Review : Gandhi my father

Posted on August 24, 2007 by amodini

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

Rating : Above average (3.7/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 17 minutes
Cast : Darshan Jariwala, Akshaye Khanna, Shefali Shah, Bhoomika Chawla
Director : Feroze Abbas Khan

GANDHI MY FATHER : SENSITIVELY DONE !

It was with curiosity that I went to see this film – it’s not your usual Friday night entertainer. Much has been speculated about Gandhi’s personal life, and his tumultuous relationship with his son Harilal. I am actually amazed (and quite pleased) that someone in Bollywood would take up such a subject, because frankly we desis tend to revere our Mahatmas, and refuse to listen to any criticism of them. Thus although the film laud’s Gandhi’s role in the freedom struggle, he doesn’t come out quite as clean in his personal relationships.

The film is sort of biographical in nature, since it starts when we see a bedraggled Harilal Gandhi (the eldest of his sons) brought to a hospital in a semi-conscious state. Taken for a beggar with his matted locks and unkempt state, his assertion that he is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s son is taken with a grain of salt. The film traces back Harilal’s life from his youth up till the present day, and in the process we see Gandhi’s family life, the roots of his activism, and his personal beliefs as they affected Harilal and the rest of the family.

When the film starts off Gandhi is a young barrister in South Africa, living there with Kasturba and four of his children. His eldest son Harilal is in India, planning to marry his fiancée Gulab (Bhumika). Gandhi, upset at the early date of the union (he himself has gotten Harilal engaged 4 years ago), resolves to cut himself off from Harilal. He softens later on when Harilal comes to S.Africa to assist him, but still wants Harilal to remain entrenched in grass-roots activism instead of going on to London for further education – something which Harilal dearly desires. The film later dwells upon the (almost philosophical) rift between Gandhi and Harilal, Harilal’s attempts to do his own thing, achieve his independence, and break away from his father’s name and influence.

And what an influence ! Gandhi is the beacon of light, the others are merely fire-flies fluttering around, blinded. Seen as a frail man, Gandhi appears to be civility personified. However in his personal relationships, polite and soft-spoken as ever, he is a stern and harsh task-master. As seen in the film, his family lives by his ideals, whether they like it or not. Fair to a fault, Gandhi treats all as equal, be they his family members or outsiders, and this leads to ruffled feelings. Understandably Baa who witnesses Gandhi’s behavior towards her children, is torn between her loyalty towards her husband, and compassion for her kids. Harilal, the only child to express his displeasure verbally and rebel, finally breaks away completely.

Jariwalla as Gandhi, does a great job, for one can quite believe his activism permeating into his familial relationships. Shefali Shah as Kasturba is marvelous, torn between husband and son, doggedly living her fate, as the supportive Indian wedded woman. Even Bhumika Chawla, last seen immersing herself in Bollywood-ian fluff, is very good as the pious, accepting-of-her-fate Gulab. But most impressive, and the character who evoked the most sympathy was Akshaye Khanna as Harilal.

Although Harilal’s character as portrayed in the film, is essentially that of a weak man, his desire to better himself whichever way, is nothing if not redeeming. He is the dutiful son, loving, devoted, but still rebelling against the notion that his life is pre-ordained, that everyone but him knows what’s best for him. How else to explain Gulab’s packing him away to S.Africa, telling him that “Bapu” needs him ? How else to explain when Gulab is sent back from S.Africa because “someone” decides that her presence is distracting Harilal from achieving his objectives ?

When Harilal, attempting to escape S.Africa incognito, is recognized and sent back to Gandhi, he talks frankly to his father of his desire to make his own destiny. Says Gandhi “And what if you can’t ?” So beautifully is Harilal’s angst sketched that one wonders if Harilal even had a chance with a parent who doubted him at every step.

This film’s strength is in it’s actors, and the sensitivity and compassion that is brought into it’s portrayals, beautifully expressing their dilemmas and constraints. The direction is good, and the dialogues pass muster. What I thought didn’t work too well, was the attempt to intersperse the flashback with the current, since it didn’t enhance the narration any.

Not your masala entertainer, this film still turned out to be an interesting watch, a close-up look at a great leader’s tenuous links with family, from a different point of view. This film might be the lone dissenting voice, amid the crowd of Gandhi devotees, but it presents it’s case well, humanely and with due compassion.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, family-friendly, historical | 5 Comments

Review : Chak de India

Posted on August 15, 2007 by amodini

cdi

Rating : Good (4/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2.5 hours
Cast : Shahrukh Khan, Anjan Srivastav, Chitrashi Rawat, Tanya Abrol, Shilpa Shukla, Sagarika Ghatge, Vidya Malvade
Director : Shimit Amin

CHAK DE INDIA : GLORIOUS !

Until about 10 years ago, I viewed modern-day Bollywood as a giant trash-spewing machine. Things have slowly changed for the good, however. With the advent of new, educated , “thinking” directors, some very good cinema has started to come out of Mumbai. Still it is rare that a thoroughly wholesome film graces desi film screens. A film which is feel-good, clean, positive and quality cinema. Tall order, eh ? But Chak De is one of those rare films. It is the story of the under-dog. “What ?”, you groan – “that tried-and-tested formula, the one that every down-on-his-luck Tom, Dick and Harry banks upon to save a sinking film ?” Yup, the very same. But “Chak de” is not sinking, and saving, it does not need. Formulaic or not, the film works and how.

“Chak de” is an out and out sports film. And it deals with an unlikely sport – hockey. Very far from the limelight (in which cricket basks), hockey and especially women’s hockey languishes. Impeded by governmental bureaucracy, with the babus thinking of women only as “chakla-belan chalaane-wali Bhartiyan nariyan”, short of coaches, facilities and sponsorships, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team is the perfect under-dog. To champion this under-dog comes coach Kabir Khan (SRK), an ex-hockey captain with a tarnished reputation. He has one goal in mind – the World Cup.

As we stare incredulous at the man’s temerity, he struggles on; besides the snide comments on his past that he has to face, the girls of the hockey team don’t want him, and the babus, believing the team unworthy, decide to not send a women’s team to the World Cup itself. This is Kabir’s second shot at a World Title. He’s tried once and lost. Is he slated to lose again ?

Shah Rukh Khan, in this film, leads a team of unknown actors. And it is to the director’s credit, that SRK doesn’t take over the film but is content to give each character her due. Khan himself gives a rousing performance, his best possibly after Swades. There is no twitching of the eyebrows, no hamming it up, and no shades of SRK overshadowing the character. SRK plays Kabir with a fragility I’d thought him incapable of.

Each of the 16 girls which form the Indian National Team, fits her character, from Soimoi Kerketa (Nisha Nair) of Jharkhand to Nethra Reddy (Sandia Furtado) of Andhra. The look is true and so is the accent. Drawn from the far corners of India, we have the lioness from Punjab – Balbir Kaur (Tanya Abrol), the tomboy from Haryana – Komal Chautala (Chitrashi Rawat), the veteran bully – Bindia Naik (Shilpa Shukla), the good-natured captain Vidya (Vidya Malvade) and the English-speaking mem from Chandigarh Preeti Sabharwal (Sagarika Ghatge). There is also Gunjan Lakhani, played by Shubhi Mehta of MTV Roadies fame (she was one of the 3 finalists in that season). Although these girls get the chunk of the action and the screen-time, all the cast have acquitted themselves rather well.

CDI is well-scripted (Ranjan Negi served as consultant), strong in it’s performances and on believability, and brings a freshness, honesty and integrity rarely seen. It gives us a desperate, yet strong band of girls striving to prove to themselves and to others, their worth and their ability. It gives us a man striving to redeem his honor and his title, but this is done subtly and without the emotional drama that passes for “motivation” in most Hindi films. Kabir Khan does not relate to us his tale of woe, (we get hints) nor does he revel in his martyrdom – he just believes and does. Finally a sensible hero.

As far as the girls are concerned, they aren’t just sacrificial lambs at the altar of nationalistic pride, but independent thinking women by themselves. They struggle as a team, and strive for their wins, not as a balm to Kabir Khan’s wounded pride, or swept-up in nationalistic jingoism. They do it because they love it; it is as much an affirmation of themselves as it is an honor for the country – a truly empowering sentiment.

The film goes further in it’s commentary on sexism – eve-teasers are roundly beaten-up, and those advocating that women remain in the kitchen, are booed. Through the dialogues, we also see the problem of treating the citizens from the North-Eastern states as “foreigners” simply because they look different – at the registration desk, Mary Ralte and Molly Zimik are accorded a “Welcome” and they wonder aloud why it is so, when they are in their own country. There is also the issue of the “generic” Madrasi which is dealt with – says one character “What is the difference between a Tamil and a Telugu ?” He gets a fitting reply.

We know that there is the whole unity-in-diversity theme going on here. We know that the director is playing upon our sympathies for the under-dog and the soft spot we have reserved for the ill-treated. We hear, ever so faintly, the drum-drumming of the dhol of patriotism. We also know how it will end. Still, the pleasure of seeing this film does not diminish. The editor has done a fine job indeed when a 2 and a half hour film does not seem as long, and the director has delivered a hit when the film flows along beautifully with nary a break in it’s narration.

This movie flouts the basic laws of Hindi films – there is no romance, no song-and-dance routines, no villains (unless you consider the oily, sarkari babus villains) and no obvious attempts at glamour. What is does offer is plenty of adrenalin, daring and guts. This is a perfect family film (how often do I say that ?) – it’s clean and wholesome. Besides that, and more importantly, it’s a rollicking entertainer, and jolly good fun.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, family-friendly, recommended | 8 Comments

Review : Apne

Posted on August 8, 2007 by amodini

apne

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

Rating : Average (3/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : about 3 hours
Director : Anil sharma
Cast : Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kirron Kher, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Victor Banerjee, Divya Dutta

APNE : THE TALE OF PAPA, PUTTAR & THE CHIP

Yup, that about sums it up. There’s Papa Deol as Baldev, ex-boxing champ and there’s puttarji, actually 2 of them – Sunny paaji as devoted son Angad, and rocker-musician son Karan (Bobby). And then there’s the chip (it’s not the eating kinds), and it’s the size of Mount Govardhan (don’t know about Mount Govardhan, and attempting to see a film as nauseatingly pious as this ? Tsk, tsk !), and perched neatly on Papa’s shoulder. Papa has the chip because, once when he was a boxer and wrongly accused of doping charges, he swore to avenge his honor by making his son the champ. Angad, the son in question, however in the interests of family and common-sense, chose to quit boxing beyond a point and take up business, thus saving his family from penury. So, Papaji got angry and hasn’t been on good terms with Angad ever since.

OK, so now Angad poor kid, affection starved and all, is doing well, loves his family but longs for his father’s approval. Now, when an opportunity to restore some boxing prestige arises, Baldev chooses Karan to turn boxer (musician to boxer – easy-peasy, right ?). When Karan suffers a setback, its up to Angad again to step-up, and win this thing.

This film is from the director of Gadar, and I actually thought Gadar a decent film. This one, I don’t know, it’s too sanctimonious for it’s own good. Plus I have massive problems with the concept – that of children living out parent-ordained lives (what about the poor kid ?). This movie is still better than Baghbaan, as in I could actually watch the full film without going nuts (I nodded off for a little while, but does that count ?).

Hark ! Did I hear you asking about a family film which has the 3 Deol men crying as one ? If that’s what you want then this is it. Lots of emotional drama, lot’s of tears, and with all characters in the film soooooo pious and soooo good (except Papaji of course) , and (you want more ?) lot’s of brawn. Do note that in films starring Sunny Deol, you have either brain or brawn. One or the other, see ? And mostly, it’s brawn.

There are also the women dotting the screen here – the most prominent being the mother figure – Raavi (Kher) who plays her character to the hilt with the usual aplomb. Then, in keeping with the tenets of the Punjabi patriarchy and Bollywoodian principles, there are the other 2 women, Angad’s wife (Shipa) who has nothing much to do except say “Haanji”, nod her head and offer her supporting (and very shapely) shoulders to be cried upon, and Karan’s US returned doctor girlfriend (Katrina) who very conveniently turns into his personal doctor-cum-therapist when Karan’s paralyzed hand miraculously starts working again. And you though God’s miracles didn’t exist !

OK, so the good : the direction is decent, the acting is OK and Dharmendra still has the old-world charm. The bad – the sea of emotion, the music, and Sunny Deol’s wig. During the boxing scenes, with every jab, I was just waiting to see the wig go flying off . I’ll be fair and say that my parents actually liked the film; my Mom’s the weepy sorts – she would shed tears at the Ramayana television series, as I laughed out loud at the silly arrows going whish-whish across the screen.

This film is lush and glossy – it’s like they wiped down the screen with desi ghee. Verdant green dominates as do the fields of Punjab. There’s the Papaji and the Maa and their dutiful betas, and obedient bahus, and grand-kids, so yeah, as per my Mom, the whole family-bonding thing going on here. The first half was bearable, in the second the film descended down the path to the Land-of-Overwrought-Emotions. And you know, no-one actually comes back from there. Neither did the film.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, ecstatically stupid, rating-PG | 4 Comments

Review : Partner

Posted on July 22, 2007 by amodini

partner

Rating : The worst (-20/5)
Genre : Comedy
Year : 2007
Director : David Dhawan
Cast : Salman Khan, Lara Dutta, Govinda, Katrina Kaif, Rajpal Yadav, Dalip Tahil, Suresh Menon, Ali Haji

PARTNER : STUPID, STUPIDER, STUPIDEST

It’s amazing – you talk about “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom” or “Cheeni Kum” and people are moaning about the film, not happy, sitting on the fence – “Oh, it’s boring”, “Oh, the topic is too controversial”, etc., etc . And then you have films like “Partner” which come to you straight from David Dhawan and via the toilet, and people are giving it a Thumbs-Up ? Funny film ? Family Film ?? Oh, despair.

This film however does answer a very important question, one which has been giving me sleepless nights : “Can David Dhawan films get any worse ?”. And the answer folks, is YES, they can. Case in point – this one. Partner is probably the worst David Dhawan film I’ve seen. After I saw the film, I whined and moaned and bitched about this film for a whole hour, after which someone pointed out to me that this was a check-in-your-brains at the door kind of film (in fact the theater where I saw this film was offering locker rentals for this very purpose). And it’s not like David Dhawan actually dabbles in high-IQ , or even no IQ plots. Yes, I understand that. But even for the master of the absurd, the illogical, the non-sensical this one is a new low.

For starters, it has no plot. Yup, you heard me – no plot. Yes, I know , everyone says it’s inspired from “Hitch”, but the resemblance is so remote, it’s heard to detect. I mean, “Hitch” was bad enough. David Dhawan’s Indianised interpretation of it is the pits. Salman Khan is Prem, our very own Love Guru – why, oh why ? A cartoon character informs us – it’s because living in a houseful of sisters that’s what he learnt, you know, stuff about women. And it’s only a loser who lets precious knowledge go to waste. Therefore, the Love-Guru. Various men approach the all-knowledgeable Love Guru to find out how to win over women. One of them is Bhaskar (Govinda), a supreme idiot of the first order, who also happen to be Chief Financial Officer of a company. How ? Don’t ask. Bhaskar lusts after his boss, the very rich and beautiful Priya (Katrina), but since Priya seems so unattainable (you think ?), he needs help.

Prem, after much persuasion, agrees to help. He also meets intrepid journalist, Naina Sahni (Lara), a single mom and journalist, who often needs help escaping the clutches of Chotta Don (Rajpal Yadav), and decides that she’s the woman for him. Naina doesn’t agree and neither does her brat (child artiste Ali Haji). Thus the film – how these 2 get their women to assent.

OK, besides the no-logic part, I have a philosophical question. In most desi cinema everyone’s going on about the purity of love, love is in the heart, it’s not superficial etc. so how is it that the heroes (and they might be walking-talking mountains of blubber) always go for the model types ? Now, in all truth, Govinda has put on all a lot of fat. Add to that gravity, age and the incessant pelvis-grinding and you have a thoroughly unwholesome hero. Could you imagine a David Dhawan film with a correspondingly unwholesome female lead ? Yeah, I’m waiting for that one.

So then is anything in here even remotely watchable ? Yes, the songs. They’re loud and in-your-face but catchy and enjoyable. Salman has slimmed down and looks good. The women look good too, but unlike Salman, they have not much to do except look pretty and brainless. And the character of Lara’s kid – precocious, rude, and a perfect motivation for birth-control.

I’m not sure what to say about the direction. The film went from one absurd scene to the other. In the middle of these sprang, loud, boisterous song and dance numbers, which had no link whatsoever to what was going on in the film at the time. The dialogues got pretty crude (and sexist). I do think that if comedy is coming to this and we think of such films as “family films” we need a grading system to warn parents of impending dangers. While Partner is an exercise in long-drawn out double entendres, the last half hour is devoted to adult bedroom scenes. Women in short negligees and the come-hither look in the eyes are not kid-friendly.

This film left me numb (after the one hour of bitching post-movie). I went with low expectations, low – not rock-bottom. This film fell below them. Which is why I agree with a friend’s appraisal of it – it’s like a large, cool drink of water. From the toilet-bowl.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, comedy | 11 Comments

Review : Jhoom barabar jhoom

Posted on July 18, 2007 by amodini

jbj

Rating : Above average(3.6/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hrs and 10 minutes
Director : Shaad Ali Sehgal
Cast : Abhishek Bachhan, Preiti Zinta, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol, Amitabh Bachchan, Ameet Chana, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar

JHOOM-BARABAR-JHOOM : LITTLE STORY, LOT’S OF JHOOM !

You know the kind of films which tread a fine line between mind-blowingly genius-y and outrageously loopy ? This is one of them. Shaad Ali Sehgal once again goes out on a limb to bring to you, the most off-the-wallish-zany Hindi film of the year.It starts off without a story – even at my kindest best I cannot quite call a meeting of two yarn-spinners a story – but (watch-out matey !) develops into a fairly entertaining film. I definitely got my money’s worth.

I categorize it as a romance, although the romance is kind of round-about. Sure, it has bits where it’s a musical, and it’s got drama, and there are times when you think you have been transported to the land of the pastiche surreal, but at it’s weirdly loopy core JBJ is all about amore.

So, you have a bonafide Punjabi lout Rikki Thukral (Abhishek) bumping into a hoity-toity Pakistani-Brit miss Alvira Khan (Preiti), at Waterloo Railway station. Rikki, a wheeler-dealer of sorts, has a self-professed tagline “I got class”. Not only does this Bhatinda-da-puttar spout ungrammatical English, he also sports a cell-phone with a self-deprecating ringtone of “Hello Handsome”. As it happens the two end up sharing a table at a restaurant, and as the reserve lessens, they tell each other their stories of meeting their great loves. Alvira is waiting to meet Steve (Deol), a dashing, rich lawyer, and Rikki is awaiting the French Anaida (Lara). Both trains happen to be late, so the two get ample time to expound on their tales, and you get the first half of the film.

Post-interval, the respective tales end, the trains arrive, and the two must depart to meet their loved ones. However heaving hearts, and much mental hand-wringing is in order here, since an attachment has developed between the two. Neither will admit it ofcourse, so they go their own separate ways . . .

JBJ does not take the traditional route of narration. It starts off as a story-telling session of sorts, develops the hint of a problem towards the middle, really scrambles things up with an extended musical-like performance in the second half, and finally ends with the lead pair in an excruciatingly back-breaking, kissy-kissy pose. And while the first-half could have used some editing – the story-telling got too long, and there was too little happening – Sehgal makes up for it in the second half. The songs which I’d heard before and was not too enthused about, were picturised beautifully (and differently), the “Bol halke-halke” number the best of the lot. From that song onwards, the film started ramping up.

The film starts off with Amitabh (a sutradhar of sorts) in a cowboy-meets-pirate-meets-gypsy costume, dancing away to the lead number. I doubt that anyone save Amitabh could carry off that costume, but he does, and with much aplomb. The colorful clothes (and lots of bling) remain thoughout the film, courtesy designer Aki Narula. Abhishek as Rikki puts in a good performance, exuding a loutishness, mixed in with heartfelt romanticism. He’s egoistic, he lies through his not-so-white teeth, and aspires to be upwardly mobile, but he’s a nice guy all the same. Preiti manages the haughty act quite well as Alvira. And Bobby, who’m I don’t ordinarily like too much, is outstanding as mamma’s boy Satvinder. Lara, who is required to sport a French accent in the first half of the film, and the choicest of Punjabi gaalis in the second, lapses into a Brit. accent at times. When she did remember her French accent, she did it quite well though. Besides that faux pas, she acted fairly decently. All characters try to authenticate their Brit. identities with words like “innit”, “Blimey”, “dodgy”, but to my ear they sounded so very desi-like.

Shaad Ali started out with a fairly traditional film, a good old-fashioned love story – Saathiya. His next film was “Bunty aur Babli” a boisterous romp through aspiring, middle-class India. With JBJ Sahgal stretches our concept of a “desi” film even further, extending it to encompass the masquerade, the pantomime, kitsch, whimsy, the carnival-isque atmosphere. Characters narrate their points-of-view in little asides, a technique I like very much, giving the film a very play-like feel. The emotion in the film is enhanced by seemingly over-wrought special effects (the shattering Superman in the background, the golden-ringleted Steve in slow motion), which seem to press too fine a point, but really differentiate this film from the common herd. Sahgal’s innovation might be hard to swallow at times, but seeing films like JBJ makes me glad that desi directors are at least taking chances.

If I had to draw comparisons, I’d say Sehgals’s technique resembles the treatment of Kunder’s “Jaan-e-man” and the carnival-esque atmosphere of the “Samjho ho hi gaya” number in “Lage raho Munnbhai”, but his is an intensification of the same; an ode to the fantastical drama of everyday lives.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, recommended | 9 Comments

Review : Mera pehla pehla pyar

Posted on July 10, 2007 by amodini

mp3
Note : The edited version of this review appears at Planet Bollywood

Rating : Below average (2.8/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2007
Director : Robby Grewal
Cast : Ruslaan Mumtaz, Hazel, Kanwaljeet, Gaurav Gera, Manoj Pahwa

MERA PEHAL PEHLA PYAR (MP3) : FOR TEENIE BOPPERS ONLY !

I have spoken about puerile nonsense before. Please consider this film a shining example of it. MP3 can best be described as anti-Cheeni-Kum. If CK was a love story for adults, MP3 is a love story for teenie-boppers. Not being a teenager anymore, I have lost the tolerance for juvenile stupidities. If you’re under 25 you might – and that’s a big might – get this film. Of course you’d also have to run low on common sense.

This film also gives rise to many questions, the chief one being – are kids these days really dumb enough to steal one’s Dad’s credit card, and then hazard a trip to Paris, without the remotest clue of where one is to get to in Paris ? Paris is not a little village. And these are not the dark ages. The internet and email, maps and information is yours to be had. Why then, not use the little grey cells instead of going around blathering about love ?

Also, Dad will find out about large unauthorised charges on his credit card, and you will get royally whupped. Hopefully.

I must also say that the story suffers from serious defects. A story has interest – the hang-in-there factor, because it has a problem. This one has none. I do not count getting to Paris to declare your love a problem – I mean it’s not like he’s going to fight a war or something. The film therefore is one long, UN-ENDING saga of love between Rohan (can you think of a more apt name ?) played by Ruslaan Mumtaz, and Ayesha (Hazel). The two are minors, and study in Class 11 and 12 in the same school (Groan!). In the cast are also several other young people who study in the same school, and Rohan and Ayesha’s parents and other kith and kin.

Please note that I have nothing against the young-love genre. However, as everywhere else, some quality please. And protagonists I can sympathise with. Both Rohan and Ayesha display no redeeming qualities to counter their stupidities. It could possibly be that I’m at an age where one can recognize a nitwit when one sees one – and it is hard to countenance antics of said nitwits without wondering whether they come from gene pools totally bereft of intelligence, common sense and soul. It could also be that the script writer has written two characters, who concentrate so hard on their love-life, that they lose any other interesting aspects of their personalities.

Rohan Sood is a Punjabi boy. Why do all unwholesome, “wanna-be-cool” protagonists have to be Punjabi ? Can one not imagine an intelligent Punjabi boy as hero, one who does not salivate while checking out “hot aunties” ? Rohan acts cool, is a fan of the “Detroit Rangers” (that Amrikan hang-up again) and is a product of the most tolerant parents ever. The heroine of the film, Ayesha, has not much to her role except being in love. She has as much spine as a lightning-struck doe. She is coy, she simpers – she’s like any other Bollywood heroine, except that she looks much too European. And she can’t act.

Speaking of intelligence, the adults in the film don’t display much of it either. While Rohan’s Dad (played by Kanwaljeet) offers his irresponsible, school-skipping son money AND his car to go dating, (Rohan promptly crashes the car), Ayesha’s Mom nods understandingly as Ayesha demonstrates the “look” she sports to impress the boys (Ah! A mother’s pride hath no bounds !)

Thus the only good things to come out of this film are :

1. The title track “Mera pehla pehla pyar”
2. The hero Ruslaan, who shows promise despite the husk of a role.

Much like the “A” certificate, I do think that the government must constitute a TB (Teenie Bopper) certificate to award to such films. Only people under 18 would be eligible to watch such films, thus saving all unwary folk (like me) from so much agony, and would ultimately make this universe a better place, and help achieve world peace.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, romance, watchable | 6 Comments

Review : Ek chalis ki last local

Posted on June 27, 2007 by amodini

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

Rating : Above average (3.65/5)
Genre : Comedy / Thriller
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 40 minutes
Director : Sanjay Khanduri
Cast : Abhay Deol, Neha Dhupia, Vinay Apte, Ashok Samarth, Deepak Shirke, Snehal Dabhi

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL (ECKLL) : SLOW START, BUT GREAT PICK-UP

Black humor has few proponents in Bollywood. So when a new director like Sanjay Khanduri comes up with a story-based film, I viewed it with skepticism. When the film got off to a slow start I was sort of expecting it. And when it got really boring, I was sort of expecting that too. And just when I was ready to give up on it, it picked up. ECKLL has got to be the sleeper of the year.

OK, so there’s this yuppie guy Nilesh (Deol), who having had a few after-work beers with colleagues, misses the last local (1:40 am) to Vikhroli. Near the station, he meets a girl Madhu (Dhupia) who’s returning from a marriage function and has also missed her train. Thus, the two get-together (why exactly ? wasn’t able to figure that out) and decide to wait for the train together. Hmm. . . and what better way to while away the time than to wait at a nearby seedy beer bar ? (Now I really have misgivings about the film ).

So they’re at the beer bar, where Nilesh meets old-time friend Pat, and a whole host of other characters/goons, and manages to get embroiled in a murder for which he’s blamed ! Throw in a couple of other sub-plots involving ransom money, corrupt police officers and a gay mafia don and you have ECKLL. Yes, the story won’t win you a Pulitzer, but it’s got enough twists and turns to keep one engrossed. The moment the murder happens, things perk up. And it’s all uphill from there on.

The cast does well enough. Abhay Deol has proved himself before – he was good in his debut film “Socha na tha”, and he performs just as well here too. The little flaws I noticed in his character I’m attributing to the not-so-perfect etching out of his role. Neha Dhupia has improved on her acting skills, and actually looks believable here. Vinay Apte is the understated South Indian goon Ponappa and Ashok Samarth a convincingly corrupt cop.

This is a plot-driven film, a film where a seemingly normal guy gets caught up in a world of, I wouldn’t say abnormal, but stretching-the-norm kind of characters. It’s a very eclectic set ; they have their fetishes and they stick to them. You know – the kind of characters that are so off-the-wall that they fit right in ? Well, they’re in this film. The story wends it’s way around Mumbai’s underbelly – the mafia, and their fights, corruption and prostitution. The mood of the film is dark, there is violence, and lots of expletives being casually thrown about. Still there are situations that make you laugh out loud, and silliness that gives rise to mirth.

Khanduri handles all this very well for a first-timer. The film is a bold, innovative effort. And yes, it might be rough around the edges, maybe all the tees aren’t crossed and the I’s aren’t dotted, and the film doesn’t shine with the sheen of sophistication, but it’s definitely headed in the right direction. It’s helped on it’s way by fairly decent music; “Laree Choote” is a hit, and the almost acapella style arrangement of “Bheegi bheegi si” is catchy.

So yes, although Khanduri could polish his work a bit, this one deserves your time.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, rating-PG13, recommended, thriller | 9 Comments

Review : Cheeni Kum

Posted on June 23, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Good (4.3/5)
Genre : Romance / comedy
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours 20 minutes
Director : R. Balakrishnan
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Zohra Sehgal

CHEENI KUM (CK) : THIS SPARKLY THING CALLED LOVE !

After a long time comes a film which features a romance between adults, instead of the puerile nonsense which passes for it in films like “Hum tum”, “Salaam Namaste” etc. Cheeni Kum has Amitabh as Buddhadev Gupta, a 64 year young chef-owner of a restaurant in London, a restaurant he claims is the best in London for Indian food. He is a perfectionist, who wants a cell-phone free kitchen and an absolute dedication to the art of cooking. His ego receives quite a dent when one day, while lecturing the chefs in his kitchen (as is his habit) he has a dish sent back by a customer, because the Zafrani Biryani (the dish in question) is too sweet. Arrogant Buddha instead of looking into the mistake directs his sarcastic tongue at the customer, a 34 year old Nina Verma (Tabu).

Thus starts a battle of wits, and ego (Nina cooks a perfect Zafrani Biryani and sends it back to Budhha’s restaurant). London with it’s frequest showers and the borrowing of umbrellas, helps heat up this war which has turned into something more. The hitch – the 30 year age gap, which Nina’s 58 year old father (Rawal) is unable to stomach . . .

This is a languorous film, to be savored and enjoyed. Witty repartees fly around and sarcasm and wry humor lace the conversations. The script is maturely written, but what impressed me most was the dazzling dialogue between the lead pair. While not eclectic or even intellectual, their conversation, is sparkly, filled with the dry dregs of humor and whimsy, a conversation between two mature adults, who’ve gotten beyond the me-girl, you-boy stage (you’d think most adults would have, but watch Hindi films and weep). Yes, there is desire – it doesn’t hurt that Amitabh looks as good as he does, or that Tabu is his tall, svelte and enigmatical foil, but it’s mostly about rapport, the meeting of the minds, the recognition that beyond the eventual union of our bodies, there is a definite, fun-filled and dynamic union of our souls. Love doesn’t have a sense of humor in most desi cinema. Pativrata nari, and pelvic thrusts is what we are used to. Cheeni Kum is a welcome and much needed change.

Amitabh is an icon. The only actor to date who’s had films written for him, to suit him, as he ages. The hero has become older with Amitabh. And Aks, Bunty-aur-Babli, Nishabd, Black, and now Cheeni Kum only prove how the film industry has carved out a special niche to accommodate one of it’s greatest and most accomplished sons. That said, I must admit that I thought he overdid it in the first few scenes of CK. Need arrogance be so explicit, so loud-mouthed ? Still he recovers remarkably and churns out an impressive performance as Buddha.

Nina is quite his equal. She parries beautifully on each of Budhha’s verbal thrusts, and he falls for all of her dead-panned traps. After watching this film , I can think of no other actress as perfect for portraying Nina as Tabu. Matching Bachhan with height, grace and talent, Tabu does an outstanding job as the confident yet understated Nina.

Buddha also has a mom in the film. I know, I know – how old must she be ? Zohra Sehgal as the WWF-loving, poor-cook to an accomplished chef mother, fits the part of a crabby-looking, caustic-tongued, young-hearted mom nagging her bachelor son. And Paresh Rawal with his almost caricaturish portrayal of a pseudo-Gandhivadi (speaks of Gandhi but loves his chicken), who’s married to the notion of age-appropriateness, is excellent. He weeps, he threatens, he glowers. And so well that I’m torn between laughing at his childishness, and weeping at his quandary.

Special mention must be made of Swini Khara, the child actress who plays Sexy, Buddha’s cancer-stricken, young neighbor, for doing such a great job. Her character is old beyond her years, yet she speaks guilelessly. Sassy (aren’t they all ?) and pert, and on first name basis with Buddha (she addresses him an “Tu”) some of the more poignant scenes in the film had her in them.

Balakrishnan directs well, and makes sure his characters are well-wrought. His script while taking a controversial topic head-on ( 30 years, he could be her father! Gasp ! INCEST – that towering dragon), also takes makes nice little digs at desi hypocrisy, and the idea that one’s mind must age with one’s body. The film features some very well-shot footage of beautiful Lutyen’s Delhi (Nina and her Dad live in one of the old-world bungalows close-by).The music by Ilayaraja enhances the film’ appeal, and the refrain “Cheeni Kum hai” is totally apt.

Romance is hard to do in film, and few movies succeed. CK is a sure-fire winner. A classy film, it’s hard to say much more than – it’s lovely.

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

Review : Shootout at Lokhandwala

Posted on June 20, 2007 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B0041AY3UI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Shootout At Lokhandwala (Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema / Hindi Film Blu ray Disc) [Blu-ray][/amazon_link]Rating : Poor (2.2/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Apoorva Lakhia
Cast : Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Tushar Kapoor, Amitabh Bachhan, Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Abhishek Bachhan, Shabbit Ahluwalia, Amrita Singh, Neha Dhupia

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA : BOLLYWOOD STYLE GUN-SLINGING AND The DEATH OF REALISM

I’d heard that the film was based upon the real-life shoot-out incident in Mumbai in 1992, so it was intriguing to see the teaser. It set the stage for something big. Of course I had not accounted for Sanjay Gupta’s taste or Lakhia’s direction, which brings this could-have-been-better film, down to it’s pathetic knees.

Sanjay Dutt, Arbaz Khan and Suni Shetty, non-actors all, portray the valiant threesome in charge of ridding the earth of scoundrels. These are the 3 policemen who are caught in the thick of the shoot-out. Dutt plays ACP Shamsher Khan, the officer-in-charge while Arbaaz as Inspector Javed Sheikh, and Shetty as Kaviraj Patel are his colleagues. Vivek Oberoi plays Maya Dolas, a gangster, stifling as a sub-ordinate to bhai “Dawood Ibrahim”, and desiring to run independent operations. And Tushar Kapoor is Dilip Bua, a gangster of an opposing gang who joins hands with Maya after ensuring his own gang’s demise. Khan, Sheikh and Patel must hunt down Maya and Co. but when the villains take refuge in an apartment in Lokhandwala, ACP Khan must conduct a long-running, daylight battle to nail these goons.

After the shoot-out ACP Khan and his team stand trial, and Bachhan is their lawyer, gruff and dictatorial. The film starts off with an introduction to Khalistani extremism, showing the spread of terrorism down to cities like Mumbai. And while some amount of violence is justified, this movie is just plain trigger-happy ! Lot’s of violence, most of it unnecessary and taking away from the impact of the story. Lakhia in his teaser hints at the real truth, but doesn’t come through on his promise. This film is as tantalizing as a wet rag.

As for the acting, there’s Dutt and his slouchy walk. And we know he can’t act. Same goes for Shetty, minus the slouch. Arbaaz Khan is, and it’s hard to do, actually a worse actor than the previous two. Tusshar Kapoor looks very little like a gangster. Can we ban him from the hindi film industry ? (Hope flickers.) And Vivek Oberoi seen on-screen after a long time, has lost the Midas touch. After fantastic films like Company, Saathiya, and Omkara Oberoi junior curls his lip as Maya. And that’s about all the acting he does.

Dia Mirza plays a reporter who comes out on the scene of the shoot-out and asks all the questions. Too bad she can’t put some energy into it. Amrita Singh as Dolas mother is part psycho, and part passive-aggressive – your pick. The characterization was sorta weird and didn’t even dent the story. Abhishek has a teeny-tiny role as a police officer who’s soon killed by Khalistani terrorists infiltrating Mumbai.

The film purports to be a “different” tale, but it’s more of the stuff we’ve already seen, and it’s worse done. The “bad guys” and mean, menacing, kill people like they’re swatting flies, frequent dance bars. So what’s new ? The policemen are graced by silly nuances, like Javed Sheikh’s diatribe to his son on studying hard, so he can become an engineer and not a police officer like his father, all of which come to nothing. The film in it’s attempt to get at the truth strays far from it. Sanjay Gupta’s style of film-making has always weirded me out, it’s wanna-be-stylish, and in the no man’s land between good and bad. With this one, Gupta land squarely in the it’s-a-stinker category.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, rating-PG13, thriller, watchable | 3 Comments

Review : Life in a metro

Posted on June 15, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Good (4/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Anurag Basu
Cast : Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kaykay Menon, Konkona Sen Sharma, Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali Sodhi, Sharman Joshi, Irfan Khan, Manoj Pahwa, Kangana Ranaut

LIFE IN A METRO : SMART, SLICK AND SATISFYING

Lately we have had a flurry of Hindi films which attempt to weave together multiple story lines. Metro is another. It’s slickly made, delves just enough into the story lines to get us involved, and etches out the characters superbly. Of course it doesn’t hurt the film any to have an impeccable star cast, or an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack.

The stories are interconnected (like in Crash). Everyone’s a friend, co-worker, relative etc. Shikha (Shilpa) and Ranjeet (Kaykay) are an unhappily married couple with a young daughter. Ranjeet is having an affair with sub-ordinate-at-work Neha (Kangana), while Rahul (Sharman) who’s apartment they are using for their trysts, and who’s also in love with Neha looks on helplessly. Neha rooms together with flat-mate Shruti (Konkona) who’s also Shikha’s younger sister. Shruti, is approaching 30, is still single but actively looking. When she meets Monty (Irfan) via a matrimonial website, he definitely doesn’t fit the profile of the prince she’s looking for.

Shikha visits her old dance teacher Shivani (Nafisa Ali) regularly in an old age home, and there, is witness to the re-blooming of a 40-year old romance between Shivani and her lost love Amol (Dharmendra). Shikha also meets actor Aakash (Shiney) and they develop feelings for each other. Meanwhile Neha attempts suicide after a fight with Ranjeet, in Rahul’s apartment, and Shruti is on the brink of having her prince-on-a-white-steed illusions shatter. And Rahul must decide between the twin dilemmas of love and money.

The surprise package of this film was Shilpa. I was quite taken aback to see that the woman can act. And how! Definitely her finest work to date, Shilpa IS unhappy housewife Shikha to the core. Kaykay and Shiney have proved their mettle again and again, so one expects nothing but the best from them. And they deliver. Kangana Ranaut has a different look as Neha although her character does have shades of the depressive/psychotic (how come she always lands these roles ?) Sharman appears on the big screen again after Rang de basanti and is just as endearing here. Konkona needs no introduction – she’s the best of the lot. Save Irfan Khan who’s just a tad better. Impossible, I know, but he really is that perfect as Monty. Nafisa Ali is as graceful as ever, and as for Dharmendra – oh, the slowly fading charm of an aging Greek God. Their old world romance got me all teary-eyed.

I’d be amiss if I didn’t sing praises of the sound-track too. “In dino” which is busting up the Hindi charts is a slow number, and the crowning glory of the album. “Alvida” and the almost playful “Baatein kuch ankahee si” are 2 other soulful melodies. Sometimes you hear songs before you see the film, and although you didn’t like them at first, you tend to like them better after you’ve seen the film. They grow on you. Metro’s music is not of that kind, it doesn’t need a prop to stand tall. The songs by themselves are such jewels you could hear them independent of visuals, and they’d tug at your heart-strings just as much.

Sometimes when watching the usual filmi fare, you wonder if a director with finesse could tell stories better. Anurag Basu (Gangster) is that director. Metro is not a happy film filled with sparkly, sassy people. It’s essentially melancholy, with undertones of friction and strife. It dwells on relationships which have suffered with time and circumstance, until they are so stretched they might just crumble. Basu handles each layer delicately, spinning the strands together until you have a beautifully finished product. In the end, for some people you weep, some tales are just too amusing, and some you shake your head and mutter “Why ? Oh, why ?”.

After quite a while, a truly satisfying film.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, rating-PG13, recommended | 2 Comments