Karzzz Review: Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Zzzzzzzzzzzz......seems I need a strong shot of expresso to wake up and write few lines. Much resources have been sinfully wasted in making of this movie; hence any of my elaborate writing on it would inviting God's wrath.

I have seen the old movie Karz in my childhood on ole Doordarshan. I don’t remember the movie vividly; but have faint memories of it - good one that too.

But after watching Karzzzz, am just left with one big question!!!????? Once the credit rolled, I was just wondering, if this was a remake? If it is, then I am seriously thinking - was the original such trash!!!!!!!!

Believe me, it takes enormous creativity and masterly art to remake a movie which throws doubt on the original!!
Hats off to the makers!!!!!

Without wasting more resources, I would like to end with some really hilarious lines by Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN.

"I never thought the day would come when I'd feel sympathy for Dino Morea, especially since he's inflicted such terrible performances on us in his short but shameful acting career. (but) To be cast as a character who's bumped off prematurely only to be reborn in the body of Himesh Reshammiya is a humiliation nobody deserves."

:D :D :D :D

Tortured,
Neo.

Aamir Review: Leading by Example

Once in a while you come across a movie which stays with you long after you are out of the movie theater. A movie which will leave you with an impression to ponder upon over and over. Aamir is a movie which rightfully belongs to this category. Directed by a first timer Rajkumar Gupta, who is also the story writer, Aamir is a thriller from the word go . But classifying it just as a thriller, is not only unfair but also unjust. Aamir has so much to offer for the discerning viewer. From interpreting the director's craft to addressing morals - Aamir has it all.

Based on a premise of whether a man makes his own destiny, the story weaves religious fundamentalism to make a rich fabric. The film starts off at the airport where the protagonist, by the name Aamir Ali, is returning to India for good. From there, in a mix of fast and slow paced short 90 minutes, it takes you through the by-lanes, chawls, shady lodges and restaurants of Mumbai. The director does a masterly job in making use of these locations and local bystanders to convey across strong messages. Never does the director waste a frame which doesn't move the film forward. While there are many scenes I can rave about, few need a special mention. Like the one when the protagonist passes through a lane full of butcher shops has personification at its peek. Or the scene where Aamir is watching a clip about deer hunted by lions and just could not help relating to it. And countless other scenes where the director makes a wise choice by conveying the message through visuals and silent action leaving it to a viewers' discretion rather than verbally bashing it down.

But the film is not only about its Director, its story and the craft behind it. It is also about debutante Actor Rajeev Khandelwal's fine performance. His portrayal of Aamir is so vivid. The confusion, anxiety, frustration, fear is so palpable as if you are going through those emotions. He is a rare find. I just hope he doesn't lose his way in mindless "formula based masala" movies.

Aamir, unlike its meaning - The Leader, is a commoner. He is one of us who wants to lead his life his way. He is the guy who is selfish in earning a good meal for his family and doesn't bother with larger issues of society. But he is the same guy who would stand out in trying times, showing the leader in him.

The film belongs to two set of people. Cinematically, its an ode to inexperience talent over talentless experience. It  belongs to first timers - be it the director, actor, music director, cinematographer. Morally, it belongs to everyone of us who believe that we create our own path. While we might not be in a position to dictate our destiny but always have an informed choice on how to react to what's written in it. Here, Aamir - leads by example.

Following,
Neo.

Jodhaa Akbar Review

Ashutosh being one of my favorite directors. Hritik, one of my favorite actors and an intriguing subject like Jodhaa Akbar. Perfect ingredients for a feast. Top it up with rave reviews from your preferred movie critics and buffs and not so good ones by those critics you abhor. Jodhaa Akbar was like a fine dine course which couldn't go wrong......except a bowl full of expectations. And probably that bowl felt more of a burden as soon as I entered the theatre.

Set in one of the glorious era of Moguls, its a story of brute force, dark ambitions, unyielding power and more importantly about how love conquers them all. Jodhaa Akbar is essentially a love story between one of the most revered Indian kings Akbar and mystical (or should I say mythical?) Jodha bai. Hritik as Akbar is surreal. He delivers the job with such mental and physical accuracy that I quite forgot Hritik the person. For me he was just Akbar. No one could have done justice to this role (of course, after the great Prithvi Raj Kapoor). Aishwarya is magical. She delivers a top notch performance - most of the time letting her eyes speak.

But the cake belongs to Ashutosh. He is the dreamer here and also the one who realizes that dream - almost completely. The scale of the movie is grand. Every shot has a tint of perfection. Sets, Costumes, Choreography and the overall canvass of the movie is a treat to watch. The grandiose screen rendition of "Azeem-o-Shaan Shehenshah" leaves you with mixed feelings. While it just enchants your heart, mind boggles with a question of how they managed this!!!!!!!

Stating Rehman as a genius is a gross understatement. This man just can't stop amazing me. Not only he belts out great tunes and music but he has matured in to a fine singer. He renders a masterpiece in the spiritual "Khwaja Mere Khawaja". The Music as well as the background score does full justice and only adds to the splendor of the film.

Saying all this, I have to verrrrrry sheepishly admit that the movie is not engaging enough. The main culprit being the length which takes its heavy toll. Its time Ashutosh gets an editor. Also, owing to the grand expectations it built, the movie fell a bit short.

Ending Note: The movie is worth a watch and strictly on a large screen. This will do justice to the vision of the makers and efforts of all involved. And ,again, realizing - Love conquers all.

smiles,
Neo

Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag Review: RGV ki (r)Aag

I am a movie buff who loves to watch movies and discuss the art of cinema. Till date, I have written reviews for movies which have moved me. This time too, it’s not going to be any different. Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag is indeed a moving film - It moved me out of the movie hall within 90 minutes. Flat.

I am was an ardent RGV fan because of this style of movie making. The self proclaimed maverick has more than impressed me in the past with his movies. But of lately, he is on a different high which is more than evident in the movie’s self indulgent title. From the title to the promos and trailers, the movie perfectly fits a b-grade category. And watching the movie confirms the category.

Given the classic Sholay, any one would make atleast a watchable film if he copies frame to frame. Such is the charm of the original. RGV deserves to be punished for carrying out a "Cinematic Rape" of the original Sholay. Just a quick read on the reviews will make a strong case against RGV for a rigorous punishment.

But unlike other reviews, I would like to highlight the "'highs" (pun intented) of the movie:

• The movie tests your endurance. It teaches to you be patient and increases you torture bearing capacity
• The movie boosts sales of the likes of Anacins and Crocins
• The movie cures Insomnia
• The movie teaches you to enjoy sadistic pleasures of life
• The movie helps you value the original Sholay more than ever before
• The movie will might ground RGV

Ending Note: This movie doesn’t even deserve to be written about. But I am earning my karma by saving someone's hard-earned money and rescuing him from an extreme mental distress.

Zonked,
Neo

The Pursuit of Happyness Review: There’s a Y instead of an I

I happen to see the poster in the newspaper about the release of this movie. First, I passed it off to be another so called inspired from true story but really no substance in it. But, after many a word of mouth, I happen to see this lovely, touching and of course inspiring movie – The Pursuit of Happyness.

The movie revolves around Chris Gardner’s personal struggle of establishing himself as a stockbroker while managing fatherhood and homelessness. The movie is beautifully made with some moving scenes like the times when Chris doesn’t have a place to stay or when he’s given the offer for a job he wanted badly. The movie is about a wholehearted attempt to reach the goals with rising every time you fall until you attain it – what we call Perseverance; Chris knows it as a way of life!!! The way the story is narrated in “Parts” is also interesting. This is a superb performance from Will Smith which will make you identify with the crisis he is going through. The character of Chris is really heartwarming – there’s no anger in him even after his lost childhood and wants his son to get what he never got. The dialogue between Chris and his son is very inspiring – especially when he tells his son about being determined on what to get in life and just go after it.

Though, sometimes the “Real Story" is a bit hard to believe - particularly the character of Chris. You would want the character to be more real and eventually how it matures. But sadly that’s not focused.

Ending Note: Chris goes in the pursuit of happiness and finally finds it with a job. But is it about linking your happiness to an event? So what’s stopping you from being happy? As Leo Tolstoy said: “If you want to be Happy. Be.” That’s the reason happiness is spelt with an I and not a Y. Cause the answers to the Y lies with the I.

happy,
Neo

Khosla ka Ghosla Review : Middle Class Humour is Back

(Credits to this post majorly go to Pinky Patel a.k.a Pinank)

It is so simple to be happy but it is very difficult to be simple. A famous quote from Hrishi-da's Bawaarchi, summaries my take on this down to earth, glamour less but very real and true to life film.

Star power, song and dance sequences, foreign locales are the core ingredients of today's Bollywood fare. KKG has none. Off lately, creativity has taken a back-seat. If songs were not enough, film-makers have now started 'remixing' old movies. Extremely hazardous, yet widely accepted, I just hope and pray that this trend vanishes soon. In such times comes an original (as far as my knowledge travels) light-hearted healthy comedy, tackling real life issues the reel way.

KKG reminds me of the simple 90s. It is about this middle-class north Indian family living in Dilli. The family is lead by a 'about to retire' father (Anupam Kher, suites his character to the T). A father to two sons (Ranvir Shorey and Parveen Dabbas) and a daughter, he (Anupam Kher) purchases a brand new plot in the elite South Delhi area and plans to live his post-retirement life in his new, soon to be build three storey apartment. The family is happy by themselves in some way or other apart from the fact that the MNC working son (PD) aspires to go to AMRRIKKA. I noticed one thing about Dilli in this film; it has agents for just about everything and anything under the sun. PD has an agent working for his Visa application and processing…!!!

Anyways let's get back to the story. One fine day the Khosla household finds un-wanted guests at their newly purchased, virgin plot. To their horror, the watchman claims that his master is the owner of the land. Khurana (Boman Irani) has his hands on the land. The Khosla's first try to check if it's a case of mistaken identity, then play the legal card but both the methods showed zero results. Khurana was hell-bent to sell the land which belonged to Khosla's to the Khosla's, that too at a discounted rate!!!


The typical middle class crisis is perfectly portrayed and you start living with the Khoslas.A good (read sarcastic) shot is attempted at all the avenues which a common man can try to get what is rightfully his. So after failing at all corners, does Khoslas revert to a high charged drama and drastic steps (read violence). The answer is a comforting No.Out of the box thinking save the day and manages to bluff Khurana at his own game.

The acting and situations do not make you feel cosmetic. I guess, certain sequences seem straight out of life. Like the one where Mr. Khosla asks for CHUTNEY while having his PIZZA. The conversation between Mr. Khosla and his friend on the railway bridge et all. Just perfect. The acting department on my side is lead by Ranvir, Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. There is no second and third place. Other actors have shown maturity and sensibility.

Ending Note: The reason why the review is being posted even after 3 weeks of the movies release is a reason enough to watch Khosla ka Ghosla.Movies and stories like this need encouragement and appreciation.

Dor: Music which will take your breath away

So, what’s playing in my Winamp nowadays? The obvious answer could be Himesh. But life is full of surprises and so is the answer. Dor, the new offering by Nagesh Kukunoor, has some brilliant music.

Going by the promos, the movie seems to be set in rural Rajasthan and the music also has a rustic feel to it. The main track - Yeh Honsla Kaise Khule, Yeh Arzoo Kaise Ruke, is a poetry (and not a song) written by the ink of inspiration. Mir Ali Husain who has penned the poem draws a picture of a fighter struggling in his battles of life. The songs finds its place among the list of inspiring songs like Yeh Safar Bahut hai Katheen from 1942 – A Love Story, Zindagi Har Safar Ek Nayi Jung Hai from Meri Jung or Ashayein from Iqbal.

Another song from the album which is worth its salt is Imaan Ka Asar. The lines go as
Jalti Dhoop Mein Halki Hava Chal Gayi….Mila Bharosa Yaar Ka….Jaan Phir Sambhal Gayi…. I need not say more. And unlike the previously song, which has a classical tone, this one has a western undertone running through it and makes a huge impression without being loud.

Both these songs are not catchy like the tunes of our rock star Himeshbhai, but they grow on you with time and will keep on playing in your mind long after you have switched off your iPod.

If you ask me, am really happy that the baton which was held by Gulzar and Javed Akhtar in recent times is safely been passed on to the likes of Prason Joshi, Mir Ali Hussain , Sayeed Quadri.

Do you have a taste for songs with meaning, a liking for quality lyrics and music which makes a mark subtlety then Dor is specially cut for you.

Inspired,
Neo.

Lage Raho Rajubhai!!!!!!!!!!

Manager's (a.k.a Mihir kanakia) take on Lage Raho Munnabhai and the message it encapsulates.

Why Rajubhai;alias Rajkumar Hirani? Well.he is the real hero of Munnabhai Lage Raho.It is HE who has brought to the fore,a movie which has delivered entertainment like an art movie but still maintaining the status of a mainstream bollywood movie(almost).Well usually the load of making serious movies with meaningful stories with a so called message or learning ,lies on the shoulders of ray's & jha's of the directors guild.But the problem with such movies is that they are very clearly classified as "art movies" which are generally not patronized by a large audience,which in fact,tends to defeat the whole purpose of taking such concepts to the general public ,as such.Needless to say,they hardly make any economic sense, with the entertainment value for most viewers,restricted to the acting brilliance of the likes of devgan's,the sen's & the shah's.

Rajubhai,however has used the same characters,continuing his endeavour to drive home the most obviuos but simple truths of our lives and our frustrating events around it. It again throws light on the fact that we leave so many oppurtunities to learn and improve our standards of living,generally defined as 'material' standards of living and not the quality of our thoughts,our acts and the way we conduct ourselves in the continuous cycle of life.Categorising this movie as a comedy would be not only be unfair but also undermine the underlying message of the movie-Gandhigiri.One must appreciate and realize that till now doing Gandhigiri was being unnecessarily honest,naive and impractical as per the current times.But suddenly,Gandhigiri sounds quite practical and correct,as a policy to get our way,without having to use any real diplomacy,contacts,favours as the tools....and hilariuos at it!!! The best proof about the directorial excellence is the fact that it has all been brought forward in a very light and jovial fashion and the apparent serious irony of Munnabhai & Circuit(read as a difficulty faced by any lay person) comes across very straight.The breakthrough solutions to our life using Gandhism look quite achievable without going thru the usual but inappropriate(in the long term) short cuts which tend to add to our woes,more often then not.Being altruistic in fact ,looks more enjoyable and satisfying then being selfish.

So what really is this Gandhigiri. I have read the autobiography- "My Story of Experiments With Truth" of Gandhi and he says-"My life is my message" Thats the beauty of Gandhigiri.Its tried & proven as the means of self purification by following the path of 'Truth' as the only religion...its an infallible means of leading a simple but ideal way of thinking.What Rajkumar Hirani has done,is make this fact relevant in todays times with the kind of problems we face "now".It manages to depict some of our day to day issues. Munnabhai's struggle with getting over truth and become humble while apologizing to Circuit,depicts how effortlessly we hurt our own loved ones but still need a lot of effort to realize and reverse that.The typical mumbaikars life which starts with putting the earphones on and listening to their favourite RJ's who fill the vacant gaps of any major inactivity, like travelling.The mild attempt at hinting that irrespective of age and stage of life,one must nurture his or her dream.The end result is not as important as the journey towards achieving that dream...the oldies from the 2nd Innings House did prove that life is but a mix of various innings and the game continues till the time you want it to.. All this along with 'Lucky' as the character which resembles one of the most common breed of selfish people(not too hard to find) who can ignore and walk over the others well being,blinded by their vested interests.Most importantly,here it may be observed that a character like Munnabhai can in fact meet such 'Lucky's' with 'tit-for-tat' policy but holds to test Gandhi's way of dealing,ie.to hit and solve the problem where it started,the heart & mind of Lucky.Its the same story of all of us..it inspires us to try this path with the key ingredients of patience,determination and genuine intention.It shows that if the motive is righteous,then these ingredients will make a good recipe to meet our problems face to face.One needs to distinguish here between philosophy and pragmatism but at the same time realize that in fact both of these go hand in hand .....BUT one must try.One may never know if it can work unless one tries and persists..and as suggested in the movie,enjoy it!

Lage Raho Munnabhai is one of its kind and it deserves its praise and appreciation for once again touching upon the possibility ,of finding the most coveted and sought after feelings of joy,happiness & probably solutions to our miseries and problems....within.How...?By being true to yourself and enjoy the process.Rajubhai has very wonderfully shown that 'It is only through experience of trial & suffering can the soul be strengthened,ambition inspired and success achieved."

All I can ask for is more of such thought provoking and motivating "acts" to encourage us to reflect and attempt an approach,that can & will improve our lives manifold.

That's why I started with ~Lage Raho Rajubhai!!!!!!!!!!

Best Regards,

Mihir

Lage Raho Munnabhai Review: Refreshing as ever before.

So finally came the D-day of the much eagerly awaited second innings of the hugely popular Munnabhai MBBS. First things first, let me clear all doubting clouds; the movie is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the earlier one. It can safely be termed as a second edition.

Three years back, two characters got shaped and sculpted from the laymans’ scalpel. And this time they are back with a bang. Munnabhai, rogue with a golden heart and his totally adorable side kick – Circuit. Apart from these two, all the characters are new and even some actors.

The plot is quite simple but often simple things have sharp twist. So the twist is that Gandhi is back from the old history books. Munnabhai has some “chemical imbalance” and ends up seeing the Mahatma himself. So for a while Munna is his usual self but soon finds Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as his agony uncle - infact his agony bapu.

Munna is madly in love with a RJ and pretends to be a professor of history in order to impress her. But in the course of events he finds his tried and tested ways of using unlawful power utterly useless. He turns to Mahatma Gandhi – the greatest man who ever walked on this planet as proclaimed by the man of the century, Albert Einstein.

Gandhi guides Munna towards the ghandhian principles and Munna in turn leaves his dadagiri and gets in to Gandhi-giri.

The script is top notch, infact if you ask me, its one up than the previous one. The acts are also of a higher order. Sanjay Dutt, I believe, is just born to do this role. Arshad gives more current to ‘Circuit’ than ever before. Boman Irani as ever gives a classy act in a mixed role and Vidya Balan is grace personified.

The music might sound a bit damp but it gels really well in the movie and works wonderfully. So what’s missing, the adorable jaddu ki jaapi. There are some glitches here and there but the numerous hilarious episodes peppered in the entire movie make you glide smoothly over them.

Ending note: The movie manages to make you laugh, cry and at the end think about the forgotten values of Gandhi. It manages to do all this without sounding preachy (just like Rang De Basanti). It’s about finding Gandhi once again - and this time not in museums, text books or on a 500 Rupee note but in Ourselves.

beaming,
Neo.

Immortal Hrishida - End of an Era

Yesterday my favorite director passed away. Veteran filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed several memorable movies including Anand, Bawarchi,Golmaal, Chup ke Chup ke, Abhimaan, Anari….the list could go on. Better know as the common man’s director, his portrayal of a middle class family touched a million hearts.

Be it sensitive issues of male ego ( Abhimaan) to much lighter veins (Golmaal). In each and every movie, Hrishi da weaved stories in and around a middle income house and told them in a way which touched our hearts. Unlike many today’s film makers (read yash raj and karan johar kind), who bring in lot of grandeur and gloss, Hrishi da’s movies were simple and down to earth. But the difference doesn’t end there. His movies have story. Today’s movies are big in scale and heavy on marketing but strongly lack content.

Here’s a tribute to the greatest film maker of all times.

Sad,
Neo

Krissh Review

I am a big fan of Hritik and eagerly wait for his movies especially after the kind of work he's done in Lakshya.So how did i find the movie? Does it live up to expectations? Well the answer is two fold.

Firstly, Hritik is just amazing, be it his histrionics or his screen presence or his perfectly sculpted body. Hritik dons the role of a super hero and makes you believe that he truly is one. The perfect display of emotions and the restrained mode of acting which is essential when you would be playing a super hero.

Now about the film - really appreciate the efforts and guts of Rakesh Roshan on attempting to make a super hero movie which is still an area dominated by the Hollywood.

Let me first talk about the good things. The movie quiet gels with its prequel - "Koi Mil Gaya”, which I thought would be difficult to achieve. The SFX are also above the pathetic standards set by Indian film industry (barring the climax which I thought was inspired, for a change, not from a Hollywood movie but a Rajnikant starrer.)

Now about the minuses - Rakesh Roshan tries to make a futuristic film but sticks to the old treatment method. You can’t move in to the future carrying your past.

Also there are some really glaring bloopers which should have been taken care of.Hritik's age is supposed to be 19-20 yrs old which is really not believable. Secondly, there is this future-telling computer which is constructed by Krissh's father (Rohit - the main lead in Koi Mil Gaya") and which can be unlocked by a password consisting of his heartbeats and eye retina. On knowing the cruel intentions of Dr.Arya (Nasseruddin Shah), he destroys the machine. Now, Dr.Arya has to again build the machine from scratch referring to the technical notes of Rohit. Dr.Arya puts Rohit in an eJail (some stupid electronic-laser- machine kind of jail) and keeps him alive just because his eyes and heartbeats are the key to the machine. Now I fail to understand that when you make a new machine, how can the passwords be same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indian Filmmakers get confused between fantasy and fiction. They make fantasy in the name of fiction. I must say that fiction is more difficult than a factual representation. Cause fact is a fact no matter whosoever disagrees but to make fiction believable you need to have strong convincing story. To make fiction believable is the most difficult part of any fiction/sci-fi movie.

The move is positive and the first few steps in this direction will have its teething problems but am sure, Indian filmmakers will make excellent sci-fi movies in near future.

As of now, Hritik makes Krissh work.