Love, BreakUps, Zindagi Movie Review

They may have not made it big as actors, but as producers, they definitely are on target. Both Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza as first-time producers have come up with a winner on their hands.

LOVE, BREAKUPS, ZINDAGI is a story that is close to everyone's heart, no matter what age you are at. It has as its central theme relationship complications, which are not new to anyone. The movie also dwells on that 'once in a lifetime moment' that you have to be able to grasp and the ultimate move you have to make, no matter what it takes. You may be in love, but is this love? Tough question, which LBZ makes you answer. Love has no logic... its pure magic! Debutant director (also producer), Sahil Sangha gets it right.

At the helm are five couples. One is getting married. At their sangeet, two settled love birds will find the truth their relationships are based on. While a third, will try and test the other to see if they are compatible. The fourth will gorge on ice-cream after breaking into that 'private zone' of her partner - reading an SMS!

The first half is a breeze. Sahil takes you through the lives of the love-birds without an effort. The marriage scene in Chandigarh (shot on location in Alibaug) are not the ones you see in movies, dhol, shol, et al. This one is different. It entertains you. The ceremonies leading to the wedding and the shock episode a day before the pheras leave the cast wondering what life is all about.

Though technically sound with melodious music flowing in, and dialogues which have freshness to it, the second half tends to go off track a wee bit before. This is where a few 'cuts' were recommended. However, Sahil manages to steer the ship back to course. A few 'unkind cuts' where scenes jump between Cyrus and Tisca, too put a blotch on the product. Otherwise, it's a commendable effort from the entire team. Dia as Naina is outstanding in the final scene bringing in the fragility of love in a helpless manner.

Soundtrack Movie Review

SOUNDTRACK can easily be classified as an experiment in creativity. It's a bold move by director Neerav Ghosh who has found willing backers in his generous producers. Not everyone gets a chance to explore the realms of his thoughts and explode on celluloid with such gay abandon as does Neerav and his protagonist Rajeev Khandelwal. With AAMIR, released three years ago, Rajeev stamped his imprint as a quality actor. In SOUNDTRACK, he further endorses that truth.

Anurag Kashyap tried his hand at this 'experimental element' in NO SMOKING. That's probably the reason why he is part of this film in a small role as someone who talks glowingly about Raunak Kaul (Rajeev Khandelwal) who is now a successful music composer, although he has turned deaf. There are others from the music industry as well, who speak about Raunak's genius. There's Anu Mallick, Salim (of Salim-Suleiman fame), Kailsah Kher apart from successful VJs and DJs. That's a novelty Neerav brings into this film as he intersperses their views on the central character as he tells the story.

Raunak is full of life. He comes to the city from a small town to make it big. He lost his father at the age of six, but does remember the 'musical times' he had with his dad. His uncle hands him some unfinished tapes of his father and Raunak adds layers to it which become an instant hit in the night club where he is the most sought-after DJ. Already high on alcohol, he takes to drugs of all sorts not to mention women. Life is actually a mess, but he perceives it as bliss. Excess takes its toll on his body and the constant loud decibel levels at the club aided by his 'wasted' lifestyle brings about a hearing disability. He turns stone deaf.

Jo Dooba So Paar - It's Love in Bihar! Movie Review

Rajat Kapoor is predictably boring in his role as a police inspector. He makes no effort to play the character he is portraying. Vinay Pathak on the other hand is a study in contrast. Seeped in alcohol at night, a cop during the day; he gets his 'Bihari cop lost in love act' spot on. Vinay has made an effort to break away from the other characters he has played, and this shows. A thinking actor!

Vinay is the only bright spot in this otherwise, bold move to portray a very different love story. This one's located in Bihar where a local 'good-for-nothing' lad, Kishu (Anand Tiwari) is infatuated by an American girl Sapna (Sita Ragione Spada) who is on a study tour. She is visiting her rich, upper caste uncle. There's tension not because the girl has a problem, but because Kishu's father is aghast and against his son's flirtatious moves towards someone who does not match his class. All Kishu does is dress in his own 'stylish' way and while off his time with his friends, who goad him to take his infatuation to another level. That is when Kishu comes to level ground realizing that Sapna has an American boyfriend who has come visiting her.

Soon, she is kidnapped for ransom and the whole gang are in search of her, including Kishu, who has been (jilted?) in love and is out to find its true meaning.

Kishu's befriending Sapna and she immediately warming up to him is not convincing at all. He just breezes into her uncle's house and she, who does not even know who he is, comfortably engages in a conversation. This is perhaps where the film comes apart after director Praveen Kumar manages to set the stage with school bums, goons and guns.

Aazaan Movie Review

Sachiin Joshi could not have asked for a better launch pad. A slickly shot movie, with loads of first-rate action and very high production inputs, akin to a Hollywood flick. All he has to do is give side profile shots and look intently at the camera with kohl-lined eyes. Very rarely does he have to speak. Whenever he does speak, his weak voice lets him down. But yes, the lad does have screen presence.

The first five minutes of the movie are gripping. The smart camera angles, the alarming visuals and background score have you in a spin. Soon, however, you realize, you are lost in a maze which is as confusing to the characters on screen. At one moment you are in South Africa, the next in Germany, then somewhere in Poland, Hong Kong, Thailand, and France, not to forget India. Every few minutes Director Prashant Chaddha takes you somewhere... But all the time he engages in warfare. Khat khat khat khat khat... goes the machine gun, or boom goes the bomb... there's action galore. You are left like a spectator in a circus seeing the pyrotechnics on screen with no clue as what the story is.

Story? Yes, there was a story and a back story, but somewhere, Chadha conveniently hides his weak script behind action, more action and some more action. That's not enough buddy! Give us a story, and a sensible link!

My Friend Pinto Movie Review

It's not pretentious. It's a just a simple narration, directed with the singular intent of entertaining and enacted with finesse. Raghav Dar's MY FRIEND PINTO gives you a slice of Mumbai, served clean without the accompaniment of blood and gore. Fresh would be the right way to describe this film in one word.

Everything happens in one night and the lives of the characters are interwoven to bring it to a cute crescendo towards the grand finale. The few dances on show are well-choreographed and the music, foot-tapping. In the end, it's not Pinto's friend who introduces him as 'My Friend Pinto' but the others he has met a few hours ago, while his friend looks on from the background.

Sameer (Arjun Mathur) and Michael Pinto (Prateik Babbar) are school buddies. While Pinto lives in Goa, Sameer is now married and living in Mumbai. Caught up with the pressures of making life 'happen', he fails to correspond with Pinto who has been writing letters faithfully for the past 10 years or so. Most of the letters have never even been opened by Sameer. Given this background, Sam is unaware of what Pinto is going through - He does not know that he has lost his mother.

Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge Movie Review

Pooja Desai, Ashish Patil (story writers). Anvita Dutt Guptan (Dialogue, Screenplay). Casting director and director Nupur Asthana. Not necessarily in that order, all need to be complimented for a job well done. Not to forget the technicians and all the people who work in the background making the magic that unfolds on screen. MUJHSE FRAAANDSHIP KAROGE is pure magic.

The subject is appealing. Moreover, it's timely, topical and terrific. Speaking of terrific, full marks to the quartet of Saqib Saleem, Saba Azad, Nishant Dahiya and Tara D'Souza around whom the film revolves.

Nupur has done full justice to the excellent story she has in hand giving it the 'full monty' so to speak. She creates the mood and captures the moment of 'Gen X' beautifully. The playground is the college campus and the target is the heart. The tool used is social networking - facebook to be precise.

Vishal Bhatt (Saqib Saleem) and Rahul Sareen (Nishant Dahiya) are buddies. While Rahul is the rockstar singer, Vishal is the lyricist. Preity Sen (Saba Azad) and Malvika Kelkar (Tara D'Souza), too, are best friends. Preity has just moved into the college Rahul is studying in. She heads the photography club and allows no male members. Rahul is the perennial prankster who, along with his friend (good act), spends more time on FB, impersonating others, 'just for fun'. There's one scene where the duo lure a college jerk into 'showing' more on chat 'live' pretending to be someone sexy and hot, and at the same time uploading it for all to see. That video is an instant rage. In one stroke, the scene reveals the power of online chat and also the disastrous side-effects, if 'friends' are not properly screened.

Mod Movie Review

The story is set in a sleepy hill station, Ganga. It revolves around a father, his daughter and her aunt who is also like a mother to her. Her mother left when she was a kid, promising to return, but never does.

Girl grows up to be strong and emotionally independent. She is Aranya. She runs her watch repair shop. One day, a complete stranger comes to her to repair his watch. He is quirky. He keeps coming daily to get his water-logged watch repaired. They fall in love and then comes the twist.

At first you wonder how Aranya (Ayesha Takia) falls in love with a person who she knows has an obvious problem. But later you realize that she is truly in love. Absolutely and completely.

Cut back to 10 years when Aranya was in Class X. Oblivious to her, her classmate Andy was in love with her. He visits her on her birthday wanting to read her a poem he has written. She is not amused and asks him to return 10 years later. Ten years later, Andy (Ranvijay Singh) does return. But is he Andy?

Be-Careful Movie Review

BE-CAREFUL is one such film that defies the logic of film-making. It not only shows the actors in poor light but also, in a way, mocks at the industry itself. I mean, if there is a Censor Board in place to check for the level of obscenity or what should be the standard of morals, or whatever other parameters it has been set up to screen, there should also be a Board in place to pull up the Censor Board for allowing the release of such trash. Or, the Censor Board should be empowered to stall the release of such films.

The basic premise of a film is to entertain, whether it flops or is a major hit, is immaterial. At least that attempt to make a decent film, keeping the sensibilities of the viewers in mind should be the first priority of any filmmaker, or production house. No viewer should go through the frustrating feeling of being short-changed for the hard cash he spends at the multiplex

Tell Me O Kkhuda Movie Review

It's a jerky ride, with a convenient story that allows the protagonist to enter unknown people's houses and stay on as a guest. In Rajasthan, she enters into a home of some royal descendant. In Turkey she ventures, without so much as knocking on the door, into a diplomat's home. In Goa, she lands up in the Presidential suite of a five-star hotel. And she's not alone; along with her is her boyfriend and their friend.

To elaborate further: Esha Deol is Tanya. She is a successful author. One day she finds out that she is not the daughter of the parents she is living with. She learns that she was adopted. She cries herself silly. She now wants to find out who her real parents are. She learns that she was rescued from a fire and adopted by the officer who saved her. She lands up at Bombay Hospital, where Johnny Lever offers her a name from the records that are available. This guy happens to live in Rajasthan. She lands up there and tells him she is her daughter. It later transpires that she is not. Back in Mumbai, Johnny Lever gives her another name and this time she is off to Turkey. Here too she fails to find her dad. Finally, she ventures to Goa. So will she find her real father?

The basic premise of learning about one's adoption and wanting to know who your biological parents are is perfect. But the immature way in which Hema Malini deals with this complex subject is what is absolutely shocking. It's a joke. And a terrible one at that. Also, there is no flow to the story and every attempt to find her real father turns into something of a farce

Ra.One Movie Review

Three characters stand out in this movie. Ra One (Arjun Rampal), G One (Shahrukh Khan) and young Armaan Verma who plays Prateek Subramaniam. Kareena Kapoor for once is thrown into the background, so is SRK (Shekhar Subramanium) who gets his Tamil accent off-centre. The supporting cast would be the action team and the sound engineers led by Resul Pookutty. Jeff Kleiser, heading the visual effects team has packed in as much digital technology as can be to make this a visual treat of sorts for sci-fi freaks.

Anubhav Sinha may be credited with the direction, but if one looks closely, RA ONE has the SRK stamp. This is not to take away from Sinha, but most sequences would have been pieced together by Kleiser. I mean it's not a director's film, if you know what I mean.

SRK has used good gimmicks to get the novel idea off to a flying start. Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and SRK as Lucifer engage in a deadly duel. It turns out, that Prateek (Armaan Verma), a sci-fi addict and computer games freak, is dreaming in the classroom. Prateek uses the code name Lucifer whenever he plays his games. His dad (Shekhar Subramanium) is an embarrassment of sorts for the 'Yo man' dude. Son feels that there should be a game where bad man wins. Father feels otherwise.

However, to impress his son, Senior Subramanium decides to create a game for him, which would also be a trump card for the company he works for. RA ONE is the bad robot, G One, the good one. Prateek is allowed to experiment with the game even before it's complete. As usual, he logs in as Lucifer and engages in a duel. Before you know it, RA ONE comes alive and is out to destroy Lucifer. Then begins the game of deadly robotic chase, which also sees G One being brought to life to annihilate the threat.