Moviewalah - We Heart Movies

Bollywood's Most Awaited...

Vijay — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:16:58 -0700

First half of 2008 was not really fruitful for Bollywood with only a handful of movies making moolah. You can count them on your fingers (of one hand) - Race, Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Sarkar Raj, Kismat Konnection and Jannat. Ok, you got to be Hrithik Roshan to count them on one hand. Just kidding...But you know what all is not lost yet. Starting next week, this may all turn around with some eagerly awaited movies. Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and of course Aamir Khan have their movies lined up. Let's do a quick walkthrough...

August 8, 2008 Anees Bazmee Akshay, Katrina Kaif	October 2, 2008 A.R. Murugadoss Aamir, Asin, Jiah	December 12, 2008 Aditya Chopra Shahrukh, Anushka	January 23, 2009 Rakeysh Mehra Abhishek, Sonam
October 2, 2008 Goldie Behl Abhishek, Priyanka	October 24, 2008 Nikhil Advani Akshay, Deepika	October 24, 2008 Subhash Ghai Salman, Anil, Katrina	October 24, 2008 Priyadarshan Shahrukh, Irrfan
August 15, 2008 Siddharth Anand Ranbir, Deepika, Bipasha	August 15, 2008 Rumi Jaffery Amitabh, Salman, Priyanka	November 7, 2008 Rohit Shetty Ajay, Arshad, Kareena	November 14, 2008 Tarun Mansukhani Abhishek, John, Priyanka

The list does look promising. Of the lot, I am most excited about Ghajini and Dilli 6. Ghajini because I want to see how Aamir does with his own version of Tamil Ghajini and Memento. Dilli 6 because its coming from Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who has set expectations sky high after Rang De Basanti. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi might well be comeback for Yash Raj Films who have suddenly given string of flops. Time changes so fast, you never know. And YRF has always delivered with SRK. Bachna Ae Haseeno is looking fresh with the hottest couple around. Songs are really good making it look like a feel good movie. Another Jaane Tu, anyone?

Will we have another super hero with Drona and will the original showman mark his return with Yuvraaj? Will Abhishek and John create magic again with Dostana and will Golmaal Returns be as funny as the first one? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure. If Akshay Kumar hits the bulls eye again with Singh Is Kinng and Chandni Chowk To China, then Bollywood will have its new Kinng!!!

First Look: 3 Idiots

Vijay — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:34:16 -0700

In every new movie in the last one year, there has been one common thing - trailer of "Munnabhai Chale America". I think they started showing this trailer ever since the release of Eklavya. It does look promising and interesting. However, this is not the next movie coming out from its makers Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Fans of Munnabhai will have to wait for some time as "3 Idiots" will hit the theaters first. It stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Madhavan and Boman Irani and is scheduled to be released late 2008 or early 2009. Music is composed by Shantanu Moitra. Not much is disclosed about the movie except for the cast and its first look. Coming from Aamir and Raju, it's certainly tough waiting for this one. Keep watching this space for more on 3 Idiots...

New Trailers Added: Drona and Chandni Chowk To China

Vijay — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:32:20 -0700

I just happened to watch some of the latest trailers and thought it would be a good idea to share two of the most interesting ones - Drona and Chandni Chowk To China. Have a look at them if you have not done already. I really want to see how does Abhishek perform as a Super Hero and what does Nikhil Advani do with Khiladi Kumar after two love stories. Wait n watch...

The other ones I uploaded are not very new but something we missed out earlier. So here you go...God Tussi Great Ho, Fashion, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai and Ugly Aur Pagli.

Music Added: Bachna Ae Haseeno, Singh Is Kinng, God Tussi Great Ho

Vijay — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:31:20 -0700

All you music lovers there, we have now uploaded the latest albums of Bachna Ae Haseeno, Singh Is Kinng and God Tussi Great Ho. I was in particularly waiting for Bachna Ae Haseeno as that song remains one of my favorite Chintu songs. And now that his son is playing the lead it becomes all the more interesting. Add to that, Sumit Kumar has sung the title song in parts, which was originally sung by his genius dad Kishore Da. Vishal Shekhar have done good to keep bits and pieces from the original track to remind you of that golden voice not that you would have forgotten it. The other song which calls for continuous replay is Khuda Jaane by KK and Shilpa Rao. There is something in KK's voice - that somewhat haunting feel, which I like. Go, listen and rate the tracks here.

The next album Singh Is Kinng impressed me the first time its promotions came on air. "Ek color ke terah patte, terah patto mein bus ek king..." by Mika, Neeraj Shridhar, Ashish Pandit and the latest sensation Hard Kaur got me hooked to it. It's such a foot tapping number that it's tough not to like it. And when you have Snoop Dogg sporting a turban and lending his voice for a Bollywood movie for the first time, trust things to be grand. RDB has mixed his song "Singh is Kinng" where Akshay Kumar too gets to croon a few lines. Talli Hua is another fun number. I am hoping the movie would be as impressive as its music. Until then listen the songs here and feel free to write your own music review of the album.

The last album is God Tussi Great Ho. I did not get enough time to listen to all the songs in my 5 hour coast to coast flight. Listen I have to sleep too :) But the one which got my attention immediately was "Tujhe Aksa beach ghooma doon..." which has a very catchy tune and believe me no one is suited better than Salman, Sohail and Priyanka Chopra for that number. Shankar Mahadevan lends his voice once again for a Big B number "God Tussi Great Ho...". He's fast becoming his voice but I am afraid that song is not that great. For the rest of the songs, I need to go here and so do you :)

Folks, enjoy these albums for now. Ciao. I'll be back soon with some more interesting stuff.

Movie Review: Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na

Abhavya Sharan — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:48:21 -0700

Yippeeeeee, I just got back home after watching Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and yes, its a must watch for all of you. You guessed it right I am still ecstatic, having had 3 hours of complete entertainment. But before I talk about the movie I think i got to talk about the new Khan of the generation, Imran...a complete package of looks, talent, style and of course the surname. Like Maama, like bhanja..if Aamir did it with QSQT, Imran has done it with Jaane Tu..I won't be wrong if i said that he is the latest heartthrob of the nation.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na is that sweet love story that we've not had for quite sometime. It comes at a time when we were all bored of Karan Johar's designer romance and 40 plus SRK playing a college boy. It is bound to appeal to all generations of the audience for its freshness, innocence and simplicity. Well, it is just another story of two best of friends, Jai (Imran Khan) and Aditi (Genelia D'Souza) unaware of their true feelings for each other. However, the difference this time is that this love story has been wonderfully told. Another thing that makes this movie unique is that it is not just about Jai and Aditi's relationship but also about Aditi and Amit (Aditi's brother) and Amit and Jai's relationship. Not to forget that it is also about friendship, carefree college days and some Rajput angle which gives a comic touch to the movie.

Naseerudin Shah, remains confined to one picture frame on the wall, is still at his comic best and so are Sohail and Arbaaz Khan in a cameo. However, one person who leaves a mark behind is Prateik Babbar as Amit. Even though he plays a relatively small role of a lonely but gifted painter he oozes his mother Smita Patil's intense acting skills in every scene. Among the friends, Nirav Mehta (Jignesh Patel) impresses with his strong Gujju accent. Ratna Pathak Shah and Paresh Rawal also provide some fun moments.

Film's production values are top rate as expected of any Aamir Khan Production's movie - be it the cinematography, music, details, dialogs or direction. Abbas Tyrewala excels as the director and I must say this is a big jump for the Munnabhai series' dialog writer. Music by A R Rahman is excellent but I am not sure why they chopped off my favorite song - female version of the title song.

Now what I didn't like about the movie. One, the first 15 minutes where friends gather at the airport until the real story begins. That part was irritatingly amateurish. Two, Genelia D'Souza. She just can't act. She did have some expressions but the way she speaks she looks constipated all the time. She needs to open up more. Three, her fiance. He was total "chaman"!

Overall Jaane Tu comes as a welcome relief at a time when the film industry needed a popular hit very badly. And going by the business reports, it's doing extremely well and may even turn out to be a bigger hit than Lagaan and Taare Zameen Par. It's a hattrick for AKP!

Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na...

Abhavya Sharan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:02:39 -0700

You know what, I missed the chance to watch "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na" this Friday because I am stuck at this crazy place with no access to Hindi cinema theaters not even to Hindi channels. I don't think this is fair at all. To tell you the truth I have been nurturing some secret feelings for this amazingly cute looking guy, Imran (shhhhhhhh, now all you big mouths don't go around gossiping about my post marital crush ;)) I am sure now you understand my plight guys.

Well, Aamir was my school days crush which grew into a mature admiration with age but his nephew sure makes my heart flutter like a college girl!!! I have heard the refreshingly youthful compositions of Rehman n number of times; I have played it in my car, at home; shaken my legs to the tune of "Pappu can't dance saala" and jumped with excitement each time the promos flashed on the music channels. I hoped and prayed and wished that this could be another QSQT.

Alas, all I have been able to do last few days is to peep into reviews on other websites. They say it is good, a cute love story just meant for the youngsters, blah blah blah. Even Mr "guy who otherwise always seems to be walking towards you when he's actually walking away from you" Sen seems to have agreed by giving it a 4 star rating.

Guys c'mon now fill me in with details, I can't really wait to watch the movie. And if at all this is a ploy of that jealous somebody (you know who I am talking about ;)) to hold me back from watching this movie he better be ready for some dire consequences, well, there could be a strike in the kitchen to begin with!!! And no matter what I am watching it this Friday. Watch out for my review.

Movie Review: De Taali ***.5

raulsails — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:42:41 -0700

Falling in love with a friend is probably the most done-redone and re-re-done plot in Bollywood history but if done a little intelligently, it becomes quite palatable every time. Much like our good old dal-chawal. And De Taali is just that – a well presented good old dal chawal.

First the story line Paglu(Riteish Deshmukh), Abhi (Aftab Shivdasani) and Amu (Ayesha Takia) are the best of friends. And they are all normal characters (Thank God). And one day, Amu realises that she is in love with Abhi. Well she does not really realise it all by herself. Paglu shows her the mirror. But it's not that all consuming, I-will-cry-till-I-die kind of love at all. And guess what, that's the good part - There is no melodrama in the film.

Though Abhi obviously is in love with another girl and declares it in front of Amu who by the way was expecting him to say those three magic words to her, it does not leave the damsel too much in distress. There is no excessively sad number where the heroine cries her eyes out over her unrequited love. In fact, the heroine though visibly sad, does not seem to shed even one drop of precious tear over Abhi. She forms a plan with Paglu's help to get her love back. And a series of funny and quite enjoyable incidents happen. It's a movie about friends who are quite normal – as normal like me and you.

As for performances, the film is out and out Ritesh's, this actor surely can make his character interesting enough to fall in love with. He is good with his funny expressions and has a superb timing. And the character of a loving, helpful and rather sweet friend really suits the guy. Aftab Shivdasani, after a very very long time, perhaps after his first film Mast, the guy is looking un-sleazy. He is actually looking cute with his dimples and has lived up to his character. The female lead, Ayesha is cute and bubbly and good though I seriously hope she changes her designer and dressing sense. The T-shirts and jeans were fine but the hideous outfits that she tried to pass as sexy…just did not work!

Rimi Sen. How did I forget about her now? Well she plays the other woman – the Rani Mukherjee in KKHH and Madhuri in DTPH. Except for the fact she lacks the goodness of heart of a Tina or a Nisha. She is not one to sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare in college or give in to her foster parents' wishes by subduing her own. Moreover, the interesting part is, Rimi Sen unlike her other films is not just a decorative piece in this one. Of course she wears short clothes and does some sensual dancing steps – but she plays a character, a well formed, well thought about, complete character for a change.

There's also an Anupam Kher in the movie, who's quite wasted if you ask. It seems like he left his acting prowess at home when he came to shoot for this one. He is just obsessed with his dog called Jhumroo and fails to be the intended comic relief. There was actually no need of a superimposed comic relief character in a film which was already so light hearted and funny.
As for the music, the songs are really nice and easy on ears, though Vishal-Shekhar should try something new other than producing RD Burmanish song. The title track stands the best, followed by the seductive Hone Lagi. Maari teetri is good song but forced in the narrative but its worth watching that eye candy doll(who luks like Shakira's relative from her hips).

So should you watch this film?
Well you go out for serious 'meaningful' cinema and multi-starrers – consider them your eating out days. And there's always a risk – you may or may not like the cuisine you selected. As for this film, it's probably the same boring dal chawal you've grown up eating – but you know that it never goes out of style.
Go for it if you are looking for a light enjoyable evening without the fear of being disappointed.

Music Added: Kismat Konnection

Vijay — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:33:18 -0700

Shahid Kapoor is now trying his kismat with Vidya Balan. Let's hope this konnection works well for him. At least the music of the film is rocking with the title track Aai Pappi by Neeraj Shridhar topping the charts. Listen to this dance number along with other songs of Kismat Konnection here and rate them.

Uninspiring Releases

Vijay — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:52:26 -0700

Last week it was Mere Baap Pehle Aap. And this week De Taali and Haal-e-Dil. Hold on there was Summer 2007 too last week. Two weeks have gone by and I have not been inspired enough to cross the Bay Bridge to Naz8, the only Hindi movies theater in this area. One month ago I was quite sure to watch at least Mere Baap Pehle Aap and De Taali - both of them being my favorite genre - comedy. But somehow by the promos I was getting an idea that these movies would have nothing more to offer beyond those trailers. Anyway, if anyone of you happen to watch these, feel free to post the review here.

I just hope this is just a lull before the storm... I mean Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, Kismat Konnection and Singh Is Kinng. What do you say folks - will Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na be another QSQT?

Is RottenTomatoes.com trying to sabotage "The Happening"

aslam — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:37:54 -0700

I am not someone who believes in conspiracy theories, but this one seems too interesting to be left alone. In the spirit of full disclosure, before I say anything I must say, I am a big Shayamalan fan (yeah I liked Lady In the Water). Now if you go on the page for "The Happening" on RottenTomatoes.com, you'll see a rating of 17%. You start reading the reviews and obviously they are all negative, even the positive ones sound pretty negative. However an investigative Shyamalan fan (desitexan) has listed 12 reviews from notable critics and publications in the forums for that movie, which, have not been accounted by RT.com in their average rating calculation. I mean Roger Ebert gave it a great rating, he knows a few things about being a movie critic right?

Now why would they do it you might ask? Well my theory is because Shyamalan made so much fun of critics in " The Lady in the Water" that they've been hating on him ever since. I mean they've been bitching about him and his movies on the blogs since that movie came out. But what better way to take the revenge but by killing the opening of his new movie. So they use RT.com as a vehicle (the site that basically survives because of content from other critics) and all RT.com has to do is conveniently ignore most of the positive reviews. Thus bringing the average lower and therefore most people who rely on RT.com's rating will turn away and go watch Incredible Hulk. Which coincidently is the other big movie with a hugely positive rating.

I rest my case.....