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Review - Aashayein: Sad demise of a good soul

meetu — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:07:20 +0530

Review - Aashayein: Sad demise of a good soul

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale)

Aashayein gives John Abraham loads of scope to emote and he manages a bit here and a bit there. But looks like the actors, writer/director, Nagesh Kukunoor and thus the audience lose it as the movie slogs along to the end. The metaphors are thrown at your face and explained in excruciating detail. And yet you don't know why the director/writer did what they did.
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by meetu | 8 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

Aashayein stars 50 people whose days are numbered by some fatal disease. Almost all have come to terms with it. Some smile artificially. And a handful spit venom. How they coexist and come to love each other is what Aashayein could have been about. And I agree, that would have been plain boring and the base story needed something additional and Nagesh Kukunoor has that on the platter too. Just that the spoon-feeding of how and why it is different didn't entirely appeal to my taste buds. And of course they went berserk with the "metaphors" as the end approached too.

Symbolism remains symbolism if it's left to interpretation. Some parts of the film feel like a 'Metaphor 101' class, to teach us, the ignorant audience, the basics of film-reading. It is very painful to see a double and triple display of what the writer meant by showing a particular sub-pot, as if to make sure that even those in the audience dozing don't miss it. I was in awe when some of the metaphorical stuff started. But they rub it in too much and the charm goes away. Oh and, it becomes more and more ridiculous. So, it ends up making you laugh instead of making you think.

Also the writer makes things unnecessarily awkward too often. Usually, I blame the execution for the uneasiness the actors/director felt in a particular scene. But, here the writing felt forced and you could sense how hard the script had to go against its nature to make room for a 'different' situation/action/reaction. A simple thing like a hug between two characters came across as if one of them is being forced into it.

It almost felt like the writer was on an emotional up and down. He has created this world with different characters and their quirks. He digs a little deep into their emotions, panics at what he sees (also panics at this perception of the audience's reaction) and surfaces to breathe. And this jagged script becomes a pain to swallow. And all you remember is that pain and forget some of the most beautiful moments and relationships that he creates.

Anyway. There is a takeaway from the film. Anaitha Nair, this little girl was the life of the film. She played the blunt, toxic, vulnerable, teenager Padma so casually, that you feel compassion towards her wicked character. Exactly what you are supposed to feel for her. That doesn't mean John Abraham didn't do well. It's just that, if a man is dying you are supposed to feel sorry for him, not drool at him. Emotions don't particularly show up very well when he tries them on. But the man tries hard, only problem is the effort is too transparent.

A touch of humor in the dialogues, the songs, especially the lyrics, and some of the close-up shots also go into the "saving grace" list. But...

With a heavy heart, I have to say Nagesh Kukunoor doesn't crack it with Aashayein either. I wouldn't say the film starts off well. It has its share of cliché's, badly written scenes. Like the rest of the film, the beginning too, escapes under the guise of calling the action/dialogue filmy and doing it anyway. But there are glimpses of above-average thought - both qualitatively and quantitatively - being put into some of the scenes. There is hint of a soul and as fate would have it, the hope dies as the post interval period starts.

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None
Language: Abusive language here and there
Nudity & Sexual content: A making out scene, a couple of kisses and a teenager doing some aggressive flirting with an adult.
Concept: That of living life before dying.
General Look and Feel: Bright and cheerful in the face of death.

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 2
Story: 2
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 2

Dialogues: 2.5
Screenplay: 2
Music Director: 3.5
Lyrics: 4

Aashayein - Movie Details

Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Lead Cast: John Abraham, Sonal Sehgal, Prateeksha Lonkar
Supporting Cast: Farida Jalal, Ashwin Chitale, Sonali Sachdev, Sharad Wagh, Anaitha Nair, Girish Karnad, Vikram Inamdar
Story: Nagesh Kukunoor
Dir. of Photography: Sudeep Chaterjee
Editor: Apurva Asrani
Music Director: Shiraz Ahmed, Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Sameer, Kumaar, Shakeel Sohail, Mir Ali Hussain
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Philosophy

Review - Hello Darling: Women power wasted

meetu — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:25:09 +0530

Review - Hello Darling: Women power wasted

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (rating scale)

Hello Darling aims to take a decent premise and juice the sense out of it. It looks like it succeeds, even beyond the imagination of the makers. I understand drop in production values because of low budgets, but making fools out of decent actors is inexcusable.
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by meetu | 1 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

I guess the point of Hello Darling is to bring the working woman's sentiment against the casting-couch-types out in the open. But isn't there a less crass way of doing it. If not, isn't there any new way to do crass? At least none involved in Hello Darling thought so.

Where does one begin the complaints from? **sigh**

After having closed my eyes and mulled over that one for a bit, I think my biggest grievance is against the way the actors were used. I admit, I was a teeny-weeny bit excited with the news that my teenage crush (this was in the "Videocon Flashback" days) Javed Jaffrey, is doing a male solo lead. I had hopes from the team that realized he could carry off a movie shared my belief that he can do more than slapstick. But, as you've guessed, that isn't meant to be. Not yet.

Other than Gul Panag, the women though are not really known for their acting prowess. But looks like she too has been made to pull a page out of their book in shrieking and making faces which are irrelevant or exaggerate or both. I don't think it is their fault either, I think they did exactly what they were told to do. And they clearly weren't asked to better themselves.

Same goes for almost each department of film-making. The dialogue was what goes with the slapstick - cheap innuendoes, scurrying around, slaps and all. The songs were there because they are "expected" to be there. Actors who can't do the Bollywood dance bit are made to dance, and Javed Jaffrey is on the bench.

I know one is not supposed to expect from films with posters boasting a man in boxer shorts. I know one is not supposed to expect much when the name, Hardik is spelled as Harddick. But the hopeful in me wants to like a film, wants to love it. Oh well, there's always a next time.

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: none
Language: Sexual innuendoes throughout
Nudity & Sexual content: Skimpily clad women, cleavages and all
Concept: That of women fighting against the evil eye of lusting men.
General Look and Feel: Bright and noisy.

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 1
Story: 2
Lead Actors: 1
Character Artists: 1

Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 1
Music Director: 1.5
Lyrics: 1.5

Hello Darling - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Producer: Ashok Ghai
Director: Manoj Tiwari
Lead Cast: Isha Koppikar, Javed Jaffery, Gul Panag, Celina Jaitley
Supporting Cast: Divya Dutta, Chunkey Pandey, Seema Biswas
Story: Pankaj Trivedi, Sachin Shah
Cinematography: Ravi Yadav
Editor: Chirag Jain, Sanjay Koli
Background Score: Sanjoy Chowdhury
Choreography: Raju Khan, Remo, Pony Varma, Ritchie , Raka
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Shabbir Ahmed, Kumaar, Ashiesh Pandit
Running time: 100 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Slapstick

We are family - Preview

meetu — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:38:18 +0530

We are family - Preview

This movie has not yet been rated by wogma.

We Are Family = Stepmom in Hindi. Of course, it is going to be Indian-ized! You see the beginning with the casting. Supposedly, our Indian palate is better satisfied by a hunk, Arjun Rampal who woos Kajol and Kareena Kapoor in one go. Versus the balding, Ed Harris.

We are family - For some reason this title for a Karan Johar film gives me the heebie-jeebies. His films are between Mr.-Two-Goodie-Shoes Vs. Mr.-not-human characters. Most situations are exaggerated. I understand, he's only We are family's producer and not director; but when the director goes on record saying, "I feel truly blessed that I'm working for the man whose cinema he has worshipped", my blood pressure is absolutely justified in going up a few notches. I'm reminding myself that Karan Johar has also produced Wake Up Sid.

Actually, Dharma Productions truly, absolutely, categorically needs appreciation because this film is the OFFICIAL REMAKE of an English film. Yep, we live in times when taking permission of original film-owners needs special mention and applause. Not because they had the patience to wait the process out for a couple of years. But because not too many others bother going through the 'right thing to do.' I think our angst against the filmmakers would reduce by a significant percentage if credit and handsome amounts of hard cash were given where they were due.

In fact, they have gone a step ahead and bought the rights for Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock". If they are setting a trend here, they can be excused a 100 crimes (of which only 99 remain because they have cold-bloodedly slaughtered the song they paid for).

Remake-makers are in a no-win situation. If the film is not liked the verdict is, 'they can't even copy properly' and if you like the film, in all likelihood, you are going to say, "Well, they copied. So it's not really their work." I have worked my conscience out this whole 'remake' debate. A film is a film is a film. You either like it or not or more often than not - both together. While I tried to pen my thoughts down about my take on "adaptations" and such, The Bollywood Ticket expresses the case more elaborately.

Even Avatar (2009), which broke box-office records for an American film in India, still grossed much less in India than the Bollywood film 3 Idiots (2009), which released around the same time. So why would Bollywood filmmakers even want to remake films that Indian audiences don't want to see? The truth is, they don't.

...

And what exactly constitutes a remake anyway? The Hindi film Jism (2003) has been called a remake of Body Heat (1981), which is a remake of Double Indemnity (1944), which is based on a true story. So, is Jism really a remake or is it based on the true story, too?

...

In May, Indian entertainment conglomerate Reliance sold remake rights to the 2007 Bollywood hit Johnny Gaddaar to a U.S. producer.

Now that last one is a huge YAY!

After that long aside, Stepmom is and We Are Family is very likely to be a saddish, serious movie. Likewise, We Are Family better be a tear-jerker too. Towards that end, it does look promising -

And of course, we cannot handle too much emotion, and we need our break. By the way, the following song trailer got me really upset. No, not because Kajol was pregnant when she was doing this. Because it gives so much of the movie away! And makes the film even more predictable than it already is. Not to mention, that the lyrics which mean, "I can't remember the lyrics to this song, so I'm just singing words on and on" which actually sounds more like the lyricist had a writer's block and penned his condition down.

Oh, whatever...

I think I'm going to be happy as long as it is not a Kajol screeching vs. Kareena shrieking duel. And there's always a new promo to look forward to (Guzaarish) Ok, I'll stop being mean and just wait for September 3rd for We are family.

By the way, do watch the other promos here to for the beautiful locations.

Ps. Music Reviews -

Milliblog - Karan Johar’ish predictability, with a new-found maturity.

Apun Ka Choice - overdose of melodrama

Hindustan Times - nothing extraordinary

Rediff - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's effort in We Are Family is nowhere close to this afore-mentioned legacy

This article was first published at meetu's Times of India Blog

We are family - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Dharma Productions
Producer: Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar
Director: Siddharth Malhotra
Lead Cast: Diya Sonecha, Kajol, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Aanchal Munjal, Ankush
Story: Gigi Levangie
Screenplay: Gigi Levangie, Jessie Nelson, Steven Rogers, Karen Leigh Hopkins, Ron Bass, Venita Coehlo
Dialogues: Niranjan Iyengar
Cinematography: Mohanan
Editor: Deepa Bhatia
Background Score: Raju Singh
Choreography: Bosco, Caesar
Music Director: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Khan, Loy Mendonca
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Anvita Dutt Guptan
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres:

Lafangey Parindey - 15 yays, 20 nays, 13 okays

meetu — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:00:32 +0530

Lafangey Parindey - 15 yays, 20 nays, 13 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: The keen must watch on screen; else DVD (rating scale)

Lafangey Parindey satisfies my urge to see a gripping drama. Deepika Padukone and Neil Nitin Mukesh showcase all the masala, and yet it doesn't become too much for the palate to take. A film jis mein emotion bhi hai d-rrrama bhi hai t-rrragedy bhi hai (a popular dialogue from Sholay which translates to has emotion, drama, tragedy) and comedy and action too - and all in good portions.
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Ext. Reviews

48 reviewers have given Lafangey Parindey an average rating of 2.2/5.0 - 15 thumbs up, 20 thumbs down, and 13 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs down by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...would unsettle even the most patient cobra.... full review

Thumbs down by Magik , Passion for Cinema ...What could spoil a movie that has Neil Nitin Mukesh playing a Tilakwadi ka chhapri? Does he even belong there?... full review

Thumbs down by Faiz Ullah, DearCinema ...Pinky on the other hand is slightly more fascinating. She’s doesn’t give us any evidence as to how good a dancer for she’s never done with delivering her share of glib lines. ... full review

So-So by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA ...Pinky on the other hand is slightly more fascinating. She’s doesn’t give us any evidence as to how good a dancer for she’s never done with delivering her share of glib lines. ... full review

Thumbs down by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice ...if you are intentionally trying to adopt a style that’s not naturally yours, like stepping into a pair of sneakers that don’t fit you right, you are sure to fall with your face to the ground.... full review

So-So by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...And yet, despite the fussiness of his filmmaking, we remain engaged, for a while, by the simple fact that there’s more to this love story than just the mechanics of boy (Nandu) and girl (Pinky, played by Deepika Padukone) getting together... full review

Thumbs down by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...LAFANGEY PARINDEY proves to be the weakest film of its entire star-cast and the director, except KK and Piyush Mishra (who ironically have only few scenes in the movie)... full review

Thumbs up by Prathna Tiwari, Bolly Spice ...There is no doubt that thirty minutes into Lafangey Parindey you make up your mind that Sarkar has stepped up with this one and although not flawless it will be a major improvement to the rather disastrous Laga Chunari Mein Daag... full review

So-So by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...Even if he tries very hard to get into the skin of the character, you just can't connect with him since the suave and dashing demeanor makes him look like a Harvard returned, not someone from the streets or wadis of Mumbai definitely. ... full review

Thumbs up Bollywood Mantra ...The USP of the film is that Pradeep Sarkar has told the story in simple way.... full review

Thumbs down by Jenifer Hopfinger, The Bollywood Ticket ...The Yash Raj world is a rosy place—the colors are brighter, life more festive, and the people more charming than they are in reality... full review

So-So by Akshay Rane, BookmyShow ...Pradeep Sarkar is a master at storytelling but the writer has let down the director.... full review

Thumbs down by Rajeev Masand , IBN Live ...Of the leads, Neil Nitin Mukesh approaches his part earnestly, and throws himself into the film's bloody fight scenes with as much intensity as he can muster.... full review

Thumbs down by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online ...The first wrong step YRF took under the Vipreetabudhdhi influence was signing up Pradeep Sarkar to direct the film. ... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah ...But, there is hardly any drama, little build-up and no surprises.... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...because the narrative stays firmly rooted in the superficiality of popular cinema of the once entertaining (now just horribly repetitive) Yashraj brand, their trials and troubles too lack the weight of any significance... full review

So-So by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com ...While Deepika does a fine job of convincing us that Pinky's gutsy enough to not let a cruel twist of fate throw water on the fire in her belly, it's tough to imagine what keeps happening on screen.... full review

So-So by http://www.glamsham.com/movies/reviews/20-lafangey, Glamsham.com ...the exciting training sequences between Nandu and Pinky are the film's highlight. The chemistry between the lead pair is excellent here. ... full review

So-So by Aakash Barvalia, Gomolo.in ...Deepika as a blind has given a proper justice to her role... full review

Thumbs down by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...With few references pointed to the real, cramped ghettos of Mumbai allow for huge dance floors and gymnasiums... full review

Thumbs down by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...I do have a problem with a film that is so self consciously set in a chawl. From Deepika Padukone's rosebud lips spewing the foulest language to Neil Nitin Mukesh's Anglicised Marathi, it grates... full review

Thumbs down by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when it becomes clear that this lurid, steroidal 'masala entertainer' is certifiably insane (or at least a lot funnier than it means to be), but it's pretty early on... full review

Thumbs up Indiaglitz ...Dialouges by Gopi Puthran are punchy and well written with typical Mumbaiya lingo.... full review

So-So by Amrita Rangan, Indiequill ...Somewhere in the background is a real movie about petty crime and stunted ambition... full review

Thumbs up by Renuka Vyavahare, indiatimes ...Deepika Padukone is an apt choice for Pinky Palkar.... full review

Thumbs down by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...Even if he feared retaliation, the audience should’ve been shown his dilemma.... full review

Thumbs down by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...The screenplay has many unnecessary scenes, meant only to convey that the couple are falling in love.... full review

So-So by Sarita Tanwar , MiD DAY ...Although it is about a girl who believes she is the best skater in the world, her acts on the stage are just about good. They needed to be breathtaking... full review

So-So Movie Talkies ... One of the very good things about this film is that the director manages to keep things simple and sticks to his trajectory, without shooting aimlessly.... full review

Thumbs up by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV ...Not everything that Lafangey Parindey delivers is likely to strike the audience as convincing, but on the whole the impact of this effervescent entertainer is pretty rounded... full review

Thumbs up by http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayReview.php?i, Planet Bollywood ...thanks to the Director of Photography N. Naratarajan Subramanium who has done a fantastic job of painting the storyboard to life... full review

Thumbs up by Subhash K. Jha, Now Running.com ...The above is one of the many finely-written and worded sequences in this film suffused with a delicate charm and infinite wisdom. ... full review

Thumbs up real bollywoood ...Pradeep Sarkar should be commended for opting for a completely different genre to the female oriented subjects he has been adept at... full review

Thumbs down by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...If last week’s “Peepli (Live)” was the best cast film of 2010, this one is definitely a candidate for worst cast ever... full review

Thumbs down by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...Sarkar's departure from kerchief capers Parineeta, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is a sleekly-packaged potboiler with abundant implausibility that wowed us in the 1980s but commands very little respect today... full review

Thumbs up by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...The characterisation is a tad wonky. You don’t quite get Nandu’s character who enjoys the fighting, is obviously drawn to the world of crime, and yet agrees to the prospect of dancing all too easily. ... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare ...Deepika as the spunky Pinky is fabulous. She gives it the right ‘namak’ and you are happy to see a non-simpering normal Hindi film heroine.... full review

Thumbs up by Blessy Chettiar, DNA ... He looks great in every frame and carries off Nandu’s rugged demeanour with panache... full review

Thumbs up by Aniruddha Guha, DNA ...The dialogues, by Puthran, are entertaining.... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...Swanand Kirkire's lyrics "Mann lafanga bada/Apne mann ki kare" besides the peppy "Dhatad tatad" number gel well with the story... full review

Thumbs up by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...I expected LP to be a gangster caper but at its heart, it is an endearing tale about love, friendship, and redemption and it is very simple and straight-forward.... full review

Thumbs down by K K Rai, STARDUST ...Even the dialogues seem meaningless and tasteless. ... full review

Thumbs up by vodkasverdict, Sulekha ...Though being very simple in plot, the story encounters numerous drawbacks which go easy on viewers due to it’s short 120 min duration.... full review

So-So by Friday Freak, The Friday Freak ...the movie is a mishmash of several crime and love movies that you might have seen recently.... full review

So-So by Pratim D. Gupta, The Telegraph ...flies high till the interval before India’s Got Talent raises its ugly in-film-advertising head.... full review

So-So by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...There is an overriding sense of deja vu that overcomes you as you watch the cliche-ridden script unfold in a predictable fashion... full review

Thumbs down by TheThirdMan, Upper Stall ...Neil and Deepika are better than what they usually are, but which is also not saying much. The effort in their lingo shows.... full review

Thumbs down by Spicezee Bureau , ZEENEWS.COM ...sheer hype which ends in a whimper... full review

Lafangey Parindey - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Lead Cast: Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh
Supporting Cast: Manish Chaudhari, Piyush Mishra, Viraj Adhav, Manish Chaudhari, Namit Das, Viraj Adhav, Vinay Sharma, Namit Das, Palomi, Vinay Sharma, Amey Pandya, Palomi, Amey Pandya, Piyush Mishra
Story: Gopi Puthran
Screenplay: Gopi Puthran
Dir. of Photography: N. Natarajan Subramanium
Editor: Sanjib Datta
Background Score: Zubin Balaporia
Action Choreography: Sham Kaushal
Choreography: Bosco, Caesar, Sandro Guerra
Music Director: R Anandh
Lyrics: Swananda Kirkire
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories:
Genres: Romance, Action

Aashayein - Preview

meetu — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:51:45 +0530

Aashayein - Preview

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale)

Preview

Review

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Nagesh Kukunoor and John Abraham - 3-4 years ago, these two names would be most unlikely to be found together in one sentence, let alone in one film's credits. John Abraham carried the image of a hunk. But, a glance through some of the titles he is associated with in these years, and I realized just how wrong that image is. It is no surprise now, that he appear in a Nagesh Kukunoor film.

Also, in these years, Nagesh Kukunoor tried a little off-track yet "commercial" stuff and disappointed big time with Bombay to Bangkok and 8x10 Tasveer. And failed miserably at the box off too. Yet, it's very difficult for me to write-off the maker of Teen Deewarien, Iqbal and most importantly Dor. And Aashayein sounds like a deserving candidate too since its being propagated as an emotional film. It also sounds like the entire story revolves around one character, that played by John Abraham, so there is lots of scope for character development. **fingers crossed**

Meanwhile, my respect for John Abraham has multiplied manifold, ever since No Smoking. In fact, even his commercial films, are not the typical ones, there's always something 'different' about them. I understand his choice of films though doesn't make him a good actor. Adjectives like 'furniture', 'brick', 'frozen', etc have been used to describe his acting. And they somewhat hold true even now. He still has that 'model' stance and walk. This reminds me of this discussion with my husband about the next big "star" in Hindi films some 4-5 years ago.

He: mark my words, John Abraham will be the next big thing.
Me: I hope not!

Today I'm willing to eat my words, just because he lends his names to projects other "stars" might not easily do. Also, he comes across as a very sincere person in his interviews. For instance, for Aashayein even dumb sentences like "This film is special for me", "This is my most challenging role" sound less fake than otherwise. Because along with those inane lines, he makes the right noises -

Conforming isn't my cup of tea. How boring is life if you conform. And how dull life would be if all I did was chase success. Sure, I want it. But I also want to take the untrodden path. It's the deviations that make my life exciting. Some of what I did last year might not have worked. But the fact that there was debate about them was enough for me. At least the kind of films I do make people curious.

Along with my selfish motivation of watching a good film from and wishing well for one of the directors I like, I really hope this film which was ready for release 2 years ago, doesn't suffer from the jaded look 'stuck' and 'on-hold' films suffer from. Fortunately, the beginning is right, the music still sounds reasonably fresh.

Milliblog - "Shiraz-Pritam triumph in Salim-Suleiman territory."

Hindustan Times - "A decent album that has much potential."

Music Loud - "8/10"

Filmfare - "The other problem with the OST is that it’s full of ‘sad’ numbers"

Glamsham - "AASHAYEIN is a well-etched compilation of Indi-pop flavored soundtracks with quality singing talents from big-names in the business."

Sounds like this will be enough till release time - August 27, 2010. Till then,

Aashayein - Movie Details

Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Lead Cast: John Abraham, Sonal Sehgal, Prateeksha Lonkar
Supporting Cast: Farida Jalal, Ashwin Chitale, Sonali Sachdev, Sharad Wagh, Anaitha Nair, Girish Karnad, Vikram Inamdar
Story: Nagesh Kukunoor
Dir. of Photography: Sudeep Chaterjee
Editor: Apurva Asrani
Music Director: Shiraz Ahmed, Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Sameer, Kumaar, Shakeel Sohail, Mir Ali Hussain
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Philosophy

Lafangey Parindey - Review

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:50:31 +0530

Lafangey Parindey - Review

Wogma Review

Rating: The keen must watch on screen; else DVD (rating scale)

Preview

Review

Notepad

Ext. Reviews

by meetu | 13 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

Sincere aplogies. To the writer, director, and actors for being so apprehensive about Lafangey Parindey. I made some promo-based assumptions that were completely off. And boy, am I glad!! It can be argued that I liked the film because my theories were thrown out of the window. What's done is done. I came out of the theater shaking my head in disapproval at the climax but with a generally happy feeling. And that's how the score stands.

Lafangey Parindey is of course, a to-the-core love story. And there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about the one-line plot anyone would use to describe it. The climax is a forgone conclusion. Also like any of the basic seven stories that exist in the world, it’s how the characters get where they are, their ups and downs that matter. Lafangey Parindey engaged and made me care for the protagonists. In fact, even a couple of side characters (Nina and Faizal) got me interested.

Lafangey Parindey is a fairytale with the appropriate dose of villains, witches and simplified-real-life in their own little world. The main characters have shades of grey, which make them a little more interesting than your commonplace Jack and Jill. The villain is not all out bad but he doesn't go all-out soft either.

Each of the characters get what I call, "presence of mind" dialogues - natural, use everyday language, have common-man wit in lieu of filmy-wit. Like some sudden but expected character-transitions are masked under a smart line or two - like a mom who doesn't believe in her daughter's aspirations suddenly calls her daughter phataakaa when she's successful.

Some of the details in the writing give a nice touch to the second layer of the film. With an overt statement that each character has a person to look up to who they aspire to be like, there is a covert line pointing to the fact that none of the "role models" remain the person they used to be. It's disheartening then that the climax is a major let-down. The signs do start showing post-interval, but the nosedive into blah in the last 15-minutes came as a shocker. Or was it their way of catching us off-guard :)? What was with the sudden rush to wrap it up?

Anyway, the characters engage you and that's where the film connects with you. Our hero, Nandu is played by Neil Nitin Mukesh, who could easily have passed off for a 'chocolate boy.' But, the writers recognize that this grown-up audience now needs their filmi heroes to be more than that. So, this once, the Mumbai milieu is chosen to add to Nandu's character and make him more palatable (too-sweet leads to diabetics after). And it sort-of, kind-of works. Neil has a range of expressions, which he does really well - confusion, awe, guilt, when he's keeping a secret, and a few more. Outside of this though, his face is frozen. His body doesn't move much anyways.

Also, this range fits in Nandu's character - he's a hunk from the slums, who uses his muscle for an adrenaline rush and makes some money off that too. He hasn't given his future a thought, but can go from being a boxing fighter to a bar bouncer to what his girlfriend wants him to be, apparently very swiftly. Don't get me wrong, this is not entirely illogical, or out-of -the-blue. It is gradual, and an attempt is made to indicate motivation, albeit not entirely convincing.

Under the 'not entirely convincing' headline will also be a 'Deepika Padukone in the tapori-world. Like I mentioned in the preview, the tight backbone, the long mane, the stance in general give away that she's not really a girl who lives a lousy life. But she makes up for, or let's make that - tries to make up for that with her attitude.

Her character is a strong girl who won't take 'no' for an answer even from the Almighty. Yep! A proper mainstream movie made by an ad-film maker for a leading production house has a beefy role for the lead-lady. She has her entire range of ups and downs too.

I wouldn't have imagined Deepika-Neil as a pair. Somehow, together they look like what aunties at weddings might choose to say about the marrying couple, "He doesn't suit her" or vice versa. But, mainly because of Deepika's performance, they seem connected and you want them to be with each other and live happily ever after.

The side characters are a mix. You have Kay Kay Menon entering and exiting his role as if he owns the place - the hero's self-appointed caretaker (His make-up is also awesome.) And you have the unbelievable heroine's brother with no soul and mind. Also, the second half unnecessarily shows a couple of caricatured characters.

The frames and the way they are edited make Lafangey Parindey look really slick. The music is contemporary and likable. The songs are choreographed with soul and are not the regular 1-2-3 jerks. The action, especially the bike-thrills spell - DO NOT TRY AT HOME. And the story in general is also, "NOT TRIED AT HOME" because the real world doesn't work this way. But along with the laugh-out-loud moments there is a warm, very human story inside.

So, then just like it might be considered non-conforming to dislike the new wave cinema will it be considered out-of-fashion to like Lafangey Parindey for what it is?

Ps. is it a criminal offence to have a hero wearing sunglasses that are not RayBan? #JustAsking

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Lots of boxing fights with a reasonably gory display of blood. A gun fight and a few slaps too.
Language: Clean albeit the Bambaiyya kind.
Nudity & Sexual content: One liplock.
Concept: That of guilt and love.
General Look and Feel: It's not overly bright and not dull or boring either. Interspersed at regular intervals with action and songs.

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 3.5
Story: 3.5
Lead Actors: 4
Character Artists: 4

Dialogues: 4
Screenplay: 4
Music Director: 4
Lyrics: 3.5

Lafangey Parindey - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Lead Cast: Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh
Supporting Cast: Manish Chaudhari, Piyush Mishra, Viraj Adhav, Manish Chaudhari, Namit Das, Viraj Adhav, Vinay Sharma, Namit Das, Palomi, Vinay Sharma, Amey Pandya, Palomi, Amey Pandya, Piyush Mishra
Story: Gopi Puthran
Screenplay: Gopi Puthran
Dir. of Photography: N. Natarajan Subramanium
Editor: Sanjib Datta
Background Score: Zubin Balaporia
Action Choreography: Sham Kaushal
Choreography: Bosco, Caesar, Sandro Guerra
Music Director: R Anandh
Lyrics: Swananda Kirkire
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories:
Genres: Romance, Action

Peepli Live - 47 yays, 0 nays, 5 okays

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:49:24 +0530

Peepli Live - 47 yays, 0 nays, 5 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch for sure, preferably in theatre (rating scale)

Peepli Live is pitch black humor - beginning, middle, and end. This Aamir Khan production obviously laughs at everything in the system. Peepli Live slyly laughs at you and me, the audience who finds such a dark world funny. 'Farmer suicides' is not the only issue that Anshu Rizvi, the writer is referring to. Peepli Live points a finger at things far beyond and the irreparable(?) fault deep down in the crux.
Read Full Review »

Review

Notepad

Ext. Reviews

52 reviewers have given Peepli Live an average rating of 4.8/5.0 - 47 thumbs up, 0 thumbs down, and 5 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up by Padmaja Thakore, Passion for Cinema ...It is refreshing to see a real village for once in Bollywood cinema – not the ‘specializing in mustard fields’ variety, not the suspiciously clean cricket-playing variety, not the ‘designer backless-choli’ variety, but one that looks very real in its dung-cakes covered splendor.... full review

Thumbs up by Magik, Passion for Cinema ...It doesn’t ‘Rann‘ it down outright, but it shows, albeit in a humorous way at lengths the media guys have to go to, to keep the chulha burning & the best part is that it also tells us that not everyone in the media is a pimp... full review

Thumbs up by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review ...ne cannot escape from the fact that her journalistic background may have paved the way at the harsh yet comical criticism of the media in general... full review

Thumbs up by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...It’s because of such pitfalls that Rizvi’s gaon-garibinama doesn’t rise to the level of a thoroughly great piece of cinema. ... full review

Thumbs up by Faiz Ullah, DearCinema ...it’s neither didactic nor boring. It’s, in fact, entertaining and sensitive in equal measures... full review

Thumbs up by Sanskriti Media, AOL INDIA ...The censor board seems to have been lenient with the movie considering they've let go of the swear words and rustic language of the central provinces which has been used liberally in the film... full review

Thumbs up by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, naachgaana.com ...Every actor pitches in a fine performance but Raghuvir Yadav, Malaika Shenoy and Farrukh Jaffer stand out.... full review

So-So by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...as the movie ended, I just realized that Aamir and his director Anusha, had basically used this relevant theme in a comic style only for their own gains and they were actually least concerned over the seriousness of the issue in the villages.... full review

Thumbs up by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice ...Indian Ocean deserve a special mention for their fusion and of course, Menghai Daiyan is 'the' song of the film... full review

Thumbs up by Akshay Rane, BookmyShow ...Several scenes stand out in the movie: like the one when a Government official hands over ‘Lal Bahadur’to Natha and Dudhia... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...no point does the film gets preachy or starts offering solutions to the grave issue... full review

Thumbs up by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra ...The music is raw, folk based and sounds good.... full review

Thumbs up by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...director displays solid confidence while handling the media swoop-down on Natha... full review

Thumbs up by Jitaditya, Cinemaa Online ...nice, slice of life touches... full review

Thumbs up by Unnati Narang, Daily Latest News ...Like all good works of art, Peepli live offers Indian cinema some food for thought... full review

Thumbs up by Kriti Pandey, Daily Latest News ...he doesn’t miss out on his moral responsibilities towards the nation and its people. Read more: http://www.dailylatestnews.com/2010/08/10/peepli-live-review-mocking-satire-political-media-savvy-india-027487#ixzz0wqqWMXtW ... full review

Thumbs up by Kshitij Mehta , J.A.M ...Crisp and to the point, it works. ... full review

Thumbs up by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions ...Rizvi’s dialogue is sharp, Shankar Raman’s visuals adequately shorn of glamour, the characters look and speak like the people they play... full review

So-So by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare ...If you’ve seen the film’s trailers, you’ve already seen all the jokes and funny lines. There is nothing more in the final film, at least in terms of comedy... full review

Thumbs up filmi cafe ...Her biggest ace is her black humour laced script that successfully packs in all the rot in our system ... full review

Thumbs up by Samrat Sharma, fullhyd.com ...For a film about death, Peepli is fascinated with life, and everyone chooses to fill it with their own focus, forgetting to actually step out of the cocoon and see it for what it is... full review

Thumbs up by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ...The climax is a high-point of the film which elucidates the rural-urban divide. ... full review

Thumbs up by Subhashis Biswas, Gomolo.in ...Peepli Live is about how pathetic lives can look of one-self if you look at the bigger picture. ... full review

Thumbs up by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...India’s mass media, whether in the ridiculousness of Hindi television, or even excitable super-stars of English news, leave little scope for parody. The risk involves spoofing a spoof itself... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...But because Rizvi is such an acute observer. From the constantly working women to the men who are either smoking chillum or gossiping under a tree or eating eggs, she brings every stereotype of the village come alive.... full review

Thumbs up by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...Natha's predicament is itself worth the price of admission - around him orbit a dysfunctional bunch of relatives and advisors remarkable for being just as stupid, lazy and/or scheming as their counterparts in the government and in TV stations... full review

Thumbs up Indiaglitz ...The movie boost with the sort of intelligent wit and bracing nastiness of the government, politicians, media and ends up as a smart, sophisticated, original film.... full review

Thumbs up by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...Rizvi’s storytelling is very straightforward in the first half but the narrative picks up pace and graph in the second half... full review

Thumbs up by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...Nothing’s really bad but the ladies and family audience might not like the liberal use of four-letter words by the characters... full review

Thumbs up by Snehal Khandkar, MH-31 Fun Unlimited ...The music by Indian Ocean has the rustic flavour, which behoves the simplicity of the folks in the movie... full review

Thumbs up by dunkdaft, Dunkdaft ...Malaika Shenoy is really good as reporter Nandita - who is doing her job against her will, just because of need to increase TRP of her channel... full review

So-So by Vivek Syania, Express-oholic ...Though tightly edited, this script failed to engage in most of its second half. ... full review

Thumbs up by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...There are no lead characters or apparent heroes in the film. It’s about a wretched, impoverished farmer, Natha, but the media is a character in itself.... full review

Thumbs up by Nishant Mehta, The Tossed Salad ...The execution of the transitions from cine cameras to the news cameras is done beautifully... full review

Thumbs up by Ajeet Bharti, merinews ...Music of the cinema is just awesome with some rustic, satirical and deep hitting words... full review

Thumbs up by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY ...you keep waiting for the twist that never comes... full review

Thumbs up Movie Talkies ...While Shanker Raman's cinematography is as realistic and true to narrative as possible, it also imparts a certain rural texture that draws you into the world of Natha ... full review

Thumbs up by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV ... This coldness is best captured in the nonchalant refrain of the natty agriculture secretary: "we must wait for the court's order."... full review

Thumbs up by Arpana, IANS, Now Running.com ...It seems the film is her attempt to enlighten viewers about the social dilemma that our country is facing and her experience as a journalist is quite visible in her storytelling.... full review

Thumbs up by Abhijit Mhamunkar, real bollywoood ...Anusha scores high in her casting as her actors lend tremendous authenticity to the plot.... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...Farrukh Zaffer as Natha's venom-spewing mom is a firebrand. I'd love to see more of her.... full review

Thumbs up by Sudarshana Dwivedi, Rediff ...We, as a nation, lack the ability to laugh at ourselves. Peepli [Live] not only does so but does it with a healthy irreverence. Hope it gets appreciated.... full review

Thumbs up by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...It will be your loss if you do miss out on these small details because this film thrives on subtlety — something we aren’t too used to as viewers.... full review

Thumbs up Mixed Bag ... I have no doubts about the fact that the movie has been brilliantly made; however, the ending seemed to be like one of those Priyadarshan's movies - utter confusion - jumping to an immature end.... full review

So-So by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...What unfolds is a tale that’s immersing, entertaining, topical, yes; but not all that insightful. ... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...The movie is worth watching as it's based on a widely discussed and a topical subject. ... full review

So-So by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...After a while, the media and political circus becomes repetitive and the second half meanders periodically... full review

Thumbs up by K K Rai, STARDUST ... Shalini Vatsa, who plays the part of Natha’s wife Dhania, comes out with a natural performance. Her constant squabbles with mother –in-law Farrukh Jaffer enliven the otherwise staid environment of the house.... full review

Thumbs up by Pratim D. Gupta, The Telegraph ...With her Naya Theatre background, the Habib Tanvir-mentored Anusha Rizvi brings a very different zing to the screen with her storytelling.... full review

Thumbs up by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...we get to savour this delightful scene where the caretakers of the Indian state try to prevent Natha's suicide by gifting him a `Lal Bahadur' (read hand pump)... full review

Thumbs up by Fakir Hassen, TONIGHT ...a simple yet well-crafted tale that has no boring moment in it... full review

Thumbs up by filmbear, Upper Stall ...Perhaps it is the fact that below its insouciant exterior are deep, dark recesses that are home to painful truths we are privy to... full review

Peepli Live - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd, UTV Motion Pictures
Producer: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwwala
Director: Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui
Lead Cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuvir Yadav, Farukh Jaffer, Shalini Vatsa
Supporting Cast: Jugal Kishore, Naseeruddin Shah, Parul, Golu, Deven, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vishal O Sharma, Malaika Shenoy, Sitaram Panchal
Story: Anusha Rizvi
Screenplay: Anusha Rizvi
Dir. of Photography: Shanker Raman
Editor: Hemanti Sarkar
Action Choreography: Javed Eijaz
Music Director: Brij Mandal, Nageen Tanvir, Ram Sampat, Indian Ocean, Bhadwai Musicians
Lyrics: Gangaram Sakhet, Sanjeev Sharma, Swananda Kirkire, Brij Mandal, Bhadwai Musicians, Noon Meem Rashed
Running time: 100 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Social, Noir, Dark Comedy, Politics, Satire

Aisha - 9 yays, 19 nays, 25 okays

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:48:18 +0530

Aisha - 9 yays, 19 nays, 25 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale) - chick-flick warning

Aisha has clueless characters breathing fresh air. Sonam Kapoor and Ira Dubey, try to carry this 'by women, for women' film, though it suffers from too plain a story. Director, Rajeshree Ojha has decent intentions but Aisha fumbles and stumbles downhill.
Read Full Review »

Preview

Review

Ext. Reviews

53 reviewers have given Aisha an average rating of 2.0/5.0 - 9 thumbs up, 19 thumbs down, and 25 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs down by Padmaja Thakore, Passion for Cinema ...Lest one thinks Aisha doesn’t do anything meaningful, she sketches.... full review

So-So by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...Seriously don’t expect any resonances of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel though. ... full review

Thumbs down by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review ...he rest of the supporting cast are quite the caricature, offering not much depth as they either pander around or loathe Aisha's presence... full review

Thumbs up by Amodini, Amodini's Movie Reviews ...Amit Trivedi produces an amazing soundtrack for this film.... full review

Thumbs down by Sanskriti Media, AOL INDIA ...All throughout the movie, Sonam plays the cupid in a cute manner. She looks beautiful, but her expressions remain static.... full review

So-So by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice ...The track between Arjun and Aarti (Abhay and Lisa) and Aisha and Dhruv (Sonam and Arunoday) isn’t as perky as could have been and the jealousy pangs that the two lead stars get out of it aren’t really plausible... full review

So-So by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...With her girlish giggle and the lightest of lisps, Sonam floats around like a perennially giddy schoolchild – and Rajshree Ojha, the director, makes good use of this quality by quite literally reducing Emma/Aisha to a child.... full review

So-So by Pooja Rao, Bolly Spice ...Yet, before you howl Aaaa-Eeeee-sshhhh, pairs switch places at the speed of rising inflation. Is this a new-age take on musical chairs?... full review

So-So by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...post intermission it loses the pace and one seriously misses all those witty or comic relief moments... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...The film runs a little longer [although the running time is 2 hours] and gets painfully slow in some portions... full review

So-So by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra ...The movie is very high on style but low on feeling.... full review

So-So by Dhriti Gulvadi, BookmyShow ...Though several parts of Aisha were filmed almost to perfection, Abhay Deol and Sonam Kapoor could have put in a little more effort in their performances.... full review

Thumbs down by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...A mish-mash of Clueless and the risqué American TV show Gossip Girl, this film unfortunately lacks the wit of the former and the edginess of the latter.... full review

Thumbs down by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online ...They take off on random rafting trips; they both take long leaves to celebrate a new arrival in the family of Arjun’s brother and even when they’re in office, they hardly look like they’re working.... full review

So-So by Amrita Ranjan, Indiequill ...If you haven’t already got Abhay Fever, this is a movie that might just infect you.... full review

Thumbs up desi hits ...There are scenes that could have been cut out and the movie still would have been coherent and fun... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions ...Because the film tries to be light and all pretty looking, it misses having any emotional connect with the audience, except perhaps teenage girls who are busy admiring the clothes and accessories... full review

Thumbs up by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions ...Prerna Querishi and Kunal Rawal make everyone look so fabulous (and it is a treat to see the beautiful Anuradha Patel as Aisha's aunt) and the production design by Shruti Gupte is brilliant.... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Abhay Deol seems unclear about his exact role in the proceedings and that's entirely the writer's problem... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare ...everything looks so intrinsically chic and perfect, right down to Aisha’s gardening pants... full review

So-So by Guneet Wadera, filmi cafe ...In this picture perfect tale of high-class artificial, superficial and synthetic Delhi where the film oddly enough makes a mark is in the real moments wherein all the hoo-ha is muted... full review

So-So by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com ...it is really the interplay among the rest of the characters that gives this film its direction... full review

Thumbs down by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ...he Arjun-Shefali track is absurd. As much as it's unclear how and why they fall in love (or do they at all?), their break up is equally ambiguous.... full review

Thumbs down by Aakash Barvalia, Gomolo.in ...this confusion was very predictable to the audiences just after 15mins of the start of the movie, and so finally it was much essential for the audiences to buy a Popcorn basket for them.... full review

Thumbs down by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...as the camera constantly closes in to capture detailed shots of pencil stilettos, Ferragamo signage at stores, and L'Oreal’s nail polish of obvious shades, I suppose, female ‘aspiration’ – that confused term from marketing – is adequately fulfilled... full review

So-So by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...Ira Dubel as Pinky Bose is the pick of the lot, a caustic as she is unfailingly chic.... full review

So-So by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...The result is glossy entertainment value, though a long way from art.... full review

So-So Glamsham.com ...Diego Rodriguez’s cinematography is eye pleasing. Some nice scenery and the scenes where Abhay and Sonam suffer from jealousy are neatly done.... full review

So-So by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...With her feminine perspective, the lady director adds a youthful zing to the female bonding, packaging the film with the requisite glitz and glamour.... full review

Thumbs down by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...Devika’s screenplay is so loose and scattered that you are convinced, she couldn’t have been serious about her work... full review

Thumbs down by Kaushik Chatterji, No Quarters ...Aisha is a joy to watch on a select few occasions, a pain on most others and absolutely cringe-worthy at some of the most crucial junctures... full review

Thumbs down by Sujoy, OneKnightStands.net ...Its always fun to take the piss out of movies which make you realise about the two hours of your life that you’ll never get back... full review

So-So by Lidia Ostepeev , Planet Bollywood ...These traits do not receive ample treatment because the film is busy promoting Sonam in the role of Aisha as charm incarnate. There is simply no room for another to share the platform... full review

So-So by Raghav Ramaiah , Talking Popcorns ...Careless writing and uninteresting screenplay pulls Aisha straight down. But that does not make Aisha completely unwatchable.... full review

So-So by Naman Saraiya, The Tossed Salad ...The first half makes it worth all the money you spend on the tickets and popcorn – but the second half will help you sleep over the trauma of how you did spend that money... full review

So-So V Love Movies ...It’s plain to the viewer that Randhir’s heart is set on our intrepid heroine, but Aisha remains blissfully unaware, seeing instead the potential for Randhir and Shefali to make a cute couple... full review

So-So Mixed Bag ...Sonam Kapoor was effortless on screen packed with oodles of girly-ness and ‘rich’ innocence.... full review

Thumbs down by Sanjukta Sharma , Live Mint ...The story is foolproof film material, adaptable to any culture and any age. Even so, Ojha and her team manage a plastic, glossy dud of a film that has no memorable scenes or dialogues or visual beauty.... full review

Thumbs down by Tushar Joshi , MiD DAY ...It's not the material, but the way it's treated that takes away all the fun from the film.... full review

Thumbs down Movie Talkies ...is dull even in its look due to the extremely weak cinematography and poor lighting by the DOP.... full review

So-So by IANS, NDTV ...Aisha is a two-hour celebration of pre-nuptial rituals... full review

So-So by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com ...The emotions, although later towards the second half, works. Abhay and Sonam have limited screen space; the film is more about Aisha and her friends than Arjun and her... full review

Thumbs down by Ajit Duara , Open Magazine ...Without missing a beat, the leading lady continues on her cycle of endless ditzy dos, leaving a trail of expensive production values behind her... full review

So-So by Sampurn, real bollywoood ...The problem with Aisha is that it is supposed to be a romantic comedy but it does not draw any emotions from the audience... full review

So-So by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...It's given that this sort of set-up doesn't fit in today's milieu and that is why Aisha's joblessness doesn't make much sense as opposed to Clueless wherein Heckerling justifies and mocks the inactivity by writing her as teenager in high school... full review

So-So by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...even though there are holes in the script, plot points are very badly explained and Sonam Kapoor’s acting hampers the film significantly, it does tell you the story of India’s luxe set, for whom a Chanel bag is an important accessory even when you are roughing it out on the banks of the Ganges in a tent... full review

Thumbs up by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...It’s an entertaining journey, as the characterisation is delightful and you form a connection with each of the film’s players... full review

Thumbs down by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...There is not an iota of innovation or freshness in Aisha.... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...The adaptation of the novel into a story is perfect.... full review

Thumbs up by K K Rai, STARDUST ...Sonam Kapoor, the gorgeous bollywood babe who plays the super rich, snobbish character of Aisha, has given a super performance... full review

So-So by Pratim D. Gupta, The Telegraph ...The credit goes to scriptwriter Devika Bhagat — Bachna Ae Haseeno and Manorama Six Feet Under — for managing to transport the Woodhouses and the Knightleys of 19th century rural England to the Kapoors and the Burmans of today’s Delhi with some degree of conviction... full review

Thumbs up by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...this must be one of the most exquisitely crafted films to sashay down Bollywood's boulevard in the non-action genre... full review

Thumbs down by filmbear, Upper Stall ...Alas, signs of a weak screenplay start emerging as soon as the characters (who've been established by text on screen) start speaking monologues to themselves... full review

Aisha - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Anil Kapoor Films Company, PVR Pictures
Producer: Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Sanjeev Bijli, Ajay Bijli
Director: Rajshree Ojha
Lead Cast: Abhay Deol, Sonam Kapoor
Supporting Cast: M K Raina, Ira Dubey, Masood Akhtar, Cyrus Sahukar, Lisa Haydon, Arunodhay Singh, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Vidhushi Mehra, Sameer Malhotra, Anuradha Patel, Yuri Suri
Story: Based on Emma by Jane Austen
Dialogues: Devika Bhagat, Ritu Bhatia, Manu Rishi
Dir. of Photography: Diego Rodriguez
Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Background Score: Amit Trivedi
Choreography: Ashley Lobo, Terrence Lewis, Firoz, Karan Boolani
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Running time: 130 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Romance, Comedy

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - 34 yays, 5 nays, 12 okays

Swetha Ramakrishnan — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:47:15 +0530

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - 34 yays, 5 nays, 12 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale)

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is based on the underworld scene of the 70s, ruled by Sultan Mirza- A character based on Haji Mastan. It's a film that explores the power that Sultan Mirza holds on all Mumbai, his love story with film actress Rehana and his rise and fall with rebel sidekick, Shoaib, who is modeled on young Dawood Ibrahim.
Read Full Review »

Review

Ext. Reviews

51 reviewers have given Once Upon A Time In Mumbai an average rating of 3.9/5.0 - 34 thumbs up, 5 thumbs down, and 12 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs down by Padmaja Thakore, Passion for Cinema ...Milan Luthria is content with the myth, in fact strengthens it.... full review

Thumbs down by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...In actuality, Madhubala’s sister Sona, has protested against the film, in the capacity of the wife of Haji Mastan. Which is to say that the storyline isn’t an exact replica of the characters etched here, but the references are more than apparent.... full review

Thumbs up by Sethumadhavan, Passion for Cinema ...While Ajay has proven on numerous occasions that he is a wonderful actor and has done a gangster movie like Company, Emran looked like the dark horse to me.... full review

Thumbs up by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review ...Ajay Devgan comes hot off the successful Raajneeti, and his growing screen charisma is never beyond doubt as he chews up each scene he's in... full review

Thumbs up Filmi Tadka ...The costumes reflect vintage fashion comprising elaborate hairdos, Hipster Saris, chandelier earrings for women, or flared trousers, long collar and long hair for men.... full review

Thumbs up by Amodini, Amodini's Movie Reviews .... The story is strong except for a few unfathomable turns, and it is multi-layered bringing in many interesting sub-plots, like that of Rihana’s dwindling filmi fortunes and Shoaib’s patient lover... full review

Thumbs up by Lipika Varma, AOL INDIA ...Ajay...his eyes narrate the depth of the character with great appeal. Kudos to the man!... full review

Thumbs up by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice ...so little violence and yet such simmering, understated intensity that it was hard to take the eyes off the screen... full review

So-So by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...Once Upon A Time is hampered by disappointingly life-size actors grappling with lines meant for mythical (anti)heroes... full review

So-So by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...But all my excitement and expectations were only partly satisfied with few commendable performances in the movie and the rest was nothing great ... full review

So-So by Pooja Rao, Bolly Spice ...f you intend to know more about the prime character references in the film, just turn to the numerous Google pages attributed to them... full review

Thumbs up by Akhlaq, BollyPlus ...how can a review be complete without negatives? But such is the precision of the movie that it is almost impossible to point out negatives... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...a fascinating story that talks of how the mafia came into force for the first time in Mumbai.... full review

Thumbs up by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra ...Powerful script, strong screenplay, electrifying dialogue grips the interest level of the audience. Read more: Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Movie Review | Kangana Ranaut | Ajay Devgan | Prachi Desai http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/movie-review/once-upon-a-time-in-mumbai/#ixzz0wwTAE13p ... full review

So-So by Aditya Mehta, BookmyShow ...In the second half, OUATIM turns into a full-fledged masala flick with the ‘70s look and ‘80s Bollywood treatment... full review

So-So by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah ...Mumbai, the crowded by-lanes of Dongri, the docks and the sleazy cabaret dens of the period come vividly to life.... full review

Thumbs up desi hits ...the action packed movie keeps the viewer on the edge of his and her seat until the very end, but at the same time the middle part could have been cut shorter... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Luthria is spot-on with the art direction, costumes, background score (simply brilliant and one of the high points of the film)... full review

Thumbs down by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions ...The art direction is good and slips only when Kangna Ranaut wears the Breakfast At Tiffany's style Black dress which is 1961 style and not something a star of the seventies would wear... full review

So-So by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare ...Ajay Devgn delivers one of his career’s best and gives his Sultan Mirza the required depth dignity and patience... full review

Thumbs up filmi cafe ...The story is built on the line – “behind the myth is the city’s greatest betrayal story’. The screenplay does not give much importance to the betrayal... full review

Thumbs up by Deepa Garimella , fullhyd.com ...Despite the plot being a little too easy-going and simplistic, and the fact that most of its characters have no logical conclusion, it is fascinating to see the simple-minded character-building... full review

Thumbs up by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ... No matter about the similarity, the bottomline is, it works big time... full review

So-So by Aakash Barvalia, Gomolo.in ...Milan Luthria proved that he is also a good narrator, by saving the audiences for not getting bored till the very end of the movie... full review

Thumbs up by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...Few actors in mainstream films manage a self-assured, under-stated swagger, convey so much silently, sometimes just with their glance and droopy eyes. It’s a camera art. Bachchan perfected it as the ‘angry young man’. Devgn, you can tell, is his fine successor.... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...Yes, yes, with some changes of character here and there it could be Company. It is not, not even because of Devgn's presence.... full review

Thumbs down by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...The saddest thing about Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai is its lame aspiration for grasping the coolness vibes when in fact the film isn't as flippant or slick as it thinks it is... full review

Thumbs up Indiaglitz ...Milan Luthria’s narration is smooth and he gets superb support from the art design of Nitin Chandrakant Desai to paint his vision on the screen... full review

Thumbs up by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...The film presents to you two equally powerful protagonists who are so strongly written charismatic characters that at no point they lose their onscreen heroism... full review

So-So by Prachi Parekh , J.A.M ...depicts Sultan as a righteous guy completely undermining his criminal activities, which gives out a wrong message... full review

Thumbs up by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...OUATIM works for all age groups, for men and women, for cities and towns, for masses and classes.... full review

Thumbs up by Ankit Ojha , Planet Bollywood ...The dialogues are so straightforward that sometimes they may seem artificial, but these dialogues make the movie even more poetic and dramatic, so one could forgive the writer for it... full review

Thumbs up by Raghav Ramaiah , Talking Popcorns ...Milan Luthria's style of story telling is different and is quite evident with Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and we saw that previously with Taxi 9211 too... full review

So-So Mixed Bag ... The slow-paced yet engaging screenplay of Rajat Arora has been beautifully integrated with powerful dialogues which attained better substance due to the dim and eloquent eyes of Ajay Devgun.... full review

Thumbs up by Sanjukta Sharma , Live Mint ...Costumes, such as multicoloured nylon shirts, body-hugging saris and white bell-bottoms, nightclubs shimmering with disco balls and fuchsia wallpapers, and of course, R.D. Burman sounds—the retro groove is tastefully and arduously evoked.... full review

Thumbs up by Sarita Tanwar , MiD DAY ...The one hiccup in this near-perfect script is ... full review

Thumbs up Movie Talkies ...one of the major highlights of the movie is its dialogues. ... full review

Thumbs up by IANS, NDTV ...Maybe we shouldn't give away the plot. Because the plot never gives itself away. It never betrays a phoney intent of purpose.... full review

Thumbs up by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com ...The music by Pritam is one of the best so far this year. 'Pee Loon' is a chartbuster and goes well with the film. ... full review

So-So by Ajit Duara , Open Magazine ...The problem is that the movie is too wistful about the good old days... full review

Thumbs up by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, Seeds and Deeds ...But in an attempt to keep the film easy to comprehend the writer overlooks errors in the screenplay.... full review

Thumbs up by Syed Firdaus Ashraf, Rediff ...Once again, thank you Raja for going on a sabbatical so that I could review this film instead of you.... full review

Thumbs up by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...Written by Rajesh Arora, the film is littered with clever gems which will make you laugh and sit up and take note.... full review

So-So by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...The film falls into another well-known ‘cop-gangster movie’ trap: the unreal (though very arresting and entertaining) dialogue... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...The art director, Chandrakant Desai, equally shares the credit.... full review

Thumbs up by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...For a change, Kangna Ranaut is not playing an unstable and nuerotic woman. She plays a glamorous, happy girl and looks gorgeous in her different avatars. She has a flair for comedy and her chemistry with Ajay is effective. ... full review

Thumbs up by K K Rai, STARDUST ...Though the climax of the story is novel and would be loved by audiences, the second half of the story loses steam midway and it shows in the screenplay.... full review

Thumbs up by Pratim D. Gupta , The Telegraph ...the build-up is smart but loses a lot of the fizz because Emraan’s character is not defined well... full review

Thumbs up Times of India ...Interspersed between this titanic tale of a ganglord and his wannabe are the tender love stories of the two fugitives. ... full review

Thumbs up by Fakir Hassen, TONIGHT ...Both actors deliver superb performances as they go about their relationships with disastrous results. ... full review

So-So by filmbear, Upper Stall ...The film is heavily dependent of the chutzpah of the actors... full review

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Balaji Telefilms
Producer: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor
Director: Milan Luthria
Lead Cast: Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut
Supporting Cast: Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda, Gauahar Khan
Story: Rajat Arora
Screenplay: Rajat Arora
Dialogues: Rajat Arora
Cinematography: Aseem Mishra
Editor: Akiv Ali
Choreography: Raju Khan, Remo D'Souza
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Running time: 135 minutes
Reviewer: Swetha Ramakrishnan
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Action, Social, Crime

Khatta Meetha - 4 yays, 33 nays, 2 okays

Swetha Ramakrishnan — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:47:11 +0530

Khatta Meetha - 4 yays, 33 nays, 2 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (rating scale)

Khatta Meeta is an attempt to portray political satire on the current situation of corruption and dirty politics in the country. The comedy is tasteless, and has no direction and the story serves no purpose.
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Ext. Reviews

39 reviewers have given Khatta Meetha an average rating of 0.6/5.0 - 4 thumbs up, 33 thumbs down, and 2 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs down by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...could well be considered by the Guinness Book of Records for the LOUDEST movie ever ... full review

So-So Filmi Tadka ...South actor Trisha Krishnan is a big let down and the only contribution she makes to her character is to wear some glamorous clothes in some scenes.... full review

Thumbs down by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA ...The dialogues are good but that cannot help a failing screenplay.... full review

Thumbs down by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice ...the story keeps veering from one plot-hole to another without ever getting anywhere... full review

Thumbs down by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...It’s easier to dismiss a movie that doesn’t work if it just wants to be a no-brainer comedy. It isn’t as easy to look away when it actually wants to be about something... full review

Thumbs up by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...Interestingly the initial half an hour of the movie is pretty good which introduces every character in a fine way and you start liking the new background of government contractors and builders. ... full review

Thumbs down by Prarthna Tiwari, Bolly Spice ...once brought deep into the serious issues you're dragged out for mindless comedy portion which don't grab your attention and simply frustrate you as you know more important matter are yet to be solved... full review

Thumbs up by Akhlaq, BollyPlus ...Direction is top-notch; Priyadarshan is in full form after quite a while. The crude and in-your-face treatment works big time.... full review

Thumbs down by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...it's the writing -- sorry, the absence of it -- that makes matters worse. The beginning is good, the middle falters and the end is exasperating... full review

Thumbs down by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra ...screenplay is very monotonous... full review

Thumbs down by Aditya Mehta, BookmyShow ...That Akshay Kumar isn’t the most versatile actor around becomes even more obvious as he hams his way ... full review

Thumbs down by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...a seriously schizophrenic film... full review

Thumbs down by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online ...While he goes on a Lovesick-Gandhian-Corrupt-Vitriolic-Lovesick trajectory chronologically, she goes on a Lovesick-Pragmatic-Paragon of righteousness-Suicidal-Lovesick one... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Galhot, cinemaah ...script fans out into dozens of directions and just never reaches anywhere... full review

Thumbs down desi hits ...Akshay Kumar is and always will be a good actor... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Johnny Lever, who grates on the nerves just like the road-roller he's been summoned to repair... full review

Thumbs down filmi cafe ...Trisha (in a dubbed voice) makes an average debut but the blame goes to makers for casting her in a role of a Muncipal Commissioner. She appears too young for it.... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com ...Among the film's strengths is an unmistakable middle-class air, that keeps the characters and situations identifiable, especially the whole oppressive bureaucracy bi... full review

Thumbs down by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ...It has the right intent but offers nothing which we haven't seen... full review

Thumbs up by Somak Basu, Gomolo.in ...Khatta Meetha is a brave and honest attempt on the politics behind road construction and pool projects in our country... full review

Thumbs down by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...he should be able to re-structure footage, re-edit his past Hindi films as well, and release them over again with different titles. They all feel the same... full review

Thumbs down by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...a former Gandhian (albeit in V-necked T-shirts saying Rebel in a flashback that shows him in college), and now a corrupt road contractor... full review

Thumbs down by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...Akshay is a comedian with talent who rarely uses it for anything worthwhile, and in 'Khatta Meetha' he makes a halfhearted, paycheck-collecting effort that's actually in perfect keeping with the rest of the movie's tired, recycled tone... full review

Thumbs down Indiaglitz ...Technically smart with excellent production values.... full review

Thumbs down by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...Suddenly when the director realizes that too much time has been exhausted in conveying too little, the screenplay is conveniently rushed. ... full review

Thumbs down by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...while the upright father is shown to be constantly making snide remarks about Sachin, he never resents what his elder son and the two sons-in-law do!... full review

Thumbs down by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...Plot twists such as this and others, meant just to propel the story further and without any logic, add to the length of the film—more than 3 hours... full review

Thumbs down by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY ...Akshay Kumar is the film's only saving grace -- it's his impeccable comic timing and screen presence that holds it together... full review

Thumbs down Movie Talkies ...The first half of the movie sees Priyadarshan in great form. ... full review

Thumbs down by IANS, NDTV ...Here the clutter and the clamour just make you feel the director needed to respect his own tone of sobriety in this longish tickling treatise on malpractices in the middle class.... full review

Thumbs down by Ashok Nayak, Now Running.com ...Asrani, Rajpal Yadav scream - screech their lungs out.... full review

Thumbs down by Ajit Duara, Open Magazine ...Akshay Kumar is a difficult actor to watch at the best of times.... full review

Thumbs down by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...There are times when Tichkule's rant feels timely and relatable.... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...the movie fails in basing it on a worthwhile story... full review

Thumbs down by Anil Merani, StarBoxOffice ...There are a couple of funny scenes.... full review

Thumbs down by K K Rai, STARDUST ... Trisha Krishnan, the southern actress who makes her bollywood debut with this Priyadarshan’s flick, carries the role of a sari clad woman with élan. But as an administrative officer of the government, she seems to be too lenient.... full review

Thumbs down by Pratim D. Gupta , The Telegraph ...in the middle of those plots, there is a half-an-hour episode of Akshay winning a road roller in a court case and how it’s in such bad shape that he cannot even move it off the municipality premises.... full review

So-So by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...The film is too long and has too much of high-pitched drama, leaving room for too little of the laughter circus... full review

Thumbs down by TheThirdMan, Upper Stall ... Akhsay Kumar overplays, contorts his face and has you gobsmacked as he plays a college student ... full review

Khatta Meetha - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Cape of Good Films, Hari Om Entertainment Co, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd.
Director: Priyadarshan
Lead Cast: Akshay Kumar, Trisha Krishnan
Supporting Cast: Aruna Irani, Urvashi Sharma, Tinu Anand, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Makarand Deshpande, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Neeraj Vora, Milind Gunaji, Asrani
Dir. of Photography: V Manikandan
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya, Pony Varma
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Nitin Raikwar
Running time: 152 minutes
Reviewer: Swetha Ramakrishnan
Categories:
Genres: Slapstick

Tere Bin Laden - 27 yays, 1 nays, 8 okays

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:46:53 +0530

Tere Bin Laden - 27 yays, 1 nays, 8 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch for sure, preferably in theatre (rating scale)

Tere Bin Laden is a subtle slapstick, if such an oxymoron exists. You'll miss out on loads of fun if you miss this one. When you are helpless and can do zilch, the least you can do is present a laughable solution to a hopeless situation.
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36 reviewers have given Tere Bin Laden an average rating of 4.3/5.0 - 27 thumbs up, 1 thumbs down, and 8 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up by Sethumadhavan, Passion for Cinema ...TBL is a great example of the fact getting the casting right goes a long way in ensuring that the movie turns out well.... full review

Thumbs up by Faiz Ullah, DearCinema ...The film packs in enough humour and has a few solid laugh-out-aloud moments. ... full review

Thumbs up by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, AOL INDIA ...a great example of a good concept being drawn into an equally good script and then a good film... full review

Thumbs up by Aparajita Ghosh, Apun Ka Choice ...get ready for a one-hour-forty-minute funride laden with laughs and chuckles galore. ... full review

Thumbs up by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...the mixed language used in the movie with insertions of Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi lines written intelligently... full review

Thumbs up by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice ...The singer-actor does a beyond apt job of playing the America hungry reporter... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...Even the modus operandi of the Americans to nab Laden [which, frankly, could've turned the film serious] is so juvenile and crazy that you can't help but smile at the sequence of event... full review

So-So by Aditya Mehta, BookmyShow ...Piyush Mishra makes his presence felt yet again... full review

Thumbs up by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah ...it is content to remain at the level of school boy farce.... full review

So-So by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...the film's script is over-simplistic in its portrayal of America's cluelessness and confusion... full review

Thumbs up by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online ...Under the façade of its superlative humour, the film carries subtle indictments of several ways of common people as well as the powers that be... full review

Thumbs up by Vikram Phukan, Film Impressions ...there is a very low-end television quality to it all, and in many ways it is like an extended skit... full review

So-So by Sailesh Ghelani, Filmfare ...The gags and jokes are corny and the acting isn’t all that good with the exception of Pradhuman Singh who plays Noora, the Laden doppelganger convincingly.... full review

Thumbs up filmi cafe ...First timer Abhishek Sharma shows complete command as both a writer and director. ... full review

So-So by Deepa Garimella , Fully Hyderabad ...The star of this movie is Ali Hassan, who tends to go SRK-ish several times, but who is a pleasant mix of good looks and promising acting skills. ... full review

Thumbs up by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ...The tempo of the film is very consistent and moves at a brisk pace. At no point do you feel it is losing its way. ... full review

Thumbs up by Pritam Roy, Gomolo.in ...every scene is greeted with roaring laughter and applause in the audience... full review

Thumbs up by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...This ingenious, mockumentary style script (Abhishek Sharma) stupendously lets itself go off in all directions on a wild flight of imagination.... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...Directed by first timer Abhishek Sharma and shot in Mumbai and Hyderabad standing in for Karachi, this is one film that delights in ruffling feathers... full review

Thumbs up Indiaglitz ...some sensible wallas might question the idea of making a very serious issue into laughter. ... full review

Thumbs up by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...The con game in the film is redolent of the con-comedy Khosla Ka Ghosla ... full review

So-So by Phorum Pandya , J.A.M ...Noora is just awesome and keeps the audience laughing their guts out.... full review

So-So by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...the plot has been stretched too much, something which a section of the audience may enjoy but another set of audience will not take kindly to.... full review

Thumbs up by Kaushik Chatterji, No Quarters ... It may not quite be Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, but it is sure to have you either smiling or laughing out loud throughout... full review

Thumbs up Mixed Bag ...The movie, unlike most of the ‘comedy’ movies of the recent and distant past gains on the void of gay jokes, nonsense plots, washboard abs, premature expressions and ill-timed songs... full review

So-So Movie Talkies ...The execution may be a little amateurish and clumsy in places, but the crazy humour remains intact... full review

So-So by IANS, NDTV ...never loses hold of the satirical mould Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_review.aspx?lang=hindi&id=534&moviename=Review%3A+Tere+Bin+Laden+&cp... full review

Thumbs up by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY ...though Osama is still 'most wanted' for America, he is hardly top-of-the-mind for the Indian audience. ... full review

Thumbs up by Udita Jhunjhunwala, Live Mint ...Some of the moments are brilliant... full review

Thumbs up by Preeti Arora, Rediff ...there is so much humour in our daily lives, let's take some of it onto the big screen... full review

Thumbs down by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...The humour is contrived at times and funny moments are few and far between.... full review

Thumbs up by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...Yes, the humour is too in-your-face at times, but when was the last time you saw such an irreverent comedy?... full review

Thumbs up by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...The sheer originality of the concept appeals to you.... full review

Thumbs up by K K Rai, STARDUST ...The music by Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy is one of the high point of the film.... full review

Thumbs up by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...The actors are having a ball, that's evident. The scriptwriter (Abhishek Sharma) is just loving it: making digs on America's war against terror. And the viewers are in for some breezy fun.... full review

Thumbs up by Mr Care, Pak Smile ...The first half in fact races through a series of unpredictable sequences, situations, and events, giving you absolutely no time to think about the film. ... full review

Tere Bin Laden - Movie Details

Banner: Walkwater Media
Producer: Pooja Shetty Deora, Aarti Shetty
Director: Abhishek Sharma
Lead Cast: Ali Zafar, Barry John, Chinmay Mandlekar, Chirag Vohra
Supporting Cast: Pradhuman Singh, Rahul Singh, Seema Bhargava, Sugandha Garg, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Piyush Mishra
Story: Abhishek Sharma
Dir. of Photography: Santosh Thundiyil
Background Score: Dhruv Dhalla
Music Director: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonca
Lyrics: Jaideep Sahni
Running time: 115 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Slapstick, Social, Comedy, Spoof, Terrorism, War, Dark Comedy

Udaan - 37 yays, 2 nays, 3 okays

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:46:44 +0530

Udaan - 37 yays, 2 nays, 3 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch for sure, preferably in theatre (rating scale)

Udaan is not justAnurag Kashyap or Vikram Motwane 's life story. Udaan is the story of generations and generations conditioned into thinking that the suffocating expectations their parents endowed on them should be passed on as heritage, if not genetic code to their children. As if, entire lives were ancestral property or an old-old wristwatch - a super-conditional gift that comes with free emotional baggage.
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42 reviewers have given Udaan an average rating of 4.6/5.0 - 37 thumbs up, 2 thumbs down, and 3 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

So-So by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah ...the father’s weird character remains unexplained and somewhat incomplete... full review

Thumbs up by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online ...Rohan’s bottled angst and rebellious streak is brought out very effectively through the opening sequence... full review

Thumbs up by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...The film's dialogues by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane are sharp and mesh in well with the scenes... full review

Thumbs up by ~UH~, Passion for Cinema ...Udaan is an in-your-face film about adolescent aspirations and conflicts of tier-2 India... full review

Thumbs up by Magik, Passion for Cinema ...After watching Udaan, I can understand my dad’s predicament much better... full review

Thumbs up by Neeraj Ghaywan, Passion for Cinema ...In that momentary pause you see eight years of his angst... full review

Thumbs up by Padmaja Thakore, Passion for Cinema ...The film makes it too easy for you to hate the father and sympathize with the son... full review

Thumbs up by Arati Raval Pandey, Passion for Cinema ...But as the reels unraveled, at it’s own leisurely pace, we were gripped. The usually chatty girls weren’t blinking.... full review

Thumbs up by Priyanka Ketkar, DearCinema ...The movie is brilliantly shot and the scene transition is also pretty smooth... full review

So-So by Usha Lakra, Apun Ka Choice ...amidst all this heap of praises, the movie’s creeping second half can test your patience... full review

Thumbs up by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...First of all the film is not preachy as it may seem to be from its look and promos.... full review

Thumbs up by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice ...The film belongs to the actors and in particular Rajat Barmecha... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...Poignant, unsettling and disturbing, UDAAN is a brilliant take of an adolescent who has stepped into his teens and how he faces a tyrant father, a step brother he never knew existed ... full review

Thumbs down by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions ...At some point one began to see why the father said, 'Before you fly learn to walk.'... full review

Thumbs up by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Motwane gets everything right, from the characterisation, casting, locations and dialogue (the dialect of small-towns in Central India seems perfect) to the dynamics of individual moments... full review

Thumbs up by Vivek Bhatia, Filmfare ...Courtesy Amit Trivedi the music is another high-point of the movie.... full review

Thumbs up filmi cafe ...Ronit Roy makes us wonder where he was for so many years and why he was wasting his amazing acting talent in Saas Bahu serials... full review

Thumbs up by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ... its simple yet heartrending & relatable story... full review

Thumbs up by Aakash Barvalia, Gomolo.in ...Cinematography by Mahendra Shetty was good, especially in all the Ronit Roy’s scene, Dipika Kalra’s editing was also good... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...dysfunctional families rarely make an appearance in Bollywood... full review

Thumbs up by Mihir Fadnavis, india.com ...the empathy with this apathetic hero is unmistakable and deeply felt.... full review

So-So Indiaglitz ...he major flaw of this film apart from its alien period where the son of a factory owner even in small town in Jharkhand talks to his friends in Mumbai from STD booth. This makes the film feel outdated ... full review

Thumbs up by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...But the proceedings keep you riveted because the routine is as much unusual to the viewer as much to Rohan. ... full review

Thumbs up by Kshitij Mehta , J.A.M ...Udaan is a sensitive ride that all must experience.... full review

Thumbs down by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...Amit Trivedi’s music is excellent. ‘Azaadiyaan’, ‘Geet mein dhalte lafzon mein’, ‘Kahani’ and ‘Naav chadhti’ are both, meaningful (lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya) and melodious. ... full review

Thumbs up by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...Very few films manage to have such effect on their audiences; fewer audiences still prefer such violent checks on their own reality.... full review

Thumbs up by Sid, More Than Films ...tinged with the bitter-sweet emotions of life as we know it... full review

Thumbs up by Kaushik Chatterji, No Quarters ...Very different from the usual and a purely multiplex release, but mainstream nonetheless... full review

Thumbs up by Nova, The World As I See It ...The character of Ronit Roy in the movie has sooo many different layers to it that it leaves you baffled!! ... full review

Thumbs up Mixed Bag ...the fine-grained screenplay and the effortless acting made every single moment of the movie deal an emotional equation with the audience. ... full review

Thumbs up by Ajit Duara , Open Magazine ...The empathetic bonding that then takes place between the teenager and the six-year-old, linked by the umbilical cord of a monster father, is the stuff that good cinema is about.... full review

Thumbs up by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...A dense energy of rage and resentment hang in this home.... full review

Thumbs up by Tushar Joshi , MiD DAY ...Fortunately, he doesn't have to play an annoying screechy kid who acts older than his age. Ram Kapoor impresses... full review

Thumbs up Movie Talkies ... The greatest strength of the movie, despite its rough ends, is its lack of artifice and the director's unrelenting pursuit of his story without taking recourse to any kind of escapism in order to make the bitter pill more palatable. ... full review

Thumbs up by IANS, NDTV ...Udaan will not only resonate with those who had a troubled childhood, but with anyone who has faced oppression, or ever nurtured dreams.... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Verma , Rediff ...refreshingly distinct and unyielding... full review

Thumbs up by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters ...How Rohan deals with his dreary life and comes of age is the crux of “Udaan”, but there is so much more this film has to offer... full review

Thumbs up by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...some sensitive and humourous moments... full review

Thumbs up by K K Rai, STARDUST ...The kid never allows the more seasoned actors to dominate him.... full review

Thumbs up by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ...He has more substantial (read realistic) problems than to find a girlfriend and discover sex, even though his dad does ask him -- in a delightful sequence ... full review

Thumbs up by filmbear, Upper Stall ...Shot on 16 mm, the film struggles technically at times but its flaws are very much in sync with its theme.... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, Asian Age ...director Motwane and his mentor Anurag Kashyap have played their respective roles brilliantly.... full review

Udaan - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: UTV Spotboy Motions Pvt. Ltd.
Producer: Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap, Ronnie Screwwala
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Lead Cast: Ronit Roy, Rajat Barmecha, Aayan Boradia, Ram Kapoor
Supporting Cast: Raja Hudda, Varun Khettry, Shaunak Sengupta, Akshay Sachdev, Manjot Singh, Anand Tiwari, Suman Mastkar
Story: Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap
Dir. of Photography: Mahendra J Shetty
Editor: Dipika Kalra
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Running time: 140 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Family, Social, Relationships, Philosophy

Lamhaa - 7 yays, 22 nays, 5 okays

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:46:28 +0530

Lamhaa - 7 yays, 22 nays, 5 okays

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale)

Lamhaa is a Kashmir-issue recap enacted by Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Anupam Kher and oh yeah, Kunal Kapoor. It's done in a rush and tries too hard to sell itself to the audience who is presumed to like loud background music and unnecessary drama. Overall, it loses out because it's neither subtle nor loud enough to be a crowd pleaser.
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Review

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Ext. Reviews

34 reviewers have given Lamhaa an average rating of 1.4/5.0 - 7 thumbs up, 22 thumbs down, and 5 so-so.

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

So-So by GZP, BollyPlus ...Didn't realize the movie had ended. Too abrupt.... full review

So-So by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra ...The screenplay of ‘Lamhaa’ was very strong at some point but in some instances, it was very disappointing... full review

Thumbs down by Dhriti Gulvadi, BookmyShow ...The film is not at all successful in creating an impact nor does it arouse any interest in the situation... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah ...The one hair-raising scene, of Bipasha being attacked by burqa-clad women in the street, does not any impact on the plot later, so is merely used as an ‘item.’... full review

So-So by Khalid Mohamed, Passion for Cinema ...Yet its noble intentions and a bid to go beyond the surfacial situation in the troubled valley of Kashmir, elevate the outcome to a notch above the candy-floss and the commonplace... full review

Thumbs down by Nikhil Kumar, Apun Ka Choice ...hypocritical cinema....For what else it is when the film’s protagonist walks through the streets of Kashmir with a rockstar’s swagger, cigarette in mouth, Ray Ban on perched on his nose, keffiyeh stylishly wrapped around his neck...and oh...metal guitar riffs grunging away in the background. ... full review

Thumbs down by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com ...big disappointment coming from the director of “Parzania”... full review

Thumbs down by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice ...the writer has merely put together a bunch of stories that can easily be found in the media and just sewed them together... full review

Thumbs down by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama ...researched extensively on the issue and LAMHAA does boast of some razor-sharp moments, but the viewer is keen to have an insider's viewpoint on Kashmir, something that we haven't read/seen [on news channels/films] earlier, which LAMHAA just doesn't provide. ... full review

Thumbs down desi hits ...Most dialogues are poorly written, making the roles very ineffective... full review

Thumbs down by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare ...could have been told with less fuss and more coherence... full review

Thumbs down by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions ...Far too much time is spent introducing the various players in the game... full review

Thumbs up filmi cafe ...Dutt in an unrecognizable look is in top form and goes beyond the character.... full review

So-So by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com ...There's not much by way of earth-shaking suspense or even surprise, but as a tale it is gripping enough... full review

Thumbs down by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com ...The romantic angle between Vikram and Aziza is ludicrous.... full review

Thumbs down by Pritam Roy, Gomolo.in ...when you finally come to know about it, it seems just too trivial... full review

Thumbs down by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times ...The film, in its movements and background score, adopts a tone of serious urgency. Neither however can conceal the nothingness, or immeasurable vastness (take your pick) within.... full review

Thumbs up by Kaveree Bamzai, india today ...There's a brilliantly crafted Haji, played by Anupam Kher, ironically a Kashmiri Pandit in real life... full review

Thumbs down Indiaglitz ...The DOP James does a splendid job in showing us the heaven on this earth, the movie has been shot in actual locations and it’s a treat for your eyes, editing is sharp and technicalities are brilliant with superb production values... full review

Thumbs down by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...It takes time to absorb the wide-ranging characters and their varied conflicts in the film and yet you do not understand all of them... full review

Thumbs up by Kshitij Mehta , J.A.M ...While it starts off on a perfect note, the narrative slows down considerably, but the second half is power packed and keeps you gripped... full review

Thumbs down by Komal Nahta, koimoi ...The proceedings are so technical that they fail to involve the audience for the simple reason that most people are unaware and not interested in an indepth study of all that is happening in the strife-torn Kashmir. ... full review

Thumbs down by Sid, MH-31 Fun Unlimited ...Lamha suffers by eschewing individual plot threads in favor of a macroscopic viewpoint about a subject that yearns for a fresh perpective... full review

Thumbs up by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, Seeds and Deeds ...One thing in the film that might be disturbing to the rest of India is the general opinion of the Kashmiris. ... full review

Thumbs down by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint ...Every other dialogue has the word “Kashmir” in them... full review

Thumbs up by Sukanya Verma, Rediff ...Rather his Lamhaa is like an elaborate montage of innumerable episodes, voices and concerns while trying to put the pieces together for its surprisingly loose climax. This is both engrossing and exhausting in turns... full review

Thumbs down by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY ...Cameraman James Fowlds does a splendid job capturing all the action.... full review

Thumbs down Movie Talkies ...What comes out is the usual nexus between politicians, businessmen, arms dealers and the Pakistani ISI... full review

Thumbs up by IANS, NDTV ...The high-octane screenplay has no space or time to shed tears for the innocent and the dead Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_review.aspx?lang=hindi&id=533&moviename=Review%3A+Lamhaa+&cp... full review

So-So by Satyen K. Bordoloi, Now Running.com ...Audiences might find it little difficult to follow the many twists and revelations in the film. ... full review

Thumbs down by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...What we see over the next two hours is a hollow plot playing itself out self-seriously.... full review

Thumbs down by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice ...It would be a good idea to watch the film with a Kashmiri. ... full review

Thumbs down by TheThirdMan, Upper Stall ...Sanjay Dutt and Anupam Kher come off best but are little more than adequate. ... full review

Thumbs up by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com ...Though the director doesn't pass any judgment he does prove that arms fail to solve any political problem. ... full review

Lamhaa - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: G S Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Bunty Walia
Producer: Bunty Walia, Jaspreet Singh Walia
Director: Rahul Dholakia
Lead Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Kunal Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Anupam Kher
Supporting Cast: Vishwajeet Pradhan, Murli Sharma, Denzil Smith, Jyothi Dogra, Yuri Suri, Ehsaan Khan, Bunny Singh, Shernaz Patel, Mahesh Manjrekar, Yashpal Sharma, Vipin Sharma, Rajesh Khera
Screenplay: Raghav Dhar, Rahul Dholakia
Dialogues: Sai Kabir, Ashwat Bhatt
Dir. of Photography: James Fowlds
Editor: Ashmit Kunder, Akshay Mohan
Background Score: Sanjoy Chowdhury
Action Choreography: Javed, Aejaz
Choreography: Ahmed Khan
Music Director: Mithoon
Lyrics: Sayeed Qadri
Running time: 115 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Terrorism, War, Politics, Patriotism, Religion

Lafangey Parindey - Review

meetu — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:03:51 +0530

Lafangey Parindey - Review

Wogma Review

Rating: The keen must watch on screen; else DVD (rating scale)

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Review

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Ext. Reviews

by meetu | 13 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

So, then just like it might be considered non-conforming to dislike the new wave cinema will it be considered out-of-fashion to like Lafangey Parindey for what it is?

Ps. is it a criminal offence to have a hero wearing sunglasses that are not RayBan? #JustAsking

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Lots of boxing fights with a reasonably gory display of blood. A gun fight and a few slaps too.
Language: Clean albeit the Bambaiyya kind.
Nudity & Sexual content: One liplock.
Concept: That of guilt and love.
General Look and Feel: It's not overly bright and not dull or boring either. Interspersed at regular intervals with action and songs.

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 3.5
Story: 3.5
Lead Actors: 4
Character Artists: 4

Dialogues: 4
Screenplay: 4
Music Director: 4
Lyrics: 3.5

Lafangey Parindey - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Lead Cast: Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh
Supporting Cast: Manish Chaudhari, Piyush Mishra, Viraj Adhav, Manish Chaudhari, Namit Das, Viraj Adhav, Vinay Sharma, Namit Das, Palomi, Vinay Sharma, Amey Pandya, Palomi, Amey Pandya, Piyush Mishra
Story: Gopi Puthran
Screenplay: Gopi Puthran
Dir. of Photography: N. Natarajan Subramanium
Editor: Sanjib Datta
Background Score: Zubin Balaporia
Action Choreography: Sham Kaushal
Choreography: Bosco, Caesar, Sandro Guerra
Music Director: R Anandh
Lyrics: Swananda Kirkire
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories:
Genres: Romance, Action

Lafangey Parindey - Preview

meetu — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:01:12 +0530

Lafangey Parindey - Preview

Wogma Review

Rating: The keen must watch on screen; else DVD (rating scale)

Preview

Review

Notepad

Ext. Reviews

NOT A REVIEW - Just hoping in the midst of silly captions in the promos there is a nicely made love story in there…

* * *

The Lafangey Parindey promos greet you with a level of lame no one can be proud of - 'One-shot Nandu', 'He is wild, she is blind', 'He was born to fight', 'She was born to fly', 'He'll teach her to see', 'She'll teach him to love'. (**gag** at the last one there.) Oh and I spared you the distress caused by some 'mard-dard' line in the beginning.

The more I read about Lafangey Parindey, the more worried I got. There was this article about how rotten fish were brought into the set. This was for a scene in which Neil Nitin Mukhesh's character, Nandu is teaching Deepika Padukone's character to see. I am assuming this is by using her other sensory organs. Uhhh...If someone has to use rotten fish to accentuate the sense of smell, isn't their sense of smell beyond repair?

I have another question. The story is supposedly set in the underbelly of big-bad Mumbai. And our lady, Deepika Padukone is an ace skater. How does someone not-exactly-affluent get into a sport like skating, that too blind? I can Neil Nitin Mukesh getting passionate about beating and getting voluntarily beaten up, but skating will take some convincing.

Ok-ok, I'll get over it! I just hope all my questions and beyond will be answered more than satisfactorily this coming Friday, Aug 20.

Unfortunately, one apprehension is just leading me to another. From the initial looks, I'm not too convinced about the casting. Deepika Padukone's frozen-spine posture just doesn't come across as that of a girl who's grown up in the dark streets of Mumbai. Nor does the language sound convincing. And the stills of her dance postures look off, awkward, weird.

But the hope is that Neil Nitin Mukesh might just fit the bill as the macho who has no clue how to handle his feelings for a girl. His confusion comes through even in the trailers and looks like within the lame lines there are a few endearing moments.

Also, cringeworthy promos make me worry. I hate going into a film with such baggage. So, I dug a bit further, till I saw some ray of hope. And like always you do find out the thought behind the process. Whether or not I like the film, the people who have worked on it have put in their sweat and blood, their mind, soul, and heart. And no one can take away from that -

I also enjoyed this other unique promotion technique.

Oh yeah and there's supposed to be a liplock to lure us into the theater, Neil's first ever on-screen one at that!

The music is by R Anandh, known for is ad-jingles for Limca, and this is his debut album. Music reviews in general have liked the album. Milliblog gives R. Anandh a warm welcome. IBN says the music is entertaining. Rediff finds it irresistibly whimsical.
Musicaloud loved 3 of the 6 tracks. Hindustan Times calls the album a solid, confident debut. Indian Express finds a different flavor in each song. Glamsham predicts a chartbuster and Megzone can't stop listening to it.

Lafangey Parindey - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Yash Raj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Lead Cast: Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Deepika Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh
Supporting Cast: Manish Chaudhari, Piyush Mishra, Viraj Adhav, Manish Chaudhari, Namit Das, Viraj Adhav, Vinay Sharma, Namit Das, Palomi, Vinay Sharma, Amey Pandya, Palomi, Amey Pandya, Piyush Mishra
Story: Gopi Puthran
Screenplay: Gopi Puthran
Dir. of Photography: N. Natarajan Subramanium
Editor: Sanjib Datta
Background Score: Zubin Balaporia
Action Choreography: Sham Kaushal
Choreography: Bosco, Caesar, Sandro Guerra
Music Director: R Anandh
Lyrics: Swananda Kirkire
Running time: 120 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories:
Genres: Romance, Action

Review - Peepli Live: covers poverty tourism with fervor

meetu — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:30:29 +0530

Review - Peepli Live: covers poverty tourism with fervor

Wogma Review

Rating: Watch for sure, preferably in theatre (rating scale)

Review

Notepad

Ext. Reviews

by meetu | 30 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

A 600-seater multiplex hall is filled to capacity for Peepli [Live] a film that has no stars, is about a remote village, and the promo material has made it obvious that one cannot expect any glamor out of it. We know now that the 'we serve masala because that is what the audience demands' days are numbered. **fingers crossed** Yes, the crowd seemed to be enjoying the film. I understand that 'enjoying' is a rude word to use when you are talking about a film based on others' misfortunes. But it seems only valid, when you see people laughing at dark joke cracked along with the huge roar of laughter every time a cuss word is used.

Once the novelty of seeing everyday talk on screen wares off - the whole-range of Hindi foul language, the young easily-amused boys giggly girls do get involved in the rotten situation that our state is in - at least more involved than one could imagine most of them in reality. Pathos of the central character comes through without him having to speak more than 5-10 lines in all of 100 minutes.

Such subtlety runs through Peepli [Live]and every once in a while reminding you of the moot point it's trying to make. The obvious commentary on the unintelligent coverage of issues by the media, to the absolute ridiculousness of Government yojanas (subsidy/benefit/upliftment programs) is continuously punctuated with references at the level underneath.

It is up to us then, to dig deeper. Going just a skin-deeper there's a ton to see: Contrast between two strong women - one urban, one rural - one empowered and 'master' of her life if not others, the other at the mercy of the feeble men in her life; suicide must not come easy to farmers close to death either; left to the mercy of news-creators a dying farmer's feces and Saif Ali Khan's smooch are competing for headlines - is everything that hunky-dory?; all is not lost for there is a conscientious young bureaucrat/politician/journalist out there. His soul has not on sale, at least not yet; there is more hope because the simpleton will rise and make his own decisions despite the entire world wanting to take advantage of his situation; and on and on and on.

So many things are being said at once - using the lyrics, the music, the backdrop, the props - that in the first five minutes you decide to stop being overwhelmed as you promise yourself another watch to grasp more. This first time I decided to absorb the surface. The performances are so close to reality that it almost feels like a documentary. The focus is on developing and presenting the situation rather than building characters and their arcs. The photography adds to the 'real' milieu by having a home-video feel - with the intentional shakes and jerks.

There are some exaggerations, no doubt. And they make the film a little too slapsticky for my taste and also for the tone of the film. Then again, they are only an extension of what we've seen in real life or read in the papers. The newsy nature and the manner in which the situation rolls out also makes the film predictable.

So, what next? A teeny-weeny bit more than 'nothing'? If even one bureaucrat/politician just scratches his head after watching the film, [Peepli Live] should consider itself successful.

Audience? Hopefully, it won't be mere fashionable to like the film. Hopefully, a few of us will go beyond our 'jobs'. Even if it's not to take on the task of improving a nation, at the very least we can begin and continue to be an audience that demands films out of the ordinary - be they good, bad, or ugly - Peepli [Live]is all three, not in quality but because of its gritty content.

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None
Language: Abusive language throughout, as a regular part of dialogue
Nudity & Sexual content: None
Concept: The state of affairs in the interiors of our country.
General Look and Feel: Grim and rugged.

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 4
Story: 5
Lead Actors: 4.5
Character Artists: 4.5

Dialogues: 4
Screenplay: 4
Music Director: 5
Lyrics: 5

Peepli Live - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd, UTV Motion Pictures
Producer: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwwala
Director: Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui
Lead Cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuvir Yadav, Farukh Jaffer, Shalini Vatsa
Supporting Cast: Jugal Kishore, Naseeruddin Shah, Parul, Golu, Deven, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vishal O Sharma, Malaika Shenoy, Sitaram Panchal
Story: Anusha Rizvi
Screenplay: Anusha Rizvi
Dir. of Photography: Shanker Raman
Editor: Hemanti Sarkar
Action Choreography: Javed Eijaz
Music Director: Brij Mandal, Nageen Tanvir, Ram Sampat, Indian Ocean, Bhadwai Musicians
Lyrics: Gangaram Sakhet, Sanjeev Sharma, Swananda Kirkire, Brij Mandal, Bhadwai Musicians, Noon Meem Rashed
Running time: 100 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Social, Noir, Dark Comedy, Politics, Satire

Aisha - Review

meetu — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:00:50 +0530

Aisha - Review

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale) - chick-flick warning

Preview

Review

Ext. Reviews

by meetu | 12 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

Should I be happy that Aisha is all about a woman (Sonam Kapoor) and has a capable actor like Abhay Deol play second fiddle? Or should I be disappointed that the only thing Sonam Kapoor's character finds pleasure in doing is to look up a man for every female character to hook up with?

Should the director be happy that she managed to achieve the "Hollywood chick-flick" effect? Or should she be disappointed only how far she could get?

While I could take both sides on each of these issues, I'm sure of two things - I'm certainly happy for the subtle comments made, especially the ones on the battle of the sexes. But I'm equally disappointed that these were done randomly with no connection to story or characterizations thus far. So much so that, all the depth, the film could have taken a plunge into, seems frivolous and flaky.

To express exactly where the superficial feel comes from, I can just say that 'look and feel'-wise Aisha had done complete justice to its inspirations - Sex and the City, Hannah Montana, and the likes. Ok, I'm not going to count how many toes I've stepped on, but usually society upward of upper middle class is, by definition, stereotyped by superficiality. That, in itself, takes the characters away a level or two from us.

It's not that problems, of people who have moved up in the Maslow's theory of need pyramid, are not genuine problems or should be belittled based on a general moral principle. Who are we to judge that one's problems are more serious than the others'. But, my problem (you are free to judge how important it is) is that films like these trivialize the otherwise weighted issues. It's like taking away from the subject of the film.

All this analysis might make you think that Aisha has some serious stuff going on. Naah. I'm just commenting on what could have been, especially given the light vein the entire film maintains. Serious issue, subtle humor - rarely fails. But every once in a while a major character in the film does something so totally out of the blue. The shocker is not something that doesn't feel real, it is just that most of us would say or do something like that with some sort of a history and not just because THE writer felt like it.

Also, all the trump cards were in the director's hands. It wouldn't come as a shock to anyone if Sonam Kapoor actually lives a lifestyle like Aisha's. Maybe a little less of a meddler, but for most parts she has to behave like a kid who can't be bothered with credit card bills and such. SO, not much acting involved there. Would anyone argue that easy-going, Arjun is a stroll in the park for Abhay Deol? Ira Dubey was a pleasant watch too.

It won't come as a surprise if most men will come out flaring at the women who got them in the theater. And many women might find it 'not bad'. At least, they saw some funky costumes. Me? Well, I wanted to love it, but didn't come out hating it either. The picturization of the lovely songs itself were enough to get me by.

- meetu, a part of the audience

Parental Guidance:

Violence: None
Language: Mostly clean
Nudity & Sexual content: Deep necklines and high hemlines
Concept: That of letting destiny do its do instead of trying to interrupt
General Look and Feel: Bright, light, and lively

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 2.5
Story: 1.5
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 2

Dialogues: 2.5
Screenplay: 2
Music Director: 4
Lyrics: 4

Aisha - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Anil Kapoor Films Company, PVR Pictures
Producer: Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Sanjeev Bijli, Ajay Bijli
Director: Rajshree Ojha
Lead Cast: Abhay Deol, Sonam Kapoor
Supporting Cast: M K Raina, Ira Dubey, Masood Akhtar, Cyrus Sahukar, Lisa Haydon, Arunodhay Singh, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Vidhushi Mehra, Sameer Malhotra, Anuradha Patel, Yuri Suri
Story: Based on Emma by Jane Austen
Dialogues: Devika Bhagat, Ritu Bhatia, Manu Rishi
Dir. of Photography: Diego Rodriguez
Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Background Score: Amit Trivedi
Choreography: Ashley Lobo, Terrence Lewis, Firoz, Karan Boolani
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Running time: 130 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Romance, Comedy

When You are Happy and Gay, Clap Your Hands

Swetha Ramakrishnan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0530

When You are Happy and Gay, Clap Your Hands

by Swetha Ramakrishnan | Add comment

For as long as one can go back, the depiction of love and sex in Bollywood, characterized by melodrama or cliché, has only included heterosexual portrayals; passed off as the bar for anything normal. Even if we ignore that these characters were mostly dramatized and very far from reality, we cannot ignore the trend that Bollywood seems to religiously follow of using homosexual characters as merely a comic relief in deadpan scenes.

This brings us to a crucial question: Was there even a distinction between effeminate and homosexual characters before the 90s? We saw Sanjeev Kumar playing an effeminate character in A. Bhim Singh's Naya Din Nayi Raat, which obviously had to be subtle. The heroines’ dance teachers in the 70s and 80s were effeminate men, with no reference to their sexuality. Cut to late 90s and early 2000, mediocre movies like Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, and Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai continued with vague representation of homosexual characters used mainly in comedy scenes. The only change seen was a jump from no portrayal to slapstick, piteous portrayals. Verdict: no distinction identified.

The 90s also saw the release of India’s first official homosexual film, Bomgay that starred Rahul Bose. A 12-minute long film, based on an adaption of 4 poems written by R Raja Rao, Bomgay deals with the warped sense of gay identity in urban India. Films such as these didn’t take too long to be termed “parallel cinema”. Deepa Mehta’s Fire, which is a movie about two Delhi housewives who fall in love with each other, faced a similar response. Both Fire and Karan Razdan’s Girlfriend received extreme hostility from the religious fundamentalist groups in Mumbai.

However, the turn of the millennium saw a minor change in perspective. Movies like Kal Ho Na Ho and Page 3 had open portrayals of homosexual characters. This change is noteworthy because these are mainstream movies imbibing a previously “abnormal” phenomenon in their stock characters. The comedy reaches a new level with these movies, which arguably reflects a sense of acceptability. This is seen best in the ‘Kantaben’ joke in Kal Ho Na Ho and the conversation between Konkona Sen Sharma and Rehaan Engineer in Page 3 where she tells him to imagine if a woman sitting next them is pretty, how good looking her brother might be.

Still slightly dramatized, these depictions have a long way to go to be closer to reality. Then again, the multiplex going audience don’t seem to want to see brutal truths on screen, which is why candy-floss films only use the medium to spread the message in a light-hearted manner, Dostana is a primary example of such type of movies. Released after the amendment to Article 377, the movie depicts two mainstream bollywood heroes, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham, as gay lovers. Open discussions of an alternate sexuality seems like a minor but appreciable leap for writers and directors across.

There is a fundamental error in films, which work on homosexual typecasts to bring out comic elements, but Hindi cinema is slowly evolving. New age directors like Onir have already lit the candle with movies like My Brother Nikhil, which became a landmark film for a positive portrayal of homosexuality, or in the least an impressive beginning to a healthy trend of realistic depictions and stories. We might have a long way to go before homosexual characters and love stories are accepted as normal, and don’t work on forced drama, but Rome wasn’t built in a day!

This article is by guest author Swetha Ramakrishnan. Swetha Ramakrishnan is currently doing her masters in Film and TV Production from SIMC Pune. A self confessed film enthusiast, she spends most of her time to trying to convince people on how Bollywood has more layers than meets the regular eye. Contemporary Literature, Music and Masala Cinema apart, her interests include SRK, B/W Photography, deconstructing simplistic notions and SRK. Swetha Ramakrishnan also blogs at http://swetharamakrishnan.blogspot.com/.

Comments (3)

Joydeep:

I completely support your ideas and agree with you.

posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago

chinth:

Hi,
Bollywood would eventually get there. If you notice in your article, you notice the growth among indian audiences. Previously no one knew what being Gay meant. People would get confused. Hence you find references to Gay characters but no mention of their sexuality.

Slowly as people get more educated, they get to see movies where there are open references to homosexuality. So what if it is only a caricature or cliched characters. Atleast its a sign of growth.

I am sure a time will come where we have serious movies where actors will be willing to potrat gay characters and still get acceptance among indian audiences. But it will take time. "Fire" was way ahead of its time. Hence the fight back.

posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago

4554:

[Comment deleted due to abusive language and personal attacks]

posted 1 week, 2 days ago

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Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - Review

Swetha Ramakrishnan — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:49:15 +0530

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - Review

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale)

Review

Ext. Reviews

by Swetha Ramakrishnan | 15 comments | Add comment | Movie Details

This is a film about Bombay, not Mumbai. It's a story about a smuggler, his lady love and his sidekick, and it's a rather filmy story. The movie is set in Bombay of the 70s, a Bombay that was slowly becoming the financial capital of the country, a Bombay that was home to everything filmy: including the underworld. Everything in the movie is larger than life, the dialogues are almost verse-like, the clothes are loud (it's the 70s!), the heroine's makeup is loud and what is most vivid is the romanticism of being a powerful don. The power play and slick narrative takes the audience in a roller coaster ride of one man's rise, another man's fall and a strong attempt to be stylish at it.

The movie is told to us through the eyes of DCP Agnel Wilson (Randeep Hooda), where he tells us about Sultan Mirza, the most powerful don who arrived in Mumbai with the sea as a small innocent boy, who grew up to become a good-hearted don. It is clear that Sultan Mirza owns the city, loves the city and calls it his Mehbooba. Which is why he helps the poor and becomes a god like figure for them. The character of Sultan Mirza is precise and Ajay Devgan plays it with utmost conviction. He does a good job because we've seen him play a similar character in Company and he still manages to bring a sense of freshness to the character.

Through DCP Agnel Wilson's memory we are told of Sultan's rise to power, how he respects the city by only smuggling material goods and not drugs, his love story with film star Rehana (Kangana Ranaut) and his discovery in Shoaib (Emraan Haashmi). His love story is as filmy as it gets, with a corny courtship period which lasts for 3 minutes, cheesy dialogues and song/dance routine albeit with a mature fading into the larger context of the film. Kangana is demure and looks the part of a 70s film star with all the bling and glitz. Emraan on the other hand, plays a younger Dawood Ibrahim in all sincerity. He is cheeky, arrogant and smooth in his ways, and serves as a good contrast to the mature Sultan Mirza. His determination to rule Mumbai and become the greatest power, gives us a dramatic look into what we see now, in the form of international terrorism via Dawood Ibrahim.

The problem with the film comes when there seems to be not much of a build up between the king and his sidekick, as seen brilliantly in Company. Both character of Sultan and Shoaib are built very well, but the conflict is not acted out much after the intermission. More emphasis is given on punch lines for dialogues, which get tiring after a point. As an audience member, you expect more action than dialogues, and while the first half seems promising, the latter part of the film, including the climax, don't match up to the decently carved out first half. Kangana's character takes a backseat, Ajay Devgan becomes repetitive and Emraan becomes a cheeky slave to power, to a point of no belief.

The performances are immaculate as they go with the overall feel of the film, it doesn't seem stale and convinces you in parts. Randeep Hooda is a raw change, in his confidence as a police officer, Ajay Devgan and Emraan Hashmi are cogent in their parts, but the film loses it edge through a script that creates a void with it's hurried climax and falling second half. Even the though the movie is out and out dramatic, at points the dialogues become too theatrical. Kangana seems sparkly and filled with potential but suddenly loses her screen presence in all the rush to make a drama out of a very narrate-able story.

The background score is appealing, but the music seems a bit forgettable. The movie's obvious strong points are Ajay Devgan, apt characterization and a good story which could have churned out a better climax. Watch Once Upon A Time In Mumbai for the love of Bombay, Ajay Devgan, an entertaining story and don't expect to blown away.

Parental Guidance:

Violence: Not much
Language: Dramatic
Nudity & Sexual content: Aesthetically presented
Concept: Good
General Look and Feel: Good

Detailed Ratings:

Direction: 2.5
Story: 3
Lead Actors: 3.5
Character Artists: 3

Dialogues: 2
Screenplay: 2
Music Director: 2.5
Lyrics: 2.5

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Balaji Telefilms
Producer: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor
Director: Milan Luthria
Lead Cast: Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut
Supporting Cast: Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda, Gauahar Khan
Story: Rajat Arora
Screenplay: Rajat Arora
Dialogues: Rajat Arora
Cinematography: Aseem Mishra
Editor: Akiv Ali
Choreography: Raju Khan, Remo D'Souza
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Running time: 135 minutes
Reviewer: Swetha Ramakrishnan
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Action, Social, Crime

Aisha - Preview

meetu — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:17:45 +0530

Aisha - Preview

Wogma Review

Rating: Even the keen, wait for DVD (rating scale) - chick-flick warning

Preview

Review

Ext. Reviews

NOT A REVIEW - Just wondering if Abhay Deol can pull off a regular, commercial-film type role alongside Sonam Kapoor who is clearly THE protagonist Aisha

* * *

21-year old entrepreneurs - I have a few friends who meet the description - One the founder of an online life-style activism magazine and a restaurant ; another who runs a social media company. And it still makes me proud to read that the latest producer in the industry was 21 when she started working Aisha. I don't know her, nor am I 'connected to her' in the farthest meaning of the phrase. There's just something extremely healthy about kids getting hands-on experience and trying their skills out in real life.

Apparently, the entire Aisha team is very young. Director, Rajshree Ojha is not yet 30 either. You do expect many new ideas; hope for fresh take on whatever issue they pick; rejuvenation of old themes using a novel narrative style. And then the trailer leaves you with mix feelings. Granted it looks like a romantic story with a difference, yet something made me wary. Or maybe it's just the anxiety of having decent hopes set up by the promos, mercilessly crushed in these past few weeks.

Abhay Deol's presence in this trailer is extremely comforting. Even though, it's clear that the film is all about Aisha. Oh yeah, isn't that fresh? I know a lot of Aisha's character from these two minutes - certainly more than I sometimes could say about the female lead in an entire Hindi film. Which says a lot, because that means there is a lot to know about Aisha, right?

As evil as it sounds, another reassuring factor is that Rajshree struggled to find producers. Because, that means her script is trying to break the norm -

Enough of Hollywood films have been copied to make Bollywood hits. I want to take a Bollywood film and make a film in Hollywood

...

Satyajit Ray is my favourite director and one day I would like to adapt a book of his and make a film on it.

Meanwhile Aisha is based on Jane Austen 's 'Emma'. That in itself is breaking the norm, no? Giving credit and all. Given this background I'm intrigued by the Hannah Montana meets Barbie meets young socialite feel I get from the promo and marketing tactics .

I'm sure most films go through an ordeal to get the 'look' of the protagonists right. But Aisha 's marketing goes out of its way to talk about the clothes . They also emphasize wherever they can that the character is a fashion statement herself.

The effort that has gone into the clothes may remind the audiences of glamorous-looking movies like Devil Wears Prada, Priceless and Sex and the City.

There is more stuff here that makes you look forward to a happy-and-yet-good film compared to smiling-faces-in-climax-which-want-to-make-you-cry. If the word in the blog world and film magazines is right, the music has already done the good deed. Milliblog is impressed with every track in the album. Apun ka choice has a question for music director, Amit Trivedi , "Oh boy! Where were you?" Blogger, Sahil Bhalla calls it 'Genius'. The other descriptive phrases used are youthful and entertaining and
a complete package.

This article was first published at meetu's Times of India Blog.

Aisha - Movie Details

Official Website: Link
Banner: Anil Kapoor Films Company, PVR Pictures
Producer: Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Sanjeev Bijli, Ajay Bijli
Director: Rajshree Ojha
Lead Cast: Abhay Deol, Sonam Kapoor
Supporting Cast: M K Raina, Ira Dubey, Masood Akhtar, Cyrus Sahukar, Lisa Haydon, Arunodhay Singh, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Vidhushi Mehra, Sameer Malhotra, Anuradha Patel, Yuri Suri
Story: Based on Emma by Jane Austen
Dialogues: Devika Bhagat, Ritu Bhatia, Manu Rishi
Dir. of Photography: Diego Rodriguez
Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Background Score: Amit Trivedi
Choreography: Ashley Lobo, Terrence Lewis, Firoz, Karan Boolani
Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Running time: 130 minutes
Reviewer: meetu
Categories: Hindi Movies
Genres: Romance, Comedy