Movie Review : Well Done Abba - Really... Well Done !

 Genre : Comedy (Satire)

Shyam Benegal, the veteran director, the multi-national award winner is back and how ! Welcome to Sajjanpur was just a sign of things to come. Well Done Abba is another delightful film. It's the quaint little, feel good, light hearted movie which also enlightens you about the extent of corruption in the system. Much like "Office Office" it gives you an insider look on the way the officials rob the poor in a humorous way.

It's about this poor driver, who returns to his village to get his daughter married and how he falls into the vicious trap of getting a free well dug in his compound with the help of a lot of corruption! According to a scheme by the government, if you fall under the poverty line, you can get a grant to dig a well in your compound. The poor man, is lured into this mix by the husband of the sarpanch, and the first half revolves around how on every step the officials rob him off his grant. After paying off all of them, he doesn't have money enough to dig a well. The second half deals on how he goes about getting back at his officials.

The music in the movie by Shantanu Moitra is just about bearable. Simply because its not that important! But apart from this everything is awesome. 

Boman Irani is the life of the movie. He doesn't put a single step wrong in his portrayal of a Andhraite. His lingo, mannerism are perfect. This is what sets him apart from most actors today. He is probably the most versatile actor in Indian Cinema today. He plays the 2 roles in this film - of a hard working driver and his rogue brother, to perfection. The surprise package is Ila Arun., who plays the ratty- chatty wife of the rogue brother with perfection. Overall, the ensemble cast, full off good actors, is good. Minissha Lamba is sincere in her portrayal of the daughter of the protagonist and Sameer Dattani also does a good job. 

What is awesome in this satire is the writing. Some of the sequences and the dialogues in this movie are really hilarious. The movie does stray a bit in the middle and you might get thinking where this film is leading, but when you are walking out of the theater you have had a lot of fun and are going out with a feel good factor. And this is the plus point of the movie. Plus, it doesn't have any expectations to overcome. So if you ignore  the length, meanderings in the screenplay and a bit of an overdose of social messages, this film works.

I would recommend this film for a pleasant weekend watch. Well Done Shyamba! Atleast you give opportunities to good actors and make delightful little films which are not pretentious.

Rating : 6 / 10

Movie Review : 3 Idiots - Oye Jingle Bell Jingle Bell...Dont you worry, All is well....

If you do not know or have not noticed, I must tell you first that I am an Aamir Khan "pankha". So this review may be biased. After the All Brawn No Brain - Ghajini , he is back - and how !! Saalaa deta nahi Mauka... maarta rehta hai Chauke pe Chauka...If I have gone overboard or judged this movie unfairly, I would really like you guys to give me your take on it and correct me. Sometimes Bias clouds analysis.

Stand up and applaud for this fellow - "Raju Hirani". His movies might go overboard sometimes in driving down the point, but then they are so good-hearted and firmly routed in amazing comedy, that you have to appreciate it and you come out the theater having this really Good feeling. You have been given a lesson in life ( a takeaway) but you have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Raju Hirani's talent for a writing brilliant screenplay and dialogues, plus creating amazing charcters were clear in Munnabhai. 3 Idiots may not have as strong characters but then it still manages to give you a few gems.

3 idiots has a message and that message is something I have been living with for the last year - "Follow your heart, follow your dreams. There is no point doing something you do not want to do." And maybe thats why it connected to me so instantaneously. Its about a group of engineers who have a dreamer among them. And the way his non-conformism influences their life and urges them to follow their passion, their dream. Yes, the movies story has been inspired by "Five Point Someone" but Raju has given it a totally filmy twist, so that the screw of the message really pins deep in your mind. Apart from his fascination with "Chaddi's" I really dont have any issues with Raju's comedy - but then everyone has a fetish :).

There are moments that are hillarious beyond words, some over the top where you go Kuch Bhi, but then you are so enveloped by the FEEL GOOD factor that you do not mind those. Things like cinematography, screeplay - though top notch, do not matter much. The music suits the film and the background score enhances the feel.

Having such brilliant actors makes your job easy. Initially you find it a little difficult to believe a 44 year old man playing the role of a teenager, but as time goes by you do not mind it. Infact Aamir's Rancho wins you completely. Madhavan and Sharman carry off thier roles with equal panache. Boman Irani has a subdued character and he makes it totally believable. Kareena is just another entity in the film ! But there is a guy worth a special mention and that is "OMI" who plays Chatur. As the "Gas Emitting English Muttering By Hearting Rat Racing Scholar"  he is brilliant. He enacts one of the most hillarious sequences in this movie.

Finally after the rut in Bollywood, here is a movie that is not only endearing but enjoyable; suitable for classes, and the masses. I may go digging into the logic of a few things in this movie like why have such old actors as teenagers? why doesnt the principal rusticate the students for huge crimes when in real life students are kicked out for less? some idiotic Chaddi sequences! , but its so firmly connected to me right now I cannot find those faults. Thats the difference between an extraordinary Avatar and this film - that emotional connect. Thank you Raju, first for Munnabhai and now for these 3 idiots.

Soch kya rahe ho? Throng the theaters... jingle bell, jingle bell.... enjoy your holidays, coz all is well.....

Rating : 8 / 10

Koi Zara raju ko bole mujhe assitant rakhlega !!! itna achcha achcha likha bhi maine :P

added later : On the same scale Munnabhai MBBS would be around 10 / 10 (a near perfect film) and Lagey Raho Munnabhai 9 / 10...

Movie Review : Quick Gun Murugan - Watch it, I say...

Genre : Comedy

You must have heard a lot about QGM. This movie is doing quiet well throughout the country and its not just hype. QGM is hysterically witty in parts and will keep you in splits. Now, lets look at what works and what doesnt in the movie.

What works:

1)The writers have sketched out the most outrageous characters seen in recent years. QGM, as we all know, is not a recent invention and has been a widely loved character. Rajendra Kumar plays this character flawlessly. The others like Gun Powder, Rice plate Reddy, Rowdy MBA have been sketched out beautifully. What I really liked about this film is that the characters though outrageous go about their duty seriously. Though the characters are a joke, the acting isnt. Specially Rice Plate Reddy the main villian. His character is a mean bugger to the core. You can feel the evil and the character never goes over the top.

2) The art direction, costumes, visual effects : The movie has been planned out beautifully. From the sets, to the costumes everything looks really authentic and no cost has been spared. The product looks like a rich one. Even the visual effects have been done beautifully.

3) The background score/music : The background score is as witty as the dialogues. Watch the flashback song between QGM and his locket lover and you will know what I mean.

4) Finally the dialgoues : The dialogues take the cake and will keep you in splits throughout.

All of these keep the first half of the film quiet enjoyable.

What doesnt :

1) The second half suffers from the weight of expectations it builds in the first half. The story loses pace and drags. The writer seems to have run out of imagination when he leaves his southern territory (beautifully captured in the first half) and comes to Mumbai.

The second half has only a few memorable dialogues and moments and hence you seem to be losing your patience as the shenanigans become repetitive. So the story, screenplay lacks the punch in the second half.

Overall this movie is a brave attempt, but might leave you with mixed feelings. A strong second half would have catapulted it to iconic status. Unfortunately it remains a brave attempt by the director Shashank Ghosh,who must get a decent applause. Good clean fun, filled with witty lines and quirky characters. I would suggest, if you havent seen it , go and see this film for its vivid imagination. Love it or Hate it, you simply cannot ignore it... Watch it I say...

Rating : 6 / 10

Movie Review - Aagey Se Right - In the Right direction but not exactly...

Genre : Comedy

Some movies are made to be full timepass entertainers, where you keep your brains aside and enjoy because the director has done all the thinking for you. This is one such movie.

"Aagey se right" is a whacky caper focussed on 2 guys. 1 - Shreyas Talpade - a newly recuited sub inspector, who misplaces his gun and keeps getting into one ugly situation after another because of it. 2 - K.K. Menon - who is a terrorist come on a mission but forgets his mission when he loses his heart to a bar dancer!

2 hours long, this movie is hillarious in parts and trying too hard in parts. It does succeed in entertaining you with some wild imagination. Its kind of a spoof where the humour is loud. But the whackiest of all is KK Menon's character. Once he falls in love, he tries to learn the Mumbaiyaa lingo and his mix of Urdu and Bhindi (Bambaiya Hindi ) is hillarious. Shreyas Talpade as the tame new recruit is brilliant in parts and just runs overboard in some , just like the movie. The movie is made out of goofy characters and more goofy situations. No story as such, just a line! hence 2 hours is more than enough, because the director just wouldnt know what to do next after that. Infact could have been even better in 1 and half hours :) No need for songs actually.

The Music is just a conduit to take the story forward and nothing to write home about. But overall the movie is written to be completely whacky and if you watch it in that sense, you will certainly not go home dissapointed. Aagey se right is the kind of movie me and my friends used to think of making, coz its humour is very much the kind we like, you know "The Austin Powers" humour, though not in the same league :)

One thing is for sure, the movie is written to be exactly what it turned out, so thumbs up to the newbie director Indrajit Nattoji for the same. The shortcomings are in the script.

If you have nothing else to do this weekend, I suggest "Aagey se right" lekar visit the theater for this movie. Tashreef rakhneka,,, Timepass karneka....sochneka nahi...

Rating : 5 / 10

CC2C: Another Akki mindless crapper but this time fails to impress

I m writing this review on behalf of my parents who just saw CC2C today. They aren't so net-savvy, so i thought i will play their nice beta and write their view of the film. I m trying to be as exact (in meaning) as possible.

CC2C fails to impress. First half is better than the second one since its more of comedy. Second half is all dishoom-dishoom. The village & the great Wall of China are the two
Chinese places shown in the movie. Akshay as usual satisfies with his comics. Deepika fights well.

The story is a bit difficult to digest. Long film. Music isn't good. Finally, CC2C cannot match up Welcome & Sinngh iss Kinng.

My comments: Akki bhai, i think u are over doing the comedy bit. I ain't talking abt your acting. But the type of movies. U need to re-invent. I am hoping dat your upcoming film called 'Blue' would do the trick for you. But again in this year, u are coming with another punjabi comedy.
Anyways, if SRK can do his stuff again & again & again & again & again & again...then u too hav the right to do ur stuff again & again & again & again & again..

Movie Review: The president is coming.... A mad mad caper

Genre : Comedy

Rating: 5.5/10

My Say : A madcap caper worth watching…

 

First I would like to applaud Rahman for winning the Golden Globe. Surely, this time an Oscar is coming Home!!!

The President is coming, is one of those over the top comedies that strive on being insane. It’s a parody and is actually adapted from a play. President Bush, is visiting India and he wants to shake the hand of a young Indian. So, the consulate sets up a team of 2, to interview and select a suitable candidate. The finalists are called into a room and are taken through a set of tests, to determine the winner. These tests are as silly as they can get.

The dialogues range from witty to puerile ala Bushistic to downright crass!!! The characters represent the diversity of India aptly, from the Desi chauvinist to the American wannabe. From the poor little rich girl to the gay who tries hard to flirt with girls. It also has the patent Gujju bhai Stocks ka Sher!

 

Though parts of it are totally nonsensical, it manages to keep you entertained. This is a MAD film and you should watch it with that mindset and I am sure you will enjoy. Plus, you get all the wonderful Bushisms to keep you laughing your heads off!! This madcap caper is surely worth watching….

Dil Kabaddi - Dubbed Hollywood Movie

I read the review by Prabal on the same site before watching the movie. I am writing my review as it is way different from his.

This movie is a one of the better movies made on relationships compared to the bollywood dramas like Salaam-e-ishq.

The movie talks about the splitting of a married couple, Samit(Irfan Khan) and Mita(Soha Ali Khan). Their friends Rishi(Rahul Bose) and Simi(Konkana Sen)who first try to convince them to stay married and underline the unethical reason for splitting the marriage soon brings all the same complications and insecurities to their own relationship and end up splitting.

Yes splitting and remarrying, dating and dumping and living-in is not casual in Indian society. Actually this movie is a rip off from Woody Allen’s movie "Husbands and Wives". You will be able to understand it much better if you see it as a dubbed Hollywood movie.

Konkana Sen performs outstandingly as the "passive-aggressive" character. Irfan Khan rocks as his portal of not so intellectual husband to an intellectual wife. His Comic timing is impeccable. Soha Ali Khan, Rahul Bose and Rahul Khanna also perform well.

This movie is a brilliant portrayal of mismatch of sensibilities in marriage. But anyone who has seen the original will say three cheers for Woody Allen and not for Anil Senior

My Rating: 3/5

Dil Kabaddi

Rating 4/10

I just happened to see Dil Kabbadi yesterday, without any prior plan.

I didn’t go with much hopes, but the starcast, especially Rahul Bose, Konkana Sen and Irfan indicated it’s a must watch movie.

Also, I had an inclination that this must be comedy with some adult content.

But, after seeing it and prior to it Dostana, I must say Indian Censor Board has really loosened up.

I was sitting adjoining to one family, thinking that what impression these sort of movies will have on kids. And, I think they understood my thought, and left during the interval.

It’s a pure time pass movie, without any message for the audience.

Movie Review: Dasvidaniya - Add it to your "TO DO" list...

Rating: 6.5 /10

My Say: A thing to do.....deserves a watch...

The plots simple, the movie too. Simple but touching. Its has some truly touching scenes and thats what makes this movie immensely lovable.

The completely hackneyed storyline is about a man who realises that he has very little time to live and hence creates a list of things to do before he says goodbye. 

And the movie is about how he goes about fulfilling his tasks. So far, so simple. But the treatment of the scenes, the dialgoues and the characters used in the film are the reasons that make it so good to watch. Vinay Pathak, as the simpleton who has stayed away from all vices in life, yet is facing an early death, is in top form. His repertoire as an actor is completely challenged by this character - but he comes out tops in both the comic as well as the emotional scenes. 

The director sculpts some awesome characters ( the alter ego of the simpleton - Vinay Pathak , the caricaturish boss - Saurabh Shukla, the half deaf mother - Sarita Sharma, surprisingly the old flame - neha dhupia ). All actors have done full justice to their roles. 

There are a few scenes in the film that touch you in a beautiful way and makes you laugh and cry with the protagonist. In one scene Pathak expresses his love for his childhood flame, Neha Dhupia. There is no dialogue in this scene, but it expresses so much. Plus, a few scenes really crack you up with their comic precision. 

The songs are decent (specially the song "Mumma") and the background score scores. Yes, somethings are predictable and somethings unrealistic, but I am certain you wont mind them, because the film is all heart.

So put this on your TO-DO list and I am sure you wont regret it.

Dostana

Rating 3/5

Good Comedy, with traditional plot of both friends falling for same girl, a common friend.

But, all throughout movie I kept on wondering, why it was not censored.
Acting, by all the actors is more than satisfactory. But, nothing special.
I will recommend it as leisure time movie, where you leave your brains before watching it.

Welcome To Sajjanpur

4/10

Hello Friends

I went to see this movie, with great hope.
The story is good, apart from abrupt ending. The acting is good by actors. But, it misses the punch, which legendary movies like 'Chupke-Chupke' has.

The direction is poor, and the story in between at many points seems to change abruptly.

In total, I would say its one time watch, provided you have spare time.

Movie Review : Singh is Kinng... Unabashed Buffonery...

Rating: 4.5/ 10

Mindsets dictate your condition during a movie. Biases dictate your decision. And nobody can deny it. I always say that my reviews are completely biased and my belief was turned into a conviction when I saw this movie. I knew it was a complete mindless entertainment, with the sole intention of entertaining and minting money. So, I went in with expectation of being ravaged by utterly nonsensical antics and you know what, it worked. I was actually able to enjoy it. Its like going to a Mithun film with the sole intention of enjoying and laughing at the most idiotic sequences.

I wanted to actually watch this movie which has catapulted the Kingg Kumar to dizzying box office heights. I wanted to know what is the pulse of this nation, and how the director has his finger firmly on it. It's like the director knows that the audience is a bunch of monkeys, so he has aptly dangled a savoury banana. And the monkeys have made a plunge for it, including me :)

About this film. Nothing much to say. Its about this village idiot who goes to Australia to bring back the shame of their village, a Sradaar Don in Australia. In between he meets his lady love, tried best to hand her over to another guy and eventually wins her. The movie works in some sequences because of the brilliance of Ranvir Shourey, Javed Jaffery and ofcourse , Akshay Kumar. The action sequences suck big time , but some comic dialogues and scenes are hillarious. Overall the movie would entertain you, sometimes irritate you and will not even scratch the surface of your brain. If you havent seen the film and want to, go with an open mind (sans the brain ofcourse). The songs would surely help (they are good). And its not crass comedy, its clean.

I have realised that though there is acceptance for some intelligent, serious stuff, the audience by and large wants to go to the theaters and leave their brains behind. Atleast most of it. Mass audience want to laugh at all costs and Bazmee has hit the jackpot.Haah, take that you pseudo intellectuals... I give up...

A social experiment which is thoroughly successful. A nonsensical film that works.

Movie Review : HANCOCK - Wasted opportunity...

RATING: 4 /10

Normally, I wudnt dare write a review, when Priti ji has already written one (her review). But I have made an exception because I had to say something about this movie. It has made enormous first week collections, but I think things would start going down hill from the next week onwards, cos quiet frankly this movie doesnt work. You would probably come out of the theater wondering how the hell could a director let the movie go so wayyyyy out of hand!

What an amazing plot... A detested super hero.. A Drunkard, egotistical, destructive super-hero, who saves a life of a PR agent, who in turn helps our hero improve his social image. So far so good. But then there is a twist in the story, which makes you feel, the movie is gonna go up a few notches post interval. Unfortunately, it drops to level zero.. Infact, it crash lands...

I have to try really really hard to understand in what hour of utter insanity, did the story writer come up with such a dreadful twist in the storyline! Doesnt work bro! Aboslutely not... Infact it does not even make sense.

Technically, visually the movie is amazing. Will Smith revels as John Hancock and Charlize Theron sizzles on screen. Some dialogues and the comedy in the first half is good. But the main villian of this film is its story! Also, there is no novelty left in the character after this film, so I dont see how this franchise could have a sequel. Its better if we just leave this experiment as a hopeless one and move to better things .. Like the Dark Knight or HULK and Iron man coming together! I specially am hard on this movie because it had enormous potential, with such an amazing character at hand, but they completely goofed it up!

Get Smart

Movie is about an analyst , Maxwell Smart who yearns to be a field agent and when he is made one, in dearth of other field agents. He is not the best but saves the earth with his beautiful partner Agent 99.

It’s an action comedy which is not a spoof. There are more unpredictable scenes then of predictable ones and definitely plenty of reason for a heartfelt laugh. The scene where Max dance, the tree agent, the emotional conquering of bad guy, escape to Los Angeles and the final bow, all makes this cliché movie… special.

Steve Carell gives a great performance, by not attempting to do comedy at any point of time. Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous. Other characters like chief, Bruce, agent 23 make this movie a good comedy.

My Rating: 3.5/5 (I seldom laugh so hard in movie halls)

Hancock : Worth A Watch

A truly different superhero movie. shocked??? How different can be a superhero movie???.
This movie is about a Hancock; a superhero with a bad tongue, alcohol issues and an uncanny habit of irritating people. When he fights crime, government object to the expenses/damages and when he save lives, people tell him better ways to do it. A PR guys come into picture to get him a change of image and deserved respect….

Will Smith rocks and so does Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron. You will watch this movie not for action or laughs but just because it takes you so much by surprise. All batman, superman and spiderman seem forgettable in front of it.

Some people may despise the extra drama added towards the end of this otherwise fun movie…but definitely worth a watch.

My Rating:3/5

The Movie Review - Tashan - The Bhayankar formula for disaster...

Genre : Couldnt decipher...

Rating: 2.5 /10 - yes - nothing can beat AAG.... + some good music

Tashan - the style , the good luck , the bhayankar formula.... booms Anil Kapoor urf Bhaiji ... You wonder, what style? whos good luck? apna toh bad luck hai! and bhayankar formula for what? Disaster.... Thats the only explanation I could phathom. The coaching manuals of "The DONT'S of making a film - could be written from this film alone"..The movie starts in a very Tarentino'ish style and then goes on to dizzying heights of stupidity... The only thing I liked in bits was the screenplay... After watching this movie, I didnt know how to express my feelings, so instead I interviewed the man behind the story, the screenplay, the dialogues and the direction - Mr. Vijay Krishna Acharya i.e. VKA. ( This grossly multi-un-talented person is the KARTA-DHARTA of this film - any public bashings, any dressing downs, any brickbats or any abuses should be hurled and directed solely to this man and no one else)

Me: Why did you make this film? Why oh why? And are you satisfied with it?

VKA: The movie was the culmination of years of research , hard work and perseverense and I love it as much as a father loves his child...

( For the next 5 minutes, I didnt know what to say! Urgh what an ugly baby! Years of hardwork? This guy certainly needs help. He, in the meanwhile, was thinking of his next project, which hopefully would also require years and years of research. atleast 50. Please god please...)

Me: Why do you think people are comparing this movie to the disgrace of the century - AAG?

VKA: I dont mind actually ( yeah right - mind is something , u lack buddy) In a way they are comparing me to a director who has made amazing films like SATYA, SARKAR, RANGEELA.. I am honoured... ( he surely is a beautiful mind , what optimism- ignorance and dumbness surely are bliss!!!)

Me: So how did you come up with the mind numbing storyline, the inane Dialogues, the preposterous action sequences?

VKA: Oh, thanks for the compliments ( Mind Numbing, Inane and Preposterous, were too complex for his brain to decode) But, I do have to thank a lot of people for helping me out in my dream project. I actually saw it in my dream ! ( Nightmare would be more appropriate!!) Then through my research I met some people from UP and came up with the dialogues which have the bhojpuri flavour and the credit for the action sequences lies with Peter Hein ( Jis jiske haath main khujli ho rahi ho - here's another guy you could target )

Me: How did you manage to get this amazing starcast, for this ludicrous movie?

VKA: Ludi-what?? Oh thanks again, I know you mean amazing. (Phew!!) See, Kareena was doing a diet. I told her that we were low on budget, so anyways we wont supply food to our stars, that way you would be forced to starve and have that amazing body. She jumped to the opportunity. Ofcourse Saif came like a buy one get one free offer. Then I told Akshay about hiring Peter Hein and that this was his opportunity to go back to his roots - action + Kareena wasnt charging much (just wanted diet food) and Saif was just happy having same dressing room as Kareena, so I could give Akshay their share of the money aswell... Anil kapoor was the most difficult to hire.. But I told him that his name would come before Akshay Kumar , unlike Welcome... He grabbed on this opportunity with both hands, his legs and his mouth... (Suddenly, I could see some talent... A person who can pull out this coup for such a script has to be given some credit.. )

Me: What were your intentions while making this film? Does it have any message?

VKA: Intentions? ( I told him its the motive - the reason for making the film) Oh Ok... Well, see the idea was simple, but deep. I wanted to show people the condition in the states of Bihar and UP, The lack of education - hence the terrible Hinglish, the presence of gangsters , mafia here.. Most of the people are really suffering because of this. ( You surely were succefuly in making us feel their suffering dude.. We went through a lifetime of misery in your film..)

And in that answer, I thought to myself. How wrong had I been in judging this person. He had achieved exactly what he set out to achieve... I take back my words... This guy should be given an OSCAR..... A must watch for the nobility of its intentions... Torturous but effective!!!

Krazzy4

7/10

Well, I went to this movie with a hope that it will be pure timepass for 40 bucks.

But, it turned out to be much more than that.

I have seen many people trying to make comedy out of seriousness, but this un is other way around, making seriousness out of comedy.

It had all the masala for good movie like awesome comedians like Rajpal Yadav. It had item songs by Rakhi Sawant. It is having two mast dances by Shahrukh and Hrithik.

But, more than that it is having touching feeling of patriotism. It is giving very unique message for masses.

I hope u guys will enjoy the movie.

Review - Mithya - Dissapointing....

Rating 5.5 / 10

"Chane ke jhaad pe chadhaaya, fir wahan se dhakka dey diya" that was the first thought in my mind, when I came out of the theater. My expectations + the good reviews doubled my enthusiasm to see this film and to say that I was more than a bit dissapointed would be an understatement. Ok, it had its moments but overall just an average film with some exceptional scenes.

Mithya - is a story of a struggling actor (Ranvir Shourey) who gets mixed up in a gang-war. And then starts a game of deception, double crossing and elimination. I dont want to disclose the story - written by Rajat Kapur and Saurab Shukla, which has been picked from an old french movie!

The movie has its amazing moments. And they are delivered by our protagonist - Ranvir. His goofy style fits the charcter completely and his attention to detail is also worth appreciating. But alas, he doesnt have the capacity to carry the weight of this film on his wiry shoulders. Neha Dhupia is used like a show-piece and is just about ok. Naseer also has a small role which he does with elan. Other characters just help the movie move forward and are gunned down when required.

But, the movie lacks pace and direction. You wonder where is the story heading. A slow movie is not necessarily a boring one, this was both - in parts. Towards the end you start to wonder what the hell is going on! Ranvir looks goofy even in pain and hence you dont feel his pain. Rajat Kapur has missed a trick or two and this movie could well have been cut to around 1:30 hour ( like Being Cyrus).

If you go to this movie with too many expectations, you might well be as dissapointed as me. It is a nice little movie which is different in its treatment is worth a watch; but I really dont feel its a good movie, its just about above average!

Review - Sunday - Nothin Sunny About this one!

Rating : 3/ 10

Senseless -thats what you would call this one. From the acting , to the direction, to the screen play. Everything is pure nonsense. Rohit Shetty has now had 3 films - the disastorous Zameen, the no-brainer but entertaining Golmaal, and now this Senseless - Sunday.

This film is actually lifted straight from a Telugu film called "Anukokunda oka roju", which I incidentally saw about 4 days ago. That film was extremely engaging and realistic. Only the end was a little too far fetched and there were some glitches here and there. So, when I came to know that Sunday is going to be made on the same script, I was expecting Rohit Shetty to iron out the glitches in the plot and change the ending. He did change the ending, but rather than ironing out the problems, he has destroyed the rest of the film. Literally. You have to see both the films to really understand what I mean.

The film is about this girl who goes to this party one night and when she awakens , she realises that she has missed out on an entire day. She doesnt even remember how she got back home. She is then followed by a mysterious gang and a taxi driver. Both claim to know her, even though she doesnt. She informs the police and then starts the investigationm to find out what consipred on that missing day.

The plot is great, but the treatment is pathetic. The songs are forgettable and the placement ridiculous. Sometimes such movies instigate me to make films. Atleast I could make a film on-par with this stuff. Anyways, in the acting department "Ayesha" who is the central character fails to impress. Ajay Devgan has an Okayish Role, while Arshad Warsi is stale(He needs to introspect and do some different roles for a change). In my view Irrfan Khan tries hard, but fails to tickle your funny bone too much. I dont blame the actors; its the dialogue writer, the script writer, the screen play writer who deserve all the flack. The film is too loose and flawed. Maybe if I would have watched this film before the Telugu flick, I would I been less critical, but when you see how some truly awesome scenes have been murdered by the adapter, you cringe. Watch the Telugu flick if you can. It has some truly amazing comedy scenes and a better and tighter execution. Even the preformances are better.

Rohit Shetty should now try making an original film. Golmaal was also adapted. He basically lacks the vision and talent requisite of his position. He even copies an action sequence from a Telugu film called Pokhiri (which incidentally is an awesome film). He completely lacks originality and when he does try something different it is crappy.

If you get a ticket around 60-70, then and only then venture the cinema halls. That too just to chillax in that environment or with your friends, to enjoy the few laughs that the film has on offer. I cannot say whether this film will flop or not, because box-office reports say WELCOME has grossed well above Taare Zameen Par. If a total B&*$ S#$% film like WELCOME can gross around 110 Crores, then this film can be a Smash Hit aswell...

Dhamaal Review: Mast Hai!

Rating: 7/10
Comedy movies with multiple actors have been hitting the silver screen with an uncanny regularity but most of them use sexist jokes and cheap tactics to make the common man laugh. Dhamaal then comes as a breath of fresh air taking us back to the time of family movies! Then again, this is a movie by a director who has had great success with formula movies; the ones with the right mix of hero, heroine, villain, vamp and the comedian. And the comedy in those movies has to blend in with the rest of the movie – perhaps that is where he gets his skills in situational comedy.

Indra Kumar has made films like Dil, Beta, Raja, Ishq, Masti - all formula films with drama, action, emotion and the all important comedy. If you remember a few funny scenes from his movies, not the least of which was the Ram-aramara-Mara Aamir Khan scene in Ishq where he makes you laugh until you cry with the situation of walking on a narrow pipe to rescue his friend Ajay Devgan while that pipe is being cut by a deaf guy, you would know that this director has the knack for comedy and can tickle your funny bones for sure.

And that was more of a hope than an assertion when I set out to watch Dhamaal. There is a comfort feeling that crept in when watching the movie. The movie starts off with a good thing – a bunch of good actors who have proved their mettle in comedy. Another good thing that the movie has is a tight storyline; something which not a lot of movies today can boast of.
I liked the way he starts telling the story; the traditional way of giving a short introduction about each character just enough to cast an impression in the viewer’s mind so that it makes complete sense when you see a character reacting to a situation. So you have a Parsi dikro always bullied by his father, a Karamchand and two brothers called Adi and Manav; all smart asses, of course. They need to get some money in their lives and are lead into a situation where they find out a way to get 10 crore rupees. On their way to get the money, they run, they fight not only amongst themselves, but with an inspector (Sanjay Dutt), a dacoit, kanjoos father (Asrani) of one of them, lots of kids, a Bengali babu moshai with his junk car, a flight instructor and a pilot with his own set of tragedies in life.

Each scene has been thought laboriously and worked beautifully by all. Thus we get a product which, for a refreshing change, does not need an actor to drop his pants to make us laugh. Just when you think you are seeing a lull in the laughter, the story and the characters spring another laughter surprise on you.

Javed Jaffrey was earlier seen in Tara Rum Pum where the director overused him a bit but he comes across in this film with characteristic ease and showcases what effortless comedy used to be in the good ol’ days. He gets into his characterization as an adult with an underdeveloped brain and gives a gem of a performance, not just with his expressions but also his cute dialogue delivery. Ritesh Deshmukh has also cut a niche for himself when it comes to those smart-ass roles. He lends himself perfectly to his shaana character as does Arshad Warsi, playing the “tso tsmart” brother of Javed Jaffrey. Ashish Chaudhary is a fine actor but his comic scenes were always funny because of Asrani, or Vijay Raaz or other actors in the scenes. But the fact that he supports all these established comic stars effectively in the scenes speaks of his acting potential. He should be a guy to watch out for in the future.

It was only when I had come out of the cinema hall that a friend of mine reminded that there was no leading actress in the movie; nor were there any songs to take your attention away from the frantic build-up to get the money. Wow!

The songs are few and two of them are taken care of right in the beginning and one in the end along with the casting credits. The title song is pretty much an item number for the promos – I only wish that Javed Jaffrey had been given more of a chance to show his dancing skills instead of pushing him into the corner in the dance scenes. Also, Arhsad Warsi could have done away with that huge white jacket that was hiding more than two-thirds of his body and, more importantly, all his moves.

I won’t say this is THE best comic movie you will see, but this one is a pretty funny story told the right way with the right actors. Watch out for Javed Jaffrey, the flight instruction scene with Vijay Raaz and the tiffs between Ritesh D and Sanjay Dutt.

Here is a second word on the movie: Virender's review of Dhamaal