Knowledge is Supreme: Bollywood News

Showing posts with label Bollywood News. Show all posts

Friday, February 4, 2011

Movie Review - Yeh Saali Zindagi

A while ago, while chatting him up for my show on TV, I had queried Sudhir Mishra as to why Hindi film industry fails to produce qualitative movies, unlike the 1960s and 1970s, which have tremendous recall value even in the present day? I markedly remember, Mishra didn’t blink an eyelid while answering this one: “That’s because most producers are not literate enough to understand scripts that could elevate the standards of Hindi films. Film-making for them is limited to the weekend business these days.” The proclamation stayed with me!

When you saunter into a cineplex to watch a Sudhir Mishra film, it’s given that this maverick film-maker will serve you non-formulaic stuff. As a viewer, I liked some of his efforts [IS RAAT KI SUBAH NAHIN, HAZAARON KHWAISHEIN AISI], but a few didn’t live up to my expectations. His new film, YEH SAALI ZINDAGI, has already generated the buzz for a variety of reasons. It’s ‘controversial’ or ‘provocative’ title being the key one.

Before I proceed further, let me tell you that the title is of immense significance to the film. Sure, it may sound offensive [the Censor Board chief too raised a hue and cry, asking Mishra to change the title of the film], but why does a commonly used word ['saali'] create an uproar? Actually, I am quite amused at the brouhaha. In our society, we refer to the sister-in-law as saali, don’t we? Besides, almost three decades ago, the Dilip Kumar starrer SAGINA had a very popular song [which we recall to this day], ‘Saala Main To Sahab Ban Gaya’ and more recently, ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala’ from JAANE TU YA JAANE NA took the nation by storm. Even recently, the word ‘Saali’ was used in a song from NO ONE KILLED JESSICA, ‘Aali Re Saali Re’. Also, when you view YEH SAALI ZINDAGI, you realize that ‘saali’ has been used as a symbol to the vagaries of life and not as a derogatory, abusive, swear word. It’s not slang, but a flare-up of expression.

Yeh Saali Zindagi Movie Review

It requires a fearless and courageous film-maker [Prakash Jha] to back an audacious film-maker [Sudhir Mishra] to create a motion picture that defies stereotype. The risk involved is colossal, but the satisfaction of having created a product that has tremendous shelf life is incalculable. YEH SAALI ZINDAGI is a striking case in point.

In an industry where mediocre scripts rule and funds are readily available for projects only if ‘saleable stars’ are ready to sign on the dotted line, in an industry where tried and tested formula and shortcuts have become a habit, YEH SAALI ZINDAGI comes as a courageous attempt. It may not be this fiercely independent film-maker’s most accomplished effort, but it has the guts and valor to narrate an innovative story with a brand new approach.

At the same time, I’d like to add that the content is quirky, the relationships depicted in the film are complex and twisted and the format of narrating the story [including the edit pattern] is poles apart from what one is used to watching in the customary Hindi film. Even the spoken language is harsh, crude, with lots of expletives and swear words thrown in. But that’s the beauty of this film. It walks a different path.

Final word? Sudhir Mishra is back in form. You need a strong belly to stomach this one!

Yeh Saali Zindagi Movie Review

Arun [Irrfan Khan] has to save Priti [Chitrangda Singh], the woman he loves, but for that he first has to save the man Priti loves, Shyam [Vipul Gupta], the future son-in-law of a powerful Minister. Meanwhile, time is running out for Kuldeep [Arunoday Singh], the young gangster who is on his last job as his wife [Aditi Rao Hydari] is threatening to walk out on him and he begins to suspect she is leaving him to go into the arms of another man.

The job has gone haywire for it is still unknown to Kuldeep that the Minister’s daughter’s engagement with Shyam is off and now she doesn’t care whether Shyam lives or dies and more importantly, neither does the Minister who Kuldeep hoped would pay the ransom. Priti finds herself inextricably caught in this mess and Arun has to save her life. But for that he has to risk everything and put his own life at stake, he wonders why he should do it at all, if she still loves another man. He’s torn, but love knows no reason.

Sudhir Mishra has worked on a taut screenplay to ensure that at no point in those 2 hours monotony sets in. Multiple stories are running concurrently, but unlike other films, these stories are linked to each other till the very conclusion. There’re twists aplenty and the punches that come at regular intervals startle you since they don’t follow the set blueprint that most Hindi films follow.

Yeh Saali Zindagi Movie Review

But the film is not without blemishes. One, Mishra should’ve ensured that the narrative unfolded in the most simplistic manner, for there are sequences which leave behind queries and come across as difficult to comprehend. Since the film has too many characters and too many incidents taking place in the course of a few days, the treatment had to be simplistic, without confusing the viewer, who’s seated on the fence and is overseeing the proceedings. Also, the inconsistent pacing is a deterrent. Besides, you find sequences that just add to the run time and have not much significance to the main plot whatsoever.

The climax would meet with mixed reactions, especially the ‘bullet’ sequence. It would’ve worked big time in a Manmohan Desai film, but in view of the fact that Sudhir Mishra walks the realistic path, it’s a bit difficult to absorb. Nonetheless, it’s a brilliant way to end the film!

The soundtrack of YEH SAALI ZINDAGI bears a different sound, especially the title track. Sachin Krishn’s cinematography is perfect [the locales of Delhi and outskirts are well captured], but the only problem is that most of the shots have been dimly lit up, which may not be a problem at city plexes having good projection systems, but would pose a problem at smaller towns for sure. Something that even Vishal Bhardwaj had agreed with my viewpoint during KAMINEY. Dialogue [Mishra and Manu Rishi], like I pointed out earlier, are straight out of everyday conversation. The hoi polloi in particular would relish the cuss words, which are generously interwoven in the narrative. Background score is electrifying and the editing [most parts] makes the goings-on impactful.

YEH SAALI ZINDAGI is embellished with gifted actors and as always, it’s Irrfan who leads the pack with a superb performance, holding your attention from the very start. He’s aggressive when required [with Saurabh Shukla], but docile when handling matters of heart [Chitrangda Singh]. Chitrangda looks stunning and matches up to Irrfan in most parts. In fact, her screen persona is so strong you can’t take your eyes off this lady.

Arunoday continues to climb the ladder with every film. The youngster excels in his part and stands out not only because of his towering personality, but also because he’s a complete natural. Aditi Rao Hydari is very good. Saurabh Shukla is an accomplished actor and he proves it yet again. Sushant Singh is first-rate, Vipin Sharma is utmost convincing, Yashpal Sharma is remarkable and Prashant Narayanan is superb, as always. Vipul Gupta is another talent to watch out for.

On the whole, YEH SAALI ZINDAGI is a striking example of new age cinema. A daring film with a brand new approach, it’s impulsive and engaging with skilful direction and power-packed performances as its strong points. This is one more solid attempt that takes the graph of Hindi cinema to a greater level.

The Rating
3.5 out of 5

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Review-Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

Story: Naren (Ajay Devgn), Abhay (Emraan Hashmi) and Milind (Omi Vaidya) need to add some spark to their love life. They may be roomies but the three of them have diametrically opposed love stories. Naren's lost his heart to his twenty-something secretarial intern (Shazahn) despite being a divorcee on the wrong side of forty.

Abhay is happy to play toy boy to rich and bored housewife, Tisca Chopra until he meets her free-spirited daughter, Shruti Haasan, while Milind Kelkar is willing to do anything for wannabe actor, Shraddha Das, even if it means spending his life's savings for a shrewd climber. Will the three guys live happily ever after?

Movie Review: Madhur Bhandarkar tries to change tracks. He attempts a switch-over from serious, hard-hitting cinema that chooses to expose the underbelly of society to a light-hearted look at the affairs of the heart. Does he succeed? Well, partially so. For Dil To Baccha Hai Ji may have its heart in the right place but the tone is a bit tenuous and the comedy only intermittently breezy.

Each of the three love tracks have their pros and cons. The highpoint of Ajay Devgn's romance is Ajay Devgn of course. The actor does look visibly uncomfortable with all that talk of virginity and when-did-you-lose-it business and actually brings out the guffaws when he breaks into a '70s ballad at a yuppie party. Emraan's dil dosti story stands out for its gleeful dirty rotten scoundrel act and for the sheer dignity that Tisca Chopra adds to the predator woman cameo. With Omi Vaidya, you know what's there to smile about: the guy's boyish innocence and his never-say-die zeal which, as in 3 Idiots, is totally misplaced again. The girls too comfortably slip into their respective shoes, playing heartbreakers to the hilt. While Shazahn is bubbly and sweet, Shruti is cold and calculating, Shraddha is outrageously exploitative and Tisca is mature and moody.

So where's the glitch? First, the love tangle gets repetitive; the length is a bit too long; the humour missing in many places and the Madhur make-over as a comedy maestro somewhat half-hearted. Nevertheless, there's enough mood and attitude in the film to make for a pleasant viewing. And there's Mohit Chauhan too. Check out his melodious ditty, Abhi kuch dino se, which forms the leitmotif of the film. Very hummable.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Film Review- Dhobi Ghat

Film: ‘Dhobi Ghat’; Cast: Aamir Khan, Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra; Director: Kiran Rao; Rating: **** 1/2
Every year literally hundreds of thousands throng to the city of dreams, Mumbai. To cover so many dreams in a small span of an-hour-and-a-half calls for some brilliant filmmaking. And watching ‘Dhobi Ghat’ will make you realise that there indeed have been very few debuts as stunning as this one.

‘Dhobi Ghat’ is the story of five characters – Yasmin (Kirti Malhotra), Arun (Aamir Khan), Shai (Monica Dogra), Munna (Prateik Babbar) and the city of Mumbai. After a one nightstand with Arun, who is a painter, Shai, an investment banker from America and an amature photographer obsesses over him, while her dhobi Munna pines for Shai.

Arun, meanwhile, discovers a few tapes in his flat from the previous tenant and,watching them, falls in love and find a muse in the woman who has made them – Yasmin. Each of the character is thus looking for something in one another, while the fifth character, Mumbai, simply stares blankly at them without comment or prejudice.

One of the best things about the film is its casting. Each of the actors complement the film, its director, and the city of Mumbai perfectly. Each is believable in his or her own garb. Prateik is bound to become the heartthrob of the generation, while Kirti Malhotra’s innocence has to be seen to be believed. Real life singer Monica brings out the uncertainty of her character beautifully.

The only one who is a little out of place, and hence the small sore point of the film is actor Aamir Khan. He begins shakily and is self conscious, unable as he is perhaps of shaking away two decades of Bollywood’s acting baggage. By the end of it though, he manages to get into the film’s rhythm and gives a believable performance.

It is hence not Kiran Rao’s luck that she got superstar husband Aamir to act in the film, but Aamir’s luck that he is in this film, which will go down in the history of cinema as one of the best character sketches of a city and its people. Very few people in the world have sketched any city with such tender love, care and affection. And to add to the lilting melody that is Mumbai in the film is composer Gustavo Santaolalla who gives a haunting background score.

Director Kiran Rao brilliantly manages to find a physical representation of Mumbai city, in the old woman who blankly stares at all the characters, but says nothing. The metaphor is simple but powerful – Mumbai is a dying, decaying city, but one that is definitely alive and watches over all.

And like the character of Arun who becomes a voyeur into the life of Yasmin, it is Kiran Rao that has played voyeur on the city of Mumbai.

Another good thing about the film is that nowhere does it slacken or lose pace. On the contrary, it unfolds almost like a mystery, like a rose bud, only to scintillate the senses in full bloom. It thus might become the low budget indie Indian film that will finally make money like big-budget Bollywood fare.

In the end though, that wouldn’t matter much to the audience who will find themselves somewhere in the film. Each one of the characters in the film is like Mumbai, and Mumbai is like each one of us who inhabit it.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Film Review-No One Killed Jessica

No One Killed Jessica': Over-dramatized?

Bollywood seems so stuck with the idea of the heroism that even while creating a biopic, it is forced to add characters who show strength on screen through sheer machismo. And so, we have a journalist who is brash bordering on uncouth, mouths expletives, smokes cigarettes and calls herself a B.I.T.C.H. Being from a news background, one must say that such people only exist on the silver screen!

The movie, which recreates the highly publicized murder of a celeb bartender Jessica Lall during a New Year party in New Delhi, picks up the story after this incident and traces it across the entire trial period when witnesses are bought, evidence tampered with and justice denied. It goes on to capture the media's role in reviving the case and the eventual closure of the case.

The movie sticks to a taut narrative and a reasonably tight script, though one really cannot understand the reason behind director Rajkumar Gupta's belief that only fire-spewing television anchors can fight crime and injustice and that heroism equals machismo. One shudders to think what Gupta would have made of the Father of our Nation if he were ever asked to make a film on Mahatma Gandhi!

Five reasons to watch 'NOKJ'

1. The one obvious reason to watch the movie is the crackling performances of its two lady actors, something that one does not often see in the male-dominated film industry. Of course, the way Vidya Balan (as Sabrina) and Rani (as journalist Meera) complement each other in terms of temperament can be called a bit contrived. However, it works well with the audience who love to see two actors with diametrically opposite traits strutting their stuff on screen.

2. Among the two leading ladies, one must give credit to the intense performance by Vidya, who plays a character completely opposite to her femme fatale role in last year's hit 'Ishqiya'. Vidya has taken pains to underplay the role as the situation required and brings across a whole gamut of emotions, from anguish to helplessness to utter hopelessness and an eventual sense of gratitude. We believe, this movie, coming on top of her powerhouse performances in 'Ishqiya' and 'Paa' should ensconce Vidya as a performer in the world of divas.

3. Coming to the much-touted comeback performance of Rani Mukherjee, the Bengali beauty reverts to her "Bichoo" look after playing several Ms. Goody-two-shoes roles in mindless movies. Her firebrand TV news reporter role is what heroic stuff is made off though one finds hard to believe all that she does on screen for a few 'whistles'. Of course, somewhere Rani could have piped down a bit as she does overplay the angry scribe once too often with the director doing his bit with some jingoistic slo-mo shots that would do a Rajnikanth proud.

4. The best part of the movie is the attention for detail that director Rajkumar Gupta has displayed to keep up the authenticity. So, you have Delhi roads littered with Toyota Qualis of the 1999-2007 period, the PC runs on Windows 95 and the cell phones are bulky and ugly. Gupta, whose first film 'Aamir' attracted critical acclaim, tries to do an encore with some stylized shots like the opening credits and the authentic court room scenes.

5. The surprise package of the movie is Rajesh Sharma who plays the corrupt cop who takes a huge bribe in return for promising not to use the third-degree on the accused and eventually comes across as the one honest link in an entire corrupt system. Sharma was seen as Khurana's lawyer in 'Khosla ka Ghosla'.

Five reasons to miss 'NOKJ'

1. Given that this is the second attempt to revive the gruesome real-life tale of upcoming model Jessica Lall, one went into the cinemas believing that director Rajkumar would refrain from dramatizing what must have been a sordid saga for those involved. It was a sort of 'JFK' that one expected, but came out feeling that Gupta wanted to make something of a 'Chak de' that feeds on the audiences' feeling of moral righteousness where one sub-consciously wants to "right the wrong".

2. While the director has tried to keep the narrative as close to the truth as possible, he once again tries to use cinematic license to tug at our hearts using interludes that take away from the seriousness of it all. A tense courtroom scene where Sabrina smirks is one such scene that was probably scripted in at a later stage. Though enacted well, the scene takes away from the intensity and seems a tad artificial that is aimed only at involving the audience.

3. Somewhere along the line, the script plays second fiddle to the characterization. This despite the fact that one of the two protagonists is inspired from a real life person. The fact that Rani and Vidya hardly have scenes together in the movie and probably spent more time promoting it than acting is inexplicable. While Vidya gets to display her wares in the first half, Rani simply lords over the second and is often irksome because of a uni-dimensional approach.

4. Gupta tries very hard to keep the narrative taut as he needs to cover a seven-year span from the time the celebrity barmaid was shot dead to the point where justice is meted out. This is probably where he would have done well to focus on the latter part of the drama than spending close to half the movie on evoking pathos for the family that were done in by the corrupt system. It is almost as if this cook believes in creating hunger and serving up a dish!

5. These days, it has become a fad to mouth expletives in movies whether the situation demands it or not. So, we have Rani Mukherjee using the "G" word during a chat with a co-passenger, leaving the latter shocked. The fact the sequence seems contrived to raise "shock and awe" whereas the same word mouthed by Raghubir Yadav in the opening scenes of 'Peepli Live' evoked mirth and surprise.

Verdict: Despite some scripting flaws and over-the-top performances, the movie is watchable, if for nothing, the therapeutic effect that it provides to us. However, just like its weird title, one feels that the movie belongs to no one in particular, though it was probably made with the middle-class multiplex audience in mind.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Exclusive Review of DHOBI GHAT

A SPECIAL REVIEW THAT WAS GIVEN BY A NON INDIAN VIEWER....LIKED MOST BY AAMIR KHAN ITSELF...GIVEN ON FACEBOOK

It's hard to explain why I went to the Toronto Film Festival to see Aamir Khan not as a fangirl but as a movie lover, so I won't get into that in this post. But it must be said that even for a non-fangirl it was quite the fan experience to be there.

I'll get to the movie in a bit, but first the stars' entrances. People were waiting for at least an hour across the street from the venue, ready to mob the stars when they came in. Funnily enough I didn't even see Kiran when she jumped out of the SUV and squirreled into the theatre, and it's not because she's so tiny, but because I was too fascinated by the wave of people descending upon Aamir Khan like a tsunami. To give you an idea of what it looked like:

Haha! Fun times! By the way, Aamir is the wee little thing in the maroon suit (which I was impressed that he wore for us, AND with dress shoes FTW!). He was very gracious and walked the line of screaming fans twice.

Then we were shoveled inside and Cameron Bailey (can I just do a big w00t for this guy who manages to rock my world every year by bringing the most exquisite Indian films to the festival? w00t! w00t!) introduced the director (Kiran Rao) and the cast (Aamir Khan, Prateik - he dropped the last name by the way, Monica Dogra & Kriti Malhotra). They all came on stage, Aamir last, of course, and Kiran and Aamir said a few words.

Among the things that amused me (and also made me a bit sad) was Aamir mentioning (twice!, the second time just as he was getting off the stage) that "Guys, this is not a Ghajini". Ahem... Aamir, darling, I love you, but don't you think you're underestimating us? Maybe I am projecting a little much here, but does any festival goer expect to see a Ghajini? Or do they all, like me, expect to see beautifully crafted movies that were selected because they carry the film industry forward? A tough one, and I will admit I could be way off since this is the same festival that held the premieres of Dil Bole Hadippa and What's Your Rashee last year. But still, we could have done without the warning...

Anyways, on to the film. I don't usually tell the story of a film in my reviews, because it's available everywhere online and plus I like to think that my reviews give people reasons to watch a movie that are independent from the story. But since this one was such a secret until now, I will make an exception.

Dhobi Ghat is the story of 4 characters: Arun, the famous lonely painter (Aamir), Munna, the dhobi who wants to be a star (Prateik), Shai, the banker on a sabbatical in India (Monica) and Yasmin, the recently married Muslim girl who records her life in Mumbai for her brother back home (Kriti). They say that Mumbai is the fifth character in the movie, and if so, I found it to be a silent character, an immovable witness to the harmony and turmoil in which the characters function simultaneously. Much like the aunty in Arun's neighbouring apartment: always there, always seeing everything, but always silent. Not sure if that was a parallel that Kiran had in mind, but it seemed relevant to me.

The movie is a piece of their lives, and the narrative juggles a recent past and the present time beautifully. Among the daily routine of the characters, which is really what the story is about, we see a love story unfolding and it's not a love triangle but a love square. With a missing fourth connecting line. I swear I'm not trying to sound cryptic, but it's so charming to watch this play out that I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

So maybe I won't tell the story after all...

But I will highlight the three superstars of this movie, and neither of their names start with two Aa's.

First of all KIRAN RAO.

Tiny little thing, with such a big heart! And this picture captures everything that is adorable about her! But I won't ramble about that now. I had no doubt that she would make a good movie, I knew it would be a well thought out story. What I didn't know was that she would wow me with the little touches like a bunch of fake grapes hanging from the rear view mirror in a car during the monsoon, which is the opening shot of the film. Or the chance encounter between Shai and Arun in the street when Shai is on her way to literally stalk Arun in his apartment which is so subtle and funny in so many ways. Or the painting that Arun makes towards the end of the film (who made that? I want it!). Or the old neighbour sitting in her chair with a vacant look - the most powerful image in the whole movie in my opinion. Or Munna leaning over Shai when she's asleep. Or the women on the train that Yasmin is filming. I could go on... but then I'd just be telling the whole movie. Suffice to say that every single shot in this movie tells a story, every image counts, and that is no small feat for a first time director.

When I heard that Dhobi Ghat was being filmed guerrilla style, with handheld cameras and moving shots, I was a bit terrified, because there's a right way to do this, but mostly I've seen it done the wrong way. Kiran, thankfully, got it right and I cannot praise her enough for this!

Secondly PRATEIK (BABBAR).

At the end of the screening when Aamir gave the mic to each of the actors to say a few words, before Prateik even touched the mic he got a long, loud, standing ovation from the audience. He was so shocked and overwhelmed that he literally was speechless. He tried to mumble a thank you to Kiran and I bet he would have had some very heartfelt words to say, but he was so choked up that he didn't manage to put two words together. It was beyond charming!!

Well, he stole the show, it's no secret. He had the audience's emotions in the palm of his hand: when he wanted us to laugh at his shyness, we did; when he wanted us to bite our fingers for his next move, we did; when he wanted us to be in love with him, we were; when he wanted us to pine with him, we did. An outstanding performance if I've ever seen one! Between Kiran's deeply intelligent script and Prateik's immensely intuitive acting, there was not much room for it to get better.

And still it did, because then there's...

THE STORY.

It's been said enough times by now that this is not a Bollywood story. But I don't think that stops it from being an Indian story, and if Bollywood continues to do stories like this, then I am on board with this new wave of what Cameron Bailey ~~reluctantly~~ jokingly calls "hindie movies". In a way I can't help but compare Dhobi Ghat to Slumdog Millionaire because they both show various aspects of poverty in Mumbai. But Dhobi Ghat succeeds for me where Slumdog somewhat failed because it shows me the little things that make one happy despite the poverty, unlike Slumdog which was always focused on wanting more. Munna has his own world with its ups and downs, with things that make him sad and things that make him smile, but his life does not revolve around poverty, his life revolves around his feelings, as it should.

And I know I tend to talk more about Munna than about everyone else because he was the star of the show for me, followed closely by Yasmin's story, but make no mistake, this movie is about all four of them in equal measure. More importantly, this is a story about people. It's not about lessons learned or growing up, it's not about relationships created or maintained, it's not about finding yourself, it's not about careers or hobbies. It's just a series of snapshots of 4 people... living. And while that can sound boring, it's really not, because the film is so well crafted that much like in real life when someone is telling a good story, you keep asking: "and then what?"

And lastly AAMIR KHAN.

Without presuming to know what's really in this man's head, I will say that Ithink I know why Aamir so badly wanted to be in this movie instead of letting Kiran pick another fresh face. In a world where Om Shanti Om, Ghajini and 3 Idiots are blockbusters, a soulful movie like Kiran's would have probably gone unnoticed had it not been for the presence of her superstar husband. Sad, but true... At the same time, I appreciated that Aamir played the part in such a subtle way that, much like in Taare Zameen Par, Aamir The Actor was rightfully overshadowed by his costar and by the director. I know he could have made this his movie, but there's a reason why he didn't, there's a reason why he played the part that many other actors could have played without making it an Aamir exclusive role, and I like to think that generosity and love are that reason.

I won't give a rating to this movie because as I said, Dolce was left at home (actually I suspect she was one of the people who mobbed Aamir on the street there and then she probably snuck into the theatre and saw the movie anyway), but I will say: don't miss this when it comes out in theatres!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Movie Review: Lafangey Parindey

Who says critics are useless? Now you don't have to see this movie, unless of course, you derive some satisfaction/pleasure from graphic violence, unforgivably cliched scripts, migraine-inducing songs, and/or repeated sightings of Neil Nitin Mukesh's bare arms.

Make no mistake, this is a film replete with awful acting that glorifies nihilism - this is in-your-face movie-making by people with a moral compass badly askew. The title 'Lafangey Parindey' is an apt metaphor for the production house behind this flick which ultimately bobs and weaves a lot but ends up all empty air. Maybe it's a cultural thing but there's nothing remotely entertaining in 'Lafangey Parindey' - its just an exercise in silliness designed to rob you of Rs 300+. Director Pradeep Sarkar (of Laga Chunari me Daag fame) offers a lame attempt to do what Guy Ritchie has frequently done better - and with far more cinematic artistry. If he earns no other accolades for this directorial effort - a distinct likelihood - Sarkar deserves some kind of award just for assembling the most bizarrely inept cast and ideas of this young century. He's put together this film with the offhand shoddiness of a government worker thinking about his Saturday evening beer.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when it becomes clear that this lurid, steroidal 'masala entertainer' is certifiably insane (or at least a lot funnier than it means to be), but it's pretty early on. Everyone seems to be sleepwalking through this film. Except for Deepika Padukone, who is such a terrible actress that she couldn't even act like she's sleepwalking. She is so staggeringly awful, such an ordeal to sit through, that it's hard to know where to start talking about it. But even the film's cast is done in by the deathless mediocrity of the production, an assemblage of random camera shots, messy editing, redundant scenes, and witless dialogue as haphazardly stitched together as the flesh on a burn victim's face. In 'Lafangey Parindey', Neil Nitin Mukesh plays Nandu, a yuppie biker who likes to punch folks in the face. So how come he couldn't yank director Sarkar out of his coma with his one-shot? All Neil does is stride around in gelled hair, talk fake tapori and ham to the hilt, deplorably abusing the good will he garnered after surprising everyone with 'Johnny Gaddar'.

Gopi Puthran's script can't quite get a grasp on character depth, yet it also can't quite deliver the cheap thrills such a trashy tale might otherwise provide. The storytelling is so overwrought and misguided, 'Lafangey Parindey' winds up as a colossal car wreck. It doesn't take long to figure out that Deepika, as a blind rollerskating dancer, and Neil Nitin as her doting, blindfolded hero are the most unconvincing team of hired actors in Bollywood history. Really, why bother roping in Deepika for a role in which she's supposed to dance? What's more, Mr Sarkar is so lazy that he doesn't even bother concealing the body double used for the dancing/rollerskating Ballerina scenes. After what seems like an eternity of bludgeoning us into open-jawed bafflement, 'Lafangey Parindey' is best aborted, and flushed away as one of 2010's more unpleasant memories.

You can surely tell 'Lafangey Parindey' has been passed through Sanjib Datta's editing bay one too many times. Style over substance is the norm as the whole film looks like what someone might vomit up after partially digesting Natarajan Subramanian's digitised footage. Eldridge Rodrigues' insistently fussy and grandiose production design mistakes extra-crisp textures, brilliant colors and high contrast backdrops for story atmosphere and style. Yes it's flashy as hell, but amphetamine-fueled methods do not compensate for distinct lack of substance. Sham Kaushal's action all but forces its bulky, twitching mass down your throat until you realise you haven't been entertained but assaulted.

'Lafangey Parindey' is certainly a front runner for one of the worst mainstream Bollywood releases of the year. It will try your patience and give you a throbbing headache - about all it does with any success. The only people who deserve to see this film are Rahul Mahajan and the CEO of British Petroleum.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Peepli Live Review and Rating: Knocking at the Oscars 2011

Rating: 4/5 (strongly recommended for those who seek real cinema)

Review: Woman director Anusha Rizvi brilliantly spins a yarn on the backdrop of a fictitious village named Peepli in the state of Mukhya Pradesh. The protagonists Natha and Budhiya (portrayed masterly by Omkar Das and Raghubir Yadav) are thrown in hurriedly and before you can blink, the theme of the story is rapidly woven revolving around the abysmal poverty of the Indian farmers. Devastated and despondent, they seek refuge in suicide after learning that the government grants a handsome compensation to the family of the victim.

As the story of suicide-scheme leaks out, the entire village is inundated by a herd of media men who engulf Natha’s life probing into his personal space and hounding him even when he is defecating in the open. A bunch of corrupt politicians and ministers toss the blame on each other eyeing a morsel of the limelight with an aim to strengthen their political chair prior to the election.

Paparazzi raid Natha’s privacy as well his house as Anusha craftily depicts the evil face of tabloid. The climax is satirical with a hint of suspense and a touch of gloom as a heart-rending message is thrown in consciously.

On the whole, Peepli Live is sure to ride initially on the strength and credibility of its iconic actor/producer Aamir Khan and once that is achieved, the powerful content is sure to speak for itself. Peepli Live is a film that would not only appeal to Indians, but is sure to reach out to audiences beyond India. Simply brilliant!

Conclusion: Overall, the flick is gripping and bathed in relevance and contemplative thoughtfulness. There is a bright chance that the film shall knock at the Oscars 2011 since it’s short, brisk, relevant, socially-arousing and an authentic replica of Indian culture & civilization……