Simmba!! Ranveer Roars!

A Rohit Shetty Movie had to be comically predictable, and so it was. I was only expecting a masala movie for few laughs and action sequences as his previous Golmal series, Chennai Express, Singham etc. It seems like the movie plot was based on the nostalgia of Singham and Golmal, quite evident with the choice of plot, songs and the special appearances of Ajay Devgn and the Golmal clan.  The Dialogues, the one-liners and the very articulate and impressive rendering by Ranveer Singh is really the highlight of this movie. Ranveer wears all his characters like a glove and it just seems like he must have practised a lot to get Simmba this perfect.

Movie starts with Sangram Bhalerao( Simmba )an orphan boy who works hard and aspires to be a corrupt police officer, and he goes achieve his dream when he grows up. The first half of the movie is purely about the laughs where Simmba is portrayed as an adorable, funny yet corrupt officer, while the second half is about his emotional transformation to a good cop. Nothing about this movie's story is going to feel new, it is only the energy that Ranveer Singh exudes that makes it fresh and entertaining. Sara Ali Khan is the female lead, that just fills in the songs and dances for this movie, and I guess she is at a phase of finding her niche first and this is just a start

This movie is a perfect end to my New Year, paisa vasool for the masala and the madness . Ranveer’s entry in the movie was welcomed with whistles, screams and shouts from audiences, I could hear the female voices even more clearly. He sure is not the eccentrically dressed/behaved guy for me anymore – he is more like the confident, hardworking dude that has a unique style. I wanted to end 2018 with a movie blog, hoping that I get back to writing more consistently even before the New Year Begins..HappY New Year Folks!! See you often next year

Karwaan, a journey riding on Irrfan khan

The movie reminded me of Finding Fanny, perhaps the similarity in the approach and the overall theme of self- discovery of the three key characters in the movie. The plot begins with Avinash (Dulquer Salmaan), an IT professional from Bangalore who hates his job, a career choice he didn’t consciously make but was forced to by his estranged father. He lives his life in ennui and curses his dad for not having let him take photography for a career. On an uneventful day, he gets called by a travel agency that they were shipping his Dads body to him, who died in an accident on a religious trip. The cargo company messes up and the Dead Body is exchanged with that of a lady who is from Cochin. Shaukat (Irrfan Khan), a friend offers to drive his van to help transport the wrong dead body to its home. The road trip has many detours, including having to pick up the brazen granddaughter Tanya(Mithila Palkar) of the diseased lady from an Ooty Hostel.  The Karwaan (journey) gets interesting with the creditors of Shaukat, a group of miscreants who enter the scene as well. The movie ends on a high note with characters making peace with their pasts and aligning their lives to their ultimate calling/ dreams

A few hilarious twists and thanks only and only to Irrfaan khan who is perhaps holding the movie together and makes it entertaining. Dulquer Salmaan is a bit disappointing with his Hindi diction and I am not sure if he can connect with the bollywood audience. The big surprise package of the film was actress Amala Akkineni, it was delightful to see her on the silver screen after ages. She truly captivates the audience, even just in the last few minutes of the movie. I kept wondering if the movie was a remake of a Malayalam movie, given the plot and the casting of the film. I wasn’t surprised when I discovered that Bejoy Nambiar is the writer of this film, this movie will be more impactful/ relatable in Malayalam.

Although the script could have been more unpredictable, the dialogues are well written -some quotes in the movie are truly memorable.  The movie rides on Irrfan Khan's performance and I wish him a speedy recovery from his illness. Movie watching for me has been an experience and for years of being a patron at SPI, I am totally disheartened that they are being taken over by a large theatre chain. I wonder if the popcorn is going to be the same and my movie experience will remain the same. Crossing fingers for both Irrfan and SPI, some things cannot be replaced but here is wishing both the very best for a great comeback

Sanju- Jaadu Ki Japi from Me!

So after watching the movie last week, although I loved it, I had decided I wasn’t going to write about Sanju, because I truly believe this is not a biopic and given that I swim in the air of my own righteousness sometimes :P. then I watched it one more time this week, I just said to myself- come on!...enough already!! So after making the following disclaimer “this review is not attached to any emotional connect to the character or the real life & events of Actor Sanjay Dutt and merely a reflection of my joy of being entertained by the absolutely amazing screenplay and the outstanding performances of all actors in this movie” I write this heartfelt review.

This is what perfect writing, screenplay and direction are suppose to be like, there is so much detailing that I had to sit and wonder how organised and thorough Abhijat Joshi (writer) would be in real life? The movie is so absorbing and the dialogues absolutely mesmerise you.  There is research, thought and timing and obviously a vision that Rajkumar Hirani has beautifully imbibed in making this movie.  The intentional casting and the makeup can only make the actors look like the real characters they play, however I think each of them was given a “jaadu ki tonic” to have enacted these roles so true to the actual body language and speech of the real people they were playing. They all deserve a “jaadu ki Japi” and the first Japi goes to Ranbir kapoor.  Apart from the body transformation of the different stages of Sanjay Dutts’ life, this man has gone to as much as to move his neck (and other mannerisms) and even deflect his voice to match Sanjay Dutt to the T. The movie begins with Sanjay struggling to find a writer for his biography before he is up for surrender to the Supreme Court. He manages to convince Winnie(Anushka Sharma), a renowned writer,  to whom he makes insightful confessions and presents his side of the story- right from his drug addictions, to criminal offenses and jail term. In the midst of his narrative he highlights his insecurities of the past, his evolved relationship with his father (Paresh Rawal) and the loss of his dear relationships with his girl friend Ruby( Rhea Kapoor) and friend Kamli (Vicky Kaushal). Winnie plays the biographer, an investigator  to bring the life story of Sanjay together and in the end plays the peacemaker and  reunites Sanju with his dear friend Kamli.

Paresh Rawal is surely one of the finest actors, and so is Vicky Kaushal, whose presence makes the film even more solid. Vicky Kaushal's background in theatre surely is an added advantage and you can see how he finely blends in to Kamli or his role in Raazi as Iqbal, as if he were living it each day. Anjan Srivastav, who plays a Minister, has barely a screen time of 2 mins in which this Mr. Srinivas Wagle of  “Wagle he Duniya” fame knows how to get your attention and has you in splits. Boman Irani, Manisha Koirala, Sonam Kapoor too have done their shorter bits with noteworthy performances

The music of this film is just as engaging and meaningfully threaded in the story. The song Baba Bolta Hain Bas Ho Gaya’  ends the movie on a super energetic mode with a message.  I was glad I took my teenage nephew to watch this movie with me, this probably was a moral science lesson which was entertaining and not rhetoric.

Veere Di Wedding #NothingbutaChickFlick

                                                           
I was looking forward to watch Veere di wedding, hoping that finally there was going to be a movie about female comaradrie, more like yeh zindagi na milegi dobara (YZNMD)or dil chahata hai, unfortunately and much against the movie promotional messaging this turned out to be a chickflick and nothing more. The story starts with the coming together of 4 childhood friends- Avni(Sonam Kapoor), Kalindi (Kareena Kapoor Khan), Sakshi (Swara Bhaskar) and Meera (Shikha Talsania) for Kalindi's wedding. The plot is around the announcement, calling it off and then calling it back on wedding of Kalindi

 The writing, screen play and the dialogues are really poor and make the plot super tedious. Oh yes there are some crass dialogues, and very bold outfits and profanity in the movie, but I really wished that this didnt seem so meaningless.  I believe the centre theme/ message from the movie (from the voice over) is- do not be afraid to make mistakes in life, for from mistakes you learn and you grow. I wish the writers had some depth and some new-age thinking, it is all superficial writing and wannabe too cool to be script. All the four characters in the movie have some dating/relationship issue- one is commitment phobic, one is desparate to be married, one has a boring marriage, one is awaiting a divorce. Folks!! please think beyond Men! there is more to life of a modern Indian Woman- career, passion for hobbies, family,  community service, etc. I did not even find any bonding between the four characters, who are so called best friends. I wish the writers took some inspiration from YZNMD. The movie is a glorified version of a masala movie, the songs have just been thrown in without proper placements and that itself shows a huge disconnection. The movie ends with 2 songs, without a break, very very poor edit and flow direction.

I have mentioned this in my earlier blogs but, has to be noted that I saw under 18, literally kids under 8 watching this movie too, and given that the rating was A, I wonder why the cinema theatres and parents do not take these ratings seriously in India?

Are you a fashionista? and would want to watch a whole movie for a fashion update, please go for this one.  I am likely to attend a high school reunion in a few weeks and was hoping this movie will reminisce the good old days and excite me about coming together of friends, although timely,  I just couldnt relate or connect to this one!

Judwaa2- No Cheap Thrill Please

                                                                                                                            Pic Source:IMDB.com

I was expecting nothing but slapstick comedy and pure nonsensical fun, nevertheless fun. However, those realistic expectations crashed as well. 20 years later David Dhawan decides to make Judwaa 2 casting his own Son Varun Dhawan, who really didn’t need a launch pad anymore, but what a disappointment it is. This movie feels like it is from the 90’s - the ‘masala movies” as I call it, purely made with the intent of fleeting entertainment – take us to a location abroad, add a few songs, the heroine has to wear skimpy clothes, a few stunts, a dose of Johnny Lever or some comedian and maybe a few crass jokes, you see we are in an escapism mode. Fastforward 20 years, the audiences have far more spending power, we have low cost fringe airlines too!, we have the Internet you see! we are in a better place with far more options and call us the mature audiences- we are smart!!...By the way the multiplex audiences pays an average INR 500 + GST to watch the movie on a weekend and I hope moviemakers start understanding what “value for money” is.  Maybe this movie is for Tier III and Village Audiences, as it may only appeal to less educated in remote places. The movie is like Version 2 of Judwaa, so I get it, but how about adapting it to the times we are in, what makes something funny for this audience and this era?

The story is about conjoint twins Prem and Raja who are separated at birth but are connected through reflexes (apparently one in 5 million cases according to the doctor in the movie -of course!).  Their rich father befriends a nice man on a plane who actually turns out to be a smuggler who uses him to escape the Police but then he doesn't quite.  The smuggler Charles is on a run and holds one baby hostage,(Raja) who is later assumed killed by him but actually survives and is rescued by a slum dweller. Raja  grows to be a strong and fierce “Basti Ka Chokra” ( a young slum dweller) who will take “panga” (foolhardy behaviour) with anyone. While Prem moves with his family to London and grows up to be a weak wuss who plays music. The plot is around how the twins are united and the miscreants are punished and all is well. However, I feel nothing is well in this one. I feel really bad for Varun Dhawan, I have truly liked his work. He has a Star-like quality and so much mass appeal that the audiences welcome his entry , just as they do for Shahrukh Khan. Both Jaqueline and Tapasee are mere “female objects” who have exactly signed up for that purpose. I have begun to think that Jaqueline is happy where she is and doesn’t really care for a anything meaningful, she is exactly the same as I have the reviewed her in her last movie (A Gentleman)  she is NO DIFFERENT in any of her films and she really seems content with dancing around each time and coming across unintelligent. I didn’t expect this from Tapasee, and I hope she had a good reason to sign this, is this the same girl from PINK and Naam Shabana?.  When did a man forcing himself on a woman/ spanking her become cool and lovable and this is what crass cinema shows you . No sane woman wants to be spanked, stalked and spoken pompously to, this is not cool, neither comic. It’s high time we take a close look at what we call entertainment, think a little deeper what are we ready to be ok with. This movie is what I call cheap= low intelligence on a high budget. You can make slapstick comedy and make it fun and sensible. Please watch Jaane Bhi Do Yaroon - My Number One Movie! there cannot be a more entertaining and fun movie, perhaps without having such budgets. I really hope director Kundan Shah never retires and makes one more like that some time

Everything about this movie is trite, the plot, script and even re-used songs from Judwaa (90’s). Also the relentless show of the London Eye and the London Bridge, as if to prove multiple times that this movie was shot in London. I was bored and irritated and DISTURBED. I hope Varun and Tapasee work on more meaningful cinema and this was perhaps just one mistake. 

Simran- Ran Away from Logic!

                                                     

This movie clearly proves that an actor/ actress cannot alone carry a film and this one lacks in bringing any value to the audience . The movie has no clue about which audience it is trying to appeal- clearly not ONLY Hindi Speaking (No Subtitles for the English dialogues), not for Indians (there is no introduction/ background on terms like social security and mortgage unique to US nationals)  not for NRI's either- they would never want to be more judged for the protagonist is actually a negative character- a thief. Was this movie about feminism? was it about mental illness? was this based on a smart heist ? I really cant tell!. . The Producer perhaps paid all his money only on one Actor's fee or on shooting offshore, every other actor in this Movie is a Blur, they come and go.

The plot is based on a real life story of a Gujarati NRI divorcee who is a thief robbing banks to pay off the goons who she borrowed money to gamble and eventually lost it all, including her savings for an apartment. The character of Praful Patel (Kangana Ranaut) comes across as so pathetic as she is just such a loser through it all . The movie begins with showing how Praful Patel has worked her 7 years off at a Hotels Housekeeping Department to buy an apartment in Atlanta, so that she can move out of her Parent's home and especially away from a Fathers' sarcastic Banter. Suddenly this hardworking character is shown to turn into gambling and then stealing from Banks, with zero connection to her previously shown avatar. It is as if she just happens to accidentally steal for the first time,  but in the most ingenious way. The story and screenplay both are so loose that if I were Apurava Asrani, I would happily let Kangana take all the credit for it (recent controversy- click here ) , as there is no excuse for this type screenplay and writing

The supporting cast was weak and not given any opportunity to showcase their talent. Their accents, including Kangana's were less researched and not that perfect. If they could actually have met a few Gujus around Jersey city (NJ) or some other such Guju Populated and mid-income level areas in the US, than fighting over the script writing credits, they all could have done better. Is Hansal Mehta  (Director) a Gujarati? I hope not. The biggest blunder he could have ever made was to have directed a scene where Praful's father is cooking Tamata- mercha nu shaak (a tomato and chili side/ Subzi) with carrots?? and with a  new technique perhaps, where he is throwing carrots into the cooking pot as he cuts and peels them!. Didn't Hansal Mehta start off his career with directing a cookery show- Khana Khazana? could'nt he have made the scene more interesting to watch?, surely no marks for not working on details!

This movie is a No Comparison to Queen, there is nothing uplifting or refreshing  about it. If this is what you had expected, like I did , Please stay home. Was there a message in the movie, yes it had some weird message I think , and the message goes like if girls do not get married as per parents' wishes they will end up in the jail . I am going to make sure my Parent's do not watch this movie for sure ;) and I wonder what their takeaway from this weird kitchadi will be. I was waiting for the movie to take a logical course or something Wow to happen after every scene, my hopes kept me on the seat and much less anything else

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan!!- Attention Please!

Source: IMDb.com

After watching Bareilly ki Barfi, I was wondering if Ayushmann Khurrana should have a release in the same genre just weeks apart, but this has really surprised me that he has done extremely well in both without seeming trite and boring. It is perhaps a mighty coincidence that Bhumi Pednekar and Seema Pahwa too have 2 movies (Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Bareilly ki Barfi respectively)running parallely  in almost the same genres and doing reasonably well. The one thing that really prompted me to go watch the movie was the fact that it was the remake of a Tamil movie Kalyana Samil Sadham, and that too remade by the same director R S Prasanna. Hats off to the bold and experiential subject of the film and the overall sweet "moral of the story" that it leaves you with. Not to mention the incredible performances by the lead actors and the well chosen support cast and the well- thought-out hindi adaptation

The story is a romantic comedy,  about  Mudit and Suganda both engineers who are engaged and to be married. It is just before the wedding that Mudit discovers he suffers from erectile dysfunction (called gents problem in the entire movie, so hereon) and  the story is a comic take on how he, his friends, fiancé and in-laws are all trying to help him out of his gents" problem

An amazing supporting cast and I am in Love with our new onscreen hit Mom Seema Pahwa, way to go! she has as much of an impression on you as much as the leading actors of the film or may be more. Bhumi has already discovered herself and understands her strengths as an actress. She can really play the girl next door and also keep it really REAL. She is got both the Delhi accent and the Body language perfect for this role. The screenplay has been well adapted for the Hindi / Bollywood Audiences and this is really important when you are working on a subject which may have variant impacts/ meaning to different cultures.

The actor, I am trying to find is Mr.X (I couldn't find his name online anywhere!! Please help here on the comments) who plays Suganda's father has also done an outstanding job alongside Brijendra Kala who plays her Uncle. They are beyond adorable besides just comic

I am very happy and extremely proud of the directors that are bred in the south, and have written about my admiration of for Mr. Maniratnam & Balki before . Now R.S. Prasanna joins my list of favorites . There was another movie recently called OK Jaanu, that was a remake of OK Kanmani , which was again an amazing Tamil movie, but it just didn't hit it with the audience, perhaps because of a different director and weak screenplay adaptation. 

I am little unhappy and I will tell you why, I may sound rhetoric and preachy in the next few lines but I really have to say this-  I saw Children below 13, some even 3 or 4 years old in the movie theatre and it did disturb me that as Parents who are multiplex audiences (educated!!) would bring their kids to a movie with this subject, irrespective of the censor boards decision. I do agree that it was all about the "gents' problem (No one uses the actual words)" and very subtly put too but do you really want to take away  innocence from the Children this soon. So please do watch this movie but leave your Children at home. At a burning fever,  but for the love of movies, this one is the soothing, healing and a "feel good movie" that I needed to watch for sure. Go and Enjoy!

A Gentleman- Get Some Laughs!

                                                                                                                Pic Source: IMDb.com
I just keep feeling that this movie could have really been much better. The Go Goa Gone writer Krishna D K has definitely tried his best to keep the script exciting and funny, but unfortunately for the poor casting the movie does not deliver the best it could have. The parallel flashback in the first half is very unique, and the audience is kept in suspense until the interval. Also, there is some slapstick comedy (cum Action) and a few comic scenes that keep you entertained and pass your time but nothing really concrete to say - oh wow! this was a remarkable film

Sidharth Malhotra & Jacqueline Fernandez do not really make a good couple onscreen, the chemistry is missing and perhaps Siddharth Malhotra does look like a Millennial and Jacqueline from Gex X. Also the fact that Jacqueline still feels like an Expat onscreen does not work for her , she didn't match the character of Kavya who is actually supposed to be the opposite an "Indian born and raised girl" working in the US. The other mismatch is Sunil Shetty, who actually plays the Villain but his dialogue delivery is poor and weak for a comic villain,  he is really inexpressive and boring to watch

The plot is about a Goon- Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra), who  turns his back from the bad life and escapes from the crutches of his God father, Colonel (Sunil Shetty) to Miami to have a life of a common man . What is logically inconsistent is the fact a Goon can become a Business Head of a company in just 5 years and build himself so much wealth. With a new life comes a new name and a love interest who is  not even remotely Indian or lovable, the characterization of Kavya (Jacqueline Fernandez) comes across as being shallow. I wish they could have given more screen time and dialogues to Rajit Kapoor and Supriya Pilgaonkar who play the parents of Kavya. These two actors really have an impact in just 2 scenes.

Sidharth Malhotra has shown a lot of potential in his past movies, in that he can play different roles in and not limit himself to one genre, but he seems to be a bit unlucky for not getting that one awesome opportunity. I have also written previously about how he does have an impression on the younger audiences (Hasee Toh Phasee Review), especially the females,  but this just has to go beyond this now and I wish this lad luck with that.

Got a Sunday afternoon to kill some time and gather a few laughs, go ahead!

Bareilly Ki Barfi- So Sweet & Good

                                                                                                                       Pic Source: IMDB

This movie is beyond refreshing and took me back to the era of movies directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee -  so light, so entertaining and yet so simple. Having said that it is “simple”- This does not take away from the authenticity and the honesty in the script writing, detailed art direction, and brilliant casting, acting or the remarkable dialogue writing. The screenplay and the art direction, including the costumes are kept so real to the plot, in that you will not see fancy décor, designer clothes, unnecessary grandeur, yet everything is done in great taste.


The plot is based in the small town of Bareilly, where the female protagonist Bitti Mishra  resides. Bitti is the only child of her parents who is “too modern” and Independent for the likes of the town that she lives in . Bitti works in the electricity department, is  tomboyish,  in that she has male friends, smokes casually, drinks, watches English Movies and likes to break dance. Due to her openness, she is unable to to find a groom which causes tension in the household. It is then that she decides to leave her town and goes to the railway station where she aimlessly wanders and buys a novel from the book stall. The character of the protagonist of the novel turns out just like her, the delighted Bitti, changes her mind and goes back home on a mission to find the Novelist whom she believes will be her true love and a match. Ayushman Khuranna (Chirag Dubey) plays the beaten up lover who wrote the novel but published it under a friend’s name (Pritam Vidrohi )so people do not judge him knowing it was his true story. The story takes hilarious turns and keeps the audiences laughing scene after scene. I would recommend you keep your EARS REALLY OPEN- the dialogues are just too unique, in their wittiness is a lot of local flavor and slang, this could be a little fast hence, just pay attention as this is really hilarious


Nitesh Tiwari (also the writer/director of Dangal) has scripted the movie so well, and director  Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has done a fabulous job of direction- The best quality of this successful duo is definitely  detailing, meticulous planning and execution which is evident.  Ayushmann Khurrana is the present  Day “Amol Palekar” the” boy next door” fits him so well in this one and also in his past movies like Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Kirti Sanon too comes across as well trained actress, very well done for just a few films so far. The icing on this cake is the supporting cast -Rajkummar Rao (Pritam Vidrohi ) an actor par excellence and the dear adorable and loving parents of Bitti Mishra played by Pankaj Tripathy and Seema Pahwa are a perfect fit and splendid actors. Seema Pahwa’s strength has been in the real treatment she gives to each of her characters she has ever played, right from her debut TV series Hum log back in the Doordarshan days.


This is not a Big Budget Naach Ganney wala movie but simple, light and fun,  yet the music and songs are quite nice. This was so refreshing and right after watching Jab Harry Met Sejal, it has restored my faith in good cinema and honest film making. Go watch it! your popcorn will taste better :)

Hindi Medium- I liked it only “Medium”

This is movie is sure running full-houses in India and abroad and rather surprising that I couldn’t get a ticket until the second week. A more than 8/10 on IMDB and one would think it is a must watch and I would say not as much as Dangal or Badri ki Dulhaniya. Ok so why are these two movies my parameters of the measure- both these movies focused on societal issues and delivered them in fabulous entertainment- while the subject matter did touch your heart, the screenplay kept you engaged and there was a natural flow. My expectations of Hindi Medium were way high with the talented Irfan Khan, the very beautiful Saba Qamar and the most entertaining trailer, I was just counting days for its release and perhaps, it is only with that level of expectation you become more critical

The subject / story of this movie is most relevant to the current scenario in the Indian Society, where parents struggle to get their Children in to a good school and are hit with tiresome and stringent processes, fierce competition, bureaucracy, red tapism, and above all the societal pressure being shamed if the children are not sent to “well-known” educational institutions and Ivy Leagues. Raj (Irfan Khan) and Mita (Saba Qamar) are a couple from Chandni Chowk who aspire to send their daughter Piya to a plush, among the Top 5 School, so that she can have better education and prospects in life in comparison to their upbringing. So strong is their aspiration that they don’t leave a leaf unturned, including faking poverty and living in the slums to get their child through the RET(Right to Education) Quota

The plot chosen was awesome, the cast chosen was super awesome, the story was awesome, so what so not so awesome and perhaps mediocre was the confused treatment of the subject matter, screenplay and maybe editing. Both Mohit Suri and Neha Dhupia (Neighbours of Raj and Mita) have been cast for no reason, or perhaps their scenes have been edited.  It may seem at the start if the movie that Mita has some history with Suri and then nothing ever unfolds. You wonder why these two actors of this caliber were even cast

The climax of the movie is the weakest and perhaps kills the entire experience. In the last scene when Irfan Khan goes to the school principal to confess and accept the fraudulence admission of his child, the scene jumps to an annual day function, and then miraculously, talented children from a government school (an entire van!) come on stage to give a surprise performance. All this is happening in the same frame and with no sense of time lapse. Irfan Khan then gives a heart touching speech in Hinglish, which goes a bit too much for my logic- the entire movie was about getting the child in to the Top 5 and not really about English/ Hindi Medium Schools. Infact there are so many instances in the movie where they show the importance of learning English. They even show how excited government school parents are when their child is talking in English and hence the clear focus on the subject matter was missing.

My expectations were way high, like I said and this didn’t turn out be my No.1 movie of the year, so I am disappointed. So what are the strengths of the movie- clearly 2 elements which I think one must watch for. No.1- Deepak Dobriyal, much has been said about this truly talented actor from Tanu Weds Manu. There is so much sincerity in his acting that every role he has played, the character marks so different from the other. He plays the naive, loving impoverished neighbor of Raj and brings the Awww and the haha! moments with his excellent comic timing . No.2, I would give it to the dialogue writer, for some very funny and witty dialogues in the movie. 

Rangoon, I rather jump with Baboons

                                                            Source: IMDB

I wish this movie could have stayed on just one plot that is shuffling in so much confusion.  With such amazing art direction and powerful performances going a waste.  I just regret that Vishal Bharadwaj has boxed himself in to what he can do best and seems stuck on to tragic endings, and the use of same actors. There was a certain amount of freshness with Omkara that felt like a poetry on screen in some way but somehow this has now become trite and boring. Rangoon is not a showcase of abstract art on screen, rather a portrayal of distracting haze. Every movie needs a chore or central theme, unlike a TV series that has the physical time to build a connection.

The story is based during the second world war and the Indian National Movement.  Julia(kangana) is an Indian film actress who is the muse and the lover of Rusi Billimoria (A filmmaker and also an ardent British supporter ). She wants marriage out of the relationship, which the already married Rusi finds it hard to commit and being a Parsi. She is forced on to an assignment to Rangoon by Rusi to please his British army friend Major General Harding, where she to perform for the British Indian army at war. Jamadar Nawab Malik (Shahid Kapoor)is assigned as her body guard from her journey from Bombay to Rangoon. Julia and her entourage find themselves in the middle of the war, due to sudden attacks by the Japanese. Malik saves Julia from the attacks and they escape in to the forests, there is chemistry and so new found love for Julia in Jamadar Malik.  Jamadar Malik is actually an undercover INA(Indian National Army) agent and under an assignment to get the ancestral sword of the King Surendra Pal smuggled so that INA can sell it for funds to help them fight the British.  The movie has not done justice to the love story or the patriotism; it is just pacing itself rhetorically with no direction and absolute predictability including a tragic end which you are waiting to just get done with. For God’s sake can someone tell me how did INA plan to sell a smuggled sword that easily and to whom? are we missing logic here!

The cinematography is great and so is the art direction, but if you care only so much , you could go watch this one. Great performances are no good without a strong plot. I could be a fan of actors but well, it is time wasted else. Kangana can jump really well, she has done some good stunts but this doesn't really work for me

Befikre! Sure enough, Please don’t bother

This was the most Befiker direction by Aditya Chopra so far. Sure enough, the movie was made in 50 days and may have been scripted in 50 minutes?. So what goes right with this one, for a lot has gone really wrong! -Ranveer Singh and Vani Kapur have given their best performance relative to the lousy script and screenplay. I am hoping and praying that poor Vani didn’t go through the knife just for this movie, maybe to look a little French. Her hardwork really shows, the chiseled Abs, a solid screen presence and the incredible dancing, but girl what happen to your face?

The movie begins with a breakup of Dharam (Ranveer Singh) and Shyra (Vani Kapoor) who are in a live-in relationship and are unable to cohabitate due to massive differences in lifestyles. Now, the movie makes a few jumps in the flash backs as to how they met and etc. So Dharam is from Karol Bagh in Delhi, and comes to Paris to work in a “Indian Comedy Club” ..Ok I didn’t know that Paris had so many Indians minus the Indian tourists to need that but let us play along. If the plot was in London or New York , perhaps, it would have been a little believable but I guess YRF has done pushing enough tourism on that side anyways, so time for Paris now. Sure enough Shyra the female protagonist  is a tourist guide part time (a lot other things part time- whew!) and she takes us around Paris. So well both Dharam and Shyra bump into each other at a party and dance their way smoothly in a live-in relationship with care a damn (befikre) and lets dare attitude. Now, back to present day, the couple comes back together as friends after a year with a Mushy breakup Anniversary celebration. The drama  starts with the handsome, cultured, Oxford graduate Anay coming in to the picture, who is interested in marrying Shyra. All is well, but now Dharam and Shyra who are great friends are confused and the movie ends as you expect it, typical Indian way, so I am leaving it at that. I think the underlying idea of the movie was to show that relationships that start slow by building a friendship first, are stronger than the ones that are built on lust, but all is lost in over-dramatisation and unnecessary grandeur. So well Ranveer’s dialogue goes like apni toh lust story thi, love story nahi..something on those lines.

This movie could have been easily sponsored by some lingerie or Brief brand. Vani Kapoor has been a female Salman Khan,  getting her tops/shirts out in true style and Ranveer doing the same with his pants.  I wonder how this movie got a U/ A certification? I personally resent that .  It’s funny that how in a movie like Kahani 2 which is based on child sexual abuse, the subject matter is dealt with “like a bird and the bee talk” while here sexuality is just exaggerated without a purpose. Once again, NRI’s or Indian born abroad are portrayed literally people who are non-committal and confused, they are just different people- agreed, but not indifferent and insensitive. Also, I wonder what the deal about the movie ending in a church wedding, when neither the bride or the groom are Christian. So well go watch Paris and steamy kisses, if that works for you!.

Dear Zindagi about loving your life

A movie that was just not made for the sake of being a commercial success and I am so glad huge amount of risks taken with the story and concept,  for not everyone in the Indian Audience is going to really get this one and might even find this slow and rhetoric. I am now an even bigger fan of Gauri Shinde than I ever was, she has a subtle style of dealing with heavy subject matters and treating them with lightness and freshness that keeps the audience entertained as well bring to light some real life issues

The screenplay, art direction and cinematography are all brilliant and they really play along the plot (Goa) and mood of the characters. Alia Bhat is one engaging actress with immense potential, and \ all  Alia jokes are soon going to go out the window. She only seems to be growing as an actress and I really hope she continues to chose roles that challenge her.  Her styling for this movie is fantastic, a perfect combination of bohemian, artistic, elegant and young and she seems to have really worked for an extremely slim frame which makes her look way taller than she actually is.

Alia plays the character of Kaira, a young filmmaker  who has issues with her personal relationships and most importantly with  romantic relationships. Nothing seems to be going right and she loses sleep, which pushes her to reluctantly visit a therapist, Jehangir Khan / Jug (Played by Shahrukh Khan). The interaction between the two is weaved in to some witty/ funny dialogues and quotes rendered by SRK, whilst Kaira has her breakthroughs.  I know for sure that real life therapist's sessions are not so philosophical and  generic, but I guess this had to be made more entertaining and and less complex to connect with the audience . There are some real good generic takeaways for the audience and if you can relate to any of the situations that Kaira has been in, it does make sense  - "you do not have to go through difficulties to achieve something", "You do not have to face your fears unprepared", "you do not be afraid of being judged" and "you do not have to fit in to societal norms", "being true to yourself is the most important when you are in a relationship", "nobody is perfect" and "forgiveness is about loving yourself"

This movie breaks a lot of stereotypes, perhaps for the best, about seeking mental therapy or showing the female protagonist as someone who is out and about dating and dropping men.  Kunal, Aditya and Ali Zafar, just fill-in the story as Kaira's boyfriends and nothing more . I must add, watching an SRK movie with a friend who is a big fan was great fun and did she and a few others go Awww, so loud every time a dialogue was rendered in the cinema theatre, that kind of energy itself can work for the movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone who liked English Vinglish and who is not looking to be entertained by dance and songs. This movie could be pulled of as well as it has been, only because it has been written, scripted and directed by the same person.

Ae dil hai mushkil- Must kill myself to like this one!

(Pic Source: Wikipedia)

This movie is spot-on the tittle, just too hard to relate to or make sense of.  Karan Johar claims that he wrote the script in 9 days, well I would say, waste made in haste!. This movie is gives you the feeling of “I have seen this before” but not quite all of it from the same movies. So since this is a Dharma production, Yes,  there is the grandeur, the fabulous elegant sets, the beautiful scenic locales, the awesome makeup and designer wear but is that always going to work?.  For the first few minutes, you will quite enjoy the screenplay, the dialogues and the romance,  although the script seems trite, and so does the casting of the movie . For example, Ranbir in Rockstar and Ranbir in ADHM is no different- budding singer, whose friendship turns in to unrequited love. The story line only slightly different, in this they keep Ranbir (Ayan)rich, this is Dharma production so we have to have that, also here he never really gets the female protagonist to see the “lover in him”..Wow! after all that romance , you go like- there is no love!.   Oh come on!....placing the plot in Britan, doesn’t make the script any stronger and NRI’s are BTW not so confused about love.

The movie is about some sort of unrequited love thingy that is going in circles, Ayan loves Alizeh (Anushka Shrama) but Alizeh loves Ali (fawad Khan), Ali loves many women, including her ……so somewhere in the middle,  Ayan decides to romance Saba (Aishwarya rai), Saba loves no one but then she thinks she is going to love Ayan, so this is endless and hopeless… I call it a thingy because I DON’T GET IT!! The message that you take back home, if any, is that passion overrides care and compatibility in a romantic relationship.

Call me a traditionalist, but I would say that the character of Alizeh, is  actually all narcissistic and shallow which the director tries to shove it  down your throat for being rational, balanced, loving, caring etc. There was one scene that may perhaps be funny for the witty dialogues, where Alizeh drops insults over dinner conversation to  Ayan’s girlfriend, if you actually replay that scene in your head, you would go like how mean and cocky was that? Isn’t Alizeh actually a bully?. Aishwarya Rai does make some impression in the very short role she plays. However, even if the movie had to be re-shot with another actor replacing Fawad Khan, given the recent controversy, it wouldn’t have mattered, he hardly exists. The actor was wasted in any which way, with absolute no focus on him in the movie and barely any screen time

After two most stressful and hectic months of my life, I was desperate to watch a movie , the way I like it – “on the Big Screen” .  Getting to watch a Diwali release on its’ second day and that too an early morning 8.40 am show….folks not worth it..not this one! I am trying to wash this movie off my head by watching the SNL mock on the final US presidential  debate, over and over again and I sure cant get enough

Ki & Ka - it is not about gender equality

Ki & Ka…I go Balki wah wah!! What is so different about a Balki directed movie is purely the “smoothness” in the script. He has no jolts and bolts for you, despite addressing very serious issues on gender, old age, relationships, diseases, etc. The dramatization of the script is kept at a realistic level with every detail well thought through. I think it is most difficult to classify a Balki film for being commercial or parallel, but truly it is a work of art. Briefly, Ki & Ka is a romance, drama, comedy and a new age film

   Ki & Ka  starts off as a story about exchange of gender roles, or rather exchange of widely accepted gender roles i.e- man is a breadwinner and the woman runs the house. Arjun Kapoor is a lucky lucky fella, this macho man has the best personality combo of emotional vulnerability and masculinity and no better fit for this role (Kabir- Ka) or his role in Finding Fanny . Though, largely one could credit the astounding dialogues given to him to render, am still sure this chap has done his homework before the shoots really well or he is truly just natural.  Kia, had to be Kareena. – as strong and sassy as Kareena herself comes across. I will specially also credit Manish Malhotra this time to add on to the necessary externals to Kia’s character- A corporate wardrobe that practically means business and nothing else. Yes! When an actress is playing a corporate honcho she better NOT look ready to go to a nightclub, a common faux pas in most Indian movies. It was delightful to see the talented Swaroop Sampat onscreen after ages, as a kid she was my “yeh jo hai zindagi wali funny aunty” and plays the role of Kia’s mom. Not just the dialogues but the lyrics of the songs in this movie have depth.

By the end of the movie, you realise that the movie is  truly NOT about gender equality, nor does it push you to accept the exchange in gender roles. Well yes! it addresses all these, but what it really focuses is on how ego plays up in human nature and can take a toll on relationships, irrespective of gender. A person can feel as victimized or as insecure but that is ego-driven too. It’s a story that ends well, leaving a message that you have to understand your ego driven reactions first, than judging another to keep a relationship going.

With a very special place in my heart for Mr. Balki and Mr. Maniratnam, you make the south proud. Your work speaks for you and the culture you come from – dignified, modest, understated, to the point, visionary, global practical etc, etc, etc and visually spectacular -kudos! 

The Intern, Turned out Pretty good!

Pic Source: IMDB

I have obviously loved this movie so much that I couldn’t wait to drive back home and start writing about it. This workplace comedy is a must watch, with a very strong script and excellent actors. The fact that Nancy Meyers also has scripted this movie was of no surprise; her direction has no gaps in the onscreen visual interpretation.  The casting of the movie couldn’t have been better, with Robert De Niro who is surely an actor par excellence and Anne Hathaway is indispensable too, although she had apparently replaced Reese Witherspoon, who was originally casted to play her role.

Robert De Niro must have this particular role close to his heart, with his own popular quote “You'll have time to rest when you're dead”; he plays the role of Ben Whittaker a widowed, retired 70yr old ex VP of a company who is looking to make his boring life more meaningful. Ben lands an internship at an e-commerce startup run by Jules Ostin(Anne Hathaway) under a senior internship program. The character of Jules is that of a perfectionist feminist CEO who is trying hard to run her company on one hand and keeping her family together on the other.

The story highlights the passion for work of the two central characters of the movie and beautifully showcases nuances of work cultures of two different generations. I must add here, there is a bit of the exaggeration though, depicting an overly glamorous startup setup (or maybe I am jealous, everyones' got a MAC, including interns), however, this bit is innocuous to the central theme of the movie. It is refreshing to a watch a movie that has no unnecessary infusion of romance, the relationship between Ben and Jules is that of two people who have similar values. Ben finds his purpose by helping Jules center/ balance her life and achieve her goals without sacrificing her passion.

The  comical plots of this movie are hilarious, especially the one where Ben and a group of interns housebreak in to Jules mom’s house to delete an email from her computer. The secondary characters of this movie are well characterized and give you many laughs and awws!.The funny feminist comments and dialogues of Jules took my heart away. I must mention, this movie wasn’t patriotic, or had an heroic ending, yet there was a huge applause from the audience as the movie ended. Truly well made! 

Welcome Back ! Nothing much has changed since

Pic Source:IMDB

You have been welcomed back to a classic slapstick comedy, but hey! I was a bit surprised by the script, it is almost the replica of the first, with an identical plot. I understand this was a sequel but it just feels like 2 versions of the same movie made with minor differences. The dialogues, one-liners and the comic timing of Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar  makeup for the trite script to some extent.

Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar & Paresh Rawal are ofcourse the only highlights. When all elements being the same, they aren’t any better or worse than before, except the noticeable weight loss of Paresh Rawal.  John Abraham fails to create the Akshay Kumar effect and Shruthi Hassan is the most dispensable, not just because she had to only dance a little bit and say a few lines. You can completely ignore the lead pair in this movie.  Dimple Kapadia has been wasted in the movie, a strong actress like her could have had perhaps a meatier/funnier role. I must compliment her dress designer though and I really wished she could have shared it with Shruthi Hasan. I wonder what went wrong with Shruthi Hassan, I understand a movie like this didn’t give her scope to act but she was really way off with her dresses, both garish and out-of- date.

Nasserudin Shah is the Villain in this sequel with idiosyncrasies injected in to his character (including physical) to get the audiences to laugh. The graveyard scene is the most comical and the only saving grace to this movie. The movie gives you a few laughs and well if that’s all you are looking to do, it’s not a bad idea to watch it

Katti Batti- the makeup-breakup delirium to avoid!

Pic Source: Wikipedia

What does katti batti mean? - My first reaction was with the name, I then figured it was the term I heard as a child which meant breaking up and making up respectively. So, well the story of this film is based on the katti batti between the lead characters, Payal (Kangana Ranaut) and Maddy/ Madhav (Imran) and when the reason of this Katti or Batti is revealed nothing makes sense. The movie starts as a romantic thriller/ suspense, moves on to be being a romantic comedy and ends as a heartbreaking love story. . I feel like I had a meal which had a real mixed up menu – the starter, main course and desert didn’t really blend with each other. Had they perhaps been treated individually or maybe max two genres’ at one time it could have made an impact.

The story is about a couple who is in a live-in relationship, primarily because the female protagonist, Payal, who is bohemian and completely non- traditional.   The movie starts with Maddy’s delirium over why is girlfriend had left him and is almost completely unapproachable and non-traceable. As Maddy is in the process on unveiling her whereabouts and bringing her back in to his life, the director has made interesting switches to flashbacks to confuse the motive of the breakup in the mind of the audience. The hero does find the heroine, however only to perhaps lose her again. 

Both Kangana and Imran, have played similar characters before so nothing exceptional there. The highlight for me was shankar ehsaan loy’s beautiful background score. I could have given this movie a pass, it didn’t really strike a chord with me both emotionally and logically. 

Dil Dhadakne Do ! Kiskey Liyeh?

(Pic Source: desimartini.com) added graphics

So who does my heart beat for in this movie? Surprisingly it is not really the younger star cast, rather it was Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah who are the highlights of this movie. The story is about the Mehra’s who are out to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary on a cruise with friends and family. Along the way, on this fun and hilarious journey, a few secrets are unearthed, love is lost and found, and finally the family rediscovers each other.

For some reason, the characters of Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah reminded me of Richard Gere and Meryl Streep in the Arbitrage- an affluent couple in the middle of both a financial, as well as a family crises. In his Grays, yet very dapper, Kamal Mehra(Anil Kapoor) & the very poised Neelam Mehra (Shefali Shah ) are the very typical high society Delhi couple that lead a superficial modern life masking their hypocritical traditional values. Ranveer Singh’s character, in most of his movies is rather zany, and so it is in this one, but with a tinge of nativity and sweetness, I can actually call his character (Kabir Mehra), adorable. Priyanka Chopra plays the role of Ayeesha Mehra- a brilliant and classy business woman on one hand, and a submissive daughter and wife on the other. Anushka & Farhan play disappointingly shorter roles, that of the love interests of the Mehra siblings. The casting of the other smaller characters has been done with a lot of detail and they go perfectly well with the overall “opulence feel” and “comical screenplay” of the movie

The movie is fun to watch and entertaining but is it as good as Zoya’s previous ones? I would say No! I feel a few characters were not utilized well and that I would have liked a few flashback scenes (of Farhan) than a Dog narration. A special appearance of Aamir than his voice-over to a dog would have worked for me ;). The movie builds you a nice mood, and so I have no complaints!

Dil Dhadakne Do!..Kiskey Liyeh?

                                                          (

                                                                                    Original Pic Source: desimartini.com) added graphics

So who does my heart beat for in this movie? Surprisingly it is not really the younger star cast, rather it was Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah who are the highlights of this movie. The story is about the Mehra’s who are out to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary on a cruise with friends and family. Along the way, on this fun and hilarious journey, a few secrets are unearthed, love is lost and found, and finally the family rediscovers each other.

For some reason, the characters of Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah reminded me of Richard Gere and Meryl Streep in the Arbitrage- an affluent couple in the middle of both a financial, as well as a family crises. In his Grays, yet very dapper, Kamal Mehra(Anil Kapoor) & the very poised Neelam Mehra (Shefali Shah ) are the very typical high society Delhi couple that lead a superficial modern life masking their hypocritical traditional values. Ranveer Kapoor’s character, in most of his movies is rather zany, and so it is in this one, but with a tinge of nativity and sweetness, I can actually call his character (Kabir Mehra), adorable. Priyanka Chopra plays the role of Ayeesha Mehra- a brilliant and classy business woman on one hand, and that of a submissive daughter and wife on the other. Anushka & Farhan play disappointingly shorter roles, that of the love interests of the Mehra siblings. The casting of the other smaller characters has been done with a lot detail and they go perfectly well with the overall “opulence feel” and “comical screenplay” of the movie

The movie is fun to watch and entertaining but is the as good as Zoya’s previous ones- I would say No! I feel a few characters were not utilized well and that I would have liked a few flashback scenes (of Farhan) than a Dog narration. A special appearance of Amir than his voice-over to a dog would have worked for me ;). The movie builds you a nice mood, and so I have no complaints!