Movie Review-Yeh Saali Zindagi

Sudhir Mishra is not your usual run of the mill director and neither are his movies. If nothing else they do have a different flavour. They might not have the repeat watch values which used to define a hit but in any case in the age of multiplexes it’s a redundant concept. So herein is the paradox. You may not want to watch them again but his movies have a tendency to grow on you. The more you think about them the more you may like them. Having said that I do not consider ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’ a worthy successor to ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ but like I said it’s a completely different flavour.
From the romantic, chivalrous, moony eyed 50’s Bollywood Bombay, Mishra has shifted his canvas to the cussing, foul mouthed, criminalised, dog eat dog labyrinths of Delhi. And amidst all the uninhibited abuses of which there is a surfeit (I could see some red ears in the dark) there is an unrequited love which promises to bloom into a romance. But wait a minute, that’s not just the main plot. There is a romantic hero and a swinging heroine but the heroine is involved with a guy who is engaged to another chic who is the daughter of a corrupt politician who is the estranged master of an imprisoned gangster who engages a fellow inmate to avenge himself and kidnap the politician’s daughter and the guy involved with the swinging heroine but the fellow inmate (let’s call him the side hero) mistakenly kidnaps the swinging heroine which is witnessed by the romantic hero who decides to intervene and save his unrequited love. Whew! And that’s not all. In the sub plot this side hero who loves the easy money and thrills that the life of crime gives him is insecure about his pretty wife. So in between the killings and kidnapping and gangsta whirl he tries to find time to kiss and make up with her and probably in a convoluted display of affection gets slapped hard repeatedly. Sigh, so much for the macho gangsters of Delhi.

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Yeh Saali Zindagi

The movie has a racy narration. In fact it is so rapid that at times both the director and the audience lose track of what’s going on. It’s a situational thriller masquerading as a romance. There are the old fashioned flashbacks and then flashbacks from those flashbacks. It’s just after the interval than you will be able to put together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and may be enjoy it too. I think most of the charm (if one call it that) for the audience was in the earthy dialogues. The debate on the use of profanities apart, the audience seemed to be quite thrilled on the prolific usage of the nouns and adjectives of the words describing the nether parts of human anatomy in chaste vernacular. There was this lady sitting in front of me with a child in her lap who would throw up her arms in animated applause and shout “So cooool” every time one of the onscreen goons let loose one. I am not sitting in judgement here but it got me thinking if the audience tastes are finally changing and there is after all an acceptance of the cinematic licence to show the perceived reality. However in the department of profanity this flick wins hands down. The likes of Omkara, Peepli Live and No One Killed Jessica seem like soap water compared to this heady brew.
It’s unfair to judge the movie on only one aspect, howsoever all pervasive it may seem, so I will leave it at that. Make up your own mind. Chances are if you are a Delhite or from thereabouts you might love it. Those who mind their Ps and Qs need not waste their time. And those who enjoy their language mixed with the colourful hues of the Haryana heartland are in for a rocking time.

Movie Review-No One Killed Jessica

Powered by: Chakpak.com	No One Killed Jessica

A soul satisfying movie after a long time. Jessica’s story has been in the sub conscious of almost every news paper reading ordinary run of the mill , you hit me and I say sorry crowd and of course the couch potatoes who were for once stirred into something other than pressing the next channel button on their telly remote. It was easy to expect the routine tear jerker that everybody has read, heard about. I was surprised.
It ought to be the maturity of cinema development which showed restraint where the Manmohan Desai/Chopra Inc could not have conceptualised. Just when you expected an emotional outburst was a cut clip and a statement of what has transpired. Beautifully done was the deglam look of Vidya Balan and the outspoken, bad mouthing, in your face (that’s what the hot shot journos do) Rani Mukerjee. Some guys could have a problem with vernacular abuses but I and a horde from the Hindi heartland don’t. The narrative is understated and based on facts, which brings to the disclaimer of the story being a mix of fact and fiction. Legal issues could have been a factor but I could not identify the fiction apart from the christening of the characters. Hey, even the villain’s father looks very close to Vinod Sharma, the Minister. Of course the dilemma of a delinquent child’s parents could have been more realistic. However that’s a minor issue considering the gravity of the offence. Not to dilute the efforts of the media to highlight the miscarriage of justice I have to give credit to the makers of the movie for giving credit where it is due. Rang De Basanti happened to be released at the relevant time and was largely responsible for generating the public show of sympathy and demand for a retrial. For a change people reacted and the State responded and the rest is history.
The craft of the movie is appreciable but here it is the issue which needs to be procrastinated upon. Do we a need a Jessica to be killed before our collective conscience is roused into action? And do we need the stimulus of a Rang De Basanti to come to the streets over a blatant injustice? Why is it that we nod in acceptance over the daily and ordinary incidents of corruption which gradually dull our sense of righteousness? The end result of the sum of all this acceptance results into an environment wherein we prepare a world where human life becomes a remote entity. Easy to play with and easy to snuff. This is a way to sure disaster. The movie ought to be an inspiration of sorts. The fight for truth and justice has hiccups and trials of patience but the path is true. Pursue what is right. If we believe in the Devil then logically God is there too.

Movie Review - Aakrosh

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Aakrosh

The subject of “Honour killings” was waiting to be brought to the screen and Priyadarshan has taken the lead in the venture which also marks his departure from light comedies in Hindi cinema. It’s good to be first off the block but the movie lacks the staying power to finish as a winner. What totally galls me is that a veteran director of over eighty movies hasn’t researched his story or the characters with due diligence which in a way certifies the beginning where newspapers clips on the theme are stamped as facts and the word fiction heralds the narration of the story. The deep mind set which propels people to execute their own and others is replaced as a caste conflict which is not totally true. Perhaps a better understanding of a potentially powerful subject would have converted this effort as a monumental classic. I also feel that mere depiction of the problem is not enough. An opportunity has been lost to explore a solution or at least the audience should have been left thinking on what could be. Perhaps the writer actually couldn’t figure out what needs to be done and as a compromise a quick fix solution ends the movie.
As a cinematic experience for the non discerning viewer it’s not half so bad. The motley crew of the ‘Bahubalis’, scheming politicians and corrupt Government servants of the Hindi heartland which have been repeated ad- nauseum are back again. Again the treatment could have been different. Please tell me where in our country would you find IPS officers (SSP and IG, no less) sitting in police stations in various stages of undress and constantly mouthing vernacular expletives. These guys are supposed to be educated, trained in an academy of repute and professional. The depiction of these characters is more akin to the less fortunate constabulary. Also, I have never read or heard of an army officer (incidentally from ASC) in NSG deputed for an investigation conducted by CBI. I guess the tag of fiction takes care of these minor details. I also don’t understand why the bad guys always get the benefit of ‘Beedi Jala Le’ or ‘Munni Badnaam hui’ or instantly ‘Isak se Meetha’. There seems to be a case here for the libido comparisons of the heroes and the villains. In the next movie I want Munni dancing exclusively for the hero. And a CBI enquiry in this matter is warranted anyway.
What’s good here? A pioneering effort on a subject that is ducked all too often. A good narrative, it’s hard to get bored. Bipasha Basu is getting slimmer by the day. I think she needs to act in some Kung Fu movies with Jackie Chan.
What’s not? Bad research, but I have said that before. The Devgun dude is still wooden faced and his wife needs to give serious acting lessons to him. Junior Khanna will do well to stop hamming like a fresher from the Methodist school of acting and be more of himself. Bips is underplayed.
There needs to be a strong reaction to a system which tries to control normal human emotions in the name of caste, khaap, perceived honour. Unfortunately political expediency prevents any concerted legal effort. Therein lies the responsibility of the audio visual media to, for once rather than concentrating on needless sensations, take up a cause which could actually stop the smothering of innocent lives. On the social responsibility scale, Priyadarshan and his team fails.

Movie Review- Robot

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Enthiran

How dare you review Rajnikanth? So if at the end of all this I am hit by a bullet fired from a remote island in the Pacific which ricochets off the gleaming belt buckle of the superstar, it is not a coincidence. It must be the intended mode of my assassination (plain murder more likely). So at the risk of my life I do declare that Rajni’s Robot aka Endhiran is a must watch for everyone below the mental or chronological age of fifteen. To enlarge the scope of the audience Rajnikanth has reportedly ordered everyone to mentally reduce their ages to the desired level which I dutifully did only to find that the experience wasn’t disagreeable at all if you don’t count the two songs during which I actually went off to sleep.
It’s a sci-fi extravaganza which more than justifies being the most expensive movie made till date in India. The special effects are a first for an Indian film and perhaps they account for a handsome part of the crores lavished on it. It’s a pity though that money cannot be spent on improving imagination because all the effects seem to be a combination of Spiderman, Transformers, Power Rangers, Matrix and The Mask. The so called original stuff is in the classical overkill genre of Tollywood which has specifically been patented for Rajni. But hey, this is a pioneering movie so a minor glitch here and a major faux-pax there is entirely forgivable.
Surprise, surprise, the movie even has a story of sorts but the director could have safely cut the first half and no one would have known the difference. Perhaps there is a lesson here. The movie would have been a taut thriller but for the song and dance routine and the unnecessary love interest sub plot. Having said that what would you have Aishwarya do? I think she is being overpaid for just looking pretty and dancing a few numbers. Rajnikanth can neither act nor dance to save his life but then when was that a deterrent for him. And remember this is a science fiction special effects movie. Who needs to act? The borrowed Robot and Rajni’s two assistants did a better job. The best actor is of course Danny Denzongpa (I always loved the ring of his name) who is back after a long time and does an efficient job of looking menacing in his brief role.
Despite how I may be sounding it’s a good idea to watch the movie if only to watch the science fiction genre coming of age in Indian cinema. Its aeons ahead of the flying arrows in sets of three decorated by the constipated expression of Vijay Arora, a la Meghnath, in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan. It is also agreeable to sleep through a few songs if only to witness the climax which has been conceived on an unbelievable scale. And last but not the least for the coinage of a new word by Rajni, hold your breath...... “Robotsapiens”.
Lord, thou shall have to save me.

Movie Review- Raavan

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Raavan

Barely a week ago I watched Raajneeti and had Henry Mancini’s theme of Godfather ringing in my ears periodically punctuated by a shrill Mahabhaaaaarat and here I was back again in the multiplex revisiting Ramayan. My perennial lament for original stories continues to fall on deaf ears. And Mani Rathnam is apparently a fan of Bally Saggoo, DJ Aqeel and rubbish of similar sort for else why on earth would a proven talent like him experiment with remixes. Now that’s my take on his choice of subject on which the Big B has not twittered. I am also not going to apportion blame here for nonexistent issues. Let me say the movie is watchable but only just.
It’s watchable because in this sweltering heat anything remotely connected with coolness, direct or vicarious, is an exhilarating experience. See, the action takes place where it could be anywhere between Chirrapunji and the rain forests of Amazon. Everybody is barefoot and always wet. Pretty cool, but where would you find a Bhojpuri speaking Ravi Kishan hamming away. Incongruous but still ignorable. Now who do we have here? A very beautiful and sans make up Aishwarya Rai struck with shades of the Stockholm Syndrome. Vikram, the Chennai hunk masquerading as Ram. He needs a dialogue delivery tutor. Govinda, the delightful Hanuman (I never liked him better). And the weakest character in terms of cinematic representation was the Junior Bacchhan and he cannot be blamed for that. Mani R slipped here. Why our heroes can’t be shown in a completely negative role where one has no regrets or justifications to kill and maim. A near perfect storyline was murdered by turning an epic action saga to a mundane revenge episode. AB could have been projected as a total villain who can cause mayhem on a whim but nooooo, all our heroes need an excuse to be bad which is all so old, passé, predictable and boring. The end of my thumb looks to the ground here. Mani’s Ramayan ignores the seductive Shroopnakha and instead projects a helpless victim. The only redeeming feature, if it can be termed one, is that a man’s naked backside has been passed by the censor board without any cuts. That also ought to be a cause for litigation by the ilk of Ram Jethmalhani. Reverse discrimination needs to be brought to a forum of discussion. )
Positives? I loved the photography of Santosh Sivan. The rain forest effect, the misty hills, the beautiful Ash was just too good. A R Rehman has again composed a forgettable track. The only redemption is the wedding song, which again appeals probably because of its vivacity. Great computer graphics.
Negatives? A potential hit narration botched on compromising with an epic and turning it into a Manmohan Desai masala blunder. I would have appreciated a bolder version. Keep Ravi Kishan out of mainline Hindi cinema and take a long a hard look at Govinda’s capabilities. AB Junior looks like a million bucks but would have been more menacing with lesser and toned down dialogues. A R Rehman needs to be reminded that there is a little difference between a Hindi movie score and an Andrew Lloyd Webber opera.
Just to feel better on a hot humid day go watch and feel wet.

Movie Review- Rajneeti

Once upon a time there was a small time average novel writer who, as they say in the diamond fields, struck a blue vein when he conjured a believable story of one of the most intriguing entities of our time, the Cosa Nostra. That’s Mafia for the uninitiated. However the novel was an average success until its movie rights were bought by Francis Ford Coppola and the rest is history. The Godfather, the book and the movie, went on to become venerable classics of prose and cinema. The movie raged across the world in 1972 and since then movie makers across the world have been paying a perennial homage to it by consistently and dutifully stealing the original concept. Dharmatma & Sarkar are our contribution to this plagiarism and the latest is Rajneeti. But Parkash Jha is a smart alec. He has made The Godfather meet Mahabharat with thinly disguised characters from contemporary Indian politics and well, come out with a winner. So who do we compliment? Mario Puzo, Ved Vyas or Parkash Jha.
Well my vote has to stay with Jha. Having lost twice in the general elections he is no stranger to the rough and tumble of Indian politics and he has successfully captured the dirt and grime of electoral machinations. But at the same time it was a little disturbing to see the portrayal of people controlling the fate of millions plan a clinical execution of gruesome violence. Not once in a single character there is a hint of hesitation or fear of law or retribution. It’s done because it’s required to be done. Cynicism apart it is a little scary to imagine that there are real life people like that. The reality of politics which feeds on money, muscle and manipulation has been skilfully transported to the screen and as a purely cinematic experience it is thrilling and so relentlessly engrossing that one doesn’t feel as if one has sat through a three hour movie which barely has any song and dance routine.

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Raajneeti

The story is an unabashed saga of dynastic politics. The pace of narration is so immediately swift that it takes a while to identify the who’s who of the story. The players are all so recognizable and half the fun is in identifying the character with the politicians of our times. Jha has of course made his disclaimer but there are parallels which are too obvious to ignore. Do successive assassinations in the family and finally the daughter in law donning the political mantle ring a bell? Almost all the actors with the exception of Ajay Devgun have done commendable jobs. He really needs to get his act together. Wooden faced brooding is not acting. Ranbir Kapoor is the pick of the lot for his portrayal of the ruthless behind the scenes Machiavelli. For once Nana Patekar doesn’t scream his guts out. He plays a smiling Lord Krishna of sorts and is aptly named Brij Gopal. On the lighter side there is one great tradition of Hindi movies which has been left undisturbed here. There are three main female characters all of whom promptly become pregnant on sleeping with their beaus. Bollywood still seems unfamiliar with safe sex and with this kind of fertility we will never be able to check our growth rate.
Since cricket and politics are two things which the Indian populace never gets tired of ,Rajneeti is going to touch a nerve of every audience. We swear by our families and therefore despite protestations of nepotism have come to accept and tolerate dynastic politics. And finally here is a movie glorifying all that and we are going to happily lap it up.

Movie Review- Badmash Company

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Badmaash Company

At any age anything fresh is good and at my age a reminder of how things were is better. So that is how the movie starts with a “Company” which is seems promising. Badmash, well, ok, so be it. We are initiated with the things that were. Good old Doordarshan, parental pressure to excel in studies (so what’s new?), rickety auto rickshaws, the lure of everything foreign. A group of friends decide to be carriers for a sleazy smuggler who darlings everyone. One off trip to the South East (when things were cheaper there) gives them adequate moolah and a temptation for more.
While the rest of the crowd is your average Johnny wanna make more money, our hero who is the classic topper of the college has his head swinging with dreams of riches. Anupam Kher has made a career out of his performances of the do gooder, middle class, never be secure, sermonizing father. He does no less here and succeeds in expelling his only son from his life. Not to be deterred the son embarks on plans which seem legal only on celluloid. While the background of the story is set in the Doordarshan era, the director conveniently switches gear to the reformation age of Dr Manmohan Singh who in one budgetary stroke throws a spanner in the spokes of our hero’s business. The phoenix needs to resurge and where else but in the land of everlasting opportunity (as well as the most incompetent- they get equal opportunities too). U S A.
The heroes of Bollywood rarely get to slog, so why should Shahid Kapoor. With SK’s beer swilling, chic ogling friends and an ever ready lover Uncle Sam hardly stands a chance. The first round always belongs to the risk takers and so it happens. Parmeet Sethi has obviously been following the stories of the global recession and the subprime crisis and ought to rewarded for using the subject for furthering the narration of his story where the hero takes a cue from the financial giants of the west and makes millions from repeated sales of an undervalued property. The easy millions and promise of more rip apart the bonds of the friends. One goes the way of the Bacchus, the other for the fairer sex and hero with his delusions of grandeur banishes the love of his life.
Nemesis comes hard and after the statutory incarceration our man starts on the road to redemption. So where does that leave the viewer? The movie is entertaining for the non discerning viewer. There is no message but there is no in your face, oh its pure entertainment kind of stuff either. The essence of the story seems to have got lost in the presentation of the gloss of high life. The shades of gray of the characters are cool and the vivaciousness and independence of the female lead is cooler. There needed to be a greater balance in the strong characters portrayed and the events which overtake them. The director has faltered but only just. The hero takes off on a rebellious path only to end up pleasing his father in the end. Can’t we have a pure villainous hero please? A wicked smile in the final scene would be so much better that the mushy family reunions.