It is difficult to do justice to horror films in Bollywood with the lack of documentation and material available on the subject. Therefore, this article has been written almost entirely on the basis of memory. As a result there will be certain oversights but the idea is to pay some kind of homage to a genre that has managed to maintain its niche in India's massive film industry.
The earliest 'horror' films in Indian cinema revolved around themes of reincarnation and rebirth. Basically they were the typical old-fashioned ghost story. The attempt was not to scare as much as to give the love story a new dimension. The most famous is probably Kamaal (Pakeezah) Amrohi's debut film, Mahal. Starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar the film is a complicated ghost story, which sees Ashok Kumar moving into an abandoned mansion with a tragic history. It is also immortalised by Madhubala's beauty and Lata Mangeshkar's first major hit song 'Ayega Aanewala'. Atmospherically photographed in the German expressionist style appropriately by the German cameraman Joseph Wirsching the film is heralded as an all time classic.
Vikram K Kumar's 13B did what a horror movie needs to do – gave goosebumps at every turn in the first half. It is shot in monochrome and the background score puts a chill into the mundane.
But as it moves into flashback mode and an agitated Madhavan tries to save his family, there are too many twists and the story starts losing credibility. The story is all over the place and the eerie quality created right at the start is soon forgotten.
An abnormally happy joint family (do they even exist these days?), move into a posh apartment numbered 13B. The milk curdles daily; Manu’s (Madhavan) pics taken on his camphone inside the apartment are always distorted; they can’t drive a nail in the puja room; the elevator never works only for Manu forcing him to take the stairs (terrifying indeed!!!); the neighbour’s dog refuses to enter their apartment and the television automatically switches to channel 13 at 13:00 hours to a program that is exclusively aired for their family.
Though the women in the house are ga-ga over the show Sab Khairiyat Hai, it is only Manu who realizes that their life is dictated by that show. He drags into this supernatural mess, his police officer friend Shiva and starts putting together the pieces. A gory massacre of a family; a murderer still out free while the family’s mentally ill brother (Deepak Dobriyal) is accused of the crime; a spurned lover and the television’s part in the crime is what they uncover.
The blindman and the rest of the cast’s roles were trivial while Madhavan was the only one with something to do in the movie.
Give it a miss. Doesn’t captivate.
| Banner | K Sera Sera |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Year | 2009 |
| Cast | Arshad Warsi, Ashish Choudhary, Yash Tonk, Aarti Chabbria, Shweta Menon and Udita Goswami |
| Director | Ajay Chandok |
| Music Director | Dabboo Malik |
| Banner | Saregama |
| Genre | Drama |
| Year | 2009 |
| Cast | Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda, Drena DeNiro, Naomi Campbell, Suresh Oberoi, Rati Agnihotri, Suchitra Krishnamoorthy and Deepal Shaw |
| Director | Manish Gupta |
| Music Director | Raju Singh and Vishal Bhardwaj |
The buzz the movie would be incomplete without her role as the actress is apparently playing the main villain in the movie.A source close to the unit of the movie has apparently said, “She is actually the one who steals the Pink Panther diamond, and in the end, Steve Martin finds out.”
The role that Ash plays is that of Sonia Solandres, a criminology expert, in the film and she’s a part of the team of detectives who are trying to find the Pink Panther diamond.But reportedly towards the end, Inspector Clouseau figures out that Sonia, played by Ash, is the real culprit and no criminology expert.
Priyanka rationalises, “My brother Siddharth clued me in to Facebook. Almost everyone I know, is on the site.
If a couple of those conversations are picked on, what can I do?” However she says she isn’t affected by rumours of link-ups with Shahid, “I’m not here to live up to anyone’s expectations.
Because then I’m constantly conscious of what I’m doing. And that takes away from the honesty of my job. I’d much rather live up to my own expectations.
After watching the 2 hour long OLLO, at the earliest possible time, I have to say that they aren't wrong, but they aren't very right either. Of course I went in to the film, buoyed by thoughts of "Khosla ka Ghosla". Of course I went in to the film relishing the thought of another well-made movie, from a director who knew what he was doing. And while it did turn out to be a well-made film, with exquisite attention to details, and wonderful character development, it definitely did not give me my money's worth.
Why, oh why, does this film not succeed, you might well ask ? Here's the short answer - there is no plot. At heart, I'm an old-fashioned girl. I like my films smart and sassy and with a "hook". The film must have a story, and the story must have a "problem", i.e.; the hook. The film must hold your attention, and progress(which it does) and RAMP UP (it does not).
OLLO as the title suggests is the story of Lucky, or Lovinder Singh Lucky, a Sardar born in dear old Delhi. And not the swanky side either, this is the Delhi of rooftops studded with TV antennas, open courtyards, and narrow galis. For one familiar with the city, or of the city born, this rendering of much-loved Delhi, warms the cockles of one's heart. Young Lucky (played marvellously by Manjot Singh) is a the son of a philandering father who's brought his mistress (whom everyone euphemistically refers to as Auntyji) home to live alongside his wife. Beaten by his father, Lucky is a kid with a false swagger in his step, and a sly word on his lips.
Lucky develops a penchant for trickery, because he wants the finer things in his life, fast. His small-time cons stay with him throught his growing years, only getting honed with time. As a young man, Lucky is an audacious thief, stealing because he can, and because it's his one-way ticket to every material thing he might covet. His life goes from one small-time heist to another, selling and pawning stolen goods, until there's only one possible way this could all end . . .
Abhay Deol really does pick off-beat films; from his "Socha na tha" to the very recent "Manorama 6 feet under", the roles he plays are not the standard Hindi film hero roles at all. As Lucky, Abhay does an excellent job, portraying the "good-natured thief" to the hilt. He holds his own against actor Paresh Rawal. Rawal plays three un-connected roles, and was fault-less in each of them; the only problem I saw lay with his accent, which did not appear to be Punjabi at all (dubbing might have given him more authenticity).
Manu Rishi plays Lucky's best friend Bangali, and Anurag Arora, with his very true Punjabi/Haryanvi lilt is a Special Branch Officer, in pursuit of Lucky. Neetu Chandra, as Lucky's lady love, is another excellent actress. Archana Puransingh, played a shrewish Punjabi house-wife, with all the typically Delhi-ite oily, overt posturing. Overall, the film featured an excellent cast.
It is obvious that Banerjee has taken pains with his characters. From the middle-class Dolly (Richa Chaddha), who realises that she is not English-speaking "gentry", to the apparently gentrified Mrs. Handa (PuranSingh), each role is carefully delineated. The screen-play is solid and dialogues apt. Banerjee makes sly digs at Delhi and it's class-consciousness as only one familiar with the city and it's culture can.
This film savors nostalgia. It features old melodies, goes quite retro in the begining with the titles, and makes quite a few references to that charismatic 80s icon, Vinod Khanna. With it's well-drawn characters you can't help feeling for, and it's very charming Delhi, Punjabi (you can call it what you want) feel, this film feels like a well-worn and much-loved garment; you cling to it because it reminds you of a city and a people you might have once known. The only problem here is that this garment is thread-bare.
Based on the book Q & A by Vikas Swarup, we are introduced to Jamal (Dev Patel), who is on his way of winning KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI (Who wants to be a millionaire?), yet there is scepticism from the game show host (Anil Kapoor) that a slumboy could know the answers and he gets him arrested. The policeman (Irrfan Khan) demands to know how Jamal could possibly know the answers to all the questions, and thus begins the journey of his experiences through flashback. With each question asked in the present, we learn from his past, that he learnt many things that common people would never know, without reading a book. As we move from flashback to the current time, where Jamal is proving his innocence, we learn that his real goal is to reunite with his true love Latika (Freida Pinto), whom he’s been searching for since he was a boy.
Slumdog Millionaire is the feel good movie of the year and is the biggest contender for best picture at the Oscars on February 22nd. The pacing of the story is fast-paced and you become eager to know how Jamal gets the answers right. Even though life has been unfair, he’s shown as a fighter and just never gives up despite all obstacles.
The film sets a benchmark on all levels. The adapted screenplay by Simon Beaufoy is suspenseful and intriguing. The cinematography is award winning by Anthony Dod Mantle. Editing by Chris Dickens is crisp. Music and score by AR Rahman blends perfectly in the background to the plot. Director Danny Boyle zooms competently through Jamal’s life and with ease so the viewer can’t help but fall in love with the main characters and the story. There is no bias, there is no religion, and the filmmaker ensures that even India is seen as a character in all its beauty.
On the acting side, all the newcomers are rising stars. Dev Patel acts confidently as the ambitious, defiant, courageous Jamal and you root for him till the very end. Bravo! Freida Pinto is a natural beauty that fills the screen with her damaged innocence. Her subtle chemistry with Dev is what made the characters feel real. Anil Kapoor is quite good as the cunning and cocky host; it’s great to see him really dig his teeth in this role. Irrfan Khan and Mahesh Manjrekar (villain) are adequate. Madhur Mittal, as Jamal’s older brother Salim, stands out. All the young actors playing Latika, Jamal, and Salim did an excellent job, especially in the sequence where they run away from an orphanage.
Thinking about this movie makes me smile and proves that the magic of movies is very much alive! Slumdog Millionaire is among the finest and most compassionate films I’ve ever seen about an underdog and is highly recommended to everyone. Enjoy!
Victory is the story of Vijay Shekhawat (played by Harman Baweja), a middle-class boy from Jaisalmer, whose dream of playing for the Indian cricket team gets fulfilled when he gets selected for India's tour of Australia. He becomes an overnight sensation but soon gets entangled in wealth, wine and women and loses focus on his game. Consequently he is suspended from the team and on realization of his follies, he decides to fight his way back to regain what he has just lost. The film also focuses on the relationship between Vijay and his father (Anupam Kher) and his friend (Amrita Rao).
It's very evident that director, Ajitpal Mangat, is a huge cricket fan and he succeeds tremendously in creating the numerous cricket sequences with flair. Roping in international cricketers like Brett Lee, Sanath Jayasuriya and Harbhajan Singh have definitely helped those sequences look very real. But Mangat is terribly let down by some uninspired writing. Agreed that most sports based films generally follow a formulaic plot but there are examples like Chak De India and Bend It Like Beckham which have improvised through smart writing and interesting characters. That just doesn't seem to happen with Victory. The screenplay is heavily clichéd, predictable and is mostly boring. That said, Mangat does have good hold on certain scenes and the emotional quotient works here and there. The film as a whole may not really appeal to the multiplex junta but it does have good chances at the single screens considering its commercial approach.
Victory is a major challenge for Harman Baweja to compensate for his disastrous debut and fortunately he does very well. He looks much more comfortable in front of the camera and his dialogue delivery has improved by a large extent. I truly believe he is that lambe race ka ghoda and hopefully things will only get better for him with Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee. Given the right director and the right script, this guy has the potential to do wonders. Amrita Rao manages to leave a mark. Gulshan Grover is terrific as the shrewd businessman and so is Dalip Tahil as the coach of the Indian cricket team. Anupam Kher is bearable. We've seen him in similar roles before and it's somewhat of a disappointment after his brilliant act in A Wednesday.
The soundtrack has some very poor compositions by Anu Malik with We Love Kirket (sung by Kailash Kher) leading the pack. Lyrics are equally poor. The opportunity to create a cricket anthem is totally wasted, instead we get a very loud gibberish version of Balla Utha Chakka Laga. It's difficult to imagine a National Award winning composer churning out such run of the mill tracks. Cinematography is consistently good throughout the film and as mentioned the cricket sequences have been shot very well. Ballu Saluja could have done a better job with the editing; some odd 15-20 minutes require trimming. Background score is average.
Overall, Victory lacks an attention grabbing script and has nothing fresh to offer. It's not an entirely bad film but when cricket is involved, expectations are way higher. Watch it only for Harman Baweja and the impressive line-up of top cricketers.
This, for one, is not something that’ll excite the viewer who has already felt the city’s vibe and visited it in recent films – Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Dev D and the like.
Yes, this is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s autobiographical vision, but it has lost that edge of being the first one to give us a penetrating darshan of the city. Next: a young American coming to local city, saying `awesome’ and observing from a distance, falling for the girl next door, getting embroiled in local issues despite himself was seen in Swades. It’s a cliche that most protagonists who visit their home country must inevitably follow in our movies.
But Delhi 6 is not without fun and deeply etched characters. American citizen and a product of a Hindu father and Muslim mother, Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) agrees to drop his grandmother (Waheeda Rahman) to her home in Delhi where she has decided she wants to die.
The story starts as he reaches the city, and surrounded by traffic and people all around, exclaims an overwhelmed “awesome”. Warm and gregarious neighbours welcome them, and Roshan likes the place immediately.
That evening, at the Ramleela, he meets the Delhi-6’s people: his father’s childhood friend Ali Baig (Rishi Kapoor), Lalaji (Prem Chopra) who has just bought a young bride, a slimy young photographer who feeds off others’ dreams (Cyrus Shaukhar), and the two quarrelling brothers (Om Puri , Pawan Malhotra) who live side-by-side, the younger one better off than the other, and their wives (Supriya Pathak, Sheeba Chaddha) who pass mirchi pakodas to each other through a loose brick on the wall.
Then there’s the `masakali’ Bittu Sharma (Sonam Kapoor), daughter of the older brother (Om Puri), who wants to be the next Indian Idol, but is too terrified of her short-fuse dad to confess. So, when her father is all set to fix up marriage, having paid gold coins to the groom’s father and promised an expensive car, she wonders if rat poison is the answer or running away. The love story flourishes as Roshan encourages Bittu to stand up to her inflexible family.
Meanwhile the Kaala Bandar scare is full-throttle --- the panic conveniently used by everyone (a young wife sleeping with her lover, hopes her older husband will believe that is was the Kaala Bandar who was in her bedroom), with each story getting more fantastical than the other. Mehra uses this aspect to bring out the issues about the city—where at one point, the locality is divided in deciding whether the Monkeyman is a Hindu or a Muslim.
On a lighthearted note are moments where the traffic halts to make space for a cow giving birth, a holy man in saffron robes saying `Oh My God’, and the Dadi shopping (even bargaining) for her death.
Again, in Ramleela (the `untouchable’ Jalebi, played by Divya Dutt, is made to sit separately) where there is a sermon against this practice, Gobar (Atul Kulkarni) looks at Roshan’s piercing glare guiltily saying, “Ramji to bhagwan hai, unhe sab allowed hai.” Mehra refuses to show only the lighter side of the city and delves into its sinister side by showing the power-abusing local cop played by Vijay Raaz (whom Roshan calls a public servant and is immediately slapped as the cop thought he was called a servant), the hatred simmering below the open-hearted sharing of food, and the refusal of letting daughters think beyond marriage.
The picturisation of songs (and what songs!) is disappointing: one can visualise Genda Phool as a woman’s consortium singing together, and indeed you see the song when the wives are pounding chilies. Delhi 6 is again, expectedly, a melange of city’s slice-of-life shots. What surprises is the utterly romantic Rehna Tu, not picturised in a tender situation and Dil Gira Daftan pictured indulgingly.
Roshan’s character is immediately likeable, though there is hardly any complexity and we are never questioning what to make of him. Abhishek Bachchan is utterly believable , though the same can’t be said about his spotty accent.
Bittu is interesting, but you don’t warm up to her. We’ve seen too much of the sweet girl who loves chaat, jumps at jalebis and talks of her ambition with a , “mujhe apni pehchaan banana hai” dialogue. Sonam Kapoor is an earnest and effortless performer so she does make you like the character somewhat, despite the typical Delhi-girl recipe.
The portrayal of Delhi and its people seems tad too loud: note the aarti where the men go almost berserk, singing tunelessly, till the electricity goes off silencing them.
Towards the end, the film goes ballistic with sermons about nafrat and laalach; and you won’t believe this, a trip up in the skies where we see Amitabh Bachchan in an off-white shawl.
Camerawork (Binod Pradhan, Rang De Basanti) matches the city’s dynamism and is as delightfully chaotic as its subject. Sound by Nakul Kamte is fantastic. Art Direction is marvelous. But the real star is the soul-stirring music by AR Rahman, lending the film its very essence.
Delhi 6 is like a great song you want to like anxiously. But only, it's distorted for being played decibels too loud.
Kylie is in India to film a song for Akshay`s underwater thriller Blue, which is being directed by Anthony D`Souza and produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd.
`Kylie and some of Akshay and Twinkle Khanna`s close friends from the industry, plus the Blue crew were invited for lunch by the actor on Thursday afternoon. This is supposed to be his way of making her comfortable in Mumbai,` a source close to Akshay revealed.
Akshay had decided to do some of the cooking himself for the special guest.
Durban: Film actor turned politician Sanjay Dutt may still be finding his feet in politics back home, but in South Africa the Munnabhai star is being billed a "comrade" and he will be sharing a platform with top African National Congress (ANC) officials here on Sunday.
Sanjay Dutt disappoints Lucknow fans
Dutt, who has been at the centre of much controversy in India of late for his decision to join the Samajwadi Party that is in opposition to the Congress Party that his late father Sunil Dutt represented, is expected to make a fleeting visit to this coastal city, joining ANC president Jacob Zuma at an election rally in the huge Indian township of Chatsworth.
South Africa is heading for what observers say will be its most hotly-contested elections yet since the first democratic votes were cast in 1994, as the ruling ANC will on April 22 also be fighting a party started by some of it former leaders, the Congress of the People (COPE).
The first hint of Dutt's support for the ANC came in a radio commercial which says: "Greetings, my name is Zweli Mkhize and I'm the provincial chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. I want to take this opportunity to invite all members of the public to a mass rally with our president Jacob Zuma at the Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday, March 1, at 9 a.m.
I will contest on SP ticket: Sanjay Dutt
"This will be one of the few occasions that people of Durban will have a chance to listen to Comrade Zuma as we prepare to go into elections. An added surprise will be the inclusion of Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt on the programme.
"Sanjay is currently visiting South Africa and has given his full support to the ANC. Come and listen to Comrade Jacob Zuma and Comrade Sanjay Dutt live at the Chatsworth Stadium this Sunday at 9 am. You are all welcome - see you there!"
Dutt's appearance will probably lure thousands of Indian to the stadium as Bollywood stars have a huge following here. The move has been seen as a strategic one by analysts here as parties across the spectrum have in recent weeks been using various ways of attracting the vote of the local Indian community in the province where 75 per cent of the 1.2 million South African Indians reside.
In Lucknow, Sanjay Dutt promises to follow father’s footsteps
An informed source said that Dutt would also visit the Mahatma Gandhi Settlement at Phoenix, where the community centre and school started by then young lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi during his tenure here at the turn of the last century are still being run today.
| Producer | Sandeep Kapur |
| Director | Anand Kumar |
| Music | Sachin Gupta, Krishna |
| Writer | Sandeep Kapur |
| Lyrics | Sameer, Rohit Sharma, Mohd. Nasir, Saahiel |
| Release Date | 13-Feb-2 |
Whenever Karan Johar releases a new film it is a very big deal and an increasingly rare event – comparable to a royal coronation or the birth of a Panda at the National Zoo. He is the wunderkind of the Indian film industry (34 years-old now) and news of his next film is followed by the public with a voracious appetite for every morsel of data or every stray rumor. Having two of the biggest films in Indian history will cause that kind of reaction. His debut film in 1999, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH), is one of the most popular romances ever and his next film in 2001, Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham (K3G), was an enormous box office hit. Then Johar went silent like a submarine waiting for the depth charges to pass by. Lots of stories circulated about various projects and directions that he wanted to go in, but they were like wisps of smoke in the wind and one had to begin to wonder if there was a certain trepidation on his part about his next film – doubts that he could possibly match his earlier efforts must have hung over him like a giant shadow.
Johar is the master of the emotional counter punch – he sets up his audience with breezy humor and likable characters and then piles on the melodrama with the force of a heavyweight boxer at the top of his game – a couple jabs to the face, stick it hard to the stomach and then a crunch to the head as your emotional façade crumbles like jelly. He could pull tears out of a desert rock. His manipulation of your emotions is obvious and nearly cruel and though you realize what is happening it doesn’t really matter because he aims at the big fat targets that affect most of us – love of family, love of country and a fated love. Though a slick feel of modernity color his films with hip fashions, discos and attitude, behind this is an adherence to traditional Indian film values - respect for your parents, faithfulness and patriotism. Both of his first two films inched out of this broad outline ever so barely – in KKHH the male character falls in love with a another woman (Kajol) after his wife has died but gets the ghostly blessing of his dead wife before doing so and in the very conservative K3G a man breaks with his parents but in the end is of course reconciled to them and the one non-traditional female (Kareena) is brought back into the fold of Indian womanliness by the end.
In Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK) Johar seems to be attempting to go for something that breaks the ropes of tradition but in doing so he seems to have lost his magical touch – he looks uncomfortable crossing this unfamiliar terrain and the film never comes close to reaching the emotional heights of either his two previous films. One might argue that his subject material has grown up – it’s no longer Archie and Veronica in college with obvious straightforward messages of love but instead he goes for a conflicted emotional canvass where nothing is absolute – and this is very true but in doing so there is no final knockout blow – no moment in which you simply lose yourself within your weepy solitude. There is no love to cheer for and in reality no characters to root for – everyone is so flawed that you sit back and wait for them to self-destruct. This certainly makes for a much more unpredictable film than before and I found myself surprised that in the end Johar didn’t fall back into the comfort of a traditional Indian ending but instead a much more realistic one (the specific melodrama withstanding) in today’s world where very little lasts forever. A part of me admires him for taking some chances for a change, but I just wish I had liked the film more.
The film tells the story of two married couples – NRI’s living in NYC – and in retrospect one suspects that setting the film outside of India allowed Johar to go where he does with the story and the moral questions that are raised. One couple is Dev (Shahrukh Khan) and Rhea (Preity Zinta) who have been married about ten years with a small son and from all evidence their marriage is going through a rough spot. He had been a top football (soccer) star until an injury forced him to become an elementary school coach, while Rhea has become a huge success in the fashion magazine business. This change in their status causes much friction and bitterness on Dev’s part. The other couple has been married only for a few years but there too it appears that all is not well - Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) is a fun loving party animal who won’t grow up while his wife Maya (Rani Mukerjee) wants him to settle down and become more serious. Left unstated for the most part but clearly an underlying concern is her inability to have children. But beneath all of this seems to be the real demon in the house – neither Dev nor Maya are truly in love with their mates anymore and perhaps never really were.
Dev and Maya meet cute and over time first become friends who agonize with each other over their respective marriages and slowly begin to realize that they are in love with one another – but they both try and fight off these feelings and patch up their marriages – divorce is not something they want to contemplate. Their better halves stay unaware of this growing attachment of their partners and in fact begin to believe that their marriage is working itself out. It doesn’t. And everybody lives happily ever after.
There are a couple basic elements that never allow you to fully embrace this story or the characters. The focus of the film is clearly on Dev and Maya with their spouses showing up primarily as jousting points – but they are not very likable people for the most part. In fact both Rishi and Rhea seem to be much better rounded appealing characters but instead the audience is stuck having to wallow in the self pity of the other two. Dev or Shahrukh’s characterization of him is all edges, sarcasm and anger and his well-known charm feels so brittle and bitter – probably a little like what Shahrukh is after a few drinks and a fight with his wife. It’s not a bad performance per se but it was a poorly written script that made him so one-note. I found him so unlikable that the less time I spent with him the better and it’s difficult to conceive of the sensitive and needy Maya falling for this emotionally hollow angry man. Yes, love is strange but even stranger in the movies. Maya is no prize either, as she has no sense of fun, romance or passion and is as cold a fish as one could find – all allure on the outside and frozen on the inside. This is certainly explained by the fact that she is trapped in a marriage with a good man that she can’t force herself to love as much as she wants to, but that makes her no more appealing. Again, a good performance but it is hard to give a fig for either of them and for their finding each other as “soul mates”.
The film breaks into two very definite sections – the first half is spiced up by some comic set pieces that are in fact very funny even if they approach sitcom territory – the scene with Rani in leather and whip mode is rather classic but so out of character and absurd that it feels like we jumped into another film. Their “meet cute” scene is similar – it works because it is funny but again it felt so untrue to reality (which is where Johar is trying to push this film) that it is almost uncomfortable to watch. The scenes with Amitabh Bachchan playing the womanizing father of Rishi treaded through the same strange mongrel world – his over the top character was amusing in itself but it felt like it was written for another film – and when he finally tones it down near the end and brings his acting weight into the film it made me sad that we had so little of this previously – no one today has the animal force of a serious Amitabh but as a whoring old man it seemed a rather frivolous use of his time. At the same time these comic moments are easily the most entertaining of the film because the love story that evolves in the second half of the movie has the movement of oil sludge but a lot less impact – it takes so long to go anywhere that I would not have been surprised to have found out that Bush had invaded another country or two in the meantime. By the end you just want them to be together – to torture each other and not the audience. KKHH admittedly had a similar structure – a light somewhat cartoony first half followed by a second half with a truckload of melodrama, but it worked perfectly there because it created two characters that you loved – here you just want them to leave you alone. Cue for Maya to cry some more.
Another element that has made Johar’s films so strong are the musical numbers filled with memorable tunes and wonderful choreography, but again he went in another direction using Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as his composers. At least on first go through none of the numbers seemed particularly interesting – the two big numbers were both semi-disco driven beats with MTV edits and dance moves and the others were forgettable ballads with dull picturization. The cast is top choice as is the case with all of his films – Shahrukh now being in all his three films as is Rani – and certainly bringing Abhishek and Preity into his group of favorite actors is a good thing. And let’s not forget Kajol who gives the film more zing in her small cameo than it deserved. All do fine jobs and are not to blame for this film simply not having the energy that it is missing. This film might grow on me in time, but my guess is I won’t give it many if any opportunities to do so.
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Now, comes the hip shaking track "Papu can't dance Sala". This is rendered by young singers like Blaze, Mohd. Aslam, Tanvi, Anupama Deshpande, Benny Dayal, Darshana and Satish Subramanium .This is another good and peppy one. This track has come up very well despite the singers hailing from amongst the younger lot. This track has Remix version as well but Hinglish lyrics haven't fared too well.
The next track is "Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai" by Runa Rizvi, who is the most suitable person for this song. Though this is a slow paced track yet its lyrics are a pleasure to ears. The track has another version, too, sung by Sukhwinder. Since it's a slow paced track, it has turned monotonous.
Now, is the turn of 'Tu Bole Main Boloon'. This is sung by Rehman himself. Again, it's a slow paced track, but with a loud music. Wish Rahman had reduced its sound. This is followed by another track "Nazrein Milaana Nazrein Churaana". This is sung by a team comprising Swetha Bhargave, Naresh Iyer, Satish Chakravarthye, Tanvi, Darshana, Benny Dayal and Anupama Deshpande. This is another good song on the lines of A.R.Rahman though by his younger lot. One cannot miss it and if one misses, he or she will be a loser. The last track of the album is "Kahin To Hogi Woh". This is rendered by Vasundhara Das and Rashid Ali. Though this track is also slow paced but the singers have made it listenable. The credit goes to the lyrics writer. Rashid's voice is sweet and forceful and so is Vasundhara's rendering.
On the whole, the album is good and a listenable one. And, its credit goes to Rahman who has directed the team of his younger lot very well.
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Are you satisfied with your present status in the industry?
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What's your latest movie?
I am making an appearance in Rakesh Roshan's 'Krazzy 4'.
How come this fact didn't come out in the open?
I am the surprise package of the film. This was deliberately kept a secret. Rakeshji didn't want the audience to know that I am featuring in the film, as they wanted to give the viewers a surprise.
What's your role vis-à-vis lead actor Juhi Chawla?
I play a journalist in the film, trying to reform the four crazy people. It's an important role. Juhi Chawla plays a psychiatrist and I am a journalist. Though the film is a comedy, I play a very serious role to play.
Isn't your role in 'Krazzy 4' quite different from your earlier roles?
You are right. I played a journalist in Apoorva Lakhia's 'Shoot Out At Lokhandwala' in the past. But the two roles are poles apart. Here I am shown doing a lot of social work.
What else?
I am also doing Ashu Trikha's 'Zindagi Tere Naam', where I will also be performing an item song. Sanjay Gupta's 'Alibaug' is also a wonderful film. I am doing another comedy - 'Fruit and Nut'. Then there is Soojit Sircar's 'Shoebite' with Amitabh Bachchan, but it is too early to talk about this.
What are you looking forward to?
I am now looking forward to National Award-winning director Manmohan Mahapatra's 'Bits and Pieces'.
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