Music, Movies & Musings

Temper

2015-02-13T00:44:00.000-06:00

Film: Temper
Cast: N.T.R, Kajal, Prakash Raj, Posani, Ali, Kota Sreenivas Rao and Others
Music: Anoop Rubens
Director: Puri Jagananath
Producer: Bandla Ganesh
Release Date: 02.13.15
My Rating: 3.5/5

What's It About:
Daya (N.T.R) is an orphan who joins the police force as he is tempted by the money that he can make illegally as a cop. He is corrupt to the core; joining forces with Valtair Vamsi (Prakash Raj) a ruthless criminal. He meets Shanvi (Kajal) an animal lover and lies to her to make her fall in love with him. Then there is R. Narayana Murthy (Posani), an honest cop who loathes Daya for his criminal activities. Will Daya change himself and understand the responsibilities of a cop? What happens to his love with Shanvi? All these threads are tied in the second half.

Artist Performances:
N.T.R has lost oodles of weight and sports a smart and suave look, much closer to his age. Dialogue delivery and modulation have always been his strong points and Puri made sure that his punchy trademark dialogues add to this. N.T.R's characterization is novel and takes up the film several notches. Poison shines in a non comical character. Prakash Raj is the villain and yet he brings in lots of laughs especially with his costumes. Kajal is pure eye candy and she is adequate. Kota, Tanikella and others have smaller roles. Subba Raju is back on the screen after a long time.

This & That:
I have always enjoyed Puri's dialogues and the way he etches the lead actor's character. He has totally changed N.T.R's body language in this movie. I have personally felt that N.T.R has played larger than life roles and this one is much closer to his age. He has also enhanced his dancing skills especially in the temper song. Inspite of not having any comedy in the movie, it doesn't seem obvious to the audience. This film is more in the lines of another Puri movie Businessman. The climax is gripping and if I dare say it, novel. However, the interval bang and the reason for the hero's change of heart were not completely etched out. Music by Anup Rubens is good. I personally liked temper and the climax song.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, The movie might not be novel but watch it for N.T.R's action

The Final Word:
Temper might just raise the box office temperatures.

Tunes On Tuesday

2014-10-21T22:22:00.001-05:00

This Tuesday it is my mother's birthday! While she is no longer with me today, I find bits and pieces of her in all aspects of my life. I no longer get startled when people tell me "you behave exactly like your mom"; I've learned to smile and say Thank You. It is fitting that this week's Tunes on Tuesday post is all about my amma's favorites.

Pal Pal Dilke Paas; Movie: Blackmail , Language: Hindi
Phoolon Ke Rang Se; Movie: Prem Pujari, Language: Hindi
Kis Liye Maine Pyaar Kiya; Movie: The Train, Language: Hindi
Rajnigandha; Movie: Rajnigandha, Language: Hindi
Are Yaar Meri; Movie: Teen Deviyan, Language: Hindi
Tasveer Teri Dil Mein; Movie: Maya, Language: Hindi
Dil Aaj Shayar Hain; Movie: Gambler, Language: Hindi
Aasmaan Ke Neeche; Movie: Jewel Thief, Language: Hindi
Do Lafzon Ki Hai; Movie: The Great Gambler, Language: Hindi
Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan; Movie: Sharmilee, Language: Hindi

Amma- who passed on her crush for Dev Anand, her love for Antakshari, her passion for being a good hostess, a true confidante and her never ending smile. Miss you Ma.

Govindudu Andarivadele

2014-09-30T23:55:00.002-05:00

Film: Govindudu Andarivadele
Cast: Ram Charan, Kajal, Prakash Raj, Sreekanth, Jayasudha, Kamilini Mukherjee, Rahman, etc.
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Director: Krishna Vamsi
Producer: Parameshwara Art Pictures
Release Date: October 1st, 2014
My Rating: 2.25/5

What's It About:
Abhiram (RCT) lives in London with his doctor dad (Rahman) who is estranged from his parents Bullabai (Prakash Raj) and Babyamma (Jayasudha) He refuses to stay back in his village and moves abroad which causes friction between the father and son.Abhi plans to unite the family and travels to their village where he meets Bangari(Srikanth) his babai and Satya(Kajal) his maradalu. How he accomplishes his mission is the rest of the story

Artist Performances:
Ram Charan looks funny with his pony tail and in scenes where he cries. This is a complete soft role for him ala Mahesh in Murari, NTR in Brundavanam. Kajal has put on a lot of weight and is limited to songs. Sreekanth emotes well in a grayish character with a funny shade. Prakash Raj and Jayasudha are excellent. Kamilini is adequate. There are no major comedians in this film and Krishna amsi's perennial favorite Ahuti Prasad is missing from the cast. Rao Ramesh and Kota are wasted.

This & That:
The story is an age old one. K3G mixed with a dash of brundavanam and all the other family dramas that the telugu audience has seen over the years. The scenes were super predictable and to be honest it contained all the cliched story lines that people have made fun of. People in the theaters were walking up to smoke when songs were played and the tunes were outdated. That being said the film has some plus points too. The production values are rich and there hasn't been a Krishna Vamsi style family in films for a long time. While I am tired of seeing comedians being used and abused to create comedy in movies, the lack of comedy in the movie is striking.

Did I Enjoy It?
No, I was bored and the film did not hold my interest.

The final word:
Govindudu andarini copy kotti, audience andariki headache teppistadu.

Aagadu

2014-09-19T01:40:00.001-05:00

Mahesh & Seenu Vytla are back after the stupendous success of Dookudu. I for one am one of the many who have had high hopes on this flick. How does it fare? Details below.

Film: Aagadu
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Tamannah, Rajendra Prasad, Sonu Sood, Nasser, M S Narayana, Bramhi and others
Music: Thaman
Director: Sreenu Vytla
Producer: 14 Reels Factory
Release Date: September 19th, 2014
My Rating: 2.75/5

What's It About:
Shankar(Mahesh) is an orphan who uses his intelligence and aids a policeman(Rajendra Prasad) in nabbing some criminals. The policeman take him under his wing and educates him along with his older son. Due to some misunderstandings, they part ways and Shankar grows up to be a Circle Inspector who specializes in encounters. He is assigned on a mission to free the town of Bokkapatnam, from the crook Damodar(Sonu Sood) and he happens to meet Saroja(Tamannah) and falls in love with her.What happens next? The story is revealed in the movie.

Artist Performances:
Mahesh tries another different accent in a role full of punch dialogues and brain games. He is brilliant in his comedy timing and looks amazing. He performs well in a light role. Tamannah has nothing much to do except provide some relief in the form of songs. She does not look good on screen and her makeup was garish. Rajendra Prasad is wasted in a minuscule role. Sonu Sood and Vennala Kishore do what they have done a million times in many movies. The same goes for Bramhi. Nasser and M S Narayana perform well and bring a lot of laughs.

This & That:
The story is what you come to expect from a Sreenu Vytla movie. Hero tries to take revenge by using people and circumstances around him with the help of a scapegoat, which is mostly Bramhi. This formula can only be rehashed a certain number of times before it gets monotonous. What was one time considered Sreenu Vytla's strength has turned out to be his biggest bane and he needs to come out of it if he wants to continue to make successful movies. That being said, the film has its moments, Mahesh Babu using his own movie story lines to trick the bad guys into revealing their secrets was a clever idea. The whole game show scene with Posani was rib tickling. The ads used by Tamannah's family to publize their store were funny. The second half felt heavy and even the ever trustworthy Bramhi couldn't save the show, especially the dance medley in the climax which is best described as tasteless. The Deja vu feeling continues with the telefilm concept ala the game show in Dookudu. Music by Thaman is also a minus point. My picks would be Nari Nari and Bhel Puri, in which Mahesh tries some novel steps. The dialogue writer/s should be appreciated as they were full of punches and witty. However, too much of anything is always bad and the punches were so common throughout the movie that they lacked the impact. The item song by Shruti Hassan was average at best. The climax and interval back lack the much needed jolt and felt abrupt.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes and No, The first half was good, the second half not so much.

Final Word:
I wish that aagi different cinema teesunte aagadu inks bavundedi.

Tunes on Tuesday

2014-09-09T22:09:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I met up with a few of my friends and caught up on old times. While driving around town, we quickly got bored of listening to the latest chartbusters and started playing the evergreen favorites - 90's hits. I really believe that the 90's were the golden era of music for our generation. (No offense to the other decades). Maybe because that was the age when I was a child and I had a better memory. All things aside, here are my ten tunes for this week.

Zara sa Jhoom Loon Mein; Movie: DDLJ; Language: Hindi
Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast; Movie: Mohra; Language: Hindi
Mohabbat Ki Nahin Jaati; Movie: Hero No. 1; Language: Hindi
Gum Gumayinchu; Movie: Kodama Simham; Language: Telugu
Prema Geema Tassadiyya; Movie: Rowdy Alludu; Language: Telugu
Kuch to Bata; Movie: Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani; Language: Hindi
Indira Mandira; Movie: Govinda Govinda; Language: Telugu
Mila Mila Merisenu; Movie: Nirnayam; Language: Telugu
Priya Priyatama; Movie: Killer; Language: Telugu
Tu Mere Saamne; Movie: Darr; Language: Hindi

These are my picks for this week. Until next week, Happy Listening!

Tunes on Tuesday

2014-07-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you've been following me on twitter, I usually post songs that I keep humming everyday. Of late, I've not been listening to my iPod and relying on CDs which have the most recent chartbusters. I get bored soon enough and I fall back to my favorites. My iPod is a genius which plays some real gem of songs often. Last week, it played some old songs and lo and behold one thing led to another and I spent many evenings in the company of Mukesh, Rafi and others.

Chale Jaana; Language: Hindi; Movie: Around The World
Dheere Dheere Chal; Language: Hindi; Movie: Love Marriage
Chand Aahe Bharega; Language: Hindi; Movie: Phool Bane Angare
Jalte Hai Jiske Liye; Language: Hindi; Movie: Sujata
Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi; Language: Hindi; Movie: Chori Chori
Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas; Language: Hindi; Movie: Blackmail (My Mom loved this song, this song made me burst into tears and the funny part is it's not a sad song :) )
Mana Janab Ne; Language: Hindi; Movie: Paying Guest
Yeh Parbaton Ke; Language: Hindi; Movie: Vaasna
Ehsaan Tera Hoga; Language: Hindi; Movie: Junglee
Tum Jo Milgaye Ho; Language: Hindi; Movie: Hanste Zakhm

Something about old songs and good books - They lift you up when you are low. Until next week, Happy Listening!

1-Nenokkadine

2014-01-10T00:14:00.002-06:00

Mahesh Babu and Sukumar's 1-nenokkadine has always been a project that generated tremendous buzz right form its inception. There were many factors that lead to this, Mahesh's new lean look, Sukumar's directoral brilliance, Devi Sri's first outing with Mahesh, new girl Kriti, to name a few. Does the film live up to the hype. Read on.

Film: 1- Nenokkadine
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kriti Sanon, Gautham Krishna, Posani, Nasser, Pradeep Rawat, Kelly Dorjee & others
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Director: Sukumar
Producer: 14 Reels Entertainments
Release Date: 10th January, 2014
My Rating: 2.75/5

What's It About:
Gautam (Mahesh) is a rockstar who has nightmares about his childhood, where he witnesses his parents's murder by three men. One day, he follows a man , whom he believes is one of the killers and murders him. He surrenders himself to the police only to realize that this was his hallucination and he never committed the crime. Sameera (Kriti) a journalist, helps Gautam realize this and follows him to find the truth behind his childhood. What happens next? Does Gautam really hallucinate or are his nightmares actually a fact? Will he meet his parents killers? All these threads are tied in the movie.

Artist Performances:
Mahesh looks great, it is a trademark role for him with the intensive eyes and expressions. He performs well in the scenes where he is confused between reality and imagination. He also tried some new steps in the you're my love song. Kriti Sanon has good screen presence and shows promise, this one might just go places if she makes the right moves. Since the story revolves mostly around the protagonist, there isn't a lot of scope for the character artists to perform. Posani brings a few laughs in a cameo. Naseer and Kelly Dorjee perform well. A point to note is the absence of any comedians in the film.

This & That:
The story is promising. A child traumatized by the death of his parents, that he does not have any memory of their faces. All he remembers are the people who killed them in the form of nightmares that he gets on a frequent basis. It is a psychological mystery thriller where there is constant doubt, and uncertainty. First half of the movie could have been used to build this up. I still do not understand the logic behind the scene right after the first song, how can someone attack an illusion? That's not to say that they film didn't have its moments. I liked the scenes where the hero tries to understand if what he sees is indeed the truth, the scene where he picks a location to disappear to, scenes with Kriti in Goa. I also liked the second half which was loaded with twists at every turn. However, the first half felt slow, dragged in places as well as illogical. The interval bang was interesting. Second half would be my pick and might have been more effective, if not for the wrong placement of songs as well as a unnecessary lengthy climax. It could have been a top level hollywood style thriller, had they done away with the frills that they used to commercialize the movie. Songs by Devi were good. My picks would be Aww tuzho mogh korta & You're my love. I wish they pictured the Who are you song better. Lack of comedy was very obvious. Production values were good. Gautam Krishna shows promise, he is credited as "Prince" Gautam! I wish they showed Mahesh's six pack abs. Overall, it's a movie that does not live up to expectations. Hard to predict the box office performance.

Did I Enjoy It?
In bits and pieces.

Musings - Sreelakshmi's myriad characters Part 2

2013-12-17T22:55:00.000-06:00

Last week, I had mentioned a few memorable characters of Sreelakshmi in Jandhyala's movies. There are many more of such roles that I want to talk about this week.

A classic unforgettable role was that she played in the movie Chantabbai. Who doesn't know her famous dialogues "Bhangala Bhow Bhow" and her "Kavitwams" in the film? My favorite has to be this one "Nenu Kavini kadannavadni" You can watch the scene here. Another role which made the movie worth watching is Jayammu Nischyammu Raa, where she plays a mother who loses her young son and gets emotional every time she hears some one say anything that reminds her of him. She ends up hugging them no matter what their age is and cries out loud "babu chitti" watch and laugh here.

In Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela, she plays a role of mandodari (Kappa potta gala manishi) who loves her food and can spend hours and hours discussing and eating food. She marries Kukuteswar Rao (Bramhi) (Kukka choopu gala vaadu) and they are a match made in heaven. (Yet another piece of Jandhyala's brilliance) Watch here. In Hai Hai Nayaka, she plays Urvasi, a single middle aged teacher who is in love with an unmarried, middle aged principal in her school. She cannot get married because of an elder sister who is yet to get married and their father instead of looking for a groom, spends all day sleeping. Her trademark dialogue in the movie can be watched here.

Her roles weren't that effective in two other Jandhyala movies, Bava Bava Panneru and Vichitra Prema. In the former, she plays Kokila, who in order to escape marriage with her bava, pretends to have a vision of her former life where is married to a boy who stays in front of her house and tries to remind him of their two kids and family, much to his amusement. See here. In the latter, she plays a writer who calls herself Christie(after Agatha Christie) and in order to find inspiration for her novels, has her bava (brahmi in both) don various get-ups leading to him landing in trouble. See here.

She bounces back with an excellent role of a short tempered bank manager in Shh Gup Chup. Her bouts of anger, followed by the dream song sequences with Dharamavarapu Subramanyam, her ex-boyfriend (RIP) when he tries to pacify her are hilarious.So is the whole Titla dandakam sequence. I'll finish the post with my favorite role of her's in all time. The one she plays in Ladies Special. She plays a lazy housewife who had a lot of prospective grooms come see her while she was single. She remembers each one of them and also remembers what food her mother served when they came to her house. Hilarious here.

It's not to say that she didn't play other noteworthy characters in other director's movies. Some roles worth mentioning are the abba dabba jabba role in Subhalagnam, role in Kobbari Bondam, the role in Chevilo Puvvu, the writer's role in Edurinti Mogudu Pakkinti Pellam to name a few. Do you have any roles of Sreelakshmi that stands out?

Musings - Sreelakshmi's myriad characters

2013-12-10T23:18:00.002-06:00

In a world where movies are all about super hero like lead actors who carry the whole film on their shoulders, item songs are all that the actresses are good for, comedy equals double entendres and character artists have story lines that do not gel with the storylines; I crave for the good old days. Days where heroes were human, women dignified, music was melodious and character artists actually belonged to the storyline. A chilly rainy weekend and no social plans gave me some time to catch up and watch old favorites. Jandhyala and his movies has always been movies that are close to my heart. One thing that always struck me was how brilliantly he sketched the roles of the various artists in his films; mainly the sutti janta and Sreelakshmi. I wanted to do a post on this after many conversations with fellow movie buffs and family where we always reminisced about that comedy scene which made you hold your stomach is pain as you laughed out loud.

I seriously believe that no one used Srilakshmi to her full potential as much as Jandhyala has. Picture this; a newly wed naive wife of a man who is a worry wart. They live in a section of a house where some bachelor boys live too. The husband is worried and tries to lock his wife indoors preventing her to associate with them. The wife however spends time with them leading to a series of funny suspicions (Rendu Jella Seeta). Or in another movie, a lazy wife who is married off to a simple husband who loves food and music but does not know that the wife can't cook to save her life and singing does not agree with her. When he knows that he was duped into the marriage and lied to, the wife tries to make amends by trying to learn both arts and failing miserably. The husband is left to cook food everyday and tries to hypnotize her in order to make things better, leading to a comedy of errors. (Rendu Rella Aaru).

Or even better, a movie lover who watches a new movie every day and bites off her husband's ears narrating the whole movie, right from the credits to the end titles. When her husband isn't willing to listen, she makes a bargain with the vegetable vendor to buy vegetables from him if he is parlay to listen to her "narration". A couple of minutes into this, the vendor runs away, vowing to never step foot into that street ever again (Srivariki Premalekha). In another setting, she is a movie lover too but in this case she is so into the movie emotionally that every time some thing bad happens in it, she runs out of the theatre bawling and goes to her mom where she talks about who died in the movie and they cry together. (Babai Abbai)

A personal favorite role was one that she plays in Mogudu Pellalu. She plays the role of a pampered daughter who fights with her husband every day and runs off to her mother's house conveniently located next door. She plays Uttara who would buy an expensive saree if she knew she was going to get a spoon free vexing her husband Dakshina Murthy. (See Jandhyala's brilliance here, naming them uttara-dakshina, two opposite directions)

There are many more movies where Sreelakshmi's characters took the movie to another level and I think I should stop here and continue talking about them in Part 2, next week. If you have come across more such roles that you think are worthing talking about, feel free to leave comments!

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-10-15T21:24:00.002-05:00

This week I've been listening to a mixed bag of songs. Some old, some new here are my picks for this Tunes on Tuesday post.

Kiraaku , Language: Telugu, Album: Attarintiki Daaredi
Ninnu Choodagane , Language: Telugu, Album: Attarintiki Daaredi
Oh Laila , Language: Telugu, Album: Ramaiyya Vastavayya
Neneppudaina , Language: Telugu, Album: Ramaiyya Vastavayya
Satrangi Re , Language: Hindi, Album: Dil Se
Tujhe Bhula Diya , Language: Hindi, Album: Anjaana Anjaani
Lungi Dance , Language: Hindi, Album: Chennai Express
Oh Mama , Language: Hindi, Album: Saat Khoon Maaf
Tanhayee, Language: Hindi, Album: Dil Chahta Hai
Maiyya Maiyya , Language: Telugu, Album: Paisa

These are playing in my car this week, Until next week, Happy Listening!

Ramayya Vastavayya

2013-10-11T01:45:00.001-05:00

I have been waiting to watch this movie ever since the promos released and the songs have been playing non-stop in my car. NTR's new look, Harish Shankar's imminent hat trick, Samantha's golden leg along with Thaman's music all added to the expectations. Did the movie hold up to the expectations? The review follows.

Film: Ramayya Vastavayya
Cast: NTR, Samantha, Shruti Haasan, Rao Ramesh, Rohini Hattangadi, Tanikella Bharani etc
Music: Thaman
Director: Harish Shankar
Producer: Dil Raju
Release Date: October 11th, 2013
My Rating: 3/5

What's It About:
Nandu(NTR) is a happy go lucky guy who happens to come across Akarsha (Samantha) and it's love at first sight. He follows her around, teases her and even gets close to her grandmother Baby Shamili (Rohini Hattangadi) to woo her. He finally impresses her and attends her sister's wedding. Her father (Mukesh Rishi) is a powerful man who faces a death threat. He promises to save him. What happens next? Will he be successful? All these questions are answered in the second half.

Artist Performances:
I must say that NTR has lost oodles of weight and he looks very fresh and fit in this movie. He has been renowned for heavy/hard hitting roles but he is surprisingly very good as a tapori youth. His scenes with Samantha and his dialogue delivery make the movie much more interesting. Samantha looks great but doesn't really have much scope to perform apart from the songs. Shruti Haasan's cameo is good. Saikumar's brother Ravi acted well as an antagonist. Rohini Hattangadi was hilarious and so was Vidyulekha. I have to mention that there are no comedians in this film. Harish Shankar had once said that he doesn't need character artists to bring humor in his movies and must say that he has been successful in that front.

This & That:
The dialogues are punchy and the songs are catchy! My picks would be O Laila & Nenepudaina for both their music and picturization. My favorites scenes are the diary sequence, the interval bang and NTR's scenes with Shruti Haasan. NTR has some good dance moves in this movie. The film looks very promising all the way up to the interval bang. Infact, even after the interval, NTR's scenes with Rao Ramesh are also worth mentioning. However, the movie goes downhill from that point. The flashback episode and the climax are cliched and you have a deja-vu effect. Harish Shankar had so much potential and so many factors working from him but he could not ulitize them to a maximum potential. The climax was a routine fare. Production values by Dil Raju were good.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, I enjoyed the first half and the comedy/punch dialogues in the second half. I felt restless during the tail end of the movie.

The Final Word:
Ramayya comes with an average fare. The holiday season might work in it's favor. Go watch it once, time pass flick.

Attharintiki Daaredi

2013-09-27T01:32:00.000-05:00

I am sure telugu movie audience all over the globe have heard the news about the first 90 mins of the movie's pirated version being released over the internet. There has been a tremendous pre-release buzz around this film as it repeats the super hit combo of Pawan Kalyan and Trivikram. How did the movie fare? My review follows:

Film: Attarintiki Daaredi
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Samantha, Pranitha, Nadia, Bramhanandam, Ali, Rao Ramesh, Boman Irani etc.
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Director: Trivikram Srinivas
Producer: BVSN Prasad
Release Date: September 27th, 2013
My Rating: 3.25/5

What's It About:
Gautam Nanda (Pawan Kalyan) is the scion of the super rich Nanda family. His grandfather Raghu (Boman Irani) is pining for his daughter Sunanda(Nadia). She was disowned by him for marrying Shekhar(Rao Ramesh) a middle class lawyer against his wishes. He wants to re-unite with his stubborn daughter and pleads Gautam to go to India and persuade his aunt to forgive them. Gautam joins his aunt's house as a driver and meets her daughters Pramila (Pranitha) and Sashi(Samantha). What happens next? Will his family re-unite? Or will they throw him out o knowing his facade? These questions are answered in the second half.

Artist Performances:
Pawan Kalyan's mannerisms are fully supported by Trivikram's razor sharp dialogues. His comedy timing is top notch and he is aptly backed up by the support cast of ali and M.S. Narayana. His best pairing though is with Bramhi who entertains as "Bhaskar". Samantha performs well in a role that mixes innocence with humor. Pranitha is beautiful. Nadia is very graceful. I personally like Boman Irani's performance when he tries to convince his son that his pining for his daughter is justified.

This & That:
Trivikram's movies are known for their witty, rhyming punch dialogues and he is in full form in this flick. Pawan Kalyan's entry scene is good and the title song's flashback concept was unique.I loved the kevvu keka comedy track as well as the Gautam-Ahalya drama scene. I also enjoyed the scenes with Pawan Kalyan and his assistants who try to solve all of his problems with money. Music by Devi Sri Prasad didn't impress me much when I listened to the audio but they do grow on you once you watch them on screen. My picks would be the title song and bapu gari bomma. There is no novelty in the storyline, it is a simple story of re-uniting estranged family. However, the treatment, screenplay and the comedy track elevate the movie and entertain you. I've always felt that Trivikram's forte is his ability to handle emotions in a subtle format and the mild interval bang is an example of this. The film looks stylish and the producer must be appreciated for the rich production values.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, only because of the non-stop entertainment provided by the comic situations in the movie.

The Final Word:
The producer will walk to the bank smiling, the movie will do good business.

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-09-24T23:12:00.002-05:00

Like I mentioned last week, I've been listening to a lot of indi-pop songs lately. This week I want to talk about some popular remixes that have rocked the charts in the last decade or so. Here are my picks:

Aise na mujhe tum, Artist: Vikas Bhalla
Kehedoon Tumhe, Artist: DJ Aqueel
Sajna Hai Mujhe, Artist: DJ Hot Mix
Yeh Vaada Raha, Artist: DJ Aqueel
Mere Naseeb Mein, Artist: Baby H
Kaliyon Ka Chaman, Artist: UMI
Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Artist: Smita
Kaanta Laga, Artist: DJ Doll
Bin Tere Sanam, Artist: DJ Suketu
Chadti Jawaani, Artist: DJ Aqueel

These are playing this week. Happy Listening!

Video Courtesy: YouTube

Tunes on Tuesday

2013-09-17T23:50:00.001-05:00

This week's theme is Indi-pop. There was a time when pop albums were more popular than movie songs and they came with their very own story lines! I gave my iPod a break this week and listened to CDs in my car. One long forgotten CD was filled with my favorite Indian Pop songs. Here are a few favorites.

Made in India; Artist: Alisha Chinoy
Boom Boom; Artist: Nazia Hussain
Tu; Artist: Sonu Nigam
Suno To Deewana Dil ; Artist: Kamaal Khan
Pyar Ho gaya; Artist: Stereo Nation
Pari Hoon Main; Artist: Sunita Rao
Chandu Ke Chacha; Artist: Aasma
Gore Naal ; Artist: Baloo Sagoo
Ishq; Artist: Sukhbir
Aaja Nacchle; Artist: Hans Raj Hans

These songs surely put me in an amazing mood all week. Next week, I'll look at popular remixes from the late 90's and early 2000's. Happy Listening!!

Videos Copyright: YouTube

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-09-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

Every week when I plan Tunes on Tuesday's posts, I try to come up with a theme that could tie the different set of songs that I listen to everyday. Sometimes the songs are all fast and peppy, sometimes when I am stuck in traffic I find myself gravitating towards songs that are more soothing to the ear. In both cases, one thing remains constant, singing out loud using my lungs :) Here's the list of songs on my mind this week.

Janmon Ki Jwala, Movie: Hey Raam, Language: Hindi (I swear, this song gives me goosebumps, every time I listen to Ashaji hum)
Tasveer Teri Dil Mein, Movie: Maya, Language: Hindi (Love the lyrics of this song :) )
Yeh Parbaton Ke Daayre, Movie: Vaasna, Language: Hindi (I had a crush on Biswajeet for the longest time. This one is one of my favorites to hum while driving!)
Rama Rama, Movie: Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Language: Hindi (I don't have a reason as to why I like this song, I think it's probably because of the high octanes in the stanzas!)
Bujji Pilla Tella Pilla, Movie: Potugadu ,Language: Telugu (Funny Lyrics!)
Gulabi Aankhen, Movie: The Train, Language: Hindi (I searched for this song in YouTube and found this instead. I think my friends should have this as my ringtone :) )
Raanjhana, Movie: Raanjhana, Language: Hindi (Watched the movie over the weekend, loved Dhanush in it!)
Ek Ajnabi, Movie: Ek Ajnabi, Language: Hindi (This song reminds me of my sister's first stage performance, I think I still remember some of the steps.)
Chennai Express, Movie: Chennai Express, Language: Hindi (Love Love Love SPB singing this song, this one's a new favorite!)
Jalte Hai Jiske Liye, Movie: Sujata, Language: Hindi (This is one of my go-to sad songs :) )

I read somewhere that you can deduce a person by the songs that they listen to. I wonder what people think, based on the choice of songs this week? Happy Listening!

Tunes on Tuesday

2013-07-02T22:38:00.001-05:00

This week's Tunes on Tuesday post comprises of random songs I've heard over this week, in no particular order.

Titli, Movie: Chennai Express, Language: Hindi
Kabeera, Movie: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Language: Hindi
Lazy Lad, Movie: Ghanchakkar, Language: Hindi
Ninu Chusina Kshanamlo, Movie: Balupu, Language: Telugu
Nee Jathaga, Movie: Yevadu, Language: Telugu
The Violin Song, Movie: Iddarammayilatho, Language: Telugu
Poolu Gusa Gusa, Movie: Saleem, Language: Telugu
Sumam Prathi Sumam, Movie: Maharshi, Language: Telugu
Lonely No More, Album: Lonely No More , Artist: Rob Thomas
Give it to You, Album: Jordan Knight, Artist: Jordan Knight

These are playing in my car this week! Happy Listening!

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-06-25T22:39:00.003-05:00

If you've been following my twitter feed, you'll notice that lately I've been listening to a lot of English pop songs from the 90's. So I thought I'd mix it up this week with a few favorites from the 90's and early 2000's.

If You Had My Love, Artist: Jennifer Lopez , Album: On the 6
Genie in a Bottle, Artist: Christina Aguilera , Album: Christina Aguilera
Hit me baby, Artist: Britney Spears, Album: Baby one more time
When I dream, Artist: Marc Anthony, Album: Marc Anthony
Crush, Artist: Jennifer Paige, Album: Jennifer Paige
Loaded, Artist: Ricky Martin, Album: Sound Loaded
Am not in love, Artist: Enrique Iglesias, Album: Seven
Insatiable, Artist: Darren Hayes , Album: Spin (This is for my boo!)
Smooth, Artist: Rob Thomas/Carlos Santana , Album: Supernatural
Desert Rose, Artist: Sting/Cheb Mami , Album: Brand New Day

All videos courtesy: Youtube, Happy Listening :)

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-06-11T22:28:00.001-05:00

Finally a Tunes on Tuesday post! The weather today is dark and gloomy just as my mood. I see the rain falling from my windows, calling out for some soothing soul stirring music. Here is a list of songs old and new that suits my temperament tonight!

Idedo Bagunde, Movie: Mirchi, Language: Telugu
The Violin Song, Movie: Iddarammayilatho, Language: Telugu
Sambhala Hai Maine, Movie: Naaraaz, Language: Hindi
Saans, Movie: Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Language: Hindi
Dil Gira Dafatan, Movie: Dilli 6, Language: HIndi
Humko Sirf Tumse, Movie: Barsaat, Language: Hindi
Rehna Tu, Movie: Dilli 6, Language: Hindi
Ninnu Choostunte, Movie: Aata, Language: Telugu
Yela Yela, Movie: Panja, Language: Telugu
Mellaga Karagani, Movie: Varsham, Language: Telugu (How can you have a rain related post without a rain song :) )

These re playing right now. Until next week, Happy listening.

Iddarammayilatho

2013-05-30T23:38:00.002-05:00

I've always personally enjoyed Puri Jagan's films; they are your typical masala movies, with some punchy dialogues, good comedy and generally very entertaining. I've been listening and loving the music of this film, especially the violin song. Here is the review:

Film: Iddarammayilatho
Cast: Allu Arjun, Amala Paul, Catherine Thresa, Bramhanandam, Ali, Subba Raju etc.
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Director: Puri Jagannadh
Producer: Bandla Ganesh
Release Date: May 31st, 2013
My Rating: 3.25/5

What's It About:
Akansha (Catherine) is the daughter of a central minister who travels to Spain for her PG. She ends up staying in the same room as Komali (Amala), a bramhin girl from India. Akansha reads Komali's diary that she accidentally leaves behind, in which she talks about her love story with Sanju(Arjun) a guitarist. On a parallel thread, Shawar (Shawar Ali) is looking to deposit illegal mining scam money from India in Spain. Komali accidentally records Shawar killing a man in connection to this illegal money. What happens to Komali and her love story with Sanju? Will Shawar be successful in his attempts? These threads are tied up in the second half.

Artist Performances:
Allu Arjun is top notch with his dialogue delivery and comedy timing. He is surprising very good in romantic scenes as well. Amala Paul has a shorter role compared to Catherine, she does her bit as required and did not impress me much. Catherine is good , however she hams and over acts in the beginning of the film and leaves a mark in the second half. Bramhi is excellent as fidel Bramha. Ali comes in the second half as Mental Krishna and provides some comic relief. Subba Raju and Shawar are adequate. Other supporting cast of Tulasi, Pragathi, Bharani and Nasser do their bit as required.

This & That:
Puri is known for his punch dialogues and he is back with a bang in this flick. His dialogues are hilarious, hard hitting and thoroughly entertaining. My favorites have to be the tuppalo scenes, the climax and the bapanese dialogues. Music by Devi is an asset. My personal favorite was the Violin song and I ended up liking top lesi poddi for its picturization and Arjun's dance moves. Cinematography is beautiful and I have to specially mention the fights by Kicha, I loved the interval bang and the action scenes associated with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half and I felt that the tempo was lacking a bit in the second half. The twist is interesting and it turns an ordinary story into something completely different. I also enjoyed Arjun's dance moves for the Gang Leader song.
Was Bramhi's dialogue of Pawan Kalyan's fan meant for Nithin? :-P I wonder!!

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, I found myself laughing every time Bramhi came on screen and gushing at the romantic scenes.

The Final Word:
Iddaramayilatho, Puri and Arjun , top lepestaru :)

Gundejaari Gallanthayyinde

2013-04-21T01:52:00.006-05:00

Nithin and Nithya Menen's last venture Ishq was a surprise hit last year. The pair is back with Gundejaari Gallanthaiyyinde. Most of the cast and crew of Ishq have been repeated, hoping for some luck. Will there sentiment work? Here goes the review:

Film: Gundejaari Gallanthayyinde
Cast: Nithin, Nitya Menon, Isha Talwar, Madhunandan, Ali, Tagubothu Ramesh, etc.
Music: Anoop Ruebens
Director: Vijay Konda
Producer: Sudhakar Reddy
Release Date: April 19th, 2013
My Rating: 3.25/5

What's It About:
Karthik (Nithin) falls for Shruti(Isha Talwar) at his friend Pandu's(Ali) reception, whom he asks for her number. Pandu in a drunk stupor gives him Shravani's(Nitya) number. Karthik starts calling Shravani and simultaneously helps his friend Madhu (Madhunandan) to fall in love with his friend, who turns out to be Shruti. What happens next? Will he realize that the girl he is talking to is not Shruti? What happens to Shravani? All these loose ends are tied up in the second half.

Artist Performances:
Nithin is looking dapper and fit. He performs well and is very funny, especially in the "gay comedy" scenes. He should do more romantic roles, it suits his personality. Nitya Menon gives an effortless performace. However, she needs to pay some attention to her weight. Ali brings in laughs in a full length role. Isha Talwar is pretty. Tagubothu Ramesh, Madhunandan and the guy who plays the gay guy are up to mark. There aren't many characters in this movie. Everything revolves around the main actors.

This & That:
Production values are good. The film looks lavish. I liked Nithin's styling in the movie. Harshavadhan's story and dialogues are a plus. Music by Anoop Ruebens is average. However, my favorite has to be the remix of emaindo emo eevela, from Toliprema. It's not just the song that was remixed, the video of the original was too. Jwala Gutta's item song was boring. The director needs to be applauded for doing a fine job of holding the audience's attention throughout the film with a taut screenplay.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, the film is a breezy entertainer.

The Final Word:
Gunde jaarindi, pilla maarindi.

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-04-16T10:43:00.003-05:00

I haven't been scheduling Tunes on Tuesday posts off late. Every Monday, I think of all the songs that have been playing on my YouTube and Ipod and try to come up with a theme that I can use for Tunes on Tuesday's blog. I am in a 90's phase for the last few weeks, listening to some of my old favorites. I tried to listen to all Abhijeet songs on my Ipod and here are a few good ones. Like usual, I resorted to my trustworthy Wikipedia to read about Abhijeet and I was shocked to know that he just got one Filmfare Award. Truly a case of talent not getting it's due.

Ole Ole Ole, Movie: Yeh Dillagi, Language: Hindi
Aankhon Mein Base Ho Tum., Movie: Takkar, Language: Hindi
Shehar Ki Ladki, Movie: Rakshak, Language: Hindi
Tan Tana Tan, Movie: Judwaa, Language: Hindi
Main Koi Aisa Geet, Movie: Yes Boss, Language: Hindi (His only Filmfare)
Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan, Movie: Dhadkan, Language: Hindi
Woh ladki Jo, Movie: Badshah, Language: Hindi
Maine To Khai, Movie: Awara Pagal Deewana, Language: Hindi
Tauba, Movie: Chalte Chalte, Language: Hindi
Lamha Lamha, Movie: Gangster, Language: Hindi

I've noticed that he usually sings for Suniel Shetty, Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar :) Until next week, Happy Listening!

Badshah

2013-04-05T01:17:00.001-05:00

No beating around the bush, I am super duper excited about Badshah... as evidenced by my tweet earlier today. I've been watching the trailers and listening to the songs frequently.(How can you miss the buzz with the sheer amount of publicity going around this flick?). Kajal, NTR, Srinu Vytla all "big" cast and crew, hoping for a super success with this movie. Did they succeed? Review below:

Film: Badshah
Cast: N.T.R, Kajal, Nasser, Bramhi, M.S. Narayana, Navadeep, Vennala Kishore, Mukesh Rishi etc.
Music: S.S. Thaman
Director: Sreenu Vytla
Producer: Bandla Ganesh
Release Date: 4th April, 2013
My Rating: 3.75/5

What's It About:
Rama Rao (N.T.R) alias badshah is the son of Dhanraj (Mukesh Rishi), a don in Hong Kong. Dhanraj works for Sadhu Bhai (Kelly Dorjee) who owns casinos in Macau. Badshah cons Sadhu Bhai into thinking that he helped him and wins over his trust. However, this is Badshah's plan to elimate Sadhu Bhai. As a part of his plan, he meets "Banti" Janaki(Kajal), a wannabe social reformer. Why does Badshah want to kill Sadhu Bhai and why does he need Janaki's help with this? What happens next is all tied up with the climax.

Artist Performances:
N.T.R performs excellently in a role which has multiple shades. If he plays an innocent guy while trying to woo Janaki in the first half, he plays a cunning guy with a fun side in the second half. After a very successful outing with Bramhi in Adurs, he pairs up with him once again to create peals of laughter in the second half of the movie. Bramhi is so hilarious in the movie with his funny one liners and expressions that every time he appears on screen you end up laughing out loud. Kajal plays Janaki who uses banti (ball) as an example for her philosophical thoughts. Her role is laced with humor and she performs well. Navdeep is good as a bad cop. M.S. Narayana steals the show once again as director Revenge Nageswara Rao. His role subtlety based on RGV brings a lot of laughs. Nasser does another full fledged comedy role after Dookudu, which he does full justice to. Lots of actors appear in bit size roles like Suhasini, Chandramohan, Naga Babu, Rajeev Kanakala and Suma and all of them add to the storyline in their own way.

This & That:
The Inception based dream concept and the china dream machine used for Bramhis thread is personally my favorite. There are a lot of scenes with Bramhi where he imitates NBK and also Jr.N.T.R, these scenes brought the roof down. Jr NTR's get up as Justice chowdary brought a lot of whistles. As usual, Sreenu Vytla movies are famous for their drunk scenes. In this movie too, there is a hilarious drunk scene but this time with a twist. The ladies are drunk and dance for NTR songs which was nicely done.Thaman does a good job with music. My favorites are Diamond Girl and Sairo Sairo. Production values are excellent and the locales are beautiful. Special appearence by Siddharth and the voice over by Mahesh Babu in crucial scenes all add to the film in a positive way. Only thing that I felt was a feeling of deja-vu as most of the scenes and the concept of the hero using a bakra (mostly bramhi) to win over the girl's family and bash up the goons are similar to Sreenu Vytla's previous movies. However, the entertainement factor is high, which works in the film's favor.

Did I Enjoy It?
Absolutely, My stomach hurt with laughing too hard.

The Final Word:
Badshah will definitely rule the box office :)

Tunes On Tuesday

2013-03-26T23:31:00.005-05:00

Today is my best friend's birthday.While I couldn't celebrate today the way I had planned, I wanted to do a special post on the blog today. This week Tunes on Tuesday will be my friend's favorite songs. Every time I listen to these songs, they put a smile of my face.

Happy Birthday Gogs! May you have a fantastic year ahead!!

Niharika, Language: Telugu, Movie: Ooseravalli
Chiguru Boniya, Language: Telugu, Movie: Teen Maar
Neetho Cheppana, Language: Telugu, Movie: Athadu
Guzaarish, Language: Hindi, Movie: Ghajini
Rehna Tu, Language: Hindi, Movie: Delhi 6
Idedo Bagunde, Language: Telugu, Movie: Mirchi
Diamond Girl, Language: Telugu, Movie: Badshah
Google Google, Language: Tamil, Movie: Thuppaki
Hey Ya , Language: Hindi, Movie: Karthik Calling Karthik
Balayya Balayya, Language: Telugu, Movie: Lorry Driver ***

*** He just Looooves this song :)

Until, next week, Happy listening!!

Tunes on Tuesday - A Late Edition

2013-03-20T14:26:00.001-05:00

Life has taken over of late and while I continue to watch movies with much gusto, premieres and blogging have taken a back seat. I hope to get back into the groove by blogging about Badshah as I plan on watching the premiere! This post was "scheduled" to be posted yesterday but for some odd reason it didn't; hence a Tunes on Tuesday post on a Wednesday :)
I've been listening to a lot of songs from the 90's recently. There comes a time in everyone's life where they feel nostalgic of their childhood and I am in one such phase currently. I've re-discovered why I loved Kumar Sanu's voice while I listened to these songs and wanted to do a blog on some of my favorites.
These songs are all from popular movies, where other songs of the album have taken prominence. Nevertheless, here are some of his beautiful melodies.

Love Hua, Language: Hindi, Movie: Jaanam Samjha Karo
Hum To Dil Chahe, Language: Hindi, Movie: Soldier
Tera Aana Tera Jaana, Language: Hindi, Movie: Judwaa
Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein, Language: Hindi, Movie: Baazigar
Paas Woh Aane Lage, Language: Hindi, Movie: Mein Khiladi Tu Anari
Poocho Zara Poocho, Language: Hindi, Movie: Raja Hindustani
Meri Mehbooba, Language: Hindi, Movie: Pardes
Aankhon Se Tune, Language: Hindi, Movie: Ghulam
Chori Chori Jab, Language: Hindi, Movie: Kareeb
Aankhon ki Gustakhiyan, Language: Hindi, Movie: Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

While I was compiling this list together, ai came across many more favorites, that will go out next week! Happy Listening!

Devudu Chesina Manushulu

2012-08-18T19:34:00.000-05:00

Puri Jagan is on a roll. He's starting a new trend of wrapping up movies in record time. Ravi Teja and Puri have had a very successful stint barring Neninthe. Illeana is back too after a successful Julayi. Here's the lowdown.

Film: Devudu Chesina Manushulu
Cast: Ravi Teja, Illeana, Prakash Raj, Subba Raju, Brahmanandam, Ali, Kovai Sarala etc.
Music: Raghu Kunche
Director: Puri Jagannath
Producer: B.V.S.N. Prasad
Release Date: August 15th, 2012.
My Rating: 3/5

What's It About:
The film starts in Vaikuntham where Vishnu Murthy (Bramhi) is coaxed by Lakshmi Devi (Kovai Sarala) into telling her a love story. The lord narrates a story of Ravi Teja (Ravi Teja), a mediator in Hyderabad and Illeana (Illeana) a taxi driver in Bangkok. He uses a banana peel to create a series of chain events which cause Inspector Subba Raju(Subba Raju) to accidently kill Sandy a henchman of Prakash Raj (Prakash Raj) a mafia don in Bangkok. Prakash Raj suffers from a "short circuit" in his brain making him absent minded. His henchman "Fish" Venkat is asked to avenge Sandy's death by killing Subba Raju, who in turn asks Ravi Teja to mediate causing the pair to meet and fall in love. The interval bang gives you an alternate scenario where the banana peel is not used. Will the lovers meet in this case? What happens in this version of the story? These questions are answered in the rest of the movie.

Artist Performances:
Ravi Teja is as usual energetic and eccentric in his portrayal. His comic timing shines in the second half. Illeana performs well but I wish they had not chosen to use that horrendous wig on her. Prakash Raj has the opportunity of showing his negative and comical sides in the first and second half of the movie respectively. Ali and Subba Raju bring laughs. Bramhi and Kovai Sarala were okay as Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi Devi. However, I wished they chose some one else to play Lakshmi Devi.

This & That:
The basic story line is similar to a Tamil movie 12B. This is a movie about 2 people meeting in 2 very different circumstances. While the first story deals with the meeting in a cliched telugu movie format, the second story is what held my attention. The humor in the second half takes the film up many notches. The scenes where Ali prays to Goddess Lakshmi and the sequences that follow are hilarious as is the climax. Music by Raghu Kunche did not impress me much while I listened to just the audio. However, they do grow on you once you see them on screen. My picks would be Subba Lakshmi, Yemi Sethura on a audio level and Nuvvele and Nuvvante Chala Istham for the way they were shot. The hugely hyped item song of Gabriella disappoints. I didn't quite get why they wanted to paint up her face? One thing that I felt was a major missing factor is Puri's punch dialogues.It seems like Puri Jagan is experimenting in his recent movies and trying to get away from the existing formats. If only the first half had more humor and a non routine narrative, this could have been a sure shot winner.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, I know this review has come after a lot of negative reviews up on the web. All I want to say is, I go to watch a movie to laugh, have fun and relax. If these factors are present, it's usually a good watch for me. That's exactly what happened in this case.

The Final Word:
Go watch the movie for what it is - Entertainment.