Bollywood Movie Reviews
A movie review tells about the film by a critic. Latest movie reviews will be posted frequently. We will post previews and reviews of new movies as soon as the films are released.
This Week Bollywood Movie Reviews
Read the following movie Reviews.
Staying Alive
02/03/2012 02:28 PM
There's a drought of writers. Good writers. Screenwriters who bring substance and value to writing. The absence of a talented name like Sujit Sen, who wrote a number of films for Mahesh Bhatt and who penned the script of STAYING ALIVE, makes you recognize this fact all the more. STAYING ALIVE, a black comedy that borrows from real life, may not be riveting in entirety, but it makes an effort to say something novel, something inventive.
Aditya [Ananth Mahadevan], a newspaper sub-editor, suffers his third heart attack and finds himself in the ICCU of a hospital. On the bed next to him is Shaukat Ali [Saurabh Shukla], a gangster, who has suffered his first heart attack. While Shaukat is petrified of dying, Aditya scoffs at death. Gradually, Aditya ends up changing Shaukat's outlook towards life. As Shaukat raves and rants through his stay in the ward, it gradually dawns upon him that Aditya is right and the greatest feeling was, simply, to be alive.
Shaukat decides to turn a new leaf and even becomes a police informer after his discharge from the hospital. But, ironically, gets shot by his underworld rivals for having had a change of heart.
Till a few years ago, who'd ever imagined an entire film [almost] in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit? Besides an interesting plot, the film also boasts of some attention-grabbing moments, but the glitch is that it goes back and forth a couple of times and also the track involving a rival gangster [Khan Jahangir Khan] is underdeveloped. Besides, it unravels at a snail's pace and a few sequences in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit tend to get cyclic and monotonous.
There's no denying that Ananth Mahadevan has handled some sequences very well, especially the portions between the two women. I'd also like to make a special mention of the effective channel of communication between Ananth and Saurabh at places.
STAYLING ALIVE is embellished with natural performances. Saurabh Shukla is remarkable, injecting the movie with some funny moments in an otherwise serious film. Ananth Mahadevan delivers a truly wonderful performance. Navni Parihar is top notch, essaying a difficult role with dexterity. Sunita Chhaya is first-rate as well, handling the emotional moments with élan. Chandan Roy Sanyal doesn't get much scope. Khan Jahangir Khan [the rival gangster] is okay, while Sanjay Swaraj [the doctor] is decent.
On the whole, STAYING ALIVE is more of an experiment that holds appeal for a tiny segment of cineastes -- those with an appetite for meaningful, festival films.
Gali Gali Chor Hai
02/03/2012 11:51 AM
A number of films portraying the common man's fight against corruption have been attempted in the past. But GALI GALI CHOR HAI arrives at the most opportune time. Corruption is fiercely debated and the most discussed issue today and the fight against corruption has already hit headlines, courtesy social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.
GALI GALI CHOR HAI throws light on corruption, dishonesty and bribery and also draws attention to the people who have betrayed the society and nation. It tells the story of a middle class family living in Bhopal and how an episode changes their lives. Their lives get entangled in a series of incidents and before they realize it, they become victims of corruption. In short, the movie deals with the corrupt bureaucratic system and sends across a clear message that one needs to fight the deceitfulness and fraudulence to eradicate corruption.
Though corruption is a much abused, oft-repeated and oft-depicted theme in Bollywood, what sets GALI GALI CHOR HAI apart is that it incorporates the recent incidents in the narrative. Though the situation depicted may differ, you cannot help but recount that somebody in your family/friends must've experienced a similar crisis at some point in life. It's relatable and the characters, identifiable. At the same time, though the issue depicted is dark and serious, director Rumy Jafry ensures that the focus remains on entertainment.
But what could've been a hard-hitting statement against corruption mellows after a point. This happens in the post-interval portions, when things begin to look impractical and ineffectual. More on that later!
Meet Bharat [Akshaye Khanna], the aam aadmi, part-time cashier and part-time Hanuman at Ramleela, residing in the city of Bhopal where he lives with his father [Satish Kaushik], who values freedom and hopes to see a corruption free administration in the country. Bharat is married to Nisha [Shriya Saran], a school teacher.
Bharat wants to graduate from his role as Hanuma to Lord Ram someday, which is being portrayed by Sattu Tripathi [Amit Mistry], younger brother of MLA Manku Tripathi [Murli Sharma]. Sattu, a bad actor, is always unhappy that Hanuman steals the show with his performance and Manku, the MLA, is unhappy over Bharat's refusal to let out his extra room to campaigning for his re-election. Adding to their woes is the fact that Bharat's father befriends the opposing candidate Mohanlal [Shashi Ranjan] and lets out the room to him for his campaign.
One night, Bharat's table fan gets stolen and how he is forced to bribe his way through criminals and law keepers, just to get this table fan back, forms the remainder of the film. An ordinary cashier hits headlines overnight.
GALI GALI CHOR HAI draws your attention towards the victimization of the common man, but the serious topic [corruption] is dealt with in a humorous way. In fact, the first hour is padded with several interesting episodes that bring a smile on your face. The writers bring to the fore the nexus between the cops and politicians and how the aam aadmi gets victimized for no fault of his. Concurrently, there's the husband-wife-other woman sub-plot as well, but, bluntly put, it looks like an aberration in the narrative.
While the first hour keeps you engrossed, the film gives away in the post-interval portions. The track of the two goons chasing Akshaye is bizarre and the manner in which the drama unfolds once the blast occurs is far from bona fide. The finale, when Akshaye registers a slap on the face of the wrong-doers, takes the graph to a high again, but the film could've done with a far more credible and convincing conclusion. It looks abrupt, a rushed job now!
After making entertainers such as GOD TUSSI GREAT HO and LIFE PARTNER, Rumy Jafry invests his efforts into make an entertaining film that carries a message. Also, Rumy makes a dig at the system, but, like I pointed out earlier, the writing could've been crisper in the subsequent half. There's not much scope for music in the film, yet the title track [filmed on Kailash Kher] and 'Channo' [filmed on Veena Malik] catch your eye. 'Channo' especially adds a dash of spice to the proceedings. The dialogue bring a smile on your face on several occasions.
Clearly one of the most versatile actors around, Akshaye delivers yet another fine, natural, unfussy performance. Come to think of it, playing an aam aadmi can be tough, but Akshaye gets into the skin of the character and gets it right. The two girls, Shriya Saran and Mugdha Godse, don't get much scope. Satish Kaushik excels, while Annu Kapoor is the scene stealer as the corrupt, scheming cop. Murli Sharma is stereotypical, Amit Mistry is wonderful, Vijay Raaz shines in a brief role, Rajat Rawail provides some laughs, Shashi Ranjan is confident and Akhilendra Mishra is just about okay.
On the whole, GALI GALI CHOR HAI amuses intermittently. Fortunately, the movie goes public at a juncture when anti-corruption appears to be the essence of the season. But the film could've done with a far more hard-hitting conclusion!
Agneepath
01/24/2012 07:33 AM
While partaking in a debate on remakes for a leading news channel, the host posed a query to me: Do you think that a cult movie should be remade? Why restructure or revise the sacredness of a film that's so perfect? I instantly put forth my perspective and responded that if a brand is remade with a contemporary approach and in-the-running stars and if there is an enthusiastic audience to watch the cinema, I don't see any harm in recreating a famed work of genius. All I expect is the makers don't make a mishmash of the cult movie. It should come across more as an acknowledgment to the masterwork.
But there's a flipside to what I mentioned above! The actors and film-makers involved in remaking a classic cannot escape minute and meticulous evaluation and comparisons because cineastes are going to walk in with predetermined conceptions. Remakes come with a certain baggage. Matching the standards and aesthetics of the original is the prime criteria.
It's Hrithik Roshan's turn to wear the mask of the iconic character portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan two decades ago. Though not a money spinner then, AGNEEPATH did fetch Bachchan Sr. the National Award in the Best Actor category and is considered amongst the best films made that year [1990]. Twenty two years later, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan is brought alive by first-time director Karan Malhotra in Karan Johar's homage to the original film, which was produced by his father Yash Johar and directed by Mukul S. Anand. It's a colossal challenge for any actor/maker to pay tribute to a cult film, which continues to linger in our memory even after two decades.
The premise is the same. Well, almost. So is the vital dialogue from the film which comes at a very crucial juncture in the present-day adaptation of AGNEEPATH: "Naam Vijay Chauhan, baap ka naam Dinanath Chauhan, gaon Mandwa."
AGNEEPATH is an uncomplicated story of revenge, is hard-hitting yet entertaining, dwells on strong emotions and aggressive and forceful action, yet is dissimilar from the original. Debutant director Karan Malhotra sponges from the original, but bestows the new version with a fresh texture [screenplay adapted by Ila Bedi Datta and Karan Malhotra]. Krishnan Iyer M.A. [portrayed by Mithun Chakraborty in the original] is done away with, while Malhotra introduces another negative character called Rauf Lala [Rishi Kapoor] to make the proceedings more volatile and explosive. One can envisage the kind of burden the director has shouldered and despite the fact that viewers would be scrutinizing the goings-on with a magnifying glass and watching every frame minutely, you cannot refute the fact that Karan Malhotra has done a remarkable job as a storyteller.
In a small Indian village Mandwa, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan [Hrithik Roshan] is taught by his principled father [Chetan Pandit] about the path of fire -- Agneepath. His life is completely shattered when the evil drug dealer Kancha [Sanjay Dutt] hangs his father to death. Vijay leaves for Mumbai with his pregnant mother [Zarina Wahab] and has only one mission in life -- to come back to Mandwa and bring back the glory of his father's name.
In Mumbai, the 12-yr-old Vijay is taken under the wings of the city gang lord Rauf Lala [Rishi Kapoor]. From then on it is a journey of revenge where he makes and breaks many relationships, only to get closer to his aim. Vijay finds support only in his best friend Kaali [Priyanka Chopra], who stands by him at every moment in his life. Fifteen years later, his hatred for Kancha takes him back to Mandwa where life comes full circle.
Most Hindi films initiate with a bang, but run out of gas by the time they reach the finale, often getting deflated in between as well, but AGNEEPATH is vigorous from the very commencement to the absolute conclusion. The conflict at the very initiation and also towards the closing stages, the tension between Vijay and Kancha and also between Vijay and his mother, the game of one-upmanship played by Vijay to grab power⦠AGNEEPATH is one exhilarating ride. A vendetta story needs to be garnished with several terrific dramatic moments and Malhotra does just that. His handling of the subject deserves brownie points. The only 'hiccup', if one may say so, is the romantic track towards the first hour, which is lackluster.
The assessment of the movie would appear fragmentary if one would disregard the colossal contribution by action director Abbas Ali Moghul. Raw and gritty are two expressions that best illustrate the action scenes in AGNEEPATH. Kancha is larger than life and stronger than the protagonist, so when good eventually triumphs, the heroism ought to come to the forefront and it does so forcefully, convincingly and copiously. The action scenes are sure to draw whistles and claps, especially the one in the finale.
Harmonious compositions have constantly been the hallmark of Karan Johar's movies and the music of AGNEEPATH is no exception. The songs, composed by Ajay-Atul, may not be chartbusters [except 'Chikni Chameli'], but the compositions are in sync with the texture of the film. The pick of the lot is the devotional number as well as 'Chikni Chameli', which is already a rage. The background score, also by Ajay-Atul, is electrifying and exhilarating. Cinematography [Kiran Deohans; additional cinematography: Ravi K. Chandran] is commendable. The outdoor portions specially deserve special mention.
The commanding dialogue [Piyush Mishra] is yet another champion of AGNEEPATH. The striking sequences in the movie get elevated to a different level thanks to the superior channel of communication. This is one of those films where numerous novel lines hang back in your memory much after the movie has wrapped up.
The pertinent query that comes to one's mind is whether the new avatar of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan has enough inferno in him to match up to the magnificent performance of Sr. Bachchan. The answer is in the affirmative. Hrithik comes up with an astoundingly arresting performance. He does not emulate the veteran's portrayal of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. Instead, he approaches the character in his own distinctive mode. AGNEEPATH only reiterates the fact that Hrithik has grown into a far superior and complete performer. In fact, the performance has the potential to keep the whistle blowers busy thanks to his magnificent interpretation of an iconic character.
Despicable and intimidating characters are non-existent in Hindi movies, but more recently Prakash Raj [in SINGHAM] and now Sanjay Dutt [in AGNEEPATH] are ready to revive the era of baddies. Sanju is electrifying as the hardhearted, brutal Kancha and his sinful getup only augments the impact of his performance. The menacing getup adds abundantly to the evil/stony character and his performance in the penultimate 30 minutes, when Kancha confronts Vijay, is the hallmark of the movie. This performance would prove to be yet another turning point in his career, after NAAM, KHAL-NAYAK, VAASTAV and the MUNNABHAI series.
Everyone is familiar with the fact that AGNEEPATH is fundamentally a tale of vengeance between Vijay Dinanath Chauhan and Kancha. So, logically, there's not much for the leading lady [Priyanka Chopra] to do in the narrative. Yet, Priyanka's character Kaali is significant to the story and expectedly, she sinks her teeth into the character. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, she's not an ornamental item in the movie.
Though Rishi Kapoor has attempted a negative role in KAL KISSNE DEKHA, it still wasn't as menacing as AGNEEPATH. Trust me, his performance is going to shock a lot of people, especially those who are familiar with his wide-ranging body of work. He's exceptional as Rauf Lala, enacting the bad guy with fervor and passion.
The film boasts of a number of characters, but the one that stands out is Arish Bhiwandiwala, who portrays the young Vijay Dinanath Chauhan with flourish. Zarina Wahab is natural, Om Puri is wonderful, Kanika Tiwari is decent, Chetan Pandit is adequate, Rajesh Tandon is perfect and Deven Bhojani, first-rate. Katrina Kaif sizzles in the item number 'Chikni Chameli'. She looks sensuous and catches your attention with super-energetic dance movements.
On the whole, AGNEEPATH is a fitting tribute to the masterwork. The movie has all the potential to scale dizzy heights of victory and catapult Hrithik Roshan as the newest member of the 100 cr Club, besides providing the Hindi film industry with the first giant Blockbuster of 2012. A definite winner!
This Week Bollywood Movie Previews
Read the following movie Previews.
Will You Marry Me
02/04/2012 10:19 AM
Will You Marry Me is a fresh, youthful story of three friends, Aarav (Shreyas Talpade), Rajveer (Rajeev Khandelwal), and Nikhil (Muzamil Ibrahim). All three boys have one thing common; their love for their bachelorhood. So much so they place a bet amongst themselves; whoever decides to marry first will lose a huge amount in shares that were contributed by all three friends and their gang of friends. All was well until a few years later; Nikhil decides to marry the love of his life, Anjali (Tripta Prashar).
Rajveer and Aarav cannot believe their best friend Nikhil is getting married however they put on a smile to attend his beach wedding in Dubai. During the wedding festivities, Rajveer and Aarav coincidentally fall for the brideâs best friend, Sneha (Mugdha Godse). To make matters worse in this love triangle, the kidnapping of Nikhil takes place by the powerful business tycoon (Paresh Rawal).
From there everything turns up-side down completely at Nikhil and Anjali's wedding celebrations. Will Nikhil even make it for his own wedding? Who will Sneha choose; Rajveer or Aarav? Who will marry who; come find out in Will You Marry Me?
02/02/2012 09:12 AM
On 10th November 2010, a group of seven BMM students went to a place to shoot their final year project film. Few days later, their families received an sms stating that they were in serious trouble and needed help urgently. When the authorities reached the spot, they only found a hand held camera.
What happened with them was captured in that camera. The film is a compilation of the "Footage" in that camera.