Rahasya Movie Review - Rahasya - Filled with snaky twist & turns

Rahasya Movie Review - Rahasya - Filled with snaky twist & turns

What is it all about?

Filled with snaky twists and turns UVI Film Productions ‘Rahasya’ backed by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures is packed by an absorbing spin. Inspired by the famous Aarushi murder case, ‘Rahasya’ helmed by the talented Manish Gupta lives up to its demand of maintaining a dramatic rhythm and tension powered by terrific performance as the doctors of this genre ordered.

Though the obsession to end the mystery in the cliche methodical nature may disappoint the discerning audience but overall audience in general will find satisfaction.

The Story

Inspired by the famous Aarushi murder case Manish Gupta pens an edge of the seat thriller and as the film progresses make enough changes to avoid further criticism (initially Rajesh and Nupur Talwar had criticized the filmmaker for making a film on Aarushi’s murder).

One morning 18 year old Ayesha Mahajan (Sakshi Sem) is found murdered in her room. Sachin Mahajan (Ashish Vidyarthi) – Ayesha’s father becomes the prime suspect after police investigation.  Aarti Mahajan (Tisca Chopra) – Sachin Mahajan’s wife manages to get the case under CBI eye.

Sunil Paraskar (Kay Kay Menon) is the honest "imaandar jabaaz" CBI officer. The no nonsense Sunil Paraskar is the current serious-walnut-eating version of mid 80’s famous carrot-chewing-television-detective Karamchand (played by Pankaj Kapoor).

Sunil while investigating finds number of evidences. The investigation turns snaky and deadly when suspects and lead get killed creating more tension.

Who murdered Ayesha Mahajan and what was the story behind the murder is answered in the end.

What to look out for?

It’s on target right from the word go. Manish Gupta’s narration is simple, tight and to the point. Though the movie adds nothing exceptional to the genre but it stays loyal in its traditional in satisfying the common audience.

Those who are aware of the Aarushi murder case in Delhi will have a sense of déjà vu initially but as the investigation progresses the movie manages to take a shape of its own.

Manish keeps his script tight and sticks to basics. There’s no song dance here. The narration succeeds in getting the involvement of the audience making them do their guess work. Slowly and surely Manish manages to create the tension and bring the investigation to shocking revelations as the mystery unfolds.

The actors do a terrific job here. Kay Kay Menon as the walnut eating no nonsense Maharashtrian CBI officer is incredible. Ashish Vidyarthi as Ayesha’s father is outstanding. Tisca Chopra as Aarti Mahajan is excellent. Ashwini Khalsekar chips in a brilliant support. Sakshi Sem is Ayesha Mahajan is fine.  Vinit Kakar as the assistance cop has screen presence and shows good promise. Technically sound and supportive, Ranjit Barot music does the right thing for the film. Cinematography by Faroukh Mistry is sleek. Suresh Pai editing is effective is building the tension. Production values are up to mark.

What Not?

Though the suspense is exciting, the winding up of the proceedings is cliché. We have seen, read such windups in the bygone decades movies, novels etc. even after having a few outdoor locations, the movie sometimes gives a television detective series feeling. Some convenience is taken in the scripting.

Conclusion: ‘Rahasya’ helmed by the talented Manish Gupta lives up to its demand of maintaining a dramatic rhythm and tension as ordered by the doctors of this genre powered by terrific performance of Kay Kay, Vidyarthi and Tisca.

Hawaizaada Movie Review - Hawaizaada - A Handsome Hodgepodg

Hawaizaada Movie Review - Hawaizaada - A Handsome Hodgepodg

What is it all about?

Emphasizing visual splendor at the expense of its source material's wonder. Reliance Entertainment in association with Trilogic Digital Media and Film Farmer productions ‘Hawaizaada’ helmed by first timer Vibhu Puri starring Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead is certainly ambitious in portraying the journey of what is said to be the world’s first airplane by India’s genius Shivkar Talpade before the Wright Brothers. But it’s done in the spirit of a comic book fairy tale musical; instead of a poignant involving biographical - making it a hodgepodge of a visual splendor in an ultra-elaborate, overly long boring wonder.

The Story

Saurabh Bhave and Vibhu Puri pen this world’s first "Udan Khatola" saga without caring much about the credibility and authenticity in their mood to ‘fly’ high.

Its Circa 1895 Shivkar Bapuji Talpade (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a loser. One day Shivkar meets Shastri, (Mithun Chakraborty) an eccentric scientist who lives in a huge wooden ship inspired by the Pirates of The Caribbean.

Shivkar is head over heels in love with a dancer (Pallavi Sharda) who has asked Shivkar to fulfill her 3 wish to get a kiss.

Shastri makes the school and house dropout Shivkar his disciple and how they make the world’s airplane by following Vedas and how Shivkar gets his kiss forms the crux of the film.

What to look out for?

The concept to tell the story of world’s first flying machine developed with the help of Vedas is destined to bring any Indian chest anywhere filled with proud. Debutant helmer Puri has a unique, promising premise.

Performances are of high standards. Ayushmann Khurrana scores well. Mithunda is excellent. Pallavi is fine.

Savita Singh cinematography is eye popping. Production values are of highest standards.

What not?

All the gaudiness doesn't  jell as the art direction and set designing fails to take us to the said era. It strives for grandiosity rather than authenticity and audience connectivity. The 1895 Mumbai looks like an artificial facial of ‘chromatical’ cross of SLB ‘Devdas’ and ‘Saawariya’. Way behind the authenticity seen in other epics like Paresh Mokashi’s ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ or Jabbar Patel’s ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’.

It’s tough to touch a biopic or a movie depicting a period. Wrong settings, buildup and environment disconnects the audience immediately they fail to feel for the characters. ‘Hawaizaada’ suffers highly over here. Being a musical period biographic, the music has nothing to hum about and it’s a big hurdle. It’s also off putting. The strange version of Ghalib’s evergreen classic ‘Dil-E-Nadan’ sung by Ayushmann Khurrana explains the understanding of quality by the this bunch of overenthusiastic artists, filmmakers etc.

Further Puri adds more jokers in this adventure in the form of those unintentionally funny English men in the film. During the climax when the British Police man screamed ‘Nahi Udega’ the audience is suppose to get tense but they burst out laughing instead.

Conclusion: Hawaizaada is a classic example of bejeweled excess of visual splendor at the expense of its source material wonder resulting in ultra-elaborate, overly long boring experience.

 

 

Baby 2015 hindi new movie review

 Baby hindi  movie review

Neeraj Pandey's 'A Wednesday!' came out in 2008, a low-budget, hardly publicized film that went on to achieve cult status in Hindi cinema. It was a slick, stylish yet tightly woven film that remains India's best take on terrorism even after 7 years of its release.

Pandey followed it up 5 years later with "Special 26", a bigger budgeted, well publicized film that was disappointing in just about every department. The film always assumed itself to be much smarter than it actually was, which was exactly the opposite of Pandey's first film. I've always maintained that budgets spoil directors, and they end up making mistakes because they have a lot more money to play with than they really need.

 This week's release "Baby" marks a return to form for the talented writer/director, who returns to his wheelhouse with a film on counter-terrorism. The plot focuses on Special Ops officer Ajay Singh Rajput, who leads a top secret team of operatives called Baby.

The film opens in Turkey, where Ajay is able to track down a defector and obtain information that is instrumental in foiling a terrorist attack in the heart of the Indian capital. This marks the beginning of his mission to take down the terrorist cell that is determined to strike fear in the hearts of Indian citizens.

The film doesn't manage to get off to the most brilliant start, especially with the sequences in Turkey. There is very little attention to detail, with the posture, stance and even handling of guns during the action scenes, and the tactics and mode of operation by no means belong to a highly trained Special Ops officer. To add to that, there is hardly a sense of intensity or urgency about the circumstances that the characters find themselves in. The film is also strongly reminiscent of Ridley Scott's espionage thriller Body of Lies in terms of style and setting during these portions.

The interval also works against the film. You can understand Pandey wanting to build the momentum slowly, setting up the plot nicely to take off once the dominos start falling. Without any stoppages, the film could've carried on doing just that, with the audience being none the wiser. But with a clearly demarcated interval point, you realize that the first half of the film has gone by without much happening, without any excitement or any fresh, out-of-the-box ideas.

Things start to get interesting when the action moves to Nepal in the second half, leading to the capture of Sushant Singh's character. The subsequent covert operation in Saudi is when the film manages to fully take off, building up tension and momentum, and raising the stakes of the situation at hand. In the final hour or so, the film is highly "inspired" by Ben Affleck's Argo, with the main focus shifting to getting out of the country alive.

Despite any shortfall in pacing or attention to detail, one thing that I would be remiss to not praise is the film's affinity for creating dramatic moments. Never mind the originality of the last half hour, the film still has to make the source material its own, which it manages to do rather well. That achievement is, however, carefully counterbalanced with the rote, by-the-numbers dialogues that include more than its fare share of cliche patriotic speeches. Words like covert, secret, honeytrap are thrown around every once in a while to made sure you realize that it's a film about counter-terrorism and espionage.

One department where the film misses the mark is character development. All the other characters revolve around Akshay Kumar's Ajay, with popular actors like Kay Kay Menon and Sushant Singh brought in for just a scene or two at most. Anupam Kher and Rana Dagubatti come into play only during the last hour of the film, although Anupam Kher is pretty effective even in a small role, bringing in comic relief. The only other actor apart from Akshay who gets any substantial importance is Danny Denzongpa, who plays Akshay's commanding officer, but is actually an agreeable sort of chap who tends to let Akshay decide the plan of action than make any decisions himself.

With such a strong emphasis on Akshay Kumar, a performance on the level of the one he gave in Special 26 would've sunk the film without a trace. Thankfully, Akshay rises to the challenge and gives a surprisingly restrained performance, and even manages to keep the humor subtle, something which is not his strong suit. He is literally present in every single scene of the film, and while his performance may not be one that you'll remember for a long time to come, it's one that might gain him some respect and credibility in the eyes of the audience.

Going the way of a globe-trotting espionage thriller could've gone horribly wrong, the way the extremely talented Sriram Raghavan messed up with Agent Vinod (budgets spoil directors). But Neeraj Pandey manages to keep his ambition in check, both as a writer and as a director. He tries to keep things simple plot-wise, sometimes even too simple. But it's better to have stayed grounded than imploding trying to soar skywards. He keeps the action contained to the soldiers on the ground, rather than trying to make use of technology and advanced gadgetry a la James Bond.

Pandey manages to run a tight ship and molds a reasonably smart film within the realms of commercial cinema. In the final tally, the film manages to tick more boxes than it crosses out, putting it firmly in the win column for both star Akshay Kumar and director Neeraj Pandey. Baby is by far the best Hindi film to have come out this year, although considering the competition and today's date, that might not be much of an achievement.

Dolly Ki Doli 2015 Hindi Movie Review

Dolly Ki Doli 2015 Hindi Movie Review

0 - 1.7

Poor

1.8 - 2.3

Average

2.4 - 2.9

Above Average

3 - 3.4

Good

3.5 - 4.0

Very Good

4.1 - 5.0

Extraordinary

Dolly Ki Doli isn't great but isn't all the bad either. The story works mostly for the social satire that it is on the nation's obssession - Marriage. Should you watch the film? Yes, for the idea and some entertaining performances.         

           

Sonam Kapoor and Fashion go hand in glove, but acting? Not so much. Guess that's just why the actress is going all out to prove her acting mettle and after Khoobsurat is back on celluloid with yet another quirky film Dolly Ki Doli. Wanna know if it's worth your time and Money? We tell you.

Con man is so passe, it's Con women ruling the roost in Bollywood stories and after Dawaat-e-Ishq where Parineeti Chopra's character was conning men as a possible bride, Sonam Kapoor in Dolly In Doli is duping men after marrying them. The initial song of the film has Dolly going about her ways, wooing them, making them want to marry her and then rob them in turn. Sadly, the movie reveals itself within the 3 odd minuter song but the twist happens when she stumbles upon two grooms Sonu (Rajkumar Rao) and Manjot (Varun Sharma) who go straight to the Cops to bust this
bridezilla. Robin Singh (Pulkit Samrat) is given the task to nab this conning bride. Does he eventually do what he is expected to or in turn lead way to a love track? Well, we can't tell you THAT (sic).

First time director Abhishek Dogra's Dolly Ki Doli is quite refreshing and quirky as a story but sadly, the movie thrives on a short thread that runs out half way through the film and what follows is a drab tale which is nothing but conventional. While the first half is sassy and fun the second is boring and hackeyed.

Moreover, Sonam Kapoor does little to add to the sprightly character that Dolly's is. The so called actress seems to be on a try try till you succeed mode when it comes to her performance. Unfortunately, that earth-shattering moment is yet to be witnessed in Bollywood and that's why Dolly takes the hit of bad acting.

The three male actors Rajkummar Rao, Pulkit Samrat and Varun Sharma however, pull off a great feat and are brilliant in their portions. They also make the film funny and riotous in some parts.

Overall, Dolly Ki Doli isn't great but isn't all the bad either. The story works mostly for the social satire that it is on the national obssession - Marriage. Should you watch the film? Yes, for the idea and some entertaining performances.

 

0 - 1.7

Poor

1.8 - 2.3

Average

2.4 - 2.9

Above Average

3 - 3.4

Good

3.5 - 4.0

Very Good

4.1 - 5.0

Extraordinary

           

1

2

3

4

5

Baby 2015 Hindi Movie Review, Cast & Crew

Baby Synopsis| Cast & Crew

Release Date January 23

Director: Neeraj Pandey
Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Shital Bhatia
Production Co: Crouching Tiger Motion Pictures, T-series, A Friday Filmworks, Cape of Good Films

Music Director: Meet Bros Anjjan
Cast: Akshay KumarTapasee Pannu, Anupam Kher Rana Daggubati Danny Denzongpa, Kay Kay Menon, Madhurima Tuli, Sushant Singh                        
  Complete Cast & Crew






The country is perpetually under threat from terrorist powers and the common man walks unaware of the threats and the attacks that our Government controls and prevents. While the common Indian fights for everyday issues, there are deeper and bigger threats to him and his family that he will never know exist because it is the men and women in uniform that safeguard them. The men and women who put country before self, the men and women who define our history because they give a damn!

Ajay (played by Akshay Kumar) is one such officer who is part of an elite team chosen from amongst the best in the Forces to form a covert Counter Intelligence Unit. In the course of foiling one terrorist attack bid, Ajay discovers a major threat to our nation - a plan to cause damage and strike fear at the heart of our very existence. The plot is masterminded by a maniacal leader whose organization has its tentacles spread across the world. As days progress. the unit goes through escalating challenges with time ticking against them and risks escalating. At all points, the members of the unit give it all they've got and stand tall to guard us with all their strength so that we may sleep safe in our homes. Covert and courageous operations are performed across Kathmandu, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Delhi and Mumbai as our protectors will not rest till evil is defeated.

Will the maniacal Maulana Rehman and his band of evil succeed in striking terror in the heart of India? Will the Indian Government change gears from being reactive to proactive and strike? Will Ajay and his unit be able to prevent this terror tsunami?


Baby hindi movie 2015 movie review

Shamitabh 2015 Hindi movie Review

Shamitabh 2015 Hindi movie Review     

           Release Date 06/02/2015

Director :

R Balki

Producer:

Sunil Lulla R. Balki Rakesh Jhunjhunwala R. K. Damani Amitabh Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan Sunil Manchanda Dhanush

Cast:

Dhanush , Amitabh Bachchan, Akshara Haasan

Music Director:

Ilaiyaraja

Shamitabh is an upcoming Hindi film directed by R. Balki, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Haasan, in her debut, in the lead

I (Ai) Movie Review

I (Ai) Movie Review






Shankar, who wears his commercial tag like a medallion, has an addiction for making big commercial films. While he's been quite successful at it all these years, it has slowly started to have an adverse effect on his films to the extent that even the presence of a bankable star, say Vikram, doesn't add much value to the output.

In his much anticipated film "I", Shankar proves that only he can take a wafer thin story and turn it into something outlandishly beautiful yet complex, leaving you with an afterthought -- "Why can't he ever make smaller films for a change?"

Mostly known for making message-oriented films in which the hero singlehandedly takes on the system, Shankar attempts to tell a romantic tale in his latest offering, said to be made at a budget of over Rs.100 crore.

Vikram plays a bodybuilder, Lingesan, who idolises Arnold Schwarzenegger and supermodel Diya, played by Amy Jackson. If the posters of Arnold decorate the walls of his lower middle class home and his gym (which is named after Arnold), there's a box full of women's products endorsed by Diya in his bedroom.

In a funny scene, when he's caught red-handed by his friend and asked what he is going to do with all the products (holding a pack of sanitary napkin), Lingesan nonchalantly says he will use it as a pillow.

In these refreshing initial moments, Shankar helps us understand that Lingesan has extreme liking for Diya but doesn't love her yet because of their social and cultural divide. There's a wonderful scene where Lingesan's mother asks his friend what's wrong if her son is fond of a model he sees on television, newspapers and hoardings?

In any other film, he would've stalked her to the point she eventually gives in. Here, Shankar doesn't tread that path and that's a big relief. Then, the story takes a detour when Lingesan turns overnight into model Lee, soon becoming a sensation in the glamorous world of advertising and earning the wrath of a few. It is from here that Shankar's "I" ends up becoming a big budget mess and an old-fashioned revenge drama.

Shankar likes to take his audiences to vast, unknown locations even if it's not required. This time he travels to China, shoots in some picturesque locations and makes Vikram feature in a well choreographed action sequence. It's here he makes Vikram and Amy fall in love.

He feels the need to create a love triangle and introduces a gay makeup artist, played by Ojas Rajani, who lusts after Vikram. It's a shame that Shankar resorts to playing with the sensibilities of a gay character, openly mocking at the sexual orientation.

Vikram may have worked tirelessly gaining and losing weight for his role, but that doesn't make the film any less disappointing. In both the roles, as a body builder and a hunchbacked man, he makes one take notice of his potential and how far he can go for cinema.

Amy Jackson chips in with a surprisingly decent performance and has worked hard on her lip sync, at least in some crucial scenes. Upen Patel, Suresh Gopi and Ramkumar come across as misfits in their respective roles. There are far more good looking local actors who could've played Upen's part convincingly.

Given the lavish budget, "I" is visually grandiose and that's not a surprise. But the visuals don't make up for the weak script. Even A.R. Rahman's music doesn't make much of a difference but for remaining mostly soothing and melodic. Returning after a gap of three years, Shankar should've gauged the pulse of the audiences who now prefer short stories over a three-hour film.

All that's big may not necessarily be great. Hope Shankar realises that much better films can be made on a smaller canvas and much lower budget.

Yeh hai Bakrapur movie Review

Yeh hai Bakrapur Review

Satires have become an increasingly popular genre in Bollywood from being almost non-existent. A genre kick-started by the classic Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, remained dormant before resurfacing stronger in the last few years. Subsequently films such Peepli Live, Well Done Abba, Phas Gaye Re Obama, Tere Bin Laden and Jolly LLB have managed to deliver the correct message along with the rib-tickling entertainment - the satire mainstay. Janki Vishwanathan's Yeh Hai Bakrapur attempts to take the genre ahead. 

YHB is the story of a goat called Shahrukh, who is set to be sold off at an animal market. It is the story of the family who is going through financial hardship and selling of Shahrukh is the only way they can pay back a loan, but suddenly realizes that keeping the goat could be more rewarding. It is the story of the village which jumps in the bandwagon - to find their share of luck from the blessed goat. It is also the story of a country which is ruled by blind faith. And above all it is a satire about ever-increasing human greed, which is the only one that scores over blind faith.

A silent milieu takes a dramatic turn when Shahrukh, the goat, is found to be divine courtesy the name of god being imprinted on his body. YHB has a very well oiled storyline - with a new twist building up every time you believe there could be a possible lull. What works for the film is that despite having a goat as the unlikely protagonist, the story is completely believable. The director also manages to squeeze humour out of her quirky characters. The characters fit beautifully into the story, never for once seeming out of place.

The actors justify their jobs. An earnest Anshuman Jha and seasoned Asif Basra are the best of the lot. 

What does not work for the film is that it does not have genuine laughing points - something that satires can rarely do without. The film is filled with subtle humour which will make you smile but not crack up. The film could have also been edited better. The most upsetting aspect is however the ending. With no proper conclusion to the story it makes one wonder if the writer ran out of ideas on how to finish what he started. 

Yeh Hai Bakrapur has a very interesting premise. However it falls short of becoming a really good film. It will make you smile nonetheless at the inane situations that can actually become a reality in the country.

Koyelaanchal Hindi Movie Review

Koyelaanchal Review

As Koyelaanchal reaches interval point, the story is all set for Suniel Shetty to get into his 'Balwaan' mode and bash the goons out of their senses. But that's where the film scores some brownie points as it keeps the actor true to the character. 

Another film set against the backdrop of the coal mafia, after the recent Gangs of Wasseypur and Gunday, Koyelaanchal has a few things that work for it. Primary among these are the characters. Though not as edgy and entertaining as Sardar Khan, Ramadhir Singh and Faisal Khan from Anurag Kashyap's GOW, these are far more rooted in reality than Bikram and Bala from Gunday. 

The same goes with the dialogues as well. There is a fair amount of work done to keep it real even as attempt is made to keep the humour of the regional dialect. 

Koyelaanchal is set in a village called Rajapur in Jharkhand - an epicenter of coal mining. The attempt is to show the corruption and resultant parallel government that a certain mining contractor Suryabhan Singh [Vinod Khanna] runs. When Niseeth Kumar [Suniel Shetty] arrives in the district as the new Collector, he figures he has a lot to do. However he is up against brute forces that will not stop from getting personal to ensure business is on track.

You only wish they used as much work on the screenplay. The film, with a close to one-and half hour second half after a relatively shorter first could have been much shorter if worked on with precision. This is where the director loses way and then there is no looking back. 

Many directors develop their signature treatment to a film and Asshu Trikha seems to have his own. His is jarring loud music coupled with weird sound effects. So you have unbearable background music and some strange whiplash sound whenever the Suryabhan Singh is involved in a scene. Add to this some particularly amateurish VFX scenes of blasts and fire. And not to forget the gore that could have been done without.

All this is more than enough to overpower what could have been a decent film into a half-baked half-hearted affair. And some earnest performances by its lead actors don't help. Buy a ticket? No! Definitely not when there are infinitely better films releasing in the same week!

Manjunath Hindi Movie Review

Manjunath Review

The fear of being silenced more often than not forces most of us to keep mum about surroundings that are not quite ideal. Manjunath Shanmugam was different. An IIM alumnus, Manjunath had decided to fight what was wrong and in process lost his life. That was in 2005. Back then it created a stir. But the question to be asked is, did that stir go on to become an undying movement, or did he die for no cause?

Does his life warrant a film? Yes, it does! It does as much as a film on any of India's most celebrated sons. Manjunath Idiot Tha Saala is a recreated story of this icon. This is an endeavor to tell the story in a documentary like exactness. The film attempts to display the struggle that Manjunath went through as he tried dealing with the fact that it was up to him to fight against corruption. He just could not have just let it be.

Ad-man turned director Sandeep Varma's crafty work displays the transition of a cheerful Manjunath into someone who cannot get over the fact that he is surrounded by corruption. Him change into someone who is regarded as mentally ill by his friends. The director also shows diligence in portraying the relationship between Manjunath and his family. 

He is ably supported by refined performances of his cast. Sasho Satish Sarathy as Manjunath is brilliant. Yashpal Sharma as measured as ever in his role as Golu Goyel, the prime accused. The best of the lot however would be Seema Biswas. She underlines, once again, why she is considered one of the better actress Indian cinema has ever seen. Scenes where she is interacting with Sasho are bound to bring in a smile.

The director also uses music, composed by Parikrama, cleverly. 

The film however loses much of its impact due the slip in the screenplay in the second half. As the writer wanders into realms best left unexplored in order to get make a moral statement the film gets seemingly longer, and slower.

It's limitations albeit, Manjunath is one film that should be watched. Just to remind us of that one tale of courage if not for its cinematic value. Having said that, director Sandeep Varma should be applauded for making a film that is true to the subject and not sensationalized.

Hawaa Hawaai Hindi Movie Review

Hawaa Hawaai

Story: Young, slumboy Arjun's only dream is to own a pair of shiny roller skates and be a champion of this sport-on-wheels. But is this little dream too big for his battered boots?

Review: Even slumdogs have dreams bundled away in their crumbling chawls, beneath piles of garbage and atop roofless homes. So what if it's not about millions and mansions, chateaus or chartered planes. Their sapna is made of strong stuff too. As kadak as the chai Arjun Harishchandra Waghmare (Partho), serves daily at the tea-stall for meager wages. Son of a cotton-farmer, he's uprooted from the village after his baba's shocking death, to the slums of Mumbai. Here, he toils long hours to support his family. One evening he witnesses a skating coach, Lucky (Saqib), eagerly training a group of privileged kids. He's besotted by a pair of shiny roller-skates and thereon, this Dharavi boy is on a dream-roll. His adorable buddies (poor kids with 'XL'-sized hearts) Gochi, Bhura, Abdul and Murugan share his dream of "wheel balance ka khel", making his passion their own. On seeing his talent and tenacity, Lucky finds a new goal - to make Arjun a champ. But will his sapna (riding high on his hand-made, red and gold wheels - called 'Hawaa Hawaai') smoothly make it to the finish line?

Amol Gupte's story is soulful, heart-breaking and hopeful - moving you from tears to deep-thought. He skillfully creates a portrait of the lives of deprived children - with profundity and playfulness. The child-like chemistry the kids share is delightful (whether it's bonding over left-over butter chicken or skate-shopping with thirty bucks). It's often stretched and over-dramatized, yet, the story is so heart-warming that the flaws seem like unnecessary details before a climax (however predictable), that's fulfilling. Gupte's children are pure gems - Partho's brilliance wins you over, backed by the rest of the bachchas who're incredibly talented. Saqib is terrific as a coach with an indefatigable spirit and Neha marvels with a motherly act.

'HH''s inspiring story is for children, for the child in all of us and for adults who need to wake up to dream again.

Samrat And Co. hindi movie Review

Samrat And Co. Review

So we are to have a string of detective films making their way to celluloid this year including the likes of Bobby Jasoos, Jagga Jasoos, Byomkesh Bakshi and the lesser known Samrat & Co. While the first one Joe B Carvalho of the year turned out to be a damp squib, the second this year in the detective category comes an International TV Series' Sherlock Holmes rip off Samrat & Co. Would the Indian Sherlock Holmes work? We tell you.

Samrat & Co. is about Samrat Tilakdhari (Rajeev Khandelwal) aka STD (yes, that's also supposed to be cool), a smart-ass private investigator who's always on a lookout for cases that challenge his intellect. One fine day, a young, beautiful and rich girl Dimpy Singh (Maddalsa Sharma) approaches Samrat with an obscure case of a withering garden with reasons unknown. While the horticulturists are continuing their futile investigation on what's going wrong, the residents are owing it to some supernatural activity. And now, things seem to be affecting Dimpy's father Mahendra Pratap Singh (Girish Karnad) whose health is deteriorating alarmingly. Dimpy's case fascinates Samrat enough (don't ask why) and along with his friend cum assistant Chadradhar Pandey (Gopal Datt) (death of Dr. Watson seriously!) visit the mansion of Mahendra Pratap Singh in Himachal Pradesh to unravel the mystery.

Rajshri Productions that's synonymous with family drama makes a shift with a murder mystery offering and blame it on producer Kavita Barjatya to bring a shift in a shoddy manner. Director Kaushik Ghatak twists and turns events moving from one thing to another with the idea to make a mind bending murder mystery. However, what he ends up with is a hotchpotch of various plots which are introduced one after another only to connect the dots. 

The production house that's always been known for films with countless actors fails this time to do justice with the starcast too. The title role bearer and once upon a time Television heartthrob Rajeev Khandelwal seems to be struggling in getting his act together for some time. Except for this half decent performance in Table No. 21 the actor doesn't have much to boast of in the recent times. And maybe so, he falters miserably in his portrayal of Sherlock played effortlessly by Benedict Cumberbatch in the international series. He tries emulating Benedict what with all the arrogance and eccentricity but blame it on the tawdry character sketch, the actor falls flat and also annoys after a point as he flaunts and brags about his intelligence and mouths the "Samrat-isms".

Maddalsa Sharma does what's expected of a typical heroine in such films, deck up like a doll in every sequence. So even when the rest of the cast is covered in heaps of clothes owing to the winters, our heroine is cackling her stilettos donning short dresses. 

The side cast including the likes of Smita Jaykar, Girish Karnad, Rajneesh Duggal, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Barkha Bisht, Indraneil Sengupta, Naveen Prabhakar etc. all ham with great gusto throughout the film making for an unbearable watch.

Even the production quality of the film is mediocre. You have sloppy chroma work to create a scenic ambience around the dilapidating mansion and graphic work which even a kid can point out to be unreal.

To sum it up, Rajshri Banner should stick to what best they are known for - family dramas. Their effort to make the shift falls flat on its face. Best avoided. 

Purani Jeans hindi movie Review

Purani Jeans Review

It is a rather tempting thought to write a story on friendship and love. But once you manage to overcome the initial urge to write the story, you could probably put some head into figuring a new aspect to the male bonding and love stories that have so often crowded the theaters on Fridays. I wish the makers of Purani Jeans had used that restraint, sat back and analysed if they indeed had anything interesting to tell. That could have probably saved me the pains of watching a tedious fare so that I could bring to you reasons to avoid it

Correction, you don't really need any more reason apart from the one I already stated to avoid Purani Jeans. But reasons there are a plenty; the biggest of all being a clumsy screenplay. The story does not move anywhere for almost entirety of the film. And the amateurish direction refuses to make things better. 

Purani Jeans is essentially a story about two friends - Sid and Sam. They are best friends since the age of five and together with three others form the 'Kausali Cowboys'. As the name suggests, the story is set in the sleepy town of Kasauli. The group has its pledges that they renew every year, one including that they would marry only virgin girls. (really!) The celebrated friendship is established through montages, shots of which have been taken out of dozen other such films. And then enters the girl in their life. Nayantara is beautiful and both Sid and Sam fall for her. Story takes every possible cliched path there on. So much that you could almost laugh out at your predictions coming true. Yawn!

Like any other badly made film, inept direction means the film fails in every department. Even seasoned cinematographer Sunil Patel and hugely talented Ram Sampath come up with work they could do without adding to their repertoire. The same goes with performances. It remains a mystery why certain directors prefer foreign actress who fail to add any dimension to their character considering they have little knowledge of the Hindi language or Hindi films. Watching the Brazilian Izabelle Liete delivering Hindi lines is pitiful. Tanuj Virwani desperately needs acting classes. New guy Aditya Seal manages to add some freshness but is failed by the script.


I remember a wannabe female director once telling me how hard it becomes for the likes of her to make their debut film because of other female directors coming up with half baked projects. This film, directed by debutant Tanushri Chattrji Bassu, is not going to help the likes of her who are constantly trying to prove to the traditional producers that they are as good, if not better, as their male counterparts. Purani Jeans is too full of directorial goof ups, which is strange for someone who has made over 100 ad-films.

The story of Purani Jeans is at best 'purani' (old) and pretty stale. You could revisit Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara if you are in a mood for male bonding films. Else there are definitely better films at the theaters this week. 

Kya Dilli Kya Lahore Review

It is not often than you find people walk out of the theater in silence. Happens either when they don't know how to react, or are just bowled over with emotions. As I left the hall after watching Kya Dilli Kya Lahore I was one among majority who walked out, silent. 

Jingoisms have never been rare on the silver screen. There have been scores of filmmakers who have made profits from the volatile emotions that Indians and Pakistanis share. Amidst these there have been a few odds who have tried to differ. None however, if I may be allowed to say so, have managed to evoke the emotions as Kya Dilli Kya Lahore does. 

KDKL tells that the tale of two army men - a Pakistani and an Indian. But what the film essentially does is betray the feeling of millions of people who moved across the border, leaving their lives and loved ones behind, into the other country. Each in a need to make a new name for himself; a new home for himself! And also, probably, trying to prove that they are as much an Indian/ Pakistani as the ones who did not have to cross the border to embrace their new nationality. In the meanwhile the people in power pit both the countries and its people against each other - forcing them to forget that they were indeed brothers just a while back!
Set in the era right after India and Paksitan earned their independence from the British and the subsequent partition,

In a cross border firing, Pakistani solider Rehmat Ali (Vijay Raaz) and Indian army-man Samarth Pratap (Manu Rishi) end up pitted against each other at an isolated location. The ensuing conversation builds is what the film is all about. 

From a filmmaking point of view, this film is an out and out writer's job. The screenplay is evidently woven around the dialogues rather than the other way round. To a point that it almost feels too dialogue-heavy a film! But that's where the capability of the writers steps. The three screenplay writers Manu Rishi, Aseem Arora and Pratham Jolly together manages to keep the film flowing smoothly and also from seeming longer than it actually is. It surely is difficult to write a film with only four characters, two of which are cameos. 

And the characters etch out beautifully, more so because of the dazzling performances. Vijay Raaz and Manu Rishi manages to make the audience smile, gasp, cry and sympathise with them... and also makes one reflect on how things have not really changed over 60 years since Independence. The citizens of both countries are still as much a pawn in the hands of destiny! Raaj Zusthi delivers and so does a usually sidelined Vishwajit Pradhan. 

Leaving aside the fact that it is unmistakably inspired by the Oscar winning No Man's Land, Kya Dilli Kya Lahore is an emphatic directorial debut for Vijay Raaz. The actor who has often made me laugh left me speechless with his thoughtful work. But it is not he alone who deserves a pat. This film is as much the writers' victory. And of course the producer who bet his money on it and for sticking to his belief for over two years after the completion of the film and not giving up on it! Like the popular Hindi saying - der aaye, durust aaye. When the nation is amidst polls and also discussing how would the new government look at its ties with the Pakistani government, the film could not have come at a better time!

And finally, the claps for Gulzar - his poetry sets the tone for the film even before it takes off. Lakeerein hai toh rehne do... Do yourself a favour. Buy a ticket for this one!