Producer: Ronnie Screwvala, Salman Khan
Director: Vikas Bahl, Nitesh Tiwari
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain,Aarav Khanna, Vishesh Tiwari, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Vedant Desai, Divji Handa, Sherya Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Nitesh Tiwari, Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Vikas Bahl
Genre: Emotional
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 08 July 2011
The lives of these kids gets difficult when Bhidu's life is endangered, thanks to a mean politician. The young ones fight the big bad world of politics and show that even they can move mountains.
First time directors Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari has tried to attempt something really different and the earnestness shows in their effort. It must have been a challenge to extract such vulnerable performances mainly from the child actors; but the duo have managed to do so quite well.
They also have written the script along with Vijay Maurya and must say, the trio have lived up to the challenge of penning such a sensitive subject with ease. Although the film takes a while to grow on you, the second half when the kids go against their parents (mainly the politician) and their revolution/demonstration to save Bhidu takes the graph of the film upwards.
But I would like to add here; that you do get a feeling at times while watching the film; that the kids are behaving more as ‘grown ups’ or adults and not playing their ‘age’.
All the kids share equal screen space, but the performances which stand apart are of Naman Jain (Jhangiya), Irfan Khan (Fatka), Chinmai Chandranshuh (Lucky), Sanath Menon (Encyclopedia) and Rohan Grover (Akram) in that order.
Among the supporting cast, all the actors have done full justice to their roles mainly politician Bhide (thanks to his menacing looks), the RJ (with a girly voice) and the opposing neighbour (Mr.Tandon) who also serves as an aide to the politician.
Music by Amit Trivedi is tuneful to the ears and has an inspirational value. The lyrics are of feel good quality which helps even further. The item number by Ranbir Kapoor ‘Tai Tai Phish’ (comes towards the end credits) is foot tapping is also well choreographed well (Bosco-Ceasar). Editing could have been sharper as the interest level dips in both the halves. Cinematography is functional as the film is mainly shot inside a housing colony. Costumes are Aki Narula look real and basic which works in the film’s favor.
To sum it up, ‘Chillar Party’ is a treat to watch (mainly for kids) as it has two strong messages – child labour and love towards animals. And the best part is; that it says it without being too preachy. It sends signals in the right direction in a subtle way and their lies its strength.
Go join the march. Become a part of the ‘party’ – it only teaches you ‘being human’!
RATINGS==6.5/10
2)DELHI BELLY
Producer: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Abhinay Deo
Starring: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Poorna Jagannathan, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Shenaz Treasurywala
Music: Ram Sampath
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Munna Dhiman, Akshat Varma
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: Adult
Film Released on: 01 July 2011
Arun can't make up his mind who he wants to kill first - his girlfriend (who has just dumped him) or his stupid, annoying boss (whose idea of creativity is sketching a smiling banana).
And Nitin is about to discover that eating delicious ‘tandoori chicken’ off a street vendor is going to give him the worst case of Delhi Belly – he’s ever known!
Three regular blokes, living the regular life except for one small detail – they are on the ‘hit list’ of one of the world's deadliest crime syndicates.
Will they be able to get away before the ‘shit’ hits the roof and it comes crashing down? Watch it to find out more.
Director Abhinay Deo whose last film (Game) did not leave much of an impression in people’s minds is in super form this time and executes a subject with a rare maturity.
He is ably supported by writer Akshat Verma who pens a script which is unpretentious and bold to the core without making it sound cheap or vulgar and kudos to him for that. The screenplay is fast paced and has lots of twists and turns while the dialogues are real and funny to the core. Not once do you feel during watching the film that the liberal use of abusive language was not required; as it has been woven smartly and there can be simply no offense to that.
Performance-wise, Imran, Vir and Kunaal are a complete riot. While Imran successfully breakthrough from his boy-next-door kind of an image and puts up a bravura act, Vir Das is not only a stand-up comedian but a brilliant actor as well. Kunaal is the best of the lot with his antics bringing the house down whenever he comes on the screen. We wish to see him in more movies.
Of the other cast, Shenaz Treasurywala looks extremely sexy and also acts very well. Poorna Jagannathan is natural and has a good screen presence. Vijay Raaz is a fabulous actor and he proves it once again with this film. He is just outstanding. Rahul Singh is also good while Paresh Ganatra is the funnyman as usual and does full justice to his part.
Music by Ram Sampath is path breaking (especially the ‘Bhaag D K Bose’ and ‘Jaa Chudail’ songs), but the songs are played only in the background and that too not fully. The ‘I Hate You Like I Love You’ song picturised on Aamir is just an okay song; but it has been shot (like the disco dancer way) very well. Editing by Huzefa Lokhandwala is crisp and sharp with the length of the film under two hours. Cinematography by Jason West is natural and he has captured the bylanes of Delhi very intricately. Sound design by Vinod Subramanium and art direction by Shekhar More gel perfectly well with the theme of the film while costumes by Niharika Khan are very basic; but best suited for a film with such a setting.
To cut it short, ‘Delhi Belly’ may not be path breaking cinema, but if you have an appetite for watching some kick ass stuff – do yourself a favour. Watch Delhi Belly now!!! You can’t afford to miss this one. At the box office, this film will justify the tagline of the film – when ‘Shit Happens’ – ‘Hit happens’!
3)
Director: Puri Jagannadh
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Sonal Chauhan, Raveen Tandon (special appearance)
Music: Vishal – Shekhar
Lyrics: Anvita Dutt
Genre: Comedy, Romantic
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 01 July 2011
Written and directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film is his tribute to Bachchan; but the film maker fails to come up with a strong storyline and an arresting screenplay. But the dialogues are soaked in humor and must say, some of them are really innovative.
In the acting department, the film is all about Bachchan from start to end and once again he proves that there is no other versatile actor than him. For the young generation who hasn’t seen him in his ‘jubilee hit’ films, the film is a textbook or a reference point on how he has become what he is today and what it takes to be a ‘star’?
Prakash Raj as the villain is fantastic and also brings in humour in his character. Hema Malini has a shorter role but plays her part well.
Sonu Sood portrays the role of a cop with sincerity and does good action. Sonal Chauhan as his love interest looks nice and has also done a commendable job. Rajeev Mehta as her father is as usual. Charmy Kaur as her friend is a complete natural. Makrand Deshpande adds to the fun element. Raveena Tandon in a cameo is slightly over the top but that’s what her character demanded and she does full justice to it.
Music by Vishal – Shekhar is foot tapping but not of ‘hit’ category. Editing by Shekhar (not the same as the music duo) has some loose ends and hampers the flow at times. Cinematography by Amol Rathod is functional.
Overall, watch ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’ if you want to see Amitabh Bachchan reprise the famous ‘Vijay’ that he had played in popular films like ‘Deewar’, ‘Agneepath’ and ‘Zanjeer’ or you are simply a diehard Bachchan fan. Think of it, who isn’t ? Yet the film disappoints.
4)
Director: Indra Kumar
Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Mallika Sherawat, Kangna Ranaut, Ashish Chowdhry, Javed Jafferi, Satish Kaushik and others
Music: Anand Raj Anand
Lyrics: Anand Raj Anand, Mayur Puri
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 24 June 2011
And then, suddenly they see their old arch enemy – the corrupt Inspector Kabir Nayak (Sanjay Dutt). But he's no longer a cop and instead of chasing crooks, he's chasing money – driving a Mercedes and has a posh office and a lavish villa. The four mad caps go green with envy and decide that come what may, by hook or by crook they will share Kabir's good fortune. And so they blackmail Kabir into making them his business partners. They are in seventh heaven, yippee, all their dreams are coming true. But what they don't know is that soon their dreams are going to turn into nightmares because Kabir has his own hidden agenda, only shared by his sultry wife Kamini (Mallika Sherawat) and lovely sister Kiya (Kangna Ranaut).
And so starts a game of one-upmanship, with both sides having tricks up their sleeves and where sundry characters like Batabhai (Satish Kaushik) and King of Casino Johnny Bonzola (Harry Josh), turn up to make their foursome's life miserable. And of course, there's a hell lot of money at stake. So who will have the last laugh? The canny Kabir or our four loveable jokers? ‘Double Dhamaal’ is all about that.
Director Indra Kumar succeeded in raising ample laughs in the first part, but this time he does not seem to be in his elements. His direction is lackluster as he fails to handle the comic situations with aplomb, thanks to the story and screenplay writer (Tushar Hirannandani) who does a shoddy job of it. While the interest level in the first half is at least maintained, the second half is a complete mishmash. Dialogues by Farhad-Sajid cater strictly to the gallery and in that sense, they have done a fair job.
If the writing and direction fails to impress, even the acting department is not up to the mark. Sanjay Dutt looks disinterested and sleepwalks through his role in certain scenes. Mallia Sherawat sizzles in the ‘Jalebibai’ song; but needs to work on her comic timing. Ditto Kangna Ranaut who needs diction classes pronto. Satish Kaushik is very likeable and brings the house down whenever he arrives on the screen.
Talking about the foursome, they all are convincing enough to come across as ‘fools’ and – be it Arshad, Riteish, Ashish or Jaaved, they get equal scope to display their antics; but due to the slapstick humour, their performance comes across as too loud and amateurish at times which actually gets on to your nerves after a point of time.
Music by Anand Raj Anand is nothing to rave about except the ‘Jalebibai’ song (well choreographed by Ganesh Acharya) and the remix version of ‘Oye Oye’ from Tridev. Editing by Sanjay Sankla could have been tighter especially post interval. Cinematography by Aseem Bajaj is good and he is able to capture the scenic locations of Macau very well. Action by Allan Amin is functional. Art direction by Tanushree Sarkar is eye-filling while sound design by Chiranjeevi Nanda is more of ‘noise’.
To sum it all, watch ‘Double Dhamaal’ strictly for the awesome foursome’s ‘kamaal’ comedy, but beware it’s a complete no-brainer. If you like illogical comedies, you might just like it, otherwise go at your peril!
5)
Director: Roshan Abbas
Starring: Ali Fazal, Giselle Monteiro, Zoa Morani, Satyajeet Dubey
Music: Ashish Rego, Shree D, Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Roshan Abbas, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Prashant Pandey, Irfan Siddique
Film Released on: 17 June 2011
Tariq (Satyajeet Dubey) is Sam's best friend and the geek who has the cheek to be cool but carries the burden of having to excel at everything. His sole ambition is to study and to try staying out of Nadini's way.
Nandini (Zoa Morani) is the school brat; who you love to hate and hate to love. Living life on her terms and breaking rules to make her own makes Nandini; the most envied girl in school and no one agrees to that more than Tariq.
It's the final year at St. Marks, and they begin with a lot of excitement. Principal Khan and Ms. Das have decided that the school was going to participate in the interschool ‘Shakespearewallah’ contest and present Romeo and Juliet!.
The story then unfolds a series of dramatic incidents that take place in each of these characters’ lives and how they find the answers to each question on a youthful journey together where life has many lessons for these carefree souls. But to the questions which life throws at them, they have only one answer "Kabhi Kabhi Jo Dil Kahe, Always Wohi Karein".
First time director Roshan Abbas comes up with a fresh concept; but he and his team of writers (Ranjita Raina and Ishita Moitra) somehow are not able to showcase it with full conviction. While the first half has light moments, the graph escalates towards the second half. Dialogues are dipped in youth flavor, but while some of them try to sound ‘cool’ (if that was the intension behind it); they aren’t. On the acting front, newcomer Ali Fazal is plain mediocre and also needs to work on his looks. Giselle Monterio is expressionless and should take a crash course on acting. Zoa Morani is at least confident; but again is no heroine material. Satyajeet Dubey is the best of the lot with his boy-next-door looks and a likeable performance. No great shakes though.
The other cast includes Satish Shah, Lilette Dubey, Mukesh Tiwari, Manoj Joshi, Akash Khurana, Navneet Nishan whose roles aren’t well defined and hence does not leave any impact whatsoever. Vijay Raaz is wasted.
Music by Ashish Rego, Shree D and Pritam Chakraborty has no repeat value (except the title song) which is a ‘must’ for a film with romance as it’s backdrop. Even the ‘Antenna’ song filmed on Shahrukh Khan is not tuneful. Editing by Sanjay Sharma is of standard. Cinematography by Fuwad Khan and Anshuman Mahaley is of top order. Art directors Mansi Mehta and Tanushree Sarkar succeed in capturing a vibrant ambience and a colourful atmosphere. Pack your bags. Brace yourself. It's time to re-visit your school!
6)
Director: Anees Bazmee
Starring: Salman Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Manoj Joshi
Music: Pritam, Devi Sri Prasad
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ashish Pandit, Neelesh Misra and Kumaar
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 03 June 2011
For those who want to kill me, please don’t because as you will see with my previous reviews of Wanted and Dabangg, I am a pretty big fan of Salman Khan and his star power. And honestly speaking, the problem here isn’t with Salman Khan – in fact I could sit through the movie just because of him – it’s with the most pathetic screenplay ever written, and honestly enough, it just doesn’t make sense at all. But with what little tolerance level I’ve had watching the film though till its end, let me try to decipher it.
So Salman Khan plays Prem, who has a nice big Rajshri-esque family, and who helps people in his own way. He is a jobless person who only thinks of working out and creating trouble. So he helps two lovers unite, but before doing that he’s got the privilege of dancing to Character Dheela with the chick he’s helping (Zarine Khan, you’ve got to work on your dialogue delivery woman). Intelligent! Very intelligent!
Oh, wait, there’s more intelligence! So he comes back home and they have a banter about how he should marry, so they go to this Guruji (?) who tells the family of some Pooja Malhotra. A chance hearing by Asin, and the damsel-in-distress helps herself away from her crazy uncles who want her for her money by impersonating Pooja because (how convenient) they haven’t even gotten a photo of her. And then, the usual thoda-jhagda-thoda-pyaar happens, when he realizes that she’s not Pooja but Sanjana. But he isn’t hurt, he quickly accepts what she has to tell. And willingly helps her. During this time, at least there are some laughs that pass you by the film, but post the interval (Tea Break?), the movie only goes downhill with each second acting like a shortcut to boredom, headaches and more headaches. Some scenes try to be funny, but neither do the actors have any comic timing, nor does the screenplay find any innovatively written jokes. And then, by the end the movie suddenly turns back to oh-we’re-a-happy-family-with-good-values, where people cry and unite.On My God!For a Telegu movie, the story and screenplay might have been alright, but for this belt, it just doesn’t seem to work. Anyhow, considering they’ve just wanted to make a masala film with an absolute lacking in sense and logic, they should still have focused on the turn of events in the screenplay but instead it’s shoddily written, with songs popping out of nowhere (songs like Character Dheela and Dhinka Chika make you go What the hell?). Moreover, somewhere the movie reminds you of Welcome, somewhere else it reminds you of Thank You, and to rub that in your faces Salman Khan says a dialogue that goes, “Welcome, Thank you, I am Ready!” Couldn’t the dialogue writer have thought of something better than to cash on the previous hits of this director? And in one scene, Salman goes way ahead by cashing in on the success of Dabangg by parking his spectacles in the exact same way. Oh, and of course, every one you end up interacting with in Bangkok is Indian. Every freaking one!Understood that you’re in an alternate reality. Even so, the sequences in Main Aurr Mrs Khanna were better handled for Indians abroad – at least it looked believable.
Technically, the movie is strictly decent. The cinematography is alright, and even in a picturesque location like Bangkok, they haven’t really been able to capture its romanticism. Or maybe we’ve seen too much of Bangkok in Bollywood. Camerawork is strictly loud and zany for what it’s meant to be. Action choreography deserves brownie points. Editing is the worst part of the film. There’s too much of wannabe in the style of editing observed in the film, and honestly, it just doesn’t work. Split screens used occasionally don’t make any sense, and if you use split screens, you just know you need style, and a bit of subtext on why you’re using split screens.
The background score is nice in some places, horrible in others. The music is plain bad! Pritam and his innovation have both gone for a toss. Devi Sri Prasad’s “Dhinka Chika” is something we’ve unfortunately already heard (remember “Ringa Ringa”?). “Humko Pyaar Hua” is the only decent song but unfortunately, it’s saddled by such a horrible picturization, with absolutely zero chemistry between the lead stars and it’s shamefully put down. “Character Dheela” might just have been the most well picturized song, but then again it arrives at such a juncture you really don’t seem to care about it anymore.
I really don’t need to talk a lot about the performances here, because the movie in itself is supposed to be all-Salman-nothing-else; but herein lies the problem – the movie’s far too crowded for its own good. But let’s focus on Salman here. Yes, he holds the weak screenplay on his shoulders to pass it through, but any movie on a whole is a package deal that should work at every juncture, be it in the pre-production, or post-production aspects, and this is where his own Dabangg did really well. Asin in her only third movie after a stunning debut in Ghajini had a spirited performance and a charming chemistry with Salman Khan in the otherwise damp squib London Dreams. Here too she does pretty well, but the chemistry shared between Salman Khan and Asin is absolutely zilch. Veterans Manoj Joshi and Mahesh Majrekar make good fools out of themselves, and Sharat Saxena isn’t far behind. Arya Babbar looks stupid and acts worse, and the others exist as mere props. Now to the cameos! Kangna Ranaut is artificial. Arbaaz Khan is double artificial and Ajay Devgan looks pretty uncomfortable in his short role.
Honestly, this is a film that only hardcore Sallu fanatics will enjoy, the rest of you who think rationally will end up walking out of the theater with a headache. Sure, it’s masala. Sure, it’s formula entertainment. Sure, it’s got Salman Khan. But if you want masala, watch Sholay, Yaadon Ki Baaraat and Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin. Better still, watch the Dhoom franchise and Golmaal franchise. Watch Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om. And if it must be a Salman flick, watch his Wanted or Dabangg. Sadly Ready is masala entertainment at its worst!
Director: Vikas Bahl, Nitesh Tiwari
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain,Aarav Khanna, Vishesh Tiwari, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Vedant Desai, Divji Handa, Sherya Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Nitesh Tiwari, Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Vikas Bahl
Genre: Emotional
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 08 July 2011
Storyline--
Chillar Party is a film about a gang of innocent; but feisty ‘bachcha log’ who lead a carefree and fun filled life in Chandan Nagar Colony in suburban Mumbai. Soon Fatka (Irfan Khan) and Bhidu (dog) come into their lives and they become ‘inseparable’.The lives of these kids gets difficult when Bhidu's life is endangered, thanks to a mean politician. The young ones fight the big bad world of politics and show that even they can move mountains.
First time directors Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari has tried to attempt something really different and the earnestness shows in their effort. It must have been a challenge to extract such vulnerable performances mainly from the child actors; but the duo have managed to do so quite well.
They also have written the script along with Vijay Maurya and must say, the trio have lived up to the challenge of penning such a sensitive subject with ease. Although the film takes a while to grow on you, the second half when the kids go against their parents (mainly the politician) and their revolution/demonstration to save Bhidu takes the graph of the film upwards.
But I would like to add here; that you do get a feeling at times while watching the film; that the kids are behaving more as ‘grown ups’ or adults and not playing their ‘age’.
All the kids share equal screen space, but the performances which stand apart are of Naman Jain (Jhangiya), Irfan Khan (Fatka), Chinmai Chandranshuh (Lucky), Sanath Menon (Encyclopedia) and Rohan Grover (Akram) in that order.
Among the supporting cast, all the actors have done full justice to their roles mainly politician Bhide (thanks to his menacing looks), the RJ (with a girly voice) and the opposing neighbour (Mr.Tandon) who also serves as an aide to the politician.
Music by Amit Trivedi is tuneful to the ears and has an inspirational value. The lyrics are of feel good quality which helps even further. The item number by Ranbir Kapoor ‘Tai Tai Phish’ (comes towards the end credits) is foot tapping is also well choreographed well (Bosco-Ceasar). Editing could have been sharper as the interest level dips in both the halves. Cinematography is functional as the film is mainly shot inside a housing colony. Costumes are Aki Narula look real and basic which works in the film’s favor.
To sum it up, ‘Chillar Party’ is a treat to watch (mainly for kids) as it has two strong messages – child labour and love towards animals. And the best part is; that it says it without being too preachy. It sends signals in the right direction in a subtle way and their lies its strength.
Go join the march. Become a part of the ‘party’ – it only teaches you ‘being human’!
RATINGS==6.5/10
2)DELHI BELLY
Producer: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Abhinay Deo
Starring: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Poorna Jagannathan, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Shenaz Treasurywala
Music: Ram Sampath
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Munna Dhiman, Akshat Varma
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: Adult
Film Released on: 01 July 2011
Storyline-->
Tashi (Imran Khan), Arun (Vir Das) and Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur) are flat mates, buddies and partners in crime. Tashi is about to get married in a month; but still doesn't know if his fiancee is 'The One'!Arun can't make up his mind who he wants to kill first - his girlfriend (who has just dumped him) or his stupid, annoying boss (whose idea of creativity is sketching a smiling banana).
And Nitin is about to discover that eating delicious ‘tandoori chicken’ off a street vendor is going to give him the worst case of Delhi Belly – he’s ever known!
Three regular blokes, living the regular life except for one small detail – they are on the ‘hit list’ of one of the world's deadliest crime syndicates.
Will they be able to get away before the ‘shit’ hits the roof and it comes crashing down? Watch it to find out more.
Director Abhinay Deo whose last film (Game) did not leave much of an impression in people’s minds is in super form this time and executes a subject with a rare maturity.
He is ably supported by writer Akshat Verma who pens a script which is unpretentious and bold to the core without making it sound cheap or vulgar and kudos to him for that. The screenplay is fast paced and has lots of twists and turns while the dialogues are real and funny to the core. Not once do you feel during watching the film that the liberal use of abusive language was not required; as it has been woven smartly and there can be simply no offense to that.
Performance-wise, Imran, Vir and Kunaal are a complete riot. While Imran successfully breakthrough from his boy-next-door kind of an image and puts up a bravura act, Vir Das is not only a stand-up comedian but a brilliant actor as well. Kunaal is the best of the lot with his antics bringing the house down whenever he comes on the screen. We wish to see him in more movies.
Of the other cast, Shenaz Treasurywala looks extremely sexy and also acts very well. Poorna Jagannathan is natural and has a good screen presence. Vijay Raaz is a fabulous actor and he proves it once again with this film. He is just outstanding. Rahul Singh is also good while Paresh Ganatra is the funnyman as usual and does full justice to his part.
Music by Ram Sampath is path breaking (especially the ‘Bhaag D K Bose’ and ‘Jaa Chudail’ songs), but the songs are played only in the background and that too not fully. The ‘I Hate You Like I Love You’ song picturised on Aamir is just an okay song; but it has been shot (like the disco dancer way) very well. Editing by Huzefa Lokhandwala is crisp and sharp with the length of the film under two hours. Cinematography by Jason West is natural and he has captured the bylanes of Delhi very intricately. Sound design by Vinod Subramanium and art direction by Shekhar More gel perfectly well with the theme of the film while costumes by Niharika Khan are very basic; but best suited for a film with such a setting.
To cut it short, ‘Delhi Belly’ may not be path breaking cinema, but if you have an appetite for watching some kick ass stuff – do yourself a favour. Watch Delhi Belly now!!! You can’t afford to miss this one. At the box office, this film will justify the tagline of the film – when ‘Shit Happens’ – ‘Hit happens’!
Rating==8.0/10
3)
Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap
Producer: AB Corp Limited and Viacom 18Director: Puri Jagannadh
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Sonal Chauhan, Raveen Tandon (special appearance)
Music: Vishal – Shekhar
Lyrics: Anvita Dutt
Genre: Comedy, Romantic
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 01 July 2011
Storyline--
'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' sees Amitabh Bachchan in his 70's self resurrecting his legendary 'angry old man avatar'. In the film, he essays the role of a retired hitman settled in Paris who comes back to India to do ‘one last job’. During the course he comes face to face with his past and that gets him to change his motive for the 'hit'.Written and directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film is his tribute to Bachchan; but the film maker fails to come up with a strong storyline and an arresting screenplay. But the dialogues are soaked in humor and must say, some of them are really innovative.
In the acting department, the film is all about Bachchan from start to end and once again he proves that there is no other versatile actor than him. For the young generation who hasn’t seen him in his ‘jubilee hit’ films, the film is a textbook or a reference point on how he has become what he is today and what it takes to be a ‘star’?
Prakash Raj as the villain is fantastic and also brings in humour in his character. Hema Malini has a shorter role but plays her part well.
Sonu Sood portrays the role of a cop with sincerity and does good action. Sonal Chauhan as his love interest looks nice and has also done a commendable job. Rajeev Mehta as her father is as usual. Charmy Kaur as her friend is a complete natural. Makrand Deshpande adds to the fun element. Raveena Tandon in a cameo is slightly over the top but that’s what her character demanded and she does full justice to it.
Music by Vishal – Shekhar is foot tapping but not of ‘hit’ category. Editing by Shekhar (not the same as the music duo) has some loose ends and hampers the flow at times. Cinematography by Amol Rathod is functional.
Overall, watch ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’ if you want to see Amitabh Bachchan reprise the famous ‘Vijay’ that he had played in popular films like ‘Deewar’, ‘Agneepath’ and ‘Zanjeer’ or you are simply a diehard Bachchan fan. Think of it, who isn’t ? Yet the film disappoints.
Rating==4.0/10
4)
Double Dhamaal
Producer: Indra Kumar and Ashok ThakeriaDirector: Indra Kumar
Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Mallika Sherawat, Kangna Ranaut, Ashish Chowdhry, Javed Jafferi, Satish Kaushik and others
Music: Anand Raj Anand
Lyrics: Anand Raj Anand, Mayur Puri
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 24 June 2011
Storyline--
The four good-for-nothing jokers from Dhamaal - Roy (Ritesh Deshmukh), Adi (Arshad Warsi), Manav (Jaaved Jaaferi) and Boman (Aashish Chaudhry) are back again! They are still as stupid and useless as before. Hard work is a strict no-no for them and the only work they have ever done in their lives is to lie down on their backside and dream about a good life where they have ‘everything’ without doing ‘anything’!And then, suddenly they see their old arch enemy – the corrupt Inspector Kabir Nayak (Sanjay Dutt). But he's no longer a cop and instead of chasing crooks, he's chasing money – driving a Mercedes and has a posh office and a lavish villa. The four mad caps go green with envy and decide that come what may, by hook or by crook they will share Kabir's good fortune. And so they blackmail Kabir into making them his business partners. They are in seventh heaven, yippee, all their dreams are coming true. But what they don't know is that soon their dreams are going to turn into nightmares because Kabir has his own hidden agenda, only shared by his sultry wife Kamini (Mallika Sherawat) and lovely sister Kiya (Kangna Ranaut).
And so starts a game of one-upmanship, with both sides having tricks up their sleeves and where sundry characters like Batabhai (Satish Kaushik) and King of Casino Johnny Bonzola (Harry Josh), turn up to make their foursome's life miserable. And of course, there's a hell lot of money at stake. So who will have the last laugh? The canny Kabir or our four loveable jokers? ‘Double Dhamaal’ is all about that.
Director Indra Kumar succeeded in raising ample laughs in the first part, but this time he does not seem to be in his elements. His direction is lackluster as he fails to handle the comic situations with aplomb, thanks to the story and screenplay writer (Tushar Hirannandani) who does a shoddy job of it. While the interest level in the first half is at least maintained, the second half is a complete mishmash. Dialogues by Farhad-Sajid cater strictly to the gallery and in that sense, they have done a fair job.
If the writing and direction fails to impress, even the acting department is not up to the mark. Sanjay Dutt looks disinterested and sleepwalks through his role in certain scenes. Mallia Sherawat sizzles in the ‘Jalebibai’ song; but needs to work on her comic timing. Ditto Kangna Ranaut who needs diction classes pronto. Satish Kaushik is very likeable and brings the house down whenever he arrives on the screen.
Talking about the foursome, they all are convincing enough to come across as ‘fools’ and – be it Arshad, Riteish, Ashish or Jaaved, they get equal scope to display their antics; but due to the slapstick humour, their performance comes across as too loud and amateurish at times which actually gets on to your nerves after a point of time.
Music by Anand Raj Anand is nothing to rave about except the ‘Jalebibai’ song (well choreographed by Ganesh Acharya) and the remix version of ‘Oye Oye’ from Tridev. Editing by Sanjay Sankla could have been tighter especially post interval. Cinematography by Aseem Bajaj is good and he is able to capture the scenic locations of Macau very well. Action by Allan Amin is functional. Art direction by Tanushree Sarkar is eye-filling while sound design by Chiranjeevi Nanda is more of ‘noise’.
To sum it all, watch ‘Double Dhamaal’ strictly for the awesome foursome’s ‘kamaal’ comedy, but beware it’s a complete no-brainer. If you like illogical comedies, you might just like it, otherwise go at your peril!
Rating==4.0/10
5)
Always kanhi kabhi
Producer: Gauri KhanDirector: Roshan Abbas
Starring: Ali Fazal, Giselle Monteiro, Zoa Morani, Satyajeet Dubey
Music: Ashish Rego, Shree D, Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics: Roshan Abbas, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Prashant Pandey, Irfan Siddique
Film Released on: 17 June 2011
Storyline--
Always Kabhi Kabhi’ is a story of four unique lives trying to compete with the pressures of growing up and the firsts we all experience in school. From crushes to classes, from bunking to break-ups. A modern age Romeo named Sameer (Ali Fazal) whose biggest theory of living life is through shortcuts. Who has eyes only for his Juliet, this dreamy eyed girl called Aishwarya Dhawan (Giselle Monteiro) who is a new admission in school. Aish leads a life, which is lived by her; but designed by her mother.Tariq (Satyajeet Dubey) is Sam's best friend and the geek who has the cheek to be cool but carries the burden of having to excel at everything. His sole ambition is to study and to try staying out of Nadini's way.
Nandini (Zoa Morani) is the school brat; who you love to hate and hate to love. Living life on her terms and breaking rules to make her own makes Nandini; the most envied girl in school and no one agrees to that more than Tariq.
It's the final year at St. Marks, and they begin with a lot of excitement. Principal Khan and Ms. Das have decided that the school was going to participate in the interschool ‘Shakespearewallah’ contest and present Romeo and Juliet!.
The story then unfolds a series of dramatic incidents that take place in each of these characters’ lives and how they find the answers to each question on a youthful journey together where life has many lessons for these carefree souls. But to the questions which life throws at them, they have only one answer "Kabhi Kabhi Jo Dil Kahe, Always Wohi Karein".
First time director Roshan Abbas comes up with a fresh concept; but he and his team of writers (Ranjita Raina and Ishita Moitra) somehow are not able to showcase it with full conviction. While the first half has light moments, the graph escalates towards the second half. Dialogues are dipped in youth flavor, but while some of them try to sound ‘cool’ (if that was the intension behind it); they aren’t. On the acting front, newcomer Ali Fazal is plain mediocre and also needs to work on his looks. Giselle Monterio is expressionless and should take a crash course on acting. Zoa Morani is at least confident; but again is no heroine material. Satyajeet Dubey is the best of the lot with his boy-next-door looks and a likeable performance. No great shakes though.
The other cast includes Satish Shah, Lilette Dubey, Mukesh Tiwari, Manoj Joshi, Akash Khurana, Navneet Nishan whose roles aren’t well defined and hence does not leave any impact whatsoever. Vijay Raaz is wasted.
Music by Ashish Rego, Shree D and Pritam Chakraborty has no repeat value (except the title song) which is a ‘must’ for a film with romance as it’s backdrop. Even the ‘Antenna’ song filmed on Shahrukh Khan is not tuneful. Editing by Sanjay Sharma is of standard. Cinematography by Fuwad Khan and Anshuman Mahaley is of top order. Art directors Mansi Mehta and Tanushree Sarkar succeed in capturing a vibrant ambience and a colourful atmosphere. Pack your bags. Brace yourself. It's time to re-visit your school!
Rating==6.0/10
6)
Ready
Producer: Sohail Khan, Bhushan Kumar, Kishan Kumar, Rajat Rawail, Nitin ManmohanDirector: Anees Bazmee
Starring: Salman Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Manoj Joshi
Music: Pritam, Devi Sri Prasad
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya, Ashish Pandit, Neelesh Misra and Kumaar
Genre: Comedy
Recommended Audience: General
Film Released on: 03 June 2011
Storyline--
Ready. It’s a rip-off Telegu superhit of the same name (and you’ve got one of the elements locked in nice and tight). It’s a collage of Salman dancing to a South song (another element). You also have a beautiful damsel-in-distress Asin running away from her own uncles – the harebrained goondas. The promotional strategy is zany at best – as all we see in all the television channels, all the kiosks in Mumbai, what with all the radio stations playing Character Dheela and Dhinka Chika, you’ve got it all. And what with a mind-boggling opening the movie has received across the world, they’ve achieved almost everything. Almost.Because there’s one humungous problem with the movie – it has a terribly written screenplay with such a horrible edit that you just don’t know what’s going on in the film! Now the reader might either be a Sallu fanatic wanting to kill me, or they might have just liked the film and is going to argue with me about how I’m supposed to have a taste for masala movies. But this is a bit for them.For those who want to kill me, please don’t because as you will see with my previous reviews of Wanted and Dabangg, I am a pretty big fan of Salman Khan and his star power. And honestly speaking, the problem here isn’t with Salman Khan – in fact I could sit through the movie just because of him – it’s with the most pathetic screenplay ever written, and honestly enough, it just doesn’t make sense at all. But with what little tolerance level I’ve had watching the film though till its end, let me try to decipher it.
So Salman Khan plays Prem, who has a nice big Rajshri-esque family, and who helps people in his own way. He is a jobless person who only thinks of working out and creating trouble. So he helps two lovers unite, but before doing that he’s got the privilege of dancing to Character Dheela with the chick he’s helping (Zarine Khan, you’ve got to work on your dialogue delivery woman). Intelligent! Very intelligent!
Oh, wait, there’s more intelligence! So he comes back home and they have a banter about how he should marry, so they go to this Guruji (?) who tells the family of some Pooja Malhotra. A chance hearing by Asin, and the damsel-in-distress helps herself away from her crazy uncles who want her for her money by impersonating Pooja because (how convenient) they haven’t even gotten a photo of her. And then, the usual thoda-jhagda-thoda-pyaar happens, when he realizes that she’s not Pooja but Sanjana. But he isn’t hurt, he quickly accepts what she has to tell. And willingly helps her. During this time, at least there are some laughs that pass you by the film, but post the interval (Tea Break?), the movie only goes downhill with each second acting like a shortcut to boredom, headaches and more headaches. Some scenes try to be funny, but neither do the actors have any comic timing, nor does the screenplay find any innovatively written jokes. And then, by the end the movie suddenly turns back to oh-we’re-a-happy-family-with-good-values, where people cry and unite.On My God!For a Telegu movie, the story and screenplay might have been alright, but for this belt, it just doesn’t seem to work. Anyhow, considering they’ve just wanted to make a masala film with an absolute lacking in sense and logic, they should still have focused on the turn of events in the screenplay but instead it’s shoddily written, with songs popping out of nowhere (songs like Character Dheela and Dhinka Chika make you go What the hell?). Moreover, somewhere the movie reminds you of Welcome, somewhere else it reminds you of Thank You, and to rub that in your faces Salman Khan says a dialogue that goes, “Welcome, Thank you, I am Ready!” Couldn’t the dialogue writer have thought of something better than to cash on the previous hits of this director? And in one scene, Salman goes way ahead by cashing in on the success of Dabangg by parking his spectacles in the exact same way. Oh, and of course, every one you end up interacting with in Bangkok is Indian. Every freaking one!Understood that you’re in an alternate reality. Even so, the sequences in Main Aurr Mrs Khanna were better handled for Indians abroad – at least it looked believable.
Technically, the movie is strictly decent. The cinematography is alright, and even in a picturesque location like Bangkok, they haven’t really been able to capture its romanticism. Or maybe we’ve seen too much of Bangkok in Bollywood. Camerawork is strictly loud and zany for what it’s meant to be. Action choreography deserves brownie points. Editing is the worst part of the film. There’s too much of wannabe in the style of editing observed in the film, and honestly, it just doesn’t work. Split screens used occasionally don’t make any sense, and if you use split screens, you just know you need style, and a bit of subtext on why you’re using split screens.
The background score is nice in some places, horrible in others. The music is plain bad! Pritam and his innovation have both gone for a toss. Devi Sri Prasad’s “Dhinka Chika” is something we’ve unfortunately already heard (remember “Ringa Ringa”?). “Humko Pyaar Hua” is the only decent song but unfortunately, it’s saddled by such a horrible picturization, with absolutely zero chemistry between the lead stars and it’s shamefully put down. “Character Dheela” might just have been the most well picturized song, but then again it arrives at such a juncture you really don’t seem to care about it anymore.
I really don’t need to talk a lot about the performances here, because the movie in itself is supposed to be all-Salman-nothing-else; but herein lies the problem – the movie’s far too crowded for its own good. But let’s focus on Salman here. Yes, he holds the weak screenplay on his shoulders to pass it through, but any movie on a whole is a package deal that should work at every juncture, be it in the pre-production, or post-production aspects, and this is where his own Dabangg did really well. Asin in her only third movie after a stunning debut in Ghajini had a spirited performance and a charming chemistry with Salman Khan in the otherwise damp squib London Dreams. Here too she does pretty well, but the chemistry shared between Salman Khan and Asin is absolutely zilch. Veterans Manoj Joshi and Mahesh Majrekar make good fools out of themselves, and Sharat Saxena isn’t far behind. Arya Babbar looks stupid and acts worse, and the others exist as mere props. Now to the cameos! Kangna Ranaut is artificial. Arbaaz Khan is double artificial and Ajay Devgan looks pretty uncomfortable in his short role.
Honestly, this is a film that only hardcore Sallu fanatics will enjoy, the rest of you who think rationally will end up walking out of the theater with a headache. Sure, it’s masala. Sure, it’s formula entertainment. Sure, it’s got Salman Khan. But if you want masala, watch Sholay, Yaadon Ki Baaraat and Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin. Better still, watch the Dhoom franchise and Golmaal franchise. Watch Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om. And if it must be a Salman flick, watch his Wanted or Dabangg. Sadly Ready is masala entertainment at its worst!
gud work
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