Good Bad Ugly for Bollywood !!!!! 200 crs at stake...

Now that Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan are under the police eye, Bollywood is finding itself in a great jeopardy. Who can replace the two of the most countable actors? The question has shaken quiet a few. “They are cult figures and they have a certain equation with the audience which makes them indispensible,” says David Dhawan. We don't know whether they are the best of buddies at present but they soon will. Two men atop the burning deck of a ship often turn out to be friends. But jokes apart, the situation is grim for Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Bollywood. Salman has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment for killing a Chinkara (deer) in 1998. The actor was not present in court to hear the verdict.
The court which gave the verdict does not have the power to hear the bail application, so Salman will have to go behind bars for at least a few days before his lawyers can move to a higher court for bail. Even then his problems won't be solved and Bollywood would be deep in crisis. This thunderbolt of a news of Salman's conviction comes right behind the little element of relief that the news of Sanjay's coming out on bail brought. But the long term prognosis for all the films that are to be made with any of the two stars seems very bleak. Together they might have in excess of 200 Crores riding on them. No industry can take such a loss with a smile, there are going to be groans of pain.
There are many, within the film industry as well as outside, who believe that Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and Fardeen Khan have a heart of gold in spite of their constant, notorious clashes with the law. These stars are the kids of famous bollywood stars. Sanjay, Salman and Fardeen are also quiet well known for their flamboyant, glamorous and reckless lifestyles.After Salman Khan was recently sentenced to one year imprisonment and Rs. 5,000 fine for the hunting of a wild life species in Jodhpur, it’s now once more the turn of Sanjay Dutt to gear up to face the law. Sanjay has a long history with the law; he was first arrested after the Mumbai blasts of 1992-93. He was said to have links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Abu Salem. He was charged with being an accomplice in the blasts. He spent quiet a while in jail.
Sanjay Dutt is the son of star parents Sunil Dutt and Nargis. Sanjay’s mother died of cancer before the release of his first film, Rocky. After this Sanjay got addicted to drugs. When he was arrested after the Mumbai blasts, under TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive activities prevention), Sanjay was at the peak of his career. Sanjay is known to have a terrible temper. His case has been going on, but due to lack of proof nothing could really come of it. However, recently with the deportation and arrest of Abu Salem, the case has once again gained momentum. In a recent confession to the TADA court, Abu Salem has admitted that he delivered arms and ammunition to Sanjay Dutt, prior to the 1993 blasts in Mumbai. Abu Salem confessed to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) which was later made public in court, that he delivered three AK-47 rifles and some cartridges to Sanjay. This is a major blow to Sanjay Dutt as he has always vehemently denied his involvement with the blasts. Sanjay’s constant pillar of strength and support, his father Sunil Dutt passed away in May last year. Sanjay will again have to go through the rigmarole with the law enforcement.
Another star kid who is on the wrong side of the law is Fardeen Khan, son of Feroze Khan. On May 5, 2001 Fardeen Khan was caught buying cocaine, he was charged under Section 28 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The case is still going on and it is said that the quantity seized from Fardeen is not mentioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the complaint filed in the court. However, if the court concludes that the quantity was 1 gm, Fardeen can avail the option of undergoing detoxification instead of standing trial in court.
Finally, there is some irony if you can notice it. Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to six years in jail for his alleged involvement in the Bombay blasts, which took the lives of a few hundred people and nearly set the country on a civil war path. Salman Khan on the other hand shoots a deer and has to stay in jail for five years; just one year lesser than the sentence of the crime involving bombs. Doesn't make much sense.

Om Shanti Om ... Shanti Shanti Om !!!!

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is to be reborn. The cat is finally out of the bag, Farah Khan has finally revealed the synopsis of her new film Om Shanti Om, and it is not a remake.SRK Fan's are eager to watch his upcoming film OM sHANTHI OM, To give a jist of the movie, The story is a mix of Hrithik Roshan’s Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Rishi Kapoor’s Karz, and the Nicole Kidman starrer Birth. I suggest you guys not to wait for the release.. GO just grab those DVD's and watch them.
Plot goes this way,Om meets the love of his life, Deepika Padukone but soon after, he passes away. He is reincarnated and returns to solve the mystery of his death and find his true love. The cast of the movie is bigger than the length of the movie. It starts with Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan , Amitabh Bachchan , Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan , Rani Mukherjee , Sanjay Dutt , Shilpa Shetty , Preity Zinta , Kajol , Priyanka Chopra , Saif Ali Khan , Karisma Kapoor , Lara Dutta , Tabu , Rekha , Bobby Deol ,Dharmendra , Govinda , Sunil Shetty , Vidya Balan , Juhi Chawla , Arjun Rampal, Shabana Azmi , Zayed Khan , Mithun chakraborty , Karan Johar , Urmila Matondkar , Sridevi , Ritesh Deshmukh , Rishi Kapoor , Tusshar Kapoor ,, Amrita Arora , Aaftab Shivdasani , Malaika Arora , Dino Morea , Jeetendra , Deepika Padukone , Arbaaz Khan , Subhash Ghai , Kiron Kher, Vishal Dadlani , Shreyas Talpade , Akshay Kapoor , Jigar Patel
Rumours going around the media were that Farah Khan was going to base the film on the remake of classic hit Karz, which starred Rishi Kapoor. But Farah has said that the film is defiantly not a remake but it has similarities with Karz. The film is set during the 70’s and the present. Shah Rukh Khan plays a character who dies during the 70s but is reborn soon after, and starts to remember his previous life when he reached his adult age. In Karz, Rishi Kapoor’s character was also reincarnated. That is as far as Farah Khan has gone, but we here at radiosargam.com can reveal a little more, about the actual story of the film. We were the first to reveal the story of Veer-Zaara, upsetting Yash Raj Films, and we can now reveal the story to this Farah Khan film also.
The story begins in the 70s where Shah Rukh Khan’s character falls in love with a beautiful young girl (played by newcomer Deepika Padukone). However, certain incidents take place, and Shah Rukh Khan is murdered. He is immediately reborn, and as soon as he reaches adulthood, goes in search of the girl that he left behind in the 70s. The only problem is that his love is now in her golden age and there is a huge age difference.

Jodha-Akbar - An Epic

Jodha Akbar - The Movie, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, is a sixteenth century love story about a marriage of alliance. It has Hrithik Roshan…… Akbar,Aishwarya Rai…… Jodha,Sonu Sood,Kulbhushan Kharbanda,Suhasini Mulay,Raza Murad.

The determination to see Jodhaa-Akbar release on time is no longer unreal. Post-production work on Ashutosh Gowariker magnum opus is on full swing. The editing and dubbing are going on simultaneously.Speaking exclusively to a popular channel Ashutosh says, "I'm currently editing the film in Mumbai. It's not an easy task." Considering the canvas of the storytelling this could well be the director's toughest film yet. "That isn't all. Aishwarya is shooting in Hyderabad. So she'll dub in that city. While Hrithik will dub in Mumbai" says Ashutosh. On top of it there are dozens of other actors, big or small, whose dubbing has to be done under the strictest supervision to make sure that the Urdu dialogues are in place and the pronunciation is impeccable. In fact, Hrithik and Aishwarya have been working doubly hard on their dialogues to live up to Ashutosh's exacting standards.

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodha-Akbar , a historical lover story. The movie revolves around the relationship between Mughal king Akbar played by Hrithik Roshan and his Rajput wife, Jodha Bhai, played by Aishwarya Rai. The marriage was initially a political move but it didn’t take long for the mighty Mughal King to fall in love with his Rajput princess who resented him deeply and harbored feelings of mistrust! The controversy started with the Rajput community, Well the movie which is been currently shot in Rajasthan has angered sections of the Rajput community. They are not really happy with the way Rajput have been portrayed in the movie and have requested the State Government to ban the movie!

Crew of Jodha Akbar :-
Banner : Ashutosh Gowariker Productions
Presenter : UTV Motion Pictures
Producer : Ashutosh Gowariker, Ronnie Screwvala
Executive Producer : Sunita A. Gowariker
Director : Ashutosh Gowariker
Music Director : A. R. Rahman
Lyricist : Javed Akhtar
Story Writer : AshutoshGowariker
Dialogue Writer : K. P. Saxena
Screenplay Writer : Ashutosh Gowariker
Art Director : Nitin Desai
Costume Designer : Neeta Lulla
Background Sound : A. R. Rahman
Choreographer : Saroj Khan, Raju Khan, Vaibhavi Merchant
Publicity Designer : Epigram

Where is AAMIR, Temporary memory loss ????

The actor is busy shooting his second home production post-Lagaan. The movie, as of now, titled Ghazini is being directed by a South Indian Director. Aamir was very impressed with Ghazini, a south Indian film and he, therefore the director of the film to seek possibilities of a Hindi remake. Ghazini, itself has been inspired from the Christopher Nolan directed-Memento starring Guy Pierce, Carrie Anne Moss & Joe Pantoliano. I've seen Memento and I must say that the movie is killer. Every frame perfectly shot, the movie is about a man who's wife gets raped and murdered and the man himself ends up getting terrible damages on his head and as a result fails to make any new memories from there on. His only motive in life now is to avenge his wife's death but as the tagline goes- What is the point of taking revenge from somebody when you won't even remember that you've had your revenge? The movie starts out with the last scene being the first frame, goes backwards and is definitely the best thriller I've ever seen.
Besides Ghazini, Aamir is also shooting for Mani Ratnam's Lajjo where previously Kareena Kapoor and now Konkona Sen Sharma is supposed to play Lajjo. Also, rumours have been doing rounds that there will be a sequel to Sarfarosh. It is not yet clear whether John Mathew Mathan (The original director) will be directing the second installment or not and things are in the initial stage as of now.
Known to keep the press scrupulously at bay, Aamir Khan is beginning to cozy up to it as he readies his new film Taare Zameen Pe for a December release
The film was conceived and scripted by Amol Gupte who was also the director to begin with. However, after filming got underway, Aamir was disappointed with the rushes. He offered to pull out of the project and hand back the script to Gupte who, instead, encouraged Aamir become the director of the film.
"We discussed the possibilities and I decided to take over the direction myself," Aamir confirmed to DNA,
"As regards Ghazini, my next production, there are rumors that we shall call it Kajri but this is not true. I wish to clarify that we have not finalized any name for the movie."
The movie Hi- Jump which would be produced by Superstar Aamir Khan? AK was also in the news for putting up posters which said “Wanted a naughty boy and contact Aamir Khan”. Well here is some more info about the movie.Hi-Jump would be directed by Amol Gupte and as expected the main protagonist of the film is a little kid. Aamir Khan fans (like me) won’t be disappointed as the actor would make an appearance in the movie post interval. A few kids have already been shortlisted and as soon as the perfectionist Khan takes a decision , the movie will go in to production.

RGV Ki AAG - Fame or Blame ?

RGV Ki Aag is almost ready to burn the Box Office.....or IS IT? (I love that usage). Since the movie was announced it's been in the news for a variety of reasons, first people calling RGV an idiot for trying to remake Sholay, then the whole casting rumors - who's playing what? then the Mehbooba song and so on and so forth.....
Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma is hoping to recreate the enduring magic of the 1975 super hit Sholay with his remake Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, featuring Amitabh Bachchan as the feared dacoit Babban (Gabbar) Singh.
“The original Sholay created an excitement by giving the audience one slammer of a scene after another. I hope to do the same,” Varma told IANS.
Varma also confesses his take on Sholay is the “only original film” that he has made so far.
“I haven’t made a single original film till Aag. Every scene shot and frame of my earlier films have been copied from some source or the other. It could be a novel, a Hollywood or an old Hindi film.”
“If I haven’t been caught out it’s because people haven’t been able to locate my sources. Aag is my first original film.”
The film had nothing to do with the underworld, says Varma.
“It’s almost a throwback to the kitschy films of the 1970s, like Nasir Husain’s Yaadon Ki Baraat or Chori Mera Kaam. It isn’t a gangster film nor is it a dacoit drama.”
Varma, currently in Hyderabad shooting for the sequel to Sarkar, says he has made Aishwarya look different for Sarkar 2. The film also stars the two Bachchans - Amitabh and Abhishek.
Amitabh Bachchan, the Jai character in the original Sholay movie is now playing the role of Ghabbar Singh in the remake of Sholay.
It appears to be a season full of remakes with Sholay following the remake of Don, but we hope it will not flop the way the remake of Don did.
Ajay Devgan plays the lead role in this movie with Sushmita Sen having been picked to play a part in this movie.

Feast for SRK Fan's !!!!!!!!!

He is a Muslim in a deeply divided, Hindu majority nation; he has spent penniless nights in Bombay; his sister suffers from permanent depression; his father died in a stinky cancer ward in Delh’s nightmarish Safdarjung Hospital. Meet Shah Rukh Khan, the King of Bollywood.He is Time magazine’s cover boy; Korean fans wear T-shirts sporting his face; his posters sell alongside that of monkey god Hanuman in the holy streets of Benares; his Bombay bungalow is a sight-seeing tourist attraction; his bodyguard gets sex offers in exchange for closer access to him! From the Champs Elysees to Grand Central Station, he has been mobbed by adoring fans. What makes Shah Rukh Khan different from others? He is not the only Muslim superstar of India. His films are not the only box office smash hits. He is not the only one to lip-sync to super hit romantic songs. In fact, a thousand books could easily have been written if he had failed.For instance, his skin color is not fair; his acting skills are too loud; he is less muscled than neighborhood gym boys; and he is rumored to be gay! How did this Khan become a Sultan?Author Anupama Chopra spent more than three years interviewing more than 90 people - including Shahrukh Khan himself - in finding the answer. As a leading film journalist, she has written for India Today and The New York Times. Her earlier book on the classic film Sholay won the National Award for being the best book on cinema in 2000. She herself is a woman with connections. Her husband, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, is one of Bollywood’s top filmmakers. Her sister Tanuja Chandra has directed many flop Hollywood remakes. Her brother Vikram Chandra is an established, Berkeley-based author. Her book is now the talk of the town.“Whoever reads this book will have a clear and insightful understanding of Bollywood and, of course, me,” says Shah Rukh on the cover. The blurb is disconcerting, as authorized biographies always are. Could some of the anecdotes simply be myths (did he actually spent a hungry night in Bombay’s railway station?) encouraged by the superstar or his friends to spin his image? In spite of these doubts, The King of Bollywood excels in unraveling the early life of the king.

The Legend of the KingPerhaps Shah Rukh Khan’s origins set him apart from his superstar colleagues. While almost all are good actors, some better than others, they happen to be beneficiaries of the film industry’s naked nepotism. As sons, brothers, nephews or grandsons of film legends, their little fists clutched on to credit cards and signed contracts even as they emerged from their mother’s womb. Shah Rukh’s father, in contrast, was a poor poetry lover who was, in his wife’s words, “an honest failure.” Born in Peshawar, Meer Taj Mohammad was trapped in Delhi following the Indian partition. Even though he later married for love, and had two intelligent children, his life was too disappointing and ended too soon. When young, he went to Bombay to become an actor but sensibly returned back to Delhi after a few days of humiliating struggle. Courtesy of dishonest partners, almost all his business ventures ended in loss with the family constantly shifting from one dowdy rented apartment to another. While dying of oral cancer, Mr. Mohammad’s body weakened, his tongue bled, and the proud Pathan could not go to the toilet by himself. That this man who could not afford a private ward in an inexpensive government-run hospital had a son who would one day become famous and so rich that he could buy an entire luxury hospital if he so wished, is surely the stuff fairy tales are made of.The fairy tale, some allege, is full of fairies. Although the star has two kids and is believed to be happily married to his childhood love, the rumors never dissipate and rumor mongers love connecting the dots of his supposedly queer life. As child, Shah Rukh imitated the coquettish mannerisms of the sexy actress Mumtaz; his first screen role was that of a gay college student; one of his closest filmmaker friends is openly gay; he himself once spoke of someday winning an Oscar for playing a gay role. He remains Lux beauty soap’s only male model in India! In a culture where alternative sexuality has no place and no honor, it is astonishing that this actor, the object of much speculation, can be accepted so heartily from grandmothers to granddaughters-in-law. Shah Rukh’s unique place in Indian filmdom becomes more curious because his defining successes went against the convention. He started his career by playing the crazed kind of villains who bumped off unsuspecting girlfriends from high-rises, murdered friends, and stabbed the luckless husbands of attractive women. His graduation to good boy roles was equally maddening. In a time when films were about college couples eloping to escape from frowning families, Shah Rukh’s character, in one celebrated classic, instead insisted on asking proper permission from the heroine’s angry dad. Such portrayals of a hip beer-drinking guy, thinking in English, and espousing uniquely Indian values (like not taking advantage of intoxicated Indian girls) endeared him to all those, in all parts of the world, who want to look modern but feel foreign with western sensibilities.Ms. Chopra is perhaps not being over-enthusiastic in linking the Shah Rukh phenomenon to the strange rise of modern India. The county is unshackling itself from poverty. Malls are mushrooming. Joint families flock neighborhood McDonalds for Happy Meals. Dating and divorce, long considered the playthings of the West, are becoming common. In 2005, the coveted middle class numbered over 250 million people – only 50 million less than the total population of the United States. Silicon Valley sits scared of being Bangalored. Truly, India is no longer a developing nation but an emerging superpower. Yet, there are glaring contrasts. Over 17,000 debt-ridden farmers committed suicide in one year alone. Poverty-stricken slums stand cheek-by-jowl with deluxe hotels. Thousands of Muslims are killed in communal riots and their murderers are voted to power by supposedly secular citizens. Daughters are smothered in the womb itself. Gay sex is outlawed. In such a schizophrenic society, the persona of Shah Rukh Khan – a guy who wears DKNY but obeys the parents; who sings in Manhattan but muses on Punjab; a heterosexual who could be a homosexual; a seductive dancer who never lip-kisses a heroine; a Muslim believer with a Hindu wife; a hearty heartthrob who never traveled to the West till 28 but gifted a gushing fan with a round-trip ticket to any destination in the world; a go-getter who became everything from nothing – is truly an icon of our times. Read this book and don’t skip his upcoming autobiography.

Shahrukh Khan - Is he really a King ???

Who is a Hero???

Well he could be any person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.Or is he just some guy noted for special achievement in a particular field. I believe the second statement would be good for a star performer. In this case, Shahrukh Khan.I watched this documentary "The Inner / Outer World of Shahrukh Khan", and it looked like he is just an ordinary man who has back problems, who has kids and loves them like any other father, who has lots of friends, who takes work very seriously and also loves having fun during work, who prays to god when ever he gets the chance, who tries to act funny at times and fails miserably, etc etc etc, like any normal man.But on the other hand people just want to touch him and say "Wow this is unreal. I just touched his hand!!!" People just want to take picture with him. People flock in front of his car when he is coming out of his work. People go crazy when he performs on stage. People of the same age touch his feet. Women of his moms age dont leave him when they hug him. Elderly people just like that say,"Shahrukh beta quit smoking, it is spoiling your health" I mean what is he really?? GOD?? Hero?? Super Star?? Star performer??For every mom he is the perfect son, who would give all the respect and love. For a girl he is a perfect lover, lots of love and lots of fun to be with, she would love to dance and go shopping with him. For a younger brother, he is perfect "Bhaiya" who would help the younger one in every possible way so that "Chotu" succeeds in life. For a sister he is the perfect brother who would respect the "rakhi ka bandhan" and protect her always. For a bad guy he is always the person to be scared of. He is the perfect human being ever made by GOD, but but but only on screen. When not on screen he is just an ordinary guy who is figting with so many things. He has his problems at home, at work. He doesnt get too much time to spend with family because of work. He misses his dead parents. Like any normal guy.I guess he is all of them but not a hero.Ok all said and done I just wanted to tell everyone in my way is that Shahrukh Khan is just a normal human being whose profession by chance seems to be ACTING and just see him as a normal human being. When he comes on stage no need to shout your lungs out. When you see him in a mall just say "Hi" or even better just leave him alone, dont start shouting "I love you Shahrukh and I want to marry you and I want to turn gay for you" He is just a normal human being.I was shocked to see people in US, UK and Canada going crazy about Shahrukh, bloody even the goras. People having a drop jaw when they just see him in a shopping mall. "Haaan!!! Shahrukh!!!" :-O
By the way I don't like Shahrukh that much. Loved his work in Swades though. Thats it. but I would recomend everyone to see this documentary on his life. Good eye opener.Oh b.t.w there is a catch, the documentary is produced by Red Chillies International Private Limited. The company is owned by Gouri Khan and Shahrukh Khan. Got the point??? ;-)

Hey Baby - Sajid's Disastrous comedy !!!!!

Well, I was expecting some laughter riot from this movie but it left me disappointed. Anyways, let’s quickly get back to the movie. The story is pretty much straight forward, 3 best friends, staying together, having best time of their lives, flirting with girls all the time and partying..One day, someone rings their doorbell and leaves a baby at the doorstep. That’s it, they all first try to find who is the father of that baby amongst them and to find that, they look around for the mother.. (from their list of girlfriends) haha.. This whole idea should be enough to create a superb laughter riot but director decided to put in some emotional stuff, which turned movie like any other bollywood flick.
I had mentioned this earlier too and mentioning again, directors should not mix emotions with comedy movies. Comedy movies are meant to be mindless where as emotions need mind and heart. And you really cannot mix up both the things together. Apart from typical story and bad emotional stuff, the movie has few good things too. Specially, the little child, Angel.. she was super cute.. few comedy scenes and Ritesh Deshmukh. I personally liked him better than Akshay Kumar. Few more bad things include, Shahrukh Khan and Anupam Kher’s cameo, it was simply pathetic and unnecessary. Songs, leaving the title song and Jaane Bhi De apart, rest were BAD. And lastly, Vidya Balan’s figure, something was seriously wrong with her figure or with the dresses or my eyes. I found her bit plumped up in the bottom part. I think, direction and screenplay could have improved a lot. Concept was really nice and it could have made much better. Heyy Babyy is a comic jape that has been produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by director turned comedian Sajid Khan (Ekke Pe Ekka fame). The film stars Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh and Indian beauty Vidya Balan. The film seems to be inspired from the Hollywood block buster the Three Men and a Baby. The music has been composed by the trio Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.

Chak De India Rocked the Hockey Spirit !!!!!

First things first! "Chak De India" is an outright winner. A triumph of the spirit, and of craftsmanship! While director Shimit Amin of "Ab Tak Chhappan" fame has crafted a film with immense staying power and exceptional integrity and gusto, the thought-process behind the endearing endeavour harks back to a series of well-crafted Hollywood films about team spirit, the low-spirited team and the burnt-out disgraced and exiled coach who motivates the team and galvanises his own dormant spirit into a wide-alert status. Dig in. It's all there. And yet writer Jaideep Sahni takes the expected tale to heights of great expectations with an endearing tone of expression. Amin turns the triumph-of-spirit formula inside out. While narrating a fairly predictable story of a down-and-out all-girls' hockey team's journey into global triumph, the director brings into play a kind of abiding charisma that's born out of a sincere passion for a neglected sport and that even more neglected spirit of collective aspirations. A certain formulism runs through all films about seeming losers who triumph on the field against all cynicism. But beyond that elementary reading there ticks a substantial heart of gold in this tale of molten motivations. The question of the Indian Muslim's identity in the face of an often-suspicious majority surfaces early in the clenched narration, as Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh) is accused of selling-out a crucial game of hockey to Pakistan. Amin and his writer don't let you down. Every grim layer of 'message' is toned down and polished up to highlight and accentuate the cinematic quality without losing out on sheer relevance of the moment and its after-shocks. The ragged bunch of girls from all over the country gather under one umbrella to give the cynics a run for their money. You watch them with a distant curiosity, which soon evolves into a keen interest in their progress report. The game never looks contrived. And the greenroom chat is filled with punctuations of immense mirth. Happily, the film never lapses into a verbose rendering of the awakening conscience. By the time the director and his grim protagonist get a grip over the girls' athletic abilities and their blind spots we are completely hooked, watching not the socio-political issues but a film that pushes the envelope by taking the formula film on a jaunty journey across a craggy hockey field. The dialogues are quite often the stuff bumper stickers are made of. "There's room for only one goonda in this team, and that's me," the snarling coach tells team bully Bindiya Naik, played with instinctive strength by Shilpa Shukla. The drama emanates in a rush of warm feelings from the interactive tensions between pairs from the team, for instance the vain Chandigarh player Preeti Sabarwal (Sagarika Ghatge) and the diminutive 'mirchi' from Haryana Komal Chautala (Chitrashi Rawat) or for that matter the flavourful frisson between the ostracised Kabir and the hockey federation which collectively sneers at his aspirations for the all-girls' hockey team. Of course, you know it's all going to come together in a magnificent whoosh of athletic splendour at the end. Still, you are completely hooked, enraptured and in total empathy with the girls as they head for Melbourne to bring back the gold medal for a neglected game. By the time the girls get into bordered white saris you are smiling protectively at these children from the third world. Idealistic and dreamy? You bet! Isn't that what cinema was always meant to be? "Chak De India" takes us back to the joyous days of watching movies where the heroes began by being unfairly cut down to size and then progressed to being warriors of the dark night fighting their way out of the negativity that surrounds their dreams. Several sequences stand out for their glorious grip over the grammar of cinema. The sequence at McDonald's, where the hockey team beats up a gang of eve teasers, is so deliciously fulfilling you want to applaud the writer and director for manoeuvring the gender war into an urbane recreational zone without trivialising the larger issues involved. In terms of the tight but unobtrusive technique applied to Amin's narration "Chak De India" qualifies as one of the finest sports-based dramas in living memory, on par with the poignant sportsmanship of "Chariots Of Fire", if only there was theme music to match the other film. The editing is never cruel to the sportive spirit. We get to watch the girls playing hockey for as long as required without being subjected to redundant visual hammering. Finally though, the film is a triumph for Shah Rukh Khan. Stripped of the lover-boy image, unadorned by the romantic props that have given his super starry image that supple longevity and power, Shah Rukh stares straight into his character Kabir's conscience and isn't afraid to mirror some uncomfortable home truths about how we treat our minorities, be it the Muslim Indian, the publicly active woman - watch the arrogant cricket player smirk at his hockey-playing fiancée's dreams - or just the female gender trying to be on a par with the opposite sex. The girls on the team remain with you after their on-field victory because there's a far larger victory navigating their karma to a final hurrah. Beyond the tale of the triumph of the spirit, there lies the triumph of the spirit of cinema. After a point it doesn't matter whether the girls are playing hockey. It's not the sport. It's the spirit that shines through in every glistening frame of this tale that needed to be told before hockey became as obsolete as films about people who play to redeem their souls.

Budha Mar gaya - Rakhi's much awaited movie of the decade :)

Money corrupts and a humongous amount of money corrupts humongously. That’s the take off point for “Buddha Mar Gaya,” a black comedy about dead bodies, mucho moolah and funerals. “Buddha Mar Gaya” takes you into a world littered with dead bodies, body parts, unending greed and corruption, funerals, ice cubes and a femme fatale.

Buddha Mar Gaya directed by Rahul Rawail (Jo Bole So Nihaal) stars the comedy king Paresh Rawal along with veteran actors like Om Puri and Anupam Kher. We also have the item girl Rakhi Sawant and the extremely talented Ranvir Shorey (Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Bheja Fry). The tagline of Buddha Mar Gaya reads “You will die laughing”.. Does it actually evoke laughters? Well, the story first..The film has an interesting plot of a dead man being kept away from being cremated due to some vested interests of his near and dear ones. This leads to innumerous hilarious situations as the dead man [played by Anupam Kher] is projected as someone who is alive and kicking. The partners in crime? Om Puri, Rakhi Sawant, Ranvir Shorey, Mukesh Tiwari and Murli Sharma.
While you step into the movie hall, your expectations are high. Obviously, thanks to the extremely talented starcast. But what you witness as the reels unfold is a C grade movie which is simply terrible to bear. The runtime is 1 hour and 40 mins but it actually seems like a boring 4 hour movie. Yes, its that horrible.
Overall, Buddha Mar Gaya is a weak product. You will die laughing? Hell no, You will die watching this…

Shootout At Lokhanwala - Shot at public

This movie has become one of my personal favorites ever since I saw it for the first time. Needless to say that I have seen it many times over and from my judgment I can honestly say that this film depicts the event on the most fantastic way imaginable. Hats off to the amazing editing that are present in this movie. It seemed to be a difficult job because the setting of the film was a historical date of 1991. Then there were many jumps from present to the past and even further back into character childhoods and back to the present. As confusing as it sounds it would have been even more confusing to see if it wasn’t for great editing skills.
The main man behind the curtain was Apoorva Lakhia who succeeded in capturing all the necessary moments without having too much junk, after all the movie was only about two hours long. His main focus was not only to capture action, but also to capture the characters in their state of mind at certain situations. This job must have been hard for him only due to the fact that there was a majestic cast involved and when such a situation arises it can only be more difficult to share the screen time of each one. Of course the main focus remained on Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi, the rest of the cast was not at all ignored. We Learned something about each one of them and their personal lives. Fattu and his family, Doubling and his hobby of repeating things, Buwa and his love life, Patil and his marriage, and many more stories that were combined to show an actual person rather than a mere character. More complements go to the director and his vision because since the setting was 1991, he had to make sure that Mumbai wasn’t seen as what it is today rather what it was before, which could be realized from all of the construction sites and focus on builders. Every little thing was taken care of properly with little to no mistakes visible.
The cast of this film could not have been any better. Every actor portrayed their character with great potential. My personal favorite in the movie was the character Kaviraj Patil who was played by Suniel Shetty. I found out that before casting Suniel, Arjun Rampal was considered for the role, but I think he could have not done this any better. The main man was of course Sanju Baba who played the real life A. A. Khan founder of the ATS. Many people did not realize that the real A. A. Khan was present in the movie as Commissioner Krishnamurthy. Sanjay Dutt who has played many gangster roles was just as great being the good guy with attitude. He was the man that wanted to bring justice his own way and he succeeded. This stubborn aspect of Shamshed Khan would not have been depicted with anyone else then Sanjay Dutt.
The person responsible for saving S. S. Khan’s life was former Justice Dhingra, played by none other than Big B. Yes my friends no matter how small the character may be, Mr. Bachchan made him larger than needed. The same could not be said of young Abhishekh. He was given a very minor role with perhaps five lines and a running scene. As good as his acting has become, he would have been able to pull of an actual character, but it was nonetheless nice to see his friendly appearance. Now enough about the good guys, because there was also great glamour in the villains as well.

Vivek Oberoi has finally pulled another hit. After his success in Company he has not done such powerful roles. In Shootout he was no more a Chandu, but the legendary Mahindra Dolas, a.k.a. Maya. Nice only to friends and his mother and an absolute danger to everyone else was Maya. I believe that he had a great entrance and since then you could not wait to see more of him. As a surprise to me and many others Tussar Kapoor portrayed the character of Dilip Buwa. He wasn’t the spotlinght of the movie but you could say that he certainly pulled off his part, which by the way he probably received due to the fact that the production unit included Shobha and Ekta Kapoor. His love was Aarti Chhabaria who I believe was there to do the two item numbers. Another female was Neha Dhupia whom I could never imagine as a housewife, and after having seen the film I think she should never be one again. The one female that did her job nicely was Dia Mirza, for the first time being the brave reporter and no more a show doll.

Cheeni Kum - Budda's Love story - Sorry Budha :)

Well, this romantic comedy is funny, light and the first half completely absorbing. The movie opens in an Indian restaurent in London called Spice6. Buddhdev Gupta (Amitabh) is the proud owner/chef. He is a perfectionist short-tempered boss who makes life hell for his employees. Living as a bachelor for 64 years has made him egoistic and unbearable. However this provides an opportunity for some good comic scenes…as Buddha alternates between yelling and bantering with his boys in the kitchen. However one of the reoccurring jokes about a waiter’s potruding teeth was overplayed, thus making it tasteless.
Buddha’s life revolves around his restaurant…and his mother (played by Zohra Sehgal) who lives with him.
His life changes when beautiful Nina Verma (Tabu) walks into his restaurant and complains about a certain Hyderabadi Pulao…in fact sparks start to fly! Sparks that kindle a sweet romance. The age gap between the two maybe all of 30 years, but it doesn’t seem to matter when you watch them bantering and joking with each other. After all Nina is a mature woman who knows what she wants and the romance between the two does not conjure up the disgust that Amitabh’s movie Nishabd did. In Nishabd he is shown as a grandfatherly figure of 60 romancing a young college girl of 18 whom he could not possibly have anything in common with. The only way the Nishabd romance would have been believable was if he had been shown as being attracted by her youth and her body. But he isn’t…and the movie turned out to be a hypocritical rendering of a pedophile’s lust for a young girl. Cheeni Kum movie is not like that at all. The chemistry between the two comes through and their mutual attraction is romantic and touching.
Amitabh looks haggard in some scenes however, every bit of the 64 he was playing…but his acting was flawless. And as for Tabu, she is absolutely fantastic. Not just the way she looks, but the way she carries herself too…and her acting was natural and understated.
But a review of this movie cannot be written about without mentioning the little 8 year-old girl called Sexy (Swini Khara) who is Budhha’s neighbour. She suffers from blood cancer and by showing the deep attachement she shares with Buddha, the director R Balakrishnan reveals to us Buddha’s soft side. Sexy has some funny and some very bitter-sweet lines to deliver and though they were lines far too wise for her years, the kid is a treat to watch.
The first half of the movie just swooshed past…but the second half, when Buddha goes to Delhi to get ‘permission’ from Nina’s dad (played by Paresh Rawal), for the marriage is less enjoyable. Paresh is an excellent actor and a very good comedian but in this movie he did not get a chance to do justice to a role that I felt was half-baked. He acts like a retired (retarded?) guy who decides to starve himself to death when he hears of his daughter’s choice. Its not as if Indian parents don’t use blackmail in these circumstances…it was the way the role played out…like a farce.
The music, by Ikyaraja, is very good. Very haunting. But apparently these are his own Tamil tracks which he has recyled in Hindi.
This two hour twenty minute film is worth a watch. If only to see how Bollywood movies are coming of age. No song and dance, not much melodrama…just a high dose of reality. And we are not talking of the stark reality of the underworld, or harsh city life with drug addicts and prostitutes taking up screen time…but real people like you and me.

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom begins with Amitabh Bachchan singing the title track in a Jack Sparrowish getup with lots of firang extras. What follows in the movie is a series of some more songs, picturized in London, France and surprisingly also in India. In between there is this boy-meets-girl story. Rikki Thukral (Abhishek Bachchan) and Alvira Khan (Preity Zinta) have a few hours to kill at the Waterloo Station so they start narrating to each other how they met their respective fiances - Anaida (Lara Dutta) and Steve Singh (Bobby Deol). While they tell their tales, you start thinking there could be more than what meets the eyes. And I leave that for you to see for yourself.
Shaad Ali, in his third directorial venture after Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli, follows the formula mastered by Manmohan Desai and David Dhawan; no-brainer story full of insane but lovable characters and incidents. He has tried to make a laugh riot with that distinctive style having all emotions thrown into the wind. And somewhat good news is that he has been moderately successful at that.
The ever growing confidence as an actor is shown on screen in Abhishek Bachchan's terrific performance - be it his comic flair or inhibited dancing. He's right when he says "I've got class". He has got into the skin of the character perfectly. His scenes both with Preity Zinta and Lara Dutta are funny. But I wish he had more scenes with Bobby Deol. There could be a rocking chemistry between these two as seen in whatever little scenes they had together - mostly in the "Jhankar" dance competition and that "Ye Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge" redux.
Bobby Deol provides good support. He does not have much to do in the first half but gets some hilarious scenes in the second half, which he carries off well except for "I hate you" part which I think went overboard. The ladies look gorgeous. That is anyway expected of any Yash Raj movie. Preity Zinta and Lara Dutta both have done their part quite convincingly. While Lara oozes more oomph, Preity gets the better one liners. Good deal! Amitabh Bachchan makes a special appearance here and there with his double-necked guitar singing Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. His last scene where he tries to explain the obvious is unwanted though. Piyush Mishra is fantastic as Abhishek's partner in crime.
Music of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom captures the flavour of the film - the madness, the attitude and the flamboyance. Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy and Gulzar have provided music full of energy. Songs fall in the narration well except for the "Bol Na Halke Halke" track. It slows down the proceedings. Moreover, what was Aki Narula (costumes) thinking in designing those larger than life extra colorful gaudy dresses for this otherwise soulful number. But he has at least been successful in giving Lara Dutta a very sexy look. She is one surprise package.
Overall, I would say, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom works in bits and pieces. It has good music, spectacular choreography (Vaibhavi Merchant), eye candy locales (Ayananka Bose), some funny moments and good performances. If that is your idea of entertainment, go for it. Don't have high hopes on the screenplay and storyline as they are disappointing. It's a core masala movie, never pretending to be an intelligent one in the first place. Gets my two and a half stars.

Aawarapan - smooch + good songs + rest you read !!!

Awarapan is the story of man called Shivam (Emraan Hashmi) who searched for joy but found nothing but pain and loneliness. It is the journey of a godless heartbroken lover who in order to escape from the ghosts of his tragic past dedicates himself to serve his gangster boss Malik who runs a chain of hotels in Hong Kong.
Malik asks Shivam to do an unusual job for him. He asks him to keep an eye on his young mistress Reema while he is away on a brief business trip. Reema is a young Pakistani girl who is a victim of human trafficking. Malik had 'bought' her in the flesh market in Bangkok.
Shivam’s heart melts on seeing her innocence and vulnerability. The atheist turns into a believer, as he begins smiling and responding to life. Reema gives Shivam reason to believe that she likes him.
Director Mohit Suri continues to grow as a storyteller. Note the sequence when Shriya's father catches Shriya and Emraan red-handed and the confrontation that ensues, leaving Emraan's life devastated.
Pritam's musical score is refreshing. The tunes are fresh and so are the voices. Cinematography [Raaj Chakravarti] is good, although a few sequences could've been better lit in some scenes. The background score [Raju Singh] is excellent. Dialogues are a highpoint. The dialogue between Ashutosh Rana and Mrinalini, drawing parallels with a sick puppy, is superb.
Emraan delivers a magnificent performance. Ashutosh Rana is splendid. Shriya Saran has a small role, but she sparkles every time she appears on screen. Mrinalini is a talent to watch out for. She's outstanding! Purab Kohli is superb as the eccentric nephew of Ashutosh Rana. Ashish Vidyarthi is wasted. Salil Acharya is a welcome addition to the list of talented actors. Shaad [introduced in WOH LAMHE] is very good. Rehaan Khan [introduced in JAANA] is hardly there. Atul Parchure is nice.
On the whole, Awaarapan, a tale of a heartbroken bloke and his excessive love for a woman will fail to satisfy even the hardcore lovers of mushy

Apne - Deol Power :)

The Champ was a runaway hit when released in 1979. A love triangle between a father, his son and the woman who came between them, it was a super film brilliantly essayed by Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway and Rick Schroder. The flick had boxing as its backdrop. APNE, tries to go The Champ way, and succeeds in a way.
But here, the script revolves around a boxer father; how he was 'fixed' and banned from boxing and his desire to have his eldest son bring back the glory. Realizing that there is no future in boxing in India, Angad (Sunny Deol) the eldest son ventures into business. So it is left by divine intervention for the youngest son Karan (Bobby Deol) who has a useless left hand, and who is miraculously cured, to enter the ring and challenge the World heavy Weight Boxing champion, Luca Garcia (Jonnie Brown) and realize Baldev Choudhary's (Dhammendra) dream.
The film begins with a whimper, but somewhere along the way there is a loud bang, thanks to the superbly filmed boxing bouts. If at all there is anything that will work here, it's the scenes in the boxing ring. Also, the curiosity factor of seeing the Deols together on screen for the first time. The chemistry Dharmendra shares with his sons reflects easily on screen and the awe in which Sunny is of his father is there for all to see. Together they punch their way on screen to give the viewer some engrossing moments.
Shilpa Shetty as Sunny's wife has some substance in her role while Katrina Kaif walks in and out. Can't blame her, she has nothing to do and in one scene where they celebrate Karan's first win, she is nowhere in the frame!!!
Sunny still packs a punch and this definitely is a better performance than FOOL AND FINAL but the one to get my attention is Aryan Vaid in a cameo. As a boxer with high ambitions, the ruthlessness with which he dumps his coach Baldev, is enacted with intent.
TARA RA RUM PUM did well with car racing as its backdrop; APNE has a fairly decent chance. For Rocky Balboa fans, you will see glimpses of Sylvester Stallone as Sunny takes on Luca.

Aap Ka surrorrrrrrrrrr , Painful thriller for audience

Can Himesh Reshammiya act? What a silly question! As silly as asking, can Reshammiya sing? Of course he can't! Who said he was an actor in the first place? The role of Reshammiya has been written to accentuate his capped unsmiling visage. He gets on stage, bursts into many self-written songs where hordes of fans shriek, clap and cheer. They take to Reshammiya like fish to water.If you are Reshammiya you win the race even before the gun goes off.Guns do go off in this musical thriller where the music often provides the thrills while the suspense about a murdered girl's body in the rock star's purview leaves you as cold as the corpse that triggers off a chain of reactions ranging from weird to wired - depending on which side of the stage you're standing and peering from.To ensure a safe passage into celluloid stardom, Reshammiya has spared no pains. "Aap Kaa Surroor" has everything - from untried snow-capped locations to spotlight the capped cheerleaders auspicious journey into the sphere of stardom, to dozens of auto-rickshaws suddenly appearing to support Reshammiya's hefty hi jinks. To be fair, the songs and the stage performances do make your pulse pound and your feet feverishly wild. The "Mehbooba" track put there mainly to make Mallika Sherawat sizzle, gets slightly off-colour. It tries too hard to win over the audience and influence their judgement.But you really can't win over the audience with songs and stage performances. They see Reshammiya doing that anyway. What was required was a strong plotline to carry his acting aspirations into the sphere of the bearable, if not the believable.Vibha Singh's screenplay seems to have borrowed generously, if somewhat unnecessarily, from Jon Avnet's thriller "Red Corner" where Richard Gere played a foreigner in China who has to clear himself of murder charges with the help of a sexy lawyer.Mallika doubling up as a femme fatale and a lawyer provides all the unintentional laughter. It's hard to answer why Reshammiya decided to become an actor when he very obviously can't act? His leading lady Hansika Motwani can act. She does so in every moment, countering Reshammiya's deadpan expressions with an overdose of facial gymnastics, which qualify her as the new age all-purpose Barbie doll.Rock meets deadwood in this mixture of staged splendour and doctored misadventure. The locations are well exploited by Manoj Soni's camera. The frames avoid garish overstatement. But a quiet confidence is no substitute for genuine ability. Both Reshammiya and his director fail to generate a high level of curiosity in the screen adventures of the nasal drifter.Reshammiya, cancel the sequel.

Kaise Kahein - Romance vs Career, Who wins ????

Kaise Kahein is a modern-day love story that pits romance against career. The young today are very determined to concentrate on their careers and make their millions as soon as possible. Love may not be part of their immediate agenda but it doesn’t come with a warning either. What happens when love breaks into the lives of two career-centric people? Aditya is a young banker with a very bright future. At the age of 25, he’s earmarked as the one most likely to climb into the COO’s chair. He doesn’t have a personal life except his work, and he is happy about it. Till…Radhika comes into his life. She is a hardcore TV journalist and loves her work. She has left her native Mangalore and is dead certain that nothing, but nothing is going to keep her away from being the hottest young property in journalism. On the job 24/7, she conducts a sting operation during which she encounters Aditya….. They fall in love, deeply in love, but that love is negotiated around the demands of their work. Their careers remain the priority. Can careers survive love? Can love survive career demands? Love takes them into domains that they had not expected, calling on them to forgo their individual pride, ego and the demands of their careers. To keep the passion of their love alive, they are called upon to sacrifice something they had not budgeted for – their passion for their careers. After several false steps, Aditya and Radhika decide – rationally – to separate their personal lives from their workspace. But that is easier said than done when both are into careers that keep them on call at the oddest of hours. Love falters. Love can’t keep up with the erratic demands of their careers. Aditya can’t leave his burgeoning career opportunities when Radhika decides to take a much-awaited promotion that would take her to another city, away from Aditya, and away from love. It’s not easy going for either, but they give long distance relationship a try. But the separation is not just physical-or of distance. It’s a separation of minds, of different demands. Can Aditya and Radhika find in themselves again the same passion that brought them together the first time?

Marigold - Accompanied Salman in jodhpur

An American actress finds love and herself in this musical romantic comedy.
Marigold (Larter) is a self-absorbed, bitchy princess type with no layers whatsoever. She spends the first quarter of the film demonstrating her character flaw again and again.
She flies to India to appear in a low-budget flick, only to find the project has folded, she has no luggage and her taxi driver has stranded her in the back of beyond. Then, before you know it, this class-A cow has befriended a lovely Indian girl called Rani, who sees something in Marigold despite her prickly exterior, and gets her a job on another film shooting in the area.
Marigold falls for the choreographer, Prem (Khan) and they spend the rest of the movie (the one we’re watching and the one they’re making) living out every romantic comedy cliche. Prem teaches her to dance. They laze on a Goan beach by a campfire, surrounded by pretty lanterns and brightly coloured silks which just happened to be lying around. A boat trip here. The Taj Mahal there. And it’s all liberally sprinkled with Bollywood dance numbers which Larter bravely participates in, even though she’s a very average singer and dancer.
Director Willard Carroll clearly went to India on holiday, fell in love with the ‘culture’ (for culture, read picture postcard India) and wanted to make this rather obsequious love letter to the place that so inspired him.
He borrows heavily from the structure and style of Bollywood but effectively cherry-picks the bits he likes and ignores plot and characterisation. The arrival of Barry (Bohen), Marigold’s on/off boyfriend is painfully clunky; in all of India he just happens to come to the right region in order to find his stroppy girlfriend. In a later instance, he coincidentally ends up at the same hotel. What?
The whole point of Bollywood’s hyper-real romances is that you’re rooting for the love interests to get together at the end of the movie. When they do in Marigold (this isn’t a spoiler - there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better in a hundred Mills & Boon novels), it’s like someone letting the last bit of air out of a long-deflated balloon. It was already flaccid to begin with.
The dance numbers are spectacular but any fool knows you can make an audience feel good with a bit of Busby Berkley-style abundance. Lots of people together in colourful costumes, doing the same dance moves and looking like they’re enjoying themselves is always going to pick things up. But leave that to Bollywood.

Kaafila - Kaafi illa ......

The film deals with the topic of ‘illegal immigration’ that has rarely been delved into in bollywood. While the subject is interesting and new, the script and screenplay is below average and the execution too is unsatisfactory. The topic could have had more scope with a better script and execution. The screenplay has a few dramatic moments which are interesting but the rest of the film seems unable to maintain the viewers’ attention. The film also has the topic of ‘illegal immigration’ merged with the real life Malta Boat Tragedy which is also one of the main highlights of the film. But despite these unexplored topics, there are also too man clichéd sub-tracks like romance, song and dance etc which only serve to divert the viewers’ attention. The execution too lacks punch and zest and is also archaic at times. Performances too are not striking enough making the film below average.Kaafila belongs to the action film genre and the story and execution has been done by Ammtoje Mann. The film stars Sunny Deol, Sana Nawaz, Polina Stoynova, Sudesh Berry etc. The music has been composed by Sukhwinder Singh.Kaafila depicts the story of various individuals who believe that migrating to the UK will solve all the problems and hardships that they are facing where they currently live. They believe that even if they have to enter the country illegally, it holds a better promise for them. Many agents who make money from sending people abroad through illegal means also convince these people that they have a better future in the UK. These people come from different countries and want to get to the UK and the film depicts the various hardships they face in getting there. Sunny Deol plays a man who helps these travelers in their mission and is their saviour. The sub-tracks include romance some high handed drama and loads of action.Kaafila’s concept of tackling ‘illegal immigration’ is relatively fresh for bollywood, but the script, screenplay and execution is what takes the film downward. The events, the drama, the emotion etc are tackled in a very archaic manner. The film is filled with stale clichés and the director is unable to portray the concept of ‘illegal immigration’ efficiently to viewers. The travels of the people too seem endless when they land up at one place after the other except their final destination. The song and dance used in the film does not fit in well with the film and its concept. Ammtoje Mann’s direction seems amateurish and the script too seems burdened with sub-tracks giving the main track minimal exposure.Kaafila is too long in terms of length and the pace too is slow and winding at times. The film should have been better edited and the pace should have been enhanced. The Malta Boat tragedy which is based on a real life incident is depicted fairly but the buildup of the event could have been better. The romantic track only serves as a distraction and does not enhance the film. The music of the film is forgettable, the cinematography was good as one got to see several beautiful locales of Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India etc. The action does not make a mark as it does not have anything novel. Dialogues too are archaic at times.Performances are over the top at times. Sunny Deol plays the action hero who tries to save the travelers from the cruelties at different places. He has portrayed such a role several times in the past and hence it does not have anything unusual. At times he goes over the top with the action bit. Pakistani actress Sana was fare in her performance and actress Polina barely makes a mark. The rest of the characters often appear loud and over the top in their performances. Kaafila tries to tackle and deliver a social message that it is perhaps better to live in one’s own country than to opt for illegal migration to another country. Unfortunately the social message takes a backseat in the film and the film moves towards other sub-tracks. The script of the film seems unconvincing and the execution is unsatisfactory. Kaafila does not manage to deliver its social message nor is it able to engross the audiences. A below average effort.

Cash - Cashless at Boxoffice

After a lousy Dus that managed to make money at the box ofice comes Anubhav Sinha’s second action packed thriller Cash. So how does Anubhav Sinha manage to do with his second action venture? Is this movie worth a watch or is it one of those high on style and low on story movie? Read on to know…..
Cash Movie Story
I wonder why Bollywood is so attracted to robbery of diamonds. If you have to rob something, then it’s got to be diamonds. I wonder why? The story of Cash involves around a diamond heist. Ajay Devgan, Riteish Deshmukh, Zayed Khan have been given a task of robbing a rare diamond by Suneil Shetty and Dia mirza. Shamita Shetty is a police officer who is in love with Ajay Devgan. So the movie revolves around how the trio of robbers manage to rob the diamonds and their escape from the police.
Cash : Movie Review
Anubhav Sinha has looked in to every minute detail of Cash as far as the cinematography, the action scenes and the style is concerned. But guess he has forgotten to add the most important ingredients to his masala recipe : Screenplay, Editing and Story are bad to say the least.
The production values of Cash are A class. The action director, Anthony Stone, has done a good job. The scene where Ajay fights off the guys who eve-tease Shamita, the boat chase of Zayed and the car chasing scenes are totally top notch and manage to thrill you. The animation scenes are also visually brilliant but look out of place in the movie. Nonetheless a innovative concept. The background score of Cash by Vishal Shekhar is great and has your adrenaline rushing.

But where Cash totally messes it up is in the story telling department. The way Anubhav Sinha starts off the film with Zayed narrating a story to Ayesha Takia aboard a plane looks totally stupid and sterile. Anubhav’s way of telling the story is totally convoluted and confusing. He goes slow when there is no need to and he paces up when he actually needs to explain the details of the plot. The screen play is real shoddy. Is there a superlative to worst, then that describes the editing of Cash. Barring the title track which is an intro to the film, the rest of the songs though get your foot tapping, looked forced in into the film’s plot and just add into the reels of the film. Anubhav should have explained his story better instead of giiving valuable screen time to the songs.
On the acting front, Ajay Devgan and Riteish manage to give an average performance. Ajay does manage to get you laughing when you were just about to to fall into sleep. The actor who plays the role of a cruise manager also provides some comedy into the film with a good performance. Suneil Shetty and Zayed Khan look to be competiting for the Worst Actor Award. Esha Deol, Dia Mirza and Shamita Shetty are just glam dolls and that’s best for them and the audience too. And yes Ayesha Takia manages to make a fool of herself in a special appearance.
So overall Cash falls like many of the Bollywood film’s of today is high on style but low on story. And that’s a big turn off. When you have the money and you waste it just because of the minimal effort you took on execution of the story and screenplay. Then that offence is unpardonable. I hope Cash becomes a big flop at the box office. So that film makers realise that they cann’t fool the audience into watching a film just by luring them with high style and providing no story.

Naqaab - Sensible thriller from action directors again !!!!

The thriller masters are back. And like every other time, apart from the usual gloss and glamour, it’s their trump card that gives them an edge – the script.
Karan Khanna is a multi-million dollar business tycoon who falls in love with a middle-class beautiful damsel, Spohie.
Everything is going great for them. They have money, class, status, social respect and of course love. What else can someone ask for?
Complications probably!
Aah… Sophie coincidently bumps into Vicky, an aspiring actor. The coincidences become quite common. So common that it brings them close.
Spohie, who is to get married to Karan within a few days, finds herself getting drifted towards Vicky. And every time she tries to pull herself away, she ends up getting closer.
Sounds much like those usual Bollywood love-triangles, right? Wrong.
Wait till you’re pushed into the roller-coaster for a twisting ride.
Far from the usual mushy movies, Naqaab keeps you on the edge your seat, atleast for the first half.
Post-interval, the script loses its punch… to an extent. Although when the climax unfolds, you get the ‘I couldn’t have guessed that’ feeling, there are times when you feel like saying ‘naah’!
The editing is quite crisp and the two-hour long film makes no space for unwanted episodes.
The background score is good, the songs go very well with the mood of the film and don’t seem forced into at any point.
Performance wise it is Akshaye who deserves a pat. Like any other time, he gets into the skin of the character and whether it’s his dialogue delivery tactics or his expressions, he doesn’t miss the point at any time.
Urvashi makes a strong presence. The debutant delivers with the right taste and looks stunning most of the time.
Bobby Deol is just about okay. Maybe his character was not too strong or maybe Bobby could not add the spice to it. Towards the climax, however, he manages to find his space.
Overall, Naqaab is a good joyride. It might not have the chilling bites of the usual Abbas-Mustan masala, but nonetheless, the directors deserve full marks for a riveting script.
Watch it to breakfree from the usual Bollywood tale and relish the “real” movie!!!!

Gandhi My Father - Akshaye's Reincarnation as an actor !!!

Gandhi My Father is a story that was waiting to be told. We all know about Mahatma Gandhi and his greatness. But only a few know of the troubled relationship he shared with his eldest son Harilal.
Mind it, the movie doesn’t show Gandhi in negative light. It just shows how a son – an ordinary man with his own desires and weaknesses – is crushed under the weight of the high principles of his father. It shows how Harilal’s failures and weaknesses stood in sharp contrast to the high ideals and victories of his father. It shows how Harilal carried the tag of Gandhi like a curse around his neck.
Director Feroz Abbas Khan handles the subject with sensitivity and understanding. He draws parallel life sketches of Mahatma Gandhi and Harilal from Rajkot in Gujarat to Phoenix Settlement in South Africa.
The movie begins in 1948 with an ill and infirm man – unkempt, disheveled and dressed in ragged clothes – being brought to Bombay Hospital on a stretcher in an unconscious state. The dying man is none other than Harilal Gandhi.
The movie goes back into flashback to 1905. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Darshan Jariwala ), along with his wife Kasturba (Shefali Shah), runs a printing press in his settlement in South Africa. His grown-up son Harilal ( Akshaye Khanna ) marries Gulab ( Bhumika Chawla ) in Rajkot. Glimpses of strain between the father and the son are apparent from the first as Harilal informs his father, rather than ask his permission, about the marriage.
Soon, Harilal and Gulab join Gandhi in South Africa. Supporting the movement begun by his father, Harilal goes to jail a couple of times. His dream is to be a barrister like his father. But Gandhi doesn’t favour Harilal and rather sends someone else for study in England. Little things like these begin taking root in Harilal’s mind. He wishes to break away from his idealistic father and start a life of his own.
Harilal goes back to India. But he meets failure in whatever endeavor he undertakes. He fails in his studies and he fails in business. He incurs debts. He embezzles money at his workplace and is fired from his job. Soon he takes to drinking.
Tired of constant harassing by debtors and her husband’s ways, Gulab leaves Harilal and takes her children along with her. Not much later, she dies.
A lonely Harilal gives in to the life of a derelict. He is disowned by his father. He converts to Islam, reconverts to Hinduism, turns into an alcoholic, a tramp, and finally dies the death of a beggar.
Feroz Abbas Khan retains an element of poignancy and subtle irony in the way he tells the story. On the one hand, we see Gandhi rising from an activist in South Africa to become the father of nation in India. On the other hand, we see Harilal’s failures and his fall from grace. This contrast particularly stands out because F A Khan delineates the life sketches of Gandhi and Harilal parallel to each other.
At the core, F.A. Khan remains an actor’s director (probably by the virtue of his theatre background). ‘Gandhi My Father’ rests on terrific performances by its starcast, particularly Akshaye Khanna, Darshan Jariwala and Shefali Shah.
It would be a shame and injustice if Akshaye doesn’t win an award for his performance in the film. The actor sinks his teeth deep into his character. In the initial parts he brings innocence and rawness into Harilal. But slowly this innocence develops into open rebellion against his father.
Darshan Jariwala is superb in his role as Mahatma Gandhi. There is a lingering smile on his face and in his eyes throughout the film.
Shefali Shah also delivers a powerful performance as Kasturba Gandhi. Bhumika Chawla is convincing in playing her part.
Meticulous attention has been paid to recreating the India of early 20th century. The costumes, the props, the old trains, vintage cars, old buildings – all of them authentically recreate the ambience of the times the story is set in. Hats off to producer Anil Kapoor for taking on such a logistical challenge.
The movie has no songs but two bhajans that play in the background. The cinematography by David Macdonald is of international standards.
All said, ‘Gandhi My Father’ is a hard-hitting film that tells a sad and tragic story. Seekers of feelgood entertainment won’t find anything eminently enjoyable in the film. But the film, albeit, is a piece of quality cinema.

Partner - A come back for Govinda

Some do's and don'ts you need to follow while watching PARTNER… Lock your brains in the almirah, before you head for the nearby movieplex to catch this zany entertainer. Don't look for logic. Don't ask questions. Don't raise eyebrows. . Don't argue with what the master chef David Dhawan serves on your plate. . Do carry some earplugs/earwax if you're allergic to noise. The cineplex will reverberate with high decibels of laughter, which could tax your ear-drums if you're overtly sensitive. . Welcome to PARTNER, David Dhawan's new comic caper. It's stylish, it's crazier, it's a bigger entertainer than David's last two laughathons, MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA. Making people laugh is an art and David has mastered this art over the years. Like wine, he has only matured with time. Let's come straight to the point. PARTNER is for those seeking non-stop entertainment. It's targeted at those who swear by masala films. Those who want to get transported to a world of make-believe in those 2 hours. It's definitely not for those who actually know what to expect, but pretend to rubbish escapist cinema. Also, it's not for certain critics [looking for art cinema in a masala entertainer] whose star ratings are a much bigger joke than the one David Dhawan pulls off with élan. The film works, and works big time. In a nutshell, if you're into escapist cinema, if you're looking for laughter unlimited, if you're curious to watch the bonding between Govinda and Salman Khan, if you're a big fan of David Dhawan movies, if you believe in shelling out Rs. 150 for a ticket and expecting entertainment worth Rs. 200, PARTNER is just for you! Prem [Salman Khan] is a 'date doctor' who, for a fee, has helped hundreds of men woo the women of their dreams. In his childhood, he understood a woman's likes and dislikes in food, clothes or men. His aim is to help those men who like or love women, not to take them to bed. The ultimate professional bachelor, Prem discovers that his tried and tested tricks are no match for Naina [Lara Dutta], the one woman he truly loves, who works for a newspaper as a journalist. He comes across Bhaskar [Govinda], who is in love with Priya [Katrina Kaif], the rich and famous daughter of a tycoon [Dilip Tahil]. Prem helps Govinda find his lady love and eventually also finds a soulmate in Naina. Inspired by director Andy Tennant's likable Hollywood hit HITCH [2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film. It's glossy, has some stunning visuals, boasts of very catchy and hummable music and of course, hardly has any tense moment in those 16 reels. What works is the casting of the two characters, who're as dissimilar as chalk and cheese. Although the romantic portions have the right chemistry between Salman and Lara and Govinda and Katrina, the USP is undoubtedly the terrific bonding between Salman and Govinda, whose on-screen escapades take the film to dizzier heights. Besides, the witty one-liners [Sanjay Chhel] are another ace that has the viewer in splits. The dialogues are truly funny and actually accentuate the impact of every sequence. Any 'hitch'es? Yes, there's one! The track that leads to the misunderstandings in the climax looks unwarranted. Writer sahib [screenplay: Yunus Sajawal, David Dhawan], this track [Rajat Bedi, Aarti Chhabria] compels you to break into a yawn. Also, it adds to the length of the enterprise. But the subsequent portion [Govinda's honeymoon travails] is rip-roaringly funny. David Dhawan gets it right yet again. He's on familiar ground and like a seasoned cricketer knows the game inside out. He hits a boundary yet again. Sanjay Chhel's dialogues are superb. Sajid-Wajid make a terrific comeback, with every song having the stamp of a chartbuster embossed on it. Even their picturizations [choreography: Bosco-Caesar] are excellent. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is first-rate. The film bears an opulent look all through. Costumes of Salman and Govinda [Alvira Khan Agnihotri] are stylish. The question is, who steals the show? Actually both! Salman performs like never before. Sure, he looks dapper [one compliment he's heard umpteen times], but he packs in a solid punch whenever he's on screen. His fans will only multiply with this film. Govinda sets the screen blazing with an incredible performance. Although the actor has featured in a few films after a hiatus [BHAGAM BHAG, SALAAM-E-ISHQ], PARTNER is his comeback film. He has the viewer eating out of his hands actually. Those who felt that he's a spent force will have to eat back their words. Lara Dutta looks gorgeous and pairs off very well with Salman. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous and pitches in a natural performance. Rajpal Yadav is really funny. Puneet Issar is alright. Dilip Tahil is okay. Suresh Menon is excellent. Child artiste Ali Haji is wonderful. His confidence level is astonishing! On the whole, PARTNER is a winner all the way. This one's a laugh-riot that will have the viewers laughing in the aisles and its distributors, laughing all the way to the bank. A sure-shot 'Hit'.