Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

After reading Navdeep Singh's early review of "OLLO" at PFC, I wanted to see this film the moment it was released here. After all, director Dibakar Banerjee directed the impeccable drama/comedy "Khosla ka Ghosla", and Navdeep Singh directed that gorgeous foray into desi noir "Manorama six feet under". They both couldn't be wrong, could they ?

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.

Slumdog Millionaire

2005: Black (India); 2006: The Lives of Others (Germany); 2007: Juno (USA); 2009: Slumdog Millionaire (Britain). Every year it happens to me, watching a film from any country, that makes me think, be entertained, and fuels my passion to one day be a filmmaker and share my vision with the world. I had the pleasure to watch Danny Boyle’s, Slumdog Millionaire, with no knowledge of the plot, and being blown away by the endearing story. Was the entire movie really shot in India? Wow! You see the slums of Mumbai in all it’s glory, you see the innocence of children running through the streets through riots, you see the bustling commuters of a busy city as the backdrop of searching for someone’s true love.

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

Ajitpal Mangat's Victory may not be a masterpiece but it does provide a big opportunity for Harman Baweja to showcase his acting abilities after a very forgettable debut in last year's sci-fi blunder, Love Story 2050. The good news is that the actor makes a superb comeback and carries a very average film all by himself with confidence.

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.

Delhi 6 a tad too loud

The unique aspect of Delhi 6, by the director’s own admission, are the particular sights and sounds of the city.

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.

kshay Kumar cooks for Kylie Minogue

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue dropped in at Akshay Kumar & Twinkle`s home for lunch on Thursday.

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.