Category: Bollywood Page 2 of 4

Why I Hated BodyGuard…

  • Bollywood is trying to make a RajniKant out of Salman Khan – so not happening!
  • I get the need for mindless movies – I’m not against them but this was beyond mindless – it was mind numbing
  • The movie tests your tolerance to irritating elements
  1. Salman has the name “ Lovely Singh”
  2. His irritating mobile tone  –  first 6 seconds of this song that play every 10 minutes in the movie
  3. Himesh Reshammiya then screams his lungs out to make a whole song out of that ringtone
  4. There is a character called Tsunami – don’t ask me why!
  • The title track is going to be the next DhinkaChinka – I just know it!
  • Why do all the action scenes have to be in super-slow motion? Also why are they accompanied with Salman’s supposedly funny histrionics?
  • What’s with his weird dance steps and constipated smiles?
  • How come Kareena’s best friend has no home of her own to live in? Is she her bodyguard too ?
  • Salman guards Kareena 24 hours – how can he not recognize her voice on the phone?
  • Of all he movie plots to copy, you copy the Kuch Kuch Hota Hain – “Write your kid letters about dad’s love story and fetch a new wife and mom” –plot?
  • Nowhere close to its namesake in Hollywood , atleast should’ve copied  the plot – would have been more bearable.
  • But the top 3 reasons ( in no order of preference) why I hated BodyGuard even more were:
  1. I let my friends talk me into watching a Salman Khan movie at the same time India was playing her T20 Vs Eng.
  2. I missed Rahane’s awesome debutDravid’s 3 sixers off consecutive balls.
  3. I came home to see the last over in which Eng hit the winning runs
    I can’t recollect the last Salman movie I saw in the theatre – BodyGuard reminded me why I haven’t watched one in a long time!

Till Death Do Us Apart

Susanna Anna-Marie Jones takes this part in her wedding wows very seriously. Divorce is not an option – murder is. Vishal Bharadwaj takes us on a giant wheel ride – every time you go up you are excited but as you start to come down there is no novelty left in the ride and the cycle repeats endlessly.

The protagonist has a code written in her brain –

loop(until movie ends)

{ marry sociopath;

bear torture;

gather loyal servants;

plot revenge;

murder }

With every husband that steps into Susanna’s life – you expect a twist in the tale, a mystery, an unexpected turn – but nothing happens. By the 3rd marriage, you are wondering how further nasty will the remaining 4 have to be to get her to murder them. It so happens that the nastiness reduces and you almost get the feeling that she is marrying cause she is enjoying murdering.

When I had first heard about Saat Khoon Maaf – I felt it would defy the traditional Bollywood mould. Plus it was based on a Ruskin Bond’s “Short Story” and was being adapted into a movie by Vishal Bharadwaj. It had the perfect ingredients and yet when the final dish was served – nor was it as delicious as you expected it and neither could you figure out what was missing in it.

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge Vishal Bharadwaj fan and am of the opinion that to love his movies you have to be a on different level. As much as I liked watching Maqbool and Omkara, it was Kaminey that truly made me revere him as an outstanding film-maker. So my expectations for Saat Khoon Maaf were very high and rose even further after watching the trailer and the Darling song.

The day we went for the movie my friend gave me a horrible review and so I reset my expectation level. Thank god I did, else I would not have seen any positives in the movie.

So before I head out to list my disappointment a few positives –

Vivaan Shah – clearly lacks in the looks department but makes up with his fine narrative skills and acting ( that is hereditary). He has the meatiest role after Priyanka in the movie and does complete justice to it. Like Pratiek, I don’t see him doing conventional Bollywood movies – these two have stepped in to tread on the path of their illustrious parents and the mere thought of it is exciting.

Even though Darling is a copy of a Russian Folk song – it is still a terrific song and Usha Utthup and Rekha Bharadwaj bring it alive with their voices.

The Russian guy puts in a decent performance and pretty good Hindi diction

The pleasant presence of Konkana Sen Sharma ( Ok I’m terribly biased towards this lady)brings some relief in an otherwise boring movie.

Now for the disappointments

VB gets obsessive about keeping his movies dark and having weird characters – the dwarf jockey, the poet pervert, the obsessive major, the dark cinematography, the snakes as pets. It is a bit odd for a normal person leading a normal life to digest so many oddities at once on screen. VB known for keeping it real, goes overboard and makes everything look so unnatural. He manages the exact opposite of Kaminey in Saat Khoon Maaf.

We are supposed to learn from our mistakes but Susanna refuses to. After 3 horrible experiences she still decides to take the plunge another 3 times. Not a single story develops – the characters are half-cooked and reasons for Susanna marrying them not convincing enough. VB decided it was going to be a 150 minute movie and every guy needed his 20 minute time.

Of the husbands, Naseeruddin Shah has no role, Anu Kapoor is tolerable, Irfan is wasted, John Abraham cannot act and worse cannot even pull of a rocker act, Neil Nitin Mukesh tries too hard and so the only guy you can tolerate is that Russian fellow whose name I cannot recollect.

I thought Priyanka had reformed after Kaminey and here was her chance to get into the hall-of-fame, and be known as one of India’s finest actress. I kept feeling Kaminey was a fluke and she proved me right. Any other actress in her place, Konkana, Rani, Vidya even Kajol would’ve grabbed the opportunity and turned it into gold – Priyanka manages to hit an all time low – in her expressions, in her dialogue delivery, in her looks and messes it up;  what could’ve been a good movie becomes a tolerable watch.

My final verdict – if you are a Vishal Bhardwaj fan go watch but with zero expectations. I enjoyed it in parts especially where Vivaan was around. If you ask me if I understood the final confession of seven sins – forgive my poor intellect but I did not – if anyone else understood the meaning please do let me know:-)

At the end of it all, my mind must be beginning to hate me  – It was thoroughly confused after watching Dhobi Ghat; while it was on its road to recovery I halted the process by watching Saat Khoon Maaf. I can almost hear it say to me – “Thank your stars the mind does not take wedding wows – else death do us apart would definitely apply”

You know you can be lucky but….

I’m one of those people who falls in the “never will win any freebies ever” category. When FM first hit Mumbai and held contests to meet Bollywood stars or cricketing sportstars or any damn freebie – I never won! I knew the answers but my sms never won me anything ever! Hell I never even got through the phone line to dedicate a number!

So when you know you have such an awesome record, you still decide to try but without any expectations and Viola! You are on air! Not only do you win tickets to a movie but also get an added bonus to meet the leading actors of the movie.

There is a slight problem though– you are not a huge fan of either , in fact you can’t stand one of them! But not everyone gets the opportunity to meet the biggest stars in Bollywood, so you decide to go and check out what the big deal is all about. You take time off work and your boss is kind enough to let you go for 3 hours and you head to the hotel to meet the biggest stars of Bollywood.

You have a blast with the RJs from the radio station and realise an endless wait is in the offing. Your husband who has a great experience with stars and events tells you that the wait is inevitable. After a group snap with the RJs you head quietly to your seat while the rest of the winners are busy getting photographed with all the RJs. One of the winners wonders what is wrong with you cause you don’t seem to want any snaps! You wonder if there is something wrong with you since you don’t seem to be in awe of the entire drama going around you.

After an hour you are taken upstairs to the lounge and are told that the stars will be late as the flight got delayed. In the next hour you realise that you are sitting among celebrities themselves – a woman who has met every star in Bollywood making you wonder why is she not a celebrity herself, a bloke who enters radio contests only if they excite him and when he enters he always wins, another woman who can’t seem to get over the leading lady and is shocked that you seem to hate her,another one who supposedly is not in awe of the stars but has yet got her 3 year old with her to meet them, and most are decked up to the extent that they might just outdo the stars! You by the way have landed there alone while the rest of the winners have atleast 3 people for company!

Sigh! Who needs celebrities when you have such these people around – it makes you realise you have such a dull, boring life – and after meeting them you are pretty much thankful for it!

Another hour passes by and the hosts are kind enough to offer you coffee and drinks. The radio channel people begin to get a bit embarrassed with the wait but they still keep you entertained. What a fun bunch of people from City101.6 FM here in Dubai.

Well 3 hours pass by and still no signs of the stars. Apparently the lady wanted to get ready for the entire day and was having a bath (For 2 hours we heard the same excuse, who takes 2 hours for a bath, or atleast give a better excuse!) and the gentleman preferred to come with her!

So you decide that you’ve been stupid to waste 3 hours, and that work, Diwali & Premiere are your priority later in the day and head off. It’s amazing how sweet the radio channel folks are to you– apologising profusely for the missed opportunity, and wondering if you can get back in couple of hours when the stars will actually come down. You turn down politely and before leaving, end up having a blast with all RJs , and getting a snap clicked with the cutest guy among the bunch.

As you are heading off – the head of the channel tells you that you resemble Mandira Bedi. You let out a shriek expressing your resentment and explain reasons for your hatred – a woman who knows zilch about cricket doing cricket shows! But the head says she is so hot and then you realise you should’ve just shut your trap and accepted the compliment;-)

You head off to work not seeming to miss anything, leaving the other winners shocked that you did not wait to meet Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar who were here in Dubai for the Action Replayy Premiere Show.

You knew the wait wasn’t worth it and it would be more fun catching the movie later in the evening! You also realize that this is as far as luck can go with you.

Well thank god atleast the premiere took place and you actually got to utilise  50% of the first freebie you won!

P.S: The stars arrived 5 and 1/2 hrs late and yes apart from 3 of us the rest 12 did wait and meet them! Sigh – people have all the time and patience in the world and I cannot understand why we treat the Bollywood stars as some celestial beings!

Where did the choreographer disappear?

You hear a song on the radio before the video release and form a picture in your mind. A sequence of steps, the aerial lifts, the attitude and the surroundings where the song takes place. It keeps playing in your head for plenty reasons – the melody, the novelty, catchy beats, funky mood, hip style! And so you head to the theatre or await the video on television, but when you see the song you feel let down. Has this happened to you? Does it get you wondering where did the choreographer disappear for this one?

Here are a few songs I love and play often on my iPod but I hate to see their videos – I’d rather see the picturization in my mind.

1. Delhi-6 : Title Track

A. R Rahman can give all the hip-hop artists a run for their money. It’s a fantastic number sung very well by Benny Dayal, Blaze, Vivinenne Pocha, Claire and Tanvi Shah. There is so much one could do and convert it into a funky dance number; yet what does Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra give us? Abhishek Bachchan jogging around the streets of Delhi with his Motorola!

2. Rang De Basanti – Title Track

I haven’t heard another Bhangra number that can match this one – in terms of vocals (Daler Mehndi is mind-blowing) in terms of beats, in terms of the tune and the pace. The right mix to deal out one of the hardest and easily the most loved dances in India. But again  Mr. Mehra ruins it – presents the song half as always and shows Aamir being tossed around by wrestlers!

3. Jab Se Tere Naina – Sawariyan

Such a soulful number and Shaan’s dreamy voice. Sanjay Leela Bhansali as the director and you imagine a magnum opus – million dancers and a shy Ranbir admiring the pretty Sonam decked up from top to bottom in the traditional finery. But what you get is a semi-naked thin Ranbir prancing around in a towel in his apartment making monkey faces!

4. Ae Paapi – Kismet Konnection

The song is perfect – Neeraj Shridhar lends  the vocals for a hip-hop number and Shahid just sails through the song until danger hits in the form of Vidya Balan dressed in Red. Those couple of seconds just ruin what would’ve been among the top Shahid dance numbers.

5. Dil Kya Kare – Saalam – e – Ishq

This is one of my favourite romantic numbers. The right mix of pace, the soft latin beats, the melody and the voice of Adnan Sami – that makes you go hmmmm and drool! So you imagine that the lead romantic pair might get together for a salsa together and what we get is John and Vidya ( again!!!) travelling in a bus, at coffee shops, in office and at home while introducing the rest of the star cast. This is the most delightful numbers in the entire soundtrack and Nitin Advani wastes it on introducing the cast of  the movie!

6.Uff Teri Ada – Karthik Calling Karthik

Yeah so the movie was a disaster. Deepika is a bad actress was proven again but I loved the soundtrack. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy rarely disappoint and Loy Mendosa’s daughter Alyssa did a swell job with the vocals on this one. On the lines of their previous numbers “Where’s the party tonight” and “It’s the time to disco”; one expects the choreography to get somewhere close but all we get after a hopeful start in the pub is Deepika and Farhan staring at each other’s faces! Talk about ruining a good beginning!

These just came to mind as I was listening to the playlist on my iPod – you got any more to add?

The Best of the Decade – Bollywood Movies

Picking just 10 movies is a god-damn tough task, especially in a decade where we saw the directors mature, the story-writers blossom and some ingenuity flow in.

I’m therefore going to try and walk on water by restricting my choice to only 10 best of the decade – my favourites in no specific order of preference. Not the best hits, not the top grossing ones, but movies I can watch a million times again and again on my DVD player without getting bored. So here goes my list.

1. Lagaan (2001)

If you follow this blog or know me in the offline world – this is no surprise right? A movie on cricket with Aamir in it, has to be in the list. Well yeah and much more than that – it depicted India in its raw sense, it depicted hope and struggle, it depicted life! Tell me it is inspired and tell me it is copied – makes no difference to me. I’ve watched it a million times, and every time I shout with the same excitement while cheering Bhuvan’s team. If a movie is able to entertain the viewer on repeated viewing – the movie is a class act – no documentary or statistical evidence required. It made it to the top 5 at the Oscars – what more would you ask? A.R.Rahman wove another brilliant score and Lagaan remains our crowning glory.

2. Dil Chahta Hai(2001)

If you have been 3 friends growing up together – you’d love this movie. Farhan Akhtar redefined what a Bollywood film is all about. Quick wit, sarcasm, emotion and a little drama. Fantastic script – well nothing extraordinary actually – just about friends. The real thing, the wise-cracks, the digs we would take at our own friends. My school gang watched this movie on first day together – I cannot forget the blast we had and the way the theatre rocked to the tunes of Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe and Woh Ladki Hain Kahan. Sámeer charmed his way into our hearts(Result – Saif was an instant heartthrob) while we tried hard to get over Siddharth’s (Akshay Khanna) innocent smile and Aamir’s mischievous Akash.

3. Chak De India(2007)

This is my anti depressant. Yeah I watch the movie every time I’m down in the dumps; it cheers me up every single time – the record is still unbroken. Lifted from Miracle verbatim I’m told. And again who cares? I fell in love with Shahrukh’s Kabir Khan decades after falling in love with his Abhimanyu Rai in Fauji and Raj Malhotra of DDLJ.

It’s a movie about girl power damn it – how can you not love it, even if it is copied. The characters immortal – Balbir Kaur, Bindia Naik, Komal Chautala,Preeti Sabarwal , Vidya Sharma stole our hearts!

You cheer them up every time they take the field, you swell with pride when the come close to beating the men’s team, you love them when they bash up the goons at McDonald’s and you drown in tears when they finally win the cup!

Salim-Suleiman gave a priceless gem – Maula Mere Le Le Meri Jaan- I get goose-bumps every time I listen to it.

4. Taare Zameen Par(2007)

What a lovely movie on kids. Could not get better – my eyes well up every time I see Maya flip through Ishaan’s drawing book. Aamir handled the sensitivities brilliantly without getting melodramatic. Darsheel Safary’s Ishaan touched your heart! ‘Maa’ makes me cry every single time I listen to it and Raman rendering ‘Kholo Kholo’ livens up your spirits! Shankar Ehsaan Loy are simply Brilliant.

5. Jab We Met (2006)

I never caught this movie at the theatre and please don’t be surprised that a Kareena Kapoor movie made it to my all-time favourite list. I cannot imagine any other actress portraying Geet. Kareena (though I detest her)was brilliant in this movie and Shahid super cute. I drool like a 14 year old teenager when I watch his Aditya.

There is a line in the movie when Aditya tells Geet “Tum ek unique piece ho, tum khud se bahut pyaar karti hon na?”; to which Geet replies,“Haan mein apni sabse badi favourite hoon!” Without losing a second, MDH turned immediately and looked at me, and said – Yeah that’s you talking!

For this reaction of MDH, that too off a Kareena film and her dialogue; Jab We met makes it to my all-time favourite list of this decade!

6. Jodhaa Akbar(2008)

Forget the lavish sets, forget the exquisite jewellery and clothes, forget the beautiful Jodhaa (You noticed Aishwarya?), forget the story-telling, forget that it is a Ashutosh Govarikar production and one of the finest period movies in Hindi Cinema – just forget all that.

Just think of Hrithik Roshan – just think of him dancing to the Sufi Khwaja Mere Khwaja, think of his controlled mature acting, think of him wooing Jodhaa and then finally think of the bare-chested Hrithik practicing his sword skills. OMG – just for Hrithik Roshan alone I can watch this movie a million times! He is the equivalent of a Greek God!

7. Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na(2008)

It’s a story about us – you and me. It reminded me so much of my college days. Jai and Aditi were absolute delights – the songs even more; and when was the last time you saw a movie with such perfect casting right down to the smallest role, even when it meant acting in a 3X4” frame.

8. A Wednesday(2008)

How many Hindi movies can you recollect, that do not extend beyond 90 minutes, hold your interest till the last minute and have twists and turns that you cannot imagine? A Wednesday is one of the most fast-paced thrillers I’ve seen in recent times with some superb acting from Naseer, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir. The movie is to be seen, not to be heard or read about in a review. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have lived and watched Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah – brilliant actors both of them!

9. Lage Raho Munnabhai(2006)

The Munnabhai series brings a smile on my face. Arshad Warsi simply rocks the screen as Circuit. Sanjay Dutt is likeable – Raju Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s success lies in the fact that these two characters have achieved cult status.

The script does not seem lifted from anywhere and Abbas Tyrewalla’s dialogues set the house on fire. When was the last time you laughed so heard that you cried? Munnabhai achieves that – more so in the sequel. How many times have we seen a sequel become a bigger hit than the first movie?

The concept of Gandhigiri did not remain restricted to the film and there was nothing wrong in simplifying Gandhism to the masses in this manner. The message reached to a wider audience and therein lay the film’s success.

10. Iqbal(2005)

If someone told you to never give up on hope and you don’t seem to buy the argument, go watch this movie; you’ll walk out of the cinema house convinced 200%. Iqbal is about dreams and making them a reality. It is really as simple as that. Shreyas Talpade’s Iqbal is loveable and Kukunoor manages to build a strong character wherein despite his handicap you never ever pity him. The handicap is merely incidental to the film and no where does Kukoonoor overplay it like Sanjay Bhansali did in Black.

Iqbal to me was a movie about hope & self- belief; the days I seem to lose it – I regain it back by watching this one on my DVD player.

They didn’t make it to my list but still remain absolute favourites (reasons in brackets):

3 Idiots (An engineer’s story – gosh the movie picked pieces of my life and put it up – yeah like Chetan Bhagat did in 5 point someone;-)

Kaminey (3 reasons – Vishal Bharadwaj, Shahid and Dhan Tan Taana)

Monsoon Wedding (Naseeruddin, Shefali Chhayya and a brilliant story told under 2 hours)

Luck by Chance (For the immensely talented Konkana Sen Sharma, oh do I hear someone telling me it’s a Farhan Akhtar movie – sorry the lady stole the show all the way!)

Paa (Vidya Balan, Arundhati Nag, Vishnu and the little Auro)

Rock On!! (Farhan Akhtar and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy!)

Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (Hrithik Roshan and Ek Pal Ka Jeena – reasons enough right?)

Cheeni Kum (Tabu-Amitabh’s banter and the little Sweety)

Chandni Bar (It’s such a hard-hitting movie – left me depressed for weeks. Honestly can’t watch it again, contradicts my introductory paragraph doesn’t it? But I can’t deny the fact that it is one of the best to have come out!)

Bend It Like Beckham (Funny, football and girl power again – oh come on this one is quite enjoyable!)

Mr and Mrs Iyer (Rahul Bose and was it Kokana’s first movie? Hell see it and you will find that hard to believe)

Pinjar ( Urmila Matondakar was superb in this movie, only one probably, where she did not shed her clothes and came out a winner in an unglamorous avatar)

Khakee (I really liked the story and the twists in it – all the actors except Aishwarya were good in their parts)

Page 3 ( Another Konkana classic – Madhur Bhandarkar did a good job- did not get it much right after this one did he?)

Omkara (Othello’s Desi adaptation to perfection – Saif’s Langda Tyagi is Brilliant – Vishal Baradwaj is a genius!)

The Namesake (Tabu alone is enough – rest of the cast is incidental!)

Munnabhai MBBS ( Do I need to repeat point 10 again?)

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (Ranbir Kapoor is the one I place my bets on, for the future – he is sincere and endearing!)

The 3 Idiots in Us…

The first question arising in the minds of all those readers of ‘5 point Someone’ is how “inspired” is the movie from this book. Rajkumar Hirani, prior to release of the movie, kept saying that it is only inspired from the book and is not an adaptation of the book itself. Just like Slumdog Millionaire was ‘based’ on Vikas Swarup’s ‘Q & A’, 3 Idiots is also based on Chetan Bhagat’s ‘5 Point Someone’. The basic plot of 3 students entering IIT ( here renames to ICE) remains the same. The movie and the book’s story differs. A few chapters from the book are entwined to form a different story. Let’s give credit to both – Chetan Bhagat and Rajkumar Hirani.

Chetan Bhagat penned a marvellous piece – a piece all we engineering grads(even though we did not make it to IIT but made to the states’ best colleges) identify with. Rajkumar Hirani identifies the hidden message of “the education system gone wrong and people stuck in the indefinite rat race” and combines the two. Not his brilliant best but a great effort nevertheless.

Rancho, Raju and Farhan are not Alok, Hari and Ryan. Raju is the character closest to Alok. Rancho seems more based on Ryan but has a dark secret like Hari. Some events from the book are lifted such as Hari-Neha’s romance, Alok’s suicide attempt, the final climax of theft. But Hirani adds his own twist even to the sub-plots. It’s a story re-told, in a manner how he would’ve written the book.

Through his previous two films, Hirani with minimal melodrama and the usual Bollywood gibberish, kept his viewer tied to the film at every moment. I’m not sure I can say the same about 3 Idiots. The overall package is delightful but some scenes could have been avoided and the movie definitely needs some editing.

That whole scene about the baby delivery on a ping-pong table via a webcam and the kid kicking at All Izz Well could’ve really have been done away with. Pia’s wedding melodrama – the typical bollywood style could also have been avoided! A trifle hard to believe that she waited 10 years to finally cave in to marriage to the same Price Tag Character. And even more surprising is that Price Tag waited 10 years for a girl who dumped him. It could’ve been more realistic to bring in another guy or not bring anyone at all.

The plot though is witty, especially interactions between the professors and the 3 Idiots. Loved that bit about definition of a book, FARHANITRATE and PRERAJULISATION, Induction Motor and Exam Papers. My favourite scene though was the one where Chatur (Handicapped with Hindi) delivers the hilarious speech twisted by the mischievous Rancho. The theatre was in splits at the kiddish gimmick – but it works to tickle the audience.

Aamir is brilliant yet again, his Rancho steals your heart. He looks a very believable 19-20 year old with his gait, innocent looks and wise cracks. He is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of our time. No two thoughts about that! Madhavan is a favourite of mine since the Banegi Apni Baat days. I have liked him in every damn movie of his, his innocence is charming. But Sharman Joshi takes the cake – his amazingly simple face. He gets away with the wittiest of remarks while keeping a straight face and he shines in two scenes for me – one at his interview and the second when facing rustication. I liked the guy who played Chatur too. Brilliant – especially in that teacher’s day scene! Oh to keep a straight face and act that scene out knowing what the dialogues mean! Tough act for him and he does a brilliant job.

Kareena is good in the few scenes she is present – very true to her Geet in Jab We Met. Boman Irani is ok and we don’t grow to like him despite him being the villain; unlike the previous two Hirani movies where we loved Dr. Asthana and Lucky Singh. Irani’s Viru Sahastrabuddhe a.ka. Virus just does not grow on you and I felt this is another place where 3 Idiots falls short as compared to Hirani’s previous 2 movies.

I thought that the music was fairly decent and the songs were incidental to the plot not forced as is in most cases. Shreya Ghosal and Sonu Nigam are wonderful in the ‘Zoobi Doob Song’. I’m absolutely in love with ‘Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh’ – Shantanu Moitra brings back the magic of Parineeta and Yahaan in this number. ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ and ‘Jaane Nahi Deenge’ are good numbers too. In fact the one song which is a super hit and will almost be a national anthem just did not impress me in terms of music! Just my opinion, you could differ.

And finally, the movie gets you all nostalgic. It took me back to my engineering days where the average performers were not even recognized. If I go back to college today, I know only a couple professors will recognize me. My engineering memories are about my friends and about the weird characters I met. I thank them all for teaching me what life is all about! The pressure to do well in college was killing at times but I know some blokes and gals around, helped me in having fun and enjoying those crazy 4 years. I will never forget them for the rest of my life!

As the book was about real life characters whom we all have met in our life, the movie too keeps these characters real. I’ve met a Rancho in my engineering college, he was not as mischievous in the plot but he defied the norms of the education system degree, he is doing great in his life today.

I met a Chatur too in my college – many of them in fact and we average students were so looked down upon by them. I have no clue what he is upto – might be a millionaire by now:-) He mailed me once after my cricket articles were published on the net, expressing surprise at my ‘hidden talent’ – I never replied – don’t think he deserved one. I don’t need a stamp of approval from blokes like him. And there was another one who was pursuing his MS in the US of A and expressed surprise after learning I was among the top 5 in my MBA college!

We have at some point in our lives been victims to the peer pressure and the indefinite rat race. All toppers in our schools, but lost in the competitive world just like Raju and Farhan. I did not get to pursue my passion as my profession but atleast I’ve kept it going as my hobby.

The 3 idiots helped me reminisce lots of old memories. Revisit the lives of my long lost batch mates and secretly hoping that the most ignored ones have done far better than the ones who always hogged the limelight! Importantly, it sends a strong message that the bond of friendship is the strongest cause it does not come with any pre-conditions,expectations or requirements – the only one that is an exception to all the relationships that we have. I truly believe in it – for my friends have been around when it mattered the most.

Hope this movie renders a few lessons to our education system, the boring professors and the ‘my-son-will-be-an-engineer-or-doctor’ parents. Hope they learn to listen to what all the students are trying to say which is summed up beautifully in this number:

“Saari umar hum marr marr ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do jeene do
Saari umar hum marr marr ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do jeene do

Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance I wanna grow up once again”

Meri Maa Teri Hain Mere Paa

That’s the song that plays at the end when the titles roll – sung by the 13 year old Auro. Listen to the lyrics carefully, the songs sums up what the movie is about – It’s about Auro and his mom. I’m not going to write about the story as everyone knows it by now, I will only pen down what I thought about this fine movie.

Cheeni Kum is one of my favourite movies – for the simplicity, for the witty dialogues, for the unusual subject, for the wonderful cast. Balki gets it right yet again, this time with bigger names in the industry and he does not use any of the charisma the Big B is known for. Aptly he introduces the Amitabh we have never known in this movie in the delightful role of Auro. Forget the critics saying he is too tall for a 13 year old or looks weird with the hunch and hands dangling. Just forget that, it is too inconsequential when one sees the wonders this 67-year old veteran has achieved.

Amitabh Bachachan is no where to be seen and you fall in love with Auro – his mannerisms, his quick wit, his love for his grandma and mom, his innocence, his friendships and his fears. Despite the rare disease that has cut short his wonderful life, he is not a depressed and sulky kid. His grandma and mother have ensured that there is love all around him and he does not feel lost or alone. Add to it a fine set of friends and teachers at school.

Vidya Balan excels – almost eats up Abhishek making him look like a beauty piece in the house. She is brilliant in almost everything she does – when she confesses to Abhishek about the pregnancy, when she cries to her mom, when she confidently retorts that it is a chromosome glitch when a lady asks her what is wrong with her son, when she sees Auro accept the gift from his Paa on TV, when she hands over the photograph to Auro and when she asks Abhishek to stay away from their life after he steps in again 13 years later. Her eyes talk, they really do and she looks beautiful in her cotton sarees and 3/4th sleeve blouses. After Kajol, here is a lady who can act, and act so well that it touches our hearts.

I loved Arundhati Naag as the mom. I simply loved her. Confident, fun-loving, ever optimistic. What a mother to have, see the scene where Vidya tells her about her pregnancy. All throughout that 5 minute scene she only asks Vidya if she wants the child or not. When Vidya says she is single, unmarried, and all alone, her mom just says one line – “I was all alone when your father passed away and you were 2, at least now you have me!” I almost cried at that dialogue.

But my favourite character in the movie is Auro’s friend Vishnu. The guy is gem, dishing out wise cracks one after the other. Loved that bit about why does Algebra have X and Y – Auro’s explanation takes the cake. Vishnu’s dad is in school as Vishnu has not fared well and Auro goes looking for him. When they meet Vishnu says, “There are times I doubt he is my dad. I’m so cool, he is so uncool; but he has the proof yaar – the wedding pictures and the pictures of him carrying me in his arms after that!”

And the bit where Auro asks him what makes him his father’s son – the common factors. Vishnu’s answers have you rolling in laughter. Two of those here:
“We both are lefty – he uses his left hand to slap and I get the slap on my left cheek.
We both have the same aim in life- my death, but he wants to murder me and I wish to commit suicide.”

I found Abhishek okay. He does a decent job nothing excellent, but then his role does not have much to do either. That bit about media expose could’ve been avoided and maybe a little more focus on developing the father-son bond, a little more maybe. It happens too late in the movie.

The houses of Abhishek and Vidya are beautiful. The whole movie is so scenic you can’t take your eyes of the background.

Quite a few people highlighted that the movie does not depict the struggle and acceptance of Vidya as an unwed mother. She is shown as a successful independent lady. They live in a bungalow and she has a Honda Civic – from no angle has her mom and she been shown as struggling to make ends meet. They seem to come from an affluent background and maybe that helped ease her acceptance by society. And if Balki had focused on that issue, there would be no time left to focus on Auro.

Another point of criticism thrown is about the kids have been shown to be too mature in accepting Auro, kids are not that nice or mature apparently at that age is the argument put forth – Wrong! Kids these days are far more mature and smart than we can think of; I’ve seen the proof. Moreover kids do what they are taught. If parents and teachers can guide them correctly they will tread the right path. And having shown them in such a positive manner, Balki sends a good signal to all.

We have grown up to believe that the world is so bad that we refuse to accept when things are shown in a positive light. Good people still exist on this planet and one cannot take that goodness away. If it was as evil as we make it out to be we would not be alive. It’s the goodness in people’s heart that has kept this world going.

What is wrong when a guy depicts everything positive in his film – do we need to bring in negativity in our reviews by highlighting that he has showed no negativity. Why do we always feel that the negative things are reality and positive things happen only in movies? Has none of us ever seen anything nice and wonderful in our lives? Are we getting that cynical in life that we do not want to see a feel good movie which shows only nice people around? Think about it!

Watch Paa, it’s beautiful; it almost re-ascertains your faith in love, family, relationships, friendships. Without being too melodramatic or bringing in a remorse mood about Auro’s impending death, Paa only brings joy to the viewer and keeps us wanting for more – more of Balki’s movies , more of Auro and definitely more of Bum and Vidya.

P.S: This post was to be put up last Saturday but got delayed. In a span of 6 days I’ve seen another wonderful movie! The post on this one soon. But if you get a chance don’t delay watching the movie – Shimit Amit and Jaideep Sahni get it right again and Ranbir Kapoor is climbing my all-time favourite charts faster than I thought he would:-)

Bliss in Melody

When the mind seeks peace and calm, there is nothing better do to but to turn to music. While there are numerous oldies which will spring up in mind, I’ve switched to the songs from the musicians of my era. Here are some of my absolute favourites – songs that might not have been chart busters but leave a mark, a permanent imprint on your mind, heart and soul.

Yeh Honsla & Imaan Ka AsarDor

When hopes are down and life seems a despair these two songs will lift your spirits to no end. Salim-Sulaiman render their finest. The music does justice to this beautiful movie and the entire story is summed up by these two songs.

My favourite lines here:

Zurrat So Baar Rahe,
Uncha Ikraar Rahe,
Zinda Har Pyar Rahe
Yeh Hosla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke

Imaan Ka Asar is by far my favourite number of Sunidhi and Shreya. Sunidhi is the rockstar and Shreya the melody queen. Both immensely talented, have carved their niche in the industry and are currently unparalleled.

Jalti Dhup Me Halki Hawa Chal Gayi,
Mila Bharosa Yaar Ka, Ja Phir Sambhal Gayi,
Shayad Hai Ye Dosti, Ya Imaan Ka Asar
Aage Kya Likha Humko Kya Khabar.

AashayenIqbal

KK is another favourite of mine. Be it Yaaron from Rockford or Tadap Tadap from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Most might think he has limited capabilities, but I think he is one of the finest among the new generation singers. This number brings a smile to my face at all times. When I’m feeling low, I just switch to this song on my I-pod.

What I felt about the song and the movie – You will need to wade through the archives here.

Piyu Bole & Raat Hamari TohParineeta

In my honest opinion, this was the most melodious album to have come out in this decade. It was melody personified and took us back to the 60s and 70s when melodious music was at its peak. Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire gave our generation an album to be proud of. Each and every song is unique but these 2 stand out the most for me. Shreya and Sonu brought life to Piyu Bole – by far my favourite romantic number. 

Baanvra MannHazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

There is a longer version by Swanand Kirkire himself and two by Shubha Mudgal which are rather short and leave you longing for more. A lovely classical based number which narrates all about our playful, innocent, and carefree mind. Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire are the men behind this one.

In DinoMetro

This one did not get enough publicity but in my opinion is the best number of ‘Metro’ cause Soham puts his heart and soul in this one.

In Dino, Dil Mera, Mujhse Hai Keh Raha
Tu Khwaab Saja, Tu Ji Le Jara
Hai Tujhe Bhi Izaazat, Karle Tu Bhi Muhabbat

Kholo KholoTare Zameen Par

It may not exactly be a soft soothing number and does have a rock feel to it, but it is another one that cheers me up. It’s my favourite in the entire album. Especially these lines

Tu Dhoop Hain Jham Se Bikhar
Tu Hai Nadee O Bekhabar
Beh Chal Kahin, Ud Chal Kahin
Dil Khush Jahan, Teri Toh Manzil Hai Wahin

Maa – Tare Zameen Par

I’m not saying anything on this one, it just makes me cry every time I listen to it. Moms always know everything –

Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Meri Maa

Maula Mere Lele Meri JaanChak De

This one is a beautiful number that depicts the feelings of all average Indian Muslims – for they know no other motherland. It brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it and I’m yet to figure out why this one has not made it to the list of patriotic songs of our nation. Jaideep Sahni and Salim Sulaiman have given us a gem to treasure for the rest of our lives.

Ek LauAamir

This one shook me up the first time I heard it . It still continues to do so. It describes the effects of terrorism – why are innocent lives taken before they blossom, why can’t there be a world without borders?

Ek Lau Is Tharah Kyun Bhuji Mere Maula
Ek Lau Zindagi Ki Maula

Shilpa Rao’s rendition is haunting and does not leave your mind. NDTV played this song in the background in their tribute to 26/11 victims and heroes. They couldn’t have chosen a more apt song.

Khuda JaaneBachna ae Haseeno

KK and Shilpa Rao come together to bring alive a soulful number. Rare as these songs are in today’s hip-hop and fast tracks, many thanks to Vishal Shekhar for giving us this beauty.

Kuch KumDostana

This too did not feature on many charts but is peaceful and soothing, and is rendered by another favourite – Shaan. I just love his voice. There is so much calmness to it.

Kuch Kum Roshan Hai Roshani, Kuch Kum Gili Hai Baarishein
Kuch Kum Lehraati Hai Hawa, Kuch Kum Hai Dil Mein Khwaayishein
Tham Sa Gaya Hai Yeh Waqt Aise, Tere Liye Hi Thehra Ho Jaise

Title TrackU Me Aur Hum

The reason why Shreya Ghosal is today’s melody queen. If you’ve listened to this one you would know why. The song touches the right cord. Let me be and you be the same, together let us be. I’m not a die-hard romantic – ask MDH, but if I were ever to dedicate a song to MDH, this would be it. The music is unusual, what else would you expect from a genius called ‘Vishal Bharadwaj’

Tum, Tum Bhi Raho, Main, Main Bhi Rahoon
Hum, Hum Bhi Rahein
Teeno Mil Ke Saath chale
Saathi Janam Janam, U Me Aur Hum.

Oh Chalo Yoon Jiye, Agar Main Na Rahoon
Ya Tum Na Raho, Hum, Hum Hee Rahein
Jaise Saaya Saath Chale, Saath Rahein Hardum
U Me Aur Hum, U Me Aur Hum,
U Me Aur Hum, U Me Aur Hum,

Yeh Tumhari Meri BaateinRock On

Did I just tell you all that if I were to dedicate a song to MDH, I would dedicate the Title Track of U,Me Aur Hum, well hold on, there is tough competition from this one here. Dominique Cerejo sings to the tune of Shankar- Ehsaan-Loy and does wonders to this beautiful number. The guitar in the background sets this one apart.

ArziyaanDelhi-6

Though my favourite from this soundtrack is the title track, this number comes a close second. A reminder of A R Rahman’s previous numbers ‘Piya Haji Ali’ & ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ – this prayer reaches out to everyone.

Arziyaan Sari Mein, Chehre Pe Likh Ke Laaya Hoon
Tumse Kya Mangu Mein, Tum Khud Hi Samjah Lo…

A lovely prayer to the Lord. The song is serenity personified.

Tune Jo Na KahaNew York

Mohit Chauhan of Dooba Dooba fame has had one fantastic year with hits after hits beginning with Masakali, then Kuch Khaas, then Kaminey – Pehli Baar Mohabbat and this one from New York. For the sheer sombre mood and sadness he brings out, this one makes it to my favourite list.

Kya KaroonWake Up Sid

Clinton Cerejo took me back to the confused, lost, carefree days of college. Getting to learn about live, love and the crazy happenings that made us who we are today. I miss my engineering days – I miss my friends and the fun we had. This song takes me on an emotional roller-coaster ride yet again. My favourite line – Yeh Jo Pal Hai Yeh Nabeetein Yuun Hi Main Rahun.

Sigh I wish things came back to being the same again!

IkTara – Wake up Sid

And finally the song that inspired this post. This song blew my mind away. Kavita Seth reminds me of Shubha Mudgal and is simply divine in this song! Amitabh like he did in Ek Lau, lends a perfect support! Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have a winner on their hands.

I’m in love with this song, absolutely in love with this song. It is endearing, blissfully endearing and can bring only a cheer in your life, and a smile on your face.

P.S: So there, I put up some ‘new’ favourites of mine. I would love to know about yours. Go ahead let me know under the ‘Comments’ for this post.

Dhan Tana Tana Na………

Vishal Bharadwaj has his own fan following. I’m one of them. I don’t want him to execute a romantic comedy – we have Karan Johar and Yash Raj for that. I don’t want his films to have the conventional heroes – we have SRK for that & the super glam dolls – we have enough of that don’t we?

He is one of the few intelligent movie makers in this industry who refuses to follow the norm. Take Makdee, Maqbool and Omkara. (I’ve not yet seen Blue Umbrella – but I did read that it is a lovely film) These films had nothing in common with the usual fanfare that Bollywood films are known for. His latest offering Kaminey is no different! The film has Vishal’s signature written all over it. If he is going to make such films after a 3 year break- I’m ready to wait, it’s completely worth it!

Kaminey rocks period. Maybe it is not “THE FILM” but it will go down as a classic, as a cult film and very difficult to emulate.

It’s fast paced , it’s slick, it requires you use your brains to follow the film(unlike many bollywood flicks which require no brains to understand what’s happening!) and it keeps you hooked from the moment the first reel opens.

I’m not going to review it in detail or list the storyline – suggest you catch it at a theatre near you at the earliest.

It might not set the box office ringing but it is the best so far this year in terms of content. The movie is dark just like his previous films. It focuses on reality and on real people. Not one scene in the movie has huge mansions, lavish sets or designer costumes. Heck Sweety wears a Westside Kurta (Damn it, I’ve a similar one and recognized it immediately). That’s how real he keeps it.

Shahid as Guddu and Charlie is outstanding – acting and the little dancing he gets to do. Priyanka surprised me with her simple Sweety and she steals the show in 3 scenes – at her marriage, at the police station and then in the climax – she is so suited to be a Bhai’s sister!

But it’s the unknown characters that rock this film, Amole Gupte as Sunil Chopper’ Bhope, Mikail and Inspector Lele (He has refined the famous ‘C’ word – catch that scene in the police station) set the screen on fire!

I’m not so sure the Indian audience will hail this film cause we are yet to mature – we still need the mushy romantic ones where everyone lives happily ever after! Sigh, but I enjoyed it immensely as it is different – different from the norm!

The music is outstanding – Fatak, Kaminey, Pehli Baar Mohabbat and Raat Ke dhai Bhaje keep you entertained, but the winner is no doubt Dhan Tana Tana. It has to be the song of the year. I’ve not heard any whistles as appreciation in Dubai Theatres (as we are used to in Mumbai) and I heard them as soon as this song hit the screen and they continued till it ended. Proof enough for its popularity. Sukhwinder and Vishal Dadlani have hit the highest notes and have recorded a mind blowing number – probably their best till date. Mind you, this one will be doing the rounds of all discs for a long time. Vishal first gives us a ‘Beedi’ and now Dhan Tana Tana – Sir, we take a bow!

Go watch Kaminey and rock to the tunes of Dhan Tana Tana.We need movies like this once in a while just to separate the intellectuals from the commoners!

GO HAVE FOME FUN….

P.F: Thought of writing the review in Charlie’f language but then held back, finfe thofe who have not feen it yet might not figure out what I’m writing. Fay what??

Monkey Business

I’m in a dilemma after watching Delhi-6.
So if you’ve been a fool like I was; to see this movie in anticipation of all the hype it carried and riding high on AR Rahman’s super album, maybe you can help me out!
What exactly is the movie about?
a) Roshan – Bittu’s love story
b) Roshan’s discovery of a land he had never visited
c) Roshan’s Granny’s longing to be in her beloved motherland
d) The multi-cultural melting pot that Delhi is
e) The India that has not matured
f) The Ramleela being staged
g) The Kaala Bandar

Rakeysh Om Prakash tries to blend all of the above in one and fails miserably at that.
I actually longed for the first ending (The one where Roshan dies, did I just kill the story for you all? I would have if there was any story!) that was planned by the director; it would’ve been the saving grace for a movie that was all over the place.

A good movie is one with a good story and an even better script. Delhi-6 has none; so I cannot even discuss it. All it has is a super-duper mind-blowing music score by AR Rahman to which the director does no justice whatsoever. More than half the album appears in bits and pieces before the intermission. The songs end before they begin! How can one be so criminal to such a masterpiece?

Arziyan is a delightful sequel to Piya Haji Ali from Fiza. It opens with a picturesque view of thousands praying at the Jama Masjid but does not build on it. Genda Phool is the most entertaining track of the album and what could’ve been a winner ends up as a loser! The title track can give the hip-hop artists of the west a run for their money but is ruined with Abhishek simply jogging on the streets and Sonam changing into the idol look. Even the catchy Masakali is not completely picturised. Rakeysh Om Prakash needs to takes lessons from Mani Ratnam and Rajiv Menon to learn to do justice to Rahman’s numbers

Abhishek as the protagonist falls flat. Aishwarya’s influence on him is clearly showing, plastic expressions and non-reactions! Sonam Kapoor looks ravishing but has little to do.
All others are wasted. The director had a bunch of great actors but does no justice to any character. The most upsetting was Atul Kulkarni, what prompted him to take up Gobar’s role?

A few things that defy logic – what was Roshan thinking of when he donned the Kaala Bandar attire when the whole mob was going mad finding the menace wanting to beat it to death. Despite the allegations and hatred he wants to still continue in Chandni Chowk while the love of his life wants to be free of the place.
What kind of family, especially the conservative one shown thinks of marrying the daughter of the house before the young elder aunt? There is no effort to marry off the young aunt – Rama who is beautiful and efficient as a homemaker.
So here is the deal, look for logic and you’ll find none, you keep waiting for the story to begin and it never does, the last preaching scene does not touch you and there was absolutely no need for the scene with Big B.

If you want to know what the movie is about – pay attention to the scene where Abhishek lands at the Indian airport. The movie begins and ends at that – monkey business

After watching the movie, a friend of mine told me that Swades was all about a bulb, and now I feel Delhi-6 is all about a monkey – only a monkey can understand the mess that Delhi-6 is!

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