Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 84Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Review : Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.

Posted on April 3, 2007 by amodini

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

Rating : Good (3.85/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Rima Kagti
Cast : Shabana Azmi, Diya Mirza, Kaykay Menon, Raima Sen,Abahay Deol, Minissha Lamba, Vikram Chatwal, Sandhya Mridul, Ranvir Shourie , Boman Irani, Amisha Patel, Karan Khanna

HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT. LTD. : THE FEEL-GOOD FILM OF THE YEAR !

Finally ! After wading through the duds of 2007, this film is one I actually enjoyed watching. I had expected HTPL to be good, seeing that it came via young producers (Farhan & Zoya Akhtar) known for their different film treatments. And it is – it’s different, fun and quirky, weaving together the stories of 6 couples on their honeymoons on the same tourist bus.

There are old-timers Nahid & Oscar (Shabana & Irani) on their second marriages, reflective and forgiving of live. Then there’s the Gujrati couple Hitesh and Shilpa (Ranvir and Diya) who can’t get anywhere near each other without scrabbling, the super-compatible Parsi couple Aspi and Zara (Abhay and Minissha), and the oddball NRI husband Bunty(Chatwal) with his desi, fun-loving wife Madhu (Mridul). Kaykay Menon plays an uptight and insecure Bengali man Partho very much in love with his beautiful, free-spirited wife Mili (Sen). And rounding off the sextet are the Kapoors, the Punjabi couple comprising of talkative Pinky (Patel) and contemplative Vicky (Khanna).

This is a fantastic cast – everyone fits their characters right down to their accents – do note Ranvir Shourie introducing himself as “Hites” and wife as “Silpa”. The film starts off with the start of the bus journey, and Kagti throws us a couple of red herrings, like Shilpa crying her eyes out at going on the honeymoon. Then there’s a opinionated bus driver, and a mysterious motor-bike, rider following the bus. And while everything looks lovey-dovey in the beginning, with familiarity and time, problems crop up. Kagti deals with each couple and their quirks without letting go of the momentum, and ties together each story nicely into the larger narrative.

This tale is firmly rooted in reality, in that it’s finally about what one wants out of one-self, one’s significant other, and life. However Kagti is not above taking forays into the fantastic, adding to the pep quotient, and giving us wonderful snippets like Pinky rising out of fur-lined clam-shells, and a demure wife beating the crap out of hoodlums while her husband watches open-mouthed. I was at times amused, at times surprised, at times moved, and at other times laughing my head off. All in all, I was thoroughly engrossed in these honeymooner’s lives, feeling for them, and wishing them all happiness.

The sound track of this film is gorgeous. From the delicate “Halke-halke” (sung by “Bombay Viking” Neeraj Sridhar) to the foot-tapping “Sajnaji”, vocalized by Sunidhi Chauhan, the songs suit the mood and situations of the film. Direction is good, and the film veers from the beaten track in that it is not afraid to experiment and take chances. The script while banking upon that old adage “Truth is stranger than fiction”, mixes the real with the ludicrous and the funny, and doesn’t hesitate to laugh at itself. Something which very Bollywood films do, and do well.

To sum up, this is a clean, fresh, and enjoyable film, moving away from the clichéd old Bollywood formula. If this is Kagti’s debut as full-fledged writer and director, I eagerly await her next offering.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, rating-PG13, recommended | 7 Comments

Review : Namastey London

Posted on March 31, 2007 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B0016GON32″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Review : Namastey London
Rating : Average (3.2/5)
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hrs and 17 minutes
Director : Vipul Amritlal Shah
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Rishi Kapoor, Clive Standen, Upen Patel, Nina Wadia, Javed Sheikh

NAMASTEY LONDON : Just about tolerable

After the nauseating Waqt Shah returns as director again. This time with a love story. Take a Brit girl, a Funjabi boy, the girl’s fat hypocritical father, and the boy’s caricaturized Pindi family, and what have you ? You guessed it. Namaste London.

Gorgeous and leggy Katrina Kaif appears as Jasmeet or Jazz, the very-British daughter of a very Indian father Manmohan Singh (Rishi Kapoor). With her ability to down several shots of vodka, and conjure up ex-boyfriends and memories of oft had one-night stands, she is adept at scaring away all the good desi boys, her parents try to arrange for her. However when she really gets serious about her thrice-divorced, English boss, Charlie Brown (Clive Standen), Dad gets worried enough to spirit her away to India under the guise of a sight-seeing vacation. Only being a typical desi Dad, he’s actually planning to get her married to the first “achha ladka” he can lay his hands on. Thus starts a series of “boy viewings” where we are introduced to men obsessed with Indian Idol, the saas-bahu serials, and over-analysis.

Jazz is vastly amused but really starts to feel the pressure when Dad carts them all to his home-town in dear old Punjab, and everyone begins to drown in a surfeit of the two staples of clichéd Punjabidom – desi ghee, and tall glasses of lassi. Enter the son of the household, the local Jat, Arjun. Resplendent in a pink kurta, Arjun not only helps repair Manmohan’s stranded car, but is also skilled at serenading Jazz, in full view of her father. His masculinity thus established, he becomes the apple of Manmohan’s eye, and Manmohan decides that this particular Neanderthal is just the man for Jazz. Jazz of course, thinks otherwise . . .

Life is full of truths one must accept. One of them is that this film lacks logic, and one must not tax one’s brain with finding intelligence where there is none. The film’s characters are black and white, no greys here. No common sense either, for that matter. The film’s story or plot if you will, has such gaping holes, that at the end of it all, I was amazed that Shah had managed to make a cohesive film of it.

Inspite of all that, this is a tolerable film. The first half was better, because in parts it was funny (all the prospective bridegrooms and their fetishes) and in other parts ludicrous – which is also fun. Plus when exactly are digs at the mustard fields of Punjab not successful ? Katrina as Jazz is all that and more. Akshay as the Punjabi Jat, carries off the pink well, and displays some of that admirable comic timing which make him such a good fit for these kinds of roles. Rishi Kapoor has put on even more weight; I can now safely call him rotund. However credit is due and deserved by the entire cast for handling such incongruous and sometimes lapsing-into-stupidity roles with ease.

The second half of the film sank into the melodramatic, with lots of patriotic fervor thrown in. The film then relied heavily on it’s main principle – that of the glorious culture of the motherland. India/Pakistan are portrayed as salvation for the cultureless immigrants. Have a wayward son/daughter ? Go to India and all ills will vanish and even the most Brit.-inflicted child will be saved ! Pub hopping, vodka-drinking women harboring intentions of independence will metamorphose into butter-churning, domesticated, coy Punjabi maidens, ever ready to hop onto tractors driven by their manly men. Your son ready to switch religions for some gori mem ? A spell in Karachi should change his mind !

Another reason that despite it’s flaws, this film was watchable, is that the humor (except for one particular joke which was beeped out, but displayed very clearly in the sub-titles) is not of the vulgar kind. No sniggering at women’s chests, no sexual innuendoes etc. Yes, you have your doses of women being shown their “rightful” place – like the scene where the formal marriage decision is taking place and Jazz and Arjun sit opposite each other. Arjun’s grand-mom asks him to look at Jazz carefully – so that he won’t complain later. She also asks Jazz if Arjun is acceptable to her – but that’s in a very different tone, like taking her answer for granted. After all which girl wouldn’t want a crude, unsophisticated Jat for her very own ?

The direction is fairly OK, although the music is nothing to write home about. The only song that I actually liked was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Main jahaan rahoon”. To put it bluntly, this film will succeed commercially because of Akshay’s bankable charm, Katrina’s statuesque beauty, Rishi Kapoor’s conviviality, and a story which despite it’s rough edges is enough of a romantic tale to sway the junta.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, watchable | 3 Comments

Review : Dil Chahta hai

Posted on March 5, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Excellent (4.6/5)
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2001
Director : Farhan Akhtar
Cast : Aamir Khan, Akshay Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia, Ayub Khan, Sonali Kulkarni, Suhasini Mulay

Watched DCH for the nth time, this time courtesy Star. DCH came in 2001, and makes the #1 spot in my Top Ten List for that year. I thought I remembered it quite well, but turns out I didn’t. And the film that this is, I didn’t just watch it in passing – you know how it is with older films on TV, you kind of walk around doing stuff around the house, and view the film in bits and pieces – I actually got into bed and watched the film, advertisements, interruptions and all.

Ever wondered what problems the rich and urban have ? You know, no dal-roti woes, no how-am-i-going-to-pay-the-rent and where’s my next paycheck coming from ? Well, DCH gives you a pretty good idea. It’s a story of three friends, young, urban, and veritably rolling in the moolah. Or atleast one of them.

Aakash (Aamir) is the Benz-driving, happy-go-lucky son of a really wealthy family. Which means that besides having a big-screen TV in his bedroom, perpetual vacations, and the Sony laptop he totes, he’s also got typical desi parents who are worried about what he’s doing with his life. His friend Samir (Saif) is another young ‘un, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and is perpetually falling in and out of love with pretty young things, as time and fancy takes him. Siddharth or Sid (Khanna) is the ultra-sensitive one of the lot, an artist by demeanor and profession, and the son of a single working mom (Suhasini Mulay). His problems are vastly compounded when he falls in love with an older divorcee (Dimple Kapadia).

All three live comfortable lives, and have fairly reasonable parents. Aakash’s unfocussed life changes when, under parental pressure, he must lend a hand in his Dad’s business abroad, while Samir, the romantic, must face the horrifying prospect of an arranged marriage wih Pooja (Kulkarni). Sid must sort out his feelings for Tara. Aakash leaves for Australia, Sid remains busy with his art, and his fascination for Tara, and Samir tries to steady his emotions when he spies true love on the horizon. The friends scatter, but does their friendship hold ?

Farhan Akhtar in his debut as director chooses impeccable actors; not only do the lead threesome fit the characters to a T, even supporting roles such as Mulay’s are potrayed superbly. Aamir is as Aamir almost always is – fantastic ; just the right amount of confidence blending in with the half-cocked sense of humor make Aakash a charismatic character. Saif as Sameer displays admirable comic timing, and makes the perpetual-Casanova thing almost believable. Akshaye as Sid, looks artistic; soulful, searching gazes and all, and presents the perfect foil for bluster-filled Aakash and romantic Sameer. Preity as Shalini, looked oh-so-young, and fresh, and was wonderful as the beautiful young woman Aakash yearns for but cannot be with. Sonali Kularni in a small role as Pooja, is cute. And Ayub Khan as the possesive fiance, is very good too. Kapadia is gorgeous as Sid’s muse, Tara.

A good film is made even better with the kind of music Shankar-Ehsaan and Loy provide. From the enthusistic “Koi Kahen”, to the wistful “Dil Chahta hai”, and even to the sad “Tanhai”, each song is beautifully scored and apt. The comic nature of finding perfect love is celebrated in “Woh ladki hai kahan ?” . Direction is taut; one is always engrossed – taking bathroom breaks is unthinkable. With expert cinematography and dialogues that are so every-day and natural, you and I could have spoken them, Akhtar weaves it all together seamlessly.

Let me say, with an unprejudiced (hah !) eye, that I consider this film a modern classic. Although this is a very, very urban film, and is a sure hit with the metro crowd, this will also go down well with the youngsters in smaller towns. Because it’s youthful, exhuberant, and in it’s own inimitable way parodies every-day worries and anguishes of finding one’s way in an uncertain and turmoil-ridden world. Whew, that done, I’ll tell you that this is an engrossing, fun film. It celebrates. It engages ; I am drawn into the story, moved by Sid’s self-less love, laughing at Sameer’s zany escapades, and sorrowful at Aakash’s anguish. Above it all, the friendship and the camraderie between the three friends shines through – have we all not wished for friends like them ?

If you haven’t seen it yet, make haste to the nearest movie rental place. Hurry ! Go ! Now !

Posted in bollywood, drama, outstanding, recommended | 16 Comments

Review : Traffic Signal

Posted on February 27, 2007 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B004R2521O” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Average (3/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hrs and 20 minutes
Director : Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast : Kunal Khemu, Konkona Sen-Sharma, Neetu Chandra, Sudhir Mishra, Ranveer Shourie

TRAFFIC SIGNAL : DAMP SQUIB !

Another Bhandarkar film. Another film on stark reality. This time on the ubiquitous traffic signal – the one we pass by in a fleeting few minutes. The film looks closely all the people who depend on the traffic signal for their livelihood. A little about each character, their lives, loves, struggles.

Silsila (Khemu) is the “manager” of one traffic signal, that is he collects the “hafta” from each signal squatter plying his trade. There’s Tsunami, a little scavenger boy, hoping for news from his parents lost in the tsunami, there’s Rani – a Gujrati girl selling ethnic clothes on the sidewalk, and there’s Dominic (Ranvir Shourie) – a drug addict and the prostitute (Konkona) who feels for him. Then there’s Silsila himself, who’s an orphan, and reports to Jaffer bhai the local goon.

Jaffer bhai in turn reports to Haji (Mishra) the leader of the local mafia. And the hafta, from each traffic signal and territory Haji controls, seeps upward to the politicians. Life is routine, until Silsila and Jaffer bhai get caught up in a chain of events which threatens the very source of their livelihood – the traffic signal itself, and Silsila must either remain mute with fear or protest . . .

Bhandarkar’s earlier films – “Chandni Bar” and ”Page 3” were stunning in comparison to his later products. His work further spirals downward with “TS”. The film suffers from a lack of plot; it’s more an ode to the Traffic Signal than a film. Bhandarkar could have written a poem instead of making this film, and it would have suited me just fine. The action/plot (so to speak) appears in the last half hour, too late and too weak to make it worth the wait. While the look into the lives of the Signal dwellers is interesting in a documentar-ish fashion, it does not make for engrossing cinema.

The acting is good enough; with some briliant acting going to waste. Konkona and Shourie’s characters don’t impact the story in any way – which is such a pity. Kunal Khemu is OK, as is Sudhir Mishra. The director takes pains to etch out the characters, and to introduce us to the grimy underbelly of Mumbai’s street-dwellers. However this concept of street-side character vignettes doesn’t work without a compelling story.

A very, very average film; a DVD rental might be best.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama, rating-PG15, watchable | 5 Comments

Review : Eklavya (2007)

Posted on February 17, 2007 by amodini

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

Rating : Above average (3.2/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff, Jimmy Shergill, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt, Rama Vij, Parikshit Sahni

EKLAVYA : MORE HYPE LESS MATTER

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a name I associate with quality cinema, so I expected Eklavya to be the Omkara of 2007. Unfortunately it falls short of my expectations. By far.

The film starts off by retelling the legend of Eklavya, to set the tone of the film – a fight between Dharma and Adharma as it is perceived by the main protagonist Eklavya (Amitabh). Eklavya is an old guard, long in the loyal service of Raja Jayawardhan (Irani). After the death of the Raja’s wife (Sharmila Tagore) a dark secret comes to light, and the Raja is beset with feelings of anger and jealousy. Murder plots and counter-plots are hatched, and there is general turmoil as Eklavya tries to be true to his duty and to his heart. (For a detailed storyline, see my Preview of Eklavya).

This is not a bad film, it’s not. It is decent enough fare, (considering that cinematic trash abounds in Bollywood), but it’s not the superly-duperly fantastic film I was expecting. Chopra has all the right ingredients – a script featuring mystery and treason. There is also the theatrical flavor – the nostalgia of the days when India was a mass of petty kingdoms, ruled by feudal Ranas. To top it all, he has a wonderful cast right from the Big B himself to veterans such as Parikshit Sahni, and Sharmila Tagore and the young ‘uns like Saif and Vidya. So, then, what actually went wrong ?

This is a 2 hour long film; it could have been longer. Coming from me this might seem a bit odd , seeing that I’m in mortal fear of directors who find it hard to edit their films to reasonable lengths. In this case however, I strongly wish that the director had taken the extra time to develop his characters a bit more soundly, and given us, the viewers the opportunity to get to know them better, empathize with the vagaries of their lives, and then care about them. The film picks up rapidly, from the start, but it’s like being thrown into the middle of a play, with little knowledge of the characters. The dialogues of the film are minimal, take a long time to come, and give us a very little information. We do not know much about the characters of the story, except what little (and I mean little) we see of them, and thus it is very hard to feel for any of their dilemmas or anguishes. I, as the viewer felt very distant and removed from the action on screen. Eklavya failed to move, to engross.

The film is slow paced. Some of the scenes in the film are done very well, like the scene in which Eklavya shows his marksmanship blind-folded, or the scene when the murders take place, but the rest of the story rolls along at a hum-drum gait, engulfed in sorrow, and a pall of gloom. Now that I look back, very little happened in those 2 hours, and crisply told this would have taken all of 30 minutes. The crux of the problem – Eklavya’s fight to stay true to his Dharma, and yet preserve all that is near and dear to him, is presented , but so mildly that frankly I didn’t care too much. Chopra hints at drama, but fails to deliver it inspite of a set-up ripe with promise, Eklavya’s affected mannerisms, and all those Sanskrit mantras reverberating in the background.

Actingwise, Vidya Balan shines the brightest. Saif also delivers the goods, but in a more straight-laced manner; I see none of the spark he displayed in Omkara. Amitabh is as good as ever, and shortcomings in his role are the director’s fault. Sharmila Tagore’s role is minor, and Rama Vij appears fleetingly as Eklavya’s mother. Boman Irani seems to exude just the right amount of paranoia and effeminate mannerisms, quite befitting a weak, jealous Rana unable to sire children. After a long time, I find a role for which to applaud Jackie Shroff, for he does a great job as Jaywardhan’s evil brother, Jyotiwardhan. Jimmy Shergill as Jyotiwardhan’s dissatisfied son does well, but then he was always a fine actor. Sanjay Dutt appears convincing as the cop. Raima Sen as the retarded princess, appears to be pretty sane in a few scenes.

The film is picturesquely shot, in vivid color. There is only one song. There is no strong background score (the Gayatri Mantra and other shlokas are pleasant to hear but do not comprise a musical score) which in a film like this is a major fault.

I’d desist from spending hard-earned moolah on viewing this in the theater – wait for the DVD instead.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, drama | 4 Comments

Review : I see you

Posted on February 7, 2007 by amodini

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

Rating : Below average (2.3/5)
Genre : Romance / Thriller
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hours
Producer : Mehr Jessia-Rampal, Suresh Savlani
Director : Vivek Aggarwal
Cast : Arjun Rampal, Vipasha, Chunky Pandey, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani, Sonali Kulkarni
Music : Vishal-Shekhar

I SEE YOU (ICU) : I wish I hadn’t !

Broad-shouldered Arjun Rampal might be able to carry many things, but the one thing he cannot carry is a film. On his own that is. In teeny-weeny, non-lead roles (like the one in Don) he might be able to get by, but as the main hero, he helps the film careen headlong into disaster. Add to this, a completely non-stirring debutante for a heroine, and a story as flaky as pastry crust, and you have one atrocious movie.

Quite possibly the producer, Rampal’s beautiful, super-model wife Mehr Jessia has not seen any of his earlier attempts at acting, else she’d have realized that for all his looks the man cannot act to save his life (or his film). I cannot credit them for the film’s story either since it is inspired from the Hollywood film “Just like heaven” starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon. However, for all my beating around the bush, my problem from the film stems not from the “lifted” story-line, or the non-dramatic powers of the lead pair . The problem is in it’s under-developed characters and languid pace, which made me nod off to sleep a couple of times.

The film centers around Raj (Rampal) who is the anchor of the British TV show “British Raj” (me, I don’t like that pun). Raj is a modern day Casanova, suddenly afflicted by super-natural powers and the ability to see and hear a ghostly spirit. An almost ghostly spirit that is, since the apparition is actually a girl Shivani (Vipasha) in a coma in a hospital, and her spirit seems to linger between this world and the next. Apparently the only person who can see and hear her is Raj , which gives rise to a series of trying-hard-to-be-comedic (and not succeeding) scenes with Raj and his friend (Pandey) who thinks Raj has gone nuts.

Anyway, now that Shivani has found her knight-in-shining-armor, she needs his help in communicating with her mother (Kher). Also, things are not what they seem, since someone is conspiring to kill Shivani (her comatose body actually) and Raj must unearth that secret, or see the apparition he now loves, disappear forever . . .

Put baldly, this is an Idiot Plot. To quote Ebert – “The Idiot Plot is a term devised for bad movies where the problems could be cleared up with a few words, if everyone in the plot were not an idiot “. This does not mean that films based on Idiot Plots do not succeed. They do. But this one doesn’t. The reasons are numerous – the main ones being the lack of chemistry (between the lead pair), lack of romantic/sappy moments (do remember that the story builds only because the pair fall in love), and the lack of projected goodness/bonhomie that would cause us to sympathize with such unlikely protagonists. Raj and Shivani meet and then for no reason (that I could see) they fall in love. Where, oh where, is the charm, the feeling, the attraction that’d make one sigh with satisfaction ?

The acting as I’ve already said is disastrous. I’m not sure how Chunky Pandey manages to come by any roles at all – doesn’t anyone else see his lack of talent ? Vipasha is an absolute wash-out – she might do better in second-tier heroine’s sister type of roles. She wears the same dress the whole film – first time producers apparently unaware that hit films generally have their heroines changing costumes at the drop of a hat. Rampal does a couple of songs which, like his acting, have no impact at all. Other reasonable actors like Boman Irani and Sonali Kulkarni have such small roles that even their valiant attempts can’t do much. The only saving grace of the film is Kirron Kher as Shivani’s mom – she seems to be her usual, ebullient self even in the role of a sorrowing mother.

The music of this film is, I’d say, far better than the film itself. “Subah subah” has a new, fresh sound, and “Kehna hai jo” is quite foot-tappingly catchy. Sunidhi Chauhan’s “Sach Hui” is melodious; something I could listen to again and again. “Haalo haalo” is a fusion of lots of sounds, and might serve as a dance-floor number.

The director does a decent job, for a first film, although he doesn’t hold the directorial reins tight enough. For a who-dun-it, the film flags very quickly – and for the attention-challenged viewer of today’s cinema this is a big no-no. Some of the shots are picturesquely composed but that doesn’t save this film. ICU, a first from the Rampal production house, is more of a multiplex film – I cannot see it released for the masses or even making a big splash outside India since it doesn’t have the glamour or the oomph it should have had to succeed.

To sum up, this is an insipid film and not worth your time or your money.

Posted in 2007, bollywood | Comments Off

Review : Risk

Posted on February 5, 2007 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B000NVIM4C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Note : The edited version of this review appears at Planet Bollywood, here.

Rating : Above average (3.6/5)
Genre : Drama / Thriller
Year : 2007
Director : Vishram Sawant
Cast : Vinod Khanna, Randeep Hooda, Seema Biswas, Tanushree Dutta, Yashpal Sharma, Anant Jog, Makrand Deshpande

RISK : INTERESTING !

RISK is standard fare from the RGV camp; it’s shot pretty similarly, it’s dark and of the same genre. Grim, stark and realistic, it tells a story sans frills. Randeep Hooda returns after “D”, as a police inspector this time.

The film, I believe, is based on the story of the “encounter” cop Daya Nayak (and they do thank him in the credits). While other cops are in on the “take”, Inspector Suryakant Satam (Hooda) has a dirty but necessary job. He is busy ridding Bombay of gangsters and their hit-men. To do this, not only must he capture goons (lots of chases through small slum lanes) but he must kill them in fake “encounters”, the logic being that if left alive the goons might be rescued by their political bosses. In this he has the support of his immediate superior the DCP (Shiv Subramaniyam). The DCP’s boss, the police chief is a venal man controlled by the Chief Minister Devki Vardhan (Seema Biswas), and her mafia benefactor Khaled Bhai (Vinod Khanna), who controls his slice of the underworld from Bangkok.

The politicians are hand-in-glove with the criminals, the Home Minister Sarang (Anant Jog) siding with South Indian gangster Naidu (Zakir Hussain), with Devki and Khaled pitted against them. In his work Inspector Sattam must tolerate such politicians, but when he goes after CM Devki, he is implicated in a false murder charge, and finds himself suspended and behind bars. His superior promises justice but the law must take it’s course. The now helpless and frustrated Suryakant realizes that the only man who can get him out of this dangerous predicament is his arch enemy Khaled Bhai . . .

The film’s story is pretty cut and dry, and the plot simple. There’s lots of action, and some of the scenes get gory. The film has a fast pace – very befitting the good-vs.-evil theme. The director’s treatment is efficient – he wastes little time in getting to the point, and thus the film does hold your interest.

Sawant assembles a good cast. Hooda fits right into the lead role as the taciturn cop. Stony-faced yet expressive, he is quite the efficient actor. He comes across as a stoic and steel-willed character, with little to say. Charismatic Vinod Khanna returns ater a long absence as Khaled Bhai and does a good job as the soft-spoken don. Yashpal Sharma plays Khaled’s impulsive and rash younger brother Arbaaz, and Makrand Deshpande Khaled’s right-hand man Hari. Seema Biswas is the conniving politician Devki, making trips to Bangkok to appease “brother” Khaled. Tanushree Dutta, considerably fattened up (is she heading for the Southern film industry a la Khushboo ?) plays Sattam’s love interest Shraddhha, and doesn’t really have much of a role.

Sawant employ’s the angular techniques he used in D, this time to reflect the dilemmas faced by an honest cop, sinking in a sea of dishonesty. The film hurls towards it’s climax, with little time spent on humanising it’s lead character. Inspector Suryakant does have a mother and a paramour, but that side of him gets swept away in his commitment to his work. Although this is a good film, it lacks the personality of the other cop film that I can recall – Shool, has. Still, even with an over-done genre, and cop versus hoodlum stories sprouting up like weeds, Risk is quite an interesting film, and well worth the watch.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, rating-PG13, thriller | Comments Off

Preview : Eklavya

Posted on February 2, 2007 by amodini

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

The Review is here.

Sometimes if you’re lucky and the stars are aligned just right, along will come a desi film which threatens to blow the competition into oblivion. A film with a great director, magnificent stars, and a script which promises to enthrall. For 2007, “Eklavya” appears to be the one. Going by Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s track record, his recent successes and his past acclaim, his upcoming epic promises to be the movie of the year. After last year’s bumper hit “Lage Raho Munnabhai” which he produced, Chopra this time weilds the director’s baton, along with writing and producing Eklavya. Chopra picks and chooses his work, but each film he is associated with, pioneers path-breaking cinema. Be it Bollywood’s first and best comedy “Jaane bhi do yaaron (1983)” for which Chopra served as Production Controller, or the first well-done who-dun-it “Khamosh(1985)”, or that impeccable desi gangster movie “Parinda (1989)” which he directed, Chopra does new and novel work. This time around Chopra directs after 7 long years, and gives us a royal tale of loyalty and devotion.

Another reason Eklavya is awaited with such anticipation is the stellar cast. This film has the best of the best : the versatile Saif Ali Khan, the graceful Sharmila Tagore, the inimitable Amitabh as Eklavya himself, and the talented Vidya Balan and Boman Irani. The story revolves around a royal family of Rajasthan on the verge of ruin, and the loyalty of their royal guard Eklavya. Eklavya’s family have been loyal servants to the Devigarh dynasty. He has only one purpose in life – to safeguard the family, their respect and their honor. His marksmanship is legendary, and his loyalty is unquestionable. When the Prince of Devigarh, Harshawardhan (Saif) returns home from London after his mother Rani Suhasinidevi’s (Tagore) death he sees his father Rana Jayawardhan (Irani) and uncle Jyotiwardhan (Shroff) ruling the land with a heavy hand. At his arrival, even though his mentally disabled sister Nandini (Raima) and his childhood sweetheart Rajeshwari (Balan) rejoice, there are others who conspire against him. When the people suffer, and death threats are unveiled against the royal family, a nonchalant police officer (Dutt) is called in to investigate, and it might be too late for old and infirm Eklavya to do his duty . . .

The storyline promises mystery and treason coupled with blue blood. Add to that betrayal, loyalty and the fight to stay true to your beliefs and you have a surefire hit. The released trailers, as precursors to the film itself, depict shades of upheaval amid the heavy sands of the desert. From the teaser, the film looks to be richly shot, and vibrantly picturised in striking hues. Much of the cast and crew of “Parineeta” return in this period film, including the music director, and many of the actors like Raima Sen, Saif Ali Khan, Balan and Dutt. Jimmy Shergill, Parikshit Sahni and Jackie Shroff are the new faces in the Chopra camp.

Originally titled “Yagna” and shot in picturesque Jaipur and Bikaner, “Eklavya’s” release date has been pushed back a couple of times. Shot with a budget of around 14 crores, with a large crew and the use of about 800 camels, this visual treat now finally releasing, is much awaited.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, Previews | Comments Off

Review : Salaam-e-ishq

Posted on January 28, 2007 by amodini

Rating: Above Average (3.5/5)

Genre : Romance
Year : 2007
Running time : 3 hrs and 45 minutes
Director : Nikhil Advani
Cast : Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Ayesha Takia, Akshay Khanna, Tinnu Anand, Vidya Balan, John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Isha Koppikar, Sohail Khan, Govinda, Shannon Esra, Anjana Sukhani

SALAAM-E-ISHQ ( SEI ) : NO WARM, FUZZY FEELING !

After watching this almost 4 hour extravaganza, I feel like I feel after a large and heavy meal ; I liked eating it, but it was way too oily for consumption and I don’t feel particularly enthused afterwards. Rumored to be based on the romantic flick “Love actually”, which I loved actually, I can’t help but compare. Yes, they both feature romantic stories, of couples who are inter-connected with each other through friendship, relationships or just off-chance meetings, and one of the romantic situations in SEI is a take-off on the one from “Love Actually”, but that’s where the similarity ends.

I went in to see “Love Actually” for Hugh Grant, and came away a bleeding-heart romantic, on a cotton-candy- the-world-is-beautiful-and-the-sun-is-shining high. It left me with this warm, fuzzy feeling which SEI failed to deliver. And that really is the crux of the problem, after all that hype and hoopla – it fails to deliver.

SEI features 6 stories of 6 young couples in different situations, and different quandaries. All their problems are apparently caused by love, too much, too little, love for the wrong people, love for people who don’t want it, unrequited love, amnesia-afflicted love and what have you. Out of the 6 stories, 5 stay with you, while the 6th drops off the radar after a while, resurfacing only at the end for a little comedic relief.

Each of the 5 stories is moderately developed, the most believable being the Hindu-Muslim couple – the Ashutosh-Tehzeeb story, simply because of Vidya Balan’s strong performance, and John’s lazy charm . The starlet hungry to make it big, hatching up a publicity stunt which backfires – the Kkamini-Rahul (Priyanka-Salman) deal I had a little trouble believing, since it was a little too stretched – lot’s off treacly love, tears and under-developed characters. And really who was Rahul anyway, and why in the first place was he involved – the director never cleared that up and it didn’t help the believability any. The Stephanie-Raju (Shannon and Govinda) pair, she searching for her faithless Indian boyfriend and he the desi taxi-driver who ferries her around the country was sweet and reminded me of Marisa Tomei’s “Only You”. And the Shiven-Gia (Akshaye-Ayesha) yuppie marriage fiasco, with the groom with the cold-feet had me enthused because of Takia’s innocent naivete and Akshay’s zesty performance. The 5th story was of the stable married couple – Vinay-Seema (Anil and Juhi), whose 15 year marriage is threatened when the husband wants more than just boring, suburban life. This one closely resembled the Emma Thompson-Alan Rickman storyline in “Love Actually”, but was not portrayed with as much feeling (I remember weeping buckets for Emma’s character). The 6th couple’s story was Isha-Sohail as a rural couple unable to give vent to their passion, and I fear suffered the most on the editor’s table. It wasn’t even a love quandary really – just well-done attempts at humor.

The stories almost run in parallel, they develop initially, get to critical mass simultaneously, everything emphasized and every emotion underlined with music and dancing, implode and then resolve towards the end. The actors do fairly well, special mentions to Govinda who plays a Bollywoodised cabbie to the hilt, and the vibrant Akshaye Khanna. Salman has slimmed down, while Ayesha has gotten chubby, although she still looks gorgeous.The director transitions from story to story with relative panache, picturesque shots, and stylish edits. The songs are plentiful, well-picturised and pleasant. And some of the dialogues are so charmingly pretty and so romantically sugar-sweet that I, sucker that I am, longed to write them down.

Still, the movie was too long; “Love actually” did the job and did it better in half the time. Of course it didn’t have the songs and dances, and the Bollywood baggage which SEI has. Where this film suffers is in it’s pace, especially in the first half, where the film moves forward languidly. Also the director tries to tell us a lot, and shows too little (lots of captioning telling us the dates and locations of situations). The treatment could have also been subtler for love stories; at times it’s a bit in your face. All the glitz and glamour notwithstanding, I wasn’t too keen on any pair, although they all seemed OK. None of the many characters in SEI get time or space to develop their own, quirky personalities, into real people I’d care about or root for. And that I think stops this mediocre film from being spectacular.

This is fairly decent fare for a weekend watch, but don’t expect to come away awed with the magnificence of love. And this from someone who’s seen “Love actually” 5 times.

Posted in 2007, bollywood, watchable | 3 Comments

Review : Vivah

Posted on January 22, 2007 by amodini

Rating : Poor (2.2/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2007
Running time : 2 hrs and 41 minutes
Director : Sooraj Barjataya
Cast : Shahid Kapoor, Alok Nath, Amrita Rao, Seema Biswas, Anupam Kher, Sameer Soni, Lata Sabharwal, Anjali Prakash

VIVAAH : REGRESSIVE !

Finally saw the film, and the one erudite observation I must make at the end of it is that, Amrita Rao must have a massive crick in the neck from keeping her head lowered all throughout the film. But I’m being too harsh, there is more to her role than just lowering the head; she had had ample opportunity to smile coyly, laugh girlishly, nod her head in agreement, and generally be such a good, quiet and demure girl, that it makes me want to puke. But it’s not her fault really, it’s the director’s – being caught in an inescapable time warp and all that.

It’s often said about great movies that they leave a mark on you. I don’t know about greatness, but Vivah has certainly left it’s mark on me; it’s scarred me for life. I will wake up in terror at night, roused to sleepless-ness, from nightmares which feature Amrita Rao, resplendent in her good-girl attitude, eyes lowered respectfully, proffering with a faint, demure smile, a glass of water, and whispering softly (as nice girls do) “Jal ?”

Barjatya shows all symptoms of being chronologically challenged. He’s in the 2000s but he thinks he’s in the 1980’s. The characters is his film are too good to be true – they virtually drip selflessness, while the lead pair acts like they’re direct descendants of Ram and Sita. Technically this is a fairly decent film, but content wise I must say it rightfully deserves it’s place on the “Worst of 2006” list.

The film starts off with an intro to Pooja (Rao). Her story is told by Krishna Kant, her Chacha (uncle) played by Alok Nath. Pooja is an orphan, having come into her uncle’s household ater her parent’s death. Nath speaks of her as a “gift”, speaking of his aim in life being to nurture this daughter and to marry her off. Then in the same breath he scorns those who would treat their daughters as burdens. The whole dialogue left me a little dumb-founded – apparently Chachaji (and the scriptwriter) do not realise that this is cause and effect – daughters are considered burdens because their apparent aim in life is marriage, not education, not careers, not independence.

Pooja lives with her Chacha and Chachi (Seema Biswas) and their daughter Choti (Anjali Prakash). Of course the Chachi doesn’t love Pooja much, because she’s prettier than Choti, Choti being dusky of complexion. However the loving Chacha arranges a match for Pooja with the son of a wealthy, industrialist family from Delhi. Much time in the film is spent in celebrating the engagement and the getting-to-know-each-other process. Where Prem (Shahid Kapoor) is the magnanimous bride-groom, who decides that he will spend a month of each year at his wife’s parents’ home (let’s all stand up and clap please), well-brought up Pooja is the perfect shudh Hindi speaking addition to the clan.

The marriage day draws closer, but a fire in Krishna Kant’s house will put Pooja and Prem’s well-behaved love to the test . . .

OK folks this is a cheesy film, complete with corny dialogues. Still, the able cast handles all the corn and the cheese and cooks with it. And then ladles this out in small, edible portions. I think. It didn’t stop me from barfing it up throughout the film. And then the plot – there is no plot. It’s girl and guy, and then girl and guy gone wrong. This makes the film terribly hard to bear, especially during the middle. The beginning and the end are tolerable, since in the beginning you’re trying to get used to the whole time-travel (to the 80’s) deal, and in the end you are all agog with happiness since it’s finally ending. And the songs are unmelodious.

Still, why this leaves me with a feeling of distaste, and why I’m not recommending it, is that the film resoundingly gives the wrong, regressive message. It panders to a reality which has women only as backdrops in a male-dominated play. It treats women as glorified cheer-leaders egging on their men to do the important work, while they are content to serve the household, suppress their wants, speak in hushed whispers, with drawn ghunghats and lowered eye-lashes. It sets a (false) standard for “good” women, in that an ideal woman must be docile, biddable, unsusceptible to normal desires and wants, and must do as she is told. And with a smile.

Men, on the other hand, are tolerable as they are – no set strictures on being a “good” man. Plus, they must be applauded for every inch they give. Whether it’s the father-in-law who wants his daughter-in-law to continue her studies, or the fiance who decides to stick by his fiancee in her time of need, the male characters are glorified a whole lot too much. And really I’m not against glorification. What sets my teeth on edge, is that the very same behavior (for which we applaud the men) is behavior we take for granted when it comes to women.

So, unless you’re into time-travel or like being taken for a ride, this one’s not for you.