Haider - The 'bravest' film of our times

Haider is not just 'a' film. It is 'the' bravest film of our times. The makers of this film don't shy away from making their political leanings amply clear, and this itself is a win for our democracy. Before I even talk about the merits of the film, I must respond to a question which few friends of mine asked, when I posted a status about Haider earlier on facebook. (Disclaimer: I am neither an expert on Kashmir, nor on politics. So I don't want to talk about criticism of the film in terms of its politics.)

And my response to those few friends is - I didn't think about our army in bad light. I didn't even once think (I watched the film twice) that Kashmiri Pandits' story needn't be told. I just felt Vishal Bhardwaj made a film about an individual and his family. About those lives where politics wreaked havoc. The sides really didn't matter. Vishal opened up a debate, on never before discussed topics in Hindi films, like AFSPA. And that's his victory. Now any other film maker can bravely go ahead and show the other side through another thought provoking film. That would not only be good for Indian Cinema, but also for people like us, who are otherwise distant from such issues. 

Now coming to the film review. Haider is a film, which, I can watch many times over, without getting bored, because of superlative acting by everyone. I was mighty impressed by background score of "roohdaar". I loved the fact that there was nothing bollywood'ish in the structuring of the film. Vishal Bhardwaj and Bashrat Peer kept surprising us with their excellent dialogues which you can't tire of hearing again and again. The film is so nuanced that one can discover new aspects every time one watches it. The screenplay is paced well and it throws enough scenes at you which will haunt you long after the film is over. I will never forget the one where Shahid Kapoor draws a parallel between Kashmir and a "qaid-khana" or between AFSPA and Chutzpah. Then mad outburst of Shahid's Haider at Lal Chowk is an eye opener. And so is his performance in the song 'Bismil'. (Here I must mention Gulzar's penmanship. He always gives his best to Vishal's films). Irrfan Khan's scenes, especially that hilarious scene about the "New Disease", will leave you numb. Tabu and Shahid's scenes, where you feel undercurrents of Oedipus Complex are winner too. Shraddha Kapoor's last scene is a forewarning of the imminent destruction and she does that without any dialogues. She is fast turning into a very proficient actor. The song "Aao Na" and the entire "Salman and Salman" track provides sufficient dark humour, where Vishal's signature style is visible.

And finally for me, Kay Kay Menon emerges as the best actor. The fate he meets at the end and where the film deviates from Hamlet, is a knock-out punch. This film is a piece of art in every which way. It is the best film of this year so far. It is so good that my review doesn't lives up to it.

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Bang Bang - It hits you hard, in all the wrong ways!

It's a hit. It's a hit. It's a hit. It's a banging hit. It hits your intelligence. But Oh! It has Abs. It hits your sensibilities. But it has those much touted action pieces, so what if none of them is thrilling. It hits you with so many brand placements. But, so what har brand placement ke aage producer ki jeet hai. Film gayi bhaad mein.

I had seen Knight and Day. Though script wise, even that film was at best average. But it was pacy and Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz had some amazing chemistry. That film had some chutzpah (borrowing from Haider, released the same week as Bang Bang) about it. So when I went to see its official remake stupidly called Bang Bang (the same way Hrithik's ghar is called Ghar in the film- that was the moment I had genuinely laughed), I didn't expect that for 1st 30 minutes, Knight and Day wouldn't even kick in. I did my own countdown, till the real film started, with things unrelated to the story to make the film more Indian, being hurled at me, all this while.

50000...49999...49998... wheels of revenge set in motion.... 40000... 39999...the villain eating a pizza in James Bond office.... (Ian Fleming would be turning in his grave) 35000... 34999... Hrithik loses his shirt without any reason... 30000.... 29999... 29998... Katrina and Hrithik meet in shimla, totally robbing away the serendipity of Cruise - Diaz meeting in the original... 10000.... 9000... A song... 5000.... 4000... Hrithik losing his shirt again without reason.... 5...4...3...2.. b

ang bang...

Thank god for my undying love for Katrina and Hrithik's enthusiasm, the film gets its act right in the second hour, and thus I could survive a major HIT.

Bang Bang - First reviewed on my facebook account on 15th October 2014

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Humshakals - 159 minutes of Torture

The film was just 159 minutes long. Otherwise I would have got my full quota of a day's sleep, had it been 9 times longer... If Tees Maar Khaan and Himmatwala are part of a torture regime, this one is definitely a cure for insomnia...

P.S. The image above itself should have been a warning enough :-)

Humshakals - First reviewed on my facebook account on 22nd June 2014

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Dhoom 3 - Thrice the entertainment...

Dhoom 3 -

Prologue: Dhoom and Dhoom 2 were not spectacularly great films. Nonetheless they were entertaining. So the people who are disappointed with Dhoom 3, either hadn't seen the earlier installments and went with expectations of seeing a movie about a dyslexic boy riding bikes (could have been titled "Bechaare Zameen Par") or they are those Hollywood aficionados who can tolerate similarly inconceivable action scenes and logical loop-holes in the screenplay if it is an English film (e.g. Fast & Furious series) till the time it entertains. Infact I thought Dhoom 3 had more of a plot as compared to all six Fast & Furious films ;-) So for these set of people my review is going to be highly disappointing.

Review: Dhoom 3 delivers on all the promises of this franchisee and in fact it over delivers both in terms of entertainment and best-in-class production values. Presence of Aamir Khan actually enhances the franchisee because for the first time in Dhoom series one gets to see top notch acting apart from its regular elements of high octane chase sequences, high quality stunts (even if they are implausible) and hot looking girls in Katrina Kaif and Tabrett Bethell.

Aamir Khan has done this kind of role for the first time and he aces in presenting different facets effortlessly. For a change even Uday Chopra nails his character sketch right. Katrina Kaif looks and moves every bit like a Goddess of Beauty. She has never looked this stunning before. Cinematorgraphy, visual effects and BMW bikes - all are way better than what one expects in a Hindi Film. The songs 'Malang' and 'Kamli' are exquisitely shot. In nutshell, the film is fast paced and thoroughly entertaining.

Post Ghajini, this is the second Aamir Khan film, which has borrowed something from Christopher Nolan's film. But unlike, what others would like you to believe, the plot itself hasn't been borrowed. The only two things which I thought could have been done better were - 1. They should have created a more tense and satisfactory climax 2. They should have at least shown one heist actually happening.

Otherwise, no complaints :-)

P.S.
1. Most of the guys including me wanted the song 'Kamli' to be longer by few more lines :-)
2. There are 16 films - English and Hindi - Good and Bad - watched over past 4 months, about which I haven't written. WORK overpowering passion. It is time I bring some Dhoom back into LIFE.

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Krrish 3 - Its not a film, it is a manufactured blockbuster

Krrish 3 - This film is not made as an expression of art or to narrate a story. It is manufactured to be a Diwali blockbuster - manufactured with elements borrowed from Hollywood films and Rakesh Roshan's own films. As I watched this film in a packed hall, and was constantly getting distracted by the brand placements in the film (I could spot 15 brands at least), my mind was numerically calculating the crores it is going to collect. It doesn't matter that I didn't enjoy the film at all. It doesn't matter that so called 1st super-hero of Bollywood fails to inspire. So instead of a review, here is the way this film was manufactured - 

Krrish's opening scene copied from Superman (+)10 points, The scene copied badly (-)10 points, The scene looks better than the effects in Ra.One (+)10 points

The antidote scene for countering virus in Mumbai copied from The Amazing Spiderman (+)10 points, The scene copied badly (-)10 points, The scene looks better than the effects in Ra.One (+)10 points

Kaal's character copied from X-Men series (+)10 points, combined Magneto and Professor X into one (+)10 points, Vivek Oberoi is Kaal (-)50 points

Kaal's scrap suits gets assembled in Iron Man style (+)10 points, makes a mess of it (-)10 points, Vivek Oberoi is no Robert Downy Jr. (-)50 points

Some parts of the film inspired by Mission Impossible series (+) 10 points and ended with a possibility of The Incredibles copy in Krrish 4 (+)50 points

Climax of the film copied from at least 3 films - Man of Steel, Avengers etc. (+) 30 points, copied well (+) 30 points, better than effects in Ra.One (+) 10 points, Vivek Oberoi is killed (+) 100 points 

I had seen all the films from which Krrish 3 has borrowed (-) 50 points, my wife didn't sleep through the film (+) 50 points

Thankfully there was no Krrish 2 (+) 50 points, Pathetic songs by Rajesh Roshan and misplaced emotional scenes (-)30 points, All non special effects scenes have tacky production quality (-20) points, Super-hero Krrish dies once and is revived by his father (-) 20 points, Super-hero Krrish not only saves the world, he spends half the time to save his family members as well (+) 20 points, Priyanka Chopra (-)100 points, Kangna Ranaut as the hottest mutant ever (+) 100 points, Kangna Ranaut in those skimpy outfits (+) 850 points

Total Points (+) 1020 (Don't bother to check my maths, Kangna has skewed the scores). Result: 10 days Average 20 crores each day. Anything above is bonus 

P.S. I felt pity for the main leads that they had to do this film, where in the garb of a super-hero film, Rakesh Roshan serves the same stuff he has been serving for ages - revenge, lost brothers, father-son drama, his hero always playing more than 2 roles. By the way weren't Karan Arjun and Kishan Kanhaiya doing the same shit in his earlier films, without a cape.

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Shuddh Desi Romance is pretentious

Shuddh Desi Romance - It is one of the most pretentious films that I have seen lately. It pretends to be uber-cool and ultra-modern and it also pretends to understand the dynamics of live-in relationships, especially the ones set in small towns with nosy neighbours and landlords. The characters in these live-in relationships are shown constantly as people who are confused, irresponsible and without any ideological moorings.

While the texture of Jaipur is captured in a very realistic manner the social fabric of the town is far removed from reality and it seems the entire film is set-up in a place which doesn't exist. Under the garb of modernity, projected through so-called symbols of modernism like girls smoking,

multiple partners etc., the film actually peddles regressive stuff. It does a huge dis-service to live-in relationships.

Even if I ignore for the review's sake, the philosophy of the film-maker and the writer, the film is weak otherwise as well. The concept of the film would have sounded extremely exciting on paper, but fizzles out on screen after first 45 minutes. The scenes and situations just start repeating themselves thereafter, and the film ends just like that. I got bored to death in the second half.

Parineeti Chopra was hugely likeable in the film though. Sushant Singh Rajput acts well. But the debutante Vaani Kapoor looked stiff. Dialogues and songs of the film are few positives of the film.

Rishi Kapoor's versatility continues and seeing him playing a different character yet again provided solace that all was not lost in this film.

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Grand Masti - The film with a long term impact ;-)

Grand Masti- If you like rated / risque comedies, you won't be disappointed. This film is surely going to have a long term impact. One it would spawn several films of this genre - lazy writing, whatsapp jokes and vulgar (yet clever) gags copied from abroad. Secondly, by reaching 100 crores, it has definitely given a new lease of life to failed actors, especially in this genre. Bruna Abdallah seemingly was the best actress in the film. No I am not referring to her histrionics 

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Satyagraha - Prakash Jha does a Madhur Bhandarkar

Prakash Jha has become the slave of his own formula. I have loved his films in past. They always have meaty subjects, excellent story-telling, actors giving their best and above all he takes you to places, Hindi cinema rarely goes. 

This time also he does all this, but somehow fails to connect with me as an audience. In fact as a director he comes across more as Madhur Bhandarkar in this one than himself. He relies heavily on scandalizing every aspect. He peddles every stereotype associated with post independence movements. e.g. Capitalists are bad. Greed is not good. Only teachers / old men who have renounced everything are respected by masses. Youth only participates through social media, etc. etc. Also, the way Anna Hazare movement was misguided, this film is equally superficial. Never really delves deep and the end result is a 'khichdi' of sorts.

It is not that everything is wrong with the film. The 1st half, the set-up of conflict and the pace till interval is good. Manoj Bajpayee gives yet another performance you can watch this film for. It is the stupid climax and over-simplification of the possible solutions that leaves you angry at the end.

At the same time it is true, that watching Satyagraha is a better option than many more films 'still' playing at a theater near you...

P.S. Amitabh Bachchan is now doing same kind of roles. Though still reliable, needs to re-invent. Ajay Devgn needs a break. Arjun Rampal has done well for himself, by being a constant in Prakash Jha's films irrespective of the role he gets  Kareena Kapoor is always Kareena Kapoor - never the character....

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Madras Cafe - India's first political thriller?

Most probably it is India's first political thriller and 'may be' parts of it are true as well. I am choosing my words carefully here, because while the film works fine as a thriller, it somehow doesn't get its political machinations right. A fictional story of a RAW agent set against the backdrop of true incidents like Sri Lankan Civil War and assassination of a national leader from India, the film never truly mines the potential of the material at hand. Though at the same time, it is a compelling watch, due to its ability to get under the skin of a RAW agent (unlike 'Ek Tha Tiger').

The film's strength is that it takes a nuetral stance over the issue and presents the film through the eyes of the lead played by John Abraham. So it ensures several hard-hitting moments related to work and dangers faced by a RAW agent. This aspect was highlight of the film for me. But this very strength, actually turns into a weakness as well. The film-maker in order to avoid taking sides, sanitises the political aspects and the mess that was created by Indian government's meddling. It never fully delves into the psyche of key players in the conflict as well. As John Abraham's Major Vikram Singh is mostly clueless, it restricts the scope of the film. But I still applaud Shoojit Sircar and John for making this film. May be the film wouldn't have been allowed to release if they had treaded outside the safe zone.

After 'Vicky Donor', Shoojit Sircar displays his assured direction once again. John Abraham acts well, but it is the supporting cast including Nargis Fakhri (relatively unknown) that makes the film credible.

Kudos to the makers for giving me a break from the run-of-the-mill stuff being churned out, in last few weeks. I just wish they had the strength to go the whole hog...

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Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara - My kind of masala film

First up, answers to three questions that everyone is asking:

1. I haven't yet figured it out, that why there is an extra 'y' after 'A' in the film's title. May be it will help the film to cross Rs. 100 crores despite the promotional blitzkrieg of Chennai Express.

2. OUATIMD is not better than OUATIM. (By the way is it fair to have a film title so long, that even its acronym seems never ending? It is difficult to do justice to such films on twitter). See my views on OUATIM at the end of the post.

3. OUATIMD is any day better than Chennai Express. (Just saying in purely relative terms)

Now review -

The film retains several good elements of part 1. It has clap-trap dialogues, larger than life characters, glamorized gang leaders, a quirky sense of humor (especially in the 1st half), a plot which can't be called wafer thin and good performances by leads.

Akshay Kumar is a good choice for mouthing out those heavy duty punch lines and his swagger makes up for the lack of intensity, that defined Ajay Devgn's character in part 1. Sonakshi Sinha is fast emerging as a reliable actress. I have always liked her. Even here where her character isn't very well written, she makes the best of it. Imran Khan was disappointing in parts, though he handled romance well. The music of the film is also above average.

But the film lacks the soul of the first one. It is not as if first one was a great film, but this one doesn't bring out the mentor - protege conflict as well as it should have. Also it takes a lot of time to come to the point of conflict and that makes second half a drag. While Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi) in OUATIM was pure evil, the Shoaib in OUATIMD (Akshay Kumar) has a heart. This somehow takes away the continuity and the edginess of this character.

But I like my masala films like this one and not like Chennai Express. 

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My views on OUATIM when it released in 2010 (see how things didn't change much)

"Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai - Movie is partly good..Lots of claptraps and old style dialoguebaazi..ajay and emraan give good performances..BUT BUT its very slow and dragging...and thats a sin for a gangster movie..also very lil guns n blood..another cardinal mistake for gang based movie... climax was weak..Overall an average watch"

OUATIM - First reviewed on my facebook account on 2nd August 2010

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Chennai Express - More like a Chennai Slow Local

Somehow the big festive releases over last few years have earned a reputation of ending up being big disappointments... This time also I had expected nothing different and had gone to see this 'blockbuster in making' with the lowest expectations. Read further to know what happened...

The film can be neatly divided into 3 parts:

Part I (15 minutes) - Pre-boarding Chennai Express - There was Shahrukh doing a different kind of tomfoolery. There were jokes around Sachin Tendulkar's failure and a dying grand-father, both taboo subjects for Hindi mainstream comedies. The main lead's moral moorings questioned. I thought Rohit Shetty's gags are going to be different this time and bolder as well. I chuckled a few times.

Part II (20 minutes) - Aboard Chennai Express - A classic and memorable spoof on DDLJ, a hilarious sing-song conversation between hero and heroine and SRK as a wimp. I laughed out loud. My expectations increased.

Part III (never ending) - Post-alighting Chennai Express - Unwanted songs, tired jokes and the hero SRK returns. Film's plot stagnates and there is nothing more to laugh at. I am sure I saw few people sleeping.

I never thought that after Ra.One, Shahrukh Khan can embarrass himself further with his over the top and laborious acting. But I was so wrong. I never thought Rohit Shetty would make a film where you will have to search hard for genuine laughs. But I was so wrong. I never thought that Deepika, when paired opppsite Shahrukh, can hold her own. But I was so so wrong.

Infact Deepika's comic timing was better than anyone else in the film. Shahrukh couldn't decide what should his character be like. And Rohit Shetty delivers a really long (it felt like one) and a boring film...

Even with my low expectations it turned out to be a big disappointment. Am I an alien, because this film is going to be yet another blockbuster anyways!!!

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Rishi Kapoor: He makes the Evil Act look good...

This entry has reviews of 3 recent films of Rishi Kapoor, in which he made evil look good...

1. Agneepath - It is definitely a better experience than watching the Agneepath test series. But it is not the film for the miniscule intelligentsia. It is neither the film for the weak hearted. I will also dare not compare it with the original Agneepath because they both are different in their treatment. While the original was high on Big B's performance and over the top dialoguebaazi, this one is more gory but adds more depth to the characters and their motives. Also its not about Vijay Dinanath alone, but about Kancha and Rauf as well...

What works - restrained, but intense performance by Hrithik; Sanjay Dutt as a caricatured villain (with a hint of his traumatised childhood making it feel real) which appeals to the masala film junkie in me; Rishi Kapoor's menancing interpretation of evil (I think he has excelled in his role); supporting characters especially the kids do an amazing job; the change in plotlines as compared to original and the amazing politics of crime makes it more of a Shakespearean tragedy than a normal masala film; the visceral violence and emotions both make it impossible for the audience to ignore the movie.

What doesn't work - the love track, the clunky climax, the screenplay loopholes bigger than Sanjay Dutt and the length of the film. but just for Rishi's Rauf Lala... i am willing to forget them

Agneepath - First reviewed on my facebook account on 26th January 2012

2. Aurangzeb - The film's strength is its delicious and layered writing. After a long time it was good to see a film with a screenplay which engages you as an audience. Then there is Rishi Kapoor. His role is so good and he has excelled yet again in an evil role. Then Deepti Naval in that one scene where she justifies Rishi's evil turn is amazingly done. This crime drama with Gurgaon's shady builder-poitician-police nexus as its backdrop, also provides Jackie Shroff something to chew on. All other actors are either bad or wasted. Climax of the film is little too convenient and underwhelming. There is no point of giving any recommendation as film is already out of cinema halls.

Aurangzeb - First reviewed on my facebook account on 23rd June 2013

3. D-Day - The moment I had seen the teaser of this film, I had high expectations from it. I thought it would be a great action film about spies in Pakistan. Also while Nikhil Advani has given some big flops in past, I had liked Salaam-e-Ishq and Patiala House. And generally when I go into a film with high expectations, I end up getting disappointed. 

But D-Day surprisingly turned out to be a good film, though it was not exactly what I had expected. It was less of an espionage film and more about the emotional journey and sacrifices of its lead characters. I simply loved the film as it remains largely realistic and gritty enough for a spy film. I was happy with the film. Though I found climax over the top and not in sync with the grammar of the whole film, but it seemed justified because of Rishi Kapoor's diatribe at the end.

Out of all the leads, (though everyone acted well) its Irrfan's (Wali Khan) story and his dilemma that touched a chord. And we all know that he is a wonderful actor. He aces it this time again. Then Rishi's Goldman is a character written beautifully. It is perfect coup - great characterization and casting. After Agneepath, Aurangzeb and now D-Day, I can safely say, he is the best villain around.

It seems Shruti Haasan had chosen this week to make me drool over her. She looked even better in this film than Ramaiya Vastavaiya. And if all this wasn't enough Nikhil Advani gives us a gem in the song 'Alvida'. The song in itself is very good (music and lyrics), but the situation in which it has been used and the way it has been shot (won't give spoilers here), it is going to blow you away....

D-Day - First reviewed on my facebook account on 23rd July 2013

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Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - Almost there...

1. As far as my memory serves me, this is one of those rare biopics made in India, where the protagonist is still alive. So its a great effort from that point of view - a film on sports about a living legend is made and film doesn't shy away from showing his failures as well.

2. The comparisons with Paan Singh Tomar are unnecessary, because PST was about apathy towards sports in the country while BMB is a celebration of some of the best sporting achievements.

3. Till now the only image of Milkha Singh in my mind, was a sketch of him (running), in one of our school books. But from now on the lasting image of Milkha Singh for all future generations would be Farhan Akhtar. Such is the power of his transformation as Milkha and his performance, that for me Farhan is Milkha, Milkha is Farhan. His body language, dialect and dialogue delivery are all so convincing, that it seems, no other actor could have done this role better.

4. Three other actors that touched me with their performances are - Pavan Malhotra, in the role of Milkha's first coach, shows a great restraint in his acting. In one particular scene, when Milkha is taken away by the national coach (Yograj Singh), the camera lingers on for few moments on Pavan's face and there is pride on it, that a father would have, for his kid. Divya Dutta as Milkha's sister will make you cry with her performance. She is the emotional anchor of the film. Jabtej Singh as young Milkha performs equally well as Farhan Akhtar. His role lends pathos to the film. Farhan and these 3 actors are the biggest strengths of this film.

5. The sporting and races are exquisitely shot. Aided with excellent background score and songs, this film is highly inspirational in those moments.

6. But film has some inherent weaknesses in the structuring of its narrative: Flashback in Flashback tool used in the narrative adds no new dimension. In fact it makes the film heavy handed and longer than required. (Ghayal is the only Hindi film I remember where flashback in flashback was used very effectively)

7. The film relies on jingoism to manipulate audiences and gives undue focus to the Indo-Pak sporting rivalry, while almost ignoring Milkha's bigger sporting achievements.

8. Prasoon Joshi's screenplay is the biggest weakness of the film - inconsistent and gives in to commercial interests. But the truth is that the legend of Milkha Singh is so strong and inspirational at its core, that even a floundering screenplay couldn't spoil the overall experience

9. Why is the review structured like this? Because that is the way film is - long, inconsistent and random and yet tells the entire story of Milkha like never before. Enjoy. :-)

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - First reviewed on my facebook account on 21st July 2013
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Betrayal on the Friendship Day - BA Pass

In terms of boldness of the subject, the depiction of sexuality on Indian screen and the way female characters have been presented in this one like never before, this just doesn't pushes the envelope but tears it. As a dark edgy thriller it works well till the last act. But for me the satisfaction comes from the way it depicts hollow morality of our society and the way it shows Delhi in a totally new light. But it is not a perfect film. It suffers from a very predictable screenplay and the last act just messes it up. Not for the weak hearts, go watch it only if you are looking for a film on an ultimate betrayal on the Friendship Day.

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Ship of Theseus - Go Experience it!

An amazingly honest and an unsettling film, that made me think of some mundane things I need to correct in my life. I may or may not do anything about them, but yes I thought about them. At the same time, it is a highly accessible and a simple film, despite being deeply philosophical. Now for how many films one can use such adjectives in one breath 

Therein lies the strength of Anand Gandhi's writing and direction. It requires so much conviction and clarity to put one's inner most thoughts and beliefs into a film. Hats off to him.

The Theseus' paradox unfolds in front of your eyes both physically and metaphorically, through three incredible stories that come together at the end.

The first one about this girl Aaliya played by Aida El-Kashef makes such a strong statement. Impairment doesn't necessarily means inability. The second one is about a rational monk, whose beliefs and convictions are tested to the hilt. His choice of path at the end was little confounding for me, but this story had such sharp dialogues that you will relish them for a long time. Third story, in which Sohum Shah plays Navin, a stock-broker, is marked by excellent humour and shows how simple people have power to bring about a change.

The film is visually stunning and presents the city Mumbai in various hues. Mumbai looks so different in each story. This shows cinematographer's attention to detail. Right from high-rises to claustrophobic slums to few green patches in monsoon, each story owns a landscape. Again a victory for this film.

The film ends with a cave exploration, hinting, that behind every common face you see on streets there is so much to be unraveled. Go experience it!

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The Comeback

I have been away for so long, that I am really not sure how to reconnect or restart. But I so want to write again. So let me keep it simple for this post. While I was away from the blog, I was never away from the movies. In fact, my passion has only intensified. So, keep watching this space for more...

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Lost Humor

Filmfare awards (The biggest awards in Hindi Film Industry, because of its legacy) did away with few traditional categories of awards this year. ‘Best Actor in a Comic Role’ was one such category. Surprised? I was! Because last year saw release of some big comic capers (Welcome), romantic comedies (Jab We Met) and no brainers (Dhol, Dhamaal) and most of them were fairly successful too.

So what happened? I am trying to unravel the reasons which seem most plausible to me right now. I believe there has been a change in way movies are written these days. In movies of yore, there was always a comic track running parallel to the main plot of the story. This was done because main plot was generally hackneyed and actors were so wooden that they felt comfortable emoting pain and hurt only or doing action sequences using body doubles. (Of course this is not true for miniscule good movies which released in 80’s and 90’s). Also main story line was generally boring, so film makers used to add some entertainment by injecting these comic tracks. The actors in these comic tracks were generally considered non hero material, though some of them have actually become legends. Who can forget Mehmood, whose on screen antics were much more watchable than the movie itself? People would flock to watch his movies and not really the hero. I have read somewhere that he was paid more than heroes too. I think the last famous comedian to be part of such comic tracks was Johnny Lever. His acts in movies like Baazigar are still remembered fondly.

But with better and original stories being written, this genre of comic tracks died its natural death. Also emerged good looking comic actors like Akshay Kumar and even Govinda was liked by masses. And full fledged genre of comedies also became commercially viable. So every hero wanted his share of pie. I sometimes feel that Amol Palekar and Farooque Shaikh were born in a wrong era. If they were to do the roles they did in their times, today, they would have been billionaires. Now these add on comic tracks have become an oddity and audiences generally don’t warm up to them. Few years back Filmfare started giving best actor in comic role awards to heroes of the movies. Govinda won one of those. Instead of accepting it as a sign of appreciation, they thought it was some kind of slur on their career or may be they were scared of being typecast. But I don’t see any comedy’s hero getting a best actor award in near future, which is easily possible in Academy Awards. This is because, we Indians consider emotional and weepy; loud and over the top performances as real acting. We think comedy is for wannabes! Sanjay Leela Bhansali would never make one! But I consider David Dhawan as great a film maker as SLB. What if his movies don’t go to Cannes? They made us laugh….

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IRONMAN is here to Stay

It happens rarely that one goes to a movie and gets surprised. Not necessarily because the movie is extremely good. It can also happen when a movie is better than ones expectations or when a movie tries to make a paradigm shift. Iron Man is one such movie which made me sit up and take notice of it.

Being a Hollywood movie, special effects were definitely of the highest levels. But the good thing in Iron Man was that these effects didn’t look as if something is happening out of the ordinary. They were believable and as audience one can mistake to think that if one gets that exoskeleton suit to wear, one can do all those things by oneself. Also unlike other superhero movies this one is really topical and deals with a serious issue of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, making it an interesting watch. While other superhero movies make caricatures out of their villains, Iron Man’s evil elements are entrenched in the grim realities of the present world. So when we watch a Superman or a Spiderman, we watch it as an outsider as if the events are unfolding in some world which doesn’t exist. But Iron Man is different; it reminds us of the dangerous world we live in.

Three other elements of this superhero flick, which makes it markedly different from other movies of similar ilk, have impressed me big time. And I am already awaiting its sequel.

No Split Personality – Right from Superman to Spiderman to even our desi Krissh, the superheroes depict extremely different personalities with and without costumes. Take Spiderman for example. Without his costume Peter Parker is a simple guy, who behaves like loser at times and when he dons his Spiderman costume, the change in his persona is highly dramatic. In Iron Man, nothing of that sort exists. Tony Stark is as powerful and ingenious as Iron Man himself. He can survive and win without the costume. His costume is the extension of his personality and not the other way around. That element makes Iron Man more endearing than any other superhero.

No Need to Hide – While other superheroes make an effort to hide their real identities, Iron Man is cool with revealing his real self. He is indulgent and seeks pleasure in his accomplishments.

No Freak Show – While Spiderman gets his powers from a freak bite and Krissh gets his magic from equally freak ‘Jaadoo’; Iron Man uses his technological know-how and resources to give himself that edge. He makes us believe that Superheroes are humans after all.

I cherished Iron Man and I am sure he is here to stay.

Copyright® CINEMAnia

Single Screens was Fun

Few months back, I went to Maratha Mandir with Sumit, to watch DDLJ’s (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge) morning show. Yes! It is such an old movie, running for more than 12 years now at this theatre. But it is such a good movie too. Brought back old memories and is perfect dose for nostalgia. But even more memorable was the fact that I watched a movie in a single screen theatre after a long gap, 3-4 years I guess.

It is almost like going back in time to all those old world charms. Multiplexes definitely have added to our movie going experience. But they are same everywhere, bringing in a monotony. A single screen brings back certain sights and sounds which remind me of my childhood days. This post is dedicated to those very sounds and sights.

I was in 8th standard when DDLJ first released. I still remember standing in that long queue in front of the ticket window. That was the scene every time a big movie released. One had to go to the hall at least an hour before the starting time of the movie. Sometimes for an evening show, we used to queue up, right in the morning. Getting a ticket was an adventure in itself. It was so much fun with friends taking turns in the queue and loitering around aimlessly. With advent of multiplexes came advance booking, tele booking, internet booking and out went the queues. Yes it is more comfortable now. But then the bonding we used to share with friends in those queues is out of our movie experience now. I miss that big time!

When Trimurti released, I was so excited that I bunked school to watch its first day first show. But I was not in luck, the ticket window was closed. I was sad, but then I heard – “pachhis ka pachhas mein, pachhis ka pachhas mein” – someone selling a 25 rupees ticket in 50 bucks. It definitely was a big call. I had to miss going to games parlor for few days. I bought that ticket in black. And the movie was such a disaster. Though I liked the song – Duniya Ri Duniya Very Good Very Good, Duniya Waale Very Bad Very Bad – very much. Seemingly it was written keeping youngsters in mind. Later on in life there were many occasions when I bought a ticket in black and most of the time it was worth it. But now we don’t see such unscrupulous elements when we go for a movie. Yes, we are not doing anything illegal. But the ticket rates these days are anyways at their fleecing best. At least tickets were blacked only for movies which were really good and sought after. But ticket rates at multiplexes are same for every kind of movie, whether it is a half decent flick ‘Bhoothnath’ or an unwatchable disaster ‘Jimmy’. Wish they soon start using differential rates!

During screening of Hum Apke Hain Kaun, people danced in the stall rows when Didi Tera Dewar was playing. I wasn’t surprised when people threw coins on screen when Karishma Kapoor kissed Aamir Khan in Raja Hindustani. Can someone even think in his or her wildest dreams to witness such things in a multiplex or being a part of this kind of revelry? The answer is a big NO! Whenever a movie turned out to be a bore or the pace of the movie used to slacken, the quick-witted remarks from the last rows in the balcony used to lift the entire audience’s mood. But in multiplexes people come to watch movies as if it has been forced on them. They laugh and sigh in tandem as if on someone’s cue. All such things make multiplexes a tad bore and routine. Such ambience of single screens would be difficult to recreate and it would become part of our folklore.

The sound of the bottle opener rattling on the glass bottles of cold-drinks; the hoots that erupted during the entry of the hero of the movie; the wolf whistles when the heroine made a suggestive pelvic thrust; the occasional swear words when the villain did something abhorrent; the ruckus which was created when power failed while the movie played; all this and much more will fade in our memories. I would fondly remember the days when Single Screens was FUN!!!

Copyright® CINEMAnia

The TASHAN The PHARMULA FAILS

Tashan was in CINEMAnia’s list of most awaited movies of 2008. But the Pharmula failed big time this time around for Yash Raj Films. It had everything going for it. It had one of the biggest star cast. Not only biggest, it had the perfect star cast for such a Masala Flick. Anil Kapoor is an actor par excellence. Akshay is the new king of entertainment. Kareena & Saif formed the ‘it’ couple which had the potential to burn the screen. It also had YRF backing it with loads of money and thus aggressive publicity machinery. So the million-dollar question is, “Why Tashan bombed?”

There are many reasons for it – commercial & non-commercial; creative & non-creative and tangible & intangible. I think one of the major reasons for this disaster is that movie failed to live up to the hype that was created around it. But that happens to most of the movies these days. Still they rake in moolah. So I believe there are even more basic flaws in it.

1. The OSO effect – Om Shanti Om was a movie, which belonged to Masala genre and was spoofing old Hindi movies. Tashan according to me belongs to the same genre. But unlike OSO, Tashan pretended to be a serious movie. It tried to justify the bitchiness of Kareena’s character by inserting a vengeance angle in the story. That was like saying – “Boss we have made an illogical, no brainer where hundred men together can’t kill Akshay Kumar, but we can’t show a bikini clad, zero size, conniving Kareena conning people without a noble motive.” Huh! The movie would have been so much more fun, had it not taken itself seriously in the second half. OSO was more fun, non pretentious and of course its songs were much better than that of Tashan.

2. The YRF Arrogance – Yash Raj Films think that they can make whatever crap and sell it in a nice package and the movie would just bring home the money. They were actually right in thinking so. Movies like Laaga Chunari Mein Daag & Ta Ra Rum Pum flopped but still they made profits for the producers. But consumers are smart. They can’t be fooled for long. YRF is so arrogant that they didn’t think it was necessary to have at least a semblance of story in the film. They didn’t think it was necessary to iron out all exhibition & distribution issues with multiplexes before the release of the movie. I believe they must have forgotten.

3. Saif – Kareena Sizzle? Naah! – Wish they had sizzled on screen; after so much was made out of their much exalted relationship. But it’s not their fault. The story didn’t give them a scope to romance. Oh! Did I say STORY? Well there was no story, so atleast the director, The Vijay Krishna Acharya (VKA) could have shown them cozying up. Even a dream sequence would have done wonders. Hehe!

4. The Indulgence of the Director of The Tashan – Or should I call it over indulgence? The abundant usage of ‘THE’ in the movie is just a symptom. The VKA was so much enamored by his own work that seemingly he forgot to say CUT in all those long drawn, boring, repetitive and ridiculous action sequences. I still wonder, where did Saif manage that Jet Ski from or where did the bullet wound vanish from Akshay’s arm within a scene. I hope VKA knows the concept of continuity. He mounted lavish sets for song & dance routines and he forgot to focus on the sound quality. Anil Kapoor’s dialogues were barely audible or comprehensible.

You people can add more reasons for The Tashan failing. If it wasn’t for Akshay Kumar I couldn’t have watched the movie till The End.

It is not the case that The PHARMULA doesn’t work anymore. It is just that the FORMULA should be right.

Copyright® CINEMAnia