HIGHWAY ("NOT THE BEST OF WAYS")

February 21, 2014.

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt.

Director: Imtiaz Ali.

Veera (Alia Bhatt), a business tycoon’s daughter is kidnapped by Mahabir’s (Randeep Hooda) gang by mistake. What follows is a case of the Stockholm syndrome where Veera starts falling for her captor Mahabir.

As always Imtiaz Ali comes up with something different (though the central premise is love just like all his previous films), a road movie that takes you to several Indian states with stunning landscapes captured beautifully by Anil Mehta. Though it’s an AR Rahman musical you only get to hear “Patakha Guddi” mainly (Maahi ve comes during the end titles) and a few BGM scores placed at long intervals in an otherwise silent movie. Now that might be an important point to take note of for the ARR fans.

Highway is a film loaded with positives and negatives to the extent that makes most of the audience indifferent by the time the film ends; the positives mainly being the terrific performances by Hooda and Alia (except for a few scenes in the beginning that are strikingly similar to Kareena’s role in Jab we met which really puts you off). Hooda who is silent most of the time offers an intense screen presence and is equally good when he breaks down at a later point in the film.

The screenplay shows hints of the normal Imtiaz Ali with humor at regular intervals, though less in quantity compared to his previous films, but other than those occasional scenes what you get is total silence most of the time which becomes a bit too much as the film progresses. Imtiaz Ali seems to have deliberately made that decision but it backfires big time mostly.

The history of the lead pairs ,especially Mahabir, seems a bit too stretched, unnecessary and boring. The argument that it is necessary for the lead pair to develop an intense bonding cannot be made considering the messy and stretched execution especially when the rest of the film contains lengthy silent sequences.

Still what keeps the film going are the strong performances as mentioned earlier and some really good scenes that come every now and then. One really big miscalculation on the part of Imtiaz Ali is the blatant preaching session in the climax which really takes away the mood and the film ends up much lesser than what it could have been otherwise.

I am giving a generous 3 for Highway considering the novelty and boldness. But I would not recommend that you watch it!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

DHOOM 3 ("AAMIR KHAN SHOW")

December 20, 2013.

Cast: Aamir Khan, Abishek Bachan, Uday Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Jackie Shroff.

Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya.

AAMIR KHAN                       0.5

It has been common practice in Bollywood to overdo things especially when the next instalment in a successful franchise comes out. But the only speciality in Dhoom 3 was always gonna be Aamir Khan and that is all the movie has to offer as well.

Sahir (Aamir) decides to ruin Western Chicago Bank after his father (Jackie Shroff) commits suicide when the bank denies credit facilities. As Sahir leaves hindi words at the crime scene Jai (Abishek) and Ali (Uday) are asked to help the American police in finding the culprit.

This all seems a little bit acceptable considering it’s a Hindi masala film, but the writers seem to treat the audience as fools if you look at the way the screenplay is structured. Even in a developing country like India, if someone steals from a bank without a mask and flees afterwards in a bike wearing a helmet which also does not cover his face, it will only take about a few days to lock him up. If the same is happening in the USA it’s just a matter of a few hours before he gets caught. But here Sahir walks free in the city he runs a popular circus show and what more, he even walks right into the bank which 

he has robbed; thanks to the brilliant script!

What is really sad though, is the fact that the core idea of Dhoom 3 has been taken from the legendary Nolan film “The Prestige”. And as expected this one is a 3^rd rate version of the landmark Nolan film.

It will run into pages if we start talking about such absurdities. Next comes the masala element; it’s Christmas time people want to enjoy so it’s only fair that the makers want to provide them with out of the world action sequences among other things. But when it’s like the autorickshaw fight in the beginning which is neither required for nor relevant to the movie, the word to describe it is definitely not masala! There would be no impact at all if you remove the first 40 minutes or so of the movie barring a few scenes, such good is the script.

Katrina who is into somersaults jumps and gymnastics most of the time is there mainly for providing the glamour quotient. Abishek does what is required by every Indian hero who goes to America to help them solve a “difficult” case; he has a solution for everything and he is the one who discovers everything no matter how evident or apparent it is that a school kid could more than easily do the job. Uday Chopra entertains at times playing the silly playboy Ali.

But if at all you should watch Dhoom 3, it should only be for the amazing Aamir Khan who just entertains you with his genius, though the script does not provide much scope for him to perform. He plays the characters with such ease and grip and at times is really endearing. The technical team has also done a commendable job with the visuals mainly. And that is that you get from the film.

I am giving 2.25 Dhoom 3 and a 0.5 for the amazing Aamir Khan. This is saddening.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

KRRISH 3 ("TRASH IT")

November 1, 2013.

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi, Kangna Ranaut.

Director: Rakesh Roshan.

Koi Mil Gaya was something really novel when it came out and barring a few scenes it was really a good entertainer with a good script, wonderful songs and amazing acting by Hrithik. Krish could not really match upto Koi Mil Gaya. Yet Rakesh Roshan has come out with Krrish 3 this diwali boasting of a Rs. 250 crore budget, merchandise and a Krrish 3 video game.

Krishna (Hrithik) is happily married to Priya (Priyanka Chopra) and Rohit (Senior Hrithik) is trying to develop a machine that could harness solar energy and convert it into life creating technology. Kaal the super powered Tele Kinesis expert (Vivek Oberoi) on the other hand is doing just the opposite to earn billions in order to cure himself of the Paralysis that he was born with. He develops a deadly virus and spreads it using his genetically created “Maanvars”, Kaya (Kangna) being the main one. Once the virus hits Mumbai, it is upto Krishna and Rohit to come up with a cure.

If the story of Krrish 3 is pretty ordinary, the screenplay is even worse. There is a bunch of unnecessary “Maanvars” with different abilities (each one of them being a substandard version of the mutants in the legendary X Men series) created for the sole purpose of acting as punching bags for Krrish. And then there is the ridiculously silly twist where Kaya falls for Krrishna turning against Kaal!! Things keep happening pretty much mechanically and there are lot of unconvincing scenes which would have worked out well for the film had it been released a decade or two back!

In one such scene a Krrish statue (more or less like the great Rocky Balboa statue) is unveiled with a huge crowd worshipping him singing songs in his praise and you are left wondering if you are in 2013!! Trying to turn Krrish into a philosophy, something larger than a person is all good but choosing an overused method for it is really lamentable; especially when you have dialogues borrowed for that from Sarkar (which in itself was a copy); “Krrish ek soch hai”.

The copying does not end with the X men, Sarkar or Rocky; it continues even in the fight sequences some of which are blatant copies of X men first class and Man of steel (the climax fight in the sky between Krrish and Kaal).

Rakesh Roshan-Hrithik Roshan-Rajesh Roshan combo have always entertained us with beautiful songs; both stylish and soothing. That department also takes a hit in Krrish 3 with songs that are so bad and unnecessary at the same time.

One point to be conceded to Rakesh Roshan is in the department of the VFX; though it is not as evolved or appealing as Shankar’s “Enthiran” the half baked product has clear signs of a lot of hard work put in by the team and the director! But all said and done it is sad that even with such a huge budget Rakesh Roshan could not come up with a product that is appealing enough.

The only saving grace of the film is the amazing Hrithik who is super committed and dedicated. He excels in the emotional scenes though the scope is limited, playing both Rohit and Krishna with such charm.

I am giving a generous 2 for Krrish 3 especially for Hrithik. This one does not have the soul that made Koi Mil Gaya such a phenomenon!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

BESHARAM ("BAKWAAS!!")

October 2, 2013.

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Pallavi Sharda.

Director: Abinav Singh Kashyap.

It is one thing to try out an average subject with a hero specialised in creating magic out of nothing from his screen presence and antics alone and entirely another thing to try out a below average subject with a hero who has not risen upto that level as yet!

Well, if you are wondering which films I am talking about it the first one is the super duper hit Dabbang and the next is the second film by the same director, Besharam!!

Babli (Ranbir) is an orphan who is a small time car thief. He falls for the middle class girl Tara who sees red everytime she sees Babli. By mistake he steals Tara’s car for a Hawala Don (Javed Jaffrey) and later upon realising it’s Tara’s car he sets out along with Tara to steal it back. He is chased by a police couple played by Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh.

While Dabbang had some kind of story be it very predictable Besharam goes a few steps down with no story whatsoever and a much worse screenplay to make things unbearable. The son playing the hero and the parents playing a police couple who are trying to track him down; how interesting a screenplay can one make out of the situation; well the writer here has the answer- a screenplay that is so boring to the core that one can sit through the entire film without a single laugh!!

When the first 30 minutes of a film is packed with a horribly executed chase sequence 3 bad songs and dialogues which are meant to be funny but far from it in reality, you would need no more description about how the movie is gonna fare.

Tara is so furious at seeing Babli that he insults him in front of her colleagues in spite of knowing he is an orphan. Her fury reaches the breaking point later on when she realises it’s Babli who stole her car!! But right after a few “touching” dialogues from Babli Tara’s heart suddenly melts like an ice cream and if it’s just sympathy that you are expecting from her she is gonna surprise you. Yes folks it’s the ultimate silliness that ensues- she falls in love with Babli!! Guess the writer forgot the fact that we are not in the 1970s anymore. And in the ensuing song you see a sulking Babli being consoled and wooed by a smitten Tara!!!

It is better not to get into the area of fights and background music which are one of the worst you have seen in the recent hindi films.

I am giving a generous 1 for Besharam. This is so very disappointing from someone who entertained us to the core with Dabbang!!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

SATYAGRAHA ("OLD WINE IN OLD BOTTLE")

August 30, 2013.

Cast: Amitabh Bachan, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor.

Director: Prakash Jha.

When you are a filmmaker the best way to vent your anger or express your views is through the films you make. Prakash Jha is one such director who makes movies not for entertainment but for a social cause. That is something which has to be appreciated very much till it reaches a point where you keep getting the same wine time and again in almost the same bottle. This was in the offing for quite some time and with Satyagraha unfortunately we reach that point.

Dwarak Anand (Amitabh) is an ex principal of an educational institution in Ambikapur who could be called the Gandhi (read Anna Hazare) of the present day. After the death of his only son in a road accident, he is joined by his son’s close friend Maanav (Ajay Devgan),whose ideology happens to be capitalism, in his fight for justice against the corrupt minister Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpai). Arjun (Arjun Rampal) who is the local leader and Yasmin (Kareena) who is the reporter for ABP News are also out to support Dwarak and Maanav.

In an attempt to bring several issues to the forefront Jha forgets that it is not a petition against corruption in the form of a video that he is making but a feature film. The film shifts from one issue to another as if it is a series of public woes put together on video.

The lead cast seems to have no other job but to go on with all the protests and campaigning. As silly as it sounds When Dwarak is taken into custody just for 7 days for slapping the Collector Maanav starts an online campaign for his release and Yasmin comes all the way from Delhi just to cover that.  Soon afterwards this small issue turns into a movement demanding several things like action against corruption, ordinance etc.

Though the lead cast gives a good performance each of their characters without exception seems half baked. For a scene to be good the audience has to empathise with what is happening on screen but sadly here the director tries to make that happen only by “heartfelt” dialogues coming out of the blue (in which he fails miserably) as the screenplay does a pitiful job in building up almost all the scenes.

As if all the above was not enough you have endless songs and a romance track going on between Maanav and Yasmin which not only increases the length of the film but also shows the naivety on the part of the director to stick to a certain formula that should compulsorily involve romance.

The scenes leading upto the climax are so silly and boring to the core that you literally want to run out of the theatre. It is very apparent that Prakash Jha is soon going to lose his market unless he stops making films like this. It is sad to see such a film from the person who gave us Gangaajal.

I am giving a 1.75 for Satyagraha. Doze off if you feel like sleeping inside the theatre, you would not have missed anything when you wake up.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI DOBAARA (" A CASE OF LOST PERSPECTIVE")

August 15, 2013.

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan, Sonakshi Sinha.

Director: Milan Luthria.

Several years back when Taxi 9211 came out it brought with it a promising director by the name of Milan Luthria; a few years after that came another masterpiece from the same man, the riveting Once upon a time in Mumbaai. Two of the main reasons for the success of Once upon a time in Mumbaai were it’s super strong writing and the stellar performances from the lead cast.

Once upon a time in Mumbaai dobaara picks up from where it’s prequel ended. Shoaib (Akshay Kumar) who is now the uncrowned king of Mumbaai has been abroad for 12 years due to the problems he has to face if he is in Mumbai. An attempt on his life brings him back to Mumbai for revenge. Aslam (Imran Khan) is Shoaib’s protégé who is ready to do anything for his boss. As strange as it sounds both of them fall for the same girl, Jasmine (Sonakshi).

Though the leading men in the first part were largely influenced by the women they fell for, it had more to do with the underworld and the fiction at hand was created from facts, and all that made the film very interesting. The sequel however is more of a “love story” and you will be so very disappointed if you come in expecting to see Akki playing Dawood. This has more to do with the whims and fancies of a man who is supposed to be a Don.

Shoaib is the most wanted man in Mumbai and yet he roams the streets and attends the functions at will. He comes on his own to take care of his enemies.Though Akki is as cool as ever the senseless writing makes a mess of all the efforts put in. When the first part was intense throughout making the audience feel the tension at hand the sequel makes you stretch and yawn almost regularly and tension is the last thing you would feel.

It was very novel to see Rajat Arora’s dialogues in Once upon a time in Mumbai considering the how strong and cheesy they were; the novelty lessened during The Dirty Picture and now with this film except for a few dialogues the rest are unintentionally funny and downright silly and most of the time you are very much aware beforehand what to expect!!

Rajat Arora has to be congratulated on stretching the script as much as he could making the runtime close to 3 hours making it unbearable and adding all the songs that are completely unnecessary for the film making it one of the worst experiences that you have got from a Milan Luthria film.

When a writer-director duo meets success and continue working with each other time and again there is a chance of either one losing perspective, of what is happening and of the final product they come out with. Well, this seems to be a clear cut example of such a case.

I am giving a 1.75 for Once upon a time in Mumbaai Dobaara. It is sad to see such a pathetic film coming from the able hands of Milan Luthria.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

CHENNAI EXPRESS ("DERAILED")

August 8, 2013

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sathyaraj.

Director: Rohit Shetty.

His recent films might have made money at the box office, but Shahrukh Khan has been trying hard of late to work his magic like he did during the 90s and early parts of 2000. Chennai Express is his latest attempt at regaining that.

Rahul(Shahrukh) who stays with grandparents is forced to go to Rameswaram by his grandma to perform the last rites of his late grandfather. But he plans to go to Goa instead, with his friends. He gets into Chennai express just to fool his grandma planning to get down at the next station where his friends are waiting for him. After a small slip, just as he is about to get down from the train, Meenamma (Deepika) who is trying to run away from her marriage to Thangabali comes dashing towards the train with a few goons chasing her,(you have a few DDLJ moments there) and Rahul gets trapped.

Some scenes inside the train are nice and creative and you will have a few laughs. The film then moves to Southern India, Komban in Tamilnadu to be exact, from where Meenamma hails. Once Chennai Express reaches Komban, Meenamma’s father Periya Thala (Sathyaraj) who is the local don makes a grand entry. Meenamma cooks up a story telling that she is in love with Rahul.

Rohit Shetty sets up a perfect plot till now for bringing on his usual comedy filled with confusion which is considered to be his forte. But very soon afterwards the signs of things fizzling out get apparent and the waywardness of the script and the director starts to show.

Apart from being incomplete in a lot of aspects the screenplay tries really hard to make you laugh but it’s sad that it has nothing new or funny rather to make that happen. If the idea of an entertainer is a lotta deafening and senseless BGM, unnecessary songs, villains shouting regularly and some really stupid “so called” tamil dialogues, then it would bode well for Rohit Shetty to rethink his strategy.

Almost all the emotions and relationships are so half baked that they leave no effect on the audience. This is perhaps a conscious decision to make the film fast paced, but the sad fact is that the end product ends up being neither.

Shahrukh plays the part written for him well but it is Deepika who outperforms him most of the time. This is not to mean that Deepika is excellent, considering the horrible and unforgiveable accent with which she mouths her dialogues in Tamil. Most of the Tamilians are sure to fume at the way Tamil has been slaughtered!! It can be called a big time blunder casting Deepika for this role when someone like Asin would have been the perfect choice.

Bringing in Kerala art (&martial art) forms like Kathakali, Theyyam and Kalaripayattu, whether intentional or otherwise, is another blunder that hits the audience right on their faces. After all the energy draining scenes with the usual Rohit Shetty “Shtyle” fights you have a “so called” emotional scene where Rahul gets all preachy and touchy. Though intended as a touching scene this could be one of the scenes where you will burst out laughing mainly because of the naive dialogues and silly execution.

When you are finally getting ready to run away from the theatre there is a climax fight where Rahul braces upto Thangabali after beating the hell out of a number of goons which is downright silly and beyond credibility. The only relief is the Lungi Dance song that comes after the credits roll out. It would do well for you to wait for that to get a minimum worth for your time and money.

I am giving a 1.25 for Chennai Express. Barring a few scenes It would bore you to death!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

D DAY ("INDIAN ZERO DARK THIRTY")

July 19, 2013.

Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Irfan Khan, Shruti Hassan, Huma Qureshi.

Director: Nikhil Advani.

D Day is a surprise package coming from Nikhil Advani both content wise as well as execution wise.

After a few moments showing the 1993 Bombay blasts the film comes to the present, where, during the discussion between a top police official and the Chairman of R&AW, the possibility of an operation to hunt down India’s most wanted criminal ‘Goldman” (Dawood Ibrahim) in the lines of Operation Geronimo is discussed.

The fiction that follows talks about the possible route that the Indian Government could take in bringing down Dawood through a covert operation using four Indian operatives.

A few minutes into the film “Operation Goldman” takes place and from there on the brilliantly crafted screenplay cuts across to 40 days prior to the operation, gradually coming back to the operation by the middle of the film and then moving onto the current day events. With a lot of realism in the way the film pans out you are in for a gripping piece of art.

No praise is enough for the amazing screenplay that links so many events in the most perfect way possible. The set pieces showing the nabbing of Goldman first in the initial scenes and next that comes later on are so beautifully written and executed. Add to that the wonderfully choreographed fight sequences coupled with top class editing and the Zero Dark thirty kind of camera, and you have a film that is really appealing. The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is much better compared to their last outing Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Coming to the performances it is Rishi Kapoor and Arjun Rampal who steal the limelight followed by Irfan Khan to a large extent. This is definitely one of the best roles of Arjun Rampal till date. Rishi Kapoor seems to have really enjoyed playing Dawood considering the end product on screen; apart from some of the best dialogues in the film going to him the lengthy dialogues in the climax are surely gonna be a showstealer!! The rest of the cast also comes out with equally good performances, thanks to the able direction and screenplay.

The romantic angle involving Arjun and Shruti, though well shot, could have been avoided as it does not help the film’s cause in any manner whatsoever. Advani makes sure not to add masala at all in any of the scenes, however, showing how serious he wants this film to be, which works almost all the time.

The film made on a documentary style to a large extent is a cut above the usual bollywood films.

I am giving a 3.75/5 for D Day. Thumbs up to the effort from Advani.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG ("OVER INDULGENCE KILLS")

July 12, 2013

Cast: Farhan Akthar, Sonam Kapoor.

Director: Rakesyh Omprakash Mehra.

For the last few months a particular trailer has been revving up excitement amongst all Indians promising to deliver a fiery adventure full of fast paced action; and that is the trailer of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag!

But the moment you see the Censor Board certificate of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag with 187 minutes runtime, the first sensation of doubt and anxiety strikes you. Your doubts start getting solidified once the film starts rolling and a few minutes into it you would bid adieu to all that hope of a fast paced thriller. Inspite of being a person who enjoys serious drama, I found myself checking the time every now and then.

Bhaag Milkha starts off very promisingly enough with the 1960 Rome Olympics race where Milkha Singh finishes fourth. But after that bit by bit boredom creeps in when Mehra starts showing signs of over indulgence bringing in a barrage of details; way too many details! The unnecessary songs in the already long film add fuel to the fire!

The inclusion of various flings of Milkha (some which might have been necessary for the film) coupled with the songs for each of those flings do nothing other than adding to the length of the film. Same is the case with the real footage of the various Olympic meets and the extra long depiction of his childhood, notwithstanding the fact that it is a director simply trying to be earnest in his portrayal.

When it is a biopic it is understandable to include as many details as possible to portray a correct picture, but then there is also a few parameters that determine the intensity of a film, something which Mehra seems to have utterly missed in his effort to come up with an epic, and the end result is a stretched out film with bits and pieces of inspiration!

If there are two reasons why you should watch Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, they are Farhan Akthar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and the sheer effort they have put in for achieving perfection. Farhan Akthar sizzles as the inspiring Milkha, who would have been one of the greatest icons in Bollywood if not for the ultra long screenplay. Divya Dutta and Pavan Malhotra play their parts very well offering support to Milkha.

Visually spectacular, Bhaag Milkha has the trademark Mehra slo mo shots in a song, the likes of which you have seen in Rang de Basanti’s “Khalbali”. The BGM is more like an ECG offering some really innovative tunes at times and very clichéd ones otherwise.

The moments in the film involving training and athletic meets are nothing short of fabulous and Mehra has to be really appreciated for such splendid execution, something that is a rarity in Hindi Cinema where you always require masala no matter what!

This film could have been an epic if Mehra had seen it from a third party’s perspective, something that would have gone a really long way in limiting the over indulgence.

I am giving a 3/5 for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Watch it for Farhan Akthar and the sheer honesty and efforts involved in it’s execution. If you are patient enough and you will be rewarded with some really exciting races.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

LOOTERA (" DIL LOOT LIYA RE")

July 5, 2013

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha.

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane.

Vikramaditya Motwane made his mark with his debut feature Udaan a few years back and seems like he is in no mood to let go of that novelty with Lootera, which has been inspired by O.Henry’s short story “The Last Leaf”.

Lootera opens in the 1950s Bengal where Varun Shrivastava (Ranveer Singh) comes to the Manikpur Zamindar’s mansion with an ulterior motive. He falls for the Zamindar’s daughter Paki (Sonakshi Sinha), who reciprocates the feelings. On the eve of their engagement Varun leaves the mansion without telling anyone. The Zamindar dies from that shock. An year later Paki is in Dalhousie trying to leave her past behind pursuing her ambition of being a writer, where she ends up bumping into Varun again.

As such it is a pretty straightforward plot (only the climax being a bit of a surprise package) but then Lootera is full of surprises right from the casting to execution. With an awesome screenplay combined with terrific performances it is pure pleasure watching Lootera unfold onscreen.

When you could not have blamed anyone for thinking what in the world someone like Ranveer Singh is doing in a movie like this, you would be surprised at the way you would start empathising with his character . It is certainly the best roles that both Ranveer and Sonakshi have gotten till date and they make the best use of it; but then, even at the risk of sounding biased, if I had to choose the between the two it is undoubtedly Sonakshi who dazzles, shines, mesmerises and LIVES as Paki. It is a treat to watch Sonakshi emote frustration, vulnerability, resistance, love and struggle and for the same reason it would not be surprising if she gets a National award nomination for the role.

At an age when Hindi cinema is mostly filled with brain numbing loud masala cinema, it is but obligatory to bow before Vikramaditya Motwane to have included so many scenes without any BGM, yet capturing the audience’s rapt attention. And when you do have BGM it is nothing short of spectacular (strangely reminding Hans Zimmer at times); in addition, Amit Trivedi has come out with some heat warming melodies as well.

The wonderful cinematography and stunning sense of lighting make the film very appealing visually. The intimate scenes between Varun and Paki have been aesthetically shot, which is one of the main reasons for Lootera belonging to the top league along with terrific chemistry that the lead pair exudes onscreen.

In the end you come out of the theatre having experienced a variety of emotions all of which you would fall in love with. Lootera is nothing short of a classic.

I am giving a 4/5 for Lootera. The best hindi film of the year till date has arrived!

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.

GHANCHAKKAR ("SO LAZY")

June 28, 2013

Cast: Emraan Haashmi, Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma, Namit.

Director: Rajkumar Gupta.

From serial kisser to an actor; that has been a long journey for Emraan Hashmi. Now that he has started getting recognition as an actor, especially after Once upon a time in Mumbaai, seems like he has decided to take it seriously. But the sad part is his choice of films of late which are flop after flop after flop, of which league Ghanchakkar might as well belong, unfortunately.

Ghanchakkar, coming from director Rajkumar Gupta whose previous outing No one killed Jessica was a riveting drama, seems to have taken it’s tagline for the hero “Lazy” very seriously!

Sanju (Emraan Hashmi) is a “consultant for robbers”,if i may put it so, who is married to Neetu (Vidya Balan). He gets affected with retrograde amnesia, after meeting with an accident, just after he helps Pandit (Rajesh Sharma) and Idrees (Namit) rob a bank. Now he does not remember anyone except a few people like his mother, wife etc. To make things worse he does not remember where he hid the money he robbed.

With the scene set for a thriller promising to be filled with confusion and comedy what you end up getting is a lazily written, boring 2 hrs 20 minutes of mostly yawn inducing scenes with little laughter spread between eternity.

It will be surprising if you do not get an eye sore seeing Vidya Balan who looks ultra heavy rather than “ultra modern” as her character likes to think of herself. While her character is intended to look ugly with the supposed fashionable dressing it would have been highly recommendable on the part of the director to have had Vidya Balan lose twenty kilos at the least!

Emraan Hashmi does a really good job as Sanju who is really confused about what is true and what is not, he has truly come of age as an actor. Equally good are Rajesh Sharma and Namit as the frustrated yet fun loving robbers who are desperate to get their share of the loot back.

But as mentioned above the lazily written screenplay takes the sheen off the performances. The only time that you as audience would get engaged is towards the end when things start getting tense a little bit; Amit Trivedi’s “Allah Meherban” serving as the perfect ingredient for the recipe.

I am giving a 2.5/5 for Ghanchakkar. It is a disappointing product from such an envious cast and a talented director.

Rating Scale (Out of 5)

Less than 2                   -           Unwatchable.

2    to 2.25                   -           Below average.

2.5 to 2.75                   -           Average.

       

3    to 3.25                   -           Good.

3.5 to 3.75                   -           Really Good.

4    to 4.25                   -           Great.

4.5 and above               -          Extraordinary.