Cast: Sikander Kher, Neha Uberoi, Arbaaz Khan
Direction: Hansal Mehta
Critic Rating: *** 1/2
MEN are back. Boyz, take a back seat. If last year, it was Neil Mukesh in Johnny Gaddar that defined the dawn of the wicked, this year it's Sikander Kher who unleashes a brand new style of machismo on screen, even as he carries forth the march of the crooked men that has been progressing in leaps and bounds with films like Race and Jannat . Kher has great screen presence that brings back the mythical Marlboro man in an age that had begun to serenade the metrosexual. As Sameer, the NRI who comes to India in search of spice and gets embroiled in a sleazy game of abduction, murder, deceit, he's in crackling form. Interestingly, he's ably matched by newcomer Neha Uberoi who's sultry charms add gravitas to the mystery woman who's dead and still not dead.
This one's a stylish thriller, with some great cinematography (Vikash Nowlakha) which captures Mumbai in shadow and light: the archetypal sin city that looks ominous, even as the rain washes it clean. Sameer is hired by a mysterious woman (Neha Uberoi) who asks him to stage her abduction and demand rasnom from her husband (Arbaaz Khan), only because she wants to test his love. So who's the sucker? Sameer who fails to resist the lure of pretty women and moolah; the woman who ends up dead and alive; the husband who could be the killer or the savior?
Go, get your thrills and celebrate the birth of a new actor who, with the right choices, could end up as the new action hero in a namby-pamby age. A word about the music: while the songs do impede the pace of the film, they have a tonal freshness and a refreshing new zing.
Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal
Direction: Raj Kumar Gupta
Critic Rating: *** 1/2
THIS one's a surprise package with its thrilling pace, it's smart direction and its meaningful script. And yes, Rajeev Khandelwal makes a riveting switch from the small screen to the big screen with this film.
More importantly, the film covers new ground in terms of its story which throws light on the trauma of the secular Muslim who literally finds the ground shrinking beneath his feet. If his name makes him vulnerable to racial profiling, then his secular credentials become a bugbear for the fundamentalists within his community. That's the vortex that sucks our protagonist Aamir, a young doctor who returns to India from London, only to find a death trap awaiting him. A faceless voice leads him on through the hardcore Muslim-dominated areas of Mumbai and threatens to kill his family if he doesn't deliver a red briefcase to its destination. The doctor tries his best to run away, but suddenly the whole city of Mumbai seems to be brimming over with misguided soldiers of God who want him to join their ill-gotten crusade. Of course, when the moment of reckoning comes, it is the tormented man's individual choice which will determine his future ideology.
The film moves like a relentless thriller, even as the camera captures the underbelly of Mumbai with all its squalour and grime. Even the characters of the film - the drifters, the mercenaries, the thugs, the prostitute -- seem to be drawn from real life and give a slice-of-life texture to the film. Finally, it is the voice of sanity which rises above the wreckage and reaffirms your belief in a new kind of cinema that is throbbing amidst the bylanes of Bollywood. Truly, a smart debut film.
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai
Direction: Ram Gopal Varma
Critic Rating: *** 1/2
This film carries the sequel forward without losing out on the gritty feel and retains the charisma of the central characters, mafioso leader Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan) and his son, Shankar Nagre (Abhishek Bachchan).
The Nagre duo that first emerged as the indigenous Corleone family on the Indian screen in Sarkar is still living with social sanction and unprecedented popular support despite being on the wrong side of the law.
The father has taken a back seat and left the business of governance to his son, who seems to have become more ruthless after killing his own brother (Kay Kay Menon) in Sarkar . But like his father, he has the welfare of Maharashtra at his heart and is hell bent on giving his state the multi-national power project which the NRI business executive (Aishwarya Bachchan) would like to set up in India. The power project turns out to be just a ruse for a change in governance and unleashes a whole nexus of wheelers and dealers who are determined to cut short the power reign of the Nagres. Time for the aging tiger to roar again and let loose his vengeance on those who dared to harm his family, his people....
Ram Gopal Varma gets back into the saddle after a spate of flops which affected his brand equity. He falls back on the subject -- gang warfare -- and the style of cinema he knows best. His camera follows the angles it excels in, plastering the screen with extreme close-ups of his protagonists. Of course, it does help when the faces in full view are extremely emotive and reflect the myriad emotions of anger, pain, passion and revenge with a mere muscle flick. The Bachchan trio -- Amitabh, Abhishek, Aishwarya -- emerge as consummate actors, imbuing their characters with nuances and shades not easily seen in mainstream cinema. But eventually, it is the structure of the film that succeeds above all else.
Ramu's characteristic dark brooding palette of shadow and light and his forte at laying bare the undercurrents of violence in urban society take you on a reassuring trip through familiar terrain.
Nothing experimental, nothing new; just a return to the tried and tested form which first raised its head in films like Shiva , Satya , Company , Sarkar ....Yes, you may have your quarrels with the ideology of the film and the validity it seeks to give to outlaws like Subhash and Shankar Nagre, but you will applaud the style and the performances.
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aman Siddiqui, Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh Khan
Direction: Vivek Sharma
Critic rating:** 1/2
Review Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/moviereview/3025885.cms
IT'S heartening to see the advent of the Hollywood trend of summer movies in Indian cinema. With Bhootnath, Bollywood too recognises the need to cater to the fast growing tween and teen population with specially crafted family drama meant to spice up the vacation. Here, it's quite a riot of fun that a sixty-plus ghost and a seven-something kid manage to kick up with their escapades in a spooky haveli on the outskirts of Goa.
Needless to say, this was quite a challenge for Amitabh Bachchan to take up since ghosts in Indian cinema have never been characters of substance. But Bachchan's rendition of the shabby, irascible spook who ends up as a cherubic prankster's best buddy is indeed a towering portrayal. Bachchan's banshee act makes you laugh and cry, sometimes at the sheer silliness (yes, he even pokes his tongue at you, dances in hoodies and shredded jeans) and sometimes at the kleenex-clutching dada-ji act. And the fact that the young child actor, Aman Siddiqui, stands up to the ice-cream guzzling ghost, does call for an applause.
So what goes against it? The long-winded climax that turns the film into tedious terrain and the failure of the director to treat his film like a comedy alone. It all begins breezily enough, as Shah Rukh Khan leaves his family (Juhi Chawla and the kid) in the new house and sets off on a cruise. The house has a history behind it and is generally avoided by the residents of the city, since they believe it is haunted. But joyous Juhi rubbishes all such supernatural claims and gets down to the business of settling down with her son who believes in angels not bhoots. Soon he spots the angel too -- an angry Bachchan who wants to throw them out -- and manages to tame him as his pet jaadugar who sets everything right in school and at home. But trouble at school and tiffs with the local bully are not the only problem to contend with. The bhoot has his own tale of woe too... And that's the beginning of big trouble.
The tenor of the film suddenly changes from breezy to burdensome and leaves you wondering why the Baghban twist needs to appear in most of the Bachchan films. Nevertheless, there's lots to recommend. Go for the bhoot and bachcha buddyness, the kurkure charisma of Juhi Chawla (she's in crackling form), the tiffin-chor chutzpah of Satish Shah. And yes, before we forget, there's also the ponytail presence of SRK who has delicious trouble with his wife's sandwiches. Fun for the bachcha log alone.
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sonal Chauhan
Direction: Kunal Deshmukh
Critic rating: ** 1/2
TRULY, this one's a case of a great opportunity going kaput. The theme was dynamite -- betting and match fixing in cricket. The choice of the lead character -- a hotshot bookie who has the cricket heroes at his beck and call -- was refreshing. The allusions to the World Cup and the Woolmer case were topical. The film could have truly been a fast-paced thriller set against the heady backdrop of big money and bad cricket. Ironically, the director chose to concentrate more on the bookie's love story than on the spurious operations that go on in the locker rooms and underworld dens.
And the fact that this is a truly colourless love life, going nowhere, saying nothing, puts the brakes on what could have been a rollercoaster ride into the underbelly of India's greatest passion: cricket. Whenever the story begins to veer into dangerous and chatpata territory, our smooth fixer shifts gears and decides to play romeo to a plain and pallid Jane. Grrr! You simply grind your teeth in despair and wait for the film to get back onto the jagged track.
Emraan Hashmi is the delightfully wicked soul who believes morals are moribund; it's money that makes the world go round. Hailing from a middle class home, with a dad who was content bathing with Hamam soap and a mom who made hot rotis for the family dinner, Hashmi was hellbent on creating his own jannat . And moolah -- loads of it -- was the only ticket to this paradise. With his sixth sense as his weapon, he enters the dubious world of betting, earns a reputation and wins the patronage of the don who wants him to fix the World Cup for him. Great going so far, specially during the scenes where Hashmi offers a well-known captain Rolex watches and some ungodly sum to loose a match, or bets on a ball where Sehwag is going to get out. But suddenly, the focus shifts to his girlfriend (Sonal Chauhan) who loves the riches, but has conscience pangs too. She sends him off to jail and begins to pole dance in a nightclub.
Hey, now where did that come from? Can we please get back to the backrooms, the underhand dealings, the smooth operations, the dirty nexus between terrorism and match fixing....Can we please get back to Emraan Hashmi, an actor who seems to have perfected the art of portraying the man-on-the-edge with ambivalent morals. He delivers a fine punch to the bookie act, much unlike the debutant heroine who is colourless and flat. The second half of the film unfortunately focuses too much on the jaded romance and cuts a great story short. Sad.
Review: * 1/2
Source:http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood/tashan-movie-review/
Tashan has been in news for a long time now. The movie stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in the lead. Akshay Kumar seems to be unstoppable with 4 back-to-back successes in 2007. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are on an all time high after the super success of Race and Jab We Met. Anil Kapoor’s last two movies have been blockbusters (Welcome and Race). The curiosity around Tashan has built up steadily over the past few weeks, major credit of which should go to the star cast. Does it live upto the enormous expectations? Will Kareena sport a bikini? Is it a out-n-out Akshay Kumar movie or does Saif Ali Khan have some part to play? What about the chemistry between Saif and Kareena?
Before the review, let me introduce the characters of Tashan.
Lakhan Singh urf Bhaiyyaji (Anil Kapoor) is a trigger-happy gangster who enjoys gunning down people and speaking English in his own inimitable style.
Pooja Singh (Kareena Kapoor) is a girl whom you just can’t trust. She doesn’t mind playing with anyone’s feeling to achieve her goal. She uses her beauty and jawani as her main tool to make others dance to her tunes.
Jimmy Cliff (Saif Ali Khan) works at a call center but his main job is to flirt with girls. He is not a bad guy but doesn’t mind turning to one just to survive. He is more like a chameleon in his characters. He changes his side just to escape out safe and sound.
Bachchan Pande (Akshay Kumar) is an electricity stealer. He can climb, jump and fly with the support of just about anything. He can break all bones of the body and the result will always be 100%.
Bhaiyyaji is hoping to sign a big project with some foreign delegates. But just then Pooja with the help of Jimmy steals his money. Pooja abandons Jimmy and runs away with the money. Just then Bachchan Pande comes into the scene. He is appointed by Bhaiyaaji to catch hold of Pooja and get him his money back. In search of money they all go on an adventurous journey across spectacular India that changes the course of their life altogether.
Tashan Review
Tashan is yet another Yashraj movie with a wafer thin and nonsensical storyline. A few stupid twists and turns make the characters look like fools!
Vijay Krishna Acharya, add another name to the long list of below average directors in the Yashraj camp! The first half drags endlessly, its honestly tough to sit through it. Comparatively, the second half is slightly better, thanks mainly to the scenes involving Akshay Kumar.
At most times the change of sets and locations is totally absurd. How can someone travel from extreme North to extreme south of India in just seven days by lorry, jeep, boat or on elephants? Also our characters have traveled from North to South and again back to North in what seems like minutes.
The same goes with the fight scenes too. Although the action sequences are interesting at times, why make it so unrealistic? When will Bollywood learn to create action sequences that look realistic? The strength and flexibility that our Bachchan Pandey possesses and his power to turn even the hardest object into spring to help him jump high, is something that may not even have crossed the minds of Hollywood directors. And seriously how can a normal freaking human being survive, without a single expression on his face, after being electrocuted? Also, the camera angle during most part of the fight scenes is inexcusable; it gives away the magnetism that is usually seen in Akshay Kumar’s stunts.
The placement of songs is bad and they act as speed breakers. Dialogues are bad at most times, Anil Kapoor’s Hinglish is hilarious in the beginning but later it tends to get monotonous and even difficult to understand at times. Music by Vishal-Sekhar is just average. Dil Haara and Chaliya stand out.
Tashan Performances:
Akshay Kumar is the only saving grace of Tashan. He delivers a power packed performance and manages to entertain like he always does. Anil Kapoor is equally good.
Now, what is an actor of Saif Ali Khan’s caliber doing in a movie like Tashan? He has absolutely nothing to offer. Very disappointing!
Kareena Kapoor too has no scope for histrionics. She looks smoking hot in a bikini, although probably a bit too skinny. The chemistry between Kareena – Akshay is better compared to the Kareena – Saif Jodi.
Overall, Tashan is weak in content and quality. The movie is high on Tashan (style), glamour and action but the content is sorely lacking.
At the box-office, the hype and Akshay Kumar’s star power will ensure a huge opening. But there are quite a few things that could go against the movie in the crucial first weekend. The lack of promotion by the makers, Indian Premiere League being the talk of the nation, negative word-of-mouth and the fact that the movie hasn’t released in any multiplex in India..
All said and done, a good movie would succeed against all obstacles, unfortunately Tashan is a major disappointment from Yashraj. This could just go the Jhoom Barabar Jhoom way!
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kajol
Direction: Ajay Devgan
Critic rating: ***1/2
Source:http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20080411-4.html
Watching Ajay Devgan’s directorial debut U Me Aur Hum is an emotionally stirring experience.
What’s up with Bollywood actors? One after the other they are proving to be better directors than those already in the business for years. After Aamir Khan , it is Ajay Devgan who stumps you with his finesse behind the camera (in front of it as well) in ‘U Me Aur Hum’, which is a moving, evocative, passionate, and painful tale told straight from the heart. Hats off to you, Devgan, for that.
Not only is the film rich in emotions, it is full of witty humour, thanks to intelligently and imaginatively written script, dialogues, and fine performances by the supporting cast.
‘U Me Aur Hum’ is a simple story told in a well-structured way.
A bespectacled, middle-aged father of a young teenager bets with his son to woo a woman sitting alone on a restaurant table. The man (Ajay Devgan), somewhere in his mid-forties, walks up to the lady ( Kajol ), as old as him, and strikes up a conversation. He tells her a story – a story of love at first sight between Ajay and Piya.
Ajay (Devgan) is aboard a cruise liner on an excursion trip with his two friends ( Karan Khanna and Sumeet Raghavan ) and their female companions ( Isha Sharvani and Divya Dutta ).
On a night of revelry, Ajay spots Piya (Kajol), who serves drinks in the bar. It is love at first sight for him. But she rebuffs his advances. He tries various ways to woo her. He breaks into her cabin and reads her personal diary, her ‘Book of Possibilities’. Being a psychiatrist he learns what she desires and then uses the right tricks to win her heart. Win it he does, but only to break it himself by telling her the truth. After some heartache the couple gets together again and gets married. Thereby begins the journey of U and Me.
As the protagonist says in the film – “Problems never cease. But they are never bigger than a person”. So is the marriage of Ajay and Piya hit by a calamity, a medical one. Will they pull it through and become Hum. Or will they drift apart.
Devgan follows a non-linear path to tell the story. Told almost in a flashback, the tale acquires wheels within wheels as the protagonist recounts the instances of his marital tragedy to his friends. And very imperceptibly, Devgan throws hints about Piya’s muddled mind from the start. The small ‘reminder’ notes pasted on the mirror of her cabin – to remind her of small tasks – when he breaks into it, or her forgetting the right time of her morning Salsa practice – they all point towards her impending fate. And you connect the dots as the story unfolds.
This is intelligent storytelling, supported by incredibly well-written, thought-provoking dialogues from Ashwani Dhir . Vishal Bharadwaj ’s music complements the story well, but the movie could have done without the song “Saheli Jaisa Saiyyan”. It seems deliberately squeezed in the narrative.
I have not yet seen Ajay Devgan act better in any other film. His performance, particularly in the second half, is arresting, when he looks to a ‘T’ a man struck by an unfortunate tragedy. He convincingly brings forth the pain, the dilemma, the inner turmoil and even the selfishness of his character.
Kajol fares pretty well, playing a complex character. She mostly keeps herself restrained but still goes over the top at places. But a commendable performance overall.
The two get solid support from Sumeet Raghavan and Divya Dutta who play an unhappily married couple, perpetually bickering about one thing or another. And there is also Karan Khanna and Isha Sharvani, playing happily unmarried couple. The best thing about all these characters is that they are well-etched and provide a lot of humour to the film.
Here is a sample – Divya and Sumeet are fighting furiously when a passerby asks: “Are you mad?”. Divya replies: “No, we are married.” Or when Karan riddles his friend: “What would be the name of a girl jo apne baap ko dhakka deti hai”. When no one is able to guess, he replies: “Pushpa…Push..Pa”.
See, it has that kind of humour.
To sum it up, ‘U Me Aur Hum’ is mostly a well-crafted film, barring a few rough edges that don’t stand out much. Above all, it is a touching, moving tale that will change something inside you and make you a better companion.
Cast: Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon, Javed Jaffrey, Minissha Lamba
Direction: Samar Khan
Critic rating: ***1/2
THIS film tries to redefine the way Bollywood looks at the men in olive, and almost succeeds. The Bravehearts of the Indian Army do lay their life defending the honour and dignity of the country, but they don't go about chestbeating and yelling expletives to the enemy across the LoC. Refreshingly, Shaurya is a surprise package that for once does not equate pride and honour for the country with killing those across borders. Instead, it takes an introspective look at the sentinels of our country and gets reflective about the questionables within: prejudice, bias, antagonism that prevent fair play from a Few Good Men that make up the country's premier institution.
Here, you meet Rahul Bose, who thinks nothing suits his personality more than ‘googling’. It's only when the cool dude discovers the hero in the valley that he becomes a causaratti for democracy and a shaurya that doesn't tar a single community. He pitches a fine performance. Close to him is Minissha Lamba, the small town reporter who sips beer to scandalise those who question what she calls ‘small town morality’. A short role she executes with ease and confidence. Not to miss out is Javed Jaffery, who plays the perfect friend, though the character seems to be lost as the movie progresses. And just in case you wondered who's shaurya are we all taking of, it's none other than Kay Kay Menon, the sarkar of the valley with so very misconstrued views. Kay Kay is absolutely dynamic and it's his explosive act in the climax that helps him walk away with applause for sheer shock value.
Inspired by a Few Good Men , the Hollywood drama on the defence forces which revealed the ugly underbelly of one of the most respected officers (Jack Nicholson), Shaurya is essentially a courtmartial drama where two friends (Rahul Bose and Jaaved Jaafrey) play defence attorney and prosecutor to a cadet guilty of murder. And if the background is Kashmir, be sure there is a dissection of the world's number one problem: Islam versus terrorism. But the director handles the incendiary topic with balance and sensitivity. Go for some serious, cerebral viewing.
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif
Direction: Abbas-Mustan
Critic rating: ***1/2
THE Baazigars are back. Once again, the Burmawala brothers (Abbas-Mustan) dig deep into the darker side of the human psyche and come up with another thrilling study of wickedness. Ever since Shah Rukh Khan made a virtue of vile and guile in Baazigar, the director duo seemed to have specialised in a certain kind of cinema. One, where all the beautiful people are bubbling over with the beast within. And what makes their films interesting is the fact that this beastliness is born out of circumstances -- a childhood grudge, a blow of fate -- rather than being a case of pathological evil. Hence, the viewer always seems to `understand' and `empathise' with the anti-hero. As Saif Ali Khan confesses in Race: he is only scared of honest people. The rest, he can handle and outrun, in any and every race. Ethics, anyone?
The story can't get darker than this. Two brothers begin by racing bikes in childhood and end up running a race for life itself, with each trying to kill the other. Younger brother Akshaye hates big brother Saif, who not only won all the kiddy races but also managed to walk away with the family fortune, leaving kid brother completely dependent on his generosity. Under the veneer of pyar-mohabbat and traditional bhaichara , kid brother weaves a complicated plot to get rid of Bade Bhaiyya and walk away with the millions. And he's got a tantalising weapon to deliver the final blow: the sultry and super-sensuous Bipasha Basu who plays her charms against Bhai-Bhai . But it isn't Bipasha alone who keeps you guessing about her loyalties. In this gritty game of death, loyalties are as slippery as quicksand and it takes just a flick of a pretty head for a sweet simpleton to turn into a pucca predator. End result? Twists, turns, twists that keep you on the edge and leave you unblinking for most of the film.
The film boasts of a super cool look, testosterone-high action sequences, a lively music score (Pritam) and some classy performances from Akshaye and Saif as the bloodthirsty bhais . But the film does get staggered in the second half with the Anil Kapoor-Sameera Reddy track being the weakest link. Amongst the girlie brigade, it's Bipasha who adds glitz with her dangerous liaisons. Sameera too articulates the busty bimbo act with elan, reminiscent of TV's super-sleuth Karamchand's Kitty. Katrina however is too pale as the blousy secretary who comes into her own only when she gets seductive with a `Touch me, kiss me' tenor. Time for some paisa-vasool entertainment.
Rating :3/5 ***
FOR a filmmaker who scaled Bollywood's heights as the quintessential Sapnon ka Saudagar to suddenly shift gear is indeed a valiant bid. And Subhash Ghai deserves kudos for daring this switch in the high noon of his career, since experimentation is generally the forte of GenXers and Bratpack dreamers. Suddenly, and surprisingly, Ghai sets aside the grandeur of films like Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak to step into the difficult terrain of cinema verite. And no, he doesn't flounder and fall flat, despite a few loose strands and false notes that hold back the film from becoming a searing document of our tumultuous times. Black and White is a thought-provoking film that challenges the state's stereotypical formula to combat terrorism. And somewhere between its moments of light and shade, it holds a glimmer of hope and humanism: yes, fanatics can be cured, terrorists can be tamed, secularism may live long.
The story is ostensibly based on the headline-grabbing case of the terrorist attack on Parliament, when a Delhi University professor (SAR Geelani) was held responsible for his links with the terrorists. Like Geelani, Professor Rajan Mathur (Anil Kapoor) too teaches Urdu in Zakir Hussain College and unwittingly becomes associated with a suicide bomber (Anurag Sinha) who comes all the way from Afghanistan to blow up the Red Fort on Independence Day. Nomair Qazi, the bomber, poses as a victim of the Gujarat riots and wins the sympathy of the professor and his activist wife (Shefali Shah), as he takes up residence with his supposed grandfather (Habib Tanvir) in the bustling by-lines of Chandni Chowk. The jehadi has fourteen days to plan his suicide mission and conveniently uses the simple professor and his emotionally exuberant wife to gain entry in the high-security environs of the Lal Qila. But before that, he must learn the more important lessons of life:
Incredible India's all-encompassing Indianness (read bhangra, bhaichara, bonhomie). And what better place to experience the highs of a syncretic culture than Chandni Chowk, a standing testimonial to India's tolerant tehzeeb.
Cut out the clumsy climax, the awkward activism of Shefali Shah, the fumbling romance with an all-eyes, duppata -laden student, the incoherent black and white birth-of-a-jehadi sequences in a shadowy Afghanistan and you'll end up with a stellar show by Anil Kapoor (completely restrained) and Habib Tanvir (veteran histrionics). Add to this the delicious smells and sounds of Chandni Chowk, deftly captured on camera by the director, and you might just believe the filmmaker when he says the world doesn't exist in black and white; there are colours -- and ideologies -- beyond extremes. A word about debutant Anurag Sinha: too linear a performance to impress. Surely, a terrorist doesn't wear a permanent scowl, specially when he is ostensibly trying to hide his antecedents and blend in with normal people.
Review from:www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/moviereview
Rating :4/5 ****
MITHYA is a very complicated film dealt with in an uncomplicated manner by director Rajat Kapoor. The director handles the complexities of the film and the central character with aplomb to first set your creative juices flowing as a viewer. Then, long after the credits have rolled, you begin to unravel the mystery of the plot. There is finesse in direction and maturity in handling of the story.
When you look at the film from the director’s point of view, you can feel his mind at play juggling with the various characters to paint a gripping drama. Though Ranvir is his trump card, he shuffles the other cast members around him to position them at telling points which lift the film to a different level. And when the final bullet pierces Ranvir at the end, your mind races back to Wolfgang Petersen’s 1991 thriller SHATTERED, that had a super climax. But here, it’s the anti-climax which works as the climax.
All the while you thought Ranvir was faking a memory loss, and were waiting for the director to deliver his final hit. But that does not come. What comes back is the recollection of his memory! For once the director has out-thought the viewer!!
Ranvir Shorey (VK) is a small town actor struggling to make it big. Unknowingly, he lands himself into the very vortex of underworld crime. His only fault - his face resembles that of the reigning Don (a double role played by Ranvir). Wanting to have the best of both worlds, the rival gang headed by Naseeruddin Shah (Gawade) abducts VK and puts him through physical torture before he agrees to impersonate the Don. Neha Dhupia (Sonam), who is Gawade’s mistress, has a big hand in helping him (VK) make up his mind. She tells him that her brother has been abducted by Gawde; hence she is in the plot. By now the two are in love and VK agrees to impersonate. From then on the movie moves on at a brisk pace keeping you on the edge of your seat.
After Rajat, credit goes to Ranvir for his complex act enacted with puzzling precision! As the struggling actor, he handles the lighter moments with super timing; when abducted, he displays the confusion with clarity and when on his mission to impersonate, he projects the ‘Chor gus gaya ghar mein role’ with precision. But it is his ‘memory loss’ phase that has everyone around him and in the audience scratching their head in disbelief. A brilliant performance.
To borrow a line from the film, “Producer log star ke peeche bhagte hain, to hum actor ka kya hoga?” asks Ranvir in one scene. Well, all I can say is that the actor is on his way to stardom.
Neha Dhupia as the one in love with Ranvir plays her supporting role with ease. She slips into her character and stays there. After EK CHAALIS KI LAST LOCAL and this film, I’m convinced she has the talent. Vinay Pathak and Naseeruddin Shah along with Harsh Chhaya lend credible support.
TO GO OR NOT: Like BHEJA FRY which surprised everyone, I won’t be surprised if MITHYA jingles at the box-office. Yes, the cities will have a huge audience! Don’t miss this movie. It’s a movie you won’t forget.
Review from:www.glamsham.com
Rating : 4/5 ****
The timing of Ashutosh Gowariker’s Magnum Opus could not have been better. A love story set in the 16th century between the Mughal Emperor who ruled Hindustan (now India), Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, and a fiery young Rajput princess, Jodhaa. With love as the backdrop, and highlighting the Hindu-Muslim marriage of alliance culminating in love and respect for one another, a day after Valentine’s Day was an apt moment for its release. Moreover, with hate politics being on the agenda, the timing of its release could not have been better. JODHAA AKBAR surely comes as a soothing balm to every Indian. If watched closely, it sends a message loud and clear that country is above everything else, even self! For our warring politicians, for this message alone, this movie is worth many trips to the multiplex.
Viewed as a love story, it portrays beautifully, the defiance of Jodhaa, the Rajput girl who is asked to marry Akbar, a Muslim Emperor. Not one to bow down or suppress her voice, Jodhaa expresses two strong wishes to the Emperor. Only if he agrees will she marry him. The first being he will not force her to change her religion and the second; he will give her a place in his palace to have a temple of her own. Both wishes are granted!
Then comes the tough task of the Emperor trying to get close to Jodhaa. Slowly, she teaches him that winning battles is not everything... he learns to win her heart as well. For lovers, this is a beautiful rendition of a perfect love story.
Ashustosh Gowariker has outdone himself. This movie is a masterpiece, a complete interpretation of what the director has visualized. From costumes, to body language, to background score, to the songs, sets, manpower and lighting... Gowariker has everything spot-on. Cinematographer Kiran Deohans captures through his wide lens the glory of the Moghul Era recreated by Nitin Desai. A R Rahman uses the beat of huge drums to transport you to another era. Pure, acoustic delight. Ravi Dewan recreates the fights that have you on the edge of your seats, while Raju Khan, Rekha Chinni Prakash and Ash Kumar combine to give you some breathtaking dances to do justice to the costumes of Neeta Lulla. The choreography of the tracks Khwaja Mere Khwaja and Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah leave you awestruck.
Now, for the performances. The perfectionist that he is, Gowariker has taken pains to pick his entire cast and each one blends with the other to transport you back to an era gone by. Even the extras have been carefully picked.
Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachahan in the lead role, contrary to beliefs, have come out looking super cool. Both actors complement each other, and both have been given the space to build their characters. I would rate this as Aishwarya’s best performance to date. This is credit to a good director who knows how to extract a performance from his actor. As for Hrithik, he soaks in the moment and one can see him completely surrender himself to Gowariker. He has worked hard on his body language and dialogue delivery. He portrays well the qualities of Akbar. He may not be the perfect Akbar, but he does enough to relive the role of the Emperor; that of a gentle and tolerant ruler with a love for his subjects who even put his life on the line to save his country. His dialogue towards the end where he subjects himself to the might of Sharifuddin Hussain for a sword fight, 'Hum Hindustan ko galat haaton mein jaate nahin dekh sakta', draws a huge applause.
Considering the intricacies of the subject, I guess the three-hour plus length of the movie could not have been avoided.
TO GO OR NOT: Oh yes, politicians and lovers and all those interested in good cinema, a must watch. JODHAA AKBAR is sure to bag a host of awards at next year’s ceremonies.
review from :www.glamsham.com
