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

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

Posted in 2006, action, bollywood, rating-PG, thriller, watchable | 5 Comments

Review : Pyar ke side effects

Posted on October 18, 2006 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Romance
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hrs and 11 minutes
Director : Saket Chaudhary
Cast : Rahul Bose, Mallika Sherawat, Jas Arora, Suchithra Pillai, Tarana Raja, Ranvir Shourie, Aamir Bashir

PYAR KE SIDE EFFECTS : A funny romantic yarn

A nice, differently told tale. Attempts to be arty-sharty with the asides and the characters speaking to the audience. And does it well too. Really 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. Yes, there are scenes which I would call flights of fancy, but then all is fair in love and war, no?

What it’s about, is avoiding marriage. The topic seems like it’s transposed straight from Hollywood; I know India’s changing and whatnot, but are live-in couples yet the norm ? 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. Realizes he loves Trisha more than he thinks. And he is getting ready to woo her again, but finds that Trisha’s ex-suitor Vivek (Arora) is already ahead in the race.

The characters are interesting and quirky; the hero Sid is a DJ, and has a room-mate Nanoo (the fantastic Ranvir Shourie) who’s averse to bathing. Sid also has a strong-willed sister Shalini (Tarana Raja) who’s pregnant and her husband Kapil (Aamir Baashir) is not yet ready to be a father. The men (Sid, Kapil and Nanoo) bond by whining about life in general and not wanting to marry/ to be parents/ able to get laid respectively.

The heroine Trisha is unconventional – she’s taller than her boyfriend and makes more money than him. Plus she doesn’t adhere to the constraints of being a nice Punjabi “kudi” and has a habit of running away from her marriage ceremonies. Vivek Chaddha (Arora) is the hunk Trisha ran away from at the marriage mandap, but he’s still nuts about her. Very successful, the guy is multi-talented and annoyingly nice (shades of Owen Wilson in “Meet the parents”). Trisha’s Dad is sketched off of Jack Byrnes character in “Meet the Parents”. Not ex-CIA but close.

This is a happy-go-lucky film, you know it’s going to be all right ; the director’s just making us jump through the hoops to stretch the film length a bit. The film, besides having a very urban story, breezes by you. And I mean that nicely. 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 all in the head, the pondering, the musing, the soul-searching.

This movie is truly a multiplex movie. It’s very yuppie and urban – I mean who else actually has the luxury of debating marriage ? Plus it’s newly modern in it’s sensibilities – like say “live-in” and don’t gasp. It’s also a lot of fun, and worth hoots of laughter.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, drama, rating-PG, recommended, romance | 3 Comments

Review : Aap ki khatir

Posted on October 2, 2006 by amodini

[amazon_link id=”B000LC55T8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : Poor (2.8/5)
Genre : Romantic Comedy
Year : 2006
Running time : 2 hrs and 8 minutes
Director : Dharmesh Darshan
Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Akshaye Khanna, Amisha Patel, Suniel Shetty, Anupam Kher, Lillette Dubey, Dino Morea

AAP KI KHATIR : Unfunny and uninteresting !

This film deserves one classification : junk. I saw this film by fast-forwarding the most uninteresting bits (which were many) but even a fast-forwarded 130 minutes of this film is too long. It’s a rip-off of the Hollywood “Wedding Date” and pretty much copies it without a thought. And it’s directed by Dharmesh Darshan – the one who did the abominable Bewafaa – so, yeah it’s worse than you expect.

First of all, my dears the acting is nothing to write home about. Darshan picks the choicest of non-actors : Chopra, Shetty and Patel. Khanna is OK, but that hairstyle really sinks him; what is with the delicate tendrils of hair framing his face ? Such a pity that neither of Vinod Khanna’s sons have inherited an ounce of his charisma. Then Darshan goes overboard on all his characters, making them caricature-like in their jovialty and accentuated emotions. Add to that Himesh Reshammiya’s songs which pop up every 10 minutes and you have a disastrous banshee of a film.

Anu (Chopra) is a UK-based Punjabi girl working and living in Bombay because of her unhappy break-up with Danny boy (Morea). Now, 3 years later she must head UK-wards to attend her step-sister Shirani’s (Patel) wedding. But still pining for Danny, she hires an escort Aman (Khanna)to act as her boy-friend to make Danny jealous. Punjabi kudi Shirani is marrying Gujju Kunal (Shetty). Both have very ethnically over-done parents – she has the stereotypical loud and over-bearing Punjabi parents and he’s saddled with the accented Gujju parivar. Of course Danny is at the wedding because he’s Kunal’s best friend. However he is well over Anu and has other fish to fry . . .

If this film had any redeeming qualities, I would tell you, I would. Honest. But it has none. The heroine is pretty but dumb. The hero is cute but has a bad hair-do. The actors who can act (Kher and Dubey) are given ridiculous roles and leave-you-numb lines. The rest of the cast are cringe-worthy. The screeplay and story are poor (even the ripping-off is done pathetically), the film lacks pace and it’s pretty un-funny.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, ecstatically stupid | 2 Comments

Review : Ahista Ahista

Posted on September 11, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.5/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2006
Director : Shivam Nair
Cast : Abhay Deol, Soha Ali Khan, Shayan Munshi

Ahista Ahista : Slow and steady doesn’t win the race !

Abhay Deol and a cute heroine – I thought we had another “Socha na tha”. Sadly not. Although this is just as cutesy and sweet, the end of this film is so anti-climactic, and basically against everything that I would see a film for, that I really cannot stomach this one. I mean, one sees a film for the larger than life messages they propagate – the ones of hope, happiness and redemption. If a film doesn’t fit that bill, you might as well not see it, no?

OK, that warning notwithstanding this film does have it’s good points. It’s simple, well told and pretty clean. Although it is true to it’s name, i.e.; it progresses pretty “Ahista Ahista”, it’s a well-developed love-story. Abhay Deol turns into a charmer oozing sincerity (even when mouthing choice cuss words), and Soha Ali Khan adds dignity to the role. The film has “Nukkad” like scenes where the hero consorts with a group of friends on a regular basis, giving it a nice, homely feel. The music is pleasant, with one really good song.

Ankush (Deol) is a professional witness at a Delhi marriage court. That’s how he earns his daily bread. There he meets simple, middle class girl Megha (Soha) who’s run away from her Nainital home, in the hopes of marrying boyfriend Dheeraj (Munshi). When Dheeraj doesn’t turn up, she is left stranded in the city without money or friends. Ankush helps her, and she manages to get a job in an old-age home. Ankush now has feelings for her, and Soha might love him too. However all Ankush’s hopes are dashed when 2 months later Dheeraj turns up looking for Megha . . .

Deol, Soha and the supporting cast do well. Munshi looks pretty playboy-ish and I can’t manage much sympathy for his character. Especially after the Jessica Lall thing. And he speaks Hindi pretty well. The direction is decent, and the characters adequately developed. The story does tend to wax unreal in parts, like when the old-age home honcho criticizes Megha for romantic involvement with Ankush. Like really, who has the time these days ? And it’s an old-age home, not a nunnery, right ?

All that said, IT IS a sweet film. I just wish the director had made the wait worthwhile.

Posted in 2006, bollywood | Comments Off

Review : Anthony kaun hai

Posted on September 6, 2006 by amodini

Rating : Above average (3.2/5)
Genre : Thriller
Year : 2006
Director : Raj Kaushal
Cast : Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Dutt, Minissha Lamba, Anusha Dandekar, Gulshan Grover, Ravi Baswani, Chetan Hansraj , Raghubir Yadav

ANTHONY KAUN HAI : A rather slow thriller

I had an inkling that this was one of those different films, but the one review that I read trashed it. However after seeing this film I don’t think it’s all bad. The big flaw is that it’s slow and can’t maintain pace, it being a who-dun-it and all. However the story is diifferent (inspired by Hollywood film “Who is Cletis Tout”) and the narration is unique. The acting is good – Arshad Warsi has a meaty chunk of it. This film is innovative, it strays from that well-trod path of Bollywood masala flicks, so yeah, I hand it an above average rating.

Champ or Champak Chaudhary (Warsi) is a small-time crook, dreaming of hitting the big-time by retrieving hidden diamonds. However, while going by a different name, he is caught by for-hire-killer Master Madan (Dutt). Madan threatens to kill him believing him to be Anthony Gonsalves. Champ has to convince Madan that he is not Gonsalves by relating his very unbelievable story. Does Madan believe him, or is it Adios Champak ?

The film relates Champak’s story in flashback. Anousha Dandekar makes a brief appearance in the film as Champ’s one-time girlfriend Rosa – a role of no consequence if you ask me; it has zero impact on the story. Raghubir Yadav plays a con-man, Champ meets in jail. Minisha Lamba plays Jiya, the girl Champ loves, and the one helping him retrieve those diamonds. Minisha does good, although with each film of hers, I am convinced more and more that she does not have what it takes to make it big-time in Bollywood. Dutt as Master Madan, looks suave in a suit and a Ferrari, is cold-blooded and revels in the part. Gulshan Grover is the detective on the trail of a murder, linking Gonsalves and Lucky Sharma (Hansraj) the actual villain. Warsi as Champ is as always, good. He is in form whether it is comedy, drama or just plain old masala fare; I wish he’d get better roles.

I am surprised to see this film come from Raj Kaushal the maker of such unmentionables as “Pyar mein kabhi kabhi” and “Shaadi ka laddoo”. In this film, he needs to tighten the direction; too much slack in a thriller puts the viewer to sleep. As it did in my case; I had to rewind the film after I woke up. Still, the rewind experience notwihstanding, I’d say give it a dekho – it’s on DVD now.

Posted in 2006, bollywood, drama, thriller | 1 Comment