First of all, its difficult to believe the transition of a director from making documentary type movies to light hearted commercial comedy, considering this is first intentional comedy ( Aan -Men at work was unintentional), Bhandarkar does a commendable job.
The movie is about 3 people and their quest for love. The most adorable among them is Naren, a 38 year old going through his divorce, starts finding love in 21 year old sub-ordinate. The character is aptly portrayed by Ajay Devgan. The most boring one is probably of Abhay or Abby played by Emran Hashmi, again nothing wrong with portrayal but just hackneyed storyline. Om Vaidya as Millind Kelkar does his part of getting few laughs.
The movie has a good laughs but not many and that makes it difficult to sit through it for that long duration. Its a typical masala movie that you can enjoy with your friends. The songs are good, "tu khwab hain.." stands out.
There are very few women who can seduce with their eyes, and Tisca chopra is definately one of them.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Dhobi Ghat - Fastidious Film making
Its one of those movies that feel "very very real" I mean it. I surmise that because its her first film and because there were high expectations, Kiran Rao shot this film with painstaking details so much so, it becomes a challenge for the masses,sometimes unendurable for not-so-masses, and a delight for the connoisseurs.
The story is about 4 random lives in Mumbai, and their not-so-random encounters with each other. All the 4 characters are portrayed and executed so nicely that its difficult to choose the best, but I would rate Prateik's character the best simply because I lived some (very few) parts of that life. What adds to all this is the back-ground music ( again, only for connoisseurs), its haunting. Some scenes are shot exceptionally, like last scene of Prateik, I am running out of words but yes you have to watch to believe me, or the scene in bazaar where Arun passes by shia and munna without noticing them.
Go watch this movie if ever in your life, you switched on the idiot box and there was a documentary being played on discovery channel and you liked it after enduring it for initial 15 mins. And must watch if you appreciate art( in any form).
The story is about 4 random lives in Mumbai, and their not-so-random encounters with each other. All the 4 characters are portrayed and executed so nicely that its difficult to choose the best, but I would rate Prateik's character the best simply because I lived some (very few) parts of that life. What adds to all this is the back-ground music ( again, only for connoisseurs), its haunting. Some scenes are shot exceptionally, like last scene of Prateik, I am running out of words but yes you have to watch to believe me, or the scene in bazaar where Arun passes by shia and munna without noticing them.
Go watch this movie if ever in your life, you switched on the idiot box and there was a documentary being played on discovery channel and you liked it after enduring it for initial 15 mins. And must watch if you appreciate art( in any form).
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
somebody reminded me of this poem today.. again...
Whenever there is any discrimination or even differentiation between black or white, between hindu muslim, between north-Indian south-Indian,between marathi non-marathi I am reminded of this poem from my 6th standard. As they say, some poems make an impact of lifetime...
In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me -
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me -
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Failure is not an option
These words kept ringing in my brain when I was driving back. I put my car on cruise and as it happens sometimes, you are lost in thought and things around you happen and you really don't pay attention. The car lights on the street were like people in a party and my failure thought was "the" beautiful girl in that party. All I could see was that beautiful girl. Lame simile, well that is what a failure does to me.
If you thought that was lame, here this, on the way back, I told myself "so what, even Martin Luther King Jr. failed" ( just so you know, it was his day today) then I came to senses and told myself "HOW DAMN LAME, a swimming test failure to Martin Luther King Jr's struggle for rights".
Then I smiled, I smiled at myself. Like when I do something extra-ordinary I needed a mirror. So I swing the sun visor down ( I spent 10 min on google to find this part name in a car) open up the mirror and give myself a smirk. I have failed a zillion times in life, so much so, sometimes I spend the entire night thinking about my failures. But the only way they have affected me, is to get better, to face them and not accept defeat so easily ( I repeat so easily, I might, but not so easily).
Then I do my favorite act, the chewing gum act. Pretend you have chewing gum in your mouth(even if you dont) and put an "So what, IDGAF" expression, increase the volume of the song played and sing along :).
If you thought that was lame, here this, on the way back, I told myself "so what, even Martin Luther King Jr. failed" ( just so you know, it was his day today) then I came to senses and told myself "HOW DAMN LAME, a swimming test failure to Martin Luther King Jr's struggle for rights".
Then I smiled, I smiled at myself. Like when I do something extra-ordinary I needed a mirror. So I swing the sun visor down ( I spent 10 min on google to find this part name in a car) open up the mirror and give myself a smirk. I have failed a zillion times in life, so much so, sometimes I spend the entire night thinking about my failures. But the only way they have affected me, is to get better, to face them and not accept defeat so easily ( I repeat so easily, I might, but not so easily).
Then I do my favorite act, the chewing gum act. Pretend you have chewing gum in your mouth(even if you dont) and put an "So what, IDGAF" expression, increase the volume of the song played and sing along :).
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The "Dream" journey to Salvation
The strong stream of the river was scaring me and I was too nervous to take that step.
"Like I said you have to trust me on this!" I look up to see someone(never seen before, never heard before) leading me.
"huh" I respond to him, like I came out of my scary thoughts.
"Take the step, have faith" he tried to instill faith in me.
It was difficult to believe, in that strong stream of river, as he took steps, a log of wood would come in the stream and stop right at the place where he was going to step, he would step on that, walk on that and just when it appeared he reached its end another one appeared.
I close my eyes and decide to follow him, as I am about the place my step, I see that the log of wood coming in the stream and stop right where I would place my step. Same thing happened with me, I step on it, walk on it and just when I would reach its end, another wood block would come near by and I jump on it.
We crossed the river and reached a deserted town, not a single soul around. I would just see the houses, not very big, but typical old Indian houses made of bricks and limestone , call them pristine or dilapidated.
"Everybody migrates this time of the year, to the other side of the mountains" my leader continued.
He opened the window of a house and asked me to get in, I got in, I see a picture frame, I tell myself, "I know these guys" but I cannot recollect.
He opens door to a tunnel like thing and asks me to get in and sleep in that.
"If nobodys around why can't I sleep here" I was probably pointing at a bed in hall.
"Its not safe" a terse answer that kind of scared me and I agreed and slept in that tunnel.
As I wake up, I find myself walking in a dense forest.
"Did you have a good sleep?" He asked and I wondered how could I be walking in sleep.
I do not answer him but continue to follow him in that dense forest.
We reach at a point where there is a pitch black tunnel, standing at the entrance of that he says "Come with me.."
Just as the thought about my life and me returning to my loved ones around appeared in my mind, he disappeared. I decide not to walk into that tunnel.
And my alarm wakes me up.
"Like I said you have to trust me on this!" I look up to see someone(never seen before, never heard before) leading me.
"huh" I respond to him, like I came out of my scary thoughts.
"Take the step, have faith" he tried to instill faith in me.
It was difficult to believe, in that strong stream of river, as he took steps, a log of wood would come in the stream and stop right at the place where he was going to step, he would step on that, walk on that and just when it appeared he reached its end another one appeared.
I close my eyes and decide to follow him, as I am about the place my step, I see that the log of wood coming in the stream and stop right where I would place my step. Same thing happened with me, I step on it, walk on it and just when I would reach its end, another wood block would come near by and I jump on it.
We crossed the river and reached a deserted town, not a single soul around. I would just see the houses, not very big, but typical old Indian houses made of bricks and limestone , call them pristine or dilapidated.
"Everybody migrates this time of the year, to the other side of the mountains" my leader continued.
He opened the window of a house and asked me to get in, I got in, I see a picture frame, I tell myself, "I know these guys" but I cannot recollect.
He opens door to a tunnel like thing and asks me to get in and sleep in that.
"If nobodys around why can't I sleep here" I was probably pointing at a bed in hall.
"Its not safe" a terse answer that kind of scared me and I agreed and slept in that tunnel.
As I wake up, I find myself walking in a dense forest.
"Did you have a good sleep?" He asked and I wondered how could I be walking in sleep.
I do not answer him but continue to follow him in that dense forest.
We reach at a point where there is a pitch black tunnel, standing at the entrance of that he says "Come with me.."
Just as the thought about my life and me returning to my loved ones around appeared in my mind, he disappeared. I decide not to walk into that tunnel.
And my alarm wakes me up.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
No One Killed Jessica
The last time I saw the story about a woman fighting a judicial system and against powerful family was in Damini and it was inspiring and engaging. Alas, Raj Kumar Gupta, couldn't do a Raj Kumar Santoshi. No One Killed Jessica is neither inspiring nor engaging.
The story is loosely based ( as claimed) on the Jessica Lal murder case. The repetitive dialogs, monotonous treatment to subject bore you to death. And rubbing salt is worst acting performances of almost everybody on screen ( except one or two). Even the characterization is so overdone that at some point you say "ENOUGH".
The only good think about the movie is the music, the peppy D-D-Delhi sticks in your brain.
Movie has few scenes that move you,my favorite being Sabrina explaining Meera how she is least interested in the case as it took away precious 6 yrs of her life, but seriously this doesn't deserve a trip to theater. Give it a miss, "Gee T.V pe dekhlene ka".
The story is loosely based ( as claimed) on the Jessica Lal murder case. The repetitive dialogs, monotonous treatment to subject bore you to death. And rubbing salt is worst acting performances of almost everybody on screen ( except one or two). Even the characterization is so overdone that at some point you say "ENOUGH".
The only good think about the movie is the music, the peppy D-D-Delhi sticks in your brain.
Movie has few scenes that move you,my favorite being Sabrina explaining Meera how she is least interested in the case as it took away precious 6 yrs of her life, but seriously this doesn't deserve a trip to theater. Give it a miss, "Gee T.V pe dekhlene ka".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)