Kung-Fu Pandey

Soon after the evolution of the "masala entertainers" we were served a fresh, unique, comical yet stylish fearless-cop-film called Dabangg (the fearless). People all over the country fell in love with its leading character "Chulbul a.k.a Robinhood Pandey" who was a small town police officer, the action-hero, the comedian, the romantic star and having every other heroic quality. It smashed the silver screen and became a huge box office success making Salman Khan the ultimate money-making machine. The producer of Dabangg, Arbaaz Khan came up with a brilliant "business" idea for making a sequel to the film which has a huge mass following. So, he donned the director's cap himself and started making Dabangg 2. A film which is titled as Dabangg 2 without writing its script, tends to be wholly/partially inspired by the original's success. The following dialogue might have happened between the two brothers :

AK - Bhai! We're making Dabangg's sequel. 

SK - Great! What's the story? Oops! What are the scenes I'm supposed to do?

AK - Ah! I've got one Dilip Shukla who is ready to write some.

SK - Who's he?

AK - How can you forget him? He's writing almost all your stories and dialogues since Andaz Apna Apna.

SK - Whatever. Who reads the story? Who needs a story by the way?

AK - Anyway, you just need to utter the dialogues extempore, as you usually do, the cheesy ones you know!

SK - Huh! Just simply tell me you're making a Dabangg remake.

AK - I can't tell you this.

SK - Why?

AK - As I don't know what actually I want to make. 

SK - Take my free advice. People loved the original one just give them another dose of it.

AK - But it'll be unfair to the audience.

SK - Why? Change Laalganj to Kanpur, replace Zandu Balm with any other product. But don't get your wife this time.

AK - Please bhai!

SK - Ok. Then cut her performance very short. Get Kareena instead for the item-song, she's the most selling heroine. 

AK - Ok big bro. But Abhinav is not ready to direct, he says he gets scolding from his big bro for making such kind of films.

SK - Then give a chance to "Chhotay". He's just fooling around on "Comedy Circus" these days. 

AK - Bhai. Can I try?

SK - Alright! Go ahead. But make sure the film is a replica of the original one else no one would be interested. The audience are a bunch of fools, they love to see the same things happening again and again.

AK - Bhai, but the audience are getting smarter these days.

SK - Kisi ko Aamir ki Talaash samajh aai ? Nahi na? Unhe wohi dikhao jo hamesha se dekhte aa rahe hain.

AK - Hmm.. I see. And what about the songs?

SK - All the same, Arbu!

AK - Then I must get a lyricist who can write "Fevicol Se" to replace "Munni Badnaam", "Daghabaaz" in place of "Tere Mast Mast", "Pandeyji Seeti" against "Humka Peeni Hai", "Saanson Ne" to replace "Chori Kiya Re Jiya" and an all new remixed "Hudd Hudd Dabangg".

SK - Great! You're learning already. But keep in mind the setting of these songs should be the same.

AK - Done. Anything else?

SK - See to it that no song should create a controversy like "Zandu Balm". 

AK - But I was thinking about "Fevicol" this time, no problem I'll talk to them.

SK- If you're actually doing an advertisement. Go ahead with some more like mobile phones, Suzuki bikes, Xoom Money Transfer and Hajmola. 

AK - I think we've planned everything. We should start the shooting soon. 

SK - Ah! I forgot.. The "itne chhed karenge" dialogue and "bhaiyyaji smile" were epic, keep them also.

AK - Anything for you bro!

And that's how Dabangg 2 was made into a film. 

TALAASH - Starring Aamir Khan and "Story" !

Aamir Khan is known for his out-of-the-box choice of films and giving them his personal touch, hence making a masterpiece out of it. Talaash is yet another film which can easily be counted among one of his bests. The film co-produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Reema Kagti is a much-awaited psychological thriller which has released after a prolonged delay. There were a number of rumours doing rounds as early as the film's first look was launched about its story-line and the predictions of the possible suspense the film has.

Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) is the investigating officer of the case of a film star's accident having a possibility of a murder. As he tries to investigate people related with this case, he is forced to look back into his own past where he and his wife Roshni (Rani Mukerji) lived a happy life until they lost their son in an accident. Shekhawat meets an escort Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) who informed him about the possible suspects and helps him to look further in the case. As the mystery unfolds there comes a number of characters who are involved in the case and Shekhawat needs to find out the truth while dealing with his broken married life. Will he ever find the truth behind the accident? Who is the culprit? The suspense lies within.

"STORY was, is and will always be the real HERO of a film". The story of Talaash by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti is enthralling and engaging with lots of twists and turns which literally gives goosebumps to the viewers at points. The screenplay, also by the duo is tightly packed but kept a bit slower than necessary for a thriller. But yes, who said it's only a thriller? Reema Kagti has discovered a unique genre which can be called a thriller/suspense drama, psychological thriller, emotional drama, emotional thriller or simply a fiction. All the credit for discovering this genre and having guts to stick on to and giving a film which stands out, goes to Reema Kagti, the director of the film. The dialogues by Farhan Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap are worth praising and perfectly suits the situation. Farhan Akhtar, undoubtedly has inherited the writing skills. Mohanan's cinematography and Ram Sampath's music sets the perfect ambiance for the film and thrills the viewers at every pivotal point.

Aamir Khan takes the whole film on his responsible shoulders and gives a stupendous performance. No other actor in the Hindi film industry could carry such an emotional graph with a plethora of variations but Aamir Khan. He steals the show in every single frame. Kareena Kapoor looks stunning and acts her part brilliantly. Rani Mukerji's role is very short but she delivers her best and looks pure. Nawazuddin Siddiqui once again deserves applause for his role, he is a smart actor. Rajkumar Yadav and Shernaz Patel does justice to their roles.

All-in-all Talaash is an engaging and thrilling film which offers a perfect yet a very unique whodunnit case with many twists and turns with a mind-boggling climax and a great wrapping up of the story. A murder mystery is always an interesting genre to watch and after watching Talaash you'll feel good to have watched something different which Bollywood has never seen.       

Vengeance is Irritating

Ajay Devgn Films' much talked about film Son Of Sardaar directed by Ashwni Dhir is an action-comedy, a remake of the Telugu super-hit Maryada Ramanna (2010) which itself was a remake of the 1923 American silent film Our Hospitality. Ashwni Dhir, who is popularly known as the writer of much acclaimed TV series Office Office and also received a decent response for his last film Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge is roped in to direct a full-on family masala entertainer by the producers to make some money out of this Diwali jackpot. A huge amount of publicity campaigns, Salman Khan's cameo and some controversies including the legal notice issued to YRF gave SOS a remarkable kick-start at the box-office. Read on to find what this Diwali bomb carries for you.

Jassi (Ajay Devgn) who lives in London receives a legal paper from India which forces him to go to Punjab and claim his dead father's property. He comes to know about the rivalry between his (Randhawa) and Sandhu family who is in search of him from past 25 years and wants to kill him. Billu (Sanjay Dutt), the head of the house has vowed not to marry Pammi (Juhi Chawla) whom he loves until he kills the last member of the Randhawas. Jassi comes to Punjab and meets Sukh (Sonakshi Sinha) and falls in love with her. Somehow, Jassi ends up in the Sandhu-house whose tradition is taking care of the "guest" no matter if he's an enemy. Sandhus comes to know about Jassi's identity and waits to kill him as soon as he leaves their house. Meanwhile, Sukh also develops her feelings towards Jassi. Will Jassi ever leave the house?

SOS starts on a very unrealistic plot and ends on the same. The film was made to entertain the mass-audience but they ended up making a not-so-funny rather boring cinema. Ashwni Dhir's fascination with guests ("mehmaan bhagwaan hota hai") continues like his last venture ATKJ but this time he fails to create even a smile on an average viewer's face. The screenplay looks dull topping on an even duller story-line; not one dialogue carries a comic-punchline, even the timing is mismatched. The film carried a lot of expectations considering its hype but it falls short on comedy as well as action. The visual effects looks cheap and there is nothing new with the action sequences (a lot of unnecessary action). The music is average, the title song creates spark, Bichhdan is soothing and Pon Pon is Salman Khan-fan-club's favourite track.

Ajay Devgn tries too hard to look funny but he fails every time, the role doesn't suit him. He has a good comic timing but the script proved lackluster. Sanjay Dutt is good as always with his role but again, there's nothing to watch out for. Sonakshi Sinha knows how to look like a "doll" as she experiences another masala entertainer in her career. Juhi Chawla is sweet and charms the frame every time she comes. Mukul Dev is best with his tailor-made role and gets some good lines which he delivers with a great timing. Vindu Dara Singh is decent with his performance. Salman Khan's cameo is just to attract his fans, though it worked but the film doesn't.

SOS is a total waste of a film. The producers will earn a hell lot of money fooling the audience by offering them a complete 'Diwali' package in the name of a pure family entertainer watchable with your brains outside the theater. This vengeance is not at all funny, its irritating ... rather pathetic!
Save your money!

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - NOT a Yash Chopra Romance

The man who gave us the first successful multi-starrer in the form of Waqt (1965); a one-of-its-kind thriller Ittefaq (1969) which became the first song-less Hindi film; one of the biggest hits in Rajesh Khanna's career Daag (1973); the ground-breaking film Deewar (1975); classic tales of love like Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Silsila (1981) and Chandni (1989); a cult film like Lamhe (1991), a romantic psychological thriller Darr (1993) and modern day love sagas like Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), a musical and Veer-Zaara (2004), a love tale beyond boundaries, is no more with us as his last offering Jab Tak Hai Jaan releases. JTHJ is again a modern day love saga like most of Yash Chopra's films dealing with the complications in love and relationships. The film got all the media hype when Chopra announced it as his last venture as a director which followed his unfortunate death and some more legal controversies. Does the film justifies the hype it created?

The film starts with Yash Chopra reciting a line of the poem written by Aditya Chopra - "Bhool na jaana rakhna yaad mujhe, Jab Tak Hai Jaan . . . Jab Tak Hai Jaan." which sounds very much ironical now. Major Samar Anand (Shahrukh Khan) is a fearless bomb-squad leader having earned the title of "The man who cannot die" for his courageous efforts in diffusing bombs all over the Kashmir valley without any body-suit. Akira (Anushka Sharma) works for the Discovery Channel and is in Ladakh with her team making a documentary on the bomb-disposal squad of the Indian Army. She accidentally reads Samar's personal diary which depicts his back-story and how he became a fearless officer. The plot goes ten years back when Samar, a happy-go-lucky Punjabi boy works in London doing odd jobs for survival. He falls in love with Meera (Katrina Kaif), the only child of a business tycoon who is getting married to someone else. Somehow Meera reciprocates her love to Samar and they both decide to live their lives together. Samar meets with an accident and Meera prays for his recovery and due to her immense faith in God she vows not to meet Samar again if God makes him recover soon. After knowing this, Samar who had recovered from the accident leaves London and challenges Meera's vow by joining the Indian Army and playing with death. Akira, during the filming falls in love with Samar and after submitting the documentary calls Samar to London for its authentication where Samar again meets with an accident and looses his memory. This brings back Meera into his life. Will they be together again ?

JTHJ has its plot scattered in a huge radius that it looks like a never-ending tale of love. The writing of the film is below average, be it the story-line, the dialogues or the screenplay; "poor initiation of a could-be-made good story" is written all over the film. It was supposed to be a tribute to the legendary filmmaker by his son who penned down the story and co-written the screenplay. Aditya Chopra need to think about what sort of stories he's putting ahead and making a good-looking hamper in the form of a film (other being Ek Tha Tiger). There isn't a single point in the film which could relate to the long-lost "Yash Chopra Romance" (apart from its length); the film is NOT a typical Yash Chopra-film and we could even have doubts about him actually directing it. The cinematography by Anil Mehta is A-Grade covering the beautiful locales picture-perfectly. Namrata Rao's editing is not at all "Namra" leading to a 3-hours long running time. Even AR Rahman's music lacks the magical touch this time but still "Challa" and "Saans" are the two songs to look out for. Gulzar's lyrics does the work but in parts.

Shahrukh Khan in his trademark role of a lover boy looks charming and as the rough and tough Army officer steals the show (even hearts). Though he's not in his best form but watching him romancing in his tailor-made style after a really long time is soothing and sometimes breathtaking. Katrina Kaif looks absolutely stunning in every frame but falls short of acting skills. Anushka Sharma is the real surprise package as she charms all the way putting energy to an otherwise slow-paced plot of the film.

The never-ending plot, the detailing of every unnecessary emotion, the unusually 'funny' rift with God and the mixing of old and modern-day love made the film look too complicated to understand and you may actually wait for the 'EXIT' lights to turn on. Jab Tak Hai Jaan falls too short of its expectations. Watch out only if you're a loyal SRK fan or just to pay respect to a legend. No matter what Yashji, you'll always be missed ... JAB TAK HAI JAAN!  

Chakravyuh - A War You Cannot Escape but A Film You Can Escape.

Prakash Jha, after his last bombarded venture Aarakshan (Reservation) again tries to depict a major problem of our nation in the Mahabharat-style. It is the Battle of Kurukshetra where Pandavas (the naxalites) are fighting with their own cousins, the Kauravas (the government) and just like Arjuna's brave son Abhimanyu gets stuck into a Chakravyuh formed by Drona, the leader of Kauravas. Chakravyuh is a film highlighting the issues of 'Naxalites' which is one of the major problems that India is facing today.

Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal) is the SP of Bhopal who is transferred to Nandighat ("gram"), the centre of Naxal influence to take hold of the situation. He is depicted as the Kauravas' leader who tries to destroy the Pandavas. Kabir (Abhay Deol), Adil's long-lost and only friend comes back and suggests to join the "naxal-army" and provide clues to the police who is unable to locate the naxal-leaders. Kabir joins the naxals and get to know their problems and sympathise with them. When the naxal commander-in-chief Rajan (Manoj Bajpayee) is arrested, Kabir realises that the naxals are fighting for their right and becomes their leader. He is shown as Abhimanyu who is stuck in a Chakravyuh and could not come back. The rest is the face-off between Adil and Kabir, both are diligent in doing what they think is right.

Prakash Jha used this Mahabharat symbolism in Raajneeti too where he succeeded and the film got huge appreciation. There isn't an iota of doubt that Jha is the best in his type of game and no one could even touch that level in the political-thriller genre. He mesmerises you with his uncanny style of filmmaking which is very much appreciable. The problem with the film lies in its writing, an uninteresting screenplay, an obvious flashback and a set of cliched dialogues looks terrible in a film with such a powerful subject. The music of the film is below average and so is the loud emotionless background score. The editing could be a bit crisper so as to engage the audience till the end. Arjun Rampal does justice to his role and looks cool (and sometimes gives rather cold expressions), Abhay Deol is natural as always and outshines, Manoj Bajpayee needs no words of appreciation but his role is undefined, Esha Gupta is average, Anjali Patil shows her acting talent (or the gold medal from NSD) and gives a brilliant performance, Om Puri is good in his short role so is Kabir Bedi and S.M. Zaheer.

When a general (not reserved) person among the audience enters the theatre to watch a Prakash Jha-film, the expectations are Damul, Mrityudand, Gangaajal, Apaharan and Raajneeti. Chakravyuh is not a great film like Jha's previous ventures, it's just a decent attempt and a neutral view of the naxalite problem in India (though the friendship angle is just not suitable for explaining this kind of cinema, but yes an angle is necessary so why not this). Chakravyuh, as a Prakash Jha-film disappoints.           

Students of this Year !

Karan Johar is back with his directorial cap for his 5th film as a director. Karan's last films KKHH, K3G, KANK and MNIK proved to be blockbusters (barring KANK) with his trademark "K" and "SRK" factor. This time he jumps out of all his superstitions and his father's wordings - "Whenever you make a film, be sure that SRK is there in it", and directs a bunch of youngsters, newcomers, celeb-kids and his own assistants in a film titled SOTY (Student of the Year) . . . Why not title it as "Person of the Year" (POTY) as the end results would suit the abbreviated title pretty well ! This youth-romcom stars Siddharth Malhotra (Karan's assistant in MNIK), Varun Dhawan (David Dhawan's son and again Karan's assistant in MNIK) and 19-years old Alia Bhatt (Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan's daughter).

Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan) is the son of a business tycoon and has a complex relationship with his father, Ashok Nanda (Ram Kapoor). Rohan's only hope is to win the "Student of the Year" (SOTY) trophy, a competition which his college conducts every year, to prove himself to his father. Abhimanyu Singh (Siddharth Malhotra) comes from a middle-class family and wants to achieve great heights in his life and winning the "SOTY" trophy would be his stepping stone. The two comes face to face in every competition and instantly becomes the rivals and the most powerful contenders of the trophy. As both of them has a soft-side their ego-rivalry unexpectedly turns into a great bond of friendship when they discovered the similarities between their lives and start sharing their hearts. Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt), the most famous girl of college is the childhood sweetheart of Rohan but they don;t love each other. Abhimanyu gets attracted towards Shanaya and her reciprocation causes a rift between Abhimanyu and Rohan and they again become rivals of each other. Now the main focus is on the SOTY trophy and the rivals' face off in every competition to prove themselves best. Who will be the "Student of the Year" is the part you'll be thrilled about.

After MNIK, the cliched expectations were a notch higher from Karan Johar. SOTY would easily be a disappointment for KJo's fans. When you watch the promos, you'll be assured to be served the romance like KKHH complimented by the school-life competition just like "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar" (trademarks). SOTY looks like a film made by one of the assistants of KJo and lacks that intensity which you expect in a KJo film. The direction is good, the screenplay is kept air-tight but the script lacks the potential and the indigestible climax down-slides the film. An imaginary college where a cool professor teaches "love", where curriculum is not important, where homo-sexuality is very common, where everything you imagined about your college rests is a Karan Johar style but this one looks more of a FANTASY film.

The newcomers looks as newcomers and performs averagely good. There's one man you're going to love the most is Rishi Kapoor as Dean Yoginder Vashisht (a gay-dean). A never-seen-before act and Rishi Kapoor is flawless with his performance. All the other actors except the main lead are worth praising, be it Kayoze Irani, the fat guy (Boman Irani's son), Manjot Singh, Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy, Farida Jalal, Sanyam.

The music suits the fantasy-environment of the film and Vishal-Shekhar have done a fabulous job. "Radha", "Disco Deewane", "Ishq Wala Love" are topping the charts. The film's quite well in technicalities.
It has collected 27 crores in its first weekend. The film is going well with the youth as was targeted. Watch only if you want to relax and relive the memories of your school-life, else it is avoidable.    

Be Barfi!

UTV's latest offering and director Anurag Basu's unconventional film Barfi! starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and southern actress Ileana D'Cruz is the talk of the town these days. Anurag Basu's last film Kites(2010) was not successful at the box-office but got along well with the critics. Basu's directorial style has been largely appreciated from the time he made hugely successful films like Murder (2004), Gangster (2006) and Life In A Metro (2007). It is not amiss to say that through Barfi! Anurag Basu has taken the Hindi film industry to an all new level (all Anurags are doing the same thing!). It offers you an experience you've never had before.

Murphy a.k.a Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) is a happy-go-lucky, deaf and mute boy. Barfi always has a prank up his sleeves and is a famous name in his hometown Darjeeling because of his charm and grace. He meets Shruti (Ileana D'Cruz), a Bengali girl and starts wooing her but to his hardship he comes to know that she's already engaged. A big jar of optimism, Barfi forgets his proposal and befriends her. Shruti also starts loving him but could not indulge herself and gets married with her fiance leaving Barfi heart-broken. The soul of Barfi's life is happiness and he moves on seeking it. He then meets his childhood friend Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), an autistic girl of a wealthy family who is abandoned and lives in a special school. Jhilmil gets kidnapped for money issues and somehow Barfi gets involved in the case. In the meanwhile, Barfi falls for Jhilmil and they start living their lives together until he meets Shruti again and Jhilmil gets missing.

Anurag Basu is also behind the story and screenplay of the film which stands evident of his brilliance. There isn't a point of imperfection in the screenplay of the film, the back and forth narrative looks great and balanced the length of the film quite well. The story is though simple but it tells you a rather simple but very interesting quote "Be Barfi" which means "be positive", "be optimistic" and "be happy". Kudos to Basu for elucidating us on how to live our life.

Ranbir Kapoor is absolutely brilliant in the film and acts admirably good. As you watch the film you'll forget who he is and you only remember him as Barfi and not RK as you move out of the theatre. Acting in a 150 minutes film without a single dialogue and yet attracting full attention is a work of a genius (no doubt, he looks like his grandfather at times in the film). Priyanka Chopra amazes everyone with her flawless performance as an autistic girl (at par with what SRK did in MNIK). Ileana D'Cruz is no new to films and gives a stunning performance (and looks too) in her Bollywood debut film. Saurabh Shukla is funny and witty as always and Ashish Vidyarthi is natural (after a long gap).

The cinematography by Ravi Verman is frame by frame an artistic experience, editing is terrific, soundtrack is lovely; Pritam's one of the bests. "Main Kya Karoon" is soothing and a very sweet romantically picturised song which is up on the charts too.

There are so many shoulders (rather hands) who are responsible for making the sweetest Barfi! ever made. Anurag Basu, the head sweet-maker gives all his master strokes, the actors who added an extra dose of sweetness and the music which is the silver lining on the top; the main ingredients of this delicious honeyed Barfi! Don't watch it only if you're diabetic; this one is a toothsome!  

"Sometimes Being Alien Is The Only Option" - Are you serious?

Shirish Kunder started his career in 2000 as a film editor and later on entered into direction with Jaan-E-Mann (2006) starring Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Priety Zinta which got him positive response from certain critics but was a box-office failure. After a six-years long gap, Shirish once again jumped into film direction with his latest offering Joker, a fantasy film (for whom?) starring (and co-producing) Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha. The film has always been in the limelight since its inception and it was said that Joker will be the best 3D film of Bollywood (if this is best we don't need a 3D, do we?). There were also talks about Shahrukh Khan refusing to sign the film which also lead to some unfortunate events (Kha.One, remember?). Now the film has released with the latest controversy being Akshay Kumar pulling off his hands from the promotion saying he was cheated by the makers, let's see what this much talked about film has to offer.

Agastya (Akshay Kumar) is a space scientist working on a project of communicating with the aliens, which he believes he can if provided some more time. His senior officials gives him a one-month ultimatum to develop the model otherwise the project would be taken from him. Agastya's girlfriend Diva (Sonakshi Sinha) informs him about his father's illness and they both reaches his native village Paglapur (what a shitty name?). Apparently, Paglapur is the sole village which is not on the map of India due to some reasons (idiotic) at the time of partition in 1947. Agastya finds out that his father is doing well and he was called on a false note; he decides to move back but on his way he comes to know that Paglapur is going through a water problem as the rivers are blocked for the village people. Agastya requests the ministers and other politicians to solve this problem but in vain. He then comes up with an idea to make a hoax crop circle suggesting the arrival of aliens which eventually attracts the whole nation towards this village. The problem comes when a scientist from the US, Simon (Alexx ONell) comes and reveals the hoax game Agastya and his team is playing with the media.

It would not be incorrect to say that this film "does not have anything to watch out for". An absolute rubbish writing of the story and the subsequent plot including the screenplay, a nonsensical direction and some irritating dialogues (all credit to Shirish Kunder) is all that Joker has. There is so much exaggeration and an overdo of the "alien" thing that this film stands "alien" to its other counterparts. A village named "Paglapur" (are you serious?) where only "mad men" (yeah! only men) lives, where there is a school-like 'title' board when you enter that village, man-made aliens made only from vegetables (is this going ridiculous? Wait, there's more) and the arrival of a skinny stupid looking thing described as an "alien"; you need to think at least 10 times before you dare to watch this flick.

Apparently, this is Akshay Kumar's 100th film (what a century! boss) and if he's serious with these kind of movies in his career, it's high time that he should retire. He's one of the finest actors we have in this era but his film selection is just terribly wrong (coincidentally he also produces these trash films). Although he plays his part quite well, but what the hell? Why is he doing this? Sonakshi Sinha once again has to play a role of a "doll" and she did so (she's experienced now). Joker marks the complete wastage of some extremely good actors like Asrani, Shreyas Talpade, Darshan Jariwala, Sanjay Mishra and Vrajesh Hirji. There was no scope for acting and as a result all the performances are dull.

Joker is a film no one could have dared to make except Kunder, the reason would be very well imbibed into your minds as you watch the film. No one could ever guess the genre of this film (fantasy, comedy, drama) as it neither make you or your children fantasize about this absurd world neither it tickles your any bone (funny is a strong word) and yes, it doesn't even make you cry. But one thing it surely does is to make you angry (literally) and make you wonder how can they even make this kind of a film (it's an insult of the viewers). Even Chitrangada Singh doesn't put the screen on fire this time (sadly, but she looks hot as ever). So, if Shirish Kunder asks you who is the JOKER in the film? Tell him "Just-aa-you" !!    

Love Has No Expiry Date

When you watch a film which boasts about its writer (not the producer after Rowdy happened) being none other than ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali,  you expect it to be worth watching. The aptly titled film Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi directed by debutante Bela Bhansali Sehgal (SLB's sister) who's been the editor for all SLB films so far. The film stars Boman Irani in the leading role and marks the debut of choreographer turned director turned actor Farah Khan (but why?), which is again a bizarre combination of the leading pair. Although the film has enough of Unique Selling Propositions (USP) to attract the audience but what actually "Nikal Padi" with Shirin-Farhad?

Farhad Pastakia (Boman Irani) is 45 and lives a satisfied but unhappy life with his "over-loving mother and grandmother", which he writes in his matrimonial bio-data. Farhad is unmarried because of his weird job as an undergarment-salesman but he is proud of his job (it's honest, he says) and he dreams to establish his own undergarments business one day named "UNDERWORLD". His family and friends are desperate to get him married; he tries a lot but finds no decent girl (rather woman) for marriage. He meets Shirin Fugawala (Farah Khan) in his store who works at Parsi Trust and develops a liking for her. They start hanging out together and comes closer. Everything goes fine until Farhad takes Shirin to meet his mother who recognises her as the same Parsi Trust Secretary who has demolished an illegal water tank which Farhad's father had built for her (his akhri-nishani type). The story revolves around Shirin and Farhad's relationship and how they break-up, patch-up and finally convince Farhad's mother for their marriage.

This film belongs to Boman Irani all the way. Portraying the role of a Parsi bachelor, honest, sweet and emotional at heart, Irani plays his part with so much perfection that you cannot do without appreciating his acting talents. Being a Parsi himself, he knows the accent and the body language of a Parsi fellow pretty well. It's quite evident that the filmmakers haven't thought once about Shirin's role and cast Farah Khan who looks so dumb on screen (well, off screen too, TMK?) and acts poorly (sharing the screen space with extremely talented Boman Irani is no joke). Daisy Irani as Farhad's mother is impressive and acts beautifully throughout her role.

The problem lies in the writing style as the film lacks the spark which is needed for a love story (so what if it's middle-aged). A film giving a sweet and simple message that "Love has no expiry date", should have that twinkle, the cuteness quotient which explains nothing but all (maybe if they've cast an experienced actor, say Lillette Dubey, or any other except Farah Khan, it would look much much better). The story is simple and cute but the screenplay is lackluster and moves on a same pace. Music by Jeet Ganguly is easily forgettable and cinematography (Mahesh Aney) and editing (Bela Sehgal, Rajesh Pandey) gains no extra mark.

SFKTNP is a decent watch but not upto the "Bhansali" mark and could be easily avoidable if you're not a cinema buff. The only thing you remember when you come out of the theater is none other than Boman Irani and his brilliant performance throughout the film (esp. climax). He should actually think about grabbing some more lead roles as "acting also has no expiry date".     

"TIGER toh Kutte ka naam hota hai yaar"

Yash Chopra presents . . . a film by Kabir Khan (his 3rd YRF movie) . . . a story by Aditya Chopra (no one told me he's unwell?) . . . in Ek Tha Tiger . . . where naturally, Salman Khan is TIGER !! There is not an iota of doubt when the director Kabir Khan says "there's only one TIGER in the film industry" as he's dauntless, invincible, irresistible, dynamic and a bit exaggerated. A film like Ek Tha Tiger comes as a surprise from the director who is mostly known for his serious films and documentaries. Kabir Khan makes a comeback after three years and bangs the silver screen with his action packed romantic thriller casting the most bankable actor of Bollywood awarding Yash Raj Films a fortune.

Tiger (Salman Khan) is Research and Analysis Wing's (RAW) most important and fearless officer who is always ready for any field mission and is best in the game. His reporting head Shenoy (Girish Karnad) tells him about the next mission where he is supposed to observe Prof. Anwar Jamal Kidwai (Mass Comm. and Research Centre ?), a scientist teaching at the Trinity College in Dublin who is suspected of sharing information with the Pakistan defence establishment. Tiger reaches Dublin undercover with his fellow officer Gopi (Ranvir Shorey), and meets Zoya (Katrina Kaif) who is the part-time caretaker of Prof. Kidwai's house. Tiger and Zoya develops friendship, comes closer to each other and falls in love. Tiger suspects something fishy around him and after he was attacked by an stranger twice, he comes to know that Zoya is an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent. He completes the mission and tells Zoya to run away who disagrees that she ever loved him. After a gap, Tiger meets Zoya again in a conference in Istanbul where she tells him that she loves him a lot and how they both can never be together. They try to elope after the conference and how they face adversities explains the rest of the story.

As stated before and as the history explains, Salman Khan is the "tiger" of Bollywood having a charismatic screen presence and a macho style which is irrepressible. Though he looks a bit older but nevertheless he is the super-hero of Hindi cinema. He makes action sequences looks effortless which is worth praising and for his fans even watching him on screen doing anything is more than a treat. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous, alluring, dazzling, fascinating and every other adjective. She's not merely a cute-looking-teddy-bear in the film rather she has an equal role to play to which she does justice. Girish Karnad is natural as always and gives a very composed performance, Ranvir Shorey has not much to do but he is brilliant in whatever he is supposed to do. Roshan Seth as Prof. Kidwai is exceptional (but in an incomplete role).

The actors in the film are mostly experienced but what about the writers? Are they not? Aditya Chopra, who gave us some absolutely brilliant stories has messed up with this one. Though the initial idea about the friendship between India and Pakistan by portraying the secret agents of both the nations in love is commendable but the most expensive film coming from a banner like YRF cannot be based only on an "idea". The story starts with a decent pace but due to lack of an interesting story and an arresting screenplay (which is badly needed in a spy thriller) it falls short of events and could not move forward till the end leaving you asking for more (at least a proper end). Sohail Sen's music is hard hitting and Julius Packiam's background score is outstanding (you actually feel the background sound). Aseem Mishra's cinematography is magnificent as he frames the most unique and picturesque locations ever seen in a Hindi film. Rameshwar Bhagat's editing is top notch with fine inter-cuts of the scenes to make the film look sleek (but it's not). Kabir Khan has raised his bar of expectations from his past films, namely New York and Kabul Express and this film is surely going to disappoint his admirers as it falls short of a decent story line and suppresses the talented directors efforts and capabilities.

ETT is not just another Salman Khan's super-human film (though it has some action sequences which leads to indigestion) but it has an element of sensibility carried on very smartly, for example, it has a scene where Salman Khan strips off his shirt, but to put it intelligently he does it to change his shirt and not to beat the enemy, smart huh? Salman Khan fans won't need a review to watch his films, they'll watch it anyway but to put it short 'Bollywood still needs to think seriously about the story factor in a film, esp. when it comes out of the biggest production banner". Who said "Salman ki Agent Vinod?" . . . Critics you know!       

Watch JISM 2 to know how Sunny Leone can help the nation !!!

2012 is the year of sequels . . . The sequels to most of the hit films are lined up one after the other in 2012. Jism 2 is the sequel to the 2003 erotic thriller Jism which marked the debut of John Abraham. The film was highly praised for it's story and eroticism and is considered among the top sexiest movies of Bollywood. Pooja Bhatt, the producer of Jism took the brand name and his father's another inspired story to make its more erotic sequel Jism 2 starring the queen of adult entertainment Sunny Leone (who is enough to attract viewers). Pooja Bhatt's directorial career is not very impressive (not that her acting career is remarkable) and this film was supposed to change her career for good.

The story starts with Izna (Sunny Leone) after spending a night with Ayaan (Arunoday Singh), an inteligence officer, receives an offer from him which could earn her a sum of 10 crore rupees and without knowing the task she agrees to do it (no one in this world could be that greedy Bhatt sahab!). When the task is explained to her by the chief Guru Saldanah (Arif Zakaria) that she has to play a honey-trap to the dreaded police officer turned assassin Kabir (Randeep Hooda) who once loved her, she is reluctant to do that.. They want Izna to go back into his life and get all the details about his network which is kept in his laptop (Whoa! how do they know?) by showing some "jalwa" of her "jism". Izna at first disagrees but suddenly something prompts her and she not only wants to do the job but also kill Kabir (loosely explained). Izna and Ayaan shifts in the house in front of Kabir's with disguised identity. When Kabir recognizes Izna, he wants to live all of his life with her and quit all his wrong doings but at the same time he's confused if Izna really wants to come with him or she's happy with Ayaan. Ayaan, on the other side becomes the latest victim of Izna's Jism and falls in love with her. Now, Izna has to choose between Kabir and Ayaan, Right and Wrong, Herself and her Country.

The story of the film is not properly polished and to say the least it is not a good story to make a film out of. The story has no pace and ends up in a few scenes without taking you anywhere. The film was supposed to be an erotic thriller but the 'erotica' is totally missing from this one barring a few scenes which would make you go 'Ah!'. It sneaks into the patriotic 'desh-bhakti' genre very easily without waking up the makers (or we're lacking of story writers, so put up anything you can think of?). The characters are not neatly defined especially Arif Zakaria's character who becomes unnaturally wild during the climax and same is the case of Arunoday Singh's character. You can also be able to hear some worst dialogues mouthed by some good actors like Hooda. Thumbs down for Mahesh Bhatt for story and screenplay. The audience has a number of toilet-breaks in the kind of screenplay adopted. How Izna became a porn star and how Kabir became an assassin is absurdly explained or not explained at all. The twisted climax also cannot save this film as the plot looks unaccomplished in itself..

Randeep Hooda is yet again a treat for the eyes (overshadowing Sunny Leone). Though his character lacks something and it seems he's still in search of 'illegal guns trading mafia' which his character in Jannat 2 does but he's a brilliant actor and brings his extraordinary touch to every character he plays and the role of an insane police officer is tailor-made for him (you can watch the entire film for his performance). Arunoday Singh acts below average, even his debut performance is better than this one. Sunny Leone looks like a newcomer (though she's not!) but carries on her role with ease (esp. the bed scenes). Arif Zakaria is terrible just like his character for the film. There is no other actor . . . seriously!

Jism 2 is a decent attempt but a terrible outcome from the Bhatt camp. Don't expect it to be an erotic thriller because unlike Jism this will not tell you how destructive a woman's body can be but how to save our country through a woman's body (that too is mismatched).  If the makers have chosen a smaller canvas for this film, it would've surely worked. The best thing about the film is Randeep Hooda and some beautiful music and singing which will sooth you from time to time.    

Kyaa 'SUPER FOOL' Hain Hum ?

'Kyaa Super Cool Hain Hum' is the sequel to the 2005 surprise hit 'Kyaa Cool Hai Hum' which made the otherwise not-so-successful director Sangeeth Sivan famous. 'Kyaa Cool Hai Hum' has always been considered as another launching pad for actor Tusshar Kapoor by his sister Ekta Kapoor which ultimately reached its destination. It's the story of two notorious unlucky friends who in search of their soul-mates find themselves in a tragic situation. It was the first time in 2005 (except Masti) that an adult comedy is portrayed and it was very well received by the youth in India. Inspired by this huge amount of success, Ekta Kapoor decided to take a step further to make a sequel out of this 'coolness' quotient in the form of 'Kyaa Super Cool Hain Hum'. But are they super cool enough? Or just making a super fool out of us?

Adi (Tusshar Kapoor) and Sid (Riteish Deshmukh) are best buddies and roommates. Adi is a struggling actor doing some ridiculous products' ads to earn his living and tries hard to get into films. Sid is a smartass DJ (pronounced as 'Diks Jockey') who considers himself so unlucky that he's ready to buy a packet of sanitary napkins because he's going through a very bad 'period'. Adi's astrologer tells him that a girl whose name starts with 'S' would come into his life and will change his life for good. Adi meets Simran (Neha Sharma) and falls in love with her. Simran likes Adi but doesn't want to settle down so early. Sid starts falling for Anu (Sarah Jane Dias) whom he meets in a fashion show and who's also the best friend of Simran. Simran and Anu go for a vacation in Goa where Adi and Sid follows them. Anu's father Francis Marlo (Anupam Kher) is a crazy millionaire who thinks his mother has reincarnated in the form of a female dog on insistence of a thug called Baba 3G (Chunky Pandey). The story moves forward when Marlo insists Sid to give him his reincarnated father in the form of Sid's dog Sakru (Vicky Donor) as he wants to marry off his newly reincarnated father-mother.

The film not only doesn't have a decent story-line but it's better to say that the film moves on and on without any story. This is a recent trend in the Hindi film industry that if we're making a comedy film it's better to keep away with something known as 'story'. The film starts off well, promising a 137-minutes laugh riot but it very soon loses all the elements for which an average viewer has spent his money. The makers forgot that if they're making a sequel to a hit film, naturally the expectations becomes high and the story-line they've come up after 7 years is not only disappointing but absurd. The main USP of the film is, without a doubt, its dialogues. There are numerous vulgar, double-meaning, wicked and witty dialogues which you expect when you go for an adult  comedy (not gaalis like in Delhi Belly). If it's not for those one-liners which have the capability to make you go crazy, the film would be intolerable. Sachin Yardi's directorial debut C Kkompany failed miserably at the box office but this one having the 'COOL' brand name would make him succeed. He's a great writer and that doesn't mean he can be a great director too and KSCHH stands evident for this fact.

The performances are the second best thing in this mindless comic caper. Riteish Deshmukh shines all the way in the film and stands out even while sharing the screen space with veteran actor like Anupam Kher. Tusshar Kapoor is all the same but in some scenes he's exceptionally good. Sarah Jane Dias looks stunning, Neha Sharma has little to do but plays it well, Anupam Kher as the crazy millionaire looks very 'gayish' and totally wasted, Chunky Pandey has a little idiotic role (but "baba ne ek taang par khade hokar tapasya kari hai" - - "ye mat poochna kaunsi taang par", makes you go crazy) and Sakru - The Pug steals the show with his censored performance.

The best thing about this film is it makes you smile all the way, even if you're watching a totally mindless scene on screen. A lot of contribution of the actors' performances, a huge contribution of witty dialogues and a pinch of sexiness by the ladies makes the film an entertainer (strictly, not family) which is loved by today's youth (and hated by yesterdays'). Ekta Kapoor has adopted her brand slogan 'Entertainment, entertainment and entertainment'. KSCHH is no 'American Pie' (or even it's genre)  neither 'Kyaa Cool Hai Hum', watch it if you 're in a mood of adult jokes and if you miss this one, you've not missed a lot.                 

MOCKTAIL

Homi Adajania,  a critically acclaimed director for his very first film, 'Being Cyrus' delivers a love story this time mixing the stardom of Saif Ali Khan (his money also), long legs of Deepika Padukone (paisa vasool), cuteness of Diana Penty, a pinch of Imtiaz Ali "salt" and some good music by Pritam (or to whomesoever concerned) making a 'COCKTAIL' out of it. Every cocktail has atleast one alcoholic (spirited) ingredient but this one lacks it and falls flat without giving you a big head.

Veronica (Deepika Padukone) is a spoiled, alcoholic, impulsive, wild, revealing, sexy girl who takes her life for granted and lives on her own terms. She meets Meera (Diana Penty), a shy, sweet and cultured Indian girl who is recovering from a hoax marriage to Kunal Ahuja (Randeep Hooda) and they start sharing the same apartment. They meet Gautam (Saif Ali Khan), a flirt of A-grade who can easily make his Japanese boss fall in love with him by saying "Do you believe in love at first sight yaa main dobaara ghum kar aaon?" Gautam and Veronica likes each other and Gautam designedly shifts into Veronica's apartment. Within no time Gautam, Veronica and Meera are good friends. The sudden change of events happen when Gautam's mother (Dimple Kapadia) and his "tharki" uncle (Boman Irani) comes to their place and are told that Meera is the girl Gautam loves as she's the one who is good cultured. Gautam falls in love with Meera in this chaos of events and on the other hand Veronica tries her best to impress Gautam's mother as she falls for Gautam and wants to get married. The unforeseen change in the characters and an unusual love triangle takes the story further.

Cocktail is one of the many films which is tailor-made for Saif Ali Khan and like always he performs brilliantly being his natural self. Be it the "OMG" expressions or the "confused lover" act, he is flamboyant throughout. Deepika Padukone's acting skills can once again be seen after 'Love Aaj Kal' and she is very much exciting and looks boombastic all the way. Diana Penty is new and looks like one but her cuteness wins hearts and nobody wants to notice her cold expressions throughout the scenes. Dimple Kapadia and Boman Irani have little roles to play and they do justice. Randeep Hooda is good but what a waste of an incredible actor.

The film has a very big label attached to it - "written by Imtiaz Ali" which eventually making people curious about the storyline as it is coming out of one of the finest storyteller's bag. "The story is not at all a new tale to tell but a stale 'cocktail' served in a new refined bottle". The film has numeous scenes giving you a Deja Vu of the 2009 blockbuster 'Love Aaj Kal' by Imtiaz Ali (it is said that Imtiaz has written Cocktail before LAK and we can surely say why he decided to make LAK over it). The screenpay is dull, unable to form the story and the characters till the interval. The first half lacks pace and it just drags making the viewers hungry for their "pop-corns" but second half picks up pace as the emotions of the characters comes out well (or the pop-corns does the magic?). Pritam's music is loved by everyone and it'll top the chartbusters for some more days. Homi Adajania's direction lacks something that Imtiaz Ali has and it shows very well.

Cocktail is a timepass film for the youth where you go and enjoy what you're served and even feel the characters as they look very real (it's Love Kal Parso btw). It is not a great film which is not to be missed rather it is just another love story which lacks spark, pace and yes, the "spirit" which transforms this COCKTAIL into a MOCKTAIL.           

BOL BACHCHAN : It will make you remember "MILK No.6"

This is no news that Rohit Shetty is totally obsessed with the 1979 epic comedy 'Gol Maal'. He made a film with the same title and continued the series making it his brand. But this time he has taken a step further and officially bought the rights of 'Gol Maal' for making it in his own way as 'Bol Bachchan'. Does he succeed? The answer is - partially. 'Bol Bachchan' is entertaining in parts and monotonous in 'participles'.

Abbas Ali (Abhishek Bachchan) and his sister Saniya (Asin Thottumkal) lives in Delhi and are fighting for their ancestral property which they eventually loses. Shastri Chacha (Asrani) advises them to move to his village Ranakpur where he can arrange a job for Abbas at his owner Prithviraj Raghuvanshi's (Ajay Devgn) place. While saving a child from drowning Abbas breaks open an ancestral temple's lock and gets into trouble where he was forced to say his name as Abhishek Bachchan and not Abbas Ali. From here starts a game of lies where to cover one lie the team of liers has to produce another lie before Prithviraj who is a kind hearted person (raam-naam) but hates liers (raam-naam satya). The game of fake identities, double roles, moustaches and mistakes officially taken from 'Gol Maal' takes the story further and it leads to the introduction of the characters like Abbas-The Gay (hamshakal) and Prithviji's sister Radhika (Prachi Desi).

The film surely works on it's performances especially Ajay Devgn who brilliantly plays his part mouthing the "maa-behen of english" dialogues raises the graph of the film to another level. Abhishek Bachchan is back after a long time and his hard work for the film shows very much. He reinvented his 'Dostana' character and plays both the characters with full enthusiasm. The girls, be it Asin or Prachi, are totally wasted even the romance quotient is missing in the film (for which the girls are used in today's films). Archana Puran Singh can be seen after quite a long gap and she's at par with her character (beating drums in your eardrums with her loud voice). Krushna Abhishek is the man to watch out for, amazing comic timing in some scenes and a beautiful chemistry with veteran actor Asrani who is brilliant as always. Neeraj Vora is a fine actor and he performs his role hilariously.

Rohit Shetty is the master of his game and he entertains a selected portion of audience making a family entertainer film. You'll not find a single vulgar dialogue or obscenity in this film which is quite a matter of appreciation in today's scenario where you think twice before taking your children for a movie. Sajid-Farhad's dialogues are worth praising especially those one-liners mouthed by Ajay Devgn which creates instant comedy. The screenplay by Yunus Sajawal is not upto the mark for a film which is assumed to be a remake of a cult film like 'Gol Maal'. Rohit Shetty could have structured this story in another scenario rather than a "pehelwan village" where the coming and going of the villain is forced just to create action sequence for which Shetty is known. In 2002, David Dhawan also tried his hand on this theme in 'Chor Machaaye Shor' with Bobby Deol in the lead creating references for this film. The music by Himesh Reshammiya and Ajay-Atul is forgettable.

The problem with 'Bol Bachchan' lies in the fact that it is more or less a remake of a film which we love so much and do not want to see the remix version of it (ever think of watching Gol Maal with crashing cars?). There's absolutely no need for slow-motioned action sequences which is an overdose for the viewers. The good thing about the film again lies in the fact that it showcases the plot which we love so much that we can watch it in any way it is served to us (Ramprasad-Laxmanprasad and the moustache is epic). 'Bol Bachchan' is a film to watch out with your family, get entertained, get relaxed, move out and then wear your brainy caps.       

Gangs of Wasseypur - "Keh Ke Dekho" !!

The 'Tarantino' and the 'Coppola' of Bollywood, Anurag Kashyap, is back with the most stylish, most entertaining and yet the most realistic film of his career. The man who made us experience the reality around the Mumbai blasts in the name of 'Black Friday', the unfortunate condition of the student politics in 'Gulaal' and the depiction of the modern-day 'Devdas' in his cult film 'Dev D' is actually back with his most awaited film about the coal-mafia in Bihar. 'Gangs of Wasseypur' (Part 1) stands tall and it can easily be said as the best work of Anurag Kashyap.

The story starts with Shahid Khan (Jaideep Ahlawat) robbing a British train and selling the loot to the villagers. Shahid works at Ramadhir Singh's (Tigmanshu Dhulia) colliery and thinks of grabbing the mafia-throne by killing Ramadhir but gets killed himself when Ramadhir comes to know about his plans. After years Shahid's son Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) becomes the most feared man of Wasseypur and plans revenge against Ramadhir ("goli nahi maarenge saale ko, keh ke lenge uski"). The story is about three generations confined to the coal mafia in Wasseypur and their gangs who fight incessantly to bring their honour back. Part 1 of GOW is focused on the life of Sardar Khan and how he succeeds in becoming an awe-inspiring figure of Wasseypur.

Manoj Bajpayee is the real hero of the film as he single-handedly takes the film to an unimaginable level of success (remarkable acting, astonishing screen presence and superb dialogue delivery). Jaideep Ahlawat brilliantly played is part (throughout the starting sequence you may think that he's Manoj Bajpaee). Tigmanshu Dhulia's role suits him pretty well, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has a small role (but Part 2 belongs to him), Richa Chadda is absolutely brilliant, Reema Sen is sexier than ever, Vipin Sharma is good. Piyush Mishra is the narrator of the story as well as a character in the film and he doesn't need an introduction.

Writing of the film is a separate character which performed brilliantly and better than any other character the film has. A superlative screenplay packed with a meaty set of dialogues and lovable characters makes the film realistic and entertaining at the same time. Sneha Khanwalkar's music is fantastic (be it Jiya Ho, Hunter or Womaniya), this "womaniya" will go places. Cinematography by Rajeev Ravi is again A-Grade regardless the fact that shooting an Anurag Kashyap film you need to be a rogue at times.

Anurag Kashyap has shot this film in a "Tarantino mixed with Coppola" manner and it definitely stands out. Showcasing detailed description of every incident, every fact surrounding the happenings in Wasseypur since generations and yet making it entertaining enough that the viewers ask for more after watching a 160 minutes film is the job of a genius. Gangs of Wasseypur is a masterpiece of its kind that should not be missed otherwise Sardar Khan "keh ke lenge apki".
Eagerly waiting for Part 2.           

Punctured Ferrari !!

When a film comes from such a reputed banner like Vinod Chopra Films the expectations are always high (and if their last film happens to be '3 Idiots' there's not much to say than to look forward). Directed by Rajkumar Hirani's AD since Munnabhai MBBS, Rajesh Mapuskar 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari' falls flat on the storyline (it is said that the script was developed in a span of seven and a half years, seriously?).

Rustom Debu (Sharman Joshi) is a single father, honest and simple, who can even go out of the way to pay the fine for his silliest mistakes and would say "Mere bete ne dekha na, jo dekhega wohi seekhega" (according to its makers, the whole film is summarised with this dialogue). Kayo (Ritwik Sahore), his son is an extraordinary cricketer and his dream is to play for Team India. Rustom's father Behram (Boman Irani) hates cricket (for some reasons) and doesn't want Kayo to play. To fulfill Kayo's dream of playing at the Lord's cricket ground which is possible only with 1.5 lakh rupees in his pockets, Rustom performs an act of dishonesty which eventually gives him the exact amount needed. Rustom unknowingly steals Sachin Tendulkar's 'Ferrari' (???) for a wedding planner who in return would give the amount which he needed so badly. The story moves ahead with a lot of other characters involved with 'Ferrari' - the owner's servant, the security guard, the 'goonda' groom and his 'goonda' politician father.    

The story has nothing to push it further and it would be a better option to keep the film crispier and shorter. The characters used for comical purpose sounds boring and takes the pace of the film to a negative level. If it is not for the performances the film would go through digs. Sharman Joshi outshines and we can say that he has actually made his own identity in the list of fine actors (absolutely brilliant in the climax scenes). Boman Irani is terrific with such a beautiful 'Parsi' accent and terrific performance. The child actor Ritwik Sahore is very natural and performs well. Paresh Rawal is amazing in a small (negative) role.

Rajesh Mapuskar's direction is above average (considering his debut) but writing is far below average; no scope for the storyline to grow; even Hirani's dialogues lacks the magical touch. Cinematography and editing is good and Pritam's music is average.

'Ferrari Ki Sawaari' is a feel-good film where life seems too easy and everything falls into place very easily, this is the reason it is liked by everyone; you may criticise it but cannot hate this 'Sawaari'.
P.S. It is actually Sachin's Ferrari in the film.

"Bhaarat Mata Ki Jai"

An adaptation of a greek writer Vassilis Vassilikos' novel "Z", Shanghai is a political thriller directed by ace filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee who gave us classics like 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', 'Oye Lucky Lucky Oye' and 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha'. Dibakar Banerjee has been consistent in showcasing his brilliance throughout all of his previous films choosing avant-garde subjects and he hasn't failed in this one either. Just one thing he needs to know is 'making purely realistic cinema in today's time won't have your viewers attention'.
Bharat Nagar is a small Indian city which is being prepared by the ruling party for an outshining infrastructure project which will convert Bharat Nagar into 'Shanghai' (many people won't know why the hell the name is Shanghai). Dr. Ahmedi (Prosenjit Chatterjee), a social activist is against this development in the name of IBP which will cost the poors their houses and lands. After one of his speeches (worth mentioning: "baahar mausam kharab hai, oley padh rahe hain") a speeding truck hits him and lands him into a critical condition. One of his students, Shalini (Kalki Koechlin) believes that it is not an accident but an attempt to kill him and tries to find out proofs related to it and meets Joginder (Emraan Hashmi), an adult filmmaker who claims to have a shocking proof about the incident. Meanwhile the chief minister sets up an inquiry commission headed by T.N.Krishnan (Abhay Deol), an IAS officer and also IBP's Vice-Chairman. The story revolves around these four characters and how they get involved in this whodunnit case.
The 'hero' of the film is it's visionary director who has shot every bit of the film with honesty and adhered to reality throughout the running time. The intellect of the film is worth praising (only if you've proper knowledge of politics and all the incidents happening around) but it actually is the main demerit of the film (single screen viewers literally watch the film open-mouthed wondering what all is happening).
The film's pace is too slow which ultimately leads to lack of viewer's attention. If it is not for performances the film would go on an absolutely dull note. Be it Abhay Deol as a Madrasi-IAS officer or Emraan Hashmi as a porn videographer, the cast totally outshines each other.
The screenplay is brilliant (Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee) and some dialogues wins applaud. The cinematography by Nikos Andritsakis (as superb as in LSD) is eye-catching and those constantly unstable camera shots creates a feel for the film. Namrata Rao's editing is good and Vishal-Shekhar's music is above average (though the film has only 2 songs and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' is best among them).
Shanghai is not a film for everyone (definitely not for masses) but it's a film about everyone. A perfect political thriller (though you'll not be thrilled anyhow, you may yawn) of all times which leaves an impact and reveals our bureaucratic conditions where the states have their own "Shanghai Dreams" where they want to build a city full of economic growth and development and on the other side they crushes the small-town dreams of people who just wants their basic neccessities and not a "SHANGHAI".          

"Don't Angry Me"

It seems that every Bollywood actor (read superstar) needs a role of a fearless cop with a lot of action scenes in his platter, a pinch of romance, some teaspoons of comedy and added masala (a twist) to regain their "popularity dish". Rowdy Rathore is another such film which marks Akshay Kumar's comeback to action films; one was Chandni Chowk (to China or whatsoever, never mind). A remake of the Telugu blockbuster film 'Vikramarkudu' stars Akshay Kumar, Akshay Kumar (again) and Sonakshi Sinha in lead roles.
Shiva (Akshay No.1) , a small-time crook leading a happily 'crooked' life falls in love with Paro (Sonakshi Sinha) who also starts loving him. His life turns upside down when he meets a small girl who recognises him as her father (Heyy Baby? NO). Shiva finds out that the girl's father Vikram Rathore (Akshay No.2)  is actually his look alike (and Thank God not a lost twin brother) and a fearless cop who has a back story of destroying some outlaws who now wants to kill Vikram and his daughter. The story has all those elements which are necessary to make the film a blockbuster today no matter if we've been watching similar stories since ages. Akshay Kumar is as good in his role of Vikram Rathore as irritatingly he performs a "chinta chita" humming idiotic role of Shiva. Akshay Kumar seriously needs to think about choosing his roles (he's a brilliant actor if used well). Sonakshi Sinha once again has absolutely nothing to do in the film (how can you even think of a female performance in a masala flick) and her part looks forced in the storyline. Nassar as 'Baapji' looks naturally menacing and Paresh Ganatra as '2G' is funny as always.
When the choreographers jumps into the field of direction you know the film's going to shake you up and it does ('Wanted' was still better). Shiraz Ahmed's screenplay (which at times looks very much forced) is no match with his past few works (Race, for one). Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography is good as always, editing has no scope, music is average (though Sajid-Wajid calls "Aa re 'Pritam' pyaare", he wouldn't come). Rowdy Rathore is nor 'Dabangg' neither 'Singham' but it takes a route between them and stands alone as an Akshay Kumar-entertainer. Made on the budget of Rs. 40 crores, it had already collected Rs. 66 crores (in 4 days) making it a blockbuster (sadly and madly). After watching the film you'll get to know one thing for sure : Sanjay Leela Bhansali is badly in need of money after making sensible films like 'Guzarish'.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCAcU3p9GNo

RGV's Department !!!

DEPARTMENT : A 'juggle' by Ram Gopal Varma. The very first thing Ramu needs to know is 'only' playing with the cameras is not actually considered as filmmaking, you need to have a strong (or maybe decent) storyline to showcase. Mahadev Bhosale (Sanjay Dutt) is asked to form and lead a separate department to take on the Mumbai underworld, he appoints Shiv (Rana Daggubati) an honest police officer and other officers to form a department which works under-cover. Sarjerao Gaekwad (Amitabh Bachhan) is a mafia-turned-politician who somehow is involved under this and runs his own department which makes a "department under department under department" (it seems RGV has taken the title too seriously and juggled with the whole script, literally). The characterisation is good (Vijay Raaz, Abhimanyu Singh) but the reality-touch that RGV is famous for is very much missing (remember his cult films like Satya and Company). Amitabh Bachhan has the most ugly dialogues and looks as if he's spoofing his own very famous 'Subhash Nagre's character in Sarkar. Sanjay Dutt is good as always but what his character wanted throughout the film is not clear till the end. Rana Daggubati outshines even being casted with an ensemble cast. The music of the film as well as its dialogues (Vijay Raaz and Abhimanyu Singh got the best ones though) are below average and action is cheap. The (rouge) cinematography by the FXS Team (which was the main USP of the film) is freaky with unnecessary camera angles (camera becomes a ball and bounces, it becomes a glass or a cup of tea, it even becomes a steering wheel, a person is talking with a shoe in the frame) which eventually becomes irritating and you start loosing interest in the film. Though the film successfully adopts the latest digital technology but it is far more important to entertain the audience than just playing with the '5Ds' like a kid.