About Everything !

Neplai songs download

2009-11-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Bolauda pni Boldainau....By cool pokhrel
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m hu prakiti.............By axix
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lagchha malai..............by sugam pokhrel
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Badal pari ko desh bata.....
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Anuthho bethha vayechha.....
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LONDON DREAMS

2009-11-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

There’s a point in the story of London Dreams when Manjit (Salman Khan), a hard-boiled Punjabi from Bhatinda who has found sudden success as a rock star in Europe, is seduced into snorting cocaine and guzzling tequila shots. We see another such night of drugs in a nightclub, and in the very next scene, the rock star is in a drug rehabilitation clinic, shaking and whimpering!

This is as sanitized, and as puerile as a rock star movie can get.Rock On!!, the most celebrated, was antiseptic enough, although more sophisticated. London Dreams makes a joke out of the rock star movie. Director Vipul Amrutlal Shah is obviously clueless in this area.

The story goes: Arjun (Ajay Devgan) and Manjit or Mannu are childhood friends who hang out in Bhatinda’s mustard fields. Mannu’s father is a musician, but Mannu is not interested in learning the art himself. He, it turns out later, is an untrained, natural singer. Arjun, on the other hand, is passionate about music, but his father doesn’t allow him to learn because Arjun’s grandfather, who was a Sufi musician, once went to perform in London’s Wembley stadium and was tongue-tied when he saw the huge crowd. Arjun runs away to London when he gets an opportunity. He plays the flute on the road and earns money to train as a musician, forms a band, London Dreams, with two Pakistani boys and Priya, a Tamilian (Asin). Mannu joins the band later, and predictably enough, steals Arjun’s thunder and his secret love Priya, who Mannu calls “Chennai Express”.

It’s an expensive film, made with around Rs80 crore, and the money shows in the sweeping sets. As in his earlier films, Shah has made yet another big film—big, in the literal sense.

The script and performances fall woefully short. There are some genuinely funny moments when Mannu is up to his son-of-the-soil antics, but unfortunately, most of the funny moments arise because of the ludicrous situations in the plot. For example, Arjun whips himself until he bleeds when Priya distracts him from his music, and when he plots against his friend to grab the limelight. Everyone in the audience laughed aloud when that happened.

The two rock stars are too old to be true and laughable too; if you’re can’t be like Mick Jagger, you can’t pull off the sex-on-stage in your 40s.

Devgan is a fine actor trapped by his persona—the dark, brooding hero, as we know him. In this film, he’s a caricature of that persona. His intensity is exaggerated and unconvincing. Asin has little to do except dance in the background when Mannu and Arjun take centre stage. Khan plays up to his real-life image—that of a generous, impetuous, comical star. If London Dreams works at the box office, it would largely be because of Khan’s star appeal.

The music, by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, has variety as well as depth—one of the best this year. But it’s difficult to survive all 160 minutes of London Dreams just because of its music

ALL THE BEST

2009-11-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

n his first really decent and meaty role since “Munnabhai”, Dutt gets into the satirical groove effortlessly and fluently playing a visiting Bade Bhaiyya from abroad whom his kid brother Fardeen Khan (tolerably befuddled) must fool into believing he’s married and decent.
The guys in Rohit Shetty’s comedies are anything but decent. Rascals and rogues of the first order, Devgn and Khan are splendidly supported by a sparkling cast of comic actors ranging from Asrani to Johnny Lever to the wonderful Ashwini Kalsekar (remember how cheesy and charming she was in Rohit Shetty’s “Gol Maal Returns?”) to Sanjay Mishra (as a zonked out wannabe householder who says ‘Just chill’ as though his tongue had just been through a sugarcane-juice machine).
The screenplay (Robin Bhatt) juices the material for all it’s worth. The constant flow of cheesy-breezy dialogues is littered with high-school humour but blessedly no vulgarity. This is one comedy you could take your mom to see without once walloping a wince into the wanton soup.
The burlesque is fast-paced though surprisingly restrained and has room galore for PJs. The one-liners are so silly and graffiti-like in their basic humour, you can’t but titter at the trivia wrapped in gloss that makes welcome room for Pritam’s pacy music without getting in the way of the one-liners.
So ok. This one doesn’t leave you… er blue in the face. The comedy is purely situational and the style purely ‘Rohit Shetty’. That means a bit of slapstick, a bit of that rapidly-moving tongue in the cheek, and a lot of Ajay Devgn.
And if you add Sanjay Dutt to the bubby buncy comic brew… man, you’ve got a show that’s on the road from the word go. This time the setting, if you must know, is Goa.
Shetty doesn’t use the touristic spot as a character. You suspect he places his colony of characters in the Goan location so they could all be camera-framed into a streamlined stampede.
There are only three female characters in the show, the rest are all guys playing conmen, goons, gangsters, wheeler dealers, warriors and worriers all of whom display an exemplary comic strength.
Sanjay Dutt gets it right after a long time. He has a lot of fun doing his part and he lets us share his enjoyment. Ajay Devgn’s comic timing has gotten rapidly dead-on under Shetty’s tutelage. He gives Dutt tit for tat, and then some more.
Not all the material is uniformly amusing. Towards the finishing line you do begin to wonder how much longer it would take this wonky wacky world of wispy and reparable wickedness to set itself right.

BLUE

2009-11-01T03:09:00.000-08:00

BLUE: A BIG dissappointment

Sagar (Dutt) and Aarav (Akshay) are good friends settled in the Bahamas. While Sam is a happy go lucky rich businessman, Sagar is down to earth and not as ambitious as him. Aarav on many occasions tries to instigate Sagar on coming out with the secret of ‘The Lady In Blue’ a ship carrying a huge gold treasure that was sunk in 1949 in the Bahamas seas. Aarav believes Sagar knows the route to the deep sunken ship and they both can benefit from the huge treasure that lies inside it. Sagar however doesn’t like to discuss about the ship nor has any interest for the treasure hunt. Just then Sagar’s younger brother Sam (Zayed) arrives from Bangkok after five years. Mafia boss Gulshan (Rahul) is hot on his trail for an assignment worth 50 million dollars gone wrong. With Gulshan too arriving in Bahamas and kidnapping his girlfriend Mona (Lara), Sagar has only 24 hours left for paying back the huge money which Sam has messed with. He is now left with no option but face his old demons and plunge into the deep sea with Aarav and Sam for the treasure hunt.

A really interesting premise shot beautifully but messed big time by unimaginative writing and lackluster direction is what Blue shall always be remembered as. The setting is different no doubt, but where are the requisite twists and turns and pace which are a must for this genre of films? The so called major twist that comes out in the end can be guessed quiet earlier in the first half itself. Also, almost the entire first half moves around with zero grip on the audience with more than enough time wasted on character establishment. The much hyped shark sequences are a big let down what with barring the opening sequence of few minutes (where believe it or not Akshay and Dutt literally ride a shark) there is not a single scene where the sharks are a threat and get you on the edge of your seat. The bike chase sequences have been shot very well though. The underwater sequences have been superbly lit up and one needs to salute the team of cameramen involved for it. The climax is extremely ‘thanda’ and derives unintentional laughter as well. Songs don’t really fit in well and the Kylie Minogue starring Chiggy Wiggy number doesn’t really work on screen. However, the background music and sound editing is excellent.

Akshay is in his element in here playing the flirty cool dude with a hidden agenda with amazing natural ease. Dutt approaches his part with zero enthusiasm and worse, his paunch is visible in many sequences. But Zayed is good and Rahul Dev impresses too. Lara Dutta is super hot and does ample skin show. Katrina Kaif in a special appearance doesn’t work at all.

Said to be over Rs. 100 crore in budget, Blue doesn’t justify the mega budget it has been allotted and first timer director Anthony D’Souza gets it all wrong mistaking style and extra coolness quotient for substance.

If you want to experience some good underwater photography on a big screen and a few well shot action sequences, then you can go for it but if you are expecting something more then let us warn you that you will be in for a BIG disappointment!

WANTED

2009-11-01T02:55:00.000-08:00

Genre: Action
Director: Prabhu Deva
Producer: Sahara One Motion Pictures, S. K. Films Enterprises
Presenter: Surinder Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Sahara One Motion Pictures
Music Director: Sajid-Wajid
Lyricist: Arun Bhairav
Star Cast: Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Om Puri, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sayaji Shinde, Prakash Raj, Aseem Merchant, Vinod Khanna
Release Date: September 18, 2009

Now, we had an idea that ‘Wanted’ was a ‘Salman Khan’ flick, but we didn’t expect it to have nothing else - no script, no editing, and even no logic. No second thoughts about the fact that the roguish charm of Salman is still there, which makes the movie a bit passable. However, beyond that, there is nothing in the film that would encourage you to spend your hard-earned money on a multiplex ticket. There is hardly any scene in the film that makes sense.

There is no logic in ‘Wanted’, be it the script or its execution. For instance, you have the heroine popping into every scene in which bullets are being fired. There is another thing in the film that is gross - the women only seem to be meant for being molested, giving the hero a chance to prove his goodness (by saving them, of course). The songs are plain pathetic, while the editing is shoddy. The one area where ‘Wanted’ scores is the action sequences, which are truly inventive and entertaining, without turning gory for even a second.

The first half of ‘Wanted’ stretches on for much more time than is necessary, with the romantic track overshadowing the narrative. As to the second half, the action sequences dominated everything else. Talking about the performances, Sallu Bhai is fresh, in form, dances like a dream and kills like a pro. Ayesha Takia has been given a raw deal and did not get any scope to show her prowess. The National Award winning actor Prakash Raj was at his very best, while Govind Namdeo was good as always. All in all, this one is a DVD watch!
Wanted’ is an action flick, which marks the directorial debut of Prabhu Deva, the dancing wizard from South, who has also dabbled in acting. The star ensemble of the movie includes Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Om Puri, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sayaji Shinde, Prakash Raj, Aseem Merchant, Vinod Khanna. Sajid-wajid duo has composed the musical score, while Arun Bhaivar has penned down its lyrics. The producers of the Hindi film ‘Wanted’ are Sahara One Motion Pictures and S. K. Films Enterprises.

Radhe (Salman Khan) is a sharpshooter, who works for Gani Bhai, the hardcore Mumbai Mafioso. A bit of a maverick, he likes to work on his own terms. The fearless Radhe eliminates all the enemies of Gani Bhai, quashing all the opposition single-handedly. In the process of this cleansing, Radhe makes more enemies than Gani Bhai himself. Meanwhile, the young and pretty Jhanvi (Ayesha Takia) falls for Radhe, much to his astonishment. Soon, bloody gang wars ensue inMumbai, with each gang bent on outrunning the other, be it the Golden Gang or Data Pawle's Gang, with the aim of wresting control of the city.

The Police Commissioner of the crime-torn city vows to undertake a crusade to clean it of this colossal network of criminals and arrests 200 criminals in a day, as a starter. A gory mayhem follows, as the criminal gangs are after each other and the police after the gangs. The twist in the tale arrives when Radhe is, as expected, dragged into this and becomes the 'most wanted' man in Mumbai. Everyone, right from the gangsters to the police, is vying for his life, as he is the man who knows too much.

Radhe is a source of valuable information for the police; criminals are alarmed that he may reveal their dark secrets. Who will find Radhe first? Slated for a September 18 release, 'Wanted' is riding solely on Salman's shoulders and an exploding plot. The man in question has charmed the audience to the theaters for years now, but as the plot is rightly said to be the soul of a film, the Salman Magic could be tested. With the release date not being far away now, we will soon see whether the magic works or not!

Agyaat

2009-08-01T00:16:00.001-07:00

Agyaat is a thriller movie which revolves around a film unit that goes to a jungle for a shoot and gets misplaced. The shoot is put on hold when a camera malfunctions and they have to wait for a replacement.

To kill time they decide to go on a trek into the jungle with the caretaker of the jungle. When the caretaker is found mauled one night the panic and fear of the darkness of the unknown world sets in and the movie take a 360 degree turn as each one present there is fighting for their lives from something they have not seen. This unseen is faster, smarter and is out to kill them.

We see change in their attitude, their beliefs and the film is poised to judge whether mankind’s survival instinct can prevail over darkness of a world they cannot imagine.

life partnet

2009-08-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Life Partner story is about friends, who struggle on the marital marathon, but on different tracks. Three friends, three different approaches to life is Life Partner in a nutshell. How do they manage to cope up with their life after marriage, and whether or not they succeed in their respective endeavors forms the crux of the plot of Life Partner.

Luck - Review

2009-08-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Fasten your seat belts and get ready for hardcore stunts and thrills, Hollywood ishtyle. Come to think of it, Bollywood hasn't churned out stylised action movies as regularly as it churns out comedies and rom-coms. There's a vacuum for sure. But Luck fills that lacuna. Be rest assured, you haven't watched such thrills since Dhoom 2.

Luck is more of a hi-concept film. Three decades ago, Krishna Shah's Shalimar narrated the adventures of a billionaire who assembles/invites criminals/gangsters from across the globe to perform the heist of a precious diamond that he possesses. The concept isn't similar here, but in this case too, a gambler assembles people from across the globe for a concept called human betting.

Luck may not be high on story, but the concept and at least four stylised thrilling sequences make a big difference. Simply put, it makes Luck lucky. Luck may have loads of thrills, but director Soham Shah ensures that the grand canvas and stylised thrills appeal to every strata of movie-going audience. Only thing, had screenplay writers Soham Shah and Rensil D'Silva worked doubly hard to come up with a watertight script, it would've only worked wonders.

After weighing the pros and cons, it can be said that Luck rides on star power, its concept and adrenaline-pumping thrills primarily. If you're into thrillers or have been missing one, Luck holds the key. Luck tells the tale of mafia kingpin Musa [Sanjay Dutt], who has one obsession: To revolutionize the betting industry. For him, life is a gamble and what better way to skew the odds than play with those with luck on their side.

Different characters from different parts of the world, each with Lady Luck in their favour, are brought in to play the game of death. With millions at stake, how far will each of them go in courting danger and deceit? The very start of the film transports you to a different world. The viewer is drawn into a world where bets are placed on humans and death-defying stunts are the order of the day. The train sequence at the very start says it all. It's a sequence that not only introduces you to the plot, but also makes a hammer-strong impact. You haven't watched something like this on the Hindi screen before.

The game of death is far more dangerous than those witnessed in the reality shows. The revolver sequence [the first challenge], the helicopter jump, the underwater sequence with sharks and the train sequence in the climax give you goose bumps and remain etched in your memory. There's a scene involving a lighter too, which is sure to draw whistles and claps.

But the film slips due its ineffectual writing. It gyrates from engrossing to bas-theek-hain towards the second hour. The romantic track, to be specific, is flaccid. Also, the climax should've concluded the moment Imran wins the jackpot money of Rs. 20 crores. Wasn't that his motive when he entered the game with his eyes wide open? So why this sudden urge to confront Sanjay Dutt after the game is over? Had the prize money doubled to Rs. 40 crores, it would've made sense. Or, for that matter, if he had a personal score to settle with Sanju, the game of death would've looked plausible. There's no motive in the first place.

Moreover, the sequence in the hospital, towards the end, may be true, medically speaking, but the question is, was it necessary in a film of this genre? Frankly, it robs the film of its seriousness and even compels you to break in a full-throated roar, a reaction that is completely unwarranted. Even Shruti Haasan's double role doesn't cut ice.

Soham Shah has made a stylish film and the fact remains that he has an eye for visuals. But Soham should've stuck to the spirit of the film, instead of getting into diversions [romance and the penultimate scene]. Salim-Sulaiman's music is vibrant and 'Aasma' is easily the pick of the lot. The background score [Amar Mohile] is electrifying. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography matches international standards. Ditto for the sound design by Dwarak Warrier. Allan Amin's stunts and thrills are a major USP.

Sanju is perfect for this part and enacts it with natural ease. Actually, here's one role that only he could've portrayed so effectively. Imran is getting better with every film. Watch his helplessness at the start or his confidence when he takes to the stunts. Even towards the latter reels, he's very much in sync with his character. Shruti Haasan is a star, no two opinions on that. The confidence with which she carries off this role just cannot be overlooked. Ravi Kishan is another scene-stealer. You are under the impression that he may get lost in the crowd, but he stands tall. The masses will love him.

Mithun Chakraborty is controlled and delivers a truly fine performance. Danny Denzongpa is, as always, so perfect. Very few actors have that ability to stand out in a crowd. He's one of them. Chitrashi is excellent. The sequence in the hospital is superb. Rati Agnihotri gets no scope.

My Name is Khan's connection with Slumdog

2009-07-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

Karan Johar will be going global with his movie My Name is Khan very soon. There had been speculations abound whether Karan would be selling the world rights of the film to Yash Raj Films or to his new business associate UTV (they have tied up for Qurbaan and Wake Up Sid). But it is now learnt that Karan is tying up with a big international distribution company for the movie. This company is none other than Fox Studios. Apparently, they have already bought Karan’s My Name Is Khan for a whopping Rs.100 Crore.

Multiple Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire was a Fox product and the aggressive manner for which the studio is known to promote their films worldwide; one is sure My Name Is Khan will definitely be on everyone’s lips the world over, at the time of its release. With its topical theme and world’s most popular actor Shahrukh Khan in it, we won’t be surprised if the movie shatters box-office records worldwide, apart from generating critical acclaim just like Fox’s Slumdog Millionaire.

However, Karan Johar states that he is still working that out! My Name Is Khan is releasing either by the end of January or in February. A month of shoot is still left. Karan’s film is set against the 9-11 terror attacks and its impact on an Indian Muslim living in the US. It is being touted as the most awaited releases of the year. The film also stars Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in the lead after a gap of eight long years.

Vidya Balan with Aamir in Yash Raj film?

2009-07-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

There is a strong buzz in the industry circles that Vidya Balan has been signed by Yash Chopra for his directorial next. It is the same project which was supposed to star Aamir Khan along with Preity Zinta. But while, Aamir is still being non-committal about being approached for the project, other news making the rounds is that Preity has been replaced by Vidya Balan.

Sources are claiming that it is a love story spanning ages, but is completely different from Chopra’s last directorial effort Veer Zara. Incidentally, Veer Zara also had its lead pair Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta playing characters both young and old. Sources further claim that Yash Chopra intends to begin this film by early 2010 and make it a grand Diwali 2010 release. He will be finally directing a film after 6 years since he directed Veer Zara (2004).

While there has been no confirmation from both Vidya Balan or Yash Raj Films yet, we can only imagine right now what crackling chemistry it would be of Aamir and Vidya, and to top it all with romance king Yash Chopra directing it.

About Love Aaj kal

2009-07-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

Is love today different from what it was in the past when lovers like Laila-Majnu or Romeo-Juliet perished in each other’s arms? Today, in the age of online romance and one-night stands, many would say love is just a whirlwind. But no! ‘Love Aaj Kal’ will have you believe that certain things don’t change with the passage of time

Shahid Kapoor to receive Rajiv Gandhi award for Best Actor

2009-07-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

With the kind of flight that this cutie pie has taken to stardom these days, its not surprising that his showcase will be full of awards and rewards galore. The latest in his kitty will be in the form of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Awards that is given to a person who shows eminence in his chosen field. The awards function will be held in the second week of August, just around the release of Shahid's most anticipated film till date: Kaminey.

Talking about the award, an excited Shahid said, "I was pleasantly surprised to get the news about my being chosen for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi award. I'm only 28 years old and it's really early in my career. I feel humbled and honoured to be chosen by the jury."

For the uninitiated, the earlier recipients for this award have been legendary greats like Sunita Williams, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani and Amitabh Bachchan, among others.

GULAL:film gossip

2009-07-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Anurag Kashyap's latest picture, Gulaal, is surprisingly much less self-indulgent when compared to his previous works. With a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, Gulaal is essentially an engaging film that highlights the grim world of student as well as state politics. The story takes place in Rajpur, a fictional town in the princely state of Rajasthan. Unlike most films in the recent past, Gulaal's Rajasthan is not colourful and effervescent, instead Kashyap depicts a much darker side of the state, where only anarchy prevails. All this has been brilliantly photographed by Rajeev Ravi, who has also worked with Kashyap for DevD and No Smoking.

The story is told through two main protagonists, Dileep Singh (Raja Singh Chaudhury) and Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon). While Dileep gets entangled in the corrupt world of politics and infatuated love when he comes to study Law in Rajpur, Dukey Bana on the other hand is seen to be advocating radical ideas for an independent Rajputana, a state exclusive for the Rajputs. A host of other characters, each distinctly different from one another, play important parts in the narrative. Amongst them, Ransa (Abhimanyu Singh) and Prithvi Bana (Piyush Mishra) are most intriguing, where the latter steals the show as Dukey Bana's mentally challenged brother, who narrates some significant portions of the film through his thought-provoking songs, mostly dominated by satirical poetry. And then there is his companion in the form of Ardha Nareshwar, a half-male and half-female human form of Lord Shiva. The purpose of this character is highly confusing and will probably make little sense even to the discerning audience.

Gulaal's screenplay is intelligent and engrossing with very well written dialogues but its climax is questionable, which leaves no firm conclusion when it ends. I fail to understand the lack of optimism and hope in Kashyap's films. It maybe his personal choice and style but it does not necessarily translate into what the majority audience may want from a film. Probably due to this reason, his films have not enjoyed universal success till date.

Also, the lead protagonist in his films is usually a "loser", which unfortunately is not everyone's cup of tea at the movies. Nevertheless, irrespective of the type and length of character, every performance in Gulaal is a winner. Kay Kay Menon and Abhimanyu Singh deliver powerful performances which are bound to go down as one of their career best. Deepak Dobriyal as Bhatti and Piyush Mishra as Prithvi are excellent. Raja Singh Chaudhury makes a confident debut but the intensity required from his character towards the climax is somewhat lacking. Jesse Randhawa's and Mahie Gill's characters are half-baked which ultimately fail to contribute to the main purpose of the film effectively. Fortunately they play their part very convinc
Although the music score by Piyush Mishra may find few takers as a stand-alone product, it fits in effortlessly in the narrative and together with its thought-provoking lyrics, it leaves a lasting impact at the end of the show. Even the sultry mujra, Ranaji, wants you to put on your thinking caps.

Overall, Anurag Kashyap's Gulaal may not be a perfect film but it is definitely one of the better releases in 2009 and deserves a dekko because of the superlative performances and fearless dialogues. But don't go in expecting rosy things to unfold on screen. It's an Anurag Kashyap film after all.

99:films gossip

2009-07-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a movie about bumbling crooks ? Especially if it is well-made, has what seems to be an original story-line and some actual humor, yeah? I do, for one. And 99 struck me as entertaining and a tad "Pulp Fiction" like, because it's got these bizarre characters with their fetishes and quirks. The more the merrier - that's the motto and it succeeds pretty well.

Sachin (Kunal Khemu, all cleaned up and clean-shaven), and Zaramud (Cyrus Broacha) are small-time conmen who (when they damage his car) must work for another crook called AGM, and end up helping him extract payments from recalcitrant loan-seekers. Thus they meet Rahul (Boman Irani), a salaried professional with the gambling itch. Now Rahul is into betting on cricket matches because he believes them to be fixed, and persuades the duo that he can predict and win. Now the threesome (actually foursome, if you include lady-love Pooja i.e. Soha Ali Khan) must outwit AGM, and other assorted villains to grab some moolah, bet with it and win. Sounds impossible? Think again!

Khemu who's always appeared in small-time, if entertaining films, delivers yet again. As Sachin, the almost yuppie, good-looking, well-built con-man with a heart of gold, he is quite likeable, and not hard to root for. Cyrus Broacha, MTV VJ, and the film's resident fat-man is another story. Broacha has trouble emoting, and his punch-lines are off. The only time I found him funny was when he walked straight into a pole and fell unconscious. He was funnier out!

Mahesh Manjrekar as AGM, the technologically challenged crime-boss is spot-on. And funny. There is one scene, where the Mumbaikar AGM comes to Delhi and gets into a taxi. The taxi doesn't have a meter, and AGM is quite perturbed. What kind of city is this?! The taxis don't have meters!" he remarks quite agitated. And while my recanting this anecdote might seem flat, please watch this in person for maximum effect.

Another new and very effective actor is Amit Mistry, who plays Kuber, a crook (the film's teeming with them) who's lent Rahul money and comes knocking to recover it. Now Kuber who is a little puny, always lugs around his henchman. This hulking giant of a man, could probably eat our hero Sachin for breakfast and not burp. He is innocuously named Dimple - a sly dig at Punjabi Delhites who have a penchant for naming their muscular children Chintu, Bubbly, Sweety and the like.

Pretty Simone Singh plays Jahnavi, Irani's estranged wife (she's firmly ensconced at her mother's flat), and Soha Ali Khan plays a hotel manager and Sachin's paramour. While Khan's role is not as minor as Singh's they both don't sway the story either way. What does sway the film, and keep it afloat is it's subtle humor, much of it derived from the comparison between our two favorite cities - Bombay and Delhi (i.e. have you heard the gag about Pooja and Neha?). Nicely done, and with much affection.

This film is well-directed and spry-spirited. From an enthusiastic and often athletic cast (watch Khemu and Broacha run circles around their enemies) to glib, humorous dialogues, and meaty, well-defined characters, this one is an all-around winner.

Parents : This is a relatively clean film, and one which your kids (and you) might enjoy. Hard to believe, I know, but an actual family entertainer - Whoopee!

Anil Ambani, Spielberg announce $825 mn funding for Dreamworks

2009-07-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

New York, In one of the largest deals in global cinema in recent years, Anil Ambani’s Reliance Big Entertainment and noted Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg Wednesday announced $825-million funding for their Los Angeles-based production house Dreamworks Studios to make six films a year for the global audiences. In a joint global conference call from here, Ambani

Katrina Kaif’s 25th birthday a family affair in London

2009-07-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Katrina Kaif has many reasons to smile. First her recent release “New York” became a huge success and now comes her birthday, which the British-born actress will celebrate with her entire family in London Thursday. “I’m celebrating my birthday this year with my entire family, all my sisters who have flown down from

Movie Review: Short Kut

2009-07-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

the story

short kut' is a wise-cracking comedy about two strugglers – Raju (Arshad Warsi), a bad actor, and Shekhar (Akshaye Khanna), a wannabe film maker.

In their chase for success, Raju and Shekhar face a series of wacky situations which put them at the onset of scam, deceit, super stardom and the subsequent fall. Once they discover each others’ ambitious streak, Raju takes a shortcut: he steals Shekhar’s prized script and is shot to fame overnight. Shekhar plunges into depression and tries to save himself from shame by splitting with his wife, reigning actress Mansi (Amrita Rao), who goes on to share the sets with her new hero Raju. To add to his misery, Shekhar must also return the advance he received for his script before it was stolen. Now, Shekhar is left with only one motive in life – to get even with Raju.

While Raju runs the high hurdles with the help of his acting coach Guru Kapoor (Chunkey Pandey), Shekhar plots against him when they are reunited on the sets of Shekhar’s directorial debut, which stars Raju. At first, Shekhar refuses to cast Raju in the lead, but when the producer gives Shekhar a chance to direct, Shekhar takes advantage of his only opportunity to sideline Raju. As the film progresses, comical act of con, trickery and clashing egos reveal the ultimate plight of Raju and Shekhar.

the cast:

Akshaye Khanna as Shekhar – sincere and hardworking, Shekhar is an aspiring assistant director who believes there are no short cuts to success. He is extremely gifted and confident, but his naïve character only makes him a victim in the cut-throat filmy world.

Arshad Warsi as Raju – a struggling actor who thinks he is Bollywood’s most prized possession and is willing to take all shortcuts to stardom. He betrays his friend Shekhar by stealing his script and becomes an overnight sensation. What he really is, is an over-confident, good for nothing actor.

Amrita Rao as Mansi – a highly successful actress with lots of sex appeal who has a heart of steel and will do everything it takes to stay on top. She marries Shekhar but later leaves him when his depression kicks in.

Chunky Pandey as Guru Kapoor – he partners up with Raju as his acting coach and cringes at Raju’s poor acting skills, but never discourages him.

Siddharth Randeria as Kantibhai – he is the landlord who backs Shekhar in all of his dreams.

the crew

Director: Neeraj Vora, Roshan Andrews
Producer: Anil Kapoor
Production House: Anil Kapoor Films Company
Distributor: Studio 18
Music Label: T-Series
Screenplay: Anees Bazmee
Story: Anees Bazmee
Cinematography: Ashok Mehta, Johny Lall, Arvind Soni
Choreography: Bosco-Caesar
Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao, Simi Garewal, Chunkey Pandey
Special Appearance by:anil kapur Sanjay Dutt

The Soundtrack:

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy produce an upbeat sound track with strong audio value. There’s a variety of foot-tapping numbers including the very filmy spoof ‘Pal Pal’ (‘Kyun Hota Hai Dil Deewana’), which is shot on the beach with a qawwali twist, the hot item number ‘Mareeze Mohabbat’ and the romantic song ‘Kal Nau Baje.’ The title track ‘Patli Galli’ is catchy with strong Indian flavour yet contemporary orchestrisation.

What Works:

If anything can save a disaster in Bollywood, it’s the song and dance! The choreography by Bosco-Caesar is superb. The colorful picturisation of the songs and special appearances by Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt are the only high points of the film.

What Doesn't:

Director Neeraj Vora and writer Anees Bazmee have tried too hard to make viewers laugh and all of the jokes seem to fall flat. Funny enough, the only thing viewers will be laughing at is how the writers went against their own motto – ‘there is no short cut to success.’ The script suffers, the plot remains outdated and the overall look of the film is artificial.

Amrita’s unlimited cleavage display does nothing for her acting career.

Arshad Warsi’s role seems repeated and Akshaye Khanna’s loud dialogue delivery can cause migraines.

Slated or Rated:

Don’t let the glam sham promos fool you. Anil Kapoor has taken a shortcut to filmmaking and ends up producing exactly what he preaches against. It’s far from being the hottest comedy of the summer and nothing more than a one-time watch!

Karma Aur Holi

2009-07-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Cast: Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda, Drena De Niro, Naomi Campbell, Suresh Oberoi, Rati Agnihotri, Suchitra Krishnamurthy
Director: Manish Gupta
Rating: *

Let’s play a mind game. What was Sushmita Sen thinking when she decided to work in this tableau of titillating possibilities on man-woman relationships all gone to utter and irrevevocable waste?

“Karma Aur Holi” with huge dollops of confession thrown in with the jerky suddenness of a car that decides to gather speed when the highway has ended, is one of those filmed fiascos that should’ve never been attempted. It’s like a Woody Allen ensemble cast about an angst-filled soiree that comes to a sorry state of spluttering incoherence.

The film does gross disservice to all concerned, including the poor debutant director Manish Gupta who probably thought he was doing a diasporic version of Woody Allen’s cinema but instead ended making up an extended episode of a Doordarshan serial on the vagaries of the Page 3 crowds.

Sushmita and Randeep try hard to look like a couple with serious marital problems. He takes business calls while making love to her. Maybe he likes the phone better than sex. That’s the least of our worries in trying to make sense of the characters’ dissociated sensitivities.

The film is about an outwardly well-to-do couple played by Sushmita and Randeep who are either showering together or shouting at each other, depending on which way their marital mood swings. One fine day the couple invites home a group of people, including a self-absorbed Pakistani filmmaker (Armin Amiri) and his pregnant girlfriend (Naomi Campbell), a bickering couple (Suresh Oberoi, Rati Agnihotri) and their porn-fixated teenage son, a repressed wife (Suchitra Krishnamurthy) and her bullying husband. By the time the day is done the lid is blown off the facade of suburban marriages in the land of dreams.

Sushmita playing a wife who dances with her maid in the kitchen while cooking (menu rab da vasta!) is more bothered about her swanky new dress being crumpled under sexual pressure than the fact that her husband might be having an affair with his over-sized secretary (Maya Lily).

Sushmita shrugs off her sister warning: “Do you think they look like they’re up to anything?”

Frankly no one looks like he or she is up to anything. That’s the saddest part of a film which wants to say so much. But the words perpetually get in the way.

A few minutes into this mish-mash of Woody Allen, George Bernard Shaw, Govind Nihalani and Keshu Ramsay (the horror of course creeps in unintentionally) and you know the narrative is in trouble. The characters who come to Sushmita-Randeep’s home in New York for an afternoon of heavy duty gossiping, bitching introspection and confession seem to be speaking dialogues borrowed from a cheap American soap opera.

The feelings and thoughts are not only assumed they are also devoid of any coherent pattern. The script tries to be sassy without the basic source material to carry off its ambitions.

The narration is tragically chaotic. The characters seem to be let loose in a room constructed for conflict, and left to their own devices. Ideas of communal disharmony (Rati Agnihotri playing Suresh Oberoi’s sourpuss wife refuses to accept a glass of water from a Muslim filmmaker) and inter-racial coupling (the Muslim director has Naomi Campbell as his girlfriend and punching bag) jostle for screen space with musings on a marriage of convenience in a foreign cultural location where opportunities to f…k-up are limitless.

Ironically the film itself becomes one messy f…k-up with the characters unaware of where to go next or what to do with the dubious responsibility of acting like people who care about the goings-on.

There’s a pubescent horny teenager who’s hounded by a nosy girl (Depal Shaw) with a video camera, a buxom single women who confesses she’s more into women than men and a caricatural pair of American boss-and-bimbo cutting a shady deal with Hooda as wife Sushmita makes her displeasure more than clear. She even shuts the door in her guests’ face. So much for reciprocating the American hospitality.

Somewhere along the dreadful and droll storytelling a gangster pops up in the backyard pool with two floozies bouncing by his side as though they had just discovered the reason why they are part of this film.

We of course remain clueless as to why “Karma Aur Holi” was made. Or why the actors who should’ve known better lent their presence to the film.

While the international cast, including Robert de Niro’s daughter Drena, remain supremely oblivious of their utility in the plot, Sushmita tries hard to lend some grace and humour to a character hellbent on self-destruction. Another engaging performance comes from Suchitra Krishnamurthy as a repressed wife trying to make herself heard above her husband’s bullying.

Randeep Hooda carries his American accent and demeanour with a flair that scoffs at the film’s cheerless efforts to portray the Indian diaspora as a chamber piece done on a pitchless offkey scale.

Firaaq

2009-07-04T10:35:00.001-07:00

Nearly flawless, almost pitched perfectly to show the trauma of those who lose limbs, lives, love and faith in a communal carnage, Nandita Das’ directorial debut leaves you speechless.

This is what cinema was always meant to be. But somewhere in its chequered course from information to entertainment, our movies began to feel like vaudeville entertainment meant more for diversion than intellectual stimulation.

“Firaaq” doesn’t aim to be a cerebral treatise on communalism. Nor does it suffuse the narrative with what one may call intellectual masturbation for the sake of creating an aura of socio-political importance.

Non-judgemental and utterly bereft of stylistic affections, “Firaaq” is a graceful and glorious homage to the human spirit. Much of its visual power comes from Ravi Chandran’s articulate but restrained camera work, Sreekar Prasad’s seamless but trenchant editing that leaves nothing (not even destiny) to chance, and Gautam Sen’s artwork which makes the city’s riot-torn colours emblematic of the red anger and the blue despair felt by the characters.

Set in those turbulent tension-filled days right after the Godhra incident in Gujarat, “Firaaq” depicts the loss of human faith and the complete absence of the rules of civilised conduct in the day-to-day working of the administration vis-୶is civilians.

Language, in fact, is an amazing tool of unhampered eloquence in “Firaaq”. The characters in the riot-torn city speak in three languages Hindi, English and Gujarati. They do so without design or selfconscious purpose.

The outstanding words do not stand outside the characters’ ambit of everyday expression (sometimes colloquial, otherwise poetic). Even when the narrative pauses to debate the polemics of communal politics among the characters, we the audience are one with the pause. This is excellence without the silent sound of applause. The spoken words are not designed for the camera. They are said because they have to be expressed.

“Firaaq” first and foremost deserves the highest praise for the remarkably even-pitched writing by Nandita Das and Shuchi Kothari. No character jumps out of the screen in trying to make its presence felt. The people who live in Nandita’s film are the people we know in one way or another.

And yet they are here, special in a very unobtrusive way. The narrative episodes, written with finesse and passion, are constructed to accentuate the post-communal friction among people who till the other day were neighbours. There is a mixed-married Hindu-Muslim couple. Before the day is done the husband (played with silent sincerity by Sanjay Suri) has made peace with his environment and the fact that his name is Sameer Sheikh, not Sameer Desai.

Sameer in the context of the film’s volatile communal statement becomes a metaphor for the Hindu-Muslim divide which is now a looming reality in middle class lives. The tact and grace with which “Firaaq” weaves through the communal tensions of unrelated characters all joined by their collective fear of a communal backlash are signs of a time when cinema and society at large need to do a serious rethink on their responsibilities.

“Firaaq” throws forward an assortment of unrelated characters zigzagging across a domain of doomed conscientiousness. Nandita Das’s narrative doesn’t attempt to unravel the enigma of a disaster-borne civilisation. It looks at the people, even the lowest and scummiest of them (including Paresh Rawal who bravely plays a middle class businessman who happily looted a Muslim shop and shared in his brother’s participative glee in a gang rape) with a kind of reined-in empathy that makes even the seeming perpetrators look like victims.

The villains, if any, are the administrative personnel shown to be running around abetting the violence. If this is a simplification in storytelling then it can’t be helped. Celluloid depictions of troubled times have to somewhere find tangible figures to blame for the injustice. Otherwise we would come away from a certifiable masterpiece like “Firaaq” wondering if there’s any sense of justice left in this chaotic world of self-serving brutality.

Das’ narrative is propelled forward by powerful characters played by actors who not only know their job but also know how to make their jobs look like anything but professional hazard.

It would be criminal to pick performances. Deepti Naval (looking like a ravaged guilt-ridden avatar of the nurturing foster-mom Sharmila Tagore in Shakti Samanta’s “Amar Prem”), Paresh Rawal (as a trashy unscrupulous bourgeois broker) and of course the redoubtable Naseeruddin Shah (as an aged classical singer caught in a sublime time-warp) deliver performances that glisten with glory and sensitivity.

But there are dozens of other known and unknown actors furnishing Das’ gripping drama with an inner voice that screams in protest without overstatement. The interactive drama bringing together people during crises never lapses into hysteria and homilies. The beauty of the drama of the disinherited is never diluted by clinging on to the inherent drama of any given situation.

Like life, Nandita Das’ narrative moves on with confident steps creating for itself a kind of compelling circumstance when crises are a given, compromise a compulsion and surrender to fate the only means of survival.

Haunting and powerful in its depiction of a time when humanity is frozen in anguish and terror, “Firaaq” draws its tremendous strength from the screenplay and characters which seem to observe life’s keenest and meanest blows without flinching.

Here’s a film that must be seen not because it tells a story that touches every life. But because it touches our lives with such persuasiveness without resorting to overstatement.

Aloo Chaat

2009-07-04T10:34:00.001-07:00

Film: “Aloo Chat”
Director: Robbie Grewal
Cast: Aftab Shivdasani, Amna Sharif, Linda Arsenio
Rating: *1/2

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Aftab Shivdasani, dimpling with mischievous intent, asks his prospective bride. “Neither do I!”. Ha ha…

“We could go out at least two evenings every week after marriage,” Aftab promises. “You could go on Saturdays, I on Sundays.”

Ha ha ho ho…

Robbie Grewal’s first cinematic outing “Samay” featured Sushmita Sen as a tough cop and his second feature was a mushy ode to first - “Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar”. This time Grewal falls as flat as a cold chapati while attempting this groom meets bride tale in a Punjabi household bustling with uncles, aunts and other relatives.

Trouble is, we don’t see much of the domestic action jumping out of the screen to claim our attention. The characters including the ever-dependable Kulbhushan Kharbanda behave like a crew from a long-running serial straying into a film about life in a family serial.

Every actor behaves as though he’s playing a part for the camera. The talented Manoj Pahwa playing a tawdry sexologist talks directly into the camera.

Is he the narrator or just the excitable orator? Are we watching a film on contemporary mores as opposed to conventional attitudes? Or is this a script that Basu Chatterjee decided to throw away for its lack of punch?

The plot, if you want to know, is about a Punjabi NRI who, in order to convince his family to let him marry a Muslim girl, brings home a tourist as his girlfriend.

“Thank God he didn’t bring home a guy,” someone quips as this bargain basement version of “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” chugs along at a dull though inoffensive pace.

“Aloo Chaat” is a Punjabi comedy that you’ve been seeing on television for years and is now being screened on a much larger screen and a far smaller intellectual level.

Aftab Shivdasani and Amna Sharif share some watchable moments together. But these moments are squandered in the wrong movie with the wrong plot.

Ek - The Power Of One

2009-07-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Cast: Nana Patekar, Bobby Deol, Shriya Saran, Khulbushan Kharbanda, Chunky Pandey, Jackie Shroff, Sachin Khedekar
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Rating: *

Everything that can go wrong in a film does in “Ek: The Power Of One”.

Decades ago Raj Khosla had made “Bombai Ka Baboo” about a man who replaces the missing son of a simple rustic family and learns a few lessons on humanism.

Many years later Manmohan Desai reworked the same theme in “Roti” and in that Rajesh Khanna played the impostor son who takes over an impoverished son’s life.

Now in “Ek…” it’s the ceaselessly-stoic Bobby Deol who takes on the role of an impostor in a Chandigarh-based joint family who seem to specialise in making fools of themselves. The only members of this extended joint family to conduct themselves with dignity are Kulnhushan Kharbanda and Zarina Wahab.

What gives this high-velocity action flick a cutting edge is the fight sequences. Bobby seems to replicate his bade bhaiyya (elder brother) Sunny’s muscle power. When he hits, the earth moves.

Bobby’s character is shown to be a killer from adolescence. In the interestingly-conceived prelude, the child pulls a gun out on a gangster in a car and fires at him with the aim to kill.

Yes, this one learns young.

A subsequent attempt to just hurt a wily politician (Sachin Khedekar) goes horribly wrong - quite like this action-drama’s outdated script. And Bobby ends up hiding in the bustle of a boorish household in Punjab where he’s chased down by a trying-hard-to-be-cool-and-leery Nana Patekar.

There are some arresting moments between the fugitive and the cop. The material is occasionally edited with speedy care by Chirag Jain to bring together various strands of the action in a pantomime of cohesiveness.

Alas, the lose ends shriek out their protest. For Bobby, after “Bichoo” and “Badal”, playing the cold-blooded assassin comes naturally. He could sleepwalk through such a role.

Nana is a live-wire but in the wrong character. The role of the randy cop shooting bullets and making lewd passes at the speed of a gun seems to be a corny carryover of Amitabh Bachchan’s Sexy Sam in “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”.

Nothing in “Ek…” suggests even a remote connection with sophistication. This one causes a ‘head-Ek’.

Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya Review

2009-07-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Film: Zor Lagaa Ke… Haiya
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Seema Biswas, Riya Sen, Sachin Khedekar, Raj Zutshi, Master Ashwin Chitale, Gulshan Grover, Hardik Thakkar, Meghan Jadhav, Ayeshka Kaduskar
Director: Girish Girija Joshi
Ratings: **

“Zor Lagaa Ke… Haiya” attempts at being a fun outing even though it aspires to deliver a serious message around environment preservation. But does this idea work? Not really. The film appeals in bits and parts, and that too only in the first half but the second half turns out to be a big yawn.

The idea around an entire film centered on saving a tree doesn’t sound exciting. But one has to give it to the producers - Kartikeya Talreja, Basant Talreja - for financing a 100-minute long feature film on the topic.

Where exactly is the audience for such a subject? And how could even that select bunch of audience be enticed enough to walk into a theatre for a movie that doesn’t really boast of any star value whatsoever?

Of course, director Girish Girija Joshi may have believed that roping in Amitabh Bachchan for a voiceover and Mithun Chakravorty as a spearhead for the film could be a lucrative enough. However, is not really good enough and secondly even Mithun’s role hardly adds on to the relevance of the film’s plot which deals with saving a tree house made by a bunch of five kids.

This is not a kid film and neither has it been publicised as one. In fact if one talks about the publicity and promotion, there hasn’t been any at all. ‘Zor Lagaa Ke… Haiya’ has been released all of a sudden and the song promos featuring Riya Sen are misleading, to say the least. She appears in short two-three scenes.

As a construction worker, who is being wooed by Mahesh Manjrekar (who plays the role of a contractor), she has a zilch role in the film.

So what really works for the film? Well, a few scenes in the first half of the movie where the kids get together to encounter Mithun, only to become his friends as the reels progress. The sequence of events leading to the son of a construction worker — Seema Biswas in a forgettable role — joining hands with the four kids and building a dream tree house are nicely done.

Also, the ‘Sarkar Raj’ meets ‘Krishnan Iyer M.A’ (from ‘Agneepath’) impersonation by kids brings on some smiles as well. Introduction of Gulshan Grover is good too and it is nice to see him carry off a role well which is nothing more than a caricature of dozens of his performances from his earlier years.

However, after the interval point, when the battle lines are drawn between the kids and Gulshan, the drama doesn’t quite pick up. Monotony sets in and the end becomes a little too convenient.

Frankly, one expected a little more meat in the story around it’s culmination but that doesn’t really happen.

While Mithun is passable, the only actor who does try to bring in some relief to the proceedings is Mahesh. However, if you are expecting yet another “99″ performance from him then, it won’t be fair since he can’t do much to go above the script.

Overall, “Zor Lagaa Ke… Haiya” is a barely passable affair that doesn’t really warrant a big screen watch.

Kal Kissne Dekha - Review

2009-07-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

Film: “Kal Kissne Dekha”
Cast: Jaccky Bhagnani, Vishali Desai, Rishi Kapoor, Archana Puran Singh
Director: Vivek Sharma
Rating: **

Kal Kiss….sounds like something we would rather do today. Since the film had the word ‘kiss’ tucked into its title, we waited patiently for the young couple to share at least one chaste kiss.

Alas, the closest debutants Jaccky Bhagnani and Vaishali Desai come to a kiss is a coquettish collision on the college campus where our simple, robust, prankster hero from Chandigarh, with a few vital tips from his Bebe back home (Archana Puran Singh, wonder how Kirron Kher missed out on this one) teaches the campus b**** a lesson or two in social etiquette and basic good manners.

Bebe did it for Shah Rukh in “Duplicate” and “Om Shanti Om”. “Kal Kissne Dekha” has nothing to give the audience except a two-hour-plus show reel for the newcomer from his indulgent producer-father.

As a vehicle for Jaccky’s aptitude this is a harmless, inoffensive, sometimes fun but never funny (in spite of concerted attempts at humour) vehicle.

Sadly, the audience at the moment is in no mood to indulge the producer-father. It expects much more than just indulgent trivia from large-screen entertainment.

The writing skills displayed in young Bhagnani’s launch pad range from the intentionally funny to the abysmally tacky.

The eye-confectionary is innocuous as long as the simple boy with the innocent smile (with incredibly white over-decalcified teeth) and the campus female-brat fight it out through a primeval mating game interspersed with ‘cool’ songs and dances with enough colours to put a mammoth carnival to shame.

The serious stuff ends up being embarrassing in its clumsiness. Casting Rishi Kapoor as a college professor who moonlights as a terrorist is a bomb of an idea.

Please, yaar! We know Kapoor is the last word in versatility. But you can’t have him smirking under makeup planting bombs randomly all over Mumbai.

‘A Wince-Day’, anybody?

Interpolating extremism in a college romance is an extremely careless thing to do. We can’t have terrorism as a potboiler formula. Worse, we can’t have Riteish Deshmukh as a funny don bumbling all over shopping malls and dance floors with his army of two henchmen, one effeminiate and the other indeterminate. Both hugely annoying, like their boss.

The same is more or less true of the film. While director Vivek Sharma could wring a few moist-eyed scenes from his audience in his film about a friendly ghost “Bhootnath”, the closest we come to any emotion while watching “Kal Kissne Dekha” is impatience.

It’s fine for an indulgent father to throw a party to introduce his son. But must we be invited as peering guests looking desperately for that fun spot in the proceedings where even the music is of the most unpalatable variety?

All said and done, the debutants are easy on the eyes. Vaishali is leggy and moves well to the screechy music. Jaccky conveys the earnestness of the boy next door who will help an old lady across the street with a jig and a smile, hoping some producer i

Let’s Dance - Review

2009-07-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Film: “Let’s Dance”
Cast: Gayatri Patel, Ajai Chowdhary, Aquib Afzal, Abhaas Yadav, Anjan Srivastava
Director: Aarif Sheikh
Rating: **

When “Let’s Dance” arrived at the theatres, it raised curiosity as unlike in Hollywood not many films with dance as the central themes are made in Bollywood. “Aaja Nachle” with Madhuri Dixit in the lead role or Antara Mali’s “Naach” had dance as the central theme, but the Hindi film industry still has a long way to go before it comes up with a quintessential dance drama on the lines of “Shall We Dance” or “Dirty Dancing”.

Not that Bollywood isn’t capable of coming up with one such film. After all not so long back there were movies like “Taal” and “Dil To Paagal Hai” that had their roots in dancing. However, in the current times, one can’t remember a single film belonging to the dance genre clicking at the box office.

This is why “Let’s Dance” makes you look forward to what it has to offer. Of course, the minimal publicity and lack of known names makes you a little apprehensive about what the film has to offer. Nevertheless, you may give it one chance as the film tries to explore a genre that has been hitherto unexplored.

The end result is a mixed affair. If you are looking for an out and out Bollywood entertainer then “Let’s Dance” doesn’t quite make a cut. However, if your sole purpose of watching “Let’s Dance” is to see how a movie belonging to the dance genre is presented on the big screen then this Aarif Sheikh-directed film has quite a lot to offer.

And why not? After all the film at least sticks to it’s subject. We have a young woman Gayatri Patel who knows that she can be a choreographer and make a difference to the world of dancing. She comes up with just the right moves and the film is pretty much a show reel of her dancing talent.

Like last week’s “Kal Kissne Dekha” that aimed at launching a new kid Jackky Bhagnani who showed his prowess as a dancer, “Let’s Dance” too follows the same route.

We have Gayatri dancing at all moments depending on her mood and the situation. She lights up the screen every time the music plays and one is hooked on to her dancing steps that are quite fresh and extremely engaging. Also, she is not just a dancer because even as an actor she makes a good debut.

However, if one moves away from the dance and the music aspect of the film, “Let’s Dance” is pretty much predictable from the storyline perspective. “Win of an underdog” is an underlining theme of the film and that is carried forward throughout the film’s narrative, even as Gayatri brings together a bunch of kids for the ultimate dancing challenge.

To be fair to the film, there are moments when drama does build up in the narrative, especially the one where Gayatri is faced with an indecent proposal. However, apart from such isolated scenes, “Let’s Dance” perks up only when the music blazes on.

While “Let’s Dance” mainly hinges on Gayatri Patel’s character, there is also a good man Ajay Choudhary and a not-so-good man Aquib Afzal who try to make their presence felt.

For a film which primarily stars newcomers, one has to admit that Gayatri’s father Arvind Patel - who is also the producer of the film - has ensured that production values of “Let’s Dance” are decent. The frames boast of a lavish appeal while the song picturisation and choreography are upmarket as well.

However, one wonders why the promotion of this film was low key considering the fact that it comes at a time when there is at least one big film releasing every wee

Sushmita Sen hopes for an award next year

2009-07-02T10:37:00.001-07:00

Former beauty queen-turned-actress Sushmita Sen’s dormant film career has left her with no option but to simply hope for an award every subsequent year.

“Unfortunately I am not getting any award this time. But I will be back with my other films next time. This time I will just give away the awards,” Sushmita told reporters here.

Sushmita is here to promote her forthcoming comedy film “Do Knot Disturb”, which also stars Govinda, Riteish and Lara.

“I am promoting my film heavily. That’s what I am here for. We are also performing at the II