Bollywood Movie Review - Raat Gayi Baat Gayi

Cast:Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Iravati Harshe, Dilip Tahil, Anu Menon, Navneet Nishan
Publicity Designer:Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd
Story Writer:Saurabh Shukla, Rajat Kapoor
Sound Designer:Resul Pookutty
Producer:Rangita Pritish Nandy
Production Designer:Meenal Agarwal
Music Director:Ankur Tewari
Director:Saurabh Shukla

Beneath the veneer of a steady smooth marriage lies the seed of temptation that needs a few swigs of wine to sprout and find an ecstatic release. No wonder that almost every character in Raat Gayi Baat Gayi seems to be cheating on his or her spouse.

Rahul (Rajat Kapoor) wakes up foggy after a night of drunken revelry at a party with a svelte and sexy babe Sophia (Neha Dhupia) but can?t clearly recall how far he went on his bed-rocking adventure with the hottie. He?s particularly worried because his wife Mitali (Iravati Harshe), who was also at the party, is withdrawn and sullen in the morning. She seems to know the truth which Rahul himself can?t recall.

So, Mr. Cheater visits his neighborhood buddy Amit (Vinay Pathak) to untangle the mystery. Amit being of little help, the duo meets up the party?s host Saxena (Dalip Tahil) who outwardly is happily married to a plump Punjabi (Navneet Nishan) but is having a fling on the side with the same hottie.

As the trio set about to piece together the jigsaw of the debauched night, we are flashbacked to the party and its colourful, droll, and drab characters. Did Rahul transgress the bounds of marital vows? Did he bed Sophia? Or is there another secret that springs up as a sting in the tale?s tail.

A wry comedy with its share of oddball characters not uncommon from the ones in previous films by the Rajat-Vinay-Neha gang, ?Raat Gayi Baat Gayi? gives you a slightly d

Movie review - Avatar 2009

James Cameron magnum opus about tall blue men. A film yes, but more of an experience. With all the hype on TV, and everyone raving about ?Avatar? I finally saw this on IMAX 3D. And I have to agree ? it was mind-blowingly awesome. It really was; it is hard for me to use mind-blowing and awesome in the same sentence (my half-life reduces considerably each time.)

I went into the packed theater expecting out-of-the-world special effects, but having an impression that there wasn?t much to the story. Well, I got the expected quota of CGI, but what I also got was a meaty (and somewhat clich

Bollywood Movie Review - 3 Idiots

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Mona Singh, Parikshit Sahni, Javed Jaffrey

Story Writer:Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijit Joshi

Producer:Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Banner:Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions

Music Director:Shantanu Moitra

Playback Singer:Sharman Joshi, Suraj Jagan, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan , Swanand Kirkire, Sonu Nigam

Lyricist:Swanand Kirkire

Director:Rajkumar Hirani

Pants down and palms up! Give a high five to Rajkumar Hirani, whose formula of cocktailing entertainment with social messages has given us jaadu ki japphi and Gandhigiri in the past. His latest baby 3 Idiots isn?t exactly the cinematic ?chamatkar? it?s cracked up to be. It?s a frothy, feelgood, fun-filled, one-time-watch film that leaves you smiling but doubtful whether you wanna walk back in for another viewing.

Borrowing only scraps from Chetan Bhagat?s ?Five Point Someone?, Hirani and co-writer Abhijat Joshi churn out some delectable idiotgiri, laced with juvenile humour and tear-shedding moments. The only trouble is that the film?s core message is hammered out so many times that by the end it begins to lose its punch.

Salt water is a good conductor of electricity. Everyone?s read it, but Rancho (Aamir Khan) applied it on his ?pissed-off? senior to escape getting ragged on his very first day of the Imperial Engineering College.

An Edison-in-the-making, he believes in striving for excellence rather than success, which, in fact, is the core message of the film. But excellence can?t be had if you strive half-heartedly or fearfully or, worst, mechanically. Thereby come in three more characters - Farhan (Madhavan) who wants to be a wild life photographer but is doing engineering to fullfil his dad?s dream; Raju (Sharman Joshi), a poor lad who?s so afraid of failure that his fear has become a self-fulfilling prophecy; and Chatur (Omi) who?s a learning machine adept at mugging up books.

On top of them is the ever grimacing professor Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Boman Irani), fondly called Virus, telling them that the world?s a rat race in which one has to step on another to get to the top. No wonder the ingenious Rancho is an oddball out in the herd. His questions perplex his professors. And his disdain for the education system that professes learning by rote makes him the arch foe of Virus. Sandwiched between the two foes is Virus?s doctor daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor) who falls for Rancho but has to face up to her eccentric pa at home. Hirani and Joshi take this basic story, spin it on its head, and make it a tale of a quest of Farhan and Raju for their lost friend Rancho, who disappeared after topping the college.

The writer duo packs in some fine humour and drama but overshoot the mark at some places. For instance, Chatur?s convocation speech in which the word ?Chamatkar? is replaced by ?Balatkar? is a gag stretched too long. And there?s too much butt baring and dropping of pants. And the screenplay too takes a circuitous route through a funeral and a wedding, both not essential to the plot. Despite these foibles, ?3 Idiots? makes for an enjoyable watch, thanks to the bonhomie cracked up on screen by Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman. Aamir?s Rancho is a bouncy, fidgety genius with a golden heart.

The 44-year-old actor almost passes off as a 22-year-old collegian, bringing out in his character the juvenile buoyancy and vivacity few actors of his age can. Madhavan and Sharman give ample support from the flanks, but a word of praise needs to be reserved for Sharman who shines equally in dramatic as well as funny scenes. Kareena, sadly, has been relegated to a corner but makes her presence felt in a few well-enacted sequences, but it?s Boman Irani who comes up with the best performance in the ensemble with his brilliant portrayal of an eccentric professor. His jawline protruded, his brows pursed, his gait ungainly, his speech lisped, Irani is every bit the vile and virulent Virus he?s supposed to be.

Shantanu Moitra?s music and Muralidharan?s cinematography complement the flick well. Rajkumar Hirani spins a yarn that despite a few botches has its heart in the right place. For this alone, ?3 Idiots? definitely ought to be seen and enjoyed.

Rating: ***

Movie Review - Paa

Cast:Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal, Arundhati Naag, Taruni Sachdeva, Pratik Katare, Nimit Dhaiya, Varun Shukla, Dhruvin Doshi, Karan Bhiwandkar, Gaurav Bajaj
Assistant Director:Jagan Shakti
Still Photographer:Gene Gulati
On Air Promos:Nilesh Raut, Abhilesh Shivalkar
Cinematographer:P. C. Sreeram
Publicity Designer:Himanshu Nanda, Rahul Nanda
Story Writer:R. Balki
Costume Designer:Sabyasachi Mukherji, Aki Narula, Falguni Thakore, Rahul Agasti, Vijeyata Manchanda
Sound Designer:Tapas
Director:R. Balki
Producer:Sunil Manchanda, AB Corp, Big Pictures
Banner:Big Pictures, Mad Entertainment Ltd.

Music Director:Ilayya Raja
Lyricist:Swanand Kirkire



The film is about a progeria inflicted, precocious child Auro, who finds out about his absentee father. Amitabh Bachhan plays the child, and Abhishek the father (that is the touted USP of this movie ? although I can?t agree). Vidya Balan played the mother of the child Auro. Watching the promos for this film, before it?s release, and seeing the hype and the build-up because it was Amitabh playing Auro, I wasn?t at all sure about the quality of the film. It?s difficult looking at Auro, to see Amitabh in him, due to the prosthetic makeup, but I ?knew? that it was him underneath all that. And that, frankly weird-ed me out.

This is not a long tale, nor does it span any great time ? it is more anecdotal, beginning at the time Auro gets to meet his father, although neither one of them is aware of the relationship. Auro?s friendship with his father grows, and when he comes to know the truth, he does his best to bring his parents together, while he has the time.

Abhishek plays a righteous young politician, out to clean up the political system. Paresh Rawal plays his not so righteous father. Vidya Balan is Amol?s girlfriend at college. The pair split up when she gets pregnant, because Amol wants her to terminate the pregnancy, while she doesn?t. Hence Auro. Fatherless.

Now, at the time the film begins, Auro is a gangly, almost teenager, showing the effects of progeria. Newcomers at his school are taken aback by his appearance, but everyone else in his world ? friends, family and teachers love him for what he is, a smart-alecky, precocious kid. And while the smart-aleckiness of Auro?s character is endearing and the dialogues slick and snappy (remember "Cheeni Kum" ?), I?m still put-off that Bachhan Sr. plays the child. While Bachhan is a fine enough actor in the right director?s hands, when roles of this kind are handed to him as obeisance, I find it a little abhorrent (and stuff like this just adds to it). This takes away, in my mind, from the actual focus, and lands the spotlight squarely on THE BACHHAN, instead of the character. Would there be such a hype about the film if Amitabh hadn?t played Auro ?

R. Balki directs this film with finesse, but the pace was too slow. Events happened, progressing minutely, interspersed with some sharp, witty dialogue, and that was pretty much how it went. Yes, the characters have been developed; I most appreciated Balan?s character, as a strongly etched woman, who becomes an unwed mother, sans traditional means of support. Her mother?s role (played by Arundhati Nag) is also well-done. Abhishek is adequate. And Amitabh ? yes, he probably followed director?s orders to a T, but because I found the casting so gimmicky, I could not empathize with his character at all. When Auro entered the frame, call me biased, all I could see was Amitabh in makeup.

And when you can?t sympathize with the central character of the film, the one around whom that little on-screen world is built, what does it do for your movie-watching experience ? Exactly. That is how I feel about this film.

Auro?s music is nothing to get excited about; one song in particular reminded me of the title track from the film Anjali (Telugu). But yes, the film is clean, and comes across as a film of quality. It?s a pity then that the casting is gimmicky, well done this could have been a truly moving film.

Rocket Singh - Movie Review

Rocket Singh ? Salesman of the Year 2009

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Prem Chopra, Mukesh Bhatt, Gauhar Khan, D. Santosh, Naveen Kaushik, Manish Choudhary

Still Photographer:Kerry Monteen
Cinematographer:Vikash Nowlakha
Publicity Designer:Fayyaz Badruddin, Yash Raj Films - Design Cell
Story Writer:Jaideep Sahni
Costume Designer:Niharika Khan
Sound Designer:Manas Choudhary
Director:Shimit Amin
Producer:Aditya Chopra
Production Designer:T.P.Abid
Banner:Yash Raj Films

Music Director:Salim Merchant, Sulaiman Merchant
Playback Singer:Salim Merchant, Vishal Dadlani, Benny Dayal
Background Sound:Salim Merchant, Sulaiman Merchant
Lyricist:Jaideep Sahni
Music Company:Yash Raj Music

On an interview I watched on NDTV, anchor Soniya Singh interviews Ranbir Kapoor, and starts of by saying ?Today I have one of the sexiest men in India . . .? and Ranbir responds, ?What ! Really ? Are you serious ?? He doesn?t look like he?s joking either. This title has been conferred on one of the most up-and-coming stars of desi cinema, and he himself doesn?t seem to take it very seriously. That?s part of his charm, you could say, and that unselfconscious charm is what works in Rocket Singh ? Salesman of the year.

OK, for the uninitiated, Harpreeet Singh Bedi has just graduated from B.com by the skin of his teeth (38.72%), and in the first frame of the film, we see him eyeing his results on the internet, and sighing thankfully. After he relaxes contentedly for a while in his chair, the screensaver takes over; Guru Nanakji?s image flits across the screen fitfully. That sort of sets the tone of the film ? a middle-class Sikh ?good? boy, brought up by his grand-father (Prem Chopra) and out to make it in the big bad world.

Bedi is Ranbir Kapoor, all bearded up and sporting pink colored turbans. He gets the first job he interviews for, as a salesman in a computer firm. This simple Sikh boy has miles to go before he can land a sale though, since he is quite perturbed by the palm-greasing required in the business. Unfortunately his morals do not match those of his compatriots, and he earns himself a demotion, and a whole lot of ridicule. However there is a breaking point and once he reaches it, our sincere Sardar decides to get even and then some !

?Rocket Singh? is brought to life by an off-beat story, a modern day Panchatantra?s tale on honesty. Jaideep Sahni, the writer (who also wrote Khosla ka ghosla), fleshes in each of the characters in the film beautifully, whether it be the pretty, ambitious receptionist (Gauhar Khan) or the IT support guy Girish Reddy, who speaks in Hyderabadi Hindi. Bedi himself, his grand-father and his friends are realistically wrought. Direction is strong, and although the film is almost entirely shot in office-space, which means enclosed rooms, Shimit Amin manages to keep up the interest with well-paced events and some great, subtle humor. There is attention to details ? in one scene, Harpreet's boss Nitin, getting ready for a bike ride, wears his jacket backwards and attaches clips to the bottom of his trousers ? hilarious !

The first half of the film, essentially the setup, is smooth sailing. We so like Harpreet at this point, that we might now forgive him any slip-ups. By the time intermission occurs, Harpreet is well-ensconced on his moral high horse, and we are firmly seated behind him. It?s not that we, in the backs of our minds, are not a little amazed at his total naivete (how did he remain so unaffected by all-pervading corruption ?) but outrage is a powerful thing. How dare this merciless, corrupt world get after this poor little innocent boy ? The wrong-doers surely deserve their come-uppance !

This film is something special, from the time the introductory credits roll (beautifully done to a backdrop of shots showing fixtures in Harpreet?s middle class life) to the portrayal of a rare honesty on celluloid. What make it truly more effective than any ordinary story of goody-2-shoes, was the fact that the film spun off on it?s subject quite naturally ; there were no overt and false-sounding tactics or events used to push the honesty-is-good theme. It just is. It just is because it is the right thing to do. That is what did it for me.

I would have awarded the film a higher rating if not for it?s relatively weak ending. In resolving matters to a satisfactory (commercial ?) end, Sahni slips in one too many preachy dialogues, and weakens the up-till-now strong plot. This is where the film gets a little ham-handed, and I?m inclined to take away some of the brownie points it had so deservedly earned.





All that said, allow me now to slip into adulatory mode. Ranbir Kapoor is the STAR of the film. To all those who say he had it too easy (star son and all) let me tell you that it is not for nothing that he is rising as fast as he is. This one can act, emote, dance, and he does it all well in this film. Harpreet is your average do-no-harm kind of a guy, and when one of the characters tells him that he trusts him, because he?s not a met a deceitful Sardar in is life, we, looking at Harpreet are all so ready to nod our heads in unison.

Also, Harpreet?s bosses - the sideburned Nitin, played by Naveen Kaushik, and the unctuous, wily Puri , played by Manish Chaudhary are fantastic. Gauhar Khan is pretty good as the ambitious receptionist. Shazahn Padamsee has a small role as Harpreet?s love interest, but is unremarkable. And Prem Chopra as the grand-father who has lovingly brought up his grandson to believe in goodness, is pretty nice (like grand-fathers are).

This is a lovely, lovely film. And clean. No double-meaning dialogues, no vulgar innuendoes, no indirect references to the female anatomy. Yes, there are some shots of bikini-clad women (Girish is addicted to porn) , but given that semi-clad women are everywhere thesedays (!!), not particularly injurious to (older) kids. There are also some make-out scenes, but they are quick and not explicit.

Kurbaan- Movie Review

KURBAAN : Terror tale with a twist!

Cast:Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Kiron Kher, Om Puri, Rupinder Nagra, Diya Mirza
Cinematographer:Hemant Chaturvedi
Publicity Designer:Himanshu Nanda, Rahul Nanda
Story Writer:Karan Johar
Costume Designer:Aki Narula
Sound Designer:Nakul Kamte

Director:Rensil D'Silva

Producer:Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar
Banner:Dharma Productions
Music Director:Sulaiman Merchant, Salim Merchant
Playback Singer:Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Kailash Kher, Sukhwinder Singh, Salim Merchant, Marianne D'Cruz, Vishal Dadlani, Shruti Pathak, Kareena Kapoor
Lyricist:Niranjan Iyengar

Kurbaan is another film with a terrorism based story-line, although the nasty parts sneak up on you. The film starts off pleasantly enough with beautiful Delhi lecturer Avantika Ahuja (Kareena) who?s falling in love with new colleague Ehsaan Khan (Saif). The relationship is deemed short-lived however, because Avantika is soon recalled back to the American university where she was teaching earlier. She must leave, but quite unexpectedly Ehsaan offers to uproot himself for her and come to the US. Surprised and delighted, Avanika persuades her unhappy Hindu father to give his blessings, the couple marry and are off to the land of Uncle Sam.




Suave Ehsaan soon lands a professorial job, and everything is going along fine, until the couple, now seeking domestic heaven, buy a house and get to know their seemingly peculiar neighbors. .

This film is a little different from your standard issue ?terrorism? film because it brings the conflict closer to home. It is a crisp drama, didn?t slack off or lose pace. It does suffer from numerous logical flaws though and has a rather split personality when it comes to the issue of religious ideaology. On one hand, the movie tries to take the high road, by presenting the view that Islam is a religion of peace ? after all Ehsan does teach a course on Islam in the modern world, but on the other it re-enforces the typical stereotypes associated with Islamic fundamentalism ? the parochial attitude towards women and education, domestic violence etc. All the Muslim women in the film, save one, are hijab-wearing domesticated females immersed in their male-dominated lives. And all the Muslim men in the film, except one again, are portrayed as devout fundamentalists, seething to avenge perceived wrongs. Thus, the ?message? if there was one, doesn?t really get through very effectively.

Kareena acts well, in a role which while being central to the film, still does not impact it in a way it could have. Avantika is but a cog in the wheel, being buffeted by forces around her. She endures, but does not at any point take an overt stand. Among all the revenge-seeking, bigoted Muslim women portrayed, she is the poor little Hindu girl. I must say though that she looks beautiful in the film. She carries off extra bold eyeliner pretty well, although in some scenes she does come across like a Kathakali dancer who's lost her way. She's worn these beautiful, full-skirted churidaar kurtas in the movie, which are more (I think) skirts with short tops, although I couldn't be sure.

Saif Ali Khan has indeed come a long way in his filmi career; I remember when he started off in Bollywood, he was so raw and bore such a striking resemblance to his beautiful mother Sharmila Tagore, that he was dismissed as ?too feminine? by many.

Vivek Oberoi makes a semi-comeback as Riyaz, a journalist with plenty of guts and emotion, but very little apparently, in the way of brain-cells. And Diya Mirza (whatever happened to her filmi career ?), has a tiny role, as his girl-friend and colleague. Om Puri, Kirron Kher and Kulbhushan Kharbhanda are dependable stalwarts, as good as ever.

The film has decent direction, adequate screenplay, pretty good music, and a decent background score. It also has quite a bit of violence, and some extensive kissing/love-making scenes ? thus getting a PG-13 rating. On the whole a good watch, Kurban is one of the better films to come out this year.

Credit: Amodini