Peepli Live

What does one say about peepli live? Nothing that has not been said before.. or discussed..

Only this... it deserves to be seen.

Udaan Film Review

To make it brief and to the point, this review will be written in bullet points.

• Fantastic, fantastic music score that one notices even though its not used very prominently in the film. In fact, if anything, the movie tries to remove the differentiation between music and background music - that subtle is the use. One notices good lyrics somewhere in between, but they are lost in the overall intensity of the moment.
• Cinematography is good.
• The storytelling is adept. In fact, this is good story telling. The Great Indian Butterfly, the last film reviewed on this blog, had very little story. This one, on the other hand, has a tight story which is kept "to the script". There are no loose plots just hanging around. That which is not relevant to the central characters is entirely left out. The pace might be slow for some people, but it worked perfectly well for yours truly.
• The overall experience of the film is awesome awesome awesome. I was sobbing out loud at the end of the film(which is saying a lot)

In short, if you have to bunk school/ college / office to go see it, it will be time well spent. Do see the film. It is a shame that the really good films pass us by like this, and utter nonsense like Milenge Milenge gets the marketing and the hype. Its sad for us, that is.

review of I Hate Luv Storys

• Someone tell them that bad spelling is too prevelant to be funny any more.
• I hate Imran Khan.

Pearls of wisdom from the Other:

• For this movie, what happened was that KJ got all his old props together, and told his director, reuse this... i dont care how. Then he hammered his editor to get a story out of all these unrelated images. Then he told his team "Picture bas 1 din chalni chahiye, hum paisa vasool lenge"
• The Director Award for this film shld go to the Editor.

Kites Film Review

A one line review of the film is this: what were u thinking???

Great performers, very good looking, great action, excellent cinematography, great locations... but even these things need at least a sliver of a story!

The failure of this film is sad. It had all the ingredients.. but like a car is made primarily for transportation, and it has to do that right, all additional features are dispensible.. a film is essentially a story told, and we needed a story here.

Barbara Mori was a surprise package - the dame can ACT. And she is good looking, AND she has a character that is just plain superbly crafted by the writer.
Hrithik really should try a different dance style now. It was absolute pain to see the MJ steps again . And Again.

Well Done Abba - Film Review

A Shyam Benegal movie after ages. Minissha Lamba, Boman Irani in the cast. And why did i miss it? Because the paper review said so. This is the second good film i have missed because of the paper review. Paper, go hang urself. No, actually, yours truly should hang self. For listening to a paper whose paper ream is of more value than the contents thereof.

And what made one realise one's pigheadedness? An sms at 2330 hours from a friend. "Don't miss Well Done Abba at any cost." At 2330 hours?? Sigh! Newspaper, are you recruiting? Please hire my friend as your film critic.

Anyhoo, Well Done Abba is BRILLIANT film. In every sense of the word.

If you have not seen it yet.. please do. This is one of the finest films this year. Or ever.

Film Review - Tum Milo to Sahi

Movies are like paintings. Some(like Traffic Signal) are landscapes - they tell a story about things that just ARE..and no matter how long you stare at the landscape, the scenery remains unchanged. Some(like 3 idiots) are caricatures. Some (like all Amitabh Bachan movies) are portraits - focusing on one character and everything else is part of the background. Some, like Das Kahaniyan, are clearly collages. And some, like this film, are like the picture below:

where each character is so well etched that its complete in itself, and yet, every character merges effortlessly into the overall story. Their stories, distinct yet interlinked, not like the Gordian knot, but like a beautifully designed tapestry pattern. This film was a delight to watch.

Its a difficult film to review, because one cant talk about the costumes, the art direction, the lighting, the story or the songs, in isolation. If anything, this movie has a... "well blended" feeling to it, where everything falls into place just so, and nothing (except Amit's confession at the end) is jarring or stands out. The climax was predictable. But the film wasnt about the climax. This one time, the journey mattered more than the destination.

One cannot NOT talk about Dimple and Nana. Where have you guys been? When one looks at these performers, the difference in the sheer level of experience is not funny. Even within the film, though the entire cast acted way better than average, the shots which had Dimple and /or Nana just plain stood out. Dimple has a stage presence that lights up the screen just by being in it. Even if she is in a corner of the frame, you will notice her. ONLY her. She was flawless. Mohnish Behl dissapoints. Or maybe one just expects too much out of him now. :-)

The title track deserves special mention. Its rare to find a single song that easily captures all the required situations in a film. And rather easily. With fantastic lyrics. And good singing.

The last film that had such awesome characters that stayed in mind was DDLJ. No kidding. Rocket Singh was a very well written character. But as a film, it has to be DDLJ, where every character had a place and was "well thought out and well executed." Not to mention, perfect casting.

In the end, it all boils down to just one question: Will I see it again? Yes, and then some more.

3 Idiots - Film Review

Personally, i felt a HUGE sense of loss after watching the film. I have missed out on something really important in life - my parents NEVER forced me to choose a stream of education, or anything else for that matter. Was i unduly lucky, or is the film an exagerration? Methinks its a bit of both.

First, the summary of the review - its a 2 out of 5 stars film. Am sorry, but the backsides of random college students, or multiple top shots on potty do not make good enough entertainment for me. Dropping pants might be part of saying Hi at the Imperial College, but am sure the director could have thot of another gesture without taking anything away from the film. Also, whats with the ridiculous delivery scene? I mean.. seriously!!!

The overall feel of the film is:
A. All Indian parents force their children to study engineering or medicine. thats not true. Not true at all. I mean, even Pia's sister is not a doc, for god's sake!
B. All student suicides are because of the "pressure from the system". The issue is a lot more complicated than that. Parents and "the system" are not the only , or even the main culprits. How come some children are able to cope and some others are not? There cannot be any one sided answer to these questions, and the film takes sides without even explaining the whole issue.
C. It is more important to enjoy your education. If you like what you do, you will automatically excel. Not true. The converse is also not true - just because you do something really well is not reason enough for you to want to do it. But the overall point is well taken.
D. The principal is a caricature. I do not know of any such principal, and can safely say that such principals, even though they might exist, are not the norm. It is not nice or kind to promote such a caricature, imho.

Basically, I am confused. Is the film about entertainment, or is it about a message? Or is it about plain nostalgia about college?

If it is about entertainment, i really did outgrow the chaddi based entertainment a long time ago and should be excused.
If it is about a message, the message can be argued really hard. Not enough time goes into exploring the various dimensions of the message.
If it is about pure nostalgia about college days, sure, that one is spot on. One did laugh a lot during the film, and, except for the parts about the Mona Singh delivery (am yet to get over that one) and the Sharman Joshi suicide attempt, the editing was pretty slick and kept u glued for what happens next.

The music, though a hit at the moment, is not exactly memorable and except for the "Give me some sunshine.." song, none of the other lyrics even register for a more than 4 week period recall.

Kareena has done much better work - this is not one of her benchmark performances, or even looks.

The lighting in the film is really weird - whats the point of that blue flicker in most shots of the film - i mean, why? Or maybe it was just our screen, but one came back with a solid headache from all that flickering.

And finally - Aamir, Madhavan, and Sharman. there is only one line to contribute - Sharman, as an actor, was severely under used in this film. This is a film for which his casting is perfect. And he has done his work really well.

Will i see it again? No. Is a one time watch recommended? Sure. Especially if you want to relive your college humour again.

Rocket Singh - A Film Review

This film review did not come sooner because one's thoughts at the end of the film were very personal. The review comes now because one read that not many people are getting into the theaters to see the film. Word of mouth is now necessary.

Films are about story telling. For people like me, the existence of a "story" is critical to the existence of a film. So when a film comes along that really has a story, and a gripping one at that, told well and crisply, with no added songs for masala and no cosmetic love interest with little to do (the love interest still looks super cute though), one is quite impressed.
Though Shimit Amin has done the hugely popular Chak De India, i m more impressed with this script, because it is not overly simplistic.

Ranbir Singh, oops Kapoor, gets into the role so completely that you forget the actor and remember only the character. Sure, the casting is right, but that's still no mean feat for an actor.
Notable Mention must be made of Prem Chopra. As Ranbir's grandfather, he has a screen presence that is impossible to miss. You come away thinking of his character as much as the lead actor's character. When one sees these superlative actors on screen, one realises the meaning of "well simmered. mellow yet strong." They are a treat.

I will not go into the story, because that will spoil the surprise for the average viewer. But if you have drudged to that SME office, day after day, if you remember your first job, and if you have gone to office parties, you will identify with the film at some level. You will want to relive all that through Rocket Singh (no, the character is not actually called Rocket Singh, nor is he a super salesman. Thats the surprise element of the film.)

The editing is relative. Most places, the tightness of the film delights, and at other times, one wishes the editor had prevailed a bit more on the director. But one thing on which the film has got it all right, is the Art Direction. Not one wrong set, not one wrong color.. if you have ever been in such an office, you will know the setting rightaway. The big offices, the small offices, the houses, the outdoor locations.. everything! It was a pleasure to see no more dream sequences. :-)

In short, go watch the film. In a theater. This film is sooo worth it.

Review of What's Your Rashee..

Sanjeev Kumar had Naya Din Nayee Raat, Kamal Hassan had Dashavatar, and PC has What's your Rashee.. EXCEPT , that PC has not quite learnt her craft enough to be 12 different people - yet.

The story has potential, but lacks the punch required to make it a full feature film. The logic of seeing one girl from each Raashi does not quite... come across.

Harman Baweja has a freshness to his presence that is quite nice. He also, to my humble eyes, appears to be an actor to watch out for. PC is a good performer and a not so good actress. Meaning, she has screen presence, but she does not quite impress as an actress. 12 roles is soooo beyond her current prowess as an actress, that i am surprised she overestimated herself.

The other actors barely get any screen time. Even the characteristics of each raashi dont quite make it to the screen, only the 12 looks of Priyanka. The makeup and the costumes deserve special mention. It is not easy to create 12 different looks for a single person, but the effort is very commendable.

To Ashutosh Gowarikar : Forget about what my rashee is dude, what's your point???

If the idea is to make a slapstick comedy with some socially relevant content thrown in, the socially relevant content works, the pointless comedy does not. Sure, there are guys who want to decide their shaadi on the basis of 12 raashis, but Harman Baweja looks too intelligent to be one of them. And so do we.

Final Rating: Nah. Does not work.

Review of Dil Bole Hadippa

The ingredients were there, the setting was perfect. And yet, the meal was not. That’s how a chef would describe this film.

Yash Raj Films, good performers. What else do you need?
Apparently, that small little thing called a “Story”.

The other thing that irritated me about this film was the stereotyping of the Punjabi culture. Especially because it came from the people who brought to the screen, one of the best, most subtle depictions of a Punjabi house - in DDLJ.
Rani and Shahid are just not “Punjabi” enough – or perhaps it was a problem of characterization. Obviously, making women in Punjabi hinterland wear Bihari “lehngas” did not help either.

Notes to Yash Raj Films:

• The theme of “Videsh Vs Desh ki mitti in a Punjabi village” has been done to death. Please!
• The story of videshi, well to do ladka falling in love with a village belle is ALSO done to death.
• Not all Punjab villages are caricatures of blue, red and orange.
• Some of the art direction was VERY flawed. I can point out hajaar mistakes, but let's start with the Baisakhi vaala mela.
• The theme of girls being as good as boys was superb!! Rani’s dialogue at the end, was great because it was brief and hit home.
• The moment of the film? When Rani Mukherjee looks at Shahid, midway through the song, and realizes that she is falling in love with him.
• Shahid is not an actor who usually disappoints in the acting dept. This was a rare occasion. The accent, which was an obvious accessory, was missing. The usual screen presence was also not entirely there. But what was missing the most was the chemistry between the lead pair. Except in moments. When we see Shahid, we only miss Shahrukh Khan that much more..
• Rani is a fantastic performer and in this film, she has done her best. Expressions, body language, “look” – u name it. This is a Rani we have never seen before. And yet, we do not think Vira Kaur at the end of the film. Looking at her only makes us miss Simran that much more (note – Simran, not Kajol.)
• Rakhi Sawant is the surprise package of the film. She is really good.
• The Costumes! Someone please tell the designer that even in dream world, Punjabi women wear Salwar Kameez and Punjabi men wear the Lungi, at least sometimes. Just like clothes made the character of Veer in Love Aaj Kal, the characters in this film are slaughtered by their designer wear.
• The spoof on Shahrukh and Salman was superb!

The film has its gloriously funny moments. That is the biggest reason to see the film. If Rani's Bikini dance is any part of your inspiration, save your money. Its hazed out and really nothing exemplary.

Review of LUCK- the movie

There is a spelling mistake in the name of the film. The "L" should be replaced by a "Y".
In addition to which, the movie is SICK. But afterwards, i was thinking.. like the film shows fictitious mutilation of the physical body, reality shows today show mutilation of personal lives and breaking up of real families.. so which one is more yuck - a fictitious murdering, or massacre of the personal lives of real people.. ?

Bimal Roy Birth Centenary

July 12th was Bimal Roy's Birth Centenary..



If you dont already know about Bimal Roy, he was among the most brilliant filmmakers we have seen in the industry. His films (with popcorn) still make better watching than most of the current films. He could entertain and sensitise.. of course, his times were times of idealist cinema.. and he was a cut above..

The birth centenary is a good time to bring out that popcorn.. and treat yourself to some of the best cinema Indian celluloid has seen.. here is the pick-list:

• Do Beegha Zameen - Inarguably, one of the finest movies ever made.. unfortunately, as relevant today as when it was made..


• Yahudi - One of his most under rated films..


• Bandini - Watch this one to see Nutan and to see what a good actress can do with a well crafted character..


• Madhumati - One of Vaijyanthi Mala's best performances..


• Devdas (The Dilip Kumar one)


• Sujata - Who can forget that super romantic.. Jalte hain jis ke liye.. teri aankhon ke diye.. and the untouchability message for which this film is celebrated. However, my favorite part of the film is the song "Bachpan ke din.." for the juxtaposition it presents ... without sermonising..

To see a complete list of his films and to know more, go here.