Friday 22 March 2013

Movie Review Of RANGREZZ.




In "Rangrezz", the script is spun into a spunky dizzying drama of brutal love and betrayal. When love comes to shove, all hell breaks loose. This is an elemental film, not the least apologetic about serving up a spicy dish.This is a film with very strong sensory perceptions. The landscape is ruthless, rugged and riveting. The emotions are primeval. Caveman tactics, with characters caught out of their cushy hideouts kicking dragging and screaming, are the prevalent mode of vindication. It's a tough world. And obviously a very tough film to make. 

SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                                                                :      The story as well as the screenplay of this movie has been written by MUSHTAQ SHEIKH who has done a commendable job and written a plot full of unexpected twists which runs quite parallel to the mushy friendship or love stories that bollywood has been feeding to audience.The main protagonist Rishi Deshpande (Jackky Bhagnani) is that someone, who would be making his own life a colourless existence if it means splashing some hues on to his friends. Rishi, along with Winu (Amitosh Nagpal) and Pakya (an impressive Vijay Verma), live a carefree middle-class existence in Mumbai’s urban jungle, with hopes and dreams of a career and blissful wedded life some day. However, life takes an unexpected turn when Rishi’s childhood friend Joy (Raghav Chanana) attempts suicide and the story spills out that a woman is involved. Soon enough, the quartet, along with a fifth nameless individual that is never really identified in the movie, set out to abduct the girl. While this attempt is successful, the consequences are grave and the repercussions even worse. Rangrezz is a powerful social drama that brims with the urgency of the young and the audacious. Its ideology may be deeply flawed but perhaps that’s the point the film is trying to make: being clueless; and often misguided while being young is probably the right way towards self-discovery.


STARCAST                                                                                               :     JACKKY BHAGNANI, giving a subdued silently effective performance, roughs up the girl next door and shies away from any physical contact which proves he has improved manifolds since his last on screen venture. The film is loaded with intense dramatic sequences as well as action stunts; one can clearly see him earnestly doing his best at holding his ground, but he really needs to work on his screen presence. PRIYA ANAND whom we have seen earlier in English Vinglish as Sridevi's niece has given an average performance as per her character in the movie. Although she is the leading lady in the movie but her presence on screen is such minuscule that you can hardly spot her in the second half of the movie. AMITOSH NAGPAL as Winu valiantly survives his act without very visible blotches. But it is VIJAY VERMA  whose impressive work you’ll remember the most while summarizing the film mentally. His colloquial language with an apt reproduction of nascent mannerisms of his character, this man is really good at his work. In what can be termed as RAJPAL YADAV's comeback, the actor rocks the screen with enormous doses of comic relief. The supporting cast also performs exceptionally well (particularly PANKAJ TRIPATHI and LUSHIN DUBEY as warring politicians) n SUNIL SINHA as Rishi's father, which kind of keeps us engaged despite the film’s rather shaky premise in between.


TECHNICAL ASPECTS                                                         :     The film’s music is by  SAJID WAJID which is frankly disappointing. The tunes and the music  sound no different from their earlier works and it is the predictability of the music which makes it bland. Indeed,the real hero of this surprisingly watchable film on the violent end of that much-abused emotion called love, is cinematographer SANTOSH SIVAN. Santosh's unerring eye for a detailed lush and vivid emotional and physical landscape has made this movie a visual treat for your eye balls. The editing of this flick has been done by T.S.SURESH who has done his job with utmost sincerity and surely deserves appreciation for the same. Irrespective of the twists in the narrative, he has managed to maintain the tempo of the movie at the same pace which is commendable.  Coming to the director, PRIYADARSHAN, deserves full marks for making a film with very strong sensory perceptions. The landscape is ruthless, rugged and riveting. The emotions are primeval. Caveman tactics, with characters caught out of their cushy hideouts kicking dragging and screaming, are the prevalent mode of vindication. It's a tough world. And obviously a very tough film to make. This is no state for the squeamish. Though "Rangrezz" is partly a coarse bromance and partly a mocking romance, its brutal landscape scoffs at softer emotions. The tyranny of the troubled territory is testimony to a history of family violence. The three guys, who form the core of the compelling content seem to convey more sincerity in their feelings for one another than the two man-woman relationships in the plot.


OVER THE HEAD                                                                        :      The biggest flaw has turned out to be the last scene of movie. After a finely edited movie all of a sudden things go haywire in the climax. No proper logical solution is visible when three protagonists leave the separated couple on the beach side. And cut next the scene shifts with a written caption 2 YEARS LATER where-in you find Jackky sitting in a police station posted as a cop. This ridicules the whole flavor of the movie. 


WOW MOMENTS                                                                          :      The most gripping part of the movie is the elopement sequence that lasts for a good 10 minutes and is shot with the razor-sharp alacrity. There is an air of unrehearsed casualness in the way the three friends flee, fall and scamper away from danger, bruised, battered, bleeding and bellowing like wounded animals, with the eloping couple in the backseat of a screeching car.


CONCLUSION                                                                                      :      The biggest highlight of this movie is that it takes a new fresh take on love which has hardly been portrayed on Indian celluloid.  The film poses some disturbing questions on the lack of genuine commitment in today's relationships. What if love is just hormones and chemical at work? In an urgent rush of energy and adrenaline, "Rangrezz" poses this question. So if you have penchant for this different league of cinema, you can go and enjoy this flick. But for traditional entertainment seeking audience it might not prove to be the right choice.


ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com






 



Wednesday 20 March 2013

Movie review of MERE DAD KI MARUTI.



Opulent marriage palaces,heavy decor,
mouth  watering delicacies, Band Baaja Baraat and femme fatale with overtly make up have been the essentials of Big fat Indian Wedding's on screen adaptations for long. But this wedding tale presented by YRF films takes you on a different short n sweet journey.  Kudos to ASHIMA CHIBBER for making a movie which doesn't have single extraordinary characteristic or feature but still makes you smile while coming out from theatre.


STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                  :          The story has been penned down by duo of NEERAJ UDWANI & POOJA DESAI who have left no stone unturned to weave out a simple no frills attached humorous story, which has been further enhanced to a superlative screenplay by both of them along with ASHIMA CHIBBER who co-incidentally is the director of the movie also. The best part is that the script breezes past without any major breakdowns primarily because it doesn't get too adventurous and sticks to its chosen line and to top it all, it delivers some quirky detours that are made all the more engaging due to the consistent quality of acting by most of the artistes. The story of the movie is that its celebration time at the Khullar Family's residence as Tej's (Ram Kapoor) daughter Tanvi (Benazir Shaikh) is getting married to Raj (Karan Mehra) in a few days. Tej buys a brand new Maruti Ertiga as a wedding gift for his son in law much to the annoyance of his son Samir (Saqib Saleem) who already has a Chattis ka Aankrra with his father Tej. Meanwhile he gets to date a hot babe Jaslin (Rea) who likes to be called Jazzleen & to impress her Samir smuggles out Ertiga car from the garage but unfortunately looses it. He begins a hunt or race against time to either find the car or get a new one as the marriage ceremonies begin along with Jazzlin and his friend Gattu (Prabal Punjabi) who become his partners in crime. Now will he find the car.....or not....and what will his dad's reaction be....form the rest of the story which keeps you amused till it ends. One thing is sure that the screenplay & dialogues have been written keeping the new social networking friendly generation in mind with lotta slang used in between.( To be frank some of them were like alien language to me also ) but gelled well with tempo of the movie.


STARCAST                                                                              :  Undoubtedly the movie belongs to the father son duo played by RAM KAPOOR & SAQIB SALEEM who have done a fantabulous job as per their characterizations. We have been watching Ram Kapoor regularly in those tear jerker soaps on the small screen but in the movie we see him in a totally new Avatar. Kapoor pulls off a splendid balancing act between the demands of playing the loud foul-mouthed, demonstrative father at odds with a rebellious son and the innate skills of an actor acutely conscious of  the need for restraint. Saqib Saleem, in just his second movie has been able to hit all the right notes. He definitely fills the screen with his presence and mind you i am not talking about physical presence as it would be difficult to fill it physically when you share the screen space with Ram Kapoor. Saqib has essayed this role with natural ease by getting into the skin of his character and is at his brilliant best when it comes to comic timing especially when he imitates his Dad in movie. Now coming to RHEA CHAKRABORTY who fits the bill by playing the role of a coquette also known as Chandigarh Di Shakira in her debut attempt. She definitely looks cute n carries that oomph factor well but when it comes to acting skills she still has a long way to go. Fortunately the script & the pace of this movie did not require much of acting antics from her thereby making her come out clean. Two more artistes who deserve a mention for their good performances are PRABAL PUNJABI as Gattu & RAVI KISSEN as Hussain Bhai who make proceedings go live-wire whenever they appear on screen. Other noticeable ensemble actors in the movie are KARAN MEHRA , RITU KHANNA VIJ  who make their presence felt.


TECHNICAL ASPECTS                                                                 :  The music of the movie especially the background music is one of the biggest strengths of the movie and the credit for the same goes to SACHIN GUPTA who has composed both forms of music for this movie. Although songs have not been big chartbusters but it is their clever placement in the movie at the right junctures that enhances the narrative. Also the background music is in total sync with the situations and adds up to pull audience's interest in the proceedings. Cinematography is by ADIL AFSAR who has done an excellent job and in fact managed to enhance the visual beauty through his frames captured at various locales of CHANDIGARH. ANTARA LAHIRI holds the credit for being editor of this movie and deserves an applause too for her work. She has kept the momentum going at a steady pace throughout the movie whose run-time is 101 minutes. I feel one more person who deserves a well deserved mention is ISHITA MOITRA who is the dialogue writer of this flick. Lingual Pseudonyms who most youngsters are using for SMS texting, have been cleverly used by her in dialogues which in turn will strike an instant rapport with young movie watching crowd. But the person who deserves the crown is ASHIMA CHIBBER who with her efforts has executed a normal story with no star power at all into a very interesting flick which provides you entertainment worth your money spent. Although it is her first movie as a director but she has definitely managed to keep a tight rein on the proceedings all the way upto a tidily executed climax. She has also ensured that the movie does not look unconvincing or goes over the top at any place and maintains a tight grip.


OVER THE HEAD                                                                 :   In the climax when Sameer is in police custody his would be bro in law comes to bail him out not only wearing his wedding attire but also carrying his headgear along with sword in his hand. Not only this after bailing Sameer out he catches a local CTU bus to reach his wedding location. Had this been a part of any other bollywood comedy flick i would have ignored this but it pinches a bit to see such a cinematic liberty been taken in a tidy realistic comic flick.


WOW MOMENTS                                                                  :    Most of the confrontation scenes between Ram & Saqib have turned out to be hilarious especially when Saqib imitates him behind his back. The scene where Gattu goes to pick up Khosla's as a driver is humorous and its repercussions in the party scene make you roar with laughter. Also how the trio escapes from the garage of Hussain Bhai after a police raid will definitely bring a smile to your face.


CONCLUSION                                                                                  :     Although it is a comedy genre movie but still the movie is not just replete with same funny and maddening moments. The movie definitely has a soul attached to it and is able to hold your attention despite its simplicity.  If you want to seek comic relief in the form of clean entertainment without cruel double meaning jokes along with your family than this movie wont disappoint you.             


ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com













Saturday 16 March 2013

Movie review of JOLLY LLB






JOLLY LLB is a movie that has been made with heartfelt emotions. And it’s a heart that is backed by a ticking mind & a responsive conscience which relies on both humor and pathos for impact. A heart which is buoyed by a clutch of outstanding performances and a directorial style that is marked by admirable lightness of touch. Bravo Subhash Kapoor for showing how rich n mighty conspire to snatch away justice from a common man with the help of their unfair manipulations using loopholes of our judicial systems. 


SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                                  :      The credit for script, screenplay, dialogues goes to the man who is also the director of this movie  i.e. SUBHASH KAPOOR, who deserves applause as apart from entertaining the audience, he has also been able to touch our sentimental chords. This film is not an  emotional juggernaut nor a subtle snoozer but it is a movie that finds its own pitch and keeps it consistent till it reveals a little bit of magic. This isn’t borne out of a genre but out of the material itself, it’s organic. Albeit, Subhash Kapoor’s dialogues turn out to be the mainstay of this benevolent project. He finds humor in the most unlikeliest of places. The story begins when Jolly (Arshad), a lawyer in Meerut moves to Delhi where his Jija (Manoj) resides for better prospects leaving his lady love Sandhya (Amrita) behind. He senses an opportunity when a wealthy accused is acquitted in a hit & run case and decides to file a PIL to re-open the case which brings him face to face with Rajpal (Boman) who is shrewd, high profile kind of a lawyer and is considered to be unbeatable. What follows is a courtroom drama full of twists n turns entwined to each other and showcases all kinds of emotions ranging from buffoonery, wit, anger, jealousy, corruption, lobbying and righteousness. The plot is also littered with allusions to the realities of a law enforcement structure that is steeped in corruption. One such scene is where creepy cop called played by SANJAY MISHRA auctions a plum posting in Delhi Police station to several tainted cops seated before him. Another example of fine screenplay is how Boman tells his own accomplice to go to his opposing lawyer Arshad & pose as a witness of crime scene who is ready to testify in court. To prevent the same witness from appearing in court Boman extracts a huge amount from his client. The reason why Boman does this is that earlier while paying his fees the same client had paid him a little less n when Boman had objected, the client taunted Boman of being greedy. So our smart egoist lawyer plants a fake witness & takes his revenge by forcing the same client to pay crores but without greedy tag attached to it. 


STARCAST                                                         :           Almost all the actors have played their characters to perfection giving it a realistic touch. ARSHAD WARSI exhibits many shades of humor, nervousness, confidence, frustration and has executed all his scenes in a brilliant way. BOMAN IRANI brings alive on screen most flawlessly the psyche of a towering legal giant who is mean, conniving and steely cold. He leaves you gasping for breath with his audacity to prove someone innocent, who in actual is as guilty as hell. He impresses as a lawyer who knows how to play within loopholes of the law to come out trumps even in worst of the cases. AMRITA RAO although has a minuscule role but she has managed to look pleasant whenever she arrives on the screen justifying the look of a small town girl believing in principles of life. But the highlight of the movie is performance of SAURABH SHUKLA who dazzles the screen with his antics.  A pragmatist and eccentric who threatens to hurl paperweights at litigants and is not above asking for personal favours, Saurabh embodies the limitations of the Indian judicial process as well as its strengths. MOHAN KAPOOR looks all the way a polished but hassled tycoon whose son is accused in a hit n run case and is raring to do anything to save his son from clutches of law. In fact his persona is perfectly synonymous with such characters. Other ensemble actors who are able to impress are MANOJ PAHWA, BRIJENDRA KALA, SANJAY MISHRA, HARSH CHHAYA and after a long time RAMESH DEO.



TECHNICAL ASPECTS                                                  :          One more brilliant aspect of Subhash Kapoor is that he has woven the screenplay in such a way that nowhere does he seek to call the audience's attention to either the technical aspects of the film or the cinematic elements that constitute a mainstream entertainer. The music for this movie has been given by KRSNA which has failed to impress the audience. Backgound music is by SANJOY CHAUDHARY which again is of very average standard. ANSHUMAN MAHALEY is the Cinematographer of this movie who has done a descent job as per the resources available to him. SANDEEP SINGH BAJELI , who is the editor of this movie has done a good job and managed to provide an even pace to the run-time of 131 minutes of this flick. PARVEZ KHAN as the action director has given Arshad Warsi a chance to flex his muscles albeit in one scene only. But the movie belongs to SUBHASH KAPOOR, the man who remained active behind the scenes by writing the story, screenplay, dialogues n finally directing this movie.He has made a movie which relies on both pathos n humor for impact, is buoyed by a clutch of directorial style that is marked by admirable lightness of touch. He has composed some real witty & remarkable dialogues for this movie which are really striking.  Like when Saurabh says  Kanoon andha hota hai. Judge nahin. Judge ko sab dikhta hai". Than there are lines like one lawyer calling other as “Do Kaudi ka Vakeel and refer to someone as a “honest bloody Indian”. Also, "Suna Tha , Kanoon ke haath lambe hote hain, Ghanta lambe hote hain".  Kudos to the team for showing plight of common man when he gets entangled in the web of our judicial system & how worst things have become in our courts in favor of only rich and mighty.




WOW MOMENTS                                             :                Watch out for the courtroom scenes wherein Saurabh is sitting as a judge and cribbing about cold tea being served, working in non-ac court-room and is not able to find his striking hammer when pandemonium ensues in court. Also a scene where he farts while eating his lunch in most amusing way sitting in his chamber along with Arshad n Boman.


OVER THE HEAD                                                   :          The biggest let down in the movie is its songs which in actual were not required at all. All the songs in the movie seem like a forced entry and heckle the pace of the narration.


CONCLUSION                                                       :        What i personally liked about this movie is that it not only addresses a serious theme - the anomalies inherent in Indian judicial system - in a jocular manner but also steers well clear of unwarranted flippancy. In fact Subhash Kapoor's style of film making bears a stark resemblance to that of Raj Kumar Hirani's Munnabhai series. So anyone who has an appetite for meaningful cinema in the form of hard hitting satire will find this movie as a wholesome meal for him. But please don't go with a mindset of this movie being an out & out mad comedy as it a has lots more to offer and shows how some termites have infected our judiciary.


ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com










Thursday 14 March 2013

Run FARHAN Run. The Versatile n Impeccable FARHAN AKHTAR.












This is one of those rare articles that i have been forced to pen down by my sub conscious and i am having no discomfort in admitting it. The story behind this begins when Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra launched his movie Bhag Milkha Bhag  and selected Farhan Akhtar as the main lead in his biopic to portray the character of Legendary Milkha Singh. Being a movie obsessed person i was kind of shocked as i was under the impression that Farhan will never be able to justify the character and persona of Milkha G. Secondly as i myself belong to Chandigarh which is the home town of the legendary runner, hence i have had the privilege of meeting him a couple of times. This made it more difficult for me to digest the fact that Farhan would be able to carry those looks covincingly. Another factor which increased my dilemma was that howcome Farhan was selected to play lead by Rakeysh Mehra whom i admire as one of our finest directors.
                                                          All my apprehensions dashed to the ground when i saw the first official promo of the movie. But bigger shock came when i saw a still from the movie where Farhan is carrying a knife in his hand and a feeling of guilt swept across my mind prompting me to write this article. I could never imagine Farhan in that Avatar looking every inch like the character he is playing in the movie. It took me a while to recognize Farhan because of his physical looks as well as the intensity on his face and eyes and i would definitely like to applaud him big time for his efforts & proving me wrong. Frankly speaking on a personal level, I have always admired his direction prowess more than his acting skills. His first movie as a director, Dil Chahta Hai is not only one of my all time favorites but was a trend setting cult movie for sure. DCH had many firsts attached to it like it was the first movie to focus on camaraderie n male bonding between three protagonists while focusing on their character traits hence revealing a shrewd oxymoron of ambition and reality. One of the scenes where protagonists run & jump into water in Goa has been often repeated in lotta movies till date including Rang De Basanti & the latest Kai Po Che. I still remember the kind of frenzy DCH created in the youth on its release & fashion statements shown in movie became a rage amongst youngsters especially beard under lower lip which Aamir Khan carried in the movie.
                                                    To sum it up all, i'll say apart from talent it takes lot of hard work,dedication and versatility skills to become a movie director, screenplay writer, producer, actor, lyricist, playback singer and a television host which Farhan has already achieved and that too in such early stage of life. On a witty note i was surprised when i noticed that i am elder to Farhan and that too by 2 days as my DOB is 7 Jan.1974 n  9 Jan.1974 is Farhan's. So i wish Farhan keeps on making optimum use of his versatlity by giving us benchmark Indian cinema to relish our hunger for entertainment by going a long way for which BHAG FARHAN BHAGAlso i will like to applaud Farhan Akhtar for launching a social awareness campaign through his initiave MARD, which stands for Men Against Rape and Discrimination.

ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

           











                                                       




                                                                       

Friday 8 March 2013

" Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns " Movie review



       TIGMANSHU DHULIA has slowly become a force to reckon with.  After showing his acting prowess in GOW he has made a flick which comes out once in a while.Like God & Devil,the characters in Tigmanshu Dhulia's sequel to the highly acclaimed Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster work in mysterious often bizarre and  inexplicable ways. Each of the main characters in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns (SBAGR) is stricken by a self-destructive passion bordering on an all-consuming neurosis.


 SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                                :                KAMAL PANDEY & TIGMANSHU share the credit for story writing but screenplay and dialogues have been written by TIGMANSHU only  who has done an outstanding job.Torn between desire and self-loathing, the characters populating and copulating in SBGR are emptied-out by their own ambitions. Like the first film, the second one ends with a shocking death and an ironic twist to the drama of the damned and the doomed. The plot unfolds like an intricate jigsaw – each puzzle falling into place with a thunderous impact. The doddering aspirations of the depraved politicians form the backbone of the supple sequel where the men are often caught with their pants down…and the women don’t seem to mind it! The air is heavy with metaphor, as mentioned, but it’s handled most entertainingly. A man with killer aim starts to wield a camera, a sharpshooter learning to shoot. A veteran actor known for on-screen lasciviousness is the only one woefully out of place during a trashy dance sequence. A princess stands on her lover’s toes; a wife needs hands to steady her. Briefly the storyline is that after losing his legs, Saheb (Jimmy Sheirgill) is bound to the wheelchair and is very cranky, irrational and wicked, especially towards his alcoholic Biwi (Mahie Gill), who is now a politician. Gangster (Irrfan Khan) is determined to settle scores with Saheb and walks in the scene with the help of Birendra Pratap(Raj Babbar) whose daughter  Ranjana (Soha Ali Khan) is in love with him. How Saheb eyes Ranjana for marriage and all the scheming that follows forms the rest of the script. But the biggest asset of the movie is its screenplay and especially its dialogues which have become a rarity these days and DHULIA deserves special applause for this contribution.


 STARCAST                                                                 :         Thanks to Tigmanshu having given equal footage to all the characters, each and every star have performed exceptionally well. IRRFAN KHAN stands out as he shows his anger, passion, jealousy and pride with utmost conviction. Irrfan, with several quivers full of the dialogues he likes, is a riot at first, and then a delight to watch gradually unravel. Indeed MAHIE GILL pulls out all stops once again to play the kind of slutty royalty-wife whose cravings are so apparent they shame anger and embarrass even bystanders, as we witness when in her politician’s cabin a subordinate offers her spending-money assuring her he would “take it back from her husband”. But it is JIMMY SHERGILL who really impresses with delicate nuance and wonderful presence; it is as if he finds more dynamism from being strapped in a wheelchair. It is his lines that ring the loudest, and his eyes that do the film’s talking. SOHA ALI KHAN has the stateliness for the part but plays naive in almost childlike fashion, which is great. RAJ BABBAR, PRAVESH RANA & DEEPRAJ RANA too impress with their performances but it is RAJEEV GUPTA as the politician,the tomato who makes you roar with laughter with his funny antics and witty expressions. Oops i forgot in between i saw ANJANA SUKHANI & MUGDHA GODSE trying to woo the audience with their twisting bellies.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS                                                        :      Indeed the sequel to "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster" moves far ahead in its packaging and technical finesse. Music for this movie has been given by SANDEEP CHOWTA who has done a very average job and surprisingly even the two item numbers in the soundtrack could not make it to top of music charts. Cinematography is by YOGESH JANI who has done a fairly descent job as the major emphasis of this movie is on its content n performances rather than location or grandeur of sets. Movie has been edited by RAHUL SRIVASTAVA who has done a fabulous job and maintains the same consistent pace during the movie's run-time of 145 minutes. But the main credit goes to the versatile TIGMANSHU DHULIA who has not only directed but written the story,screenplay and dialogues of this movie. The film’s dialogues are exceptionally good. Not just the taaliyan-at-a-baithak lines about how everyone looks the same in a wheelchair and why men swear more (because they sob less).A policeman measures out the future in terms of the next year, the next election, the next Shah Rukh Khan film. While a politician triumphantly calls himself a sensitive tomato & is unable to switch off the porn movie on his laptop. The 'Khanak' of loose coins for the 'loose' woman reverberates across this enchanting narrative where every character is playing a game with others and self. Though stubbornly economical, Dhulia's narrative is never short of breath as the characters move towards a perverse nemesis.


WOW MOMENTS                                                      :   Although its one of those rare movies which is full of wow moments but still I'll mention one scene. The scene where Irrfan walks in to take interview of  minister n what transpires next is simply hilarious and i'll definitely cherish this for a long long time as audience sitting next to me were about to fall with roaring laughter. I'll definitely like to applaud Rajeev Gupta who's played the character of  minister for portraying so innocent expressions  in this scene.


OVER THE HEAD                                                    :          N.A.


CONCLUSION                                                          :           I personally felt this to be one of the better movies i have seen in a while and Anyone who likes crisp cinema and likes to watch the grey & black characters hidden under garbs of humans will love this movie. Kudos to Tigmanshu for giving us an opportunity to watch this kind of cinema and that too with entertainment quotient attached to it.


ROHIT SHARMA.
Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com
























Wednesday 6 March 2013

Movie Review of " THE ATTACKS OF 26/11 "







The first thought to cross my mind after watcing movie was to lodge a missing person's report of RAM GOPAL VERMA. I've grown up watching RGV'S cult pathbreaking cinema in the form of Shiva, Rangeela,Satya,Sarkar ...but lately his signature style has vanished from his flicks.The  moment i saw the promo of this movie i thought RGV's come back in his elements but Alas it was not to be.To take a surreal, unforgettably, mind-boggling event like the attacks on Mumbai on 26 November 2008, and turn it into a movie of dramatic power is, in one sense, pure exploitation and titillation.The immediate reaction on reliving it aside, the thin storyline lapses into banality.Half an hour into the film, I began twitching with embarrassment at having to watch it.

SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                    :              RAM GOPAL VERMA & ROMMEL RODRIGUES share the credit of being the script & screenplay writers for this movie and this the weakest point which can lead to debacle of this movie. Undoubtedly 26/11 is this nation’s collective tragedy. There is really no reason to relive those agonising three days. RGV’s film takes us back, and once again arouses all those emotions, anger and thoughts, Yet it’s problematic in what it chooses to focus on and what it leaves out. The joint commissioner, who sips green tea while narrating what happened on the three fateful days to the Pradhan Inquiry Commission, pauses ever so often to philosophise on the brutality of man. As we cut from the inquiry room to the police control room, it’s clear that the cops were totally out of their depth. 26/11' shows Mumbai Police ill equipped in weaponry and training, but it’s projected as a force that more than made up for the lacunae with its love of duty and nation.A large part of the film’s second half is devoted to a conversation between the joint commissioner and Ajmal Kasab, where Kasab first tells Maria why he did what he did, and then the joint commissioner, in between abuse, slaps and kicks, tells him how deranged and immoral his “Aaka” and his version of “jihad” is.. The film imagines Kasab repenting, saying sorry to the people he killed. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’d like to believe that it is.'The Attacks of 26/11' ends on the sea shore with the sun either rising or about to set to the gentle strains of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.I feel instead of focusing on the gruesome killings & blood splattered all across the screenplay should have  stressed on what was going in power corridors of Delhi as well as some heroics of our TV Channel reporters who risked themselves in order to cover it live. 

STARCAST                           :                                             RGV has used the fresh and unknown talent to depict this tragedy on-screen. NANA PATEKAR has put in his heart and soul in portraying the character of  RAKESH MARIA, who was Joint commissioner of Police at that time. Its a treat to watch him portray more patient, subtle character with ease. But it is SANJEEV JAISWAL who steals the show with his immaculate performance as KASAB and stuns you with his raw expressions. Amongst noticeable faces ATUL KULKARNI makes a short appearance as cop stationed at Rly Station, so does GANESH YADAV as captain of the trawler which these killers hijacked to reach Indian shores.


TECHNICAL ASPECTS                            :                      RGV has used multiple music composers for the soundtrack of this movie that includes ROOSHIN DALAL,KAIZAD GHERDE,VISHAL & SUSHIL KHOSLA & AMAR MOHILE which still fails to impress. AMAR MOHILE has composed the background music which is not only thumping and ominous but also threatens to destroy your sound senses. Cinematography by HARSHRAJ SHROFF & M. RAVICHANDRAN is very inconsistent as in some scenes you get the feel of watching a home video and next shot looks classically cinematic. If the inconsistency is intended, the storytelling does not support or justify it. Varma’s frames and composition, usually masterly, are unintentionally ordinary. Editing is by SUNIL WADHWANI but i feel some of the shots depicting apathy of victims especially ladies n kids smeared with blood should have been edited. RGV fails as a director as he chooses to give one man mythical proportions for the sake of, I imagine, cinematic gratification.  26/11' lacks depth. It doesn’t attempt to figure out why this massacre was allowed to happen, and pretends there was no aftermath. It plays very safe and is just not political enough. So its intent remains suspect, and troubling.


WOW MOMENTS                                        :                           In its run-time of 116 minutes i personally liked only two scenes which i'll feature here. One is when Kasab vents out his catharsis while he is being interrogated by Nana and second is when Nana vents out his catharsis on Jihadis as he takes Kasab to the morgue for showing him dead corpses of his accomplices.


OVER THE HEAD                                            :                       The magnification of  the tragedy with respect to each location and its horror with slow motion frames with ear deafening ominous score puts you off big time. I 'm sure most Indians went through the trauma when these horrific incidents happened & would not like to revisit or remember those memories shown in a more gruesome way.


CONCLUSION                                                    :                    I personally felt very uncomfortable watching this movie as this movie made scars of those ghastly killings come alive in front of my eyes. So in all it was a disappointing fare for me but it might appeal to the ones who have a penchant for raw violence coupled with blood smeared bodies lying across the floor.

ROHIT SHARMA.
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Saturday 2 March 2013

Movie Review of " I ME AUR MAIN "

            
Through I ME AUR MAIN the makers have tried to portray the modern times where relationships don't always come with the call for chastity. But much as the film tries to be an urbane and contemporary cinema, it keeps restoring to archaic stock phrases. But still it has its own moments which are refreshing and bring a smile to your faceAlas, the Bollywood audience has matured in its intake of mush, and seeks much more than a gorgeous legged beauty or a shirtless hero to make them skip a heartbeat.


 SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY        :                        The script and screenplay has been written by DEVIKA BHAGAT who earlier scripted movies like Aisha, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Although she starts well but than we get bewildered by the sheer inanity of the plot, where three lives get knotted over matters of the heart and their differences resolved in an impenetrable, hasty manner. There are way too many sub-plots, themes and characters that she is unable to give anyone substantial insight and does not give enough time to any character for sketching of profile. Briefly the story is that Anushka (Chitrangda Singh) separates from her live-in partner Ishaan (John Abraham) because she feels he is too selfish and can't look beyond himself. Ishaan shifts to a new house and falls in love with his neighbour, Gauri (Prachi Desai). All seems to be going fine until Ishaan comes to know that Anushka is pregnant with his child and has to choose between his love and his responsibility. The movie started off by claiming to be a breezy romance, later it turned into a messy break-up story, then it shifted back to romance, but side-tracked again to play out a weepy, family drama, only to tie it all together with a lecture on ambition and dreams.


STARCAST                                         :                   JOHN ABRAHAM who has spent a lot of his acting career hearing critics call him "wooden", can finally flash that famous half smile of his. The actor has done a neat job of playing the self obsessed Ishaan and pretty much delves deep into the skin of the character. CHITRANGDHA on the other hand,could have done a much better job as Corporate lawyer in love with Ishaan that she plays. We've seen Singh deliver full-bloodied performances before but this isn't one. I am of the view that she has the capability to do much better in case a director is able to extract the best out of her. PRACHI DESAI comes like a breath of fresh air and comes out as the surprise package of this movie. She has played Gauri to the hilt as a stunner & I will rate this as one of her best performances till date. MINI MATHUR as sister of Ishaan has given a descent performance. ZARINA WAHAB is outstanding playing Ishaan's mother who is a chatterbox and she certainly deserves to be seen on screen more often. Together, the mother-sister duo leaves one applauding loud and hard. RAIMA SEN as saree clad boss of Ishaan has little scope to perform in her miniscule appearance. SAMEER SONI, the handsome hunk has played a cameo albeit carrying his trademark harsh expressions as if he has barged in straight from sets of his serial "Parichay" ( I feel its high time for him to play a wacky hilarious role ).


TECHNICAL ASPECTS                        :                               The music for this flick has been given by PRITAM DA. Couple of songs are hummable but there is not even a single track that stays with you for a longer period which is disappointing as music is the backbone for movies of this genre & plays a major role in their success. Cinematography is by HIMMAN DHAMIJA who has done a fairly average job with the resources available. Editor RANJEET BAHADUR has done his job well to a certain extent & has managed to keep run time of this movie even less than 2 hours. I feel one person whose name i need to mention is PRIYANKA MUNDADA who is the costume designer and has made all leads look really fab. Director KAPIL SHARMA makes his debut with the film, but even though it is a sincere-effort on his part, the screenplay is not befitting of the premise of its lead character being a man-child  - it does not have the required depth to take the story or the players' parts forward in its narrative. Had he paid more stress on character building rather than introducing them haphazardly and extended the timing of movie's climax , the movie would have definitely sounded more logical.  Not to forget GOLDIE BEHL, who deserves applause for taking up a little bold subject with an unconventional ending once again after his last flick LONDON PARIS NEWYORK.


WOW MOMENTS                                     :                             Watch out for some light breezy scenes in the beginning itself especially when John refuses to pay money to Milkman. Scene when Prachi n John roam around after getting drunk and John leaves her on middle of the street has been shot nice. Zareena's interactions are also quite laughter invoking.


OVER THE HEAD                                         :                        The sudden appearance and than sudden disappearance of Sameer Soni is bewildering. Prachi's suddenly getting Visa to Paris & on top of that John's instant decision to join & fly across with her requires a sachet of  Eno to digest the scene. And than the sudden ending also disappoints ( Although the decision taken in the climax is USP of the movie and should have been elaborated but instead it happens too quick which spoils the fun and importance of it ).


CONCLUSION                                                 :                          Its a light,breezy movie good enough for a one time watch but it has the sparks and could have been much better had the characters as well as the plot been developed in more engaging way. But in case you like Candy floss kind movies with lot of style quotient coupled with well chiseled protagonist flanked by two gorgeous beauties, this movie is just the right cup of tea for you.

ROHIT SHARMA.
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