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Synopsis Life is like highway on the night when you don't know what awaits you on the next turn, still people move on with hope in their heart and dreams in their eyes. SIRF – ‘life looks greener on the other side’ takes an insight into the lives of these people. How the pace of the city affects their relationships, how they deal with it, how the problems of one person many times bring comical relief for others. No matter what happens, life has to go on. The film revolves around four couples played by Kay Kay Menon with Manisha Koirala, Sonali Kulkarni with Ranbir Shorey, Parveen Dabbas with Rituparna Sengupta and Ankur Khanna with Nauheed Cyrusi. While one couple has money, they are looking for love. Other has love but money is missing in their life and the third couple is searching for trust. Fourth couple has to find time to nurture everything else that they have. They all belong to different levels of society and each couple has their own problems to deal with, but somewhere they all come across each other on the cross road of life. It is at this junction of life that they all can be set free from their worries। Will they find solutions or will their life be pushed into more chaos? Will this chaotic disorder show them the light of wisdom or will they fall in the darkness of folly? 'Sirf' is a tongue in cheek look at the fast paced life of people in cities, big or small. Reviews Sirf is the story of four couples who are battling their own set of issues as they try to build their life in the busy city of Mumbai. So we have Shalu (Nauheed Cyrusi) and Rahul (Ankur Khanna) who are desperate to get married but can't afford the rent in the city. Next are Namita (Sonali Kulkarni) and Akash (Ranvir Shorey) who have money but need to work all the time to ensure the money keeps coming in. They have a daughter who has a congenital heart defect and the guilt of leaving her for long hours with a maid isn't helping. . Meet couple number three - Suchita (Rituparna Sengupta) is a young bride from Jabalpur who has trust issues with her husband Amit (Parvin Dabas) who is from Mumbai. She is sure that her husband is ready to sleep with any woman and that is causing a rife in their marriage. And finally there is Devika (Manisha Koirala) and Gaurav (Kay Kay Menon) who are both successful professionals and in this need to move up the ladder they seem to have lost any sense of reality. While the director has made an earnest effort to make the film most of his starcast lets him down. Nauheed and Ankur Khanna do nothing to the viewer. Sonali Kulkarni needs to lose weight and Ranvir Shorey shouldn't have been in this film in the first place. Now let's come to the slightly senior actors. Manisha and Kay Kay Menon are horrendous. Manisha looks like she's never seen a mirror before coming for the shot while Kay Kay's depiction of the uncaring husband comes across as indifferent. And Rituparna looks older than Parvin! Take our advice and give this one a miss! | ||||||||||
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sirf
Hope and a Little Sugar
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Synopsis Set in New York in the weeks before and after 9/11, this poignant tale of love set against the forces of hate and intolerance centers on the romance between an aspiring Muslim photographer and a young Sikh woman. Bike messenger, Ali Siddiqui (AMIT SIAL, debutant) meets the beautiful but married Saloni (MAHIMA CHAUDHRY,) a charismatic mithaai shop owner who encourages Ali's photography and becomes his muse. Despite Ali's secret and largely unrequited crush on Saloni, he develops a close friendship with her and her husband Harry (VIKRAM CHATWAL). But when tragedy strikes with the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001, her father-in-law, a retired army Colonel (ANUPAM KHER), devastated by grief and anger, directs his longstanding animosity towards Muslims at Ali, as the young man's affection for Saloni grows increasingly evident. Although the Colonel's wife (SUHASINI MULAY) bravely tries to pacify her husband, the Colonel, unable to accept life's pain, threatens to bring everything to a violent end. An emotional drama, Hope and a Little Sugar is written and directed by TANUJA CHANDRA, for whom this is her first English language film। Joining Chandra behind the scenes is a seasoned film crew, including cinematographer NIRMAL JANI, who had earlier shot Dushman and Sur for her, as well as Costume Stylist, ANAITA SHROFF ADAJANIA (Dhoom, Race, Being Cyrus.) The producers for the film are two independent film-makers living in New York, SCOTT PARDO and GLENN RUSSOW, while the editor is HILLARY PEABODY. The music is by WAYNE SHARPE, New York based musician, who has also composed the background score of Prakash Jha's Gangajal (for which he won a Filmfare award) and Afghan filmmaker Jawad Wassal's Firedancer. Joining him in composing as well as in playback singing in some of the film's tracks are accomplished singers, SONU NIIGAAM and JASBIR JASSI. Reviews Hope and A Little Sugar is set in New York city and spans the life of a Sikh family who lose their son in 9/11. The film begins with a bike messenger Ali Siddiqui (Amit Sial) bumping into Saloni (Mahima Chaudhry) who mistakes him on the first glance as someone else. Mesmerized by her charm Ali takes up her invitation to join the family at a part taking place at Saloni’s home later that evening.
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Krazzy 4
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Synopsis Raja's anger knows no bounds, he'll hit out at the slightest provocation or even without. Intermittent explosive disorder is what the doctors call it. 'Sarphira', is what everybody else does! Dr Mukherjee is your perfect doc – clean and orderly, not a pin out of place. So what's wrong with that? Obsessive compulsive personality disorder, that's what. Schizophrenic Gangadhar lives in the past…his mates are Nehru and Gandhi, Tilak and Patel! He's so busy fighting for swaraj and freedom, he's lost his sanity! Cute Dabboo is everybody's pet. So what if he hasn't spoken for years? So what if he's frightened all the time? So what if he's autistic? Dr Sonali treats them all. She has faith that all it needs is a little time and lots of patience to make them normal…to make them part of the mad, mad, mad world out there… But are the Krazzy 4 ready for the world? And is the world ready for them? And yes...If you think they are crazy, think again! Character Sketches Juhi Chawla as Dr Sonali - As a psychiatrist she knows what's wrong with her patients; as a sensitive woman she firmly believes that if you really want to make them well, you should treat them with your heart, not just your mind. Arshad Warsi as Raja - Truly the angry young man! His blood boils, his fists clench and he's ready to beat the daylights out of anyone who upsets him in some way. Irrfan Khan as Dr Mukherjee - He has decided that he's the Captain of the team! But so obsessed is he by the need to be in control of a situation, he doesn't realise he's totally lost control of himself and his mind. Rajpal Yadav as Gangadhar - He's marching to a beat only he can hear; he's fighting for a cause that's long over. But in his muddled mind he's still fighting for Swaraj; still hobnobbing with the likes of Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. Suresh Menon as Dabboo - Cute and adorable, he's everybody's pet and however far gone the rest may be, when it comes to Dabboo, everybody's super protective. Even if he can hear and understand, Dabboo refuses to speak. And nobody knows why! Dia Mirza as Shikha - As a TV reporter she controls the news on the channel, but as a woman she's unable to control the unruly and unmanageable rage of Raja - the man she loves. Rajat Kapur as Industrialist - R K Sanyal, who's also Dr Sonali's husband. But in his quest for power and money he takes a step that will have alarming consequences for his wife and her patients – the krazzy 4! Zaakir Hussain as Srivastav - He is so neck deep in illegal activities that now he'll stoop to anything – even kidnapping and murder – to keep him ahead. Interesting facts After turning director with his production house FilmKraft, Krazzy 4 is the first film which Rakesh Roshan is only producing and not directing. It is directed by his protégé Jaideep Sen. The story of the film is by Rakesh Roshan. The film has item numbers by Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. They have been shot separately but the song is the same. Rakhi Sawant also features in an item song in the film। Hrithik's sister Sunaina has also entered Bollywood by being the co-producer of the film. Reviews Krazzy 4 is the story of four patients who are currently admitted in a mental institution. Raja (Arshad Warsi), Dr Mukherji (Irrfan Khan), Gangadhar (Rajpal Yadav) and Daboo (Suresh Menon) suffer from different mental disorders and are currently treated by Dr. Sonali (Juhi Chawla). As a part of their treatment, Dr. Sonali decides to take the four patients for a day out to watch the India – England cricket match. However, as soon as they step out catastrophe strikes as the doctor is kidnapped leaving the four mental patients to find their way out and rescue their doctor. What happens when they realize that the very people they are turning to for help are the ones behind their doctor’s kidnapping and how they outwit all of them to rescue Dr. Sonali is what Krazzy 4 is all about. Jaideep Sen’s directorial debut, simply put, is a fun film. It plays on social issues but does it without making it sound like a sermon. The four guys known for their comedy deliver well but Suresh Menon’s character could have been better fleshed out. Also Dia Mirza’s fascination to play a journalist needs reviewing. And finally the three songs picturised on Rakhi Sawant, SRK and Hrithik Roshan are going to be huge with the audiences! SRK and Hrithik leave you mesmerized with their charm and dance. All in all Krazzy 4 is a great film to see provided you are looking for a fun day out. It’s light, fun and slightly krazzy! | ||||||||||
U, Me Aur Hum
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Synopsis Bollywood's much admired couple Kajol and Ajay Devgan are back to sparkle on screen in Ajay Devgan's Directorial Debut film U, Me Aur Hum। The first time 'Ajay' saw 'Pia', she served him drinks. She affected him more than the alcohol, and he found true love. He was a leading psychiatrist, but she messed up his mind. The first time 'Pia' saw 'Ajay', he had too much to drink. She watched him make a fool of himself, and was relieved when he passed out. She was a woman who followed her heart, but despite his claims of true love, she had made up her mind. Thus begins the story of Ajay (Ajay Devgan) and Pia (Kajol). A love story, that begins at sea on a cruise liner!! Produced & Directed by Ajay Devgan, this emotional love story stars Ajay Devgan and Kajol in the lead along with Divya Dutta, Sumeet Raghvan, Karan Khanna and Isha Sharvani. Written by Robin Bhatt, Sutanu Gupta and Akarsh Khurana, the film has dialogues by Ashwani Dheer, Music by Vishal Bharadwa j and Lyrics by Munna Dhiman. Contrary to recent tabloid reports, U, Me Aur Hum, is not based on The Notebook, a Hollywood film. U, Me Aur Hum is set for release on April 11, 2008. Reviews Although initially Ajay finds it difficult to convince the girl whom he has just met that they are meant for each other, he gains access to her room on the ship and finds out all of her likes and dislikes. And just as Pia is about to give her nod, Ajay comes clean about his sneaky behaviour which upsets Pia and she decides to end things. However, six months later she finds her way back to Ajay and the two get married. One day while returning from work Ajay finds Pia standing in the middle of the street completely hysterical as she is unable to find her home or remember his mobile number. Ajay who is a psychiatrist himself understand the symptoms and takes her to see his senior who determines that Pia is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. And just as he is telling Ajay about the precautions and lack of treatment for Pia’s condition, they also discover that she is pregnant – another factor that will worsen her condition. How they have kids, go through the trials in their marriage and come out stronger is what the rest of the film is all about. In terms of acting Kajol has done a brilliant job bother as a young waitress and as a patient. Her ex-pressions and acting is top notch. Ajay Devgan on the other hand is a tad disappointing. His acting isn’t as consistent as you would expect from someone of his calibre. Divya Dutta, Isha Shravani... Mmm... nnn do a good job in their own roles. As far as Ajay Devgan’s directorial debut is concerned, Ajay has come out on top. He has got the locations, shots and editing to the T. From costumes to dialogue delivery everything is in just the right proportion and conveys the message without sounding like a sermon. Over all it’s a good attempt by Ajay Devgan – both the actor and the director! | ||||||||||
Shaurya
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Synopsis A story of justice, honour, faith and above all believing in yourself। A story of finding courage within... where friendships are tested in the battle that matters the most... Reviews Shaurya is a film about courage and it was definitely needed to make this film. | ||||||||||
Khuda Ke Liye
| Cast : | Naseeruddin Shah, Shaan, Iman Ali |
| Director : | Shoaib Mansoor |
| Producer : | n.a |
| Genre : | |
| Release Date : | 4-4-2008 |
Reviews KKL tells the story of two brothers, Mansoor (Shaan) and Sarmad (Khan), the care-free musician sons of very liberal parents. Whilst Mansoor is working towards a music scholarship in the USA, Sarmad finds himself an increasingly disillusioned young man, turning towards his faith for answers. He becomes quite extreme in his beliefs under the wings of radical cleric, Maulana Tahiri (Naz) and distances himself from his family after their inability to conform to his increasingly obtuse demands. Things get complicated further when the brothers' cousin, Mary (Iman Ali) arrives from London to spend a few days with them, only to discover that she has been tricked by her father into coming to Pakistan to avoid her marrying her Non-Muslim boyfriend Dave. When Mansoor declines the proposal to marry her, she is forcibly married off to Sarmad. Mansoor then leaves for Chicago to enroll at the "School of Music" there. But unfortunately, he gets wrongly indicted in America's post-9/11 witch hunt for being a Pakistani and a Muslim. Picked up at midnight by the FBI, he is questioned relentlessly about his links with Al Qaida.
Shoaib Mansoor in his debut film has tackled some significant issues - forced marriages, radicalisation of young Muslims, erroneous interpretations of Islam, tribal intricacies and the 'war' between moderates and fundamentalists. To an extend Mansoor succeeds in analyzing them, leaving the conclusion very much open. The finale, (involving a cameo by Naseeruddin Shah) has its highs and lows, the latter being it leaves you with a slightly discerning outlook. The film also features a few subtle digs at India. Also, what is commendable is Shoaib's placing of music in various scenes. The score grows on you as the film proceeds. What you like about this technically topnotch film is that despite its heavy subject it never tries to be preachy and retains its entertainment value.
While the entire principal cast has put in a fabulous performance, its Naseeruddin Shah in his brief appearance in the climax as the long bearded progressive Islamic scholar with his dialogues ('There is beard in religion, but no religion in beard' and 'Two men who did the greatest service to Islam in Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, did so without a beard and out of the so called Islamic dress code, in western dress.) who literally steals the thunder. It is learnt that, he had liked his part so much that he even did the role for free.
Khuda Kay Liye don't miss this multi international awards winner movie!
Bhram An Illusion
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Reviews What’s it about? Sheetal Menon, who plays a successful model called Antra, has a traumatic past that she is hiding from the world. When she first meets Shantanu (Dino Morea) she looks through him but over time their friendship develops. However, things take a toss when Antra comes face to face with Shantanu’s elder brother Devendra (Milind Soman). People and situations are questioned and what happens next is what Bhram is all about. Is it worth watching? Now that’s a tricky question in a film like Bhram. Although initially the film feels a bit sketchy and run of the mill it does get interesting in the second half. The director, Pavan Kaul, has built an interesting story and also managed to pull off an okay job. Of ten the viewer will be enjoying the locales in the backdrop more than the story itself and the over all film should have been edited much tighter.
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Love Songs
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Synopsis Love Songs is probably Chatterjee’s attempt at questioning life and decisions that human beings – here being depicted by Mridula – often take in life and how if we are to get another opportunity in life can we really begin all over again? StarBoxOfiice.com ReviewDirector: Jayabrato Chatterjee Jayabrato Chatterjee’s Love Songs -Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, is the story of a 64-year-old widow Mridula Chatterjee (Jaya Bachchan) who runs an NGO for challenged people in Kolkata and is preparing for the arrival of her grandson Rohan (Prithviraj Choudhury) from Bangalore. Rohan who brings his girlfriend Tara (Doel Basu) remembers very little about his mother Palaash (Shahana Chatterjee) and decides that it’s time he found out about not only his mum but also why the relationship between his mother and grandmother wasn’t normal. Forcing Mridula he gets the old woman to go back in life and discuss what made her relationship with her daughter so strained. Her mind takes her back to the late 60s, when she was in college and very much in love with Aftaab Jaffrey (Om Puri) but someone whom fate did not allow her to marry. The film goes on to describe how later in life she met Aftaab again but this time she also learns about Aftaab’s alcoholic wife and the turns his life has taken. Love Songs is probably Chatterjee’s attempt at questioning life and decisions that human beings – here being depicted by Mridula – often take in life and how if we are to get another opportunity in life can we really begin all over again? And does he convey it convincingly? Yes to a large extent. The film’s concept is good and Jaya Bachchan’s portrayal of a woman who has become bitter in life is brilliant. Om Puri, Shahana Chatterjee and Prithviraj Choudhry are quite good as well. But Mallika Sarabhai surprisingly is quite a let down. And because the film speaks about the many forms of love that we all have experiences it does leave you wondering that if you were in Mridula’s place would you be any different? So for those who are tired of the same old Bollywood masala films Love Songs… offers you something different and quite pleasant. | ||||||||||
One Two Three
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Director: Ashwini Dheer There is no other way than to say this but by the time I got to the half way mark of 123, I was close to slitting my wrists! The movie despite having stars like Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty left me counting down the minutes till the end credits rolled. 123 is the story of three men Laxmi Narayan 1 (Tusshar Kapoor), Laxmir Narayan 2 (Paresh Rawal) and Laxmi Narayan 3 (Suniel Shetty) whose lives go for a toss due to the fact that they share the same name. All three are sent to Hotel Blue Diamond in Pondy for three completely different jobs but fate has them mixed up and each of them gets the job description waiting for the other at the same hotel. So while Laxmi Narayan 1 is actually given the job of killing of someone, he lands with an envelope which has Esha Deol’s picture which is actually meant for Paresh Rawal. Paresh, on the other hand, gets a picture of Sameera Reddy although the envelope is actually meant for Suniel Shetty while Suniel gets Tusshar’s envelope. The entire film is about how the three of them carry on their own ways oblivious of the fact that they have got the wrong envelopes till the very end. And if you think reading this was confusing imagine having to actually sitting through it for two and half hours! Paresh Rawal’s job of a lingerie seller is quite good but the script leaves you cringing. Tusshar Kapoor, who plays the role of a wannabe bhai, leaves you wondering why an actor would want to sabotage his career just when things are picking up for him! And Suniel Shetty… well less said the better about him! The girls – Esha, Tanishaa and Sameera – annoy the hell out of you. Esha’s rambling in Tamil from time to time comes as a welcome respite because you can actually tell yourself that if you don’t understand it you can’t deride it! Tanishaa seems to be in a mood where she thinks if she wears plunging necklines and has her goods on display a la Neel n Nikki it equals acting… then we are sorry to tell you love, it doesn’t! And finally Sameera … if her role of a ditz in Race wasn’t bad enough just a week later we have to deal with her as car saleswoman who sells cars by sending pictures of them with her leaning in a two piece bikini against the car…. now is that why men all over the world love spending hours deciding which car to buy??! So should you see it? Only at your own risk is what we will say! | ||||||||||
Race
| Cast : | Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu. Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy |
| Director : | Abbas & Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla |
| Producer : | Kumar Taurani |
| Genre : | Thriller |
| Release Date : | 21-3-2008 |
StarBoxOffice.com Review
Director: Abbas-Mastan
Race is the story of two brothers Ranvir Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and his alcoholic younger brother Rajiv Singh (Akshaye Khanna). Their life revolves around horse racing – from owning a stud farm to betting huge money on them, the two millionaires can’t see beyond the thrills of fast cars and fast horses. Bipasha Basu plays Sonia – the successful model while Katrina potters around the first half of the film as Ranvir Singh’s personal assistant. The film begins with Ranvir Singh meeting with a serious road accident which Singh, disappointingly for someone, survives. On his brother's return home from the hospital, Rajiv throws a party where he meets Sonia for the first time. Now Sonia is Ranvir’s secret girlfriend but when he sees his younger brother fall for her, Ranvir takes a back seat and allows their romance to flourish. Soon enough Rajiv and Sonia head up to the altar. But not because they are madly in love but because the two have hatched a plan to kill Ranvir and claim the 100 million from Ranvir’s life insurance. And by the time the interval comes around, Saif has fallen from the top of his high storey office and Ranvir and Sonia are counting down the days till the 100 million drops into their account.
But knowing Abbas Mastan it really couldn’t have been that simple!
The twist in the tale comes in when in walks pretty little Sofia claiming to be Ranvir’s lawfully wedded wife and the person who will now get the 100 million dollars from his death! So while Inspector Robert D’Costa (Anil Kapoor) and his assistant Mini (Sameera Reddy) try to solve Ranvir Singh’s murder, younger brother Rajiv Singh tries to get hold of the money from Sofia. And just when you think this is yet another Bollywood good vs evil film, Abbas Mastan throw in a couple more twists!
Overall the film is not bad but a large amount of credit for that goes to the editor and to Allan Amin – the man behind all the action. Abbas Mastan will draw in fans to the box office largely because of the multi star line up and for the infamous Bipasha Basu – Saif Ali Khan lovemaking number (which let us warn you isn’t all that much!). The fast cars, horse racing and the locales of South Africa make the film a treat to watch. But as far as the acting is concerned a lot of the times you were left laughing (when you shouldn’t) and cringing (when you definitely shouldn’t!) The girls looked great thanks to Anahita Shroff Adajania and Katrina and Sameera did just that. It was only Bipasha who can actually claim to have acted in the film. Akshaye Khanna and Saif, on the other hand, were brilliant. The less said about Anil Kapoor and Sameera the better!
So should you go and watch the film?
Yes by all means but only if you are fans of the clichéd Bollywood masala films where deep down you know exactly what is going to happen by the time the credits roll but , like us, you just can't get enough of them!
26th July at Barista
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Synopsis 26TH JULY AT BARISTA takes the trend further with the only difference being that while the aforementioned films were centered on underworld, this one picks up it's story from a natural disaster that had struck Mumbai exactly 2 years back. Year 2006. Date - 26th July. The day when rains lashed Mumbai like never before and took away many a lives. The day when it was hard to imagine how something as cruel as this could happen to a city that was always vibrant The day when the spirit of Mumbai was revealed for an umpteenth time as young and old, men and women, rich and poor - everyone came together to help each other. The day which even today is remembered by all and makes one salute the spirit of togetherness and spirit of Mumbai! The film is set in the coffee shot Barista where people were having just yet another round of coffee while chatting up with friends and generally having good times. The film's lead pair met there as well, though as complete strangers. Little did they know that the incidents that would occur on this day would change their lives forever. The rain never stopped and soon it was loud and clear that nothing could stop a calamity from taking place. There was apprehension, fear and sorrow all around. No one knew what could be the course of action but then when has ever been the case when Mumbaikars have just sat down with their hands all tied? The people in Barista rose up to the challenge and started taking measures to save not just themselves but even the people on the street. They had to overcome this challenge. By any means. But how? Sheer spirit followed by determination and will-power make them all come together and change the path that destiny had designed for them. Did they succeed? Starring Kabir Sawhney and Simran Vaid, 26TH JULY AT BARISTA has lyrics and music by Sandarbh with Mohan Sharma at the helm of direction। The film is planned for 3rd August release. Reviews 26th July at Barista: Cheeni Kum Paani Jyaada! The fateful day of 26th July 2005 when Mumbai came to a standstill as the unexpected heavy torrential rains made Mumbaikars vulnerable to many horrific situations. They were blocked in their schools, job location and traffic apart from railways stations and cafeterias. This film is set in a coffee house where a section of people from varied walks of life are stranded. This assorted group consists of a techie dude, a marketing executive girl, a Sardar couple, a script writer, a wannabe starlet, a teenager trio apart from various other people dropping in searching for their near and dear ones at the coffee shop at regular intervals. What they all go through till the sunshine arises on dawn forms the film. StarBoxOffice.com Review Amateurish from its first frame to the last where the voice-over coupled with stock visuals of the real life footage makes it appear more of a Muncipal Corporation documentary rather than a compassionate film or tribute which the makers claim it is. What keeps you entertained to some extent are the unintentional laughs you derive watching the nameless actors hamming to the hilt, the unimaginative scripting which is full of cliché characters and situations. Imagine a cop barging in the middle of night when there is no power in the coffee shop and heavy flood outside and wasting 20 minutes of footage in silly interrogating of those present. Once he realizes his mistake he doesn't stop at that and goes on to bore the hell out of you by sermonizing for another few minutes about how all this is a part of their job! Then if you thought it was the end of your torture, comes in a gang raped woman who goes on and on about how her being an AIDS victim will now affect those who raped her! The makers have ensured that none of the characters evoke any empathy or even a pinch of sorrow from the audience. With almost the entire film shot in dark, just when you tend to doze off you are immediately awakened by the loud background score of stock lightning noises! Avoid in all circumstances even if you have free time on hand and if you still insist then make a trip to a real Barista instead! | ||||||||||
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Black & White
| Cast : | Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Anurag Sinha, Aditi Sharma |
| Director : | Subhash Ghai |
| Producer : | Subhash Ghai |
| Genre : | Drama |
| Release Date : | 7-3-2008 |
StarBoxOffice.com Review
Acting: Debutante Anurag exhibits his good talent with his brooding, intense act playing the cold blooded terrorist. He succeeds in showcasing his anguish and the steady change in his beliefs very well. Anil Kapoor yet again proves his versatility. Shefali is effective in a small yet powerful role. Aditi is hardly there. Milind Gunaji is menacingly good. Veteran theatre artist Habib Tanvir seen onscreen after a long time is a treat to watch.
Direction: The showman for the first time changing his tracks from popular entertainers to serious meaningful cinema has outdone himself in all the departments. There are no popular Ghai touches visible in any frame yet he succeeds in delivering the desired impact. He deserves to be lauded for his courage and risk taking for attempting such a genre and not ending up making a dark and depressing film.
Script: One of the main USP of Black and White is its good story by Varon B K Sharma which has been worked out well by Ghai and his team into a multi layered screenplay. His penned dialogues are well worded as well. Amongst the most effective scenes in terms of writing and handling are the initial reels portions showing Afghanistan and its terror camps, Shefali's murder, Anil's subsequent break down and the climax confrontation between Anurag and Milind Gunaji. However, the romantic track between Aditi and Anurag, the songs woven around them could have totally been avoided as also a few sequences in the climax do bring the graph of the film down a bit. But nevertheless, Black and White does make for a good watch for connoisseurs of meaningful cinema.
Mithya
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Synopsis Virender Kumar aka VK (Ranvir) is a struggling actor who becomes a pawn in underworld one-upmanship because his face resembles a dreaded underworld don, Raje। Gawde (Naseer) who is Raje's rival, kidnaps VK and tortures him into playing Raje as he wants to plant him in Raje's place and work for him. His moll, an aspiring actress as well, Sonam (Neha) however sympathizes with VK and becomes his good friend. Unwillingly, VK gets trained as Raje and is then planted in Raje's family. Raje lives in a joint family consisting of his brother (Harsh Chhaya), his wife Revati (Iravati Harshe), two kids and mother (Suhasini Mulay) and his other trusted aides. His wife notices a welcome change in Raje's behaviour but doesn't complain as the changed Raje is more affectionate towards her and their kids. Just then, in a freak accident, VK posing as Raje ends up with a broken back and amnesia. What happens after he loses his memory forms the rest of the plot! StarBoxOffice.com Review Ranvir Shorey displays amazing range as an actor. Getting into the skin of the characters of both VK and Raje, he comes out with one of the most brilliantly performed acts in Hindi cinema. His ex-pressions during the climax moments leave you speechless. Neha Dhupia proves she can act and deserves such better opportunities. Naseer as Gawde is fun to watch. Vinay Pathak in a brief part, playing Naseer's quirky humoured henchman is hilarious and so is Brijendra Kala playing his aide. Iravati Harshe delights in her brief act. Harsh Chhaya gets good scope, finally! Director Rajat Kapoor establishes in just few initial scenes, VK's desperate attempts at day to day survival as a struggling actor. Making you a part of VK's journey he takes you by surprise with every twist and turn incorporated at regular intervals. While the first half reaches a crescendo with the amount of dark humour packed in, the second half immediately changes track to a more gloomy setting with hilarity taking a backseat. The brutal coldness by which most of his characters take charge of the situation leave you shell shocked. Shot entirely during the monsoons, the camera work by Rafey Mehmood acts as a perfect aide to the setting as well. Doubling up as a script writer along with Saurabh Shukla, Rajat packs in genuine laugh out loud moments in the first half showing VK's daily routine, his earliest encounter with Gawde's men, VK's first meeting with Gawde where VK dismisses him off as just another henchman, VK's desperation for a toast omlette which he manages to get on gun point and the struggling actor in VK coming out on meeting a film producer (Tinu Anand) while posing as Raje. While the second half stands out, for the well handled poignant moments shared between VK and Raje's wife, VK and Sonam, VK's love for Raje's kids and the startling climax. The makers could have not misleaded into making the audience believe it as a rip roaringly hilarious film though. Kudos to Kapoor for taking a courageous route in the second half, the kind yet oblivious to a regular Hindi filmgoer and more on par with contemporary European cinema. His Mithya is by far the best film of 2008 as of now. Go watch it if you like something truly different! | ||||||||||
Superstar
| Cast : | Kunal Khemu, Tulip Joshi, Aushima Sawhney and Darshan Jariwala. |
| Director : | Rohit Jugraj |
| Producer : | Rohit Jugraj |
| Genre : | Drama |
| Release Date : | 8-2-2008 |
He dares to dream and would go to any extent to protect it. Kunal begins with the tag of a struggler and knows that he will get his due one day.
Until life decides to play a prank on him।The entry of a wealthy and charming Karan (again Kunal Khemu) in Bollywood and in his life shatters Kunal’s entire dream.
Superstar: Pleasantly Surprises
Kunal (Kunal Khemu) is a struggling actor looking for that one big break that can make him a Bollywood star. While his father (Sharat Saxena) forever coaxes him to drop his acting plans and do a regular job, his mother (Reema) is always supportive. Amongst his group of friends is Mausam (Tulip) whom Kunal loves but never has the courage to express his love and vice-versa. Fate plays a cruel joke on Kunal when he discovers a newcomer, Karan; the son of a big shot producer, Saxena (Jariwala) is being launched touted as the next big super star. Karan, a spoilt brat is a mediocre actor who cannot live up to his father's expectations. When a frustrated Saxena is about to scrap his 50 crore project, his assistant tells him about Kunal whom they can use as Karan to shoot key sequences which Karan lacks expertise in.
Kunal accepts this offer. But, during the shooting schedule of their film in Bangkok when Kunal and Karan are traveling together, their car meets with a fatal accident in which Karan dies. More than his son's death, Saxena is worried about the 40 crore he has lifted from the market to make his film. He then almost forcibly makes Kunal become Karan till their film is completed and released. He announces Kunal's death in the accident instead of Karan's. Kunal's parents and Mausam are left shattered. What happens after an unwilling Kunal takes on Karan's identity forms rest of the film!
Acting: Hats off to Kunal Khemu for pulling off two diversely different characters within one film and carrying the entire film on his shoulders, so early in his career. While he is extremely loveable as Karan, his intensity as Kunal is awe inspiring. Tulip playing the girl next door is charming and her pairing with Kunal works. Aushima does well playing Karan's heroine cum love interest. Darshan Jariwala yet again delivers a good performance in a negative role after Halla Bol. Reema and Sharat Saxena are natural to the core. Sanjay Dutt chips in with a small cameo playing self. Zafar Karachiwala as an upright journo acts well while Aman Verma overacts.
StarBoxOffice.com rating: 3 out of 5
Direction: What immediately strikes about Rohit's direction is his novel narrative style which keeps the viewer involved throughout. He maintains a brisk pace and handles the key emotional moments very well. Only thing being, he could have avoided the stereo typing of media as forever scoop hungry. But, his Superstar is the kind of a film which one goes for without expecting much and ends up coming out pleasantly surprised.
StarBoxOffice.com rating: 3 out of 5
Script: Rahul Singh and Sudip Sharma's script doesn't desperately aim to dish out something extraordinary and is packed with some really well written sequences that make you sit up and take notice. Namely, the birthday night sequence of Kunal with his family, Karan and Kunal's night out with Kunal's middle class friends, a frustrated Kunal thrashing his rude neighbour and his bike, Kunal coming home to his parents as Karan and his father revealing his hidden love for his son's acting talent and last but not the least the climax speech by Kunal.
StarBoxOffice.com rating: 3 out of 5
Music: Not of the run of the mill category, Shamir Tandon's music is a mixed bag of hip hop (Don't I Love or Do I Love You) to Arabic (Man Tu Talbat) to ghazal (Aankhon Se Khwaab Ruth Kar) and Jazz (Ajnabi). All the songs are well incorporated without disturbing the narrative and make for a good watch on screen.
Jodhaa Akbar
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Synopsis Young moghul emperor Jalaluddin (Hrithik) sets out to bring the entire India under his flagship and deploys orders to the neighbouring states to either accept his honour or face his wrath। This sets a wave of panic amongst the Rajputana states. While a few decide to accept it unconditionally, others start aligning to set up a front against him. Amongst them is also, Amer's Raja Bharmal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) who offers his acceptance with a condition that Jalaluddin will marry his only daughter Jodhaa (Aishwarya) in return. But just before their wedding, the fiery Rajput princess Jodhaa also sets her two clauses in front of Jalal, that he will not change her religion and allow her a small temple space within his fort. Jalal agrees and thus a marriage of alliance between two varied cultures and religions takes place for political gain. StarBoxOffice.com Review Acting: From a young novice king with all his vulnerabilities to a lover who constantly strives to strengthen his relation with his wife and a no nonsense ruler who wins the hearts of his masses and enemies alike, Hrithik is nothing short of marvelous. Ladies are definitely going to swoon at his bare-chested sword practicing sequence. Aishwarya Rai not only looks her best ever on screen but delivers an astonishing performance and conveys a lot through her eyes. Sonu Sood playing Sujamal, her unfortunate brother makes a good impact whereas newcomer Nikitan Dheer as Akbar's scheming brother in law impresses with his electrifying screen presence. Poonam Sinha exudes grace while Ila Arun playing Hrithik's wily foster mother cum advisor is just perfect Direction: Ashutosh's labour of love is visible in every single frame of the movie. Having made one of the most opulent films in Indian cinema, Gowariker deserves a bow for his vision and successful handling of the epic love story. He superbly merges two different tracks – the unusual romance between the royal couple and political intrigues. The wonderful songs are aptly placed moving the story ahead and their picturisation befitting. His casting is just perfect too. But at times you do keep feeling that the editing could have been tighter. But nevertheless, his is a splendid effort with great aid from Nitin Desai's awe inspiring production design, Kiran Deohans' outstanding cinematography and Ravi Dewan's edge of the seat action sequences. Script: Gowariker and Haider Ali's script manages to cover a gamut of issues but at the same time tends to lengthen the running time (3 hr. 33 mins). But, they have succeeded in packing it up with some remarkable sequences, notably – Hrithik's taming of an errant elephant, Aish and Ila Arun's confrontation in the royal kitchen and the scene following it where Hrithik eats from the same platter which Aish was forced to eat it first, Hrithik confronting Aish after a misunderstanding over her character, Aish and Hrithik's sword fight, Hrithik expressing his love to Aish during sunset and the final one on one combat between Hrithik and Nikitan that reminds you of Brad Pitt – Eric Bana fight from Troy. The script is replete with many more such gems that make JA a great watch. Music: Apart from his music (that gradually grows on you), Rahman also makes an amazing impact with his background score. The Khwaja Mere Khwaja number takes you in a trance, the Azeem-o-shaan Shahenshah song leaves you spell bound by its picturisation while Jashne Bahara has a mesmerizing effect. | ||||||||||