DEV D - Emotional Achaar

Anurag Kashyap is back. Back with a vengeance. He listened to what audience told him for 'No Smoking'.

'Dev D' might not become a super duper hit but it will be one of the good films of this year. A modern day Devdas with a twist in the end. A typical multiplex film with all the masala of a hindi film and more. A bit more closer to life than the earlier versions of Sarat Chandra's novel.

The movie credits show that the concept of the film is by Abhay Deol! He is showing early signs of becoming a film maker!

Anurag is a master for extracting superlative performances from each & every person in the frame. Also, the film unit thanks Danny Boyle in the beginning. Dunno know why! (The shot takings, cuttings and the dark backgrounds remind of Slumdog!)

With this film, Abhay Deol proves that he is a top notch actor. Makes the Deol family proud.

New kids on the block - Mahi & Kalki give stellar performances as Paro & Chandramukhi respectively.

A bit long...but worth a watch. The film has an in your face attitude in the dialogues which really makes it a class apart. Not to be watched with your parents! (Advise)

Anurag has added all ingredients to make an emtional Achaar...its truly lip-smacking stuff!

I will give a 7/10
(A bit generous rating for Anurag since he has shown tremendous improvement over 'No Smoking')

Luck by Chance

Well..i really like the opening of the film as it opens by featuring all the behind-the-stage people who work day and night so that bollywood remains bollywood. You have the gatekeeper at filmistan studios to the omnipresent chai-wallahs, the set makers, the sound guys et al. The story is about Vikram a "nobody" who becomes a "somebody" in bollywood and along the way breaks a heart, cuts quite a few throats etc etc. Its quite a decent attempt but the storyline is too predictable and the characters a tad too familiar. It does explore themes like do u really need talent in the industry or  is luck/looks enough / But I wish it was more incisive with a sharper bite. It is just one more addition to the list of bollywood films on bollywood and ends there. Farhan's acting is not too bad and konkona reminds me of her page 3 role quite a few times. I would rate it as an average flick which is worth a dekho if you have nothing else to do this weekend. 

Rating: 5.5/10

Movie Review : Slumdog Millionaire - Beyond me !!!

Frankly, I do not know where to start. I fear a backlash even before I think of the next line. The Oscar, Golden Globe panel has thrown me such a big googly, that I am reeling under its trance....  I am like Ambrose facing Murlitharan!!! And I am like that Ambrose who is totally bewildered of why the others are actually figuring these googlies out... Or are they just pretending to ? Or are they just riding the wave? I simply do not get it....  I never will, much like Ambrose....

I know you must have got the drift of where I am going with this piece on Slumdog M. I purposely will dissect the movie and tell u things I could not digest, because quiet frankly, you guys must have read hundred 5 star reviews....

This movie is the cynosure of everyone's eye right now, and I am not so sure why. Ok, so it has some decent acting, but nothing to go ga-ga about. It has some decent music, but would it even win a Star Screen's Award in India? I can imagine why the audience around the world stands up and applauds the song JAI HO,,, but I simply cannot imagine an Indian staying back to watch the last song, let alone applaud it...

You must all be knowing the story by now. It's this rags to riches story about a Slum Boy who wins Koun Banega Crorepati. It's a total masala caper. It could put "Om Shanti Om" to shame and give tough fight to Rajnikant flicks, because the whole story is simply over the top. Like Danny said " Its an unrealistic story in a very real world."

The music suits the movie, but its mediocre by Indian Standards and even A.R.Rahman would never have imagined it being at the verge of winning 2 Oscars. 

What I really think is laudable is how an Outsider has got into the Bollywood mode with such ease. It shows the greatness of Danny Boyle. Executing this film would have been really tough in the areas he shot it, but he has done it with aplomb. Also, I think he has an infatuation with Shit and Shit-holes. Watch "Trainspotting" his most famous film before SM, and you will see the protagonist(Ewan McGregor) in that film shitting in a filthy toilet and then actually putting his head into it to recover his drug pills. If this movie wins an Oscar, I am sure he will make his Protagonist go through Shit (literally) in every film he makes !!!

Yes, maybe in these times of gloom, this movie gave the Western audience some hope, some joy, but what has happened to the Indian media is beyond me. Its just an average Bollywood film with a Hollywood production. If this were a Bollywood production, you would go absolutely beserk when a policeman would ask any Indian how does he know who starred in Deewar!!! For god sake who does not know that? Especially a slum dweller from Dharavi who speaks immaculate English!!! Why didnt they question his very English Accent then? For me its taking Cinematic Liberty to the extreme. Also, tell me frankly. Doesn't Jamal's brother look and act more like an Afro -American / Brazilian gangsta kid than an Indian kid? 

What the movie excels in doing, is keeping you engaged. The screen play is good and the editing is crisp. The international touch shows. The story telling / narrative of the film is great, but if you think of it , if you make this film, how else would you have it? First he winning the quiz and then his story or an intermingled plot? Would we have celebrated the film in such a way if it would have been made by a Bollywood director in Hindi? No ways....

That, Mr.Aamir Khan, went to this films premier is great. Now I hope, he will not be eager to win the Oscar anymore, neither would he hold it on such a high pedestal, coz clearly its going the Filmfare way!! To say that its an above average film would be digestable, but to see it win Oscars would be the biggest googly of my life ! Though I will be rooting for A.R.Rahman , please excuse me for disowning this film as a representation of top-class Bollywood cinema.

There is no doubt this is a decent film and I have only tried to be a devils advocate here..Maybe if Taare Zameen Par would have also been nominated, I would not have been so bitter. Maybe I have overanalysed the film..Maybe I analysed it for the non-existant 10/10 rating, rather than enjoy the average 6 / 10 rating. Maybe I should have enjoyed the film for what it is, rather than try to find why is it on the top of world cinema right now... forgive me....

Rating: 6 /10 

My Say : Average Over the top stuff....