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Reviews
Amateur Teens (2015)
Interesting!
Happened to watch this film recently, and was quite impressed by it. Nice performances, great music and impressive narrative style. Definitely recommended.
Baarish Aur Chowmein (2018)
A well-made adaptation
This is an excellent example of an old literary work adapted to a contemporary film. The film is based on the 1943 Malayalam novelette 'Premalekhanam' by Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. The premise is shifted to Mumbai, and the castes of the protagonists have been changed from Hindu and Christian to Muslim and Hindu, which seem quite relevant at this era of 'Love Jihad' and 'Love Kurukhsetra' allegations.
The film stays true to the original, and at the same time doesn't lose its freshness. As a person who has read the original work and the 1985 Malayalam film (a lousy attempt) based on the book, I still found it to be earnest and well made. The performances from the lead pair are pretty neat, and the technical side is all right.
Another point to add is, thankfully we got platforms like Netflix, Zee5 and other such streming services where a film can be launched irrespective of its length. For instance this film is only 48 minutes, and in the absence of such platforms the director would have been forced to stretch the film to at least 90 minutes, to make it a feature film for a theatrical release. This happened with the 1985 Malayalam version, which had unnecessary sub plots and killed the charm of the original story.
Overall it is an earnest remake, relevant to the current times. It would've been more appreciable if the director and his team acknowledged the original work at least during the end credits.
Race 3 (2018)
They warned us right from the starting credits
During the beginning credits, there was a background humming which said something like 'Oh no, oooh noooo...'. Guess it was a last warning to the viewers, in the hope that they would change their minds and stop watching the film right there.
Inside (2013)
Good one
I noticed this short in the recommendations section of a film called 'Miss violence'. Initially I thought this is a full film but then I noticed the duration is just 7 minutes. So why not give it a try? I looked up for it in facebook and I got the link to watch the film. About the film, it is a commendable work from the makers. It happens in a mental asylum. I am not giving further details as anything further can spoil the thrill. The editing, direction and acting are all good. The storyline was kind of thin, but then you can not expect a long story in a 7 minute short. The film looked very professional. It is not a must watch one, but you can definitely give a try. Well made short.
Swapaanam (2014)
Bad movie from an otherwise ace director
Had high hopes on the movie since it is from Shaji N Karun, the mastermind behind the classics such as Piravi, Vanaprastham and Kuttysrank. But to be frank, I am disappointed with the film. The film was intolerable at parts. It was often filled with clichés and dialogs that suited a stage drama. The script was okay, nothing great or nothing new. In few places, it seemed like the movie is finally gonna get into its track, but it never really happens. Coming to the cast, Jayaram was okay. Nothing great, nothing that exceptional. Horrible acting from the lead actress. She was damn irritating that I had to skip few of her scenes. Siddique was excellent as Vattan Namboori, barring the fact that his slang seemed way too artificial. And it was extremely shameful to see such a talented actress like Sajitha Madathil playing a character without any significance. Sarath Haridas was a miscast, so as Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. The Supporting artists did their parts well. The BGM was good, and the use of 'Chenda' and other percussions was exceptional. The songs were plain average. The direction lacked the feel SNK used to give in his earlier movies. With a runtime of over 150 minutes, Swapaanam gives you nothing but headache and boredom. The film had its moments, but too few considering the tedious runtime. Disappointed!
The Xpose (2014)
Good work! Thumbs up!
Some films come with big hype, months of promotions, and after watching the film the audience might feel 'was it worth the hype?'. Then there are some films which are decently promoted and well made, but straightaway rejected by the audience even without watching it! And at a later point of time when they get a chance to watch the movie, they may say 'arre, yeh film toh theek tha (hey, this film was alright!). The Xpose, unfortunately falls to the second category.
My friends laughed at me when I told them that I am gonna watch a Himesh Reshammiya flick, that too in theater! Well, this is not the first time they laugh at me, I have faced it before also. As a movie lover, I support people who work hard, and put in their efforts to make the best. This guy has worked real hard and shredded approx. 20kgs for this film, and he looks good! Also, the music seems nice, the film is rumored to be based on the dirty games in Bollywood during late 60s, and the director is a National Award winning man! I think these are enough reasons to watch this movie.
The film, promoted as a murder mystery, rather is more of a drama than a thriller. Yes, there are a few thrills but eventually it falls into the drama genre. It has its well-developed characters, the emotions and the dirty tricks human minds play to keep themselves safe. As mentioned earlier, the film is set in late 1960s and is all about the glamorous and larger-than life era. An era which showcased the other side of Indian women, who were otherwise portrayed as the usual traditional family girls. As the film unfolds, we are introduced to a world where actresses fight, heroes travel in Impalas, and speak daring one-liners frequently. Love at first sight happens, and hatred too, very often! The film is shot well, despite of its tight budget, and the songs are placed at the right place. The direction is good and he ensures that the audience who comes out the hall are not disappointed. The mystery-revealing portions were, however kinda loose and appeared to be wrapped up very quickly. Had the writers added 10-15 more minutes of investigation stuff to the film, it would have become one of the finest thrillers Bollywood has ever produced! Nevertheless, the film is good and has its moments.
But then, its a Himesh Reshammiya movie na, who will watch it in theater! Who can sit through his bad acting? Trust me, once the movie starts reeling, you will be shocked to see an unexpected good performance from him! Yes, he has put his complete effort to live up to the character. His one-liners have an extra-punch! His never-give up attitude ensures that he is here to stay. The débutant Yo Yo Honey Singh has done a decent job, and the rest of the cast enacted their characters convincingly. Special mention to the beautiful and hot lady Sonali Raut. She was awesome. The narration by the talented Irrfan Khan was another plus point.
Overall, Xpose is a good watch and an ernest attempt from the makers. Watch it, and explore the dark secrets behind the bollywood of 1960s. Thumbs up for this one!
Love, Wrinkle-free (2011)
Good one worth our time spent
Watched this movie with minimum expectations. And wow!! It was a real nice experience.. :) :) It is so simple and enjoyable movie with good performances from the entire cast. Shernaz Patel is cute even at this age!! And the lead actor Ash chandler has done a very good job. Other people did fine. The music was really good. The DOP was cool, Goa is captured well. The script is nice, and has been executed well by the débutant director Sandeep Mohan. Some scenes are really outstanding and make us feel real good. The movie is kind of slow, but thats how the real life is!! It is a sincere attempt from the director. Expecting more movies from him, and wants to see the 6-7 films old actor Ash Chandler more often on screen!! Loved his acting. And after watching this film, i really regret wasting my time on watching craps like Rowdy Rathore and Cocktail.. I can easily give this film a 7/10.
[Rec]³: Génesis (2012)
Awesome mix of emotions, gore and religious thoughts sprinkled with a pinch of LOLable comedy!
Watched this film a couple of days ago, and i should say that the makers have improved a lot from the previous films, in the technical aspects and the direction. The first twenty minutes of the film followed the conventional found footage way of story telling, but later it got changed to the normal track. The script was awesome, and so was the acting. The guy who played Koldo deserves special mention, his emotions were apt and terrific. The other characters, including the female protagonist did good jobs. And a couple of one-liners in the midst of all those gores, would bring the house down with people laughing. The comic timings were so awesome. The film featured some good gore also, but i being a gore fan, felt that the gore and the violence should have been more. Though the scare quotient was nearly zero, the movie was outstanding, but do not expect the same way of storytelling they used in the two previous films. On the whole, it was an awesome experience, bringing the series to a completely new level of a more serious film making. Cheers to the entire crew, for such a fantastic one. I would rate it 8/10.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Amazing and Brilliant!!
Got to watch it in a preview show here in India. Was stunned with the way Nolan has narrated the story. It is simply AWESOME! Everything looks so perfect here, right from the starting, till the end credits roll. Even though i am not an ardent fan of action/superhero movies, I liked the first two installments of the series, so the expectation for this was so huge. And to be frank, i am happy with the outcome. Ii is brilliant in every aspect. Nolan's direction is top-notch and he is the real hero of the movie. I even felt goosebumps in certain sequences. I do not want to reveal the story much, but what i can say is, this one is a must for every movie lover. Such an awesome performance from Tom Hardy! I was just amazed to see him perform Bane. Christian Bale is no less, he is literally perfect reprising his role from the previous two films. The other actors have done good job. But i missed Heath Ledger, may his soul rest in peace. Anyway, what i have to say is, do not miss this film, lest it is a real loss for you. I would like to rate it 8.5/10, And Hats off to Nolan and the entire crew for giving us such a cinematic experience.
Kunjaliyan (2012)
nothing special...
It took more than a week for me to watch this film completely. It was one of the movies which i watch when i have food. so i watched it episode-episode The movie is about Jayaraman, a pretended billionaire, and the villagers of his place, who are so greedy for the non-existent money he has. So this is actually not a very bad film, but ya, its kind of bad.. especially some of the supposed-to be comic scenes make the viewer wonder what really has happened to malayalam cinema. the songs are fine, and the acting is mostly overacting from everyone. While, as an exception Ananya underacts in most parts. Moreover, the movie's duration is more than 150 minutes which means an average person can watch it completely in 5-7 days only. Anyways, i rate this 4.5/10 for few comedies and a nice song.
Ramaa: The Saviour (2010)
Patience Tester!!!
Less said, better about this movie. This movie is so boring and irritating that even the task of writing a review for this movie seems so tedious. Why did they make such a movie?? How can the imagination of people go this bad? How the hell the actors agreed to act in this movie?? And how did the movie get distributors?? These will be the questions coming to an ordinary viewer's mind, while watching Ramaa.
A more apt title for the movie would be Ramaa, the Loser. In the whole movie, he loses every fight, except the one in the climax, that too with the help of some kids.
It is obvious from the plot that the movie is made to grab the attention of kids, and the idea of few kids getting trapped inside a video game is not so bad. In fact, it would be really interesting if executed in a proper manner. But that's where the makers have gone horribly wrong. The story is told in such a bad manner that we don't feel like taking our hands off the 'Forward' button, while watching the movie.
Everybody knows that WWE is the TV show most kids like, after cartoons. So, the makers have added a WWE star in the movie, and it is none other than 'The Great Khali'. My serious advice to Khali is, stick to WWE, or join Indian army. But please don't do movies. We can tolerate bad actors, but this guy is too much beyond that. There are not much scenes for him in the movie, but whatever is there, he has done it in the worst possible way.
If anyone can compete with Khali's acting in the movie, it would be the guy who played 'Kali' in the movie. Yes, you heard it right. Khali plays 'Vali' and this guy plays 'Kali'. This guy's acting is really bad, but fortunately he has got a more human-like face. Looks really matter, dude!! However both Kali and Vali are people with stoned faces.
Oh, there is one more stone in the movie, the title character 'Ramaa' played by Sahil Khan. Seriously, how can one actor go this bad?? He is yet another stone in the movie, with a monkey-ish face. Really he should be honoured for maintaining the same expression throughout the movie.
Tanusree Dutta looked better among others. She did her action sequences quite well. But frankly, she is not at all pretty.
The movie revolves around few kids, and i forgot to mention about them. They were okay in their roles, and were obviously better than the other artists of the movie.
The movie proceeds like a video game, but sadly it fails to make any impact due to bad editing. Also, there are few bad songs in the movie,especially the one Ramaa sings in the jungle. I felt like trashing my computer monitor and scream 'What the f*ck????'.
After this movie, all i want is to ask the makers 'what the heck you have thought of yourself??'. But, this is not the worst movie, if you have watched 'Love.com'. :P. However, such movies increase our degree of tolerence!!
Damadamm! (2011)
Interesting and beautiful!!
Got a chance to watch the un-edited version of this movie from a personal source. It is awesome!! It is so beautiful and entertaining, and has almost all the elements of a good entertainer. Nice songs by Himesh in his non-nasal voice, good performances by the whole cast, and above all, an excellent direction by newcomer Swapna Joshi.
I'm not ready to say more about the story, all I can say is, it is about life. It is about loving life and finding joy in small things of life. The characters are simple and are well moulded. There are quite a few dialogs which will really touch your heart.
Swapna Joshi's direction is the soul of the movie. The way she narrates the story, and the way the story unfolds is very impressive. The movie seldom bores the audience, it is interesting in almost all the parts.
Himesh Reshammiya has improved a lot in his acting, and this is his finest performance, after a good Radio and a not-so-bad Kajraare. He has some really good scenes in the movie, and he has also written the dialogs of the movie. Sonal Sehgal has also got a meaty role to perform this time, and has a good chemistry with Himesh. The other artists have done well.
On the whole, this movie can make a change in people's perspective about Himesh, if marketed and released properly. Hoping for the best..
Urf Professor (2001)
Fantastic!!!
Urf Professor is doubtlessly one of the best dark comedies of Indian cinema, and it not getting released is one of the greatest tragedies of Indian Cinema!! Seriously, it is a classic!! It is excellent in all aspects, what a film!! And it is a brave attempt from the crew, since in early 2000s, such black comedies were not much frequent in bollywood. Now we got Sankat City, The Film Emotional Atyachar, Darwaza Bandh Rakho etc etc, but Urf Professor is the baap of all black comedies!! I read one article about this movie, in which the author compared it with Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. Well, personally I like Urf Professor more than Jaane Bhi
Urf Professor doesn't have any stars in the cast. Of course it has Sharman Joshi, and Antara Mali, but neither of them were stars during this movie. I think this is Mr. Joshi's first movie. It also has Manoj Pahwa and Yashpal Sharma, whom I think were not so popular that time. It also have Kurush Deboo, Hemant Pandey, Devang Patel, Shri Vallabh Vyas, etc, all are excellent. The title role is brilliantly handled by Manoj Pahwa, and this is surely his career best. Fantastic performance!! He is a great actor!! Among the other cast, everybody was excellent to their roles. Special mention to shri vallabh vyas for an awesome performance!! Pankaj Advani has done a wonderful job as the director of the movie. He is no more now, so sad that we won't get any more movies from him.. :( There are several superb scenes in the movie, in fact all scenes are fantastic only!! The movie has many dialogues which the Indian censor board will never approve, and I think it may be the reason why the movie never got released. Anyway, the movie never bores the audience, it is appropriately paced, and this is really a funny and entertaining ride. Go have it!! It is available online now, just google it, and enjoy!! Guaranteed quality fun!!
Khichdi: The Movie (2010)
Highly recommended!!
Imagine yourself laughing uncontrollably watching a movie, almost blocking your breath, and when you reach a state that you can't hold it anymore, you may choke, and you 'pause' the movie for a while, relax, and 'resume' the movie again, just to laugh uncontrollably and choke again. If you want to experience this, watch 'Khichdi. It is a complete laugh riot, that the we feel that the words like 'LOL'(Laugh out Loud) and 'ROFL'(Rolling on Floor, Laughing) were made to describe this movie. It is truly a laughter ride, the Khichdi family makes you laugh like you had never been, before!!
Khichdi is a simple movie, without big stars. It is the film version of a TV series of the same name, and the same characters are retained in the movie. The movie is about Hansa, Praful, Himanshu, Jayshree, Babuji, and around 50 Parminders. The PJs of these people will make you die laughing, for around 110 minutes of your life!! Watch the movie, you will know.
I love PJs and jokes even more stupid than PJs, and I always wanted to be a good PJist, and was proud of my PJs. I also believed no one can beat my standard in PJs. But, after watching Khichdi I realised that I have to raise my PJ standards immediately. This movie goes to a level which is beyond your imagination. If you are a PJ lover, this is the real treat for you. I'm sure you will rate it a minimum of 8/10. It is obvious, because the makers have added so much of PJs in the movie.
We see comedy movies becoming great successes, with double meaning comedies. Often it is not so comfortable to watch such movies with our family. But this Khichdi is purely green, and you can watch it with your kids, parents, or even grandparents.
There is a cold war between the characters of the movie, to prove that who is more stupid. Hansa, Himanshu and Praful all the three of them behave so stupidly, that we can't make a conclusion on who is more stupid. Obviously, all of them are damn funny too. Supriya Pathak is in her extreme form, and is great in each and every scene. After a simple 'Maa' role in 'Wake Up Sid', she does a character with a completely new flavour, and she is extremely successful in this role. Rajeev Mehta is first rate as Praful. He is better than most of the comedians of bollywood, and his gestures and expressions are fantastic. Jamnadas Majethia is very good as Himanshu. He is also damn funny, and is excellent. Anang Desai and Nimisha Vakharia are good in their respective roles as Babuji and Jayshree. The new girl who played 'Parminder' was cute. The cameos by Farah Khan and Satish Shah were good.
There are many situations in the movie, which will make the entire house down. Few of them are:
1. The 'Akal ke Ladoo' scene 2. Funeral scene 3. The night scene in Chhedi Singh's house 4. The hospital scene 5. The entire court scene
On the whole, Khichdi is a complete entertainer, and is never to be missed if you like simple comedy movies. It is an opportunity to laugh continuously for almost 2 hours, and never miss this opportunity.
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010)
Vande Mataram!!!
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is a movie about the Chittagong Armoury raid, that happened on April 18, 1930. The movie is very good as a movie, but as the rehash of a historical event which has its importance in the independence revolution of India, it is sadly a weak attempt from Ashutosh Gowariker. It has the things at right place, as a movie, but when a movie about a historical incident comes, the director has to pay attention to the real events that happened.Based on the book 'Do and die' by Manini Chatterjee, the movie slips away from the facts at several moments, even though it is a good work, as a film.
The movie starts with simple, yet awesome titles, and soon we are dragged into the Chotogram of 1930, a normal village of Bengal. Everything was fine there, until the British people capture an open ground, where the teenagers use to play football. And then, somebody suggests that if they can get their playground back, with the help of Surjyada, a Mathematics teacher in a school. Then we come to know that Surjyada and his friends Nirmal, Ambikada etc are revolutionaries who believe in the motto 'Do and Die'. Soon, the teenagers are bonded with the revolutionaries and they plan to fight against the britishers. Meanwhile, two young girls Preetilata and Kalpana also join the team.
Then they planned a raid on police lines Armoury, Cantonment, Telegraph office and Railway lines. They study the entire places, prepare well, and plans to execute it on 18 April, 1930. Everything goes fine, until they come to know that it was a 'Good Friday' and the britishers are not there. Also, they could capture only the guns, but bullets were not found there. Anyway ,they hoist a flag of India, and escape to the hills. They are then chasec by the army, many are killed and others are captured, and are finally sentenced to death or life imprisonment. The story is almost real, but the director wanted to give the story a gentle flavour, and he included light hearted romance between Nirmal and Preetilata, and one side infatuation of Kalpana with Surjyada, and also those football playing kids, fighting to British for their playground. Also, he added enough sentiments added in the movie, to make us wet our eyes at times. But what the makers could have done was to mention like 'This movie is based on the Chittagong Armoury Raid, and few events may vary from the real story.'
Coming to the movie, everybody has done good jobs. Abhishek Bachchan comes with a commendable performance after the commercially and critically dud, 'Raavan'. He is apt for Surjya's role and even he looks somewhat like the real Surjya Sen. His expressions are perfect. And I am happy to see Sikandar Kher on screen again, I always believed this guy has the talent in him, and he proved it again in this film. Deepika Padukone and Vishakha Singh look completely natural, and this will be a career booster for Vishakha Singh, after doing two forgettable movies in Tamil and one in Hindi. The rest of the cast is very good and everybody is perfect for their roles. Also, there is a strong chemistry between all of them that they look very good together on screen.
Sohail Sen has done an excellent job as the music composer of the film. All the songs are very good, and the BGM is also excellent. I guess Simaab Sen and Sohail Sen have worked together for BGM. The cinematography is fine.
On the whole, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is a very good movie, It would have been a classic if the director did some more research on the historical events and facts. Anyway, don't miss it.
Mailpeelikkavu (1998)
Good work
I watched the movie about 10 years ago, in 2000 or so. This movie has got an interesting plot, and it is executed well. It is far better than most of the horror movies releasing even now. It is certainly one of the best horror-suspense thriller of Indian cinema. I think this movie was a below-average performer in the box office, I really can't figure out the reason why it underperformed in the box office. The movie has got some good songs, and the actors do their part well. The 'getting into dream' scenes were thrilling. I recommend this movie for all movie lovers. The movie deals with reincarnation and related subjects, and is directed very well. On the whole, it is very good, except for few clichéd family scenes.
Ru-Ba-Ru (2008)
Very good!!
This is a wonderful movie, sadly ignored by the audience. The movie is so thrilling towards the end, and the climax is a shock. It was such a shock that I chopped off the final scene from the movie file I had!!! The movie is about déjà vu, a feeling of experiencing something that seems to be experienced earlier. It is really interesting, I watched the movie without any hope, and loved it. The performances are good, and there is a good chemistry between the lead couple. The title song is also very good. The movie drags somewhere in the second hour, but things go to the peak towards the ending. Also, there are several thrilling moments in the movie. Such movies should be promoted, instead of crap PJ movies.
Rakhta Charitra 2 (2010)
Good attempt, not as great as the first.
There have been blood, lot of blood, in Rakht Charitra 1. The second installment, Rakht Charitra 2, or 'Raththa Saritram' in Tamil, is no different. It follows the same track of the prequel, with lot of bloodshed, revenge, extreme expressions, symbolic scenes, etc etc. Plus, this movie has a surprise element to it, none other than 'Surya the Ghajini'. Thanks to RGV, we see a completely different Surya on screen ,one who roars and spits venom in dialogues, rather than play guitar or fight as a responsible cop of the state.
The story of Raththa Saritram can be told in a few lines, but they have executed it well. The movie is performance based, rather than a story based one. It has similar incidents as Rakht Charitra 1, but the basic plot is the never-ending chain of vengeance and revenge.
While the former movie belonged to Vivek Oberoi, this Raththa Saritram belongs to Surya, just because of the way the actor has performed in the movie. The character is not penned so deeply, it is nowhere near Pratap Ravi's character (Played by Vivek Oberoi), but Surya overcomes this problem, and carries out a commendable performance, almost par with that of Vivek Oberoi. There are many scenes that just make us say 'wow!! What a performance!!'. Surely, this is one of the best performances of 2010, and a notable one in Surya's career, after 'Pitaamahan', 'Ghajini' and 'Vaaranam Aayiram'. His action sequences are awesome, the fight scenes in court and jail are very good. Also, he is on the top, in the scene of TV Bomb blast.
Vivek Oberoi, the protagonist of Rakht Charitra 1, performs equally well in this movie also. He overshadows Surya in various instances, and his expressions are just great!! Everything is perfect, and such a performance can't been so often in Indian cinema. Even though he doesn't get much screen space in this, he manages to excel in whatever he does. What a performance, man!! I just want to recall a few sequences, such as argument scene and the next scene with Radhika Apte, conversation with Surya and the very next scene, etc etc.. He is a show stealer, and people who watched the first part will surely be sad about him not getting lot of screen presence.
The remaining cast do their jobs well. Radhika Apte, Priyamani, Sudeep, Shatrughan Sinha, and all others are fine.
Cinematography is very good, but looks a little bit awkward and bizarre at times, especially the 360 degree rotating scenes. It would have been used in just 1 scene, but it is used in 3-4 scenes, and doesn't look good at times.
There are nothing much to mention about the lower sides of the movie, but I really felt sad during the final assassination. Camera should have focused to Pratap also, but sadly it doesn't happen. It would have been a great cinematic experience, considering how Vivek performed throughout the movie. But sadly they don't give much focus to his expressions during the assassination.
The songs are used frequently in the background, and they are good. One notable song is 'Nagendrahaaray Trilochanaay', it is awesome!! Also, there are many excellent dialogues in the movie.
Revenge never ends, and that is what the closing scene of the movie implies. And the director has been successful in his effort to reach the message to the viewers. This is among RGV's finest works, and is very good in all aspects.
On the whole, I personally liked the first part rather than the second, but that is just a personal choice.This one is equally good!! Go watch it!! PS: If you are a movie lover, then you must watch both the movies Rakht Charitra 1 and 2, and if you are a Surya lover, watch the second one!!!
Sufi Paranja Katha (2010)
Brilliant!!
Sufi Paranja Katha is an outstanding work from Priyanandan in all aspects. It is excellently scripted, flawlessly shot, and sharply performed by the artists. So, the result was a magnificent film, one which has got superior quality, and is adequately paced, so that even the non-intellectual viewers won't get bored while watching the movie. Sufi Paranja Katha is directed by Priyanandanan, acclaimed for his previous works Neythukaaran and Pulijanmam, both of which grabbed Natinal level attention by grabbing a few National awards. Like his previous film Pulijanmam, Sufi Paranja Katha is also based on a novel of the same title, by KP Ramanunni. It is scripted by Priyanandanan himself. The movie is set in the British India, and is about a Hindu Nair girl Karthyayani, or Karthi. The movie has numerous dimensions, making the viewers difficult to understand each and everything in the movie. There are hidden layers in the movie, and for a movie lover, it will be a very nice experience to watch the movie and unfold different levels of the movie. I am not going much into the story of the movie, enjoy it yourself!! I was a little worried about Sharbani Mukherji being casted as the lead actress in the movie, as she has no Malayalam background. But after watching the movie, I couldn't appreciate the way she has performed. In fact, she is suited extremely well for her character. She does her career best performance, and the dubbing artist who gave her voice also has done a commendable job. Sharbani Mukherji is the soul of the movie, it is a character on which the whole movie is relied upon. Had the performance been a little below the mark, the entire movie would have been ended up as a mess. But, fortunately she carries out her role with ease, and saves the movie. Prakash Bare does his role well, in spite of the fact that he is a newcomer. Thampi Antony is awesome in a pivotal role. His career best performance, for sure!! The rest of the cast is fine. Priyanandanan is a very good director, no words to say about him. He is really good and these so-called film makers should learn from him. The music department was okay, one track reminds us of some songs of 90s. On the whole, the movie is a little difficult to understand, but it is definitely one of the best movies of the decade. Never miss this!!
Guzaarish (2010)
Beautiful movie
Guzaarish is a movie which is purely performance oriented. The movie doesn't have a strong story, but the movie is saved by the brilliant performances of the artists, and excellently penned dialogues. The story is not at all impressive, when told in a few lines, but as a movie, definitely it deserves appreciation!! So, Guzaarish is about Ethan, who was once the best magician of the world, and now living as a 'vegetable with a brain'. Hrithik Roshan plays Ethan, who is obviously one of the best characters he has ever played. He truly deserves applause for his performance is Guzaarish, it was awesome!! Be it the looks, the expressions, the dialogue delivery, or even the silence, he was excellent!! Those eyes, and the long beard, they speak a lot!! There are lot of moments in the movie which make you scream, 'Wowwww!!!'. This is undoubtedly one of the finest performances of 2010. Guzaarish is also about Sofia, even though not as much as it is about Ethan. Sofia is the nurse cum caretaker of Ethan, with whom she gradually develops a relationship, which is nameless. Of course, it is not love in her eyes, neither it is the greed for money, it is something unexplainable, it has to be watched and felt. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan sparkles in her role, and it is nice to see her in such de-glam roles. The other important characters Omar(Aditya Roy Kapur) and Devyani (Shernaz Patel) are awesome at their roles. They are examples of perfect casting. The rest of the cast includes Rajit Kapoor as an advocate, Makrand Deshpande in a brief role as Sofia's husband, Moni Kangana Dutta as Estella, and many others in supporting roles, have done their jobs well. I expected some more from Moni Kangana Dutta, as her debut was showcased as a great news in many websites, but she was briefed into 4-5 scenes only. Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself handles the music department of the movie, and the songs are pretty good, though most of them are situational. Of all the tracks, 'Sau Gram Zindagi' and 'Tera Zikr' stand out. There are many beautiful moments in the movie. The magic show, the court scene, the rain scene, the dinner party at the end, etc etc to list a few. The magic show is a visual treat, and is really good. So, in 2007, Sanjay Leela Bhansali disappointed the critics and most of the viewers with his Saawariya, and this 'Guzaarish' is truly a comeback for him. This is going to grab many awards this year, and this is going to be remembered forever for Hrithik Roshan's brilliant performance. Watch this not as a brainless entertainer, but expect a slow and beautiful movie. You won't be disappointed!!
Action Replayy (2010)
Worth a watch
Bollywood directors are experimenting in a rather harmless manner nowadays, and Action Replayy is the result of such an attempt from Vipul Shah, who entertained us with Namastey London and disappointed us with London Dreams in the previous years. However, Action Replayy is much much better than the boring London Dreams. In fact, it is entertaining and good. Moreover, the movie comes up with a pleasant surprise, Aditya Roy Kapoor. He is that type of typical bollywood guy, with his cute and innocent looks, and he is so lucky to get such a long role in such a big film. He performs equally, or even more than Akshay Kumar, in every sequence. In fact, he is the real hero of the movie. So, the movie is about a son travelling back to 1970s to set his parents' marriage alright. A lot of questions of plagiarism come along with the subject of travelling through time, but I never felt any resemblance with any other movie, this is original work, IMO. There are many flaws in the movie, but still it is enjoyable, with an interesting screenplay and good performances. Also, the songs are good, even though few of them are not properly placed. There are lot of entertaining moments throughout the film, some of them are very good. The performances are good, and Aditya Roy Kapoor is on the top amongst all. Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are good, so as Rannvijay Singh, Om Puri, Kirron Kher, Neha Dhupia, Rajpal Yadav etc. One big letdown is the ending of the movie, the credits begin to roll up so quickly, there should have been a proper ending. May be editor's mistake!!
On the whole, it is a good movie, definitely worth a watch.
Benny and Babloo (2010)
Simple movie
Films like Benny and Babloo are a part of industry. They come without large promotion, no big stars, no item songs or skin shows to grab people's attention, but such films will be having a simple plot. Such movies are not that great, but the final result will be a smile on the audiences' faces. Yes, these movies never disappoint, because there is no much expectation linked to them. Benny and Babloo is a simple film, about two friends, Bennykkutty and Babloo. The movie starts when these two people get jobs in two places, one a five-star hotel and other a ladies bar. Initially, Benny is proud that he is working as a bellboy in a fivestar hotel, and he often teases Babloo for working as a waiter in a 'gira hua' ladies bar. But, gradually Benny comes to know the real faces of the people in the hotel, the activities going on there. The story has many other characters also. There are around 10 women in the Ladies Bar, there are people in Hotel, there is a struggling actor, a corrupt polititian etc etc. Most of the characters are well-developed, and therefore doesn't irritate us at any situation. There are some situations which moists our eyes, over all the movie makes us feel good, and also makes us think about what is happening in the society. The lead artists Kay Kay Menon and Rajpal Yadav perform equally well. Both are excellent in their roles. Among the other cast, everybody is good. The actress who played the eldest woman in the ladies bar deserves special mention. There is no much scope for music in the movie, and the cinematography is ordinary. On the whole, this is a simple film which can be watched. It is not a must watch, but it is worth a watch.
Madholal Keep Walking (2009)
Tension nahin lene ka bhai! Life hai, hota hai!!
Tension nahin lene ka bhai! Life hai, hota hai!! This is the message of the movie, Madholal Keep Walking. It is far interesting than what I expected, the movie is entertaining in most of the parts. By the term 'entertainment' I don't mean the cheap item numbers or faltoo PJs, it is light-hearted entertainment. The movie revolves around Madholal, and he is working as a Security guy in an office. The movie is about him, his life and the things happening around him. The lead actor looks promising, and he delivers his expressions excellently. The movie totally belongs to him, awesome performance!! The other artists are good, especially the actress who played Madholal's wife. There are some very good scenes in the movie which will make a strong impact on the viewers' minds. The only drawbacks of the movie are few scenes before the ending, and one song played in the background several times. The song 'Naina Lagey' seemed irritating in various places. The last few scenes were highly dramatic, but still the movie is a good attempt. Another problem I noticed is the poster. Looking at the poster I expected the story of some IT guys!! Anyway, the movie is surely better than many of the 2010 movies, it is worth a watch, for sure.
Do Dooni Chaar (2010)
Great work!!
Thank God, I'm watching lot of good films nowadays!! It is good for mental health!! Do Dooni Chaar is a movie that is excellent in all aspects. Be it the casting, the dialogues, the direction, or anything. Just one word, excellent!! There have been crap movies in the past, there have been movies in which the director attempted to do something good ,but ended up as a failure. I suggest such people watch this movie. This is a textbook for people who want to make simple films with great intentions. Of course, Do Dooni Chaar hits the right target, and that is the success of the director. No wonder, after watching this movie Sachin Tendulkar wanted to act in this director's movie. And one more thing, this movie is produced by Arindam Chaudhury, the famous economist and the founder of IIPM. He has done a good thing to produce such a great movie. So, what's the movie about?? It revolves around the life of Duggal family, consisting of a dad, mom and two children. Real life couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh have come up together on screen after so many years, ant the chemistry is extra ordinary. The girl and the boy who acted as their children are equally good. The story is completely natural, simple and refreshing. The movies like Do Dooni Chaar should be made, this is doubtlessly a real gem in Indian cinema, one of the best movies of the recent times!! Habib Faizal, you rock!!
Jhootha Hi Sahi (2010)
Beautiful!!
Something is wrong. Yes, something is terribly wrong. Either there is a problem with me, or there is a problem with the majority of Indian audience. I'm saying this, because I loved this film. Yes, you heard it right, I loved this film which most of you called crap and time waste stuff. When you people can accept the recycled, re-re-re-re-re-used, clichéd, melodramatic Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, why cant you accept this fresh and beautiful Jhootha Hi Sahi?? I still remember, Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Na was 70% 'Niram' (It's a Malayalam Movie released in 1998, and later remade to Hindi as Tujhe Meri Kasam with Reitesh Deshmukh and Genelia D'zouza). The rest 30% was the Khan brothers comedy, the Photoframe-dad portion, and all. In fact, apart from these two things, the movie was a crap. Then how did it become such a success? The answer is simple, there are big names behind. Aamir Khan, and his nephew Khan making a debut. Then AR Rahman, the Mozart of Madras. And what the makers did is, from the beginning they brought a false sensation of youthness and freshness in the movie, so that all the youth got attracted. It even had a song of heroine being sad because of her cat's death, and hero making her happy. Also, there was a 'Pappu' song, in which Pappu danced quite well, though. Then there was sister-brother-chooha fight, search for a girl, the new girl episode, self realization and mutual understanding, airport singing!! That's all!! I still wonder why this went out to be a big hit!!
But, Jhootha Hi Sahi has no Pappu song, there are no FUNNY moments (if you think JTJYN had funny moments), Jhootha Hi Sahi is a honest attempt from a director who badly wants to come out of the clichéd world and do something new and innovative. People had drawn parallels with the 2002 film 'University', I don't know, I haven't watched that film. But, this is a very good film, and I feel pity about the audience and the critics who gave a thumb down to the movie.
The movie is fresh, the performances are nice, and it offers at least 3-4 good songs. The song lyrics are penned according to the situations, and the entire movie is shot well. The only drawbacks one can find are Mansi Scott who played John Abraham's girlfriend, she acted well, but didn't look good. Also, the climax of bridge opening and John jumping, etc were usual bollywood stuff. But, apart from that, it is a very good movie.
The performances are awesome. While John Abraham shines in his new avatar, the real showstealer is Pakhi Tyrewala, who surprises us with a fine performance, and well written dialogues. Among the other cast, Raghu Ram is awesome!! Also, Alishka Varde and George Young shared very good chemistry. The cameos by Madhavan and Nandana Sen were nice.
The music, as I had reviewed earlier, is good. There are good songs in the movie, and they are placed at apt places. Even the song 'Pam para' looked okay on screen, which otherwise I don't like.
On the whole, I loved the movie when I watched it. It is very sad thing that such a good movie flopped severely at box office. :(