Friday 17 June 2016

Udta Punjab - High on emotion

Udta Punjab is a movie about the “high on drugs” Punjab with all its lows. It’s a story about four totally diverse characters in parallel stories which meets in the end.  An drug addict accidental rock star (Shahid Kapoor) , a Corrupt Police officer (Diljit Dosanjh) , a doctor fighting against Drugs (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and a Bihari migrant (Alia Bhatt) trapped in drug peddlers hand some way or another fulfilled the entire story. It’s a crime thriller so no point of ruining the fun by telling the story. The thing that startled me after watching the movie is the situation of Punjab. As Diljit Dosanjh said in the movie “ Baat Aapki aur Meri nahi, Yeh baat hain Punjab ki”. The availability of drugs is really a point of concern. But that’s a different issue and topic and I really felt pity for the families of drug addicts.

Director Abhishek Chaubey did a brilliant job by taking us through a realistic and emotional journey in a total entertaining way. The movie was dramatic till the action packed climax but never felt like it was away from the reality.  The movie is full of abusive languages but wasn’t unnecessarily imposed. 

Never seen any work of Diljit Dosanjh before but he did a pretty decent job. Shahid  and Kareena yet again together in a movie after a long time after Milenge Milenge though they didn’t shared the screen space. The chemistry started in Shaandaar between Alia and Shahid continued in this in a very different but sweet way. Both were awesome throughout the movie.


Udta Punjab is a very brave effort and an eye opener for the people ignorant about the cancer that is ruining our youth. A must watch for all realistic movie fans. 

                     

Friday 11 December 2015

Hate Story 3 -- No Love hate Feelings

I didn’t see the first two movies but they are not interconnected so it was ok. As usual it’s a story of rivalry; well you have to wait till the end to find out the reason and the villain. But somehow I guessed the storyline after watching the movie for 15-20 minutes. You might as well too be able to guess at least some part. The plot is a good one but the execution could be better. The lack of acting skill of the lead roles added some more flaws to the movie.


The two heroines, Zarina Khan and Daisy Shah were only needed to fulfill the erotic part of the movie (Yes it’s an erotic Thriller!). The two women in the plot get pushed around like powerless pawns on a chessboard that has no queens, black or white. They both look great!!! That’s all they did in the entire movie actually!! Karan Grovers expressionless expression and Sharman Joshi’s over expression did no good to the movie.



I personally feel that Sharman Joshi is a very good actor but he need to choose movie wisely. Hate Story 3 was simply wasn’t his cup of tea. The sexy song “Tumhe apna banana ki Junoon” was disgusting. Sharman Joshi in such a song was total turn off. I like the original song very much and have some childhood memories with that song. The newer version spoiled that.



The cast breaks out into song and dance in the blink of an eye, with no rhyme or reason whatsoever. And all of them together made the bathroom most important place of the movie!!! It’s not a kind of movie to remember for a long time but one time watch is ok for all the twists and turns (more than a hilly road actually!!) in the movie.

      

Monday 27 October 2014

Happy New Year-Not So Happy

If you expect a movie with great brain storming robbery like the Oceans’ Series or Italian job you will be greatly disappointed. If you expect a movie of some bunch of losers winning some ultimate dance championships after showing some awesome dancing moves like Step Up series, you will be disappointed too. 

Don’t know whether Farha Khan tried to make a brainless comedy movie like Golmal series or Welcome series or something else but mixing it with robbery and dance has failed to give the right comedy masala as well. Some of the comedy sequences were good, but robbery or dance was not up to the mark at all. Farah Khan gives us a glimpse of how her brother Sajid directs films (by cracking bad jokes, offending people and using women). After watching this movie I am expecting Sajid Khan’s Next movie must be Ha Ha He He. 


There are glimpses of so many old Hindi movies throughout this movie in dialogues (from DDLJ to Devdas) or in the names (Mohini form Tezab) or in other things. I am leaving it up to you guys to spot the references for the other things. Too many stars spoiled the screen space for everyone. Even three hours was not enough to justify each and every character in the movie. So I am not going to explain how they acted in this movie. The story is very predictable with a few “Mera Bharat Mahan” emotion. Too much song sequences with lousy dance moves and extra large pack of sentiments during the climax , slowed down the pace even more.

The best part of HNY comes at the end. When the end credits roll, the different off-screen departments participate in the Worst Dance Championship, judged by Khan herself. I always liked Farha Khan’s style of representing the end credit roll in a different manner, always. From Main Hoon Na through Om Shanti Om to Happy New Year at least this part was not disappointing.
The movie will make a lot of money, but it will not make any impact on people’s mind. If making money is the purpose, well the purpose is fulfilled. Sharukh Khan may say: “Harkar jitnewalo ko Bazigar kehte hain.”

Sunday 31 August 2014

Mardaani – The opportunity to be another “Rang De Basanti”

What is it that made movies like Rang De Basanti, Sarkar, Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag the success they are? Was it Immaculate Direction? Breathtaking dialogues? Intense Background Scores? Well selected star cast? Maybe it was a combination of all those elements and much more, but we will never know for sure.


And the Mardaani team has definitely made an attempt to get there, unfortunately it does not inspire as much as needed from a movie of this potential. Don’t get me wrong, in the last couple of years, with the Khans giving out one stupid movie after another, and no one daring to do anything innovative, this movie is a definite relief and stands out as a much “much” better option, but it does not stand to the expectations it creates.

The movie starts with Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukherjee) strutting her stuff, showing that although she is a Crime Branch officer, she has the guts and the will to take up other matters too. Pulling up her sleeves, straightening her collar and shouting to get things in control, it feels as if she has to determinedly shout and demand respect instead of having a personality to get it automatically. Was there something wrong with casting? We’re really no one to comment on that. So the movie goes onto a point where they show the softer side of Shivani, with her husband (Jishu Sengupta), and her niece. The movie also shows that she has adopted another orphan girl (Priyanka Sharma) living on the streets and takes care of her education and supports her. Suddenly, this girl goes missing!! That’s the story line of the movie.
With an excellent performance from supporting crew, Tahir Raj Bhasin absolutely nails the role given. Undoubtedly the best actor in the movie! It was sad to see that Jishu Sengupta was only given a small role with the kind of acting great he has shown in the past. Priyanka Sharma has started moving in the right direction. Starting off somewhat cheezy in her debut movie “Meeting se Meeting tak” to showing that she can not only be a good MTV India VJ but can really act, this role will definitely give her a push in the right direction.

To be a bit more technical, we definitely expected a more from the “Parineeta” fame director, Pradeep Sarkar. It just seemed that his crew was executing the movie right, but just maybe the passion was missing. Weak cinematography partnered with an even weaker background score, and feeble dialogues to make sure that the scenes did not make the impact they should have. The screenplay did get better at the end, but too little too late! 
All in all, we would want the audience to watch this movie at least once, but this movie did give a flattish performance. Rani Mukherjee has tried her best, but needed more support from the technical crew. Three and half stars from us!

                                                                                                                            By Avinash Sadarangani

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Kick: Na dil mein aaye Na smaajh mein!!

And here the Rajnism continues…
Salman Khan (Devilal a.k.a. Devil) is an exceptionally talented super-hero who constantly needs 'Kick' to keep himself going. Salman, as usual, gets his big bang signature Dhamaka entry which rightfully deserves a whistle or two. But the one which takes your heart away (If you are a Rajini fan, of course) is the most popular stunt on the show in which Salman crosses a super slow running train on a bicycle. There are many such unbelievable (some called it stupid while the movie was going on) action stunts which I am not sure to just watch, enjoy or get frustrated by. Take your own call I suggest.

The movie opens in Poland, where a pretty psychiatrist Shaina (Jacqueline) is forced by her diplomat dad (Saurabh Shukla) and grandmother to meet a potential groom, hot Inspector Himanshu (Randeep), who goes there in the chase of the Devil. In their first meet, in a train journey in Warsaw, Shaina shares her story of heart break by her ex-boyfriend Devilal and Himanshu about his enemy for life Devil. Apparently both are aware of Devi’s “Kick” factor, but no-one chooses to recognize that they both are talking about the same person. Isn’t it debutant director Sajid Nadiadwala's mistake to consider his audience stupid?




Superhero Devilal’s journey from a Chandni Chowk lad Devi Lal Singh, who wanders about searching for kicks to the Devil is quite predictable and forced. His father (Mithun Chakraborty) was a character seems to be added for humor, but I wonder if getting sloshed over alcohol is considered humor these days? If there is anyone worth watching in the movie, it has to be Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who played as Shiv Gajra, criminal head of a charitable trust. There are a few scenes where Siddiqui actually steals the show even from the Khan. But unfortunately he is not in the screen long enough.


Even the song sequences could not interest us much. They are in the movie for no reason and aren’t one to be appreciated as well. Jacqueline, undoubtedly, was better than Nargis Fakhri in the item song Marjava.


What I take away from the movie is disappointment and headache. For Salman Khan Fans that should be good enough. Just a minute! Did I mention that Rajat Kapoor is also there in the movie? Yes, he is and I wonder why?