey

Thanks to the boycott of the cinema industry by the multiplexes I was badly deprived of my regular fix of movies. However since their reconciliation I barely got time to see any. The long hiatus was broken by Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest offering. Both his earlier movies were based on Shakespeare’s plays. While Maqbool was good, Onkara was a brilliant take on Othello. How does one live up to that kind legacy? Well he changed the rules of the game and smacks it in your face.
So you have a hero, rather two of them with speech disorders. One lisps and the other stutters. Shahid Kapoor with his cute smile and chiseled body has delivered on both counts. The story is about these two twins who are leading completely different lives. The stuttering bro, Guddu, is a simple guy working for an NGO spreading the message of safe sex and trying to make an honest living. Priyanka is his love interest who declares she is pregnant in her very first scene. They decide to get married immediately but there is one little problem. The lady’s brother is a psyco gangster and a wannabe politician and he doesn’t quite like the idea of some dude knocking up his sister.
The other twin, Charlie, is a small time hoodlum who fixes horse races and dreams of becoming a legitimate bookie one day. One day he puts all his cookies in one jar and loses his life’s earning when the manipulated jockey double crosses him. In his quest for revenge he gets involved in a fight with the rival gangsters and while escaping he unknowingly steals the vehicle of Anti Narcotic cops who are also moonlighting as drug dealers. There is a stash hidden in the jeep which becomes a mean of redeeming his recent losses.
The lives of the twins who have not been involved in each other’s lives for years, presumably because of ideological differences undergo an unexpected change when Charlie is picked up by the psyco gangster and Guddu is arrested by the Narco cops. The Bollywood switch, yes, but the events then unfold leading to an awesome surreal climax. The entire narrative of the movie is so taut that if you blink you might miss the sequence of events. This is no Shakespearean drama but VB has managed to make a masala action flick look like a classic. But for the fact that at times it was difficult to understand the Bengali and Marathi dialogues I could barely detect a weakness in the movie. However I would dedicate my Oscar to the editor for making a relentless entertainer.
Priyanka Chopra looks like a million bucks without her makeup and within her Sarojani Nagar rehri market oh so ordinary attire. Why can’t all women look like the Miss Simplicity herself? Dream on Bawa boy, it’s not taxable. Shahid’s carved body adds menace to the high voltage action. The finale of the movie and the composition of the action sequences is easily one of the best that Bollywood has offered so far. Dhan te naan and go watch.

Movie Review - Gulaal

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Gulaal

And I thought that Anurag Kashyap had really excelled himself in Dev D, especially since messing with a proven classic can be a tricky proposition. He succeeded and eminently so! Barely had I recovered from that awesome movie that AK has unleashed another explosion of emotions with a relentless assault on our sensibilities. Set amidst the feudal ethos of Rajasthan the story is about the pursuit of ambition, accumulation of power, innocent & betrayed love. In true Shakespearean milieu there are plots and sub plots and yet some more hidden beneath them but each interconnected to finally merge in the inevitable climax so much like a Greek tragedy.
Barring Kay Kay Menon nearly everybody is a fresh face. The main lead Raja Singh Chaudhary is also the author of the story revolving around student politics which was rewritten by Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Chaturvedi after incorporating rebellious regional aspirations sequential to the perceived injustices by the state. So very contemporary and yet so well portrayed! Kay Kay is the parochial manipulator who uses the students’ politics to build a cadre for pursuing his secessionist agenda. Abhinayu Pratap Singh is the reclusive & reckless prince trying to hide from the riches of his father. Aditya Srivastava & Ayesha Mohan are the prince’s half blood Machiavellian siblings whose yearning for legitimacy drives them to deception and murder. Deepak Dobriyal is Kay Kay’s main hit man and Man Friday. Mahie Gill as Kay Kay’s mistress impresses once again with her vivaciousness & natural acting ability. Jesse Randhawa’s walk from the ramp to the screen shows a lot of promise.
I have to dedicate a separate paragraph to Piyush Mishra. The man has till now played bit roles in sundry movies and penned the script for Black Friday but in this pic he writes, he composes the music, sings and acts too. This will easily be one of the performances of the year if not the decade. First the music! Don’t gloss over the songs. Hear them; hear the lyrics and you will be bowled over. While “Arambh hai prachand” sounds the battle cry, his rendition of “Duniya” which is a take on Pyaasa’s classic “Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya hai” manages to retain its integrity and freshness. The mujra song “Rana ji” has to be one of the most original I have heard in a long time. Using traditional language and style, the lyrics go global without a warning. So with the sexy thumka of Mahie Gill you are suddenly presented with an in your face commentary on 9/11 (Jaise door desh ke tower main ghus jaye re aeroplane), Iraq, Afghanistan, democracy and the cola wars. Whacky imagination at its best! Another beautiful composition is “Sheher” sung along with the talented Swanand Kirkire (Remember Khoya Khoya Chand). Mishra plays the role of the schizophrenic musician elder brother of Kay Kay. He idolizes John Lennon, composes on the spot poetry and has an opinion on everything. The pathos on his face after he loses his dancing consort is heart breaking.
I feel Anurag Kashyap is not an ordinary movie maker. His movies are like a painting canvas where he tries to marry various art forms. If the music resounds of folk songs and fine poetry the shots of the practicing Ram Leela characters impart a theatre like color. If one song reminds you of the wandering minstrels the other carries the guitar strums of western country music. He is also a diehard romantic. Look for John Lennon’s sketch peeking out from the mad poet’s medallion and posters of Che Guvera and Jimmy Hendrix set in a neon lit bar masquerading as a residence in the middle of the desert. For me this is better than any art/parallel cinema.

Movie Review - Delhi 6

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Delhi 6

This is where the young Turks take it away from the pretenders. Bole to.. Subash Ghai, Yash Chopra and the likes of them. Let the young ones soar now. And, Ladies & Gentlemen, I am so glad to report that my fantasies are finally coming true. The new order IS taking over. Original ideas are being shaped with skill and imagination. After more than half a lifetime of being fed escapist rubbish by the so called dream merchants and showmen I am finally enjoying good cinema unleashed by a string of young movie makers. Delhi 6 is a worthy successor to Rang De Basanti and Rakeysh Om Parkash Mehra emphatically proves that he is not a one trick pony.
Abhishek Bachchan is the American born desi who volunteers to accompany his grandmother, Waheeda Rehman (I love her so) back to her roots all the way from New York to the by lanes of Chandni Chowk which is Delhi 6 for the uninformed and those lost in the cyber world who have forgotten the postal addresses used in the romantic days of letter writing. This in itself was enough to make me go all nostalgic about the days when I would wait and wait for my Chammak Challo’s letters. On his first trip to India the grandson discovers the world of myriad hues that constitutes the Indian society. There are so many characters in the movie and each one of them so distinctive. Yet the amalgamation of their role in the story is so effortless which is a tribute not only to their acting skills but also to the screenplay and of course the directorial genius. Abhishek’s intended journey as a chaperone quickly changes into a discovery of that mystic fabric which binds people of different religions and social standards, a realization of the weaknesses and prejudices which breaks the façade of harmony only to rewind into normalcy again. It’s this mad medley of love, hate, rigidity and tolerance which makes Indians what they are and Mehra has eminently succeeded in condensing that macro picture into one neighborhood of Chandni Chowk. There are way too many good characterizations to find individual appreciation here but I have to single out Deepak Dobriyal for his brilliant portrayal of the Muslim Jalebiwallah who becomes the target of the ire of religious bigots and of course Vijay Raaz as the classical Delhi cop. His Haryanvi accented dialogue delivery is a delight to watch. Cyrus Sahukar as the photographer who is cuckolding Prem Chopra, the rich money lender, plays a charming cameo. Abhishek, as the bewildered westerner, has suitably underplayed his character. Sonam Kapoor is naturally vivacious and can only get better. Rishi Kapoor is looking more and more like his great father. Atul Kulkarni has put on some weight but still comes good as the slow witted butt of all jokes.
There are numerous scenes which have been beautifully composed but the surprising one was the Ram Leela. It took me back forty years when as a young lad I had seen the old Delhi Ram Leela for the first and only time. The images are still fresh in my mind and lo behold I was reliving the experience all over again. Raghbir Yadav has lent his voice to the musical rendition of the timeless epic. All the classical touches of theatre artistry are there to see especially the scene of the flying Vanars and of Ravan encountering the Lakshman Rekha. Mehra also cocks a snook at self serving politicians with their mandir-masjid politics and the plethora of news channels which find merit in repeating ad nauseam the most ridiculous of news. The photography reveals the love for the old city. Panoramic shots of the Jama Masjid, Red Fort and the skyline of old Delhi is simply breathtaking.
A R Rehman’s compositions are great. The beautifully sung “Masakali” by Mohit Chauhan brings alive the spontaneity of Sonam’s character. Kailash Kher & Javed Ali have put their heart into the soul stirring “Arzian”. A spiritual song is in every movie is almost becoming a norm with Rehman which is not a bad thing at all. But my favourite is the title song by Blaaze,Benny Dayal,Vivinenne, Tanvi & Claire. After all “Yeh Dilli hai mere yaar”. Go, watch & feel alive.

Movie Review - Dev D

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Dev D

Everything about this movie whether its the conceptualization by Abhay Deol, the music by Amit Trivedi and the loving strokes of superb direction by Anurag Kashyap is off beat. After a no go “No Smoking” he has struck back and how. Man, its mind blowing. Sarat Chandra’s classic has been given a contemporary look and interpretation which I thought was pretty near to my idea of the kind of guy Dev Das was namely a weak, self centered, addictive loser. And Abhay Deol has done enormous justice to the lead role. While the principal characters of the original classic remain the same, their backgrounds and events affecting their lives have been cleverly changed. The Bengali feudal has been replaced by a Punjabi industrialist. The rural backdrop remains the same. Paro assumes the avatar of the classic Punjabi belle freely mouthing abuses and completely obsessed with her childhood sweetheart. For a first timer Mahie Gill, a Chandigarh lass, has done a classy portrayal of Paro. Her total submission to her lover receives a rude jolt when the object of her affection spurns her on suspicions of promiscuous conduct. Of course it’s another matter that he has no problems sowing his wild oats at the first available opportunity. She tries to prevent the shattering of a lifelong dream but consents to marry a widower following the obdurate attitude of Dev. He on the other hand becomes a prisoner of his suspicions and his desire for Paro whose marriage triggers his descent into the abyss of alcoholic stupor and drug induced hallucinations.
Anurag Kashyap then uses the DPS MMS episode to introduce the character of Leni who is disgraced by public opprobrium, abandoned by her family and finally becomes a high priced escort Chanda, played by Kalki Koechlin who is really the surprise package of the movie. A beautiful girl of French stock with a pronounced pout a la Brigitte Bardot she took my heart away, crooked teeth and all. A drunken Dev who after abandoning the mustard fields of Punjab is exploring the depths of despair in the dark underbelly of Delhi literally falls into her arms. Initially Dev’s single minded indulgence in drinking marathons in between fantasizing of a reunion with Paro comes in his way of crystallizing any kind of relationship with Chanda. But after Paro tells him off he comes to realize that there is more to Chanda than just fancy costumes designed to titillate her customers. But then he mows down seven people under his car driving under the influence of Vodka and his demons. It also jolts him back to reality.
While the performances of all the actors are amazing a special mention needs to be made of the music. This is Amit Trivedi’s second film after Aamir but this new kid on the block has composed some exemplary music and has a great deal of promise. Each song has a different kind of sound. It’s a delightful pot pourri of Sufi music, Punjabi folk and western drum rolls. While the soulful rendition of “Pardesi” by Toshi takes your breath away the retro classic dance by the trio of Sinbad Phgura, Ammo 'Too Sweet' and Jimi 'The Quiff’ could be one’s sole reason to watch the movie again. “Emosanal Atyachaar” with the music by Chandigarh’s very own Harish Band is another riot. It’s the watered down censored version which has been used in the movie. The original which is available on the Net is guaranteed to make your ears go red and I must warn that only those who can stomach the classic Hindi profanities may venture forth in listening to it.
The movie is a modern interpretation of a timeless classic story and it has been crafted with good performances, slick editing and set to great music. The language may not appeal to everyone’s sensibilities but apart from that it’s nearly flawless. It’s outstanding stuff and eminently watchable but of course without your kids or parents along. The ‘A’ rating is more than justified.

Movie Review-Slumdog Millionaire

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Slumdog Millionaire

One has to be a die hard cynic or with a severe case of reverse snobbery not to fall in love with a work of genius such as this. I have two words for you. Simply awesome. What I loved about the movie was that the idea of the story was penned by an Indian, Vikas Swarup, co directed by an Indian, Loveleen Tandon and infused with heart moving music by an Indian, A R Rehman. Ah, but he belongs to the world now. Great script, fantastic editing, slick direction. Danny Boy(le), Golden Globes was just the first halt and you shall be taking bows at the BAFTAs and Oscars as well. It’s amazing how a foreigner has connected so emphatically with the local ethos and the dark underbelly of Mumbai. Even the local idiom has been paid homage to. I feel that to truly appreciate the movie it should be seen in both the Hindi and English versions.
A simple story has been woven into an audio visual delight. Jamal, a street kid(slumdog if you will) appears on a game show a la “Kaun Banega Carorepati” and from a shaky starts finds himself on the verge of winning the grand prize. He is about to be asked the final question when the show time ends and is rolled over to the next episode of the show. How is it that an ordinary guy from the slums of Amchi Mumbai knows all the right answers, well almost? The celebrity host played by Anil Kapoor gets suspicious and gets Jamal arrested for investigation of possible fraud. He is interrogated by the Inspector/Constable team of Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla who use all the lovely techniques of torture and casual brutality known to the Indian police. Jamal’s answers to the prods of police form the narrative of the movie. Answer by answer he takes us through the tumultuous journey of his life right from his childhood to his present youth. In life and not in the text books is where the education of most of the under privileged like Jamal lies.
The characterization of the little Jamal & his brother by Ayush Mahesh Khedekar & Azharuddin Mohammad Ismail are an inspired choice. The two little hoodlums steal your heart with their bunny dunny acts. Their flight, with the police hot on their heels & chasing them through the maze of the slums ought to be a classic of sorts. The raw energy of the running children and rapidly changing camera shots mixed with the reverberating beats of “O Saya” set your adrenalin racing. The whining guardians of the Indian culture might cringe at candid shots of shit holes but reality wins here. The same would have been deified as art cinema had the Director’s surname been a Benegal or a Ray or a Kaul. Bully for you Danny Boyle. The innocence of the boys is almost crushed by political scum but they rise again to happiness and a degree of affluence using the time honored Old Man Fagin’s tricks in stealing and picking pockets. The love interest of Jamal is played by Frieda Pinto, easily one of the prettiest faces to hit the screen in the recent past.
The director’s earlier experience of making “Trainspotting” comes in hugely handy in directing the train sequences. Throughout the movie the visuals are simply stunning. From the streets and slums of Mumbai to the ghats of Kanpur , from the Taj on the banks of Jamuna to hills of west India Boyle doesn’t miss a trick in celebrating the mad romance and beauty of India. And all this is set to the beautiful and haunting melodies of Rehman. U.K’s hip hop artist M.I.A’s collaboration in the two numbers, “Paper Planes” and “O saya” are exemplary. The ultimate celebration of joy “Jai Ho” sung by the irrepressible Sukhwinder Singh was surprisingly accompanied by a deft jig by the cast & the crew (I presume). Superb stuff. Am I panting? But then movies like this come along once in a while. Phone a friend, go and enjoy the experience. It’s exquisite. Jai Ho!!

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.