Jai Ho… Salman Khan’s Sunny Deol Act

Jai Ho has been the most anticipated movie of 2013 and 2014 as it was announced to be released initially at the end of 2013 by Sohail Khan under the name of “Sher Khan” and later as “Mental”, but the name was finalized as “Jai Ho”. The movie is a remake of Stalin (a Telugu film inspired by “Pay It Forward”). The movie has a lot to offer to the common man “the aam janta”. It has drama, action, romance, comedy, weird songs, Salman’s very own dancing style and bollywood masala.

Jai Ho revolves around Jai Agnihotri (Salman Khan), an ex-army officer who was court-martialed because of his bravery and not following the orders of his superior in command Major Arjun (Suniel Shetty). Jai runs a motor garage and with his friends Babu (Yash tonk) and Sumit (Ashmit Patel) helps the aam janta (the common people) by saving them from the attiyachaar of bad people. Accidently, Jai comes across the malicious politician Dashrat Singh (Danny Denzongpa) and his family of pitiless power-driven scoundrels (Mukul Dev, Sana Khan and Haroon Qazi). Rest is the usual story of good winning over the evil.

The best thing about Jai Ho is that it has a cast which viewers would see after a hiatus. Even for brief roles some big names of their times have been casted. Like Sharad Kapoor, Mukul Dev, Aditya Panscholi, Nauheed Cyrusi, Vikas Bhalla, Tulip Joshi, Genelia Deshmukh, and Sameer Khakar along with Tabu have blessed with roles after a long gap in this film.

After watching Jai Ho, one can easily understand that it’s no one else but Salman Khan who can effortlessly step into the shoes of Sunny Deol. The action sequences shown in Jai Ho are larger than life, the way Salman bhai flies, fights and twists and turns goons in the air can only be matched with the class which Sunny Deol or South Indian movies have.

Jai Ho offers a lesson as well and that is “do good to 3 people in life and ask them to continue this chain”. The concept is theoretically right but practically is as close to as having “ideal gas” in reality.

As far as the performances are concerned, it’s like all Salman Khan movies; a Salman Khan enterprise. He fights likes a tiger and he roars like a lion (which at times sounded quite funny as well). But if you are a die-hard fan of Salman bhai it is digestible, something of similar idiocy would have caused a lot of giggles in the cinema halls – if it would be someone else. Tabu is like always, composed, effective and effortless. She sparks wherever the high voltage scenes demanded the flash. Denny is perfect in his character and leaves an impact. Daisy Shah dances really well and looks gorgeously sexy in all the songs. Nadira Babbar (Salman’s mom) overacts and is very loud. There isn’t much for Aditya Panscholi but he has strong screen presence and his expressions are worth noticing. Mukul Dev is remarkable, so is Haroon Qazi (debut).

Sameer Khakar (the drunkard) has returned to the celluloid after a very long time. He gives a noteworthy performance. This actor should be given more roles (Parinda was one of his finest movies). The kid portraying Salman’s nephew Naman Jain is a natural talent, this is his forth movie (after Chillar Party, Raanjhana and Bombay Talkies) and he is simply a sweetheart. Santosh Shukla (Manik) leaves a mark. Sudesh Lahiri manages to bring smile on audiences’ faces. Pulkit Samrat adds freshness and delivers a very calculated performance.

If you are planning to watch this movie then leave your brain at rest and imagine you are going to watch a movie with a lot of dhishoom-dhamakas / fight sequences, flying bikes, one man beating up the entire nation.

Jai Ho is literally a new-age version of “One Man Army” and a tribute to Sunny Deol’s “Dhhai Kilo ka haath”.

I rate it 3 out of 5 on the basis of performances, Salman-power and some emotional scenes.

This post was initially posted at Express Tribune's Blog, under my name.

CLUB 60 – Movie Review: Life is meant to be LIVED and not PASSED!

It takes a great team to showcase a film that is fully equipped with great script, screenplay, amazing idea, and loaded with some extra-ordinary performances. Club 60 is among those films for sure. It’s embarrassing for Bollywood to promote senseless cinema on everyday basis and don’t breath a word about a masterpiece that was released 3 to 4 weeks ago. The other movies which released over the last 3 weeks include R.. Rajkumar, Bullet Raja and Dhoom 3. These movies do have star power, huge banners backing them and some out of the world promotional strategies with crores and crores of box office business but unfortunately they all lack in substance.

Club 60 marks the directorial debut of Sanjay Tripathy. He is flawless in his first attempt. With a cast including Farooq Shaikh, Sarika, Tinnu Anand, Raghuveer Yadav, Satish Shah, Sharat Saxena and Zarina Wahab etc. one can only imagine the kind of script this movie has. After all, the mentioned names are considered as institute in themselves.

Club 60 revolves, primarily, around a couple in their early 60’s, Dr. Tariq (Farooq Shaikh) and Dr. Saira (Sarika), who has lost their only son in a terrorist attack executed in USA. The couple decides to move to another city in an apartment. There enters Mannubhai (Raghuveer Yadav), a total fun-loving being. He is one of those individuals who always helps others and keep cracking the jokes irrespective of understanding the nature of time. He insists Dr. Tariq to join “Club 60” a club for senior citizens. In Club 60, Mannu Bhai introduces Dr. Tariq with his gang of friends Sinha (Vineet Kumar), Jaffar Bhai (Tinnu Anand), Dhillon (Sharat Saxena) and Mansukhani ( Satish Shah). The movie is all about the ups and downs that one faces in life right from childhood to old age and understanding the fact that life is meant to be lived than passed.

The narration of the movie is first-rate. The length of the movie could have been shortened to 15 minutes (to the most), including the Sharat Saxena’s pub scene and a song or two. Apart from that this is a perfect movie for those who love genuine cinema with power packed drama, some nice situational comic scenes and above all this movie gives an in-depth depiction of every person’s life in more than many ways. Whether you are in your 20’s or 60’s, this movie will make you glued to your seat with its experience.

As far as performances are concerned, Farooq Sheikh is flawless. After “Listen Amaya”, this is an apt selection of the movie. He portrays multiple emotions with complete ease. Raghuveer Yadav is top-notch. He delivers a marvelous performance and touches ones heart naturally. It was a difficult role but Sarika remarkably slid into it. Her outburst in the post interval and the entire argument is worth a watch. Sharat Saxena and Satish Shah are both lovable. They are the most promising actors right from the days of Kala Pathar and Jaanay Bhi Do Yaro. I seriously hope Tinnu Anand should get back to signing more movies; he impresses a lot in dramatic scenes. Vineet Kumar is good. Warina Wahab, for a scene and a song is nice.

Club 60 is highly recommended for cine-goers who appreciate high quality and high content cinema. I would rate it 4.5 / 5. It’s a must watch!

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag – A Flying Tale of A Flying Sikh

A great movie experience is a combination of many things. It includes a convincing plot, high voltage drama, light moments that stay with viewers even when they leave the theatre, good music, inspirational elements and a few emotional scenes. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” is among those movies which offer all the above mentioned ingredients at par. For those who keep a track of innovative, interesting and path breaking Indian Cinema the name of Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra is the symbol of excellence. Whenever he unfolded his sleeves, movies like “Aks”, “Rang de Basanti” and “Delhi-6” were witnessed by cine-goers. All these movies are distinctive in one way or the other. BMB is nothing different than them. It is a master stroke – without a doubt.

Farhan Akhtar secretes immense talent but no one has, up till Rakeysh Om Prakash, utilized that talent. Farhan’s directorial ventures “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Lakshya” made people realize his credibility as one of the finest directors. As an actor, BMB is his landmark. The way he has carried out his role and portrayed his emotions definitely demand standing ovation.

BMB is based on the journey of great Indian athlete Milkha Singh (also known as Flying Sikh). It is a movie about a boy whose entire family excluding his elder sister was murdered in the riots of Indo-Pak partition and he became a national and international rage back in 1960’s. It is also about the bond between a brother and sister – executed with exceptional detailing. Moreover, the movie is about a blooming romance, some promises with loved ones, emotional fits, flying high yet not leaving the ground by any means and a lot more. In short it’s about the life of Milkha Singh and what he went through.

Performance wise, Farhan Akhtar deserves to be nominated for this movie especially by critics. He is a revelation in BMB. He tackles the most difficult parts with complete ease and effortlessness. His transitions can be easily witnessed and felt by the audience from first scene to the last. Divya Dutta as Milkha Singh’s sister is vibrant, emotional, lovable and above all highly expressive. In 2 of the scenes particularly, she involved the audience to a level by her performance that no one could resist moistening their eyes. This is a performance she will always be reminded of. Sonam Kapoor (as Biro), Meesha Shafi (as Perizaad) and Rebecca Breeds (as Stella) had limited roles but they all performed well in their respective characters.

Pavan Malhotra (as Milkha Singh’s senior) is inspirational and at his peak. This actor is unfortunately most underrated, he needs to be casted in more movies to show-case his vast talent. Yograj Singh as (Milkha Singh’s coach) is just perfect. Dalip Tahil is strictly passable and ditto for Dev Gill (Abdul Khaliq). Art Malik (as Milkha Singh’s father) and Jabtej Singh (as young Milkha Singh) are credible and treat to watch.

Music of this movie is amazing. Arif Lohar’s “Bhaag Milkha”, Sukhwinder Singh’s “Slow Motion Angrezza”, Suhas Sawant’s “Zinda” and Divya Kumar’s “Maston Ka Jhund” are totally different from one another yet are really awesome tracks in all respects. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy’s music is simply amazing for this venture.

Some sequences to lookout for – performance wise:

When Farhan asks from where can he buy the Indian Team’s blazer!

When Divya Dutta meets young Milkha Singh in the camp.

When Farhan insists Divya to wear his blazer – the scene would definitely bring tears to many viewers’ eyes

When Farhan slaps himself repeatedly in the washroom

and a lot more…

On the basis of performance, direction, execution and story-telling I would easily rate this movie 9/10. It’s a must watch for those who celebrates quality and inspirational cinema. A must watch!

"Listen Amaya" - A finest Attempt That Shouldn't Be Missed

It is sad that meaningful cinema is only appreciated when there are known faces or better say star power is associated with it. Have you wondered how many great pieces of arts have you missed just because of the fact that those movies either didn’t had super stars or were not backed by heavy advertisements and marketing. “Listen Amaya” is one amongst those movies. This movie by Avinash Kumar Singh was screened at London Asian Film Festival and what else could it receive other than hoards of appreciation. I recently watched the movie over DVD and for 2 hours I only enjoyed each and every scene of the movie.

“Listen Amaya” revolves around two widowed individuals Jayanat (Farooque Sheikh) and Leela (Dipti Naval) along with her daughter Amaya (Swara Bhaskar).Leela runs a library cum coffee shop, named “Book A Coffee” with her daughter and Jayant is her routine customer, friend, admirer and what not. The story revolves around these three individuals and the complications, self-respect and egos associated with their relationships. The plot is based on very thin line where words don’t need to express anything but emotions do. It is remarkably dealt as well, on screen.

I have grown up watching Dipti Naval’s and Farooque Sheikh’s off beat movies, also known as parallel cinema of early 1980’s. Movies like Chashm-e-Buddoor, Saath Saath, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Katha and Faasle etc. were a complete revelation from mainstream cinema. Coming back to “Listen Amaya”, it simply touches the hearts of audience. There are many sequences where Farooque Sheikh and Dipti Naval express their emotions with extreme ease. Swara Bhasker (Amaya) expresses her uneasiness with flaw. The contradictory personalities can only be show-cased by a seasoned actress. She is another actress to look out for after Tabu, Nandita Das and Vidya Balan.

Music of the movie is very light. The beauty is that all the songs are situational (though movie’s length could have been decreased if the songs would be omitted). Direction is first rate and so is cinematography.

If you are looking forward to watch a simple, easy going, full of mature emotions movies then this one is the perfect one. “Listen Amaya” is all about emotions and performances. It is highly recommended for those who value quality cinema or let me say a meaningful cinema.

I would personally rate it 4/5 on the basis of story line, script, performances and close to reality.

Chashm-e-Buddoor – It’s Peppy, Flamboyant and “David Dhawanish”

It looks like 1980’s back or film makers are now emphasizing more on yesteryears hit movies. Last week it was Himmat Wala and this week it’s Chashm-e-Buddoor. Without much delay, I will come straight to the point. David Dhawan was totally correct when he commented that new Chashm-e-Buddoor is an adaptation of 1981’s Chashm-e-Buddoor. The newer version is dealt differently, thanks to David Dhawan’s mastery in comic movies. The plot is same but the treatment is different. The older version had Farooq Shaikh, Rakesh Bedi, Ravi Basvani, Deepti Naval and Saeed Jaffery in pivotal roles and one could also see an unforgettable scene between Amitabh and Rekha. The latest version has Ali Zafar, Divyendu, Siddharth, Tapsee Pannu and Rishi Kapoor (respectively) in main leads. So, does this Chashm-e-Buddoor really deserve the wish of “Chashm-e-Buddoor”? Let’s find it out!

The story is about 3 friends Siddharth (Ali), Omi (Divyendu) and Jai (Siddhart). Out of them, Omi and Jai are womanizing loafers who tries to flatter new neighborhood girl Seema (Tapsee) but fail drastically. Siddharth, however manages to impress the beauty and they fall for each other. Knowing about their love connection both the friends try to split their relationship by formulating comical ideas and then the story moves ahead.

As far as performances are concerned, Ali Zafar impresses with his decent dance moves and he looks adorable which was the most important ingredient of his character. Divyendu is as usual, though this is his second movie but he has all the guts to carry any comic movie on his shoulders. Siddharth is a revelation. He dances fastest and with effortless ease. As compared to how he performed in “RDB” and “Striker”, this movie showcases his other abilities. Tapsee (a tollywood’s renowned actress but bollywood’s debutant) perfectly solidifies her character.

Rishi Kapoor is a surprise package; it’s hard to overshadow a performer like him. Watch him in “Early Morning” twisting his legs with Ali Zafar, I am sure everyone would have noticed him and only him when the both shared the screen – dance and comedy both are natural to the veteran. Anupamkher is first rate as the teacher and as an army officer he is too loud. Bharati Achrekar is adorable and gives many moments for good laugh – she is a veteran in comic roles too (watch Chambaili Ki Shadi and any episode of Shrimaan Shrimaty). Juhie Chawla appears in a cameo and is really nice to see her.

Songs (as in lyrics) and dialogues (Farhad-Sajid) of the newer version are actual saviors of the movie, music directors, singers and writers need applaud. The background score adopted from “Amar Akbar Anthony” will take those to actual 1980’s era, who used to watch movies of that era.

Some of the scenes which have been adapted from older version are:

A – Miss Chamko’s Visit (though in older version it was sweeter and cute).

B – Flashbacks

C – Kidnapping

D – The Shikaar connection (when Omi and Jai points out Seema, for the first time)

For those who haven’t watched original version of Chashm-e-Buddoor, I highly recommend them to watch that. It’s a classic in itself. The character of Lallan Mian (Saeed Jaffery) has been modified in newer version as Uncle Joseph (Rishi Kapoor) but I still think a major softness has been missed out.

David Dhawan needs no gimmicks when it comes to comic movies; he has an astounding track record of blessing his audience with a kind of cinema that is both criticized by many but at the end of the day is loved by everyone no matter how decent the audience gets. 

I rate this adaptation 7/10 - entertainment wise.

Himmat Wala - A Tribute To Amitabh and Not To Jetendra

Before reviewing the new Himmatwala, allow me to introduce you with some facts related to 1983’s Himmatwala. K. Raghavendra Rao’s Himmatwala (1983) was an experimental film, in which he signed a sinking mega-star of early 1980’s Jetendra, whose movies were drowning deeply at the box office back in those days. Similarly, Sridevi was signed because of limited budget as she was planning to leave the industry because of constant flops. On the contrary, Kader Khan, who used to play negative roles, was also not getting any movies. The concept of remakes of south Indian movies was also fresh at that period of time. So, all in all, it was their hard work and commendable script with astounding performances which made Himmatwala a fare that not only started the team (Jetendra, Sridevi, Kader Khan, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor and Asrani) to launch numerous block-busters but also gave a reason to copy it even after 3 decades.

Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala is a literal copy of the original Himmatwala. Although, he has mentioned at many platforms that his movie has a few elements of the original one but if you see the original movie, dialogues, character names, scenes and at places background score have also copied from it. There are minor amendments which add no weight to the movie.

If Sajid Khan says that this particular movie is a tribute to 1980’s cinema then he should rephrase it as a tribute to the “Young Angry Man” of 1980’s Amitabh’s movies. The reason to quote this is that 5 action scenes from this movie reminded me of Amitabh’s movies.

A – Title Track reminded me of Shan’s “Pyar Karnewalay Pyar Kartay Hain Shaan Se”, filmed on Parveen Babi.

B – Cage fight of Ajay Devgan made me recall Amitabh’s cage fight from Naseeb.

C – The scene where Ajay Devgan holds the dagger from sharp end while saving his sister from “Dhanna”, reminds me of the scene from “Kaala Patthar” where Amitabh did the same with a character named “Dhanna” (played by Ashok Saxena).

D – The much talked about tiger fight again makes me recall Amitabh’s tiger fight from “Khoon Pasiina”.

E – The fight sequence just before the song “Bump Pe Laat” where Ajay converses in 5 different languages with goons gives me a vivid remembrance of a similar scene from Amitabh’s “Laawaris”

Anyways, the plot is similar and it tells a story of a malicious Sarpanch Sher Singh (Mahesh Manjrekar) who defames Ravi’s (Ajay Devgan) father to an extent where he commits suicide and his family suffers a lot of pain. Years after, Ravi returns to take revenge from Sarpanch.

I am a fan of 70’s and 80’s movies, this was the mere reason why I chose to watch the new Himmatwala but experience was nothing but sheer pain. First of all, Ajay looks totally misfit for the role; he failed to pass the wittiness which Jetendra portrayed in his style. His “Atta Maajhi Sattakli” style has now stuck to him – its time to come up with something original and much entertaining. Mahesh Manjhrekar is a very talented actor but he looks cheap and acts loud in this fare. Even he failed to meet Amjad Khan’s comical expressions and terrifying persona. Adhyayan Suman as Shakti does not even come close to Shakti Kapoor in a single scene. Tamanna Bhatia (a renowned and successful Tamil actress) has screen presence but when it comes to performing, she needs to focus on that.

The only character that stands out (to some extent) in the movie is Paresh Rawal (enacting the role of Kader Khan). He manages to copy the appearance and tone of Kader Khan and with his dialogues, his earnest attempt is visible in every scene. Asrani is the only actor who has appeared in both the Himmatwalas but in the newer version he is wasted. Ritesh Deshmukh appears in a cameo and he is as usual – typical. Zarina Wahab is efficient.

It’s saddening that this film has great performers and super stars but even then the film failed to create a magic at the box office.

If you really want to get heavy dose of entertainment watch the original one.

Rating 3.5 / 10

P.S: This Movie Review Has Also Been Published At Express Tribune Under My Name.

Jolly LLB - Movie Review

Movies based on judicial system and courtroom dramas have always been admired by cine-goers. It’s not just because of the fact that audience love their favorite actors and actresses in black gowns, it’s merely because most of the courtroom scenes are penned exceptionally. For instance we have huge list of some amazing courtroom scenes from movies like Damini, Meri Jung, Andha Qanoon, OMG Oh My God, Geraftar, Veer Zaara, Shaurya, Maine Gaandhi ko nahin Maara and Aitraz etc. In same list Jolly LLB also falls. It is based on a real life case with a few amendments.

Subhash Kapoor, a talented entertainer, brings Jolly LLB in front of his viewers as a comical fare but in reality it is a serious movie with light hearted and situational comedy. Like his earlier movie “Phhans Gaye Re Obama”, Jolly LLB also deals with day to day life experiences which one comes across. The strongest points of this movie are first rate acting, great script and simplicity.

The plot of the movie is simple; Jolly (performed by Arshad Warsi) a suffering lawyer, leaves Meerut and arrives in Delhi in search of more cases and professional growth. Luckily he bumps into a case which was hyped by the media and won by Rajpal (Boman Irani) who only manages high profile clients with surety to win the case. Jolly, to earn fame, files PIL against the same case and his life turns after that.

As far as the performances are concerned, in this movie everyone excels and shines no matter how large or small he has been projected. Arshad Warsi stands out undeniably. For those who have only seen him as “circuit” from Munna Bhai MBBS, and missed out Saher, this movie reminds them that he is an equally talented actor when it comes to serious and performance oriented roles. It is good to see that he is now trying to sign movies which offer him different kind of roles, like previously released Zilla Ghaziabaad. 

Boman Irani is like water, every character that is assigned to him, he manages to perform it with comfort and flawlessness. His character demanded to be portrayed as egotistical, cunning and bullish lawyer, to which he lived up to expectations. 

Saurabh Shukla (as Sunderlal Tripathy) amazes again. He is one finest actor who never runs after for every role that is offered to him. In this movie there are plenty of scenes where he shows his viewers that he is not less than any accomplished and finest actors of the industry. In scenes where he is silent, his expressions speak. On the contrary, the way he performs his dialogues is outstanding.

Amrita Rao (as Sandhya) has a small role but when it comes to dramatic enactment of any scene, she has always excelled, ditto for this movie. Ramesh Deo (one of the veterans – I remember his “Anand”) is first rate, though he only has 2 – 3 scenes in the movie but impactful. Brijendra Kala as advocate and Sanjay Mishra as Hawaldaar Ram Gopal Verma are good, same for Mohan Agashe.

Jolly LLB has great screenplay and dialogue, kudos to Subhash Kapoor for maintaining his command over these departments. “Ajnabi” and “Makhna” are two songs which stand out and are easy to hum.

 
Rating: 8/10

P.S: I Published This Movie Review Initially  At Express Tribune's Blog.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - A Dull Fare

Yash Chopra (Late) has always been the name of romantic, passionate and dramatic cinema. From “Waqt” (as a director) and “Daagh” (as a producer) he has always shown the best attempt in terms of providing quality cinema; the main part of which has always been detailing. His last attempt “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” was unfortunately not as detailed as his movies like Deewar, Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila and Lamhe etc. Even in later years his movies like Dil toh Pagal hai, Kaabul Express and Hum Tum were worth watching again and again. But when it comes to “Jab Tak Hai Jaan”, no one will want to see this movie for a second time – unless they are diehard fans of Shahrukh Khan. 

JTHJ is a story of love and faith. The storyline is definitely something which audiences have seen many times before. JTHJ is a story about two love birds, Shahrukh Khan (Samar Anand) and Katrina Kaif (Meera) who meet in London and fell in love. Later, Meera leaves Samar for his well-being. Samar returns to India, joins Indian Army and becomes a Major in Bomb Defusing Squad. After 10 years of his service he meets Anushka Sharma (Akira), a budding TV reporter and she falls in love with him immediately. The story then moves on and takes a different route and Shahrukh and Katrina meet again. I won’t disclose the rest of the story. It’s not exactly a typical romantic triangle but even then it has its moments. 

Like all my reviews, I am never interested in the box office standing of any movie. Similarly, I am not concerned with the 15 – 17 crores earned by the movie every day after its release. What matters is the combination of a few factors like script, performances and music. As far as the music of the movie is concerned it’s not the usual A.R. Rahman thing. After “Rockstar”, fans of Rahman were expecting something much better. Ditto for Gulzar’s lyrics – something was quite amiss. 

As far as the performances are concerned, it is obvious that Katrina and Anushka stood out whereas the senior lead took the back seat. Katrina is a stealer; she is improving with every movie, undoubtedly. She has all the potential to lead the list of Yash Chopra’s “perfect women. She has both elegance and sensuality which is evident on screen. I am sure that in every scene where she shares screen with Shahrukh, the major audience could not keep their eyes off her and didn’t notice SRK. Anushka is a competent talent and has always proved to be a performer. In JTHJ she is lovable and performs amazingly well. All her scenes are worth watching. It’s a sure award winning performance – in “character actor’s category”. 

Let’s come to the so called “God of Love” SRK. If you have seen him in “Kal Ho Na Ho” and “Chak De India” then you can easily recall the repetition of his looks, acting style and role. As an actor he is still standing at the same place. Its time for SRK to take some serious roles which are performance oriented rather than oozing his boyish charms. He has already passed that age, ages ago. He really tries hard to look a young guy in JTHJ. He is sharing the same stage which Amitabh shared back in early 90’s and acted as “Young Angry Man” – in case of SRK its “Romantic Boy”. For those, who named SRK as “God of Love” have definitely missed Rajesh Khanna’s movies. 

Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh in guest appearances mark their presence. Rishi (Chintu) still has screen presence and when he shared screen with SRK, with no dialogue of either, you can’t help but notice Rishi’s cuteness. Anupamkher is efficient and same for Sarika.

The technical drawbacks of the movie are listed as under – due to which it has lost the weight:

Shahrukh joined army at the age of 28 or 29 (technically) which is totally baseless. 27 is the maximum age to join Indian Army, even that in special cases (after passing some exams).

The moments shot between Anushka and SRK in Jammu were hard to believe as its not professionally possible for a serious officer / major to hug and get personal with a TV reporter. 

Within a few days SRK’s memory is back. Strange!

Rating: 3/5

Heroine – Are Critics Mad?

P.S. Let me clarify a few things first! I am not a Kareena Kapoor’s (aka Bay Bow’s) fan or even an admirer of her Zero Image! i.e. “Size Zero Figure”. The last movie of hers which I liked was “Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai”.

After hearing it from different friends and colleagues and reading from some of my gurus and friends from “Blogging fraternity” I was convinced that apart from Kareena Karoor, there is nothing much in the movie to watch! And this might be the reason why I planned to watch it, to see how good has she evolved as an actress and has she really stopped her “hamming style” and “oh so sexy pouting looks”.

Anyways, I was surprised! Not by the movie but by the people whom I used to consider sensible and critically sound when it comes to movie making and Hindi Cinema. This is amongst the very well made movie of the current times. I agree to the fact that the movie has nothing much to offer subject wise or story wise but when it comes to direction, dialogues and acting. It is really an impressive attempt by Madhur Bhandarkar, who does not need any introduction.

There is not much to tell about the story of the movie. It’s simple yet predictable. People initially also related “Heroine” with Angelina Jolie starrer “GIA – 1998” but that’s not the reality at all.

Let me quickly get back to the reason why I am attempting to write this “kind of review” for “Heroine”. First – To all those people, critics and cine-goers, who think that this movie has nothing but Kareena Kapoor, please get yourself seriously treated. There is a huge list of amazing performers who stole the show and performed astoundingly. Arjun Rampal is a volcano of talent if utilized properly. Right from the days of “Moksh” he has the ability to perform complicated roles. And this time he is over the top, his outburst after the party where Kareena insults his wife is natural. The other scene stealer is Randeep Hoda. This guy is a surprise factory – watch him interacting with Kareena in the party where he makes the move and then watch him breaking up with Kareena. Spell bounded. Sanjay Suri is always adequate with his eyes and expressions when it comes to any role! The guy must be offered more roles! He will surprise you in post interval with his tone, looks and authoritative style.

The best part of the film is when Kareena goes to Ranbir Shorey. That scene is amazingly shot. Ranbir Shorey as “Tappan Da” is flawless. He comfortably reminds of those self made Bengali directors who ruled the Hindi cinema back in late 70’s and early 80’s, crisp, blunt and appreciative. Shahana Goswami is great in small but strong appearance. The aftermath of her and Kareena’s encounter is amazingly shot and acted! Divya Dutta is getting type-actress! But here she performs really well. Govind Namdev as “Rashid Bhai” doesn’t have much dialogues but you can feel his presence with his expressions. Helen’s scenes will show simplicity and experience of a veteran. The other scene which is the highlight of the movie is when Shahana takes Kareena to a brothel with her. The communication which takes place there simply tell the real world of those “red light” alleys. Smartly penned

Last but not the least Kareena has really performed well. She looked psycho, hot, manipulating, simple and broke. After all, whole film rested upon her shoulders so she had to perform apart from flashing her skin, which she did quite well.

Niranjan’s dialogues are clap worthy. Screenplay is strong. In a way Heroine is a combination of different scripts of Madhur Bhandarkar’s earlier releases like Chandni Bar, Page Three and Fashion. But all in all a nice entertaining fare!

Rating:  6.5/10 (on the basis of performance)