posted 24 Aug 2013 02:47 by Amer Shoib
Can ace director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra with this biopic on the iconic sprinter Milkha Singh strike gold?
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag tells the incredible true-life story of Milkha Singh, aka ‘The Flying Sikh’, who is forever enshrined in India’s psyche as one of the country’s most loved and esteemed sporting heroes. Many recall Milkha Singh as a world champion in the 400 meters, who infamously lost the penultimate race of his life - the 400 meters final at the Rome Olympics - but won in life.
Milkha Singh's life is a portrait of professional triumph over personal tragedy. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag attempts to understand a catastrophic loss that was deemed a sure victory and explores through the darkness of disgrace Milkha Singh’s redemption and catharsis that came when he confronted his past. This iridescent tale winds through the plagues of a bloody civil war where Milkha's family were brutally killed during the violent and tumultuous India-Pakistan Partition era resulting in a lost childhood, homelessness, to a life of petty crime and victories hard won and easily lost.
The music of the film is by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, along with lyricist Prasoon Joshi. Daler Mehndi gives us the enlightening Sikh devotional track ''Gurbani''. The song ''Zinda'' has the anthem feel to it. We have the sufi rock song ''Mera Yaar''.Arif Lohar's iconic 'chimta' & 'ektara' along with guitar are amongst the musical delights in ''Bhaag Milkha Bhaag''. ''Maston Ka Jhund'' is a lovely song. The song ''Slow Motion Angreza is an interesting song.''Rangrez'', is an excellent love ballad. Overall the songs of the film are brilliant.
Direction wise Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra has done an outstanding job in recreating a by gone era and bringing out a great performance from Farhan Akhtar. The bio-picture really takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride of emotions and succeeds in giving us a great portrait of a remarkable man. The director does a remarkable job in presenting a film about winning over adversity. He deserves all the accolades for a mesmerising up lifting film.
Performance wise Farhan Akhtar is brilliant in the lead, he looks, breathes, emotes Milkha Singh. In the same way Ben Kingsley played Gandhi and Denzil Washington played Malcolm X. The actor should be applauded for really getting into the skin of the character. He moves you by the emotions he faces as a child on losing his parents to the tragedy of partition and to winning against all the odds in life. Her shows the humility of the icon he is playing and we go along with this remarkable actors portrayal. Farhan deserves all the praise for a brilliant performance. From the supporting cast Divya Datta as the sister is a good support and Sonam as his love interest is capable.
Drop every thing and go and watch this remarkable film that shows the human spirit can over come adversity and be a winner. Marvellous performance by the excellent Farhan and well directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra who has struck gold.
Verdict:4/5
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posted 23 Aug 2013 05:04 by Amer Shoib
Viacom18 Motion Pictures together with Indian film actor John Abraham’s JA Entertainment present what is billed as one of this year’s most tense political thrillers set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of a key Indian political leader, Madras Café, Can John Abraham strike box office gold with this hatke film?
John Abraham performs the role of Captain Vikram Singh, an accomplished Para Military Officer recruited by the R&AW’s (India’s external security agency) Indian head Robin Dutt (RD) – with the mandate to execute certain covert Intelligence operations in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and conduct peaceful provincial council elections. However, as Vikram delves deeper into his covert operations against a faceless enemy in a daring game of cat-and-mouse, he suddenly becomes the hunted. Soon the beleaguered Vikram realises that there is a leak within his own group.
As Vikram finds himself embroiled deeper into the ‘game’, he steps into a sinister and bigger plan - a conspiracy to remove an important Indian leader. Vikram’s primary task is to figure out the ‘who, when, why and what’ of this conspiracy, with very little time at hand. With RD’s full support, he attempts to uncover and stop this conspiracy from happening. And that too against opponents that are shrewd, vile, unseen, unknown, besides having to deal with an internal, almost indifferent, sceptical political system. Vikram’s quest for the truth sees him team up with an ally in the field – an Indo-Western journalist named ‘Jaya’ (Nargis Fakhri). Together they set about finding the truth amongst a complex web of lies and deceit, and begin telling the world their incredible story.
Performance wise John Abraham as the Indian Army Intelligence Agent sent to Sri Lanka to break a resolute rebel group excels in showing a gauntlet of emotions. Hats of this very talented actor to go out on a limb and give us a very real performance away from the usual Hindi film hero. He is in excellent shape as the lead and as the producer of the film. He should be congratulated on presenting a gritty tale of conflict and betrayal in Indian civil war drama. He is supported well by a charismatic female journalist, played by Nargis Fakhri who is determined to uncover the truth about the civil war. She is good in this limited role in a very exciting well made film. The supporting cast Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rashi Khanna, Siddharth Basu and Agnello Dias. are all good in their roles. The musical score comes from Shantanu Moitra who does a great job in providing an excellent score in this wonderful film.
Madras Café is a triumph as it is a film that is set against the backdrop of the tumultuous and controversial Sri Lankan civil war of the 1980s. It gives us es a timely reminder of the gruesome conflict that claimed thousands of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim lives and left millions of people displaced and desolate. John Abraham should be applauded in giving us an action film that is gripping, suspenseful and thought provoking all at the same time. The film should be watched by all those who have become bored of the routine masala fare that comes out of Hindi cinema.
A must watch film that immerses the viewer into the murky world of espionage and politics. Take a bow Viacom18 Motion Pictures together with Indian film actor John Abraham’s JA Entertainment for giving us something so daring and different.
Rating:3/5
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posted 1 Apr 2013 05:58 by Amer Shoib
A laugh-out-loud, family entertainer directed by comedy maestro, David Dhawan, Chashme Baddoor is a fresh re-working of one of 80’s Hindi cinema’s most delightful screen gems, presenting a riotous comedy that is sure to engage a new generation of fans as well as charming older audiences as it pays homage to one of the most nostalgic and defining genres and films of Indian cinema over the decades. Can the comic ace David Dhawan strike gold at the box office again?
Ali Zafar (Sid), Jai and Omi (Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma respectively) live together in a small house in Goa. Large on life, the only thing that motivates Omi and Jai are the women in Goa, while Sid lives a modest, straight-laced life.
The two womanising slackers attempt to woo the new girl in the neighbourhood, Seema (Taapsee Pannu), deciding to seduce her in their own, rogue-ish ways. But this is not what they tell Sid and they both wax lyrical about their romantic conquests with the new girl in town.
Sid, a shy, intelligent and mild-mannered boy, is unaware of their conquests, more interested in his books and mapping a great life ahead for himself. Unbeknownst to Omi and Jai, he meets Seema himself, they become friends and, over time, Seema falls in love with this quiet, sensitive boy. When Omi and Jai get to know about the relationship, they fear Sid will come to know about their lie and decide to confess that they both previously dated Seema. Shocked to realise the girl he loves is a flirt, Sid breaks up with Seema.
Jai and Omi are relieved for some time, but on seeing Sid depressed and retreating into a shell, they feel the need to come clean about what really happened with Seema. Outraged by their behaviour, he attempts to patch things up with the girl he still loves, but Seema wants nothing more to do with him.
Enter Omi and Jai to the rescue, teaming up with Seema’s grandmother to hatch a plan to masquerade as kidnappers and kidnap Seema. As Siddharth steps in to save her, the plan takes an undesired turn in a wholly different direction!
The music of the film is composed by Sajid Wajid. The songs are a mixed bag with Har Ek Friend being a fun song. Ali Zafar lends his vocals to Dhichkyaaon Doom Doom and Race Mein Dauda, both of which are very uninspiring. The highlight of the songs is the peppy song “Early Morning”. The track Ishq Mohallah is very average. There isn’t a single track on the sound track that comes close to Kahan Se Aaye Badra” or the great innovative “Pyar Lagawat” from the original film.
Direction wise David Dhawan is on blistering form , he has found his funny bone again with this mad cap comedy. It is especially cool to see that he uses the theme tune from the classic Amar Akbar Anthony and in his also references the classis Saajan, and his own Hassena Man Jay Gee in the film. He gets excellent performances from his three leads and the bright breezy back drop of Goa helps considerably. Welcome back to the king of comedy and we look forward to many more zany films from the ace director.
Performance wise Ali Zafar adds another feather into his cap, by playing the shy, witty, funny Sid to perfection. His chemistry with both Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma is spot on . He makes a very cute couple with Taapsee Pannu in this laugh riot comedy. Also his scenes with the veteran Rishi Kapoor are lovely to watch. He has built on his brilliant turns in Tera Bin Laden , Mera Brother Ki Dulhan and London Paris New York. Ali Zafar is here to stay and we look forward to more wonderful performances from him
Siddharth as the mad cap, zestful, romantic Jai gives a brilliant turn as Jim Carrey on speed. His comic timing with both Ali Zafar and Divyendu Sharma in the film is spot on. He is a joy to watch on screen and his hilarious scenes with Divyendru are a riot. The audience will laugh out loud with his antics in this very funny film. He is given a good run for his money by the excellent Divyendu Sharma , who with his witty poetry almost steals the show in some scenes. Both actors vibe very well of each other in the comic situations they find them selves in. The veteran Rishi Kapoor gives a lovely performance as the funny guy who always seems to get his life saying mixed up. Taapsee Pannu as the love interest is passable as is Anupam Kher in his role.
I would say that you leave your brains at home and prepare to fall in love with 2013’s most charming romantic comedy. David Dhawan is back to his best in this film that will make you laugh out loud and rejoice that the king of zany comedies is back.
I now leave it to you the audience to decide.
Verdict:4/5
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posted 26 Jan 2013 11:17 by Amer Shoib
Race 2 is a Bollywood action thriller film directed by Abbas-Mustan and produced under the Tips Music Films banner and is the sequel to the 2008 hit film. Can this thriller match the box office high of the original?
Race 2, just like the first film, is an action adventure joyride that beings with Ranveer (Saif Ali Khan) brooding over his fiancée Sonia’s (Bipasha Basu) death. The businessman, depressed and sombre, is thirsty for revenge. He is hot on the trail to nab Sonia’s killers and will go to any length to find them. He heads to Turkey and seeks the help of Armaan Mallick (John Abraham), a dreaded mafia don who runs a sinister, high-security underworld outfit along with his pretty bikini-clad partner Ileena (Deepika Padukone), while his fiancee Omisha (Jacqueline Fernandez) is unaware of his shady dealings.
Fruit chomping inspector KD (Anil Kapoor) too is back in action, with his busty bimbette of an assistant, this time around being played by Ameesha Patel. The backdrop for all the action is Turkey, and the twists and turns promise to be as unpredictable and baffling as they are in classic Abbas Mustan productions.
Music of the film is composed by Pritam. Party On My Mind (a.k.a. POMM). the track is highly energetic and is dominated by thumping beats & vibrant vocals. But, the tune is very ordinary and the lyrics are not great. The love ballad Be-Intehaan seems to be Race 2’s equivalent of Pehli Nazar Mein. Is not a bad song. Lat Lag Gayee offers the sensuous quotient (. literally translates to “I am addicted to you” and I am sure we will all be addicted to this song. Allah Duhai Hai starts off an explosive note. As a sound track, it is enjoyable but it could have done with better lyrics .The tracks are foot-tapping and they would appeal to the masses.
Direction wise Abbas-Mustan have come up with a slick thriller cum heist caper. The film makes full use of the stunning visuals to full affect. All the actors are given ample room to pan out their roles. The sequel delivers all the thrills and spills you would expect from this awesome duo.
Performance wise Saif Ali Khan again plays his role with panache and seems to be more Bondian in this film than he ever was in Agent Vinod. He free runs, fences, does archery, gambles and woos the ladies with equal aplomb. His chemistry with Deepika still manages to light up the screen. John Abraham proves an admirable foe to Saif and manages to pay homage to classic Van Damme films of the 1980s also. Both Deepika and Jacqueline sizzle the screen as sexy Bond girls to the slick James Bond antics of Saif Ali Khan. Anil Kapoor is passe as the comedic KD, but his double meaning jokes with side kick Amisha Patel are crude. Bipasha Basu makes a fleeting cameo in the film and Aditya Pancholi yet again plays the role of a Don.
The directors have quite literally followed the James Bond mantra of guns, girls and gadgets. To an extent this works, but next time they need to steer away from doing this, as this is not an Indian Bond film.
Despite this short coming Race 2 is a triumph for the film makers and is sure to reap rich rewards at the box office.
Verdict: 3/5
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posted 14 Oct 2012 01:28 by Amer Shoib
Can Prakash Jha's new action film give us another thought provoking film on controversial topics hit the bulls eye?
The story revolves around two best friends who end up on opposite sides of the law. Idealistic Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal), heads up a rural police force; he is supported by his much-loved mate Kabir (Abhay Deol). Naxalites – extreme left-wing revolutionaries – are taking control of the local area, and after they ruthlessly gun down a police squadron, Kabir offers to help Adil by becoming an undercover spy. The planned infiltration works and Kabir is soon face-to-face with the Naxalite leader Rajaan (Manoj Bajpayee) and his beautiful, ultra-violent right-hand woman Juhi (Anjali Patil), who Kabir soon falls for. He sends back essential information, which leads to the police ambushing the rebels, but as the Naxalites are pushed back, it soon becomes horribly clear to Kabir that the latter are, in fact, defending the poor local villagers from corrupt land-grabbers. The tables turn and Kabir switches sides, leading to the ultimate bullet-riddled conflict where friends become deadly enemies.
The music for this film is composed by Salim-Sulaiman.One. The best songs on the sound track are; Aiyo Piyaji a sufi love song. Chheen Ke Lenge is an anthem of revolt and mutiny, filled with pride of the land and Kunda Khol is a sultry song and filmed on the gorgeous Sameera Reddy. The other songs Mehanga., Tambai is a creepy sultry song. Paro is another slow village item song with focus on fun and love for chamiya paro. Chakravyuh Theme is a very penetrating and forceful composition. The soundtrack of ‘Chakravyuh’ as expected is very thematic and typical to Jha’s style of films packed with passion, force and attitude. His love of traditional is inherent to the topics he picks up for his movies. A great sound track with some great numbers.
Direction wise Prakash Jha gives us another characteristically balanced handling of controversial topics, in this case of land grabbing and corporate greed. He should be commended on bringing to light these important issue in contemporary India to people who are blissfully unaware of them. As always the director has strong characters, a robust script and sharply executed action scenes. He even pays homage to a chilling scene from the Hollywood film “Reservoir Dogs”. What the director fails to adequately do is highlight the plight of the down trodden more in this film that has so much going on. But, still does a commendable job in informing and entertaining the audience.
Performance wise the director gets a brilliant central performance from Arjun Rampal. He gives a towering charismatic performance of the highly disciplined police man who will carry out his duty to the state . The nuances of happiness, anger, hurt, love are all excellently executed from Arjun. He is given a good run in the acting stakes by Manoj Bajpai, who again in a Prakash Jha film excels. The actor plays the anti-hero/villain in a way that makes us question is he a hero or a villain. Abhay Deol plays a very different role that we have not seen him play before. His performance is ok, but he does not make us totally believe of his strong friendship with Arjun’s character, then becoming his enemy and his romance with the character played by Anjali Patel does not work. Coming to Anjali, she again is a surprise package as the beautiful right hand woman to Manoj Bajpai’s villain. Om Puri as usual gives us another great performance in a small supporting role.
Prakash Jha succeeds in giving us another thought provoking film on the highly charged subject of land grabbing and corporate greed. He should be applauded for bringing this subject to those people who do not know it is happening. The performances are brilliant in particular Arjun, Manoj Bajpai and Anjali Patel .
Prakash Jha is most definitely a director that has proved that he is a man who gives audiences entertainment in the parameters of a masala Hindi film and conveys controversial messages at the same time.
All those film fans that like films with a social message should go and watch this thought provoking story.
Rating:3/5
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posted 29 Sep 2012 10:55 by Amer Shoib
English Vinglish is the come back film of the queen of Hindi cinema Sridevi, after 15 long years. Can the film do justice to her enormous talent and bring her back in a big way?
Money, Fame and the Knowledge of English. In India, these 3 factors play a huge role in how society judges an individual. The story of the film is of a woman who does not know English and is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film is a light - hearted yet touching and transformational journey of Shashi. Circumstances make her determined to overcome this insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman. The film is shot mostly in New York and captures the inherent struggle of many people all over the world with the English Language.
The music of the film is by Amit Trivedi with whom you know you are only going to get some feel-good music this time around. Set mostly in New York the music has a western and digital vibe to it, and is totally in sync with the subject of the film. The title track English Vinglish has two versions The rhyming gives the song a special character. The use of hand drums in the second part of the song is just the perfect finishing touch. Dhuk dhuk sounds like an old Bengali folk song. You are suddenly transported to New York with Manhattan, a funky and groovy song. The rap portions are really catchy, with lyrics including all the big brands – Gucci, Versace, Dior, etc. Again, the lyrics are amazingly in sync with the composition and the digital treatment. Gustakh dil is a mellow number Amidst all the cool and funky tracks is a Marathi song sung Navrai majhi. The music arrangement is very contemporary, situational and very sweet.
Debutant director Gauri Shinde does a wonderful job of bringing this light hearted film , with a universal canvas to the big screen. She succeeds in showing us New York in a very different light and extracts a touching, moving, sweet performance from the lead star Sridevi. The actress encapsulates the character of Shashi and we the audience totally sympathise with her plight. The actress totally gets into the skin of a conservative Indian housewife burdened with an ungrateful and disrespectful family rediscovering her self-esteem by sneaking off to English lessons during a visit to New York for a family wedding. Siridevi is in fine form ,weather she is shown doing the Michael Jackson dance moves to her son or being in a class of international students learning English. Here the ensemble cast includes French actor Mehdi Nebbou, Adil Hussain, and Priya Anand, who give ample support to the super star. The surprise package in the film is none other than megastar Amitabh Bachchan ,who makes a brilliant scene stealing guest appearance.
The film is hilarious as Siridevi attempts to learn English and at the same time will leave an emotional lump in the throat where her character is being taken for granted by her family. Sridevi is on top form in this brilliant come back feel good film that people universally will all relate to and applaud this come back. The audience will love the spirit and determination of the lead character to overcome her insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman.
English Vinglish a hilarious, touching, sensitive, and sweet film that marks the triumphant come back of India's biggest female star...Sridevi.
I now leave it to the audience to make their own minds up.
Verdict:4/5
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posted 14 Sep 2012 00:24 by Amer Shoib [
updated 26 Jan 2013 11:19 ]
Barfi! is an Indian romantic comedy film directed by Anurag Basu. Can Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz give us all a hit film that touches our souls?
His parents named him Murphy, but everyone calls him Barfi! Always ready with a prank up his sleeve, he’s quite the charmer, especially with the ladies. In Darjeeling, Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) is the talk of the town, even though he can neither speak nor listen. His bittersweet relationship with two, beautiful young ladies, Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz) and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), sets in motion a chain of events that will turn his life upside down. Welcome to the world of Barfi, in which audiences are invited to witness his amusing, naughty and sometimes crazy antics – a heart warming tale of selfless love and about finding happiness in the smallest things in life; that tells you no matter how tough your life may be, “Don’t Worry. Be Barfi!”
The music of Barfi is by Pritam , the title track Barfi! with the sound of whistles greeting the listener, has a very English charm .There is another version of the song Ala Barfi!. It is a bit different from the original and is reminiscent of Kishore Kumar's quirky melodies of yesteryears. Main kya karoon, a romantic track that recalls the fervour of young romance and the tune is very new age with a very soft feel. Kyon, is a very fine composition. Aashiyan, has a very Spanish feel to it, a very sweet song with a mesmerising composition.
Sawaali Raat has romantic undertones, the song is unique .Rounding of the sound track is Phir le aya dil which makes its way to your heart. Overall, the soundtrack is a joyride Pritam makes simplicity a winner.
Direction wise Anurag has told a wonderful heart warming tale of idealistic love in 1970s Darjeeling. He has given Hindi cinema a modern master piece of feel good cinema , that will stay in the hearts and minds of the viewer long after they have left the cinema hall. He deserves full marks for getting out excellent performances from both Ranbir and Priyanka , who both get into the skin of their respective characters. Both stars really make you for get what they have done in the past and really live their wonderful characters. Anurag also deserves top marks for the sensitivity he has shown with dealing with people who have disabilities. A director who is at the top of his profession and we look forward to more mesmerising cinema from this genius.
Performance wise, Ranbir has given an astounding , marvellous, career defining mesmerising performance as Barfi. He has risen to the challenge of giving us a brilliant portrayal of a deaf mute person who is a sweet innocent prankster who will steal your heart. The nuances he has given to this the most challenging character in his career are wonderful to watch. He has essayed a role that does have shades of the silent comedians of the past , Raj Kapoor and a lot of his own brilliance as an actor. Come and watch Ranbir as the loveable Barfi and you will be simply blown away with his Oscar worthy performance from an actor who is at the top of his game.
Ranbir is matched in this brilliant film by an astounding performance from Priyanka Chopra. She also gets into the skin of her character that is autistic, and gives us a spell binding performance also. Her chemistry with Ranbir’s a joy to watch. Full marks for both these brilliant actors giving the performances of their careers in an awesome film. New-comer Ileana D’Cruz also impresses in this lovely tale film and her scenes with Ranbir are acted superbly by this very talented actress. Her innocence along with Ranbir’s mischievous come together so well.
Barfi has lovely songs, is cheerful and very unconventional . The film makes you laugh and cry and will change your perspective on life. Message that it is sending out is that you do not need too much to be happy and that we should all give love and respect to all. A heart warming must see film event of the year from UTV Motion Pictures.
A winner all the way, drop every thing and watch a brilliant film that will touch your soul.
I leave it now to the audiences to make their own minds up.
Rating:4/5
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posted 1 Sep 2012 10:05 by Amer Shoib [
updated 26 Jan 2013 11:20 ]
Can the magic pairing of Akshay and Sonakshi, fresh from their hit movie Rowdy Rahore strike gold in this new film form UTV Motion Pictures?
In 1947 when the maps of India and Pakistan were being drawn, an oversight ensured that the village of Paglapur didn’t find a place in either country. The village had the distinction of housing the largest mental asylum in the region and in the melee that ensued during partition, the asylum inmates broke loose, drove away the villagers and established their own republic in Paglapur. And that’s how it stayed for the next 60 years! While the world outside changed, Paglapur remained isolated, with no electricity, television or sanity! Now, decades after the world forgot this village, a NASA scientist of Indian origin, Raj/Agasthya (Akshay Kumar ) and his wife, Manali (Sonakshi Singh) find themselves on the road to Paglapur. Raj is working on a top secret project for creating a device to communicate with aliens. So why is he in a village whose colourful inhabitants include a man who speaks in gibberish, another who thinks he is a lamp post and everyone else who think Mahatma Gandhi is still around, fighting for independence?
The soundtrack of the film is composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, nephew of noted composer, A. R. Rahman. We have a jump-start with "Kafirana (I want fakht you)" , the item number, which has Chitrangda Singh giving a rare glimpse of her dance moves, has a lot of dhol beats and is a catchy tune.peppy composition. "Jugnu". is ordinary, and it fails to make an impact. "Sing raja", is a nice folk song. "Yeh Joker", is another peppy number There is a ray of hope with "Tears of Joker" and it delivers with its depressing, yet appealing sound. The sound track is a good mix of sounds, but it fails in terms of lyrics.
Director Shirish Kunder has delivered another massive failure of a film. He should have learnt his lessons from the very bad Tees Maar Khan, but looks like he actually thinks that he is a great director. His film at times reminds us of Signs, etc, what could have been a novel idea has turned into a complete failure. Shrish should stick to what he knows best and save us all from these films that are one long bore.
Performance wise Akshay fails to deliver once again in a Shrish film. In future he should stay well away from such disaster films. Sonakshi also fails in her role, which looks as if was just put in the film for decoration. Both actors fail to ignite the screen like their previous hit Rowdy Rathore. The rest of the cast that include Shreyas Talpade are just passable , but the item girl Chitrangda Singh is excellent.
My advice is to avoid this massive turkey of a film and stay at home!
I leave it now to the audiences to make their own minds up.
Rating:1/5
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posted 15 Aug 2012 12:40 by Amer Shoib [
updated 15 Aug 2012 13:37 ]
Ek Tha Tiger is a romantic thriller. Directed by Kabir Khan and Produced by Aditya Chopra, stars Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif in the lead roles. Can the desi Bourne/Bond film give Salman another massive hit?
Ek Tha Tiger is a romantic thriller which tells the story of a Trinity College scientist suspected of selling missile technology secrets to Pakistan. The Indian government sends a secret agent, codenamed Tiger (Salman Khan), to find out about the professor's activities. Tiger falls in love with the professor's caretaker Zoya (Katrina Kaif) who is studying at a fictional dance academy located at TCD, and together they embark on a roller-coaster journey that takes them from Dublin to Istanbul then to Kazakhstan and Chile.
The music is scored by a mix of compositions by Sajid-Wajid, Sohail Sen and Julius Packiam. "Mashallah" and "Laapta" , are both groovy numbers. "Banjaara" is an ordinary song and we have the slow song "Saiyaara". We also have a theme song, "Tiger's Theme". A track that reminds you of the James Bond themes. The music suit’s the romantic and action flavour of the film.
Direction wise Kabir Khan gives us an action thriller with a twist of romance for good measure. The story is a novel idea of what would happen if two spies who are meant to be enemies become romantically attached. The director does full justice to this idea. Helped along by the beautiful locations of Dublin, Istanbul and Havana, that help tell this story of international proportions. He has used the action director of the Bourne/Lethal Weapon/ Rush Hour fame to give the film that extra edge.
Performance wise Salman Khan is ace as the desi Bourne/ Bond with a heart of gold. He rocks weather it is doing the cool action scenes or the romantic interludes with Katrina. He has the same super star aura of Amitabh/ Rajnikanth. Even the cool comedy scenes he does with tongue firmly in cheek are a joy to watch. He is given great support by the lovely Katrina Kaif that plays her role brilliantly,. Her chemistry with Salman rocks and she is also cool with her karate kicks.
Leave your brains at home and go and watch this fantastic romantic action comedy. Salaman and Katrina mashallah!
I now leave it up to the audience to make their own minds up.
Verdict:3/5
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posted 23 Jun 2012 12:46 by Amer Shoib [
updated 23 Jun 2012 12:47 ]
The trailers of Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahani r made us all think that the film was a reincarnation drama. Seeing the three different looks of the lead pair Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra over three different eras, there were speculations that the film might have the lead pair reborn again and again. However, "Teri Meri Kahani is not a reincarnation film. It's a love story of three different pairs spread over three generations". Can Kunal Kohli strike gold with this hatke love story?
Can we truly luv one person throughout our life and hope that fate makes us meet with the same person in every life of ours?
The story of the film takes us through a journey of eternal love between a couple who have vowed to love each other not only in this life but in every life to follow. Their love is so strong that destiny wants to bring them together. The story starts in 1969 Bombay with Govind and Ruksar, then moves ahead to present times, 2012 England with Radha and Krish and then goes back in time to Punjab, 1910 with Aradhana and Javed.
Can Javed and Aradhana still be together? Will Ruksar realize that Govind’s feelings for her were genuine? Will Krish be able to clear the misunderstandings?
Will true love prevail? Or will destiny takes it’s course?
The music of the film is composed by Sajid – Wajid. Mukhtasar, has a fantastic tempo and rhythm matched with good lyrics. Allah Jaane, is a sweet track, The brightest song is, Humse Pyaar Kar Le., while other tracks like Jabse Mere DIl ko, and That’s I Really Wanna do are good but fail to make any impression. Teri Meri Kahaani's music is youthful and Sajid- Wajid deliver another hit sound track. Timelines, boundaries seems to be a favourite recipe for Bollywood success in these few years. So why not even this one. Once again we have yet another romantic movie with power packed music to back it up.
Kunal Kohli gives us a lovely youthful film , that is indeed very different from what we have seen in the past. The influence of Yash Chopra is plain to see. He has made a film that will appeal to all romantics out there.
Performance wise as the film is set in three different time periods Shahid is playing three different roles in the film across eras and that is something that he has never done before. He is playing a strong Muslim character Javed which is a first for him. Then he has never enacted a cool trendy character from the current era in a manner as shown in the film, Also he enacts a retro character, getting into a 60s mode is not something that many actors of today's generation can boast of. All of this brings uniqueness to the film because whenever Shahid has done something different. He stands out in all three roles he has enacted, but the poetry speaking Javed stands out. Priyanka Chopra is not stretched as an actress in the three roles she plays in the film , but her chemistry is sizzling with Shahid.
A lovely romantic comedy that spans one hundred years and does really make you believe that true love can prevail. All you romantics are going to love it.
Verdict:3/5
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