Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 85Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Best films of 2006

Posted on December 22, 2006 by amodini

Here are my Top 5 films of 2006. Also, checkout the Top 10 films of the year !

Starring Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Konkona SenSharma among others, this is a very engrossing adaptation of The Bard’s Othello. Vishal Bhardwaj provides the music, co-writes the dialogues and screenplay and directs, and does each task beautifully.

Set in rustic Uttar Pradesh, this is a tale of local gangleader Omi Shukla, and his two right hand men Keshu Firangi and Langda Tyagi, and how their lives are changed by love and jealousy. The characters are etched beautifully, the screenplay is taut and the direction superb. The entire cast (Kareena plays Omi’s love interest Dolly, and Bipasha adds pizazz as nautanki wali Billo Chamanbahar) gives a superlative performance, but Saif shines the brightest as jealousy-ridden Tyagi. The find of the film is actor Deepak Dobriyal who plays the part of Rajju, Dolly’s fiance.

The film has good songs and background music, and Bharadwaj squeezes in 2 catchy item numbers filmed on Bipasha. Pretty fast-paced in the first half Omkara slows down post-intermission, with less of the action and more of the subtle mind machinations. The film has humor and poignant moments interlaced with the action, and had me mesmerized from beginning to end.

2. Rang de basanti :

RDB is best described as a modern day patriotic parable. This film takes a hard look at patriotism, what it means to us and whether it exists at all. What little there is, is ignited in the heart’s of our protagonists and Rakeysh Mehra’s second directorial venture takes us through this awakening. How it happens is pretty radical, but it makes for interesting cinema, and a lot of thought afterwards.

DJ (Aamir Khan), Sukhi (Joshi), Karan (Siddharth) , Aslam (Kapoor) and Sonia (Soha Ali Khan) are 5 Delhi University graduates, hesitating to get out into the real world. Their directionless lives gravitate towards a common goal when a British film-maker comes into their midst. Then they must do what is good and right, and this war like all others, is not pretty.

This film is happy-go-lucky yet earnest. The director portrays well the helplessness of India’s youth in the face of blatant corruption, and lawlessness. Not only do we hear sleeping patriotism rumbling, we also get to hear it and see it; it gets thrown in our faces. In DJ’s sobs “A hundred like me could die, and it would make no difference . . .”, we weep.

Great acting, and excellent direction help this film garner that 5 star rating.

3. Khosla ka ghosla :

Dibakar Banerjee directs his first film like a pro. Although this film is more of a drama than a comedy (which is what I was expecting), it does lace a serious subject with humor.

Kamal Kishore Khosla (Kher) is the typical mild-mannered, service-class patriarch, with 2 sons and a daughter. Problems beset him when he buys a plot of land and it is usurped by notorious land-grabber Khurana (Boman Irani). Unable to get the land back though legal help (police, NGOs etc.), Khosla’s sons decide to take an alternative approach . . .

Kher as Khosla is superb as always but the real scene stealer is Boman Irani who delivers a great performance playing a nouveau-rich, corrupt, land-shark. Wearing typical, “shiny” clothing, a thick gold chain, and slicked-back hair, Irani exudes kamina-pan. Also of mention are Ranvir Shourie (Bunty), who is the quintessential Delhi boy, and Parvin Dabbas, who underplays his character wonder-fully. Raspy-voiced Tara Sharma does good, as does Vinay Pathak.

KKG stands tall on it’s 3 legs, a strong script, great screenplay, and an out-standing cast. Based on true-life situations (land-grabbing) this film tugs at the heart, because Khosla so eloquently represents the common, middle-class man, helpless in the face of a corrupt system.

4. Kabhi alvida na kehna :

I have never been a fan of Karan Johar, because his films seem unreal and his ultra-chic characters seem to inhabit a world other than my own. KANK is the exception though, and actually gets to the meat of the matter. It deals with marital infidelity and tackles the difficult question : does “happily ever after” actually exist ?
Dev Saran (Khan) is a US soccer star, married to fashion executive Rhea (Zinta). Dev’s mom Kamaljit (Kirron Kher) is a caterer of sorts, who’s catering Rishi and Maya’s wedding. Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) loves Maya. Maya (Rani Mukerji) isn’t so sure, and post-marriage when she meets Dev, she finds a kindred soul. As their respective married lives deteriorate, Dev and Maya have an affair . . .

This film is a bonafide weepie. While some characters are sketched well (Rishi), it takes imagination to believe the others (Maya, Dev).The actors do fairly well, and Amitabh and Kiron Kher, provide able support.

The story is a bit shaky. One disbelieves the motivation for estrangement but hangs in there, because some moments are magically shot, some dialogues blissfully meaningful and much of the emotion permeates through.

5. Pyar ke side-effects :

A nice, differently told tale. Not what you would not expect of a Mallika Sherawat film – it’s not brash, loud-mouthy or showing excessive cleavage. It’s soft, sweet, with an under-lying love theme.

What it’s about, is avoiding marriage. The topic seems like it’s transposed straight from Hollywood; live-in couples who shake in their boots thinking of impending marriage. For Sid Bose (Rahul Bose) atleast, that’s true. For his girl-friend Trisha (Mallika), who’s proposed to him, it’s either the marriage mandap, or the highway. Sid takes the highway. And regrets it . . .

The characters are interesting and quirky; the hero Sid is a DJ, and has a room-mate Nanoo (Ranvir Shourie) who’s averse to bathing. The heroine Trisha is unconventional – she’s taller than her boyfriend and makes more money than him. Vivek Chaddha (Arora) Trisha’s ex-fiance is very successful, multi-talented and annoyingly nice.

This is a happy-go-lucky film, and breezes by you. It’s funny without being slap-sticky or trying too hard. You don’t have to have a high IQ to understand it. And it’s pleasant – no icky villains, or bloody gore or unnecessary violence. It’s also a lot of fun, and worth hoots of laughter.

Other watchable films of 2006 in no particular order, are :

– Jaan-e-man
– Bas ek pal
– Woh Lamhe
– Don
– Ahista Ahista
– Anthony kaun hai ?
– Yun hota to kya hota ?
– Krrish
– Corporate
– Fanaa
– Being Cyrus

Also see Worst Films of 2006. See what happened in 2007 – The Top 10 films of 2007 !

Tags : Best films of 2006, Best hindi movies, Good hindi movies, Top 10 movies

Posted in 2006, Best hindi movies, bollywood, recommended, Top 10 | 14 Comments

Review : Baabul

Posted on December 11, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.9/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2006
Running time : 3 hours
Director : Ravi Chopra
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Om Puri, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Sharat Saxena, Rajpal Yadav, Parmeet Sethi, Aman Verma

BAABUL : AN EMOTIONAL FATHER-DAUGHTER WEEPIE

To be fair, let me state that I did not like “Baghbaan” – I found it so insufferable that I left it mid-way. This one, although by the same director, I was rather keen to see, because the topic seemed interesting. And then there’s Rani Mukherjee and Bachhan to consider – an awesome acting pair they make.

So, see I did. And liked it. It is in parts, clichéd and trite, and with some dialogues I really wondered whether the director was regressing to his “Baghbaan-ish” self. Thankfully he only regressed in parts, so the movie as a whole came together without too much surplus emotion lapping at the edges.

The kahani which is “Prem Rog” –ish in 2006, is of urban city girl Malvika (Rani), who’s living life painting and selling those paintings (i.e.; successful painter). She meets richie-rich Avinash Kapoor (Salman) on a golf course (yeah she’s painting there – imaginative scripting this), and of course they fall in love, marry, have a kid – the works. Avinash’s dad Balraaj (Amitabh) is the Punjabi patriarch who loves his son greatly and is stricken when that son dies. Of course Malavika is in worse shape, and when Balraaj sees her condition, he resolves to help her overcome it by bringing into her life old friend Rajat (John) . . .

Now, Rani is one of the main reasons I went to see the film, and I must say she comes through on this one. She looks beautiful, acts superbly – she might be the rare breed of Bollywood heroine with beauty and acting skills in equal proportions. Amitabh is the other star, who delivers his (sometimes corny) lines with such aplomb, that I want to get up and applaud, especially towards the end when he so forcefully advocates for the rights of fellow-man/woman over some cold, phony rituals. And Hema Malini (as Balraj’s wife Shobhna), although I like the way she looks even at this age, can’t act. She never could, could she ? “Seeta aur Geeta” didn’t require it that much. A little whip-flicking and you were done. And now a little hand-wringing and those helpless flutters, and she thinks she’s done.

Salman brings to this film good-humor, bonhomie and some comedic moments. Rajpal Yadav is totally wasted – he’s the driver and general help of the Balraj household. Such a fantastic actor and he is forced to demean himself in these 2 bit roles. And Abraham, although he isn’t the best actor in the world, seems so likeable, that he fits his part anyway. I must mention here, that it’s hard to make John look bad – visually that is. But the Chopra camp sure has tried. They put him in a loud yellow (no it’s not off-white) sherwani, at the shaadi and he looks like an absolute bhangi. They also put Amitabh in a pinkish sherwani (designer color blind ?) which doesn’t suit him at all. Rani look gorgeous in her full-sleeved blouse-georgette sari ensemble in one of the dance sequences and Hema dances as gracefully as ever.

The songs were OK, I thought. The one catchy number appears right at the beginning, with repartees between the father Balraj and son Avi. Also of mention is the title number “Kehta hai Baabul” which is heard in refrains in the movie. The almost classical “Bawri piya ki” is also very nice and filmed pretty artistically. Most of the song sequences, which were generally family affairs are filmed slickly, lots of color, glitz and glamour, gorgeous sets, beautifully choreographed moves, and those now ubiquitous long-legged, mini-skirted, foreign dancers. Johar sure made a trend with “Shava Shava”.

Now, the story is about the value of our daughters – be they widows or not. The underlying theme is the perennial struggle of societal customs versus humanity, and how we ought to discard old traditions when they no longer make sense. And although I agree with the general theme here, and pretty much why I also liked the film, I was snorting a little at some of the chauvinistic thinking that accompanied it. Like how Balraj would think that his DIL’s happiness would only be another marriage, or the assumption that the bahu would take kindly to the FIL forcing her into a marriage, ready or not. Or the notion that a woman is “adhuri” (incomplete) without her sindoor (check out John mumbling that mouthful).

The direction is OK. The film tends to flag a little towards the interval, and post-interval the melancholic music tends to get you down. Although this is an entertainer, and a weepie, it tends to get “stretchy” as emotional films are wont to do. I am thankfull that although Chopra milks the father-daugther love for all it’s worth, he’s still not overdone it, Baghbaan style. This time he gets the balance almost right.

I was told that the director initially shot a movie 5.5. hours long and then edited it to it’s present length. This made me deathly afraid that I’d have to endure a film of nightmarish proportions (4 hours ??), because desi directors find their footage so hard to cast-off. However this film ends at a seemly 3 hours – just enough to polish off those pakoras after the interval.

I’m not promising that I’d see this film again, but for one watch, this was worth the money.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, watchable | 2 Comments

Review : Apna Sapna money money

Posted on December 6, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Worse than I imagined (0/5)
Genre : Comedy
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hours 30 minutes
Director : Sangeeth Sivan
Cast : Reitesh Deshmukh, Celina Jaitley, Shreyas Talpade, Ria Sen, Anupam Kher, Suniel Shetty, Koena Mitra

APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY : Descent into stupidity

This is a hare-brained adventure. Torturous to the extreme, that it makes you wonder what (sins) you’ve done to deserve it.

The story is a cop and robber chase, the robber here transporting diamonds (worth 50 crores). Bamboozling their way into the already rickety story-line are a bunch of buffoons – one small-time conman Kishan (Rietesh), one honest mechanic Arjun (Talpade) and his true love Shivani (Riya Sen) and her dad (Kher), one wannabe singer Julie (Koena Mitra), and an assorted cast of village folk, all with hearts of shining gold. There is also, in case you are losing hope, a dog, with admirable “fetching” capabilities.

So, there’s Jackie Shroff as Carlos, a bankrupt and extremely inept mafia don. His associate Sania (Jaitley) is transporting smuggled diamonds via train, but pursued by Inspector Namane (Shetty) and in a crunch, places them in an old man’s bag. The old man is actually trickster Kishan in disguise, and carries the diamonds away unwittingly. Later when a couple of gangs get a whiff of the wealth, there ensues a grand mela of sorts with everyone vying for the loot.

There is promise in the story, and with such a large cast of characters, the possibilities endless. And in the early post-intermission phase it looks like things might come together into a coherent plot. It doesn’t happen though, and the film sags into inanity. The movie also attempts to be “spoofy” – with the digs at “Sarkar”, and all the refrains from Subhash Ghai’s earlier films. However it’s badly done, and the terrible humor (it’s not slapstick, it’s not comedy, it’s insufferable) doesn’t help either.

The director wields his baton loosely. The story-line is sparse and embellished with various un-related happenings, so it’s easy to lose track of the diamond chase. The conversation in the film comprises of lots of crude dialogue and double entendres. The characters are un-believable and inconsistent. The screenplay – non-existent. The situations are out-of-the-world and I mean that unkindly. Take for example the encounter between Kishan and Sania in a second-class compartment on the train. Sania, is sprawled on, of all things a second-class berth, wearing a low necked, slit-up-the-thigh ball-gown in broad daylight. And she sprawls in a fashion which allows even the most casual passer-by an eyeful of leg and cleavage. The script-writer definitely has rocks in his head.

The kind of acting this film requires anyone could do, even Koina Mitra – she’s the worst. And there seems something really odd about her face, because she seems pretty android-ish. She’d do well as the next “Jadoo” (Rakesh Roshan, please take note). As far as “acting” goes, they all mumble the odd dialogue as well as the next person. Jackie Shroff has trouble with the mumbling though – why doesn’t he retire ? Chunky Pande’s career sinks beyond redemption – he acts as a Nepali gangster. Talpade (ooh – bad, bad hair day) and Kher could do better than act in such films. Jaitley and Mitra attribute to the “oomph” factor, while Ms.Sen remains subdued in churidaars. It suits her – she must remain subdued and out of films.

This is, by popular opinion, a movie devoid of common-sense. However, even if you were to banish all logical thought processes from your mind, stop thinking for a while, and lose all sense of reason, this would still be an atrocious, absurd, absolutely non-sensical film – which is why it gets the super-negative rating.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, comedy | 2 Comments

Review : Jaan-e-man

Posted on November 29, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.3/5)
Genre : Romance / Comedy
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hours 47 minutes
Director : Shirish Kunder
Cast : Anupam Kher, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta

Jaan-e-man : New approach to old romance !

Don and Jaan-e-man released around the same time. And with all the hoopla going around, comparing Don vs. Jaan-e-man, I was expecting well, a fairly decent film. Not that it is not – it’s just that this doesn’t even come close to Don. Don, with all it’s flaws is definitely the better film. On the other hand it’s probably not fair to compare apples to oranges – so will desist on commenting on this any further.

The story is old, and often told and tried in various formulaic Bollywood films. So what makes Kunder’s debut film any different ? The treatment. Kunder takes this ordinary love story, locates it halfway across the world, and gives to it a stage-like musical feel. With all the attention to detail, lighting (watch out for the changing lights to accentuate atmosphere) and effects (shattering glass in the background during high-pitched emotional scenes), Jaan-e-man separates itself from the usual, weepy, dramatic love stories.

Suhaan Kapoor is a down-and-out actor, divorced from wife Piya (Preity). He also has huge alimony problems, and is sorting these out with his uncle Boney (Kher as a dwarf), when the solution to his problems presents itself. The solution is Agastya Rao, an ex-collegemate who still pines for Pia inspite of the fact that he knows she loves someone else. Suhaan and Boney think that if they can get Piya hitched to financially successful Agastya, Suhaan’s alimony woes will be over. Thus Suhaan plays Cupid (albeit hidden) and gives Agastya an education on winning Piya’s love. However there’s another contender for Piya’s affections . .

Now with the story going the way it was, it struck me that (call it weird) that this could be a “Sixth Sense” spin-off, with Salman being the ghost – dead husband looking after living ex-wife etc. However, it didn’t work out that way, but it could have added an interesting surprise to the whole love tale.

While I could call the film mediocre, there were some scenes that were really touching and well-done, like the one where Salman in New York phones up his uncle to tell him that the mission is accomplished, and weeps. Preity has not much to do save look pretty and emote an occasional scene. Akshay Kumar, playing the part of nerdy intellectual Agastya, goes to town with his geeky laugh. He looks good, but then he always looks good. This is Salman’s film, where he gets to do it all, sing, dance, romance, weep – the whole works. He does it well too. However I must say that with increasing age and girth, the same old, cutesy sighs and gestures don’t sit as well on him as they used to. Kher has an annoying role – that of the dwarf Boney. Boney’s super-sensitive about being a “bauna”, and the film has several un-PC jokes about this, which I found un-funny and off-color. What is it with desi directors – you’ve only got to be fat, short or gay and it’s open season on you ?

The songs are OK, two being outstanding. The script and screenplay are average, and the story as I said was old and worn. Inspite of Kunder’s innovative approach, I’d still rate this film average. I mean, everything’s good and all, but the movie doesn’t give me the warm, fuzzy feeling that romantic flicks should. It could be the actors (Salman’s running over people on the road doesn’t much endear himself) or the general inspid been-there-done-that feel the film has.

An OK watch , but wait for the DVD.

Posted in 2006, bollywood | Comments Off

Review : Dhoom 2

Posted on November 23, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Below average (2.9/5)
Genre : Thriller
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hours 45 minutes
Director : Sanjay Gadhvi
Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Aishwarya Rai, Uday Chopra

DHOOM 2 : DISAPPOINTING !

This is quite an unbearable film. Halfway through it, I’m waiting for the film to pick up and show some promise. But it doesn’t; it gets worse. If you cringed when in KANK, Karan Johar fawned over Shahrukh Khan, it’s massive cringe time for you (me, I curled up in a tiny ball in my expensive $8 seat) – because Gadhvi fawns over Hrithik and Bachchan and Rai. And not once either – he goes in for this repeat adulation thing where he camera kisses them again and again and again, actually every-time they appear on screen, until I’m sick to the gills of a hero in slow motion being thrust adoringly down my throat. The kid seated in the row ahead of us keeps crying, and I know how he feels.

I’m thinking it’s actually nice to be watching a new movie on Thanksgiving Day, with all the malls closed etc. And a day before it releases in India too – fancy that ! So, of course with all the hype, the hall is pretty full for an afternoon show, and as we leave the theatre at the end of the movie, I hear that the 7 o’clock show is sold out. What I’d like to do is put up a big sign, urging all the poor sods in the ticket queue to save their money; only I think the theatre owner might have a fit.

Mr. A (Roshan) is the perfect thief pursued by ACP Jai Dixit (Bachchan) and his pal sub-inspector Ali (Uday Chopra). Rai plays Sunehri, wannabe-master-thief who wants to team up with Mr. A. Rimi Sen has a walk-on part as Dixit’s pregnant wife Sweety. And Bipasha Basu has a double role, one as ACP Shonali Bose (they call her Sho) helping ACP Dixit catch Mr. A. and the other as Shonali’s twin sister and Brazilian bikini-clad beach babe Monali (exercise to the reader : do they call her Mo ?).

There’s precious little going on in the film. I mean they literally don’t do anything. There is some action, but it’s done primarily to idolize the star (what he’s wearing, how high he jumps etc.) who’s doing it rather than move the film ahead. There is 1 poorly-done fight sequence, no suspense, no drama and no pizzazz really. Repetitive shots of smug hero/heroines showing them contemplating/smirking do not a film make. It’s not fun watching anyone think. For more than 2 minutes.

The story is a spindly little thing on stilts. Very weak and shaky. Not to mention boring. The background music is incessant – and it’s not very good either. Every 2 minutes of dialogue is followed by annoying background music and some more fawning adulation of some or the other character. We see Rai, Bachhan, Roshan, Basu (take your pick) in slow motion, from different angles, in different clothes, in different pouts and in different stages of hirsutism (the latter for Abhishek only). I mean, I can handle adulation, love, obsession even, but let’s pin all the above onto a decent story please. Disjointed pieces of fawning adulation, stuck together, do me no good. The acting is pathetic and the dialogues are as cheesy and corny as they get. The story, such as it is, is featherweight (poof ! and it’s gone !) and the characters aren’t developed at all. The “depth” of the film thus is akin to that of the Yamuna in a Delhi summer.

The director in his desire to be “cool” gets his characters to talk affectedly. Of course Aishwarya is naturally “affected” so this doesn’t make a difference in her acting. In an effort to be even more cool, they whiz about on fancy motor-bikes, roller-skates and speed-boats. Since Mr. A is a super-whiz he messes around with various robotic gadgets, all of which appear to be more intelligent than any character in the film. Hrithik does try to act but his character is so pathetically developed that I didn’t believe it (yeah, inspite of those wash-board abs). Abhishek does act but has far too much hair on his face to deliver coherent dialogue. I know that without “the bearded look” he looks like a kid, but too much hair (as in this case) reminds me unpleasantly of Neanderthal man. The hair on the face – a matter of fine balance you know.

Miss Basu and Ms. Rai are devoid of any hair (except on the head) that I could see and reveal slim, tanned limbs in short shorts and mini-skirts. Bipasha can’t act but that doesn’t matter here as her role is of no consequence to the story. Rai can’t act either, and sadly (for the poor movie-goer) it does matter because her character actually does stuff. As far as Uday Chopra is concerned, the less said the better.

Gadhvi has not made a film; I believe he’s made a style statement(s). Do I want to spend my money watching a 3 hour long (bad) style statement, with a weak story, shallow characters, bad editing (did they even have an editor ?), poor screenplay, uninspiring music and non-actors to boot ? I think not.

This film actualy reminds me Karam, where the director was so busy polishing his technique, he forgot he was making a film for commercial consumption. To summarize, this is one bad film. Be warned – if you thought Dhoom was OK, Dhoom 2 is much, much worse.

Watch the trailer instead, it’s free and it’s better !

Posted in 2006, bollywood, thriller | 17 Comments

Review : Woh Lamhe

Posted on November 11, 2006 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B000K6FU5E” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Above average (3.6/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hours 10 minutes
Director : Mohit Suri
Cast : Shiney Ahuja, Kangna Ranaut, Purab Kohli, Shaad
Randhawa, Sandeep Sikand

WOH LAMHE : A wistful love story

I have watched 2 films of Kangna Ranaut – Gangster and this one, both sad story-lines where Kangana has a character steeped in depression or some other condition which cause her to shed many tears. While I still believe that the lady has no screen presence, she can act. I do wish he’d take roles of a different genre though – like happy, running-around-the-tree singing songs type of characters, and then her acting abilities (to do different roles) could be judged better. Although, note here that I’m assuming that she’d be offered those kinds of roles by people other than the Bhatt camp. I can see her as the heroine’s sister in a major production – I just can’t see her as the heroine.

Kangana suits the role in “Who Lamhe” – sadness-wise, and by that I mean that she looks pretty melancholy. Hers is a thin face, not very beautiful, but not plain either – small eyes, non-pouty lips – the opposite of luscious. Not a face for a happy-go-lucky romp of a film – which it’s not really, so she comes across believably. Who Lamhe is loosely based on the story of Parveen Babi, and Babi to my mind was one of the most beautiful and glamorous actresses to grace the Indian silver screen. Kangana falls short on the glamour bits, but being the current Bhatt camp muse, does what the director tells her and does it decently enough. This is a symbiotic relationship, because I’m sure the Bhatts must be over-joyed that they’ve found a heroine who’s passable in looks and dramatic talent, and will shed clothes on demand.

Parveen Babi died alone and young after ending her filmi career, a wreck of a woman, and with not an ounce of her famous beauty. I remember seeing her pictures in Stardust when she accused Amitabh Bacchhan of bringing about her downfall, and even said that he had influence with the President of the United States. Her photo shows a not-slim woman, with puffy skin, and frizzy hair – I wouldn’t have recognized her had I seen her on the street. Seeing the film, and recognizing that Babi was mentally ill, fills me with pity for her character in the film.

Sana Azim (Kangana in the film) is a famous movie actress, prone to hissy fits when insecure, and imagines people who do not exist in real life. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, she’s also surrounded by people who are after her money – her conniving mother and her abusive boyfriend Nikhil (Shaad Randhawa). She meets struggling director Aditya Garewal (Ahuja) and is drawn to him. Aditya who initially uses her also, to gain free publicity, begins to fall in love with her, and is the only one who genuinely cares for her in her schizophrenic state. Aditya who has abandoned his mentally sick father to a sanatorium, and is weighed down by guilt at his death, decides to redeem himself by freeing Sanaa from the clutches of her greedy family and friends. However, the path to his selfless love, is a rocky road . . .

Shiney Ahuja is a very good actor, and although I’ve liked him in other films (Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi, Karam), in this one, he does the best job ever. I feel him torn between his happy, uninvolved existence and the mess that is Sana’s life. And I feel bad for him and Sana, and the twisted sense that their love makes in a money-grubbing world, so I must give credit to the director for depicting a touching love story. Tragic love story, yes, but still a love story. Kangna, as I’ve said above is apt for the moody-broody roles. Shaad Randhawa as her boyfriend is OK, while Purab Kohli does well as Aditya’s friend and business partner. The actress playing Sana’s Mom is very believable too. Sandeep Sikand who has a small role as Sana’s make-up man “Hamida” appears briefly but is noticed. And Masumeh who plays Rani, Sana’s “imagined” alter-ego, looks gorgeous and appropriately psychotic – very well done. Also of mention is the actress who plays “Salomi” Aditya’s doctor friend who takes the hapless couple in, when they have no-one to turn too.

I didn’t particularly notice the songs, except the very catchy “Kya mujhe pyar hai ?” sung beautifully by KayKay. The background music’s OK I guess. The direction is good, but you must prepare yourself for a lazy pace. Suri takes his time giving the right touches to his story, and that I think makes it more believable. So, it’s a good film. Just know that it’s depressing and melancholy and not exactly bursting with joie-de-vivre.

Posted in 2006, bollywood | 1 Comment

Review : Dor

Posted on November 4, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Good (4/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2006
Director : Nagesh Kukunoor
Cast : Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag, Girish Karnad, Shreyas Talpade

DOR : Shades of feminism

This film comes from the Kukunoor-ian stable, most famous for low-budget hits like “Hyderabad Blues”, and most recently “Iqbal”. The film is woman-oriented in that it portrays the plight of young widows in modern day rural India, and explores ways of empowering them (well just one of them here, but still). The story unfolds at a slow pace, peppered with nice, simple but touching vignettes.

Zeenat (Gul) is an independent young Himachali woman married to Amir, who’s working in Saudi Arabia. Mira (Takia) is a young Rajput-ian bride, living in her in-laws orthodox home as her husband Shankar earns a living in Saudi Arabia also. Shankar and Amir are apparently friends in Saudi Arabia, but tragedy strikes as Shanker is accidentally killed by Amir. While Meera is buried under sorrow and the weight of traditional customs which deprive a widow of her ornaments, good food or any such luxuries, Zeenat must find a way of rescuing Amir from the death penalty imposed on him. The only way it seems is to get a signed pardon (maafi-naama) from Shanker’s widow. For that Zeenat sets out for Rajasthan, armed only with a photo, to search out Shanker’s widow and obtain from her, her only hope for Amir’s life . . .

I was much impressed by the local scenery of Rajasthan as well as Himachal, as shown in the film. Breath-takingly beautiful. The blue houses were a nice eye-popping color, and the artwork outside Rajasthani homes was gorgeous. The story is interesting, although it does have parts which seems theatrical and made-for-reel-life. Direction is good, and Kukunoor paces his story well, keeping one interested. The characters are well sketched and believable. The dialogues reflect much of the local flavor, and at times discuss feminism and the plight of women. There is only one song (a beautiful retake on the old “Kesariya balam”), which plays back in refrains.

While Ayesha Takia does a surprisingly good job as Meera – the coy smile, the innocence, and later the anger and sorrow are convincing, Panag appears emotionless by comparison. This might be the director’s doing in wanting to make her appear calm and collected in the most stressful situations, however IMO, some feeling is necessary to gain viewer sympathy. Veteran actor Karnad appears as Mira’s patriarchal father-in-law and is superb; if only we had more actors like him. Shreyas Talpade as good-hearted Bahrupiya, is good, effortless in his buffoonery (all that mimicry suits him no end), and believable in serious parts. Actors playing minor roles, such as Amir’s or Shanker’s are very good too.

This is a nice film, and a welcome break from all the other crap objectifying women. If you want a good, clean film strong on content, this one’s for you.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, drama, outstanding, recommended | 10 Comments

Review : Bas Ek Pal

Posted on November 4, 2006 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B004S9KHIY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Above average (3.5/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2006
Running time : 3 hours
Director : Onir
Cast : Juhi Chawla, Jimmy Shergill, Sanjay Suri, Urmila
Matondkar, Rehaan Engineer

Bas ek Pal : One convoluted story

This film is a “Closer” of sorts – a love story for nincompoops. You know the type – he loves her but she doesn’t love him and she loves him but he is jealous, blah, blah, blah. A splurge of emotions; I am confused as I am sure the characters are too. From the songs which regularly play on MTV Desi I had expected am “arty”, thoughtful film, kind of like “My brother Nikhil”. Thoughtful it is; it’s just too much thought. It seems like Onir has tried to mesh many stories into one, and is unable to display completely the angst of any one character.

OK, so there’s Nikhil (Suri) an NRI, newly returned to India. He meets old friend Rahul (Shergill), and Rahul’s friend Steve (Engineer). Nikhil’s a Casanova of sorts, Rahul’s a nice guy and Steve’s a wife-beater. His wife Ira (Juhi), is an independent woman, who thinks of leaving him but never does. Rahul meets Anamika (Urmila) at a nightclub, and is enamored by her. However in another meeting at the club there is a scuffle over her, and Nikhil accidentally shoots Rahul. So, urban boy Nikhil lands in jail, and serves his time with just Anamika’s memory to console him. When he gets out on bail 3 years later, his one aim is to attain her . . .

The story tries too hard to be interesting – a simpler story would have been easier to digest. Some of the scenes are just absurd, like the one at the end where Ira is going around the city in pouring rain at night, telling everyone she’s leaving. One’d think that with Bombay’s history of flooding she’d stay home and use the phone.

The characters aren’t very well sketched. Nikhil who seems like a reasonable guy, has shades of the psychotic stalker, which don’t fit very well. Ira finally gets the strength to leave Steve, but how she gets here is unclear. She’s the kind of woman who causes harm by just being conscientious and forthright – such a pity. Anamika’s character is that of a woman who knows not her own mind, torn between love (?) and guilt/duty. And it’s not very well portrayed; Urmila in this film as in some of the previous ones, can’t project her character, and appears “off” undecided on whether she should be smiling or crying in that scene. The sheen of “Pinjar” in which she was superb, is now wearing off.

Rahul’s character is the true-nice-guy. However later in the film, Rahul has pangs of jealousy and actually tries to cause trouble, kinda unbelievable because we don’t really see the anger which would lead to that desperate step. If he’d have shouted and ranted a bit more, he would have been more believable. I know that Shergill could have done justice to Rahul’s character, so I blame the director and the twisted script for the lapse. Steve’s character seemed the most consistent, and the one I most believed.

The music of the film is beautiful though, and almost all the tracks are melodious, humm-able or just plain haunting, like the “Tere bin” number. This film is just about OK, notice I’m not whooping in my seat or anything. So, although I can’t really applaud the film for anything except the music, I’ve got to say that despite the convoluted story, inept scripting and blurred characters, this movie is loads better than the crap out there.

Posted in 2006, bollywood | Comments Off

Review : Khosla ka ghosla

Posted on October 27, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Very good (4.2/5)
Genre : Comedy / Drama
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hours 10 minutes
Director : Dibakar Banerjee
Cast : Anupam Kher, Kiran Joneja, Parvin Dabbas, Boman Irani, Ranvir Shourie, Tara Sharma, Navin Nischol, Vinay Pathak

Khosla ka ghosla : A treat to watch !

Dibakar Banerjee directs his first film like a pro. It doesn’t hurt to have accomplished actors like Kher and Irani in it either. A tight narrative and good screenplay round off the perfect 10. Although this is more of a drama than a comedy (which is what I was expecting), it does lace a serious subject with humor.

Kamal Kishore Khosla (Kher) is the typical mild-mannered, service-class patriarch, with 2 sons and a daughter. While his eldest Bunty (Shourie) has turned into a non-working wastrel, his younger son Cherry (Dabbas) is a computer engineer secretly planning on moving to the US. Khosla, who’s about to retire, dreams of making a bigger home, and for this buys a plot from property dealer Vijayender. However when he arrives for the bhoomi-pujan with family in tow, he finds that his land has been encroached upon by notorious land-grabber Kishen Khurana (Irani), who’s built a wall around the plot, and placed goons to ward off the Khoslas.

When Khosla requests the land back, he is told to pay up. Refusal, and attempts to get help from the police, NGO’s , politicians, and hired goons, land him in jail at powerful Khurana’s instigation. Dis-illusioned, Khosla resigns himself to the loss of his life’s savings, which he’s sunk into the purchase of the plot. There seems no way to win this un-just war . . .

Kher as Khosla is superb as always; you expect nothing less from him. However, the real scene stealer is Boman Irani who delivers a great performance playing a nouveau-rich, corrupt, land-shark. Wearing typical, “shiny” clothing, a thick gold chain, and slicked-back hair, Irani exudes kamina-pan (there’s no other word for it). Then there is Ranvir Shourie (of The Great Indian Comedy Show), who is the quintessential Delhi boy, sponging off his Dad, and spitting out local Delhi-speak like “shagird”, “bhuliyo mat”. Dabbas, best known for “Monsoon Wedding” – he was also in “Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye”, underplays his character wonder-fully, a studious go-by-the-books kind of guy, wishing to distance himself from middle-class sentimentality. Tara Sharma (of “Page 3” fame) as Megha, Cherry’s friend who-wishes-to-be-more, does good, even with her raspy voice. Vinay Pathak (also of “The Great Indian Comedy Show” fame – he also appeared in “Water”) as the street-smart visa-handler Iqbal Asif, who’s helping Cherry with America-bound plans is fantastic, even in a minor role. The rest of the cast with smaller roles, are very good too.

KKG stands tall on it’s 3 legs, a strong script, great screenplay, and an out-standing cast. Background music is used effectively in the film, although there are no real “songs” in the film, save one – a rollicking Punjabi number. The story is a take-off on many true happenings, since I’ve heard of many cases of land-grabbing, and tenants usurping rented property in the context of Delhi’s out-dated land-laws and ridiculous justice system. And the tug at the heart is because Khosla so eloquently represents the common, middle-class man, so mindful of right and wrong, yet helpless in the face of a corrupt system, to regain what is rightfully his.

The verdict : a must-watch.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, comedy, drama, family-friendly, outstanding, recommended | 10 Comments

Review : Don

Posted on October 22, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.85/5)
Genre : Thriller
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hr and 59 minutes
Director : Farhan Akhtar
Cast : Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Isha Koppikar, Om Puri, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor

Don (2006) : Good but not scintillating

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I so agree. Thus you’ll understand, that when I went to see Don, it was with in-built prejudice. I was convinced that Akhtar was making a mistake attempting the remake of a classic. How do you make a great film’s remake even better ? You don’t. At best, you could improve on it minutely, and then, let’s face it, who’d notice ? At worst, you could crash and burn – and the whole world would know.

And while I can’t say that Akhtar has achieved the impossible, I must say that he’s tried. The film started off visibly slow. The first few scenes did nothing more than follow in chronological order – Don did this and did that etc. Quite boring. The first half followed in the original’s foot-steps, with SRK attempting an emulation of Amitabh’s Don, and the film seemingly content to wallow in pre-delivered and well-remembered punch-lines. And while the movie pre-interval clearly smacks of adulation for the original, in the second half, Akhtar comes into his own, putting a new, cerebral spin on an old tale.

Doubtless, you’ll remember the story scene for scene. Still, here’s the gist : Don – dashing kingpin of the underworld, wreaks havoc. DCP D’Silva hot on trail. Don dies unexpectedly. Enter Vijay – a Don look-alike, rural bumpkin, tutored by D’Silva to infiltrate Don’s gang by impersonating him. That done, D’Silva dies. Don, aka Vijay, pursued by police who think him Don, and gang-members who know he’s not, now in very, very hot soup.

Just reiterating the story makes me tingly. The drama, the promise of a juicy tale, the immense opportunity of a thriller ! There are 2 ways to look at this film, one by making the obvious comparison, and the second to judge it stand-alone, by itself. The first way, “Don 2006” comes out the loser. The reason : Shahrukh is Shahrukh, and while I do like the guy, he is no Amitabh. It makes you realize just how much Bachhan was responsible for the original’s magic. Also, the 1978 Don was a tight, simple script held together by cinematic muscle and Amitabh’s skin. It moved, and it moved fast. And it was un-complicated. Here’s the hero, here’s the villain – a couple of hours later, the good guy wins and everyone goes home happy. The new Don seems to revel less in it’s very Bollywood-ian formula, and tries a tad too hard. It is too conscious of itself. While stylized and “brainier“, and presenting to us a new improved, cutting edge Don it forgets to imbue him with anything more substantial than frivolous personality and zany neck-ties.

However, I find much to applaud when I look at Don 2006 stand-alone. The film has style. It takes a while to get the pace up, but when it does, it revs up and takes off. Most importantly, it diverges from the known rut, to travel a slightly different, original path. The characters in the film, although bearing the same names as the original, are a newer, cooler, funkier version. They jetset around the world, displaying their snazzy outfits and (then ?) trendy Moto Razrs. The film has a modern feel to it, and the characters translate accordingly. Plus actors, like Priyanka Chopra (looking gorgeous and very Zeenat-esque with those signature neck-scarves) and Arjun Rampal, who’m I’d been leery off, do better than expected. The music borrows heavily from the original songs, but the newer interpretations are picturized well. The fight sequences, of which there are many, are done beautifully. It’s not the usual dhishum-dhishum anymore; these are well-crafted, sinuous, lethal-looking moves, enacted by fighting-fit actors.

As expected, there are problems also. To me, the film did not flow as engrossing films should. Plus the entire concept seemed dated, like the director was forcing a 70’s film to come of age. Unfortunately, the wrinkles show; a square 1978-ish peg in a round 2006-ish hole. Acting wise, SRK’s stylized rendition of “the Don” didn’t feel like the real thing – it looked put-on. He does better in the second half of the film, when enacting the “new” bits. Also Shahrukh as country bumpkin was hard to swallow since he exudes an urban yuppie-ness that‘s hard to miss. When Amitabh did the role, I believed it all – the anger, the callousness, the simplistic naivete. No questions asked. With SRK, even though he does leave his mark (like the well-done “Khaike Paan” number) I have to think too hard. Boman Irani as DCP D’Silva does the job adequately, although he seems to oscillate quite a bit, between being hellishly cold, and passionately furious. Isha Koppikar as Anita looked rather faded and washed out (did the clothes just not suit her or has she fattened up – I couldn‘t tell), and Kareena as Kamini appeared much too naive. Not a patch on our Helen.

I did notice that the cast at times reverted to vintage, but still stylish, 70’s clothing. The women display ample cleavage and leg, and look good doing it. Priyanka appears in a one piece swim-suit which is almost a bikini, and Kareena in the “Yeh mera dil” number worries not as the hem of her dress moves higher and higher. Still, what’s with SRK’s neckties ? Ties worn under the shirt do not make you look cool; they make you look like you have ADD.

My reaction to the film, thus, is mixed. I am un-excited about trudging in some-one’s jaded footsteps just because. Hence while I tolerate the first half, it is the second, post-interval half which gets my vote. It is clear that Farhan, like the rest of us, suffers from a big time Don hangover. However, he does manage to breathe into it some of his own directorial magic; original, new-fangled shards of brilliance which translate into unexpected twists in a worn story. The film is definitely worth a dekho; just don’t go in expecting too much. You might not get it.

Update : The edited version of this review appears on Rediff here