MOVIES REVIEW

DE TAALI MOVIE REVIEW




On the whole, DE TAALI is a poor show. It’s an apt case of the promos looking great, not the film.

If you’ve watched the promos of DE TAALI, you’d expect a film with tremendous youth power. You’d expect gags, gimmicks, laughter-n-sunshine and lots and lots of fun. But DE TAALI is anything but this! On the contrary, it’s a slow-paced love story, which depicts one of the actors as a modern-day Devdas who hits the bottle when his girlfriend walks out on him. There’s a kahani mein twist as well — the kidnapping episode — but you don’t feel giving a taali to that too.

Note another aspect. Two songs from the film have been heavily promoted — the title track [which has lots of energy] and ‘Maari Teetri’ [plays to the masses completely] — which might compel you to buy the ticket. The title track comes when the movie concludes [end credits], while the other number is just not there.

Most importantly, DE TAALI gets it wrong on the script level. Loosely inspired by a popular TV drama [DAWSON’S CREEK] is okay, but the material lacks the power to keep you hooked. Sure, DE TAALI has a few engaging and enjoyable moments, but it’s akin to an oasis in a desert.

In one word, disappointing!

Paglu [Riteish], Amu [Ayesha] and Abhi [Aftab] are buddies, an integral part of each others lives. Amu is a girl amongst the two guys, though Paglu and Abhi don’t treat her like one. Paglu is the one who makes her realize about her feelings for Abhi. Life, however, takes a serious turn when Abhi falls in love with Kartika aka Anjali [Rimi Sen].

DE TAALI starts off quite well and the bonding between the three friends is well established in the initial portions. Things perk up the moment Rimi Sen enters the scene and shows her true colors. Everything’s fine till she’s kidnapped — the interval point.

But things only go downhill in the second hour. The entire kidnap drama, the Saurabh Shukla track [it can’t get weird than this], the dejected lovers [Mukul Dev, Pawan Malhotra, Sanjay Narvekar] reaching the wedding venue and the family surfacing from oblivion, everything looks ludicrous. By the time you reach the finale, the viewer is already bored and has lost all interest in the enterprise.

E. Niwas doesn’t get in right this time. He knows the job well, but if you’ve noticed his last few outings as well as DE TAALI, you’d agree that he needs to concentrate on the script than making the frames look alluring. Vishal-Shekhar’s music is a mixed bag. Barring the above-mentioned two numbers, the remaining songs lack fizz.

Riteish is lovable and his range is finally being tapped by film-makers. Aftab lends his part the required class. Ayesha Takia is getting better and better with every film. Rimi Sen spices up the otherwise bland scenario with her performance as a gold digger. Anupam Kher is wasted. Ditto for Pawan Malhotra and Mukul Dev.

On the whole, DE TAALI is a poor show. It’s an apt case of the promos looking great, not the film.








MOVIE KUSHBOO REVIEW





On the whole, KHUSHBOO is too ordinary a fare to leave any impression whatsoever.


Love stories can never go out of fashion, at least in Bollywood. KHUSHBOO, directed by Rajesh Ram Singh, tells the story of a Sikh girl and a Tamil boy, the ups and downs in their relationship, but before you draw parallels with the classic EK DUUJE KE LIYE, let’s clarify that the two movies are as diverse as chalk and cheese. In terms of content as also execution.

Ambitious Raghu [Rishi Rehan] needs to go to Chandigarh before his posting to New York. For Raghu, career takes top priority in his life. In Chandigarh, he seems to be destined to cross path with a girl, to whom he is inadvertently drawn. But each time Pinky [Avantikka] flits away, even before he can approach her. When they do meet and get to know each other, they realize that they share a very strong bonding. And as usual Pinky once again vanishes from Raghu’s life. When they accidentally bump into each other, Pinky has one request… that he meet her family just once. For Pinky, family takes top priority in her life.

If at all KHUSHBOO bears any uncanny resemblance, it’s with JAB WE MET and also, to an extent, A WALK IN THE CLOUDS [which has been rehashed by several dream merchants in Bollywood]. The aces in KHUSHBOO include some stunning locales of North India and Adnan Sami’s melodious musical score. But the problem with KHUSHBOO is that it falls prey to an uninspiring script.

Raghu meets the big, boisterous Punjabi family, only to be drawn into the warmth of the large family. Will Raghu be able to turn his back on a loving family? Is career more important than a loving family? Raghu is in a dilemma, but not Pinky.

If the focus is on new faces, you need to be doubly sure that the casting is just right. In this case, the newcomers don’t disappoint, but the writing does. To start with, the bone of contention [the lead man is obsessed with America] and the subsequent conflict [the girl insists, the new-born will be a Sikh] look lame excuses, frankly. Besides, the culmination to the story is hardly convincing.

Director Rajesh Ram Singh has handled a few sequences well, but there’s not much he can do given the kabhi-garam-kabhi-naram script. Adnan Sami’s compositions are first-rate and practically every song is well filmed. Cinematography is topnotch.

Rishi Rehan uses his well-toned physique to his advantage. He has the makings of a fine actor, except that he needs to control his expressions. Avantikka is a natural, a competent dancer and acts her part confidently. But she needs to take care of her makeup and styling. Ninad Kamath does well. Prem Chopra is excellent. Himani Shivpuri is effective. Chunky Pandey, Raj Babbar and Shakti Kapoor are hardly there.

On the whole, KHUSHBOO is too ordinary a fare to leave any impression whatsoever











MOVIE HAAL-E-DIL REVIEW




On the whole, HAAL-E-DIL is a complete dil-breaker. This one’s gonna sink at the box-office!

This common question is addressed to the producer [Kumar Mangat], director [Anil Devgan] and lead actors [Amita Pathak, Nakuul Mehta, Adhyayan Suman] of HAAL-E-DIL: What actually did you see in the script of this film? And the next question is for the writer [Dhiraj Ratan]: How could you pen this apology of a script? Sorry, let me alter the question: Do you know the basics of screenplay writing?

Really, if there was a ‘Razzie’ [it salutes the worst in movies] in Bollywood, the writer would’ve walked away with the statuette, stealing the march from contenders like TASHAN, JIMMY and HASTEY HASTEY.

HAAL-E-DIL suits the adage so well - Body beautiful minus soul. Filmed on some stunning locales, the film registers a strong visual impact. Add to it the popular musical score. Also, the two lead men show sparks and are sure to be noticed, irrespective of how badly this film fares at the ticket window. Sadly, the shoddy writing camouflages the positives completely. You expect to be served a sumptuous, seven-course meal, but the writer serves you a few crumbs.

All said, HAAL-E-DIL is a terrible waste of a terrific opportunity. This one, I am sure, would easily rank prominently in the ‘Letdowns of 2008′ when one compiles the facts as the sun sets on the year.

HAAL-E-DIL tells the story of Sanjana [Amita Pathka], for whom love is chaste and sacred. It’s the story of Shekhar [Nakuul Mehta], who keeps tripping for every second girl and loves to be in the perennial state of love, not realizing that he is going to meet a girl who’ll change his existence. It’s the story of Rohit [Adhyayan Suman], who would fall so deep in love that resurfacing would be impossible.

Sanjana is at the crossroads of life where she has to choose between her perfect love and a perfect stranger.

Strangely, two of the three Hindi releases this week bear an uncanny resemblance to the immensely likable JAB WE MET — HAAL-E-DIL and KHUSHBOO. In this case, the story fails to grab your attention from the very start. In fact, confusion prevails all through this misadventure, so much so that there’re times when the viewer is forced to ask the person seated next to him: How did that happen? Or what was that?

The love story is completely lifeless and the train yatra is anything but enjoyable. The adventure in the jungles [where the couple bumps into a Veerappan look-alike] is equally sad. If the intention was to add a dash of thrill or adventure to the goings-on, sorry, it falls flat. Or if the intention was to raise a few laughs, sorry again, it’s anything but funny.

The 7-day fast undertaken by one of the leads in the concluding reels in equally phika. Are we living in the 21st century? Why is the screen writing so regressive in Hindi movies? Prior to that, the viewer learns that one of the leads has passed away and you actually fall off your seat. Ab yeh twist kahan se aaya?

Director Anil Devgan is off the mark this time. Frankly, his RAJU CHACHA and BLACKMAIL appear as classics when compared to this one. Music is the only saving grace. Every track has been filmed on a panoramic locale and acts as an eye candy. Cinematography [Rajeev Ravi] is efficient.

Nakuul Mehta may subconsciously be inspired by SRK, but you don’t mind it. In all fairness, he’s very confident, a bundle of energy and knows his job well. His expressions are perfect at all times. Adhyayan Suman definitely deserved a better launch. What’s he doing in this film? He has the talent, which, unfortunately, hasn’t been channelized at all in this misadventure.

Amita Pathak is a fine actor, no two opinions on that. But there’s a problem. She looks too plump and her makeup makes her look mature. Very frankly, she looks much better in real life than on screen.

On the whole, HAAL-E-DIL is a complete dil-breaker. This one’s gonna sink at the box-office!






MOVIE REVIEW MERE BAAP PEHLEY APP




On the whole, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP is enjoyable in parts — an entertaining first hour, a not-too-entertaining second hour. At the box-office, it’s at best an average fare. However, the prospects should improve if the makers trim the film from 2.40 hours to 2.10 hours.

The name Priyadarshan is synonymous with comic fares. It instantaneously conjures up images of several entertaining films he has attempted over the years. Naturally, you expect his new outing MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP to be a joyride as well. Even the promos of the film, beamed round the clock on TV, give an impression that it’s a laugh-riot.

Sure, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP has its share of light moments that make you chuckle, even break into laughter, but it’s not a laughathon from start to end. From the interval point onwards, right till the finale, the focus shifts to drama, making the goings-on serious at times.

One factor that goes against the film is its length. The concept is truly novel — for the Hindi screen at least — but how one wishes Priyan would’ve controlled its length. Movies of 2 to 2.15 hours duration are fine, but 2.40 hours [add to it the promos of new films, plus interval makes it a 3-hour outing] is strictly no-no in today’s times. Priyan should’ve brought down the length for sure!

Despite hiccups, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP has endearing moments that work to its advantage. In a nutshell, it had the potential to rise to the level of GARAM MASALA, BHAGAM BHAG and BHOOL BHULAIYA, but it eventually ends up being an average fare!

Janaradhan [Paresh Rawal] has spent his life bringing up his two kids, Chirag [Manoj Joshi] and Gaurav [Akshaye Khanna]. Now when the duo has grown up, Gaurav takes up the responsibility of his father. They both manage the household chores and their business to the best of their abilities. Though he is the younger son, he treats his father like his son. Gaurav shouts, threatens, fights, even locks up his father occasionally so that his prankster-friend Madhav [Om Puri], who is desperate to get married, does not spoil him.

Madhav and Janaradhan, who are always in search of a bride for Madhav, forever land up in trouble and every time Gaurav has to bail them out and face the embarrassment.

Gaurav starts getting prank calls from a girl who turns out to be his old college friend Shikha [Genelia D’Souza]. Shikha is staying with her guardian Anuradha [Shobhana], who happens to be Janardhan’s first love.

Gaurav and Shikha notice changes in Janaradhan and Anuradha’s behaviors when they come face to face after many years. They come to know about their past. Now Gaurav wants his father to get married to his lost love. Of course, the path is not so smooth, there are obstacles.

MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP begins really well. Om Puri’s roving eye, Paresh Rawal’s timid nature, Om and Paresh’s encounter with lady cop Archana Puransingh — the sequences are truly very enjoyable. But Genelia’s constant calls to Akshaye, though meant to be equally interesting, fall flat; they hardly evoke any mirth.

The twist in the tale — when Paresh spots Shobhana — increases your anxiety and you look forward to a gripping tale in the second hour. But it’s a mixed bag again. Agreed, people may scoff at the idea of a 60 + man wanting to get married, even though his son [of marriageable age] is a bachelor, but it could’ve been presented more convincingly. Here, the writer is at fault. The Naseeruddin Shah track in the finale is fine, but his bowing down to Akshaye in a fraction of a minute is difficult to digest.

Directorially, Priyan knows the craft well, no two opinions on that, but he needs to judiciously trim the film by at least 30 minutes for a stronger impact. Vidyasagar’s music is a major disappointment. Barring the title track, which runs on the end credits, the other tracks are strictly okay. Piyush Shah’s cinematography is excellent and the stunning locales of Kerala act as icing on the cake. Dialogues deserve special mention. Some of the lines are truly well penned. Editing is the weakest link of the enterprise.

Both Akshaye and Paresh live their roles, though there’s a possibility that a section of the audience may not really like the son bossing over his father. Acting-wise, Akshaye is, as always, very much with the character, essaying his part with incredible ease. Paresh gets a solid role yet again and he sinks his teeth into it. Again, a job well done!

Genelia looks fresh and pairs off well with Akshaye. She leaves a mark. Om Puri is lovable and a major asset for this movie. Archana Puransingh is excellent. Rajpal Yadav is wasted. Ditto for the powerhouse of talent, Shobhana. She deserved a better deal. Manoj Joshi is fair. Naseeruddin Shah is effective, as always.

On the whole, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP is enjoyable in parts — an entertaining first hour, a not-too-entertaining second hour. At the box-office, it’s at best an average fare. However, the prospects should improve if the makers trim the film from 2.40 hours to 2.10 hours.











MOVIE REVIEW SUMMER 2007






On the whole, SUMMER 2007 is a good concept gone wrong thanks to too many sub-plots and a really lonnnnnnng running time [close to almost 3 hours]. At the box-office, it has no chances whatsoever!

Quite often, a burning issue that hits front-page news makes it on the Hindi screen as well. SUMMER 2007, directed by Suhail Tatari, also projects a disturbing issue: Farmers committing suicides. The intentions of the film-makers should be lauded. But there’s a hitch… The film does highlight the issue quite effectively [albeit, in patches], but offers no solution to the crisis. Instead, this film focuses on the ‘awakening’ of the careless and carefree youth, a la RANG DE BASANTI.

Besides, Tatari seems to have got swayed by the script, so much so that he doesn’t know when to apply brakes. The film goes on and on and on and on… there’s hardly any respite in the second hour and you actually want to scream, ‘Ab bas bhi karo yaar’. This one’s the lonnnnnnnnnngest 3-hour movie, which tries to pack in so many sub-plots at one go.

But, most importantly, why a title like SUMMER 2007? How does it convey what the film is all about? What is the relevance with the issue it raises?

In a nutshell, SUMMER 2007 has an engaging first half, but goes haywire in the second [marathon] hour. At best it would appeal to a tiny section of intellectuals. There’s no hope otherwise!

Five medical students [Sikander, Gul Panag, Arjan Bajwa, Alekh Sangal, Uvika] represent the urban youth of today. Their lives take a turn when they land up in one of the most deprived villages of Maharashtra. Their rural posting turns into a soul-searching journey where they are forced to confront their own apathy, their own fears.

Before they can flee from there, they get sucked into the whirlpool of currents. Each of the five undergo different kinds of catharsis and in the end, they have to make a choice. Do they leave the mess just as they had found it and get away from there? Or do they choose to get involved?

As mentioned at the very outset, the intentions are right, but the scripting isn’t. The director succeeds in involving the viewer into the lives of the oh-so-cool urban kids, who are far removed from the harsh realities of life. The scenes at the medical college, their tryst with politics, their decision to spend a month in a village in Vidarbha… everything’s going fine in the first hour.

But problems begin to surface in the post-interval portions. The focus shifts from lack of medical facilities in rural India, to the power games money lenders play, to the main protagonist finally proving to be a conscientious citizen. Wait, there’s more! A love story has been woven in the plot and a couple of songs do show up as well, including a nautanki number. And also naxalites!

Director Suhail Tatari should’ve focused on the core issue and in turn, controlled the running time to approx. 2 hours. Also, he could’ve done with a better [and tighter] script. Take these instances: Everyone’s out to save the life of Sachin Khedekar in the end, but what happens to him [when the boat catches fire] is just not revealed. A dying Ashutosh Rana does mention that he’s safe… but how? What happens to the corrupt money lender [Vikram Gokhale] eventually? And why does Sikander surrender to the cops, when the lady cop [Shweta Menon] had already given him a clean chit?

Music is another sore point. Ideally, it should’ve been a songless film. Editing is loose. Either the editor had no say in the matter or he lost all objectivity while editing the film.

To give the credit where’s it’s due, the performances by the entire cast is the saving grace. Sikander is evolving into a fine actor. He’s a complete natural and handles the most complex of scenes with remarkable ease. Gul Panag is efficient. This is one talent who hasn’t got her due in Hindi films. Alekh Sangal springs a pleasant surprise. He’s excellent. Arjan Bajwa enacts his part very well. In fact, he’s so well restrained. Uvika looks photogenic and does a decent job as an actor.

Ashutosh Rana is in top form yet again. Why don’t we see more of you these days, Ashutosh? Vikram Gokhale never gets it wrong and he’s perfect here as well. But a topnotch actor like Prashant Narayanan deserved more footage for sure. Sachin Khedekar is competent. Shweta Menon leaves a strong impression.

On the whole, SUMMER 2007 is a good concept gone wrong thanks to too many sub-plots and a really lonnnnnnng running time [close to almost 3 hours]. At the box-office, it has no chances whatsoever!