Thursday 27 December 2012

Dabangg 2 Bhai Ho Toh Aisa




Director : Arbaaz Khan
Starring : Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, Prakash Raj, Vinod Khanna

Disclaimer

Please do not read if you are not a Salman fan.
Please do not read if you believe each film should have gravitas and a worthy story and that logic is desirable.
Please do not read if you think Salman Khan's recent brand of cinema is not meant for you.

But if you are still reading this, I take it that you do not mind a bit of escape every now and then, you have enjoyed Salman's playing himself in most of the films that he does. Also that you have watched Dabangg and liked it.

Also as you are reading it, Dabangg 2 has already made 100 crores in 6 days.

Kung Fu Pandey. Yes. That is what Salman's Chulbul is in Dabangg 2. The movie is quite an entertainer and at a taut length of around 2 Hours, it is a very easy watch.

There is no new wine nor is there a new bottle. It is very much what Dabangg had. Rajjo, Makhhi, Bauji, even Munni makes an appearance. Prakash Raj is the villain here as Bachchaa Bhaiyaa.

What it has is loads of Dabanggesque fun moments with Salman. He is cashing in on his own persona, and Arbaaz who knows him better than any other director has used it to his advantage. The film seems like everyone was having a fun time and that translates itself on screen. The villains are unbelievably weak, even Prakash Raj with his great delivery and acting chops is just a prop who makes sounds and is done away with ease in the climax.

Arbaaz has made a confident debut, but then he had such a perfect mold ready to fill.

The dialogues give you giggles and laughs in good measure. Sonakshi is just hovering around but shares fabulous chemistry with Bhai and there are some really nice romantic moments between the two.



The story is again of revenge, a very personal one this time around too. But melodrama which was there in Dabangg is not there in the sequel. They more or less rush thru the emotional parts.

The camaraderie between Salman and Vinod Khanna is genuinely sweet and their scenes are very well executed.

Kareena does her Fevicol Se with full adaa and oomph. Though Item no.s are not something I am personally fond of, the junta was going mental on it.



This film stands on Salman's talent to play himself unabashedly on screen. Yes the shirt comes off in this one too, but spoilt by the bad SFX.

Over all a film you can watch, smile and enjoy without having to think. A quick getaway from the world where justice is always delayed and denied and feel good with Chulbul's brand of quick gun deliverance of justice.

Will it make more money than his own earlier films, and will it break 3 Idiots Box Office record remains to be seen.

My Verdict : Watch it.

Rating : 3/5

Friday 21 December 2012

Kai Po Che Trailer

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, this is one film I just can't wait to watch. It has a Swades meets Rang De Basanti feel to it from the trailer. Based on Chetan Bhagat's The 3 Mistakes of my life, it promises to deliver another hit on the UTV slate.

Love Amit Trivedi's music, from what can be heard here. Also the new generation is here on screen. Three big and loud cheers for them. Its a winner for me atleast.

Enjoy!

A Common Man [2012] The Remake of A Wednesday Ben Kingsley

Finally it is here. The much awaited trailer of A Common Man. The official English remake of Neeraj Pandey's thought provoking A Wednesday.

This is directed by Chandran Rutnam and stars Sir Ben Kingsley portraying the character which was played by Naseeruddin Shah in the original. The film is set in modern day Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Enjoy!


Friday 14 December 2012

David Trailer in Hindi ft. Neil Nitin Mukesh, Tabu, Isha Sharvani

This is the Hindi Version of the film David. Neil Nitin Mukesh is back, the look is interesting. I am loving Tabu in this.

Directed by Bejoy Nambiar who is back after the dark Shaitan.


Thursday 13 December 2012

David Trailer in Tamil Bejoy Nambiar

David is looking interesting based on this trailer here. Starring Tabu, Isha Sharvani, Vikram and Jiva.

Bejoy Nambiar's latest directorial venture.

Enjoy!


Wednesday 12 December 2012

Oye Boy Charlie - Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Here it is, the latest song video from Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film stars Imran Khan, Pankaj Kapoor & Anushka Sharma.

Enjoy!

Tuesday 11 December 2012

A Little Good News

Newspapers are my morning addiction with a cup of strong Ginger Tea.

I get restless if the delivery boy gets late even by a few minutes. I pace around the house, as if that will make the time go faster. And then I hear the "Thukkk". That's the lovely sound of the Newspaper being slipped into the gap between the bolt and the door. Done precisely every morning.

When I was around 8 years old, this habit was formed. Stories of wonder, of the world I was yet to explore, of politics that didn't make sense to me, it still doesn't! Dad would explain some important events to me...

Today I read the papers with dread... Who was killed, who committed suicide, which Building collapsed, which scam was exposed, who was raped, which child was mowed down by their own school bus, which union was asking for renewed rates... these make the 70 percent of print.

And then you look for happier stuff. Hidden in bigger stories, there will be heart warming tales of survival against odds, acceptance of same-sex marriages, rescued animals, latest developments to make our lives better if we can afford them of course... A sale, a good movie being released, a cricket win...

Thank god for these small pieces of good news. God knows we need it.

SO I continue to read Newspapers, even if they are pretty obsolete in today's world of instant news on the Internet and networking sites. It is still what goes best with my morning cuppa.

Here is the song I grew very fond of in the old days and used to play very often on my morning Radio show.


Tuesday 4 December 2012

'Tuhya Dharma Koncha?' ('What's Your Religion?') - Trailer

A thought provoking film. I love the trailer and the important question the film raises. What Is Your Religion.

Directed by Satish Manwar who debuted with Internationally acclaimed award winning Gabricha Paus (The Damned Rain)

Enjoy!

Saturday 1 December 2012

The Grey Area Talaash Movie Review

Director  Reema Kagti

Starring   Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Yadav

Rating     3/5



One of the most awaited films of the year, Aamir Khan makes for compulsive viewing, at least for me.

I love Suspense thrillers, mysteries and Film Noir. The fact that a woman was captaining this complicated and tough ship was enticing.

I will start with performances in the film since they can rise or sink the best of stories.

Aamir Khan as the angst ridden, self blaming, grieving father who is also a respectable cop with a commendable track record is a pleasure to watch. His Surjan Singh Shekhawat is sad yet witty, humane yet tough, and he has shown yet again why he is the Khan with acting chops.



This film is another addition in the list of Rani's nuanced performances. As the mother who has lost her child she is pitch perfect, dealing with her grief, and a marriage on pause, she emotes with a mere look of her eyes, the tremble of her lips and underlying pathos when she speaks. Together they are totally believable, relate-able and share a very good chemistry as a couple. I could feel the pain of their characters and it is not an easy act.



Coming to Kareena Kapoor Khan, her sheer honesty shines through and makes her very mediocre performance rise above a few notches. As a street walker, she looks too glamorous and sophisticated, but it never really bothers you. Charisma at play totally.

And then we have Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a powerhouse performer, who is always surprising me with his avatars... What a pleasure to watch someone so in control yet so vulnerable as he becomes the character and you forget its a film that is scripted.

Raj Kumar Yadav is fast becoming another favorite of mine. This Gurgaon boy is going to go places with his brand of natural performances, and in his scenes with Aamir, he is confident and spot on.

So what is the problem with Talaash? The writing is the weakest point. Suspense thrillers are tough nuts to crack. Reema Kagti's tale of each character's journey to find something, is rock solid in the first half of the narrative, but as tracks merge and new angles arise, it loses steam towards the final act.

Talaash, essentially a crime thriller, also deals with a lot of other issues. It is a plus because of the layers it adds, but the same is a minus, because some of the stories or layers fail to really come up to the perfect "Sur".

The film touches upon themes of loss of a child and its effects on a marriage, the believers and nonbelievers, the sad lives of the underbelly denizens and the deliverance of supreme justice. Some of them come out brilliantly, and some are just left under explored.

We each have our own journeys and our own inner demons, and the writers have tried to capture that, but could not control the unfolding of what could have been a superbly gripping finale. Some moments in the film will stay with you, specially the Aamir Rani scenes. The Nawaz - Sheeba track is also very touching.

Without spoilers, all I can say is some revelations come too early for the viewer to truly enjoy the climax. The end is something you would either like or feel disappointed. I liked it.

I also liked the moodiness of the film, and good editing does not let it slacken, the cinematography by K.U Mohanan who also shot Miss Lovely is a perfect partner for the narrative. Ram Sampath's music is above average, with Hona Hai Kya and Muskaanein Jhoothi Hain being my picks of the album.

Kagti is in control as a director, and redeems herself after the very forgettable Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.

My verdict : Watch It