Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 80Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Review : Welcome

Posted on January 21, 2008 by amodini

Rating : The worst (-25/5)
Genre : Comedy (??)
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 30 minutes
Director : Anees Bazmee
Cast : Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, Feroz Khan, Mallika Sherawat, Paresh Rawal

WELCOME : DUMB, DOLTISH, DENSE !

This is a film to stir the senses. In a bad way. It has a basically funny premise. Two dons rule Bombay. They have a sister. They want to get the sister married into a respectable family. Trouble is which respectable family will marry into the mafia ?

Reading this, you probably have an unfamiliar feeling clogging your chest, yeah ? It’s called hope. But, all to no avail, my friend. Consider that this film has been made by Anees Bazmee (No Entry). Thus the funny premise which I talked about in the previous paragaraph is shaken and stirred with all the elements of mindless masala, turning what could have been a perfectly decent comedy into, how do I say this politely, hmm… A PIECE OF UNADULTERATED CRAP !

Nana Patekar is Don Uday Shetty, Sanjana’s brother. Anil Kapoor is Majnoo, Uday’s second-in-command and almost brother (muh-bola-bhai-you-get-my-drift ?) Katrina is Sanjana, the don’s smiling, gorgeous, fairly innocent sister. Akshay Kumar is the moron who’s in love with Sanjana, trying to get his respectable family (Paresh Rawal is Dad) to accept the don’s sis as the dutiful bahu.

There’s no direction and no editing. The movie veers away from the original premise into several non-sensical detours. Since stupidity is unpredictable, I couldn’t actually tell where the film was going, if anywhere. I deride films like Partner, but in comparison to Welcome, Partner appears to be an art film. It’s a pity that this is the terrible film that it is because it features Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Kumar and Paresh Rawal, all three of whom have got the comic timing down pat. Mallika Sherawat has a decent role too, and does well in it. Katrina Kaif – gorgeous-yes, acting-no. There is a silver lining to this cloud, however, and that is the music.

However, I will end here, because really, how many different ways can you say stupid ?

Posted in 2007, bollywood, comedy, ecstatically stupid | 2 Comments

Review : Halla bol

Posted on January 15, 2008 by amodini

Note : The edited version of this review appears at Planet Bollywood, here.

Rating : Above average (3.8/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2008
Running time : 3 hours
Director : Raj Kumar Santoshi
Cast : Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapoor, Darshan Jariwalla

HALLA BOL : GOOD, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER !

Raj Kumar Santoshi is best known for his message based films. I remember him for his Damini, for his Ghayal; hard-hitting, impactful cinema, generally socially relevant. So “Halla bol” doesn’t really come as a surprise, based as it is on the hot-button topic of modern day India – the apathy to everyday crime. Specifically Halla Bol appears to be based on the Jessica Lall murder, but where in real life there was no “hero” who spoke up (unless you consider the media one), here Ajay Devgun dons the savior’s mantle.

Devgan as Ashfaq, a Bollywood star, is an unlikely hero. Once a conscientious young man, his ambition and dreams have made him thick-skinned and selfish. Ashfaq, also known as Sameer Khan, does what sells, be it making up childhood, poverty-ridden sob stories to gain sympathy from the public, or shutting his eyes to unsavory facts of life. One such fact stares him in the face when he witnesses a murder, at a crowded, celebrity filled party. Like the others at the party, he also feigns ignorance when questioned by the police about the killers (2 young men who kill in cold blood and in full view of people).

Uncomfortably for our hero, his dormant conscience awakens, and he goes ahead and confesses to having witnessed the murder, and even identifies the killers. They are spoilt sons of influential fathers, one a minister’s son, and the other the son of a liquor baron. As expected Ashfaq is threatened, cajoled and bribed to take back his statement but he stands his ground. The criminals then resort to doing good on their threats, first setting fire to Ashfaq’s young son’s room, and then trying to run him (Ashfaq) over. However just when he is going under, comes help from a most unexpected quarter . . .

The story of “Halla bol” is a well-known one. It has played out on our television screens, numerous times; the unspeakable crime, the temerity of the killers, and the utter ineffectiveness of the justice system. It is an engrossing, gripping story with much emotional appeal. Santoshi does make use of this, but sparingly, thus reducing the emotional thrust of the film.

Santoshi keeps the film on track. However the film does suffer from some long drawn out sequences (it could have been edited better), and some flaws in the screenplay. Santoshi also takes a while to describe his characters to us, which is a double-edged sword, because although it does help us get to know the protagonist’s better, and thus feel for them, it also takes too long to get the story off the ground.

Santoshi’s films have a very earthy feel to them. They aren’t sophisticated, elegant dramas, but in-your-face, brashy, movies, where shots of heroes soiling Persian carpets in corrupt minister’s homes, do not look amiss. Nor do the dated sword-fights. Santoshi uses every trick in the book to make his point, and this can in places lead to unrealistically contrived scenarios, and extremely filmi dialogues – lots of metaphors, loaded punch-lines and emphatic walk-offs. The background score and the songs were not very impressive; they didn’t add to this kind of film as they could have.

I consider Devgan one of the more versatile actors in the industry, but he seemed ill-at-ease in the light-hearted or romantic scenes. Even in the intense scenes, he was not at par – he did a much better job in films like Company and Gangajal. Vidya Balan as his wife does good, and is very effective in her limited screen-time. Darshan Jariwalla essaying a corrupt minister’s role, appears vile and odious, and plays the part perfectly. The supporting actors (Ashfaaq’s parent’s roles) do an adequate job.

The highlight of the film was watching Pankaj Kapoor as Siddhu, an ex-dacoit turned automobile repairman cum social crusader, with a flair for the dramatic arts. It is with Sidhu that Ashfaque enters the realm of acting, surviving on street theatre, until he decides to go to Bombay to pursue bigger dreams. Kapoor plays Sidhu with panache, even making the most filmi line (and there are many) seem natural.

In recent years, there have been a spate of films which deal with the role of the citizenry in maintaining law and order in the state. There was Rang de basanti, Gangajal, and Shool, all buring up with the fire of retribution. “Halla bol” falls into the dark, brooding cinema category, and differs from RDB and Shool, in that it actually ends on a high note.

“Halla bol” is a worthwhile film, although it does fail to come together as a finished product; a puzzle with some of it’s pieces missing. Thus, one does not, after wending one’s way home, get the satisfaction of seeing an “excellent” film. It is an honest effort however. And although not quite as effective as masterpieces like Shool, “Halla bol” does what it set out to do – it raises questions and effectively brings issues to the fore-front, and that garners it that above average rating.

Posted in 2008, bollywood, drama, watchable | 2 Comments

Review : Dus kahaniyan

Posted on January 7, 2008 by amodini

Rating : Below average (2.5/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Sanjay Gupta, Meghna Gulzar, Jasmeet Dhodi, Hansal Mehta, Apoorva Lakhia, Rohit Roy
Cast : Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrita Singh, Manoj Bajpai, Diya Mirza, Minissha Lamba, Nana Patekar, Neha Dhupia, Mahesh Manjrekar, Arbaaz Khan, Mandira Bedi, Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Tareena Patel, Jimmy Shergill, Masumeh Makhija, Neha Uberoi, Parmeet Sethi

DUS KAHANIYAN : INEPT !

You can’t get more upfront than this. “Dus Kahaniyan” really is just 10 stories stitched up together. No reading deeper meanings into it. Infact no reading any meaning into it. Ten stories, without a theme to tag them together. Pretty patchy, if you ask me. Why wouldn’t I just watch 10 disjointed TV soaps instead ?

The 10 stories showcased, range from the romantic, to the clichéd, to the bizarre and the paranormal. They were each of about 10-12 minutes, were given separate names, and directed by a handful of directors, Sanjay Gupta doing the meat of the work. Since I’m an optimist, let’s talk about the good ones first – there were three :

– “Matrimony” directed by Sanjay Gupta, starred Mandira Bedi and Arbaaz Khan as a married couple, and was about faith and fidelity in marriage. Nicely done, this came complete with the Gotcha! ending.

– “Zahir”, also directed by Gupta, starred Manoj Bajpai and Dia Mirza, and was about a writer and the girl he falls for. Another surprise ending, although not as believable as “Matrimony”.

– Thirdly there was “Poornamashi”, directed by Meghna Gulzar. It starred Amrita Singh and Minisha Lamba as the mother-daughter pair on the horns of a dilemma. This one was the best of the lot, and displayed, what I thought was genuine emotion mixed in with life’s reality.

I’m sitting on the fence on the next one – it starred Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, and even they couldn’t save it. “Rice plate” was about a bigoted Tamilian aunty, who sheds her religious prejudices. This one was strictly OK, and just because of the excellent acting.

Now the remaining six didn’t work for me, and they are :

– Hansal Mehta directed “High on the Highway” starring Jimmy Shergill and Masumeh Makhija. Two stoned out lovers on the highway, doing I’m not sure what. Bizarre.

– “Lovedale” – Jasmeet Dhosi’s story of love by super-natural intervention. Silly, silly, silly !

– “Sex on the beach” – Have you met death in a swimsuit, yet ? If not, here’s your chance. A little black humor, lot’s of skin do not a very engrossing story make. This one’s by Apoorva Lakhia.

– “Strangers in the night” stars Neha Dhupia and Mahesh Manjrekar. This awkwardly contrived story, comes off looking cheap. Or was that just Manjrekar on screen ?

– “Rise and Fall” is Gupta’s tribute to the “Gangsta” genre, with the desi mafia represented by Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty. The basic story was about power-play between two “bhais”, but the rest of it was obscured by dramatization, music and a whole lot of gunfire. This one frankly, made little sense to me.

– Gubbare, also by Sanjay Gupta, is a lesson on being thankful for what you have. It tries a little too hard, and comes off preachy.

We’ve had desi multiple-story based films before, remember “Darna mana hai?” . So I do believe that the concept can work, although it must have a common thread binding it. If not, each story had better be strong. Out of all the 10, the only one that stood strong, the only one that I cared about a smidgen, was “Poornamashi”. I could have done with more of Meghna Gulzar’s work and less of Gupta’s, since his was erratic at best.

I can’t fault the actors, although some of them were terrible too. I mean, how genius-y do you have to be to see “Lovedale” and not be knocked senseless by it’s gobsmacking stupidity ? I approach Sanjay Gupta’s (and White Feather Films) with some trepidation, because he (and they) think they are the bacchas of Francis Ford Coppola, and really, it’s not happening.

The title number comes with the end credits. Apparently the music of this film comes in 2 flavors, so they have like 2 versions of the same songs. Me thinks if they’d paid as much attention to the film, as they did to the music, this movie would have had some potential. As it is, it isn’t worth your time.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, rating-PG13 | 5 Comments

Review : Khoya khoya chand

Posted on January 2, 2008 by amodini

Note : The edited version of this review appears at Planet Bollywood, here

Rating : Above average (3.8/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hrs and 11 minutes
Director : Sudhir Mishra
Cast : Soha Ali Khan, Rajat Kapur, Shiney Ahuja, Vinay Pathak, Sushmita Mukherjee, Dipannita Sharma, Sonya Jehaan, Saurabh Shukla

KHOYA KHOYA CHAND (KKC) : A TUMULTOUS LOVE-STORY

You know you look at 50s cinema, and it seems so clean. The men, they seemd to be all gentlemen; they spoke courtesly, seated women before themselves, asked questions politely. The women, they were all dainty ladies, tender, sniffing into their hankies, and suitably accompanying their men. Even the item numbers were so decent. The whole aura was one of gentility.

Thus one is taken aback to see a film like “Khoya khoya chand” which shows up the industry then, as it really was on the inside. Quite different apparently than what was portrayed on-screen. They were schemers, wheeler-dealers, the producers ranted about profits, and the casting couch was apparently over-used. It’s a grimy place, where unsuspecting men and women fall prey to the vagaries of this world.

Khoya Khoya Chand is set amid the film industry of the 50s, and is a complicated love story. True, all love stories are, but one is rather used to seeing them on-screen simply told. And it’s tragic. There’s nascent love, and there are willing lovers, but uff, these circumstances, this world and it’s wants and expectations just won’t let them be.

Nikhat (Soha) is a starlet, a dancer, who desires “acting” roles now. She is spotted by mega-star Prem Kumar (Rajat Kapoor) and he casts her as his leading lady, much to the chagrin of his current leading lady Ratanbala (Soniya Jehan). As clout dictates he also expects other favors from Nikhat which she accedes to.

However Prem marries another (Dipannita Sharma) in keeping with his parents’ wishes, and explains it as such to Nikhat. Nikhat is angered but must swallow her pride to remain in Prem’s (a powerful man in the industry) good books. Even though Prem is now married he expects Nikhat’s company on the side, while she in turn is forming an attachment with tell-it-like-it-is budding writen Zafar (Ahuja). . .

It’s a vile world out there. In KKC it appears stark, and unvarnished, the apparent attempts at recreating the 50s leaving grim reality unsoftened. In the midst of all this is gentle-souled Nikhat. Pimped out at 14, by her single mother, Nikhat has endured numerous casting couches to get where she is today, and is no innocent. Presenting a smiling hard shell to the world, she remembers each indignity. Soha does well as Nikhat, merging the soft and the edgy parts of her personality beautifully. She appears brittle, eyes glittering, hinting at a very thin veneer of sophistication before all that pent-up hurt comes pouring out.

Prem Kumar’s character reminded me of Raj Kumar. Rajat Kapur who plays the part, appears to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, with the calm assurance of a man who thinks the world will kow-tow to him. And it does. Shiney plays Zaffar, son of a father with 4 wives. Unable to see his mother’s condition due to his father’s excesses, he moves to Bombay. Shiney presents a fine performances playing idealistic Zafar.

Vinay Pathak is Zafar’s good friend Shyamal. and he is as expected, superb. The inconsistencies in his character I attribute to a flaw in the screenplay. The other actor worth mentioning is Soniya Jehan who plays Ratanbala. Quite a beauty, Ms. Jehaan appears a suitably delicate damsel with claws, and fits the era. Sushmita Mukherjee appears as yesteryear actress Sharda, and Nikhat’s mentor. Saurabh Shukla is effective as a loud-mouth, opportunistic producer.

It is hard, I think, to tell a story like this and still keep the viewer engrossed. Firstly because of all the details, the twists and turns in the story; they may not be major but influence the story nevertheless. Secondly, since such a film is based upon the mind machinations, it is important that each character be well-fleshed out, else sympathies could be wrongly swayed.

Sudhir Mishra does an outstanding job, because he takes this gut-wrenching story of lovers who can never seem to meet, and imbues it with passion, drama, and emotion to the point where we feel for all the characters, and especially Nikhat. Times may change, but people remain the same – really quite good, but essentially selfish. And therein lies the rub.

For all it’s quality and worthiness, KKC might be a hard commercial sell, for who has time for the subtleties of love, when modern-day love stories have appreciative audiences dancing to a Love Guru’s tunes ?

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, recommended | 2 Comments

Worst Movies of 2007

Posted on December 31, 2007 by amodini

This year was a bad one for big banner desi films. They crashed and burned all over the place. From the clichéd “Laaga Chunari mein daag” to the over-hyped “Saawariya” and “Om shanti Om” the terrible films kept coming. Even old worthies failed to come through – case in point, Vidhu Vinod Chopra with “Eklavya”. Thankfully, this year I’ve been kinder to self, by not seeing the worst of the worst. Thus, have been saved from stuff like “RGV ki Aag”, and “Cash”. Still, it’s not like I don’t have enough to pick and choose while making this list. So here goes – my top picks for the worst films of 2007 (that I have seen) :

10. Om Shanti Om : This is the Dhoom2 of 2007. It’s a little better than that, and the first half of the film saves it from being #1 on this list, but it’s a bad film nevertheless. See the full review here.

9. Ta ra rum pum : You want annoying, immature, dumb ? Then this is it. Technically well-made this film flounders because of it’s utter inability to comprehend what normal people call “common sense”. You still wanna know more ?

8. Traffic Signal : How tepid can you get ? This one left me unmoved and a film which leaves one unmoved is a big, big failure. Here are details.

7. Mera pehla pehla pyaar : I’d have thought it cutesy if I’d been 18. Now I think it annoying, and an exercise in imbecility. If you’re above 21, keep away. Here’s the complete review.

6. Heyy Babyy : Stupid, sexist, crass – what more can I say ?

5. Dhan Dhana dhan goal : A soccer drama apparently, this one suffers from poor quality, poor scripting and poor acting. Poor everything actually. The only actor worth watching here is John Abraham. And not for his acting skills. Read the complete review.

4. I see you : The brainchild of models Arjun Rampal and the Mrs. (Mehr that is), this is the film they conceived when they were optimists. Are they optimists now ? I think not.

3. Partner : 6 words – Stupider, more sexist, crassier, David Dhawan.

2. Apne : The Deol men weeping as one. I weeping by myself. Guess who’s happier ?

1. Eklavya : This one’s earns the top spot because it promised a lot and gave zilch. Hyped to be the master’s film, this film crashed and burnt like no other. It’s not like bad, bad but really I expect better than mediocre from Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Chopra’s lost it, and I’m not sure if he knows it. Plus what’s with nominating this piece-of-work for the Oscars ? Really, I want a refund of my movie ticket – I could do much better with $8 .

Also see the Best Films of 2007.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, Top 10 | 6 Comments

Best Films of 2007

Posted on December 28, 2007 by amodini

Note : The edited version of this post appears in the Spotlight Section of Planet Bollywood, here.

This was the year of the little known film-maker. While big banners floundered with their attempts at crowd-pleasing cinema, small-time, independent film-makers carved out the top-spots with innovative, imaginative moves. Very pleased with the outcomes, I bring to you my picks for the Top 10 films of 2007 :

10. Taare zameen par : In the mood for a weepie ? A heart-tugging tale of a dyslexic little boy and an unsympathetic world, this one brings up the rear of the Top 10 count-down. Here’s the full review.

9. Honeymoon travels Pvt. Ltd : Reema Kagti’s first directorial venture, by way of Farhan Akhtar is a tale of a bunch of honey-mooners, out celebrating. With well-etched out characters, the elements of love, drama, humor, surprise, fantasy are nicely intertwined to create a clean, fresh, and enjoyable film. Full review here.

8. Jhoom-barabar-jhoom : This is your above average masala film with a twist. Shaad Ali’s second attempt at film-making , this one’s a little loopy, a little kitschy, and can boogie with the best. The full scoop here.

7. Bheja Fry : One of the better comedies of the year, this one still takes the cake for situational (and realistic) humor. Quirky characters abound, and inflict themselves upon poor, unsuspecting souls, creating a comedy of errors you won’t forget. Read the entire review.

6. Life in a metro : A group of stories all inter-twined, and each one well told. An amazing starcast brings the characters to life, and a great sound-track brings home the emotion. Metro is surely the thinking man’s cinema, and an engrossing film. Full review here.

5. Cheeni Kum : What, want more romance ? And you want it sans the juvenile inanities that make desi romances such a chore ? Well then, CK is it for you. A grown-up attitude towards amore, CK sizzles with wry wit, humor and superb acting. Love, is now, in the air. Here’s the full review.

4. Jab we met : I like JWM so much because it’s light, fluffy and melts in the mouth. Not without it’s flaws, and a slightly “heavy” second half, this one still comes in at #4 because of it’s humor, feel-good-ness and nicely done romance. The on-screen chemistry between Kareena and Shahid is a lovely bonus. Details here .

3. Manorama six feet under : Perry Mason, Poirot, move over ! Make way for our very own home-grown, small-town desi detective, Satyaveer Singh Randhawa. Not very Herculean by nature, Satyaveer’s attempts to do the right thing inspite of all odds, garners the film much appreciation and the #3 slot on this countdown. Read the full review here.

2. Johnny Gaddar : There are crime mysteries galore, but ever hear the one about how he got away ? An interesting, intelligent crime thriller, JG is top grade desi noir. Here’s the lowdown on the film.

1. Chak de India ! : How do you like your under-dog : rare, medium or well-done ? Well-done it seems with CDI, which takes the age-old formula, infuses it with charm, and feel-good vibes to trot out the most endearing film of the year. Classy flick this one – read the full review here.

Other watchable films for 2007 are few, and they are :

– Guru
– Aaja Nachle
– Gandhi, my father
– Salaam-e-ishq
– Ek chaalis ki last local
– Risk

Forward looking, aren’t we ? Here are the Blockbusters from 2008 ! Plus make sure you didn’t miss the cream of the crop from last year – check out The Top 5 films of 2006 !

Hmmm … forgiving mood ? See the Worst Films of 2007.

Tags : Best films of 2007, Best hindi movies, Good hindi movies, Top 10 movies

Posted in 2007, Best hindi movies, bollywood, recommended, Top 10 | 12 Comments

Review : Taare zameen par

Posted on December 25, 2007 by amodini

Note : The edited version of this review appears at Planet Bollywood, here.

Rating : Above average (3.8/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 45 minutes
Director/Producer : Amir Khan
Cast : Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary, Tanay Cheda, Tisca Chopra, Sachet Engineer, Vipin Sharma
Music : Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Writer : Amole Gupte
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR (TZP) : WINSOME WEEPIE

Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is your average 8 year old. Or not. He is mischevious, naughty and given to pranks that you’d think were normal for his age. He loves to paint, and express himself. But at school, he has difficulty concentrating on his work and taking directions. And when the teacher asks him to read, he can’t . Why ? Because, says he, “the letters are dancing”. Smartass ? No. Dyslexic ? Yes.

The film is about a little boy, who’s a little different from all the other little boys. Only the rest of the world can’t see his troubles, terming them “attitude” problems, or laziness. Even his parents, especially his dad (Vipin Sharma) won’t sympathize, packing him off to boarding school where “they’ve tamed wilder horses”.

Dyslexia is little recognized, I’d imagine, in an atmosphere where competition is severe, and tomorrow’s success depends on high scores in class today. We all must be toppers, so where is the space for little buck-toothed Ishaan ? Ishaan’s elder brother Yohan (Sachet Engineer) is your average super-accomplished kid, excelling in studies and sports. Thus his parents are doubly disappointed in Ishaan’s red-inked classwork, oft-repeated mistakes, and frequent complaints from school. Ishaan is lost in an internal world of misery, until an astute and empathetic teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir) recognizes the symptoms and helps him out.

The film’s story is simple; it’s about Ishaan and Nikumbh, one helping the other. The film starts off depicting Ishaan’ problems in day-to-day life, and moves slowly – one wished for crisper editing. While the subject of the story would require a slower pace, and the need to delve into details, smarter editing might have prevented the movie dragging in the beginning. The film features some very interesting graphics and animation sequences; the letters which Ishaan claims are dancing, “actually” dance off the screen, the spiders that Ishaan imagines his books to be actually crawl out to threaten Ishaan. We get a glimpse into Ishaan’t creativity, by seeing the adventures in his mind’s eye, and his talent in choosing bright, vibrant colors in his artwork is depicted by moving, swishing colors.

Safary is a very good actor for his age, so I found Ishaan’s character believable, and I felt for him. Aamir’s role as Nikumbh starts pretty much after the interval, and although it was finely done, I found Nikumbh a little too smug in his righteousness. Aamir portrays Nikumbh with a self-consciousness – the self-consciousness of a person who knows how “good” he is being, and that takes away some of the emotional connection for me. I mean, I know he’s a good guy and all, and he’s the only one who’s really helping Ishaan. But taken just by himself, and without the sympathetic support from Darsheel’s character I’m not sure I felt as much for Nikumbh – he was too surely seated on his moral high horse. Still, he’s managed some heart-warming scenes with little Darsheel – scenes which left me mopping my eyes.

Ishaan’s parents’ story wasn’t every well-developed I thought – they kind of disappeared after Ishaan went off to boarding school, only reappearing as uncaring foils to Nikumbh’s super-sensitive soul. Seemed a little contrived in Nikumbh’s favor. Ishaan’s Dad is depicted as a stick-in-the-mud authoritarian, and in the face of Nikumbh’s persuasion, very resistant to the idea of Ishaan’s being dyslexic, viewing it as akin to retardation. Vipin Sharma as Awasthi appears angry and a little over the top, and anal, which he is, I suppose. He isn’t very subtle, that’s for sure. His mother Maya (Tisca Chopra), acts pretty well. Still, she who feels the most for him, lets him be carted away to boarding-school, which I found hard to swallow, since her character appears to care very much. Would even reasonably competent parents sit back complacently even after knowledge of a possible condition like dyslexia ?

TZP features some very nice songs, beautifully worded. For a first film, Aamir directs well, although he could have tightened the pace a bit. The dialogues are apt; my children were fairly amused by all the talk among the kids in the film. There are very few desi movies tailored to kiddie audiences, and even fewer still which deal with topics like dyslexia. Just by that factor alone, TZP earns a few brownie points. It would have earned more had it been a little more subtle, and sophisticated. So, although I’m not absolutely floored by it, it’s still a good film. And it has it’s heart in the right place. It’s earnest, and it tries to do the right thing – a weepie worth the watch.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, family-friendly, rating-G, recommended, social issues | 7 Comments

Review : Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal

Posted on December 21, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Poor (0.5/5)
Genre : Action / Sports / Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 45 minutes
Director : Vivek Agnihotri
Cast : John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Raj Zutshi, Bipasha Basu,

DHAN DHANA DHAN GOAL (DDDG) : NO GOALS SCORED !

There aren’t that many Bollywood-ian sports flicks. In fact I can name only two – Lagaan and Chak de India! Now I don’t play or watch cricket or hockey, but guess what ? These films were enjoyable ! Not so the recent addition to the sports stable – DDDG. You think sports and you think action. I mean they’ll do something, right ? They do, they do, but it’s boring nevertheless. And extremely painful to watch.

Arshad Warsi is Shaan, a desi restaurant owner with a passion for soccer. Thus he makes every effort to rev up his soccer team Southall United to victory. The team has no resources, no coach, and a desi commentator Johnny Bakshi and city councilwoman Anne are after the land of their soccer club. Shaan manages to get Tony Singh, a yesteryear player with a tarnished reputation as coach, and Tony in turn manages to lure first-class player Sunny Bhasin (John) to Southall United. Slowly the tide begins to turn . . .

But man, oh man, is it boring watching this tide thingy ! Ever watched grass grow ? Quite similar. The story is the oft-repeated under-dog one. Not that I have problems with that – Lagaan and CD were under-dog stories too. But the treatment was way, way different. I mean there’s the under-dog and he has an uphill battle. That’s a given, yeah ? Now you’d better like the under-dog and root for him, or else the whole exercise is pointless. And that’s the major flaw in DDDG – the under-dogs really are a bunch of losers, and not even remotely likeable, forget about rooting for them.

What comes across in the film is the director’s narrow point of view. The film is full of old, tired clichés about “goras”, and “betraying your community”, and not fitting in. It’s the whole “Us” and “Them” deal, and I didn’t get it. Who’s “Us” ? The desis who CHOOSE to live in Britain ? Who’s “Them” ? All the “white folk” ? And we assume that all of “Them” are racist and bigoted ? I’m not saying racism and bigotry don’t exist, but trying to paint all of “Them” with one broad brush is not just asinine, it’s immature. It smacks of the mindset of a director who can’t get over his Lagaan hang-up. As an immigrant I’m not sure who the target audience of the film really is. The desis in India won’t identify with this bunch, and I’m not sure if I will. If you live outside India, if the UK is your adopted country, I’d assume some loyalty to the land where you live and whose citizens your kids are. If you can’t fit into where you choose to live, you have bigger problems than just soccer woes.

The other major flaw (Ah ! You thought there was just one, hmm ?) is the listless depiction of soccer. Let’s see, was it – thrilling ? No. Interesting ? No. Well-paced ? No. Did I care ? No. All I wanted was for this film to end. A sports film hinges upon . . er, sports. If you can’t get the sporting action right, half the battle is lost right there. Seriously, I have as much of a clue about soccer as I have about hockey. But I really enjoyed all the matches in “Chak de”, because they had everything DDDG soccer games didn’t. Because you rooted for the “Chak de” girls – they had sass, guts, integrity and loyalty. They knew who they were and they knew where they stood. Unfortunately, the soccer guys don’t. And they can’t kick ball. Or ass.

Much of the blame for the film’s failure can be attributed to poor scripting. Half-baked characters do no one any good. Least of all fine actors like Arshad Warsi, who makes the best of what he’s given. Boman Irani is a pretty good actor too, but his performance can only be described as over-wrought in this film. Bipasha’s role of a doctor who’s balancing out her brother’s patriarchal views regarding women, with her desire to jump John is plain unbelievable. John has cut his hair, and does fairly OK, except for his discordant accent. I mean, wouldn’t you expect a British born and bred guy to have a British accent ? The only character who seemed just right was that of Arshad Warsi’s British-born wife. The rest of the supporting cast was either asked to ham it up, or they thought it up on their own.

The story was pretty ad-hoc and relied heavily upon unrealistic emotions. The direction was terrible. Editing was shoddy, and scenes looked like they’d been cut and pasted to fit, instead of to flow. The dialogues were cheesy and theatrical. But all that is small change when the basic premise of the story is faulty. That’s the foundation, and with a shaky foundation, you ain’t going nowhere. The songs were OK, I think. The “Don’t mess with me” number was pretty catchy.

With this film, Mr. Agnihotri gets himself in the top 3 of my “Directors to not watch out for” list. What that means for you’ll, is to not watch his films. What that means for me is to watch and rip to shreds. I hope I’ve done that adequately here.

Posted in 2007, bollywood | Comments Off

Review : Aaja Nach le

Posted on December 19, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.8/5)
Genre : Musical / Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 25 minutes
Director : Anil Mehta
Cast : Madhuri Dixit, Akshaye Khanna, Raghuvir Yadav, Divya Dutta, Irfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Yashpal Sharma, Sushmita Mukherjee

AAJA NACHLE : SIMPLE AND ENTERTAINING

Madhuri, when she was reigning queen of Bollywood, epitomized the idea of an earthy, voluptuous, youthful desi beauty. Now, in her first film after her return from Uncle Sam’s land, the voluptuousness is toned down, and the youthfulness dissipating. What is unchanged however is Madhuri’s star power – the 1000 mega watt smile is still in eminence, and the power to carry off a film totally on her own, minus a major “hero”, is there for all to see. How many current heroines can actually do that ?

It doesn’t hurt ofcourse that Madhuri is one of the better actresses on the desi film scene, or the fact that she dances like a dream. Or that ANL is a Yash Raj productions, with decent direction, excellent dialogues and some pretty catchy numbers. But what makes this film one of the better films of the year, is Madhuri herself. Yes, I will say to all the nay-sayers right now, she does look older; age shows on her face, crows-feet and all. Still, she is fitter than ever before – less puppy fat on face, and I’ve never seen her look this good in jeans. In the “Aaja Nach le” number, she absolutely sizzles on stage. And lest I forget, there is an unmistakable confidence in her step, when playing the “Angrez” so to speak. She is gauche no more, and that actually may be the result of a real-life personality change.

Madhuri is Dia, a small-town girl, partial to dancing and the arts, and devoted disciple of the Makrand (Darshan Zariwala) Guru of Ajanta, a dance-theatre group. As is customarily seen in small-towns, in Shamli too, conservatism rules. And when Dia falls in love with National Geographic photographer American Steve, tongues wag. Her parents arrange a hurried match with local chai-shop wala Mohan (Shourie), and Dia unable to stomach this runs away with Steve to the good old USA.

Several years down the line, she returns with a daughter in tow, at her Guruji’s death. Her Guru is now gone, but Dia is determined that his artistic vision will live on. And if that means taking on the local MP (Khanna) who’s determined to tear down the dance school to make way for a mall, or the townspeople who won’t give her the time of day, so be it. Thus when the modern, pizza-loving MP challenges Dia to prove that Shamli does indeed need Ajanta as much as she thinks it does, by organizing a performance with local dancers, Dia is more than upto the task . . .

OK, first the good, because I’m such an optimist you know, and especially around the holidays. It’s another thing ofcourse that most big banner films this year have reduced my optimistic tendencies to a smidgen of their previous selves, AND made my hair stand on end (I don’t need the straightening iron anymore.)

This is a classy, clean film – perfect for family viewing. There’s almost nothing in here that’ll make you worry about your kid’s sensibilities being adversely affected. Most of the characters are played by fairly strong actors. Konkona Sen Sharma plays a local girl, angling for a part in Madhuri’s dance production and is good. As is Kunal Kapoor playing a young goon, in the employ of your resident, slimy politician. Raghuvir Yadav as Doctor the “caretaker” of Ajanta is immaculate, but with him you expect nothing less.

Akshaye Khanna is charming as the MP (and Raja) of Shamli, and delivers some of the best lines; when Dia’s daughter wonders who he is, he mutters matter-of-factly “I’m the bad guy”. Plus they finally got his hair right – they took it all off ! Ranvir Shourey has a pretty meaty role as in-love-with-Dia tea-shop-owner Mohan, who’s devotion to her knows no bounds. Quite the under-dog, he got my sympathy. Vinay Pathak is delightful as the rigid government officer and Sushmita Mukherjee (remember Kitty from Karamchand ?) as his contrarily lively wife is sweet.
This film has fantastic dialogue. From the razor sharp repartees that Dia snaps back at the amused MP, to the description of Konkona that Dia comes up with – “You are”, she says, “like a cat in a gunny sack” of Konkona’s disheveled appearance – they all had me chuckling.

The story is a little sparse, but does have it’s strong points. I’m glad, for example, that Dia as a divorcee is still portrayed as a complete woman, and the divorce is not rubbed in her face as the “fault” of a “fallen” woman. It happened, she moved on, and built a life on her own terms. Nice, and really quite innovative for desi films still in the clutches of a patriarchal hangover. I’m also glad that there is only a hint of a romance between Dia and the MP, and the story does not get side-tracked to encompass the love angle. Quite a leap for Bollywood to portray that a woman can focus on her goals, and not “need” a man to fulfill them for her.

Now for the bad – it’s a tad ‘traditional”, in that all the mean characters in the film, miraculously turn goody-goody at the end of the film. The whole character black-and-white thing reminds me funnily enough of this :

There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

I mean I’m all for realistic cinema, but you can’t pick and choose realism can you ? An example : Madhuri in her dance performance at Shamli has a bunch of extras, and a set that looked like it would have needed Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s supervision to build. Always assuming (as in all Hindi films) that God supplies the music and the orchestra, we would still need a group of dancers where Dia’s having trouble coming up with a handful, and enough moolah and expertise to transform the ramshackle Ajanta theatre into an atrium for the Gods.

Still, why sweat the small stuff, yeah ? This is a good film, even after minor drawbacks. It should be interesting to see how Madhuri fits into the desi film scene, now that she has her share of stretch-marks. I’m quite pleased that she chose to make ANL her comeback vehicle, where she took on an age-appropriate, graceful, strong, woman-centric role (Dia’s a woman with gumption, no less !), instead of trying to fit into the mindless pretty-young-thing slots. And even though I’m not the biggest Madhuri fan, I hope she has a good run.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, family-friendly, rating-G, recommended | 2 Comments

Review : Manorama six feet under

Posted on December 1, 2007 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B001KQFANU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Very good (4.0/5)
Genre : Suspense / thriller
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 15 minutes
Director : Navdeep Singh
Cast : Abhay Deol, Vinay Pathak, Gul Panag, Raima Sen, Sarika, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

MANORAMA SIX FEET UNDER : DESI DETECTIVE DELIVERS !

“Manorama, six feet under” is the perfect example of Desi noir – a term unheard of until now. And our very own desi detective. No Poirot this one, he’s Satyaveer Singh Randhawa (Abhay Deol), a junior PWD (Public Works Department) engineer in small town Rajasthan. Living his small-town life in Lakhot with sarcastic beauty-parlor-running wife Nimmi (Panag) and small son Raju, SV is also a writer, penning short stories after trying, and failing, in his big attempt to write a novel. That attempt, a novel “Manorama”, featuring a detective named Raghu, sold only 200 copies, and flopped miserably.

In his day job, SV is under suspension for accepting a bribe – a shiny new motor-cycle. His humdrum everyday life is interrupted when a regal woman lands up at his door, saying she needs to use his detective services. She’s a fan of his book, Manorama, and presumes that he will be able to help her, because he, the writer of a detective novel is the closest they have to a detective in this small, desert town. The woman is the wife of a powerful politician, wanting evidence against him, and is willing to pay handsomely to procure the required information. Satyaveer, twiddling his thumbs at home, suspended, accepts the commission, but what appears to be a simple case of a little spywork, turns into a much more dangerous and intriguing problem. . .

This is a wonderful, wonderful film. It is dark, at times startlingly violent, and unfolds very, very slowly. Each character is lovingly built-up. The taut script and screenplay provide numerous unexpected turns and twists, enough to keep one’s eyes glued to the screen. The characters are realistic, and meticulous attention is paid to the appearances – I suppress a smile watching Nimmi in a dressing gown, a bright yellow petticoat visible underneath, sitting out on the front porch peeling vegeatables. Middle-class India is out on display. SV’s nosy neighbor enquires about the new motor-bike, and his wife sitting out in the garden keeps an interested eye on the goings-on in the Singh household. The street-people are swathed in shawls, rustic goons go around in faded home-grown jeans, with bright blue pockets, and SV lolls at home in kurta-pyjamas. The dialogues suit the people; the graduate Nimmi very often lapses into English, while her rustic, mustachioed brother, rolls out his own version of proverbs like “Curiosity kill cat”, his accent very often dissolving into the vernacular. Wry humor and earthy ditties keep us grounded.

Our protagonist’s life, much like the desert, is dry and sterile, and crumbling. It’s slow, mired in heat and dust and travels at the speed of SV’s old scooter (which his wife calls a tin-box). It’s harried – the tap dries up when SV has a bath, there’s a fly in his chai (tea), and all’s rocky on the homefront. Abhay Deol (and man, can this guy pick films !) superbly underplays his role; SV is self-deprecating, a good family man, yet susceptible to temptation. His world’s going to pieces, and he has warnings galore. Everyone, it seems wants him off this case, but SV hangs onto it like a dog with a bone. Only this bone’s gonna stick in his craw.

Gul Panag is fantastic as SV’s sharp-tongued wife Nimmi. Vinay Pathak, as Nimmi’s Inspector brother plays his part to perfection; he is the epitome of a street-smart, small-time corrupt official on the take, kow-towing to the bigger fish and eating the smaller ones. Raima Sen proves her mettle once again, this time essaying a small but pivotal role. And that oft-forgotten veteran Kulbhashan Kharbanda appears appropriately odious as yet another slimy politician. Sarika has a very small role, but does manage it ably. Although these major actors anchor the film, MSFU is so effective because all the actors, even the minor ones are good, and effectively drawn.

This film is an absolute must-see. If there’s one film you choose to see this year, please let it be this one. I, for one, am mighty pleased that Hindi cinema has it’s very own filmi detective at last. And oh, joy, one with brains, gumption and character – could one ask for more ? With Navdeep Singh’s deft direction at work, I’m hoping we are treated to more fine products of the same quality. A sequel or a series, perhaps ?