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Bollywood Blogs
Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 20, 2009
 Dharma Productions, known for its well planned movies and remarkable success ratio returns to the screen with a strong thriller supported by a fiery star-cast and an eye catching promotional campaign. The controversial posters in the news and the secrecy regarding its story plot surely helped in creating a buzz for the movie before its release. So everybody was forced to expect yet another well made movie from Karan Johar?s production house with a unique kind of storyline never told before on the screen.
But the final outcome has got a completely different story to tell which also raises many questions on the cut-throat competition between various big banners of the industry. Undeniably, ?Kurbaan? is a well crafted thriller with its brilliant direction and visibly grand production values. It has its own worth seeing moments along with some superb thought provoking sequences relevant to the current scenario in the western countries. But the real shocking revelation lies in its story plot which is strikingly similar to ?New York?.
In fact it?s like Kabir Khan and Karan Johar got hold of a similar idea and then wrote two different scripts with minor changes as per their own film-making styles.
In order to prove my point, here are the similarities between the two movies, which unfortunately would also reveal the storyline of ?Kurbaan?.
1. ?New York? has got two college students (John & Katrina) falling in love with each other and later living a happily married life abroad. Here John plays a muslim character who is secretly working for the pride of his religion and planning a big disaster in the city.
In ?Kurbaan? instead of students there are two professors (Saif & Kareena) in the college, who fall in love with each other, get married and settle abroad to live a happy life together. Here Saif plays the muslim character who is a wanted terrorist in disguise and also planning for a big disaster in the city.
2. In both the movies the lady of the house (Katrina & Kareena) doesn?t know about the real identity of her husband which is later discovered by her as a shock of her life.
3. ?New York? has Neil Nitin Mukesh working on a secret mission, who enters John?s gang with a different identity and tries to catch him before the big disaster planned with the help of FBI.
In ?Kurbaan? there is Vivek Oberoi who after losing her love in a bomb blast plans to enter Saif?s gang with a different identity aiming to get him behind the bars with the help of FBI.
4. ?New York? has Irfan Khan playing the role of an FBI officer helping Neil, whereas in ?New York? the role is not that significant played by a foreign actor who is constantly talking with Vivek on phone in the climax.
5. In both the films, the new entrant in the gang is given a test to pass where he is asked to shoot an unknown man just like that without any reason.
6. Both the movies have a similar sequence where an associate gang member from the extremists group panics when few policemen start searching his car and ask him to get out. In both the scenes the man loses his life due to the unexpected emotional reaction.
7. In ?New York? John suspects Neil talking with someone on the phone and then takes away his phone saying that no-one will use any phone from now on.
In ?Kurbaan? Om Puri suspects Vivek talking with somebody on phone and then takes away his phone again saying that no-one will use any phone from now on.
8. Both the movies gradually move towards a big disaster planned by the terrorist in the end which also results in their leader getting killed by the police. Both John & Saif meet similar fates towards the climax in strikingly similar circumstances.
In short, if you have seen ?New York? then you have already seen ?Kurbaan? in a different version. However both the movies hold their own distinctive merits due to their respective talented directors. ?New York? was more definitive and expressive in its characterisation, romance and songs. On the other hand ?Kurbaan? is more intense, exciting and well executed as a fine thriller with some creditable performances by all the three leading characters.
Saif once again delivers a polished and calm performance as the terrorist. Kareena gives him tough competition with a superb portrayal of a helpless girl caught in the web of terrorism. Vivek also shines bright after a long gap in his important role of an informer cum reporter. Dia Mirza looks ravishing in her few scenes. Om Puri is top rate as usual but the most impressive supporting act comes from Kiron Kher in the role of an angry muslim lady ready to fight for her revenge.
Unexpectedly the musical score by Salim-Sulieman is not up to the standards of Karan Johar productions with no particular song standing out with its melody. But, Cinematography clearly gives the movie an international look from all angles. It also seems that the movie was specifically made for the overseas market and metro cities. Since, there is heavy use of English language in the movie, with one particular scene of a seminar having conversations going on in English for a good period of time.
Writing also has got too many flaws in it with things moving on very easily without any complications. For instance, two mature professors go on flirting with each other freely in the staff room and class rooms within the college campus (which was like the creative liberty taken for a ride). Saif easily gets Visas for abroad without any hassles and he even gets a professor?s job in the foreign university just like that. Kareena takes out the bullet out of Saif?s wound in few seconds and even applies stitches to it like a pro. There are shoot outs going on and people moving fearlessly holding a gun in the tube train with no trace of any policemen around. Even the hot bed room scene between Saif and Kareena looks like deliberately added later on and also seems to be edited in a great hurry. It lacks the warmth as one recalls in the similar scenes from ?Parinda? and ?Dayavan?. Hence at some places the execution goes too filmy, far below the expectations from a Dharma Productions movie.
But, what impressed me the most were the well written, explosive dialogues in the script which may be taken as offensive by many. They surely had the truth spoken in the most blunt way ever on the Indian Silver Screen. In short, director Rensil D?Silva undoubtedly proves his command over the medium with his noticeable directorial debut. But I am still confused why they made a movie on the same storyline of ?New York?. With a different story plot it surely could have been the finest thriller of the recent times.
Rating : 2.5 / 5
(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Nov 18, 2009
 I started watching ?Inglourious Basterds? expecting an offering as ?pulpy? as some of Tarentino?s earlier work, but was pleasantly surprised to see a gripping sequential screenplay to a not so surprisingly thin plot. The story, by Tarentino?s own admission, a tribute to the classic western, but set during World War II, revolves around a group of Jewish Americans who are dropped into France with the sole purpose of killing the Nazi leadership. In parallel, the French revolutionaries, mercilessly sought out and killed by the German SS have a survivor who swears revenge on the Nazis and plans to burn the whole lot of them alive in a theatre that she runs in Paris, while they are watching the premiere of a German war hero tribute. How the two objectives lead them to the same venue and whether the objective is achieved or not is what the plot tries to answer. The reference to the classic western is apparent for the first ten minutes, where a French farmer looks at a vast landscape that slowly reveals a German convoy headed towards him. The attempt to portray the Basterds as a bunch of wild Indians looking for scalps notwithstanding, there is little that alludes to the western. Also, Tarentino?s trademark chapter-wise breakup seemed a bit out of place in a structure that was more commonplace than outlandish. But, he deserves plaudits for the slow buildup of tension throughout the story. Each scene is soaked into the viewer and that is what makes the film gripping. The acting honors are taken not by the known names in the film but by Christoph Waltz, who plays the SS officer, known as the ?Jew Hunter?. He is utterly charming and well mannered but brutal and ruthless. A lethal combination of skills, portrayed brilliantly by Waltz. Melanie Laurent as the French resistance survivor lends an eeriness to the proceedings with a vengeful mind behind an innocent and staid, yet beautiful face. Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, the head of the Basterds is utterly irritating and I wonder if he was trying to imitate Lee Marvin from ?The Dirty Dozen?. Nevertheless, a poor imitation and a poor performance. Watch ?Inglourious Basterds?, if you want to see a good thriller, but be mindful of a few Tarentino trademarks which seem rather out of place in this context.
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 17, 2009
 ?The Thin Red Line? is one of those great but under-rated movies which didn?t receive the actual praise they really deserved at the time of its release. Facing huge competition from Steven Spielberg?s ?Saving Private Ryan?, which had already made its mark in the war genre in the year 1998, ?The Thin Red Line? got a rough treatment both at the box office as well as at the Academy Awards that year. Nominated in 7 prestigious categories, the movie won none of them, whereas on the other hand Spielberg won 5 Oscars for his highly appreciated work on a similar theme.
No doubt, ?Saving Private Ryan? was a brilliant flick, based on a novel plot, well conceived & directed by Steven himself. But at the same time, I also strongly believe that the two reputed names of Spielberg and Tom Hanks were in fact more responsible for those big wins at the OSCARs in 1999. And it was really strange and unexpected of ?The Thin Red Line? not winning in even one of the categories of its nomination. It was surely not that kind of weak competitor from any angle. May be the precious message in Terrance Malick?s insightful masterpiece, got lost in the huge ensemble of stars in the movie. The star-cast took away the lime light and the viewers felt like misguided in the end since none of the big names had a full length role on the screen. But if you can move over these minor glitches, then here is a great movie on the subject of war, which has a unique viewpoint of its own, especially for the thinking viewer.
Actually, ?The Thin Red Line? is not a movie showcasing the heroic elements involved in a war. On the contrary it?s a movie completely against the concept of War. Beautifully capturing both the winning and scary minutes of the warfront in some brilliantly shot scenes, it forcefully makes you think about the war, its reasons and its ugly consequences. Starting calmly with some quite scenes, the movie goes on to impress you majorly because of its three worth mentioning aces, the Direction, Cinematography and the Background Score.
Apart from the two most visible aces on the screen (Direction & Cinematography), just pay your attention towards the Background music composed intelligently, which is not aggressive as usually seen in the war movies. It?s one of the most impressive soundtracks in a motion picture I have ever heard till date. And the movie indeed deserved an OSCAR for this out of the world musical score if not for any other category in the nominations.
Equally supported by many thoughtful dialogues which leave you with no explanatory answers, ?The Thin Red Line? is a must watch for every thinking person concerned about the world and it?s much needed peace. Just sample this invaluable quote (as I can recall) which still comes to my mind whenever there is a talk on war and its brave soldiers:
?In War, it doesn?t matter what training you have got or how well prepared you are for the fight, cause it?s only about being at the wrong place in the wrong time to get hit by a wandering bullet.?
The movie superbly reads the mindset of different soldiers on the front in a great philosophical style and that too without going into any uninteresting preachy format. It also achieves a difficult task of incorporating poetic expressions in a war movie, brilliantly canned by the camera. In few words it?s a film which truly deserves to be there among the most beautiful movies made on the theme of war and its soldiers. So, if you want to have a realistic experience of a battle front and also wish to study the inner psyche of the soldiers fearlessly fighting for their countries, then ?The Thin Red Line? is the flick your should go for at once. Highly recommended for all serious lovers of the medium.
Directed By Terrence Malick
Starring : Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Benjamin Green, John Cusack, Nick Nolte, John Travolta, George Clooney & more.(Check out the complete list in details at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by memsaab story on Nov 17, 2009
From Farz (1967), a movie that I probably won’t bother to write up. It is a tragic waste of Secret Agent plotting with David as the spymaster! But this subtitle is too good not to share.
Posted in Hindi movies, Subtitle delight Tagged: Agha, Farz 
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Posted by memsaab story on Nov 16, 2009
Warning: This post is long and rambling (yes, even more than usual) and occasionally sentimental. And no doubt really dull for most of you. But I’ll get back to movie reviewing soon, I promise!
As planned, I spent a good deal of my time with the Beiges looking at (and scanning for posterity) old family photos. [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 15, 2009
 Words like ?The Holocaust?, ?Concentration Camps? and ?The Gas Chambers? were more heard and less understood before I watched this immensely disturbing documentary aptly titled ?The Last Days?. I strongly believe that more than fifty percent of the people living in our part of the world, especially India, may not be familiar with the above words and the mass human killings they are synonym with. And most of the rest also, more or less just have a vague and rough idea of the terrifying and dreadful act practiced by the Nazis against the Jews and many others.
So, the feature was a big eye opener for me, as I got to see the brutal and unthinkable kind of torture faced by thousands of innocent people in those terrible times. Executively produced by Steven Spielberg, the OSCAR winner documentary is rightly rated as the best feature made on the Holocaust of 1945. It gives you a comprehensive picture of the actual happenings in those camps with the help of some rare real life footage and pictures. And the feature even becomes more intriguing and touching as it includes the genuine interviews of 5 remarkable personalities, who had the first hand experience of the tortures, but were also blessed to survive the holocaust.
In simple words, the expressive narration of their personal experiences is just equal to a high density earthquake for a thinking mind. Watching them speak about those difficult times, you will feel like someone is stabbing you hard with a knife into your heart. In other words, the documentary is capable of shaking you deep inside and for many it might be even more frightening and scary than a well made horror movie. The thought of those experiments conducted on children and adults, the life taking pressure in the gas chambers and the lifeless bodies piled on each other forming a mountain will surely take away the sleep of many thoughtful minds.
So unless you are ready with an open mind and can handle the most brutal truth exposed in a highly expressive way, I would not suggest to go for this explosive work, directed by James Moll. In other words, the documentary is not for the weak hearted, but it?s for the people who can feel from their hearts and want to know the bitter truths of our History which we don?t ever want to be repeated again.
A highly recommended documentary for every individual?s self enlightenment. In simple words it is one of those important works in the world of cinema which will make you realize the priceless value of every fresh breath we are blessed with.
Directed By James Moll
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 15, 2009
 A film describing the importance and power of TIME in our lives is known as a spectacular trend setter in the Hindi film industry. A film which laid down the basic foundation of all the ?Lost & Found? movies was one of the first big & impressive take on the famous Bollywood format. In fact all the major blockbusters (based on the formula) which ruled the box office in the 70s & 80s took their major clues from this classic directed brilliantly by the legendary director Yash Chopra.
Starting with a well written sequence depicting the supremacy of Time, the movie shows us the tragedy faced by a rich man and his family, which in few seconds sends them into the lap of poverty and mercilessly separates them from each other for years. Living their individual lives far away, the characters once again are brought together by the uncontrollable power of Time after a few decades. They get to meet each other unknowingly and with the changing times, find themselves entangled into a new web of relationships beyond imagination. The story which starts as a family drama unexpectedly ends in a courtroom sequence where the whole family unites again accepting the undeniable power of TIME. With a talented ensemble of actors (Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Sadhna, Sharmila Tagore, Jeevan, Madan Puri, Moti Lal & more)
, the classic is a great piece of art, lead by the one & only Balraj Sahni. His splendid portrayal of a proud man refusing to accept the power of time makes you think about the each & every second of our life, which we go on living without knowing anything about the next one. In simple words, the movie deserves to be in the library of every School of Acting and Cinema mainly because of Balraj Sahni alone.
Interestingly, the movie has given a lot to the Hindi Film Industry in terms of content, style and music. First of all it gave the most overused formula of ?Lost & Found? to the other film-makers such as Manmohan Desai, who later came out with some brilliant versions of the same in his own unique and entertaining style. It also established Raj Kumar with his incomparable persona and impeccable technique of saying ?Jaani? forever. His few dialogues from the movie are still rated among the most famous and imitated dialogues on stage and films till date. Apart from the above, it gave us one of the richest ?Film Soundtrack? of Bollywood which has songs precious as gems, including one of the most famous Qawwali of all time, which is still played in every marriage and family get together even in this twenty first century. In fact the qawwali ?Aye Meri Zohrazabin? remains the one & only song associated with the Old Age Romance by every lover of Hindi Films living anywhere in the world.
Lastly the movie gave us the most romantic director of Bollywood, Yash Chopra, who later came up with several Unforgettable Romantic Gems with never before kind of content on Indian Silver Screen. It was one of his first movies which must have given him the much required confidence and command over the art which later resulted in many equally precious masterpieces for the movie lovers. Hence ?Waqt? is an important movie from all angles, not to be missed by any person of any age who loves Bollywood and its magic.
Directed By Yash Chopra
Starring : Balraj Sahni, Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Sadhna, Sharmila Tagore, Jeevan, Madan Puri, Moti Lal & more.
(Chek out the complete list of movies at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 15, 2009
 Steven Spielberg?s ?Saving Private Ryan? is a widely appreciated war movie, rated among the 10 greatest films made under this particular genre. But it?s not entirely based on the theme of war between two countries. In fact it has a more emotional and human plot to deal with talking about a family of four brothers who are all brave soldiers posted at different places in the war. Unfortunately three of them die on the warfront leaving the fourth brother, Private Ryan, still fighting unaware of the cruel truth at an unknown location.
After learning that Ryan is the only bread earner left in the family, the government decides to find him and send him back to his lonely mother on humanitarian grounds. But the problem is that they don?t exactly know whether he is still alive or at what place he actually is behind the enemy lines. Hence a rescue mission is planned to find Ryan and bring him back. The search is led by a Captain (Tom Hanks) with a squad of few men who are not at all happy with the idea of risking their own lives for one person alone. And that?s what gives rise to the name ?Saving Private Ryan?.
Along with its unique plot, the other appealing merit of the movie is its opening beach attack sequence brilliantly shot in a highly realistic style. The first hand war experience simply stuns the viewer with its shocking and bold execution where bodies are falling on ground every second like nothing. And those few brutal minutes in the movie are sure going to blow you mind away like never before. In the acting department, along with his impressive supporting cast, Tom Hanks once again gives a splendid performance as the Captain who was a teacher before joining the Army. The movie won 5 Oscars for the Best Director, Cinematography, Editing, Effects & Sound in the year 1999.
However, I was not able to appreciate the movie a lot on its emotional content as it lacked the famous human touch associated with the name of Spielberg. But still I liked it?s out of the routine story plot executed in an excellent way by the director, which unarguably makes it a not to be missed experience. If you are a diehard fan of the war genre, then you must have already seen the movie in the first place. But if you haven?t seen it yet, then just go for it as your next choice of a war epic.
Directed By Steven Spielberg
Starring : Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, Matt Damon & more(Chek out the complete list of movies at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 15, 2009
 Vishesh Films, Kunal Deshmukh & Emraan Hashmi trio is back with another romantic movie written around a plot based on real life. After his successful directorial debut in ?Jannat?, this time Kunal tries his hands on a (so called) disaster movie depicting the unforgettable trauma faced by Mumbai on 26th July, 2005. The tough days which are still fresh in the mind of every Mumbaikar, saw Mumbai in a very unimaginable state with a flood like situation leading to huge physical and monetary losses everywhere in the city.
So obviously there were enormous expectations from the movie, coming from a director, who already had a well made realistic movie to his credit. Moreover, ?Tum Mile? was also being projected as the first major attempt in the genre of ?Disaster Movies? in Hindi Film Industry though its promotional campaign, TV Promos and Posters. But after watching it, you actually feel like cheated by its promoters because the film which was heavily advertised with the scenes depicting the Mumbai Floods, actually has only a few minutes talking about the disaster and too not in a very convincing way.
It starts nicely with a well written in-flight sequence, where both Emraan & Soha get to meet each other after many years and remember the good times spent together in flashbacks. The movie moves ahead following the same pattern of ?Jannat? wherein first the romance is established between the lead couple and then the real plot is revealed after a few romantic numbers. But in ?Tim Mile?, Kunal stresses too much on the romance part and pays very less attention on the disaster element which actually should have been given the center stage. Till intermission the narration keeps moving into the past and present lives of the couple and along with that also tries to establish the base for the Flood sequences. But the excessive emphasis on the romance part fails to create the required curiosity level, which is a must for a disaster movie. The strong build-up leading towards the watery climax is simply missing.
Post interval, the viewer becomes desperate of watching the flood stuff and really wants to see how it is done in a Hindi movie, but he still has to wait till the end. The main over publicized rain scenes actually come only towards the climax and those too finish off too soon without making an impact with no worth seeing graphical creations as expected. In addition to this there is no account of any mass human suffering, pain or loss faced by the people due to that unexpected natural calamity. Though the flood sequences has been shot competitively in a street set which must have been a tough task for the whole team, but in the end it is too plain to make you feel for it.
Otherwise, the movie has a good romantic story going on with a few good scenes and dialogues coming at regular intervals. Both Emraan & Soha have given good performances as required by an intense love story. They emote and relate well on screen. But Emraan now has to move on to some completely different roles in his career. He looks like doing the different & improvised versions of his own lover boy characters from his previous movies. Soha on the other hand gives a mature performance as a true lover caught between the choice of her career and love. Mantra, as Emraan?s friend makes a good impact throughout and Sachin Khedekar is hardly there for only one scene.
Hence, it all comes down to the wrong promotion of the movie, where it doesn?t deliver what it promised. Also, the writing falters at many places which is clearly visible to the least interested viewer too. For instance, a person coming to check your Electronic Meter abroad in a pure Indian style, people moving out of a drowning bus leaving a small child alone, the child?s mother is also shown out of the bus crying for help. The script also majorly fails to use the flood sequences resulting into the re-union of the lovers. After one hour, anyone can guess that the story will now end in the floods where Emraan would save Soha and they will both fall in love again. And that?s where Kunal fails to make an impact this time. There is no surprise climax in ?Tum Mile? which was incidentally one of the major attractions of his ?Jannat?.
Musically, the soundtrack again has some good songs from the ever consistent Pritam. Though not as compelling and rich in lyrics, as his other recent hits, but still they sound good while watching the movie. However as usual, not all songs were needed in the script, which also needed crispier editing. Cinematography, Graphics and Art direction is fine, but nothing path breaking. In fact it is nowhere close to the other epic disaster movie ?2012? which also releases this Friday. So, if you want to see a real disaster movie with breathtaking sequences and magical graphics on the screen then the choice should be clear after reading this.
Rating : 2 / 5 (Blame it on the misguiding promotional campaign)(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 15, 2009
 When you are going to see a movie which has already impressed you with its outstanding trailer, then it?s obvious to expect something great and out of the ordinary. That was the state I was in while entering the theater to watch 2012. Excitingly waiting for the movie to start, I had many questions in mind about how the director will tackle the various ongoing problems of the world while showcasing the Ultimate End of our civilization? And majorly what will be his take on the famous religions of the world when the characters will be talking about their Final Moments?
And to my surprise the movie took off from our part of the world in 1999, where an Indian Geologist religiously named Dr. Satnam, discovers that the Earth is heating up to an extent that is causing a shift in its tectonic plates. He passes on the news of this deadly discovery to his American friend Dr. Adria, who straight away takes it to the White House as an emergency situation. Coming back to the future in 2012, the movie plunges into the amazing graphical world where the earth is sinking due to the high density earthquakes and all the historical monuments are falling left and right like lifeless toys.
Visually it?s a fabulous portrayal of the End of the World from the director ?Roland Emmerich? who is known for his mesmerizing work in his earlier movies such as ?Independence Day?, ?The Day After Tomorrow? and ?Godzilla?. The moment you witness the first shattering sequence of the earth making a huge wide gap and everything falling into it, you get transported into a gripping enigmatic world altogether. The spectacular special effects unfolding every 15 minutes in the movie, just keep you glued to the screen with your jaws wide open. The disastrous happenings worldwide, the enormous water tides coming over, the burning volcanic eruptions and ugly tsunamis spreading over the world map just bring on the viewer to the edge of his seat.
Hence, if you are in for some great Computer Graphics and want to see a few terrific nail biting scenes where the heroes are just climbing up before the earth sinks in, then this is the perfect choice to spend your valuable time.
But if you are expecting a great movie, rich on emotional and futuristic content as suggested by the impressive body of work by its director, then you may remain quite unsatisfied at the end. In simple words, 2012, undoubtedly scores high on technical and graphical terms but content wise it falls short of the earlier disaster movies from the director. It lacks the emotional depth in its characterization due to which the viewer is not able to relate with any of the characters fighting with the unwanted situation. In order to cover more number of people on the screen, the script fails to develop any one character in particular, which as a result leaves a very cold kind of impact on the viewer. The movie also tends to become a bit slow at times but bounces back with every new destruction sequence on the screen.
The entire cast delivers fine performances as required by the subject, but they are also handicapped by the poor characterization in the script. John Cusack is pleasant to see but has nothing great written for him in particular. Amanda Peet is just there to give her constant looks of amazement. Danny Glover as the president, Thandie Newton as his daughter, Oliver Platt as the president's chief of staff and Jimi Mistry as Dr. Satnam simply play their parts as directed. Only Chiwetel Ejiofor looks like more concerned about the humanity factor in the movie and makes an impact.
2012 also tends to be repetitive in few sequences which strongly give you a feeling of ?seen before?. The movie even reminded me one of the early 80?s disaster movies called ?Earthquake?. In fact this time, Emmerich also seems to be inspired by his own masterpieces from the past. He surely surpasses them all in terms of mass destruction of the globe, but talking about the rich emotional quotient of those Hit movies, 2012 comparatively scores quite low. Emmerich, intentionally skips many important questions related to various countries and religions practiced by different people residing all over the globe.
The main drawback of the movie is that even though it revolves around the concept of end of the world and its civilization, still it is unable to frighten you with the scary thought. The movie keeps on impressing you with its exceptional execution constantly but at the same time, fails to take you in on emotional grounds. In a nutshell, it?s a film very rich in the Cinematography and Computer Graphics department, but is also quite unimpressive in its content.
Interestingly the movie ends with a clear message to the World and its entire population. It simply says that ?Now is the time that we all have to unite together at the earliest or else the nature will unite us deliberately in its own destructive way.?
Rating : 3 / 5(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 8, 2009
One of the most famous and appreciated comedies the current generation, ?Andaz Apna Apna? is directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi, who is more known for his hard hitting emotional dramas and thrillers. It was his first comedy movie featuring the two big Khans, Aamir & Salman, who were also coming together in a project for the first time. With the new age kind of humor, intelligently directed by Santoshi, the movie scores high on the entertainment quotient and has many well conceived comedy sequences to enjoy. Along with the boys, both Karishma Kapoor & Raveena Tandon also contributed equally in making the movie a Classic Bollywood comedy of the hip generation. Moreover, the hilarious acts of Paresh Rawal in a double role and Shakti Kapoor as Crime Master Gogo hugely helped the movie in acquiring a cult status in the world of comedies, on the lines of the immensely famous ?Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron? & ?Padosan?. Especially the last thirty minutes of the film wherein all the lead characters are having a blast in the Don?s den are a real treat to watch in this highly enjoyable classic. Ironically, the movie was completely rejected by the audience at the time of its release in 1994. However, I still remember the great time we all had while watching it in the big cinema hall of those times but somehow it couldn?t establish the right connection with the viewers universally. May be the one liner witty humor in the movie was way before its right time. And that might be the reason why ?Andaz Apna Apna? later received its much deserved appreciation from the younger generation and is now currently included among the Top 10 comedies ever made in the Hindi Film Industry. So, the next time, you want to have a good fun time together with your family then this is what you should go for at once. A highly recommended flick for all Bollywood comedy lovers. Directed By Raj Kumar Santoshi
Starring : Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Paresh Rawal, Shakti Kapoor, Deven Verma & more.
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 7, 2009
 Madhur Bhandarkar is one of those rare talented directors who has mastered the art of making movies out of the newspapers. Continuing his series of films based on real life instances, he strikes again with a dark, uninviting and somehow upsetting movie on an unconventional subject of Jail and the life of its inmates. Before going into further details, one thing you have to keep in mind before watching ?Jail? is that it?s not the usual witty and gossipy kind of subject chosen by Madhur this time. As suggested by the title itself, the theme is more cruel, dark and depressing which is also in complete contrast to Madhur?s previous famous films. It is even more harsh than his ?Traffic Signal? having no room for any comic, humor or sex references. So if you have opted for the movie looking for some great entertaining stuff then you are definitely sitting in the wrong theater. But at the same time ?Jail? is also not at par with Bhandarkar?s earlier highly appreciated works. For the first time he has opted for a completely predictable and seen before kind of script which has not got any shock treatment for which Madhur is more famous for. The story is anybody?s guess where a young boy is wrongly framed under a drug case and has to spend a few painful years in Jail for a crime which he had never committed. Now the problem here is that the miserable ambience of Jail and the life in it has been already shown in many movies before. The grouping system in the convicts, usual fights between the inmates, the use of money for their personal comforts and the underworld operating from the jail, everything has been there on the screen umpteen times before Madhur?s elaborate movie on the subject. So there is nothing new in store for the viewer, which usually is the first expectation from a Madhur Bhandarkar project. And that?s where ?Jail? fails to deliver to a great extent. However, the director?s excellence is still evident in a few well conceived sequences related with some important characters in the script. Especially the sub-plots of Manoj Bajpayi (Nawab) & Rahul Singh (Ghani Bhai) are brilliantly handled by Madhur in his famous trade mark style (But I found no justification in Nawab killing his own kid brother without any reason). Madhur even explains the relationship between Monsoons and Jails in a very impressive manner. Besides this the narration showcases the questionable process of law and the greedy lawyers operating freely in this corrupt ongoing system. In addition to the above, the director also incorporates the real life inspiration angle in the movie taking references from the famous BMW Hit & Run case, Cricket bookies now found in every city and the hidden truth of homosexuality in the Jails. Apart from his much applauded direction, the other department in which Madhur has got a great understanding or instinct is the Casting. He is simply perfect in his choice of actors for a particular role. For instance Neil Nitin Mukesh as the main protagonist, Manoj Bajpai as Nawab, Rahul Singh as Ghani, Arya Babbar as the influential inmate, Mughda Ghodse as the helpful lover & Atul Kulkarni as the savior lawyer, every one suits to their respective roles so perfectly. Undoubtedly the best act comes from Neil as the innocent helpless boy, followed by Manoj Bajapai giving a worth watching performance as per his reputation. Neil impresses with his superb expressions depicting the solitude and sufferings faced by his lonely character. On the other hand, Manoj speaks more through his effective stares and exceptional body language. The climax is the best part of the film which has got the Bhandarkar power in it but I think the movie could have been a bit shorter by few minutes to make it a more engrossing watch. The script has got no scope for any full length songs. Still there are few quick numbers added into the story which actually don?t serve any particular purpose. The compositions are not melodious enough to get register and even the Lata Mangeshkar prayer track is not able to move you either emotionally or musically. But the realistic set of prison and cinematography both deserve a prasing mention for their remarkable contribution. On the whole, ?Jail? is too realistic and gloomy to be liked by everyone. Moreover the repetitive and predictable content of the movie will prove to be its main drawback at the box office. It is thought provoking for sure but not after you have left the theater. Yet there is one moral lesson I concluded from the movie which I would like to share with you all. It gave me the precious insight that?.. ?CRIME is the unwanted and illegitimate child of ANGER and we should always take care of the precautions before it gets conceived? - bobbysing Rating : 2.5 / 5 (Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by memsaab story on Nov 7, 2009
I’m off to hang out with my Mom (above right, frog hunting with my uncle) and Dad (not pictured, because she didn’t know him back in 1937).
I call my parents Mr. and Mrs. Beige, mostly in jest. They would blend invisibly right into any typical mid-western American crowd, but it’s only a facade. Internally, they [...] 
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Nov 6, 2009
 The first ten minutes of this film made me go ?Desi Amadeus? ?Desi Amadeus?. I was not wrong. ?London Dreams? builds on the same concept as the seminal classic ?Amadeus? which is about jealousy that genius attracts; jealousy that can consume and jealousy that can destroy. The plot revolves around Arjun, a boy who nurses a childhood dream of enthralling a packed Wembley stadium and having the world eating out of his hands for his musical prowess. That is his calling. His best friend in the village Mannu is a happy go lucky chap who was forced to learn music by his father, but nevertheless has a gift from the Heavens for it that Arjun does not possess. Arjun makes his way to London and sets up a band called ?London Dreams?. During a visit to the village, he discovers Mannu?s ability and has him come to London to be a backup singer in his band. Lo and behold, Mannu?s brilliance begins to overshadow Arjun?s hard earned prowess and he begins to feel threatened. He resolves to squash Mannu?s career. Would Arjun be able to suppress Mannu?s genius? To what length would he go to stop his best friend? This is what we try to find out. ?London Dreams? is an impressive film with a solid story and an impactful screenplay. Vipul Shah does make you raise some questions on the immigration rules of the UK right up front, but after that you settle into a very intense and impactful ride right up to the end. A movie like this should have music that makes you realize the difference between talent and genius. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy?s soundtrack and Salim-Suleiman?s background music do just that, even though it doesn?t leave you humming a catchy tune as you finish the film. Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan as Arjun and Mannu respectively turn in splendid performances in difficult roles. Devgan?s role is right up his alley and it brings out his simmering intensity. He however looks awkward on stage and could have worked on his body language while singing and performing to be more believable. Salman Khan as the brilliant but frivolous Mannu is in his comfort zone with a lot of tomfoolery and some heartfelt emotion thrown in. Both seasoned campaigners have been cast perfectly. Asin's second Hindi outing after 'Ghajini' does not give her as meaty a role, but she performs adequately as the shared love interest. Towards the end, ?London Dreams? does turn melodramatic, when it should have been ruthless like ?Amadeus? was. But, then that?s the difference between realism and escapism. Nonetheless, a film definitely worth watching.
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 6, 2009
 One of of my favourite directors Raj Kumar Santoshi,known for his admirable story telling skills returns on the screen with a romantic comedy featuring Ranbir Kapoor & Katrina Kaif. There are huge expectations from the three and everyone is looking forward to witness another applaudable comedy on the lines of Santoshi?s highly appreciated ?Andaz Apna Apna?. The promos are exciting and the songs are good. Hence, the stage is all set for just another blockbuster of the season from the maker of brilliant movies ranging from ?Ghayal? & ?Damini? to ?Pukar? & ?Halla Bol?.
But now after watching the latest project from one of my most admired directors, I remember a phrase which I don?t believe in really, but is often used by the artistic people in the creative field. It is called ?CREATIVE BLOCK? which refers to a phase in the life of creative people where they are not able to create as per their own set standards and come up with some shockingly underworked projects which were completely unexpected from a person of their status. ?Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani? exactly falls in that category. Starting with a deliberately created comedy sequence, the movie clearly gives you an idea that it is not going to be what was being expected. And as the clock moves on you realise that this time Santoshi has delivered the weakest movie of his sparkling career.
Surprisingly, the film has got nothing before intermission except the sincere, skillful performance of Ranbir and glamorous looks of Katrina. There is neither any story development in progress nor any well defined characters on the screen as normally seen in the previous works of the director. Till intermission only the love angle is visible to the viewers and one keeps on wondering that where the hell is movie heading towards. Besides this, when the real plot unfolds, it has no surprise element, since you have already guessed it without any serious efforts.
Post interval, with the introduction of few new characters, the movie even slides down further mainly due to its disastrously weak writing. In fact there are only few hilarious scenes having the exclusive Santoshi touch towards the climax of the movie. But even those are very few in quantity, compared to the movie?s enormous promotional campaign emphasizing on comedy. Moreover, the final sequence in the Don?s den is also similar to the one seen in ?Andaz Apna Apna? but it greatly lacks in content.
The movie has only one performer throughout and he is Ranbir Kapoor at his best. Giving an excellent notable performance, he simply shows that he knows his job very well. Katrina on the other hand has got nothing great written for her in the script. So she remains there as a pretty face in the movie who his capable of giving much better to a project. The rest of the entire cast completely fails to make any kind of impact on the viewer, which is not a routine kind of feature in a Raj Kumar Santoshi film.
In addition to this, Santoshi also makes many strange and bizarre kind of moves in his current offering which raises enough doubts on his whole hearted involvement in the project. For instance, the confusion over the city in which the story is staged, the short cameo of Salman Khan in the first half, the un-necessary stammering act of both Ranbir & Katrina, the broken English dialogue scene of Ranbir and the surprising entry of a character resembling JESUS towards the end. Actually speaking, all these scenes don?t seem to be directed by the Santoshi we know from so many years (who can also be spotted in a scene with Ranbir). He may not have tasted success in most of his previous projects, but there has never been a BAD Santoshi film as APKGK.
Musically, it does have some good numbers, well arranged by Pritam, which are widely being appreciated by the youth. But the soundtrack is surely going to be affected by the under-performance of the film. Cinematography serves the purpose well but it?s really sad to see that we still have to move on to the hill stations and snow-mountains to film a romantic song featuring the lead. But actually, the main culprit here remains the writing department which takes everything back to the mediocre levels.
In the end, I would like to add that ?Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani? is a very casual kind of effort from one of best directors of Bollywood. It can only be seen for the outstanding contribution of Ranbir. But let?s take this movie as a result of an unproductive phase in the career of an immensely talented director. And let?s pray that he gives us a much better and polished product next time which can stand tall among his other masterpieces of the past.
Rating : 1.5 / 5 (Very unexpected disappointment from one of my favourite film-makers)
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Nov 5, 2009
 If you were to judge ?Blue? on its production values, it would rank right up there with any international film. Despite having a less than gripping screenplay, it does manage to hold your interest as a viewer right up to the end. The plot revolves around a sunken vessel called ?Lady in Blue? which was laden with wealth that was to be returned to India post her independence. The vessel sinks off the coast of the Bahamas and takes down with it the treasure and the reputation of its captain who manages to escape alive. This vessel becomes the only ray of hope for a fisherman Sagar who needs to save his brother Sameer from the mob who expects him to cough up 50 million dollars in exchange for his life. He is however reluctant to do it as the vessel had claimed the life of his father, a master-diver with whom he had attempted this earlier. He is persuaded to go ahead with this nonetheless by his rich boss Aarav. Will he be able to exorcise the ghosts of his past and undertake this mission to save his brother is what the plot tries to uncover. The story is quite simple but the screenplay strangely loses out on depicting the deep as a dangerous place. There are sharks shown for effect, but nothing is done to build up the tension of diving into them. In fact the passage to the vessel is shown to be rather easy. Anthony D?Souza gives the film a racy feel with top notch over and under water cinematography and slick action work. He could have taken the film several notches higher if he had built on the predatory dangers more. The music and background score are racy with the song ?Chiggy Wiggy? and ?Fiqraana? leading the way. No one particularly scores in the acting department. The only character worth noticing is that of the boss Aarav played by Akshay Kumar. He manages showcase a passion for risk taking with a love for the good things in life. Sanjay Dutt as Sagar is out of shape and the effort to conceal his bulging waistline can be seen from camera angles to his wardrobe. Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif all turn in performances that leave you with nothing much to write home about. ?Blue? could have been a better and more gripping film, but can be watched for its technical finesse and passable storyline.
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Posted by memsaab story on Nov 5, 2009
Ah, what a film this is. If you have a hankering for something that careens wildly along, going from completely loony, to sweetly touching, to dumb and illogical, and back to loony again, look no further. I wouldn’t call it technically a good film, but it is highly entertaining. And I loved it! With features [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 4, 2009
Just think of a storyline where a mentally retarded man becomes a father of a girl child and on the very first day of them returning from the hospital, his wife leaves him standing in the middle of the road holding the few days old little baby in his hands. She leaves him because that?s not the life she wished to live with a retarded husband and his baby. But the man takes it from there and brings up the child in every possible manner he could. He feeds the little baby taking time clues from the TV programmes at the Cartoon channel and raises the girl in a near normal way with his own new self found courage. Years pass and the little child transforms into an eight year old girl coming at par with the mental age of her own father. Knowing that her father can only think as a child, the girl finds it tough to learn more than her father can. She doesn?t want to grow beyond the age where she leaves her father behind. But life has to move on and she starts accepting the truth she has to live with. However, the destiny has its own plans for them, when the Child Care Council takes the girl away declaring that the father is not capable of looking after her anymore. The matter goes into the court and now SAM (the father) has to fight a case to win his own daughter back, whom he had raised all alone without any help. That?s the plot of a gem called ?I Am Sam?, brilliantly directed by Jessie Nelson and with a mind blowing performance by Sean Penn as the retarded father fighting for the custody of his daughter. In fact the movie has more than one star to write about with Sean Penn leading them all. Sean?s performance is undoubtedly one of the best acts I have seen till date portraying a retarded character with so much love, emotions and pain. He just moves into the body of his character with such an incredible ease which should be considered like a lesson by every young student pursuing acting and cinema as his career. Along with Sean, the second star of the movie is Dacota Fanning, playing Sean?s young daughter. She is simply superb in her role showing tremendous understanding of the scenes and dialogues she is given in the movie. At such a small age it was indeed a great piece of work presented by the now young lady. The emotional masterpiece has another star act put forward by the group of Sam?s friends who are also retarded characters with a very limited ability to think. Their few scenes with Sam and in the Court Room are very well written, well acted and highly enjoyable. The credit of their notable performances goes to the director and the writers who gave them a soothing presence in the movie as the friendly helping hands of Sam. And finally the fourth star of the classic is its outstanding camerawork which realistically captures the tender moments of the movie as required by its theme. The intelligent handheld camera movements, the intense close ups, the fast cuts and the zoom in, zoom outs simply take you into the scene as if you are a part of the real happenings. The superb shot taking style makes you feel the same as the characters on the screen. Especially the well shot sequences in the Court Room where each testimonial contributes its own unique angle to the case. Apart from these, Michelle Pfeiffer as the lawyer and Dianne Wiest as Annie are also just perfect in their sensitive performances, equally contributing in making the movie a touching worth watching emotional experience, not to be missed. And you are sure going to remember the innocent SAM in the movie, for a long long time. Directed By Jessie Nelson
Starring : Sean Penn, Dacota Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest & more. (Check out the complete list in details at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 4, 2009
 This is David Lean?s world famous epic, widely considered as one of the Top 10 Movies made in the history of cinema. As a requisite, the movie has to be there in every Must See Movies List compiled by anyone on the globe. And in absence of the incomparable masterpiece, the list would be taken as incomplete. Based on the life or T. E. Lawrence and his emotional war experiences in Arabia, the flick is a fine example of cinematic excellence unbelievably achieved in the year of 1962. In other words, it?s nearly impossible to even think of making a movie with such a vast canvas and grandeur in the current times. It?s both practically and financially unimaginable to do that. And that proves how important and influential the movie is for every film-maker in the world of cinema.
?Lawrence of Arabia? excels in every department of its making and for that it deservedly won 7 Academy Awards in 1963 including the Best Picture, Direction, Cinematography and Musical Score Awards. It is unarguably, once in a lifetime kind of work done by the legendary director David Lean in which he successfully painted the screen with never seen before sort of images, magnificent locations and stunning sequences. Along with its splendid cinematography and execution, the director makes you watch the screen with your eyes wide open. The never before kind of shots unfolding on the screen, force you to think about how on earth they thought of doing it and that too with such amazing elegance and conviction, beyond comparison.
But frankly speaking, in my opinion the movie would mean more to the people who understand the medium and its making. It is superb piece of art for the ones involved in the similar arts and for the students of cinema. But for others, who just watch a movie for entertainment and passing time, it may not appeal to that extent due to many reasons. First of all the length of the movie which goes over three hours, may discourage their spirit of watching it patiently. And secondly the current generation who lives in the age of jet speed and instant coffee, might find the classic too slow in its proceedings. Putting it differently, it requires your complete attention, interest and a lot of time to grasp this monumental kind of work in the field of cinema. It doesn?t deserve to be seen just like another Friday movie in the weekend.
The milestone is a text book to be studied by the young film-makers from different angles. It actually requires repeated viewing by the students in order to study the finer aspects of its each department individually. Especially the cinematography, which in reality is almost impossible to recreate in the present scenario. With Computer graphics available at the next door, now, who cares to shoot an actual sunrise, standing in the dark with the whole team ready? And who can think of a long shot in the desert wherein a person is coming on his camel from a long distance into the camera at his actual speed. Undeniably, a definitive work in the field of cinematography aptly acknowledged as the best ever in the history of cinema.
I really wish I could see the well crafted work on the wide big screen. Watching it on the small screen in the cinemascope format is just not the right way of enjoying it. But with no choice left, I had to watch it more than once to have a satisfying experience for myself. The movie starts impressing you from the first frame itself and you at once realize that you are going to watch something real big. Just see how Sir David Lean makes use of every tiny part of the screen carefully. The vastness of the wide desert, the emptiness of the screen and the huge war sequences are a real treat for the eyes. In fact, each time you see it again, you are bound to see a different aspect of the screen image and that?s the beauty of his flawless direction.
But here I have to accept that the movie definitely impressed me more with its direction, cinematography and unbelievable execution and less with its story plot inspired from real life. But nevertheless, it remains one of the finest movies in the world of cinema which has to be seen by every lover of the art as a mandatory clause.
Interestingly the hugely famous movie has also got its big connection with our own Bollywood. The famous actor, comedian & director I. S. Johar is there in the movie playing a significant cameo of Gasim, who gets saved by Lawrence himself. And it was indeed a proud feeling to see an Indian actor featuring in one of the Top 10 movies made in the history of cinema.
That?s another reason you must see ?Lawrence of Arabia? at the earliest and moroever they are not going to make anything like this ever again in the future.
Directed By David Lean Starring : Peter O?Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, I. S. Johar & more.
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 1, 2009
 It happened more than 60 years back, even before the birth of majority of people reading this article. But till date, this ugly black patch on the World?s history still remains the most haunting disasters witnessed by the people on this earth. Created and planned by the man himself, the tragic, mean and inhuman attack was the most questionable decision taken by the authorities to destroy their rivals at that time.
BBC remembers the horrifying incident with a remarkable docu-drama feature which covers the proceedings of that particular day along with the first hand experiences of the people involved in it. Brilliantly conceived & directed by Paul Wilmshurst, the feature enlightens you with the actual story behind the atomic bomb and the reasons responsible for the decision of dropping it at Hiroshima. Along with that it also shows the dreadful impact of the bomb on the innocent civilians who never expected this kind of brutal, massive and heartless attack on their city. The shocking and horrendous site of the enormous explosion actually even shook the people responsible for it, leaving them with a strange feeling, filled with mixed reactions.
The feature is an intelligent mix of actual interviews of the people who witnessed it and a very passionate reconstruction of the awful incident in details with a good use of computer graphics. In addition to this, the movie also showcases the available real archive footage of the proceedings, which in turn makes it a must watch docu-drama for every single human being enjoying the blessing of life. In fact, I would like to recommend every University in the world to show this movie to their young students which will surely help them to have a better understanding of the History and will encourage them to build a better world to live in for the coming generation.
I wish somebody from the schools and universities reads this article and shows the movie to his or her students as a step to make a difference in their lives.
Directed By Paul Wilmshurst
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Nov 1, 2009
 Last year we had a heavy weight fantasy debacle from the banner of Eros Entertainment called ?Drona?. And like a child committing the same mistake repeatedly, this year we have a similar kind of forgettable fantasy movie titled ?Aladin?, once again from the same prestigious banner of Eros. Wasn?t there even one thinking mind in the team who could see that they were repeating the same horrendous blunder again leading to a big loss, both on financial and goodwill grounds? Wasn?t there any creative person at all, who could point out that ?Aladin? was also having the same distasteful ingredients, which were earlier universally rejected in ?Drona? in the very first few days of its release? In addition to this, it was really funny to know that the film based on one of the weakest script ever was in reality a product of "Boundscript Motion Pictures".....Looks like they only took care of the outer binding of the script and just forgot to read into the content.
Anyway, the mistake has been committed and the loss has to be faced by everyone involved in the making of this horrifying experience. Playing with the loving memories of a childhood story which is still fresh in our mature minds, the movie shamelessly lies in the lowest zone of creativity. Hanging in the mid, it is neither an enjoyable fare for the kids, nor a refreshing graphical ride for the youngsters. In other words it seems to be the result of the wandering mind of a director who is simply lost in his own artistic world and damn cares of the entertainment quotient of his final product.
To start with, in my opinion there are two most important and exciting sequences in an ?Aladin? movie, which have to be dealt with extra care and creativity. First being the entry and introduction sequence of the Jinn. And second, the content of the three wishes granted to Aladin by the Jinn. Originally the whole movie should revolve around these three granted wishes and their surprising aftereffects. But shockingly neither of the above two sequences have been given the much required importance by the director Sujoy Ghosh. The Jinn simply appears from the cloudy smoke in few seconds and then just starts singing a song along with Aladin and a group of dancers, which is arguably the weirdest conceived sequence of the movie. Besides this, the three wishes are just wasted by Aladin, without any excitement build up or entertainment factor for the viewers.
Moreover the kids keep on waiting for something great to unfold on the screen, each time Aladin is going to say a wish, but nothing happens and post interval the movie moves on to a totally different tale of a Ring Master who is also in search of the magic lamp. Can?t say from where he came into the story all of a sudden as we have not read about any such character in the Aladin story. May be the director wanted to add some spice and thrill into the story with some additional villain characters. But sadly, his move of adding a baddie Ring Master, doesn?t work at all. On the contrary, the bonus track deviates the story from its original theme and takes away the world famous charm of this fantasy story.
In the performance department, except Ritesh Deshmukh, almost everyone goes over the top, acting with hyper reactions and high energy. It seems they acted that way according to the brief given by the director. Yet in bold terms, both Amitabh Bachchan & Sanjay Dutt should include this movie as one of the most regretful projects of their career. Debutant Jacqueline Fernandez is just there for adding some glamour value and she delivers what was being expected from her. But I was unable to figure out why three talented veterans Ratna Pathak Shah, Victor Bannerjee and Mita Vashisht were there in the movie playing completely unimportant roles which didn?t suit them at all. Only Ritesh Deshmukh looked like his character of Aladin on the screen and he is the only one who gives an impressive, controlled and enjoyable performance in the movie.
Musically, it?s another mediocre score from Vishal-Shekhar with no Hit Track as such. Moreover, most of the songs in the movie are deliberately added into the proceedings and could have been easily left out at the editing table itself. In fact it?s only the Cinematography and few graphic sequences in the movie which are able to impress the viewer to some extent. Otherwise it?s a complete disaster from the production team, who didn?t learn any lesson from their own dud ?Drona?.
It was indeed sad to see all the valuable resources and hard work going down the drain once again in a useless effort of making an epic fantasy Indian movie. Actually we should stop thinking about competing with Hollywood in the Fantasy genre as it?s not possible to reach the level of ?Harry Potter? or ?Lord of the Rings? with this kind of mind setup, where a Ginni still has to sing songs along with Aladin.
If a big ship sinks then only the captain gets the blame, who is Sujoy Ghosh in this particular case, solely responsible for this silly & mad fiasco. Along with him both Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt are equally responsible for saying yes to this project and raising the expectation levels of all their children fans in the entire world. The veterans of the industry should understand the responsibility associated with their big names and ideally should take utmost care in selecting a project featuring them in the lead roles. But it doesn?t seem to be the way our Industry works as Bollywood keeps on delivering bad and disgraceful projects at regular intervals year after year and that too with some great confidence on their faces before the release.
In a nutshell, it?s high time that the production houses should rethink upon their working strategies. In clear words, they got to keep full control over their ongoing projects and their over-creative directors in order to save the hard earned money of both the makers and the spectators. Cause we really don?t want to witness any other ?Drona? or ?Aladin? in the future.
Rating : 1 / 5 (What a loss for everyone!)
(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 31, 2009
First of all, I would like to thank Muz for sending this to me. He has also provided me with Pukar, Sikandar and Raj Nartaki (review upcoming), and thank goodness people like him appreciate Hindi cinema history enough to preserve it when they can. I appreciate his sharing these films with me more than words [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 30, 2009
 Very few movies are based on stories capable of shaking the viewer with a shock treatment and making him think. Very rarely comes a realistic story on the screen which sends shivers down your spine and makes you feel sorry for the characters facing the unexpected tragedy. ?Ghar? is one of those rare well directed movies from Bollywood, having an unfortunate story to tell which happens to be both realistic and disturbing at the same time.
Revolving around the life of a newlywed couple, the story depicts the tragic trauma faced by both the husband and wife when they become victim of some bad elements of the area while returning from a late night film show. The harsh and unkind tragedy with the couple, completely changes their outlook towards their own existence and they have to fight real hard to overcome the unfortunate even of that dark night. Interestingly, ?Ghar? has a unique story plot which was quiet bold and a first in Hindi Cinema at the time of its release in the late seventies. And that was the reason it also won the Filmfare Award for the Best Story in 1978.
The novel plot of the movie got its much required support from the talented diva, Rekha, who plays the traumatised wife of the helpless husband enacted by Vinod Mehra. Unarguably included in one of her top five performances, the movie has Rekha in a completely different avtaar (role), as never seen before or after ?Ghar?. She brilliantly portrays the fear, pain and grief felt by her character in the script in the most believable way which touches the viewer deep inside. Vinod Mehra also compliments the lifetime performance of his co-star in an impressive manner which in turn makes this movie a worth watching emotional experience, not to be missed.
Director Manik Chatterjee emerges as a master film-maker in this touching portrayal of human emotions. He captures the inner fight of his characters on the screen in a splendid way. But sadly he could give us only two movies in his lifetime as a director. Though his second movie cannot be termed as a classic comparitively, but it still has her favourite actress, Rekha featuring in & as the ?Bhaurani? released in1989. Along with his master music director ?R. D. Burman? & legendary lyricist ?Gulzar?, Manik also showed a tremendous sense of music & lyrics in his ?Ghar?. With musical gems such as ?Aaj Kal Paon Mere?, ?Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na?, ?Phir Wohi Shaam Hai? & ?Aap Ki Ankhon Mein Kuchh?, the movie will be always remembered as one of the best sensitive and socially relevant films made in Bollywood. So, if you havent seen it yet, then just go for its DVD at once.
Directed By Manik Chatterjee
Starring : Rekha, Vinod Mehra, Dinesh Thakur, Prema Narayan & more.
Music by R. D. Burman(Check out the complete list in details at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 30, 2009
 As the few opening words describing this unbelievable piece of art, I would only like to say that.....
?They Still Make These Kind of Movies in 2008?.
The emotional experience named ?Changeling? made me a bigger fan of Clint Eastwood, the veteran actor director who earlier hugely impressed me with his ?The Bridges of Madison County?. Also featuring Angelina Jolie in the main lead, the movie completely shatters the immensely famous image of the beautiful actress and introduces you to a new, talented and emotional side of her lovable identity. Eastwood inventively, extracts a highly impressive and life time performance from Angelina, along with worth praising acts from the entire supporting cast and comes up with yet another gem in his exceptional career.
An outstanding adaptation of a shocking true incident, the movie remains unbelievable even when you are told that it is all based on the TRUE happenings. The story revolves around a single mother living with his sweet nine year old kid in Los Angeles in the year 1928. Their simple & happy life moves on to different path altogether when one fine day the little kid simply vanishes into thin air and can be found no-where around. The crying mother keeps searching for her dear child and in the end reaches the police station to file a complaint. And from there on the movie takes a sharp turn and drives you into a completely unexpected arena with some devastating truths being told on the screen which actually happened in the life of that victim lady and her child. I will not like to reveal anything more about the plot as that will certainly take away the spirit of watching this emotional and engrossing tale, well told by the master craftsman Clint Eastwood.
But I will surely like to end my brief review, with a quote that ?Changeling is undoubtedly one of those rare movies which have the power to make you forget all the essential and urgent assignments of your daily life and would compel you to see it in one go, sitting on your favorite couch in the room.?
A terrific suspense drama, which deserves to be seen at the earliest.
Directed By Clint Eastwood
Starring : Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich and more(Check out the complete list in details at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 30, 2009
 The punch line of the review says it all as ?Fruit & Nut? was one of the worst movie I have ever seen till date. After requesting the theater manager to run the movie for only two persons alone, the experience of watching this silly dud, later made me regret the request I had made for its special screening. The film simply offers nothing to write about any department of its making ranging from its script, music, acting and direction.
Supposed to be a comedy, the movie starts off in a normal way introducing Cyrus Broacha as a simple, funny, fat boy who is looking for some good job, money and romance in his life. But right after his first scene, the movie falls into a circle of sheer absurdity with strange happenings, illogical scenes and extremely loud characters on the screen. Just imagine a beautiful girl getting kidnapped from a toilet through a commode seat. Really, it was quite brave on behalf of the writer and the director to think and even shoot such a sequence in their full fledged movie. May be they were trying to be over inventive, inspired by some weird world cinema movies. But here the end result was just equal to a badly cooked dish with no taste, flavor or fragrance of any sort. In fact the dish called ?Fruit & Nut? doesn?t even deserve to be tasted with the smallest child spoon.
Looking upon the star cast of the film, it seemed to be an interesting project featuring many famous actors known for their mastery in the art. But after watching them portraying their assigned roles in the movie, I became stunned and kept thinking about the thought process of the director who successfully completed this intolerable film with so many talented people around. Apart from Cyrus, there is Mahesh Manjrekar, playing an officer who keeps trying to speak English words and phrases. Boman Irani an eccentric or mad old man, who is on a mission to save Mumbai from the Builders nexus. Diya Mirza, a strange Raw agent who gets kidnapped in the most bizarre manner and Rajit Kapoor, who plays a silly professor and scientist making bombs for the bad men. The most ridiculous of them all is Rajit Kapoor, who surprisingly gives a forgetful performance of his otherwise shining career. Everyone else is also just there to honor their professional commitment to the project and that?s it.
Director, Kunal Vijaykar simply missed the golden opportunity he was given as he couldn?t use the comic talent of any of the actors made available to him for his project. The movie starts and ends with the same weird and uncanny sequences which become unbearable towards its even more painful climax (where they all start playing Antakshri). And in the end, you just want to rush out of the hall at once as the credits start rolling. Truly speaking, the producers should have done some charity instead of making this insane movie.
Rating : Half A Star / 5(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 30, 2009
 Vipul Shah once again returns with his uniform Punjabi flavour & the India-London theme. Taking another step ahead of his ?Namaste London?, this time he impressively comes up with a good take on pop singers and the back stage drama in their over famous lives. But in an otherwise well directed, intense and emotional drama, he is sadly not accompanied by an equally enjoyable musical score (as in Namaste London), which was much needed by the subject and its script. So minus the songs and uninspiring music, here we have a well directed movie with some entertaining & enlightening moments and a worth watching climax (again subtracting the last song).
With a story about changing relationships between two childhood friends, ?London Dreams? starts with a notable opening dialogue from Ajay Devgan and then moves into the flashback of the same overused fields of Punjab. After a few introductory scenes, a song and 20 minutes into the movie, enters Salman Khan, who simply sets the screen on fire with his superb effortless acting and hilarious comic timing. From here on the film takes off in actual terms giving way to a brilliant in-flight sequence where Salman interacts with the passengers, an airhostess and the security men in his own impeccable style. And then the first half ends with a well conceived on-stage sequence, which successfully excites you enough to see the further developments on the screen.
Post interval the narration moves into more serious matters, showcasing the cut-throat competition between artists, the feeling of jealousy among themselves and the evil games they play to taste success in their professional lives. The emotional conflict between Ajay and Salman further leads to a completely unexpected and splendidly conceived climax which gives new meaning to the spirit of friendship between two artists and childhood friends. In fact the climax sequence of Salman and Ajay at the Railway Station rightly deserves to be applauded for its superb writing and enlightening execution. Salman straight away wins the heart of every single viewer in the theater, coming up with a completely unimaginable solution to the problem existing between the two friends and gives a new meaning to the ?Art of Forgiving?. But a whole song after their re-union was not creative or intelligent from any angle and the movie should have ended right at the Railway Station. Performance wise Salman comes at the top with a great act, which includes comedy, emotion, tragedy and even trauma of a drug addict. Ajay Devgan gives another intense and explosive performance different from his current famous comedy movies. He looks dashing in his rough performer getup, but lacks the youthfulness and body flexibility of a rock artist. In other words, he seems to be quite stiff in his stage acts and moreover his self torture scenes were also not needed at all. They give you the feeling of Deja vu, since these kind of sequences were more seen in the movies of 70s & 80s, like the one in Amitabh?s ?Mahaan?. Asin is breath-taking gorgeous and looks much better than ?Ghajini?. Her short Sita-Gita act was enjoyable only because she looked equally beautiful in both kind of dresses. Though she didn?t have much to do in the project but she surely has got immense talent in her to be explored. Om Puri is cool and calm in his few scenes and notable dialogues but Ranvijay Singh gives an ok performance in his debut movie. He looked more confident in his ?Roadies? act on the small screen. Aditya Roy Kapur, as Ranvijay?s brother is impressive & Brinda Parekh repeats her act of ?Corporate?.
It can be said that director Vipul Shah is back with a commendable effort talking about the ugly side of human characters who happen to be stage artists in the current script. But the theme is equally relevant in any business form in this cunning monetary world. Vipul realistically directs few praiseworthy sequences in the movie like the one where Salman transforms two lines of a song in different kind of compositions having different tastes and the worth watching emotional climax scene at the railway station. However, along with these well directed ones, he also delivers a questionable sequence, when all the four members of the band except Ajay freely move out of the Wembley Stadium?s green rooms to the lonely, dark backyards, breaking all the security circles, on the very night of their much awaited performance. Unfortunately, Vipul majorly faulted on his choice of compositions for a project which entirely talks about a musical band and its members. For such a script based on music itself, the songs and score by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is too feeble to get register. There is no melody anywhere in the songs except one or two. In fact the most important song of the movie, which the band plays at their night in the Wembley Stadium, is completely uninspiring and boring. On the other hand the cinematography captures the essence of the subject superbly. The stage sequences and the Wembley have been shot real well along with some great computer graphics.
Conversely, I wondered that if a project is around Punjab and also requires a great amount of Punjabi language, music and feel to be incorporated into it, then why not they hire some actual Punjabi Professionals for the job, who can rightly guide them about the Punjabi dialogues, their pronunciations and the Punjabi melodies in the songs. Why they insist of using people who are no doubt immensely talented but they actually don?t know about the real feel of the soil and its musical requisites. For instance, Salman keeps on calling Ajay as ?Bhara? which means brother, with a faulty pronunciation.
In simple words, if the entire actor fraternity in Mumbai can take classes for ?Hindi? & ?Urdu? languages, then why not they take classes for ?Punjabi? when they have to portray the role of a Punjabi character.
Summing up, I would like to say the ?London Dreams? just missed out to become a masterpiece flick based on a good subject. It is Salman?s movie all the way, who will appeal to everyone from a city professional to a village farmer. Besides him, the movie and its theme will also appeal to wannabe artists from the younger generation. But it cannot be called a finely polished product as it has many unwanted songs and scenes which could have been easily edited out. And I wish it had some good melodious songs which would have taken the brilliant performances in the movie to another level alltogether.
Rating : 3 / 5(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 27, 2009
 There are times when you can get the plot concept right, but the execution is too tepid to make the concept seem worthwhile. Add to that, some lukewarm performances and ?Absence of Malice? turns out to be a damp squib considering the firepower it carries. The plot revolves around Michael Gallagher, the son of a boot-legger who is accused of murdering the local union leader. The accusation is not done through official channels, but as a story leaked to the press by an Assistant US Attorney, through a reporter who catches wind of their investigation. Gallagher knows that he is being set up so that the Attorney can rely on him to find the real perpetrator, so that his own name is cleared. Whether Gallagher takes the bait or turns the hunters into the hunted is what the plot tries to uncover. Considering that it is a Sydney Pollack movie, ?Absence of Malice? is disappointing simply because it does not hold your attention. The narrative is too vague and the pace is too slow and does not grip. Towards the end, the platitude about the press not knowing what is right and what is wrong and the attorneys being rapped on their knuckles by a senior attorney is amateurish. Paul Newman as Gallagher is the only one who steps up and shows glimpses of the caged rage that he showed in movies like ?Hud? and ?Hustler?. Sally Field as the reporter is disappointing. There is no chemistry between the lead pair. The film is disappointing. Only worth watching if you are a fan of the director or the actors.
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 27, 2009
I know this is not an Indian film! But it stars Shashi Kapoor alongside the lovely Hayley Mills and the legendary Trevor Howard. I have been looking for it forever, and finally—finally!—got my grubby little paws on a copy. Hayley Mills made some of my favorite childhood movies: The Parent Trap, That Darn Cat! and [...] 
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 26, 2009
 As the walls begin to close on Michael Clayton, you start feeling suffocated. When that happens, you realize that what you are watching is a top class screenplay in action. ?Michael Clayton? predictably does a redemption number in the end, but not before telling you why it was so necessary. The film, named after the protagonist deals with his life as a ?fixer? for a prestigious law firm. A former litigator, Clayton is the man whom everyone calls when the shit hits the ceiling. He can fix deals, change facts, in short, get the murky side of the lawyer?s job done. His most challenging fixing assignment is to find a formerly-decorated-now-moral-and-eccentric colleague who is handling one of the firm?s biggest clients, but feels the need to expose their dark side to the world. As he tries to bring him in, he realizes that the enraged client is after both him and the lawyer. Is he able to save his colleague and himself is what the plot tries to answer. ?Michael Clayton? is an excellent suspense thriller set against a corporate landscape with lifeless walls, unimaginative offices, grey and dark suits and a dark atmosphere outside. It is a wonderful screenplay that brings to light, characters that are intelligent, deep and also hurt. Tony Gilroy who had earlier directed the ?Bourne? series delivers a fine film. The only sore point of it was that the ending was predictable. Does it have to be redemption every time? Does the guy have to discover his conscience? Why can?t he just be the ?fixer for life?? Something different! George Clooney revels in this role. He looks haggard and washed out and portrays Clayton?s frustrations at doing the worst job in the firm and the emotional demands of being broke, divorced and now hunted superbly. He was nominated for the Oscar for this role. Tilda Swinton plays the devious chief counsel of the client firm, a lonely successful powerful woman who is surprised and afraid of her own ruthlessness. Her role is an interesting one as it is the string-puller in the background. She won the best supporting Oscar for this role. I did not think it deserved that much, but nonetheless an impactful performance. Tom Wilkinson as the brilliant but eccentric lawyer is predictable in a role that is quite similar to the ones he's done before. Watch ?Michael Clayton? if you want to watch a gripping intelligent film that brings to light, the complicated lives of people who are uncomfortable in their skin.
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 23, 2009
Had this been the first Hindi movie I ever watched, I would have slit my wrists before I ever let anyone convince me to watch another. It’s that bad. It’s bad in the worst possible sense, my worst nightmare: a Red Mist movie. It is characterized by that maudlin, useless self-sacrifice which makes even its [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 22, 2009
 Rajkumar Santoshi directed ?Damini? (Lightning) is indisputably one of the finest movies from Indian cinema representing the suppressed voice of a woman and the power of truth. Remembered for its bold subject the film exposes the ugly and decayed face of Indian traditional values which have now lost their real sacred meaning in the current times. Revolving around the gang rape of a poor and helpless maid, it depicts the wide class system still prevailing in the Indian society even today. It impressively showcases how the poor continue to be exploited by the richer section in the cities and how it?s still difficult to raise a voice against this exploitation in absence of a clean and pure judiciary system.
Meenakshi Sheshardri gives a power packed performance in & as "Damini" playing the newlywed entrant in the house who declares war against the inhuman act done by the young members of her own in-laws family. And there is no one to support her in the new home, not even her own loving husband who loves her a lot. A drunkard & loser lawyer, living a deserted lonely life comes to her rescue and fights the court case on her behalf. Brilliantly directed by Santoshi, the intense emotional drama has four award worthy acts, simply not to be missed.
Meenakshi as the lady fighting for her human and traditional ethics, Rishi Kapoor as her husband caught in a moral dilemma, Sunny Deol as the tough lawyer fighting the case for her and Amrish Puri as the cunning, dishonest lawyer fighting the law suit against Sunny in the court. But surprsingly along with the director only Sunny Deol won the Filmfare awards that year. Sunny even got a National Award for his punchy performance but sadly the most deserving of all, Meenakshi Sheshardri, didn't receive any major awards for her realistic and thoughtful portrayal of a woman fighting for the dignity of her maid.
To sum it up, if you love intense emotional dramas leading to some highly engrossing court room sequences then "Damini" is one of the best Bollywood movies made in this particular genre. It is touching, emotional and also immensely entertaining because of the fiery interaction court room scenes between Sunny Deol & Amrish Puri. In fact Sunny's famous dialogue from the movie "Dhai Kilo Ka Haath" has now achieved a cult status among the famous Bollywood dialogues of all times. A highly recommended masterpiece, especially for the younger generation.
Directed By Rajkumar Santoshi
Starring : Meenakshi Sheshadri, Rishi Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and more.
Music by Nadeem Shravan (Check out the complete list in details at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 22, 2009
 At times after watching a movie you just have one thought in the mind that why on earth this movie was made in the first place. What was the creative team thinking while working on this project and how did they come up with an idea of making a complete movie on such a thin, rotten and completely uninteresting plot. "Main Aurr Mrs Khanna" is the latest example of such a movie which fails to impress miserably from its first scene itself and falls flat.
The story is about a husband and wife, who are parting for some time to gain more financial stability in the future. The wife has to stay alone for the same and within that time period she establishes new friendly relationship with people who help her in finding a new job. On his return the husband starts the same old games of suspicion and then after certain usual clarifications it all ends on a happy note.
In the new age period of 2009, it?s really strange and courageous of the film-makers to even think of conceiving a film on this subject. May be the narration was quite different from the final product and that may also be the reason why there was not a huge promotional campaign planned for this Salman Khan starrer after the success of his ?Wanted?. It seems that the makers already knew that they have a loser in their kitty.
The film starts on a confusing note, with no proper explanations about its key characters, their origin or their work. The viewer keeps guessing how Salman has failed in the business and how he later suddenly succeeds and returns as a rich man just like that. Till intermission the movie keeps moving on its own as if it is not even concerned about the viewer?s interest. And on the top, post interval you are straight away given a song to watch which comes from simply no-where.
To build up the plot, Sohail Khan unrealistically tries to break the loving couple of Salman & Kareena with his silly and unconvincing efforts. He deliberately tries to become the other person in Kareena?s life, even when she never gives him any hint in that direction. And that was completely incompetent stuff from the writing department after the intermission. Moreover introduction of a new girl (Deepika Padukone) in the end, who becomes Sohail?s fresh love interest was also an old surprise trick seen several times before in many similar love stories.
In the acting department, Kareena tries hard to keep the viewer?s interest alive but doesn?t get the support of her writers. Salman looks a bit tired and too casual in his husband act. Sohail Khan simply repeats himself as usual. Mahek Chahal, Yash Tonk & Nauheed Cyrusi have got nothing much to do in their short roles. Dino Morea is just there for a few minutes. But Bappi Lahiri, who has a full fledged role in the movie is cool and nice to see with all his gold chains around the neck as his trademark.
Sajid Wajid?s music has got something to enjoy as a soundtrack alone. However their few melodious songs could have been used in a more deserving way in some other project. Cinematography is fine capturing the foreign locales, but writing is the weakest department in the movie, coming up with bizarre dialogues such as, ?I have bought a star from NASA as a Gift for you.? Now what was that supposed to mean?
On the whole, I strongly believe that with such huge stars supporting his project, director Prem Soni should have thought of another fresh subject altogether for his first movie. In real terms, the only entertaining five minutes in the movie are with Priety Zinta dancing with the entire cast in a peppy item song having the right punch. But that alone will not be able to bring huge crowds in to the theaters in this festive season.
Rating : 1 / 5
(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 22, 2009
 Touted as the most costly venture of Hindi Film Industry, ?Blue? releases on this Diwali weekend to make the most of the Festival season. With tremendous hype in the air, fresh visuals on the screen and never before underwater action for the viewers, the movie had all the ingredients of becoming a blockbuster before its release. But now after going through the watery experience of 2 hours in the theater, I can only think about the huge amount of money spent on such a weak and baseless project.
It really doesn?t feel nice to write negative reviews about a project in which a lot is on stake in monetary terms. But what can be done, if the movie itself doesn?t provide you anything positive or worth praising to rave about. Though, it starts off quite well with a brilliantly shot sequence where Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt drive out a Shark from their underwater net. But after that, the movie goes on sliding on a never ending downwards slope sinking towards an unknown destination.
Revolving around a conspiracy to reach a hidden underwater treasure, ?Blue? has a completely uninteresting first half, with nothing appealing for the viewer related to its main theme. In fact if you simply skip it off and start watching the movie after its intermission, then you miss nothing but only a few chase sequences and two hot babes, Katrina and Lara Dutta. Apart from this, the main plot of the movie actually unfolds after the interval, when the three men are set to go for the treasure hunt. So, it all comes down to the last 30 minutes of the flick, where you desperately start waiting for something very exciting to happen related to the hidden wealth and bloody sharks.
But unfortunately or rather very irresponsibly nothing happens even in the concluding moments of the movie and its climax simply leaves you confused and annoyed. There is no excitement felt as the treasure is found, there are no bloody games played with the sharks as shouted in the promotional campaign and there is not a single thrilling moment in this so called never before underwater thriller. Yes, there are breathtaking undersea shots worth watching and there are well conceived high quality actions sequences too, but??
Where is the content to win over the viewers?
Where is the famous charming spell of Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt?
Where are the Sharks, heavily promoted in the T.V. campaigns?
Where is the excitement which should be there in a treasure hunt movie?
Besides this, the Kylie Minogue song is clearly added deliberately, which though sounds nice to the ears but has got nothing extraordinary to offer. All the chase sequences featuring Zayed Khan before and after the intermission are only there to add more glamour and gloss to the project. And as always the two gorgeous ladies feature in the movie as there can never be a Hindi Film without any hot heroines to set the screen on fire.
Talking about its performances, there is neither the actual Sanjay Dutt in the movie nor the real Akshay Kumar. In other words you can only find some glimpses of their famous charisma on the screen in few particular scenes here & there. And the most annoying dialogues are where Akshay addresses Sanjay Dutt as ?Seth Ji?. I really couldn?t find anything interesting or entertaining in this unique way of calling him ?Seth Ji?. May be the writers found it fresh & new, but this was earlier used by Mallika Sherawat in one of her movies too. On the other hand, Zayed Khan, surprisingly shines in his side role and Lara Dutta simply sizzles in her revealing outfits. Lara is undoubtedly looking more glamorous and different than any of her earlier releases. Both Katrina Kaif (in special appearance) and Rahul Dev have done justice to their short and usual roles.
Musically, A. R. Rahman comes out with a few melodious numbers in the soundtrack, out of which ?Chiggy Wiggy? has been already made famous by an extensive promotional strategy. Otherwise I think with Kylie Minogue being there for him, Rahman could have belted out something more exciting & sensational for her. Moreover, it was sad to see the finest song of the movie, ?Fiqrana? being played as a music video along with the end credits.
In short the best part of the movie is its Cinematography and that?s it. The film simply fails to impress in any other department completely and only one man gets all the blame and he is the debutant director Anthony D?Souza. With such enormous amount of resources available at his disposal he should have given more stress on the story, script and content of the movie to ensure its box office success. But ignoring these essential elements of cinema, he focuses more on the look and feel of the project, which has never been the Box-Office success mantra ever. He surely has got the talent to deliver and may come up with a winner next time, but with ?Blue? he can only expect the least.
Rating : 1.5 / 5 (The extra half star only for its underwater well shot scenes)
(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 22, 2009
 It?s October 2009 and we still haven?t got any worth watching comedy to remember. But the good news is that this dearth of quality fun capers has finally come to an end with ?All The Best?, a well made potent fun movie, packed with highly enjoyable hilarious moments for the needy viewers. Interestingly, though Rohit Shetty?s comedy may be less exciting in its star presence as compared to the other biggies released on the same Friday, but in reality it seems to be the best of the lot presented before us in this festive mood.
Moving around the same lines of ?Golmaal? (2006) and Inspired by the play ?Right Bed Wrong Husband?, the story has the same old elements of mistaken identities, which in turn gives rise to some amusing funny moments to enjoy. The story mainly revolves around the character of Sanjay Dutt, who is a big business tycoon just visiting his younger brother, Fardeen Khan for a few hours. Mistaking Ajay Devgan?s girl (Bipasha) as Fardeen?s wife, the confusions start cropping up which even get worse when Sanjays?s few hours stay gets converted into days due to the flight cancellation.
Though, the movie starts with the same routine stuff of introducing the characters and their love connections along with the two unwanted songs right in the beginning. But after the first 15 minutes it straight away comes back to the job of making you laugh and also manages to complete its job quite successfully. The hilarious interaction between various characters entangled in the identity trap, generates enough laughter to give you a good time in the theater.
With the entertaining comic timing between Sanjay Dutt & Ajay Devgan, the film picks up fast and gets good support from the side tracks of Johny Lever & Sanjay Mishra. In fact Johny Lever returns with his impeccable mannerisms posing as a Don who can?t speak. He mimics Prem Nath?s act of Karz in a very engaging manner and just excels in the climax when he gets his voice back accidentally. Sanjay Mishra as the rich man from the slums is also at his best, especially in his interaction scenes with Sanjay Dutt. Along with the superb performances of Ajay & Sanjay, Fardeen Khan as usual, just provides the required support to both. Bipasha also tries well to match up the comedy acts of others and looks after the glamour quotient of the movie too. But Mughda Godse is hardly there to prove herself.
Pritam?s not so great musical score sounds fine while watching the movie, but for a change, it doesn?t compel you to buy the Soundtrack CD after the screening. Moreover a few songs could have been easily edited out to make it a crispier watch. Cinematography is perfect as required by a comedy flick, but the dialogue writing excels with some superb one liners and funny jokes.
All the performers get brilliant support from their writers, especially in the scenes where Sanjay Dutt enters the house for the first time and in the climax, when all the characters are together on the screen. As a surprise, a highly emotional sequence also impresses you in this comedy when Bipasha is declared pregnant by the doctor. Collectively, all the three, Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt and Johny Lever are in their full form after a long time, getting adequate support from the rest of the cast.
In short, the multiple character entangle once again proves lucky for the director Rohit Shetty and he surely comes up with the first quality comedy of 2009. Go for it to have a good festive weekend with the family.
Rating : 3.5 / 5
(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 20, 2009
I haven’t watched any films in the past week or so because I’ve been busy scanning old family photos. It’s been on my to-do list forever (or would be if I had one). A lot of the photos are faded and discolored (my baby pictures are getting close to 50 years old! *yikes*) and I [...] 
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 17, 2009
Garam Dharam in shorts! Mehmood in a loin cloth (and a skimpy one at that)! A feisty heroine who doesn’t want to get married! What’s not to love? (Okay, besides for Mehmood in a skimpy loin cloth. Nobody needs to see that.)
This is “Taming of the Shrew” with retro charm, pretty people, and lovely songs [...] 
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 14, 2009
Lately I’ve had my iPod repeating a playlist that I put together of songs from 1960s films that are just bubbling over with western charm: guitars, trumpets, double basses, and the odd ukelele or two are used in what still remain quintessentially Hindi film songs. These are songs that have gotten stuck in my head [...] 
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 12, 2009
A new “old” Shammi film release with subtitles always gives rise to many huzzahs in this household. And when it’s a good film—well, my glee is almost uncontainable. There is nothing unique in the theme of this one (it’s a standard 1950s plea for a socialist Indian society: sharing and equality good, capitalism and greed [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 10, 2009
 Sanjay Gupta has been associated with a big list of inspired films in the past and his ?Acid Factory? too follows the same trend fearlessly. Directed by Suparn Verma the film heavily borrows most of its content from the English thriller ?Unknown? released in 2006. With more legal remakes in the scene I hope the makers have acquired the rights of this adaptation, since it has scene to scene to similarities with the original.
The movie as a whole is an ok thriller for the Indian viewers who may not have seen masterpieces such as ?Saw? series? & ?Cube?. But for an avid movie lover who is well familiar with this intense, psychological, brain twister thriller genre of the west, ?Acid Factory? is just a rehash version of the Original, accompanied by some un-required stunts and usual Indian elements. In fact the deliberately added flavors to suit the Indian audiences take away the essence of an otherwise well directed but inspired attempt from White Feather Films.
It starts in an abandoned factory, where five men wake up from an unconscious state with a zero memory about their names and origin. Suspecting each other for their current state, they have a mutual conflict, trying to know the real truth about themselves and the others. The first half only deals with their small fights along with a few glimpses of their individual past. But it?s the second half which has a better grip, unfolding the real mystery behind the game played by all. The movie builds up slowly raising your expectations for an explosive climax which sadly remains unfulfilled. The concluding moments in the script are not that convincing as they should have been to end up a tense psycho thriller.
Performance wise everyone is just there with nothing exceptional delivered by any particular actor. The most talented among the star-cast is Irfan Khan who is simply wasted in the few scenes he gets. Diya Mirza, who was majorly used for the Net publicity campaign is hardly there in the movie (she enters after the intermission). And it was nice to see ?Neha? back on screen after a long time. Cinematography is first rate with Sanjay Gupta?s favorite green tone on the screen. But the lavishly shot actions scenes and the few songs were completely out of place and were not needed at all.
In few words, ?Acid Factory? is a borrowed movie coming from the director Suparn Verma. It can be given a chance by those who haven?t seen the original western flicks and love this intense, brain twister genre of movies where the hidden truth gets revealed in the climax.
Frankly speaking, it?s really tough to write about a movie which straight away starts with a completely inspired scene where even the location, ambience and characters are purely an imitation of the original. It simply takes away the joy of watching a movie. In other words it?s like watching a painting in a gallery, signed by an artist who hasn?t painted it at all.
Rating : 2 / 5 (If it?s an official remake of the Original) and
No Star Ratings (If it?s an unauthorized imitation)(Originally Posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 10, 2009
 ?Wake Up Sid? is a coming of age story that depicts the very real transition called ?growing up? that an individual goes through in life and one type of catalyst that enables it. It however, ends up as being evocative and gripping only in parts and passes as above average fare relative to other films in the ?provoke thought and debate? genre. The story revolves around Sidharth ?Sid? Mehra, a twenty year old with a rich dad who lives a life of luxury and pleasure with nothing to worry about. Life in Mumbai is a whirlwind of parties with the odd unsuccessful exam cram thrown in. He encounters a struggling writer Aisha who has come to Mumbai to make it big and shows him a window to a life of independent thinking and being. As pressure begins to mount on Sid from his parents, to make something of himself, he fails his final degree exams and realizes that he needs to take stock of his life and create his own identity. How he does it, and how his relationship with Aisha blossoms from being a friendship to a roomie to more is what the film tries to explore. Ayan Mukherji?s film takes a while to get you keyed in. The first hour of the film has a lackadaisical pace with little direction. But, ten minutes before the interval, the first confrontation wakes the audience up, before waking Sid up. From here on, the film comes across as a mature take on Sid?s and Aisha?s progression with each other and with life. Ranbir Kapoor deserves plaudits for his portrayal of Sid. He has the ability to look cute and innocent and can also depict intense and dark emotions. He is matched by Konkona Sen Sharma. At first, the pairing of the two very different personalities seems ill done, but you slowly realize that it is meant to be that way and then you feel the difference in perspectives. Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak as Sid?s parents are very believable and real like. ?Wake Up Sid? tackles a very pertinent subject, but its execution is at best lukewarm. Recommend watching it if you are not yet a ?grown up? or want to see what ?growing up? can mean to different people. It is one of those things after all, that does not have a universal definition.
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 9, 2009
Hooray! A Hindi horror film that isn’t horr-ible! And it’s even a teeny bit suspenseful in parts (although I am a wuss, admittedly). It contains all the elements essential for the genre—a cast of unknowns (except Helen! in one song, and Imtiaz, and Satyen Kappu) (oh! and Dhumal) (okay so not that many unknowns, except [...] 
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 8, 2009
Who in the world is Nazir Kashmiri? Does anybody have a photo of him? Or screen cap? Or ANYTHING? He is in every single Hindi film I have ever seen. And I have no clue who he is!
I must know! I’m losing sleep over it. I can’t afford to lose my beauty sleep.
Posted in Hindi [...] 
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 8, 2009
 ?Kaminey? is a grim and dark portrayal of a rather silly story of twin trouble that distinguishes itself from its predecessors in that its treatment has a quirky style, but that style unfortunately triumphs over substance. The story revolves around two identical twins, born to a railway signal man, who absolutely hate each other. Both have speech defects, in that one stammers and the other can?t pronounce the word ?Sa? and uses ?Fa? instead. Guddu, the stammer-master is in love with a gangster?s sister and Charlie, the Sa-Fa-master earns his living fixing races and dreams of becoming a big bookie one day. Their lives change, when Charlie gets hold of a bag filled with Rs.10 crore worth of drugs. All he needs to do is to exchange it for the money. Unfortunately, the gangster mistakes Charlie for Guddu and the owner of the drugs mistakes Guddu for Charlie. Confusion! And to add to it, all of them find out about the 10 crore worth drug chest. Now Guddu wants to use that chest to pay off the gangster, the gangster wants that money, the owner of the drugs wants it back and Charlie wants to use it to get rich. Who will get to it? Pray let us find out! Credit must be given to Vishal Bharadwaj for the creation of these unique characters. He manages to deliver a hard hitting screen play that is more Ram Gopal Verma than Manmohan Desai. The music has a raw appeal to add to the color of the canvas. But, where he loses the plot is that he assumes that it would suffice to deliver a good film. It is equally important to have a story that binds these interesting characters and scenes together. That is sadly missing in ?Kaminey?. The plot is too thin, almost amateurish. Shahid Kapoor?s performance is noteworthy. He is cold, calculating and tough as nails as Charlie and soft, vulnerable and caring as Guddu. The contrast is there for everyone to see. Amol Gupte makes a mark as the gangster and his ?phiskyaaon-dhiskyaaon? mock shooting sequence with Charlie?s friend Mikhail stays with you after the film. Priyanka Chopra as Guddu?s girl is passable, but pales in comparison to Kapoor. Watch ?Kaminey? if you find solace in the word ?pulp? and want to give credit to the quirk for it shows the audience a murky cape, but unveils a teddy bear instead of a murderous and rabid beast.
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 7, 2009
 I must confess that what I am about to write is based on my attempted viewing of this film up to the interval point. I couldn?t sit beyond that. ?Wanted? is an example of drivel that gets generated in the name of commercial cinema. It supposedly makes good business sense but weakens the case of meaningful entertainment. The story revolves around a gangster named Radhe who will do anything for money. He works for a gangster Gani Bhai and falls for a girl Jhanvi, who is harassed by a local cop as he wants to sleep with her. In the backdrop is a bloody crime war with a tough Mumbai police inspector working hard to clean up the city. That?s as far as I could go. The reason is that the film is crass and lewd in its depiction of characters and the plot. Everything ranging from the fight sequences to the romantic scenes to attempted intense moments falls flat on its face and makes you wonder, ?What were they thinking?? It has some of the biggest names in filmdom, like Boney Kapoor, Salman Khan and Prabhudeva backing it, but it ends up shocking you. The one thing I could say is that Prabhudeva has made Salman dance a whole lot better. I recommend avoiding this movie. It is an excuse for a film that will make you miss the brains that you decided to leave behind!
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Posted by Srini at the Movies on Oct 7, 2009
 Rani Mukerji's look as a man was never convincing in the promos. The film did nothing to change that presupposition. Unfortunately, even if you disregard this, the rest of the story leaves ?Dil Bole Hadippa? neither as a movie with a message, nor as a mindless pot boiler. It is stuck somewhere in that large area in between.
The story revolves around a talented cricket player Veera, who longs to compete with the big boys in the field of cricket, but unfortunately can?t because of the rules. While she moonlights as the prodigy, her day job is to work in a travelling entertainment group as a dancer. Her village borders Pakistan. Vikram Singh is a man who has been unsuccessfully trying to win the ?Aman Cup? which is decided based on a ?friendly? match between two cricket teams on either side of the Wagah Border.
Vikram gets his son, Rohan, an accomplished cricketer in England to come to the village and train and play in his team. Veera masquerades as a Sikh boy, Veer and lands up for selection and gets selected. Rohan falls for Veera in her female form, but is irritated by the pompous Veer, who passes off as Veera?s brother. The story somehow tries to finish the game and also the Veer-Veera-Rohan confusion.
Anurag Singh?s film has several weaknesses. The basic plot about two local teams on either side of the border does nothing to evoke. The platitude about peace and brotherhood cut no ice. The viewer has seen larger battles shown on the big screen and by now is quite cynical about jingoism portrayed on screen. Veer?s poor attempt at being a man shades in comparison with earlier attempts by actors to play the opposite gender. Vikram and his estranged wife in England suddenly feel warm towards each other. There are several such clichés that just don?t make an impact anymore.
Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor could use better films to further their prospects. One must give credit to both of them for a realistic portrayal of cricketers. They have worked on building a believable technique for the screen. This is much better than the inane cricket portrayals we have seen before. Remember Dev Anand?s ?Awwal Number?? Mind Numbing! Barring this, no plaudit for anyone else.
?Dil Bole Hadippa? falls flat on its face in the climax. There is nothing much to note in this film, except that, if the protagonist had done a better job of portraying a man, with a better body make over, voice modulation etc, this might have just been worth a watch. But, ?Dil Bole Nahippa? in the end!
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 6, 2009
Oh, how I loved this film—right up to the sad, sad end. It’s a tragedy drawn from a story in the Shahnameh epic of Persia, and it vividly portrays the disastrous consequences that lies and deception (not to mention violence, war, vengeance) can bring. Now, I am not a fan of tragedies generally (although I’m [...] 
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Posted by memsaab story on Oct 4, 2009
After the trauma of little Master Bunty’s plight in Aakhri Khat, I needed to bask in the manly warmth of Dharmendra’s strong arms and glorious Greek god looks. And Dharmendra is pretty much the only thing that got me through this nonsensical film (well, him and Sharmila’s and Mumtaz’s outfits). What a criminally stupid waste [...] 
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 2, 2009
 For friends, who are not interested in English Musicals, I would like to vouch for this remarkable work released in 1971, with a sincere request of giving this movie a chance. I strongly believe that ?Fiddler on the Roof? will undoubtedly change your whole outlook towards foreign musicals, within its first hour itself. And for friends who are already familiar with this particular genre, it will certainly be a worthwhile experience to watch this great epic with all your family members together. Frankly speaking, I wasn?t expecting much from the movie as it started. But the moment I witnessed its opening introductory sequence about the ?Value of Traditions? and ?Family?, I simply stood awestruck with its mesmerizing impact. The magnetic pull of its innovative musical notes accompanied by the captivating act of Topol (the lead actor), was simply one of the best starts I had ever seen.
It?s the story of a loving father living with his wife and five lovely daughters in a village called Anatevka situated in Russia. The period is of early twentieth century when ?The Family Traditions? still played the most important roles in the life of people living in that village. The main plot revolves around the conflict elders have to face when their own children refuse to agree to their ages old traditional values and start revolting. The dilemma experienced by the loving father is depicted brilliantly in this Oscar Winner movie, also rated as one of the best musicals made till date.
In fact the main reason, why you should watch this period movie is the actor Topol, who plays the carefree and full of life father of his five beautiful girls. The way he infuses life into his lively character is quite remarkable and entertaining. His immensely enjoyable dances, his one sided monologues with ?The GOD? and his well written dialogues with repeated phrases of ?On the other hand? truly deserve many repeated viewings by anyone who loves the medium of cinema from heart.
Though the movie proceeds at a slow speed in the middle, but it still successfully leaves a highly positive impact on the viewer in the end. The creative genius of the director Normal Jewison along with his master mind cinematographer is clearly visible all through the movie, especially in the precious life teaching scenes of Topol, where he is all alone talking to his animals, himself and his GOD.
In few words, with a life time performance to study, ?Fiddler on the Roof? is a pure musical gem, deserving to be seen at the earliest, for its highly entertaining and enlightening moments for all.
Directed By Normal Jewison
Starring : Topol, Norma Crane and more.
(Chek out the complete list at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 2, 2009
 To be straight, if you are expecting yet another, youthful movie on the lines of ?Dil Chahta Hai? or ?Rang De Basanti? then you may feel a bit low after watching ?Wake Up Sid?, since the movie has nothing refreshing to show about the vibrant college life or energetic celebrating days of the youth. In fact, it hasn?t got the rich & colorful content as projected by its interesting promotional campaign and movie stills.
The movie starts off in a light mood, where Ranbir is shown lazily preparing for his college exams. Later he meets Konkona in a late night party, who has just arrived in Mumbai and becomes her first friend in the city. With more e-mail exchanges and Ranbir helping her decorating her new flat, a friendly relationship starts building between the two. But all this just keeps happening in a very laid off manner and the viewer desperately waits for something more interesting to unfold on the screen. Till intermission the only scene which rises above the usual stuff is the interview scene between Rahul Khanna & Konkona.
In the second half, as Ranbir leaves his parent?s house, the movie starts endorsing live in relationship with a cool attitude. Along with that, the story has the same old clashes between rich and middle class ways of living with an added rotten plot of two love triangles incorporated lightly into the script. Keeping more emphasis on the main characters, the writers strangely leave out the parents (Anupam Kher & Supriya Pathak) out of the narration and bring them in whenever they feel like. According to the script the parents don?t even care to know the whereabouts of their only son, after leaving his house in anger.
However, the movie has its moments with few worth watching scenes representing the current generation. One, when both Ranbir and his friend laugh at the break up story. Two, when Konkona and Ranbir play around with water bottles and three the birthday scene at Konkona?s flat. With more such scenes, the movie could have been the latest talk of the town among the younger generation. Moreover, a completely predicable climax also leaves the viewer less entertained in the end. The climax required a great amount of trimming since the movie drags a lot towards its concluding moments.
Performance wise it?s a Konkona movie entirely where she leads from the front with her simple yet gorgeous looks. Her sensuous and soft dialogue delivery wins over the viewer in the first scene itself. Konkona handles Ranbir just like a mature understanding lady, in love with a young innocent boy. Ranbir tries very hard to act real but it?s the fault of the misleading promos that his character looks like lacking the refreshing & interesting look shown in the promotional campaign of the movie. Otherwise he has done a fine job in the role of a confused youngster. Rahul Khanna, Anupam Kher and Kashmira Shah play their small roles impact fully, but Supriya Pathak fails to generate any laughter with her faulty English.
Musically, the soundtrack has nothing capable of making you go dancing or singing. An unexpected let down from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Amit Trivedi. On the other hand, Cinematography captures Mumbai in a cool manner. In short, director Ayan Mukerjee delivers a simple project based on a routine storyline, which moves at a slow pace and has nothing extraordinary or exceptional as expected. On second thoughts I also have some questions in mind regarding the projects which you may find interesting too.
Why there always have to be a ?Hamming Mother Character? in Karan Johar Productions movie, which is supposed to provide a comic relief to the viewers. (Like Kiron Kher in ?Dostana? & Supriya Pathak in ?Wake Up Sid?)
Why we always have to make movies on love stories alone?
The movie ?Wake Up Sid? has a very interesting plot of knowing your hidden talents, where Ranbir finds out that he has got a great unexplored talent of photography. His raw skills also fetch him a job in a leading magazine. Konkona also has a concealed talent of writing which even gets her a new column in the magazine where she works as a personal assistant. So why the director didn?t thought of using these subplots as the main subject of the story, which could have been a great move. Why only love angles have to be deliberately used in our movies to win over the viewers. I think the Indian viewers are now ready enough to watch some unexplored subjects and not just the usual dragging love stories.
Coming back to ?Wake Up Sid?, it?s strictly a multiplex flick which may be liked by Ranbir fans out there but for others it?s just an average movie vaguely talking about the current generation.
Rating : 2 / 5
(Originally posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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Posted by Bobby Sing on Oct 2, 2009
 In the past decades David Dhawan has successfully given us highly enjoyable movies on the subject of extra marital affairs such as ?Biwi No.1?, ?Gharwali Baharwali? and ?Sajan Chale Sasural?. But his current ?Do Knot Disturb?, lacks the famous David-Govinda punch and fails to provide the expected entertainment factor to the viewers. Though the movie does manage to make you laugh in some particular scenes but the number of those hilarious moments is too small for a David-Govinda comic venture.
The start is pretty fast and well executed by David where he at once reveals the main plot of the drama about Govinda having an affair with an item girl Dolly, played by Lara Dutta. Sushmita Sen, as Govinda?s wife, suspects her husband and uses her old time friend, Ranvir Shorey to be a detective investigating Govinda?s movements. It all starts with a photograph in which Govinda can be seen standing along Lara. Incidentally, Ritesh Deshmukh also gets clicked in that photograph as he was passing by. To safeguard his position Govinda bribes Ritesh Deshmukh to play the role of Lara?s dummy boy friend and make fool of the detective hired by Sushmita Sen. To overcrowd the screen, there is another added character of Lara?s old boyfriend, played by Sohail Khan in his same old comic style seen many times before.
The two line plot is known to the viewer in the first 20 minutes itself and then it?s all about the characters chasing each other and trying hard to make you laugh with their so called hilarious acts and one liners. At times, a good laughter is there, but in major part of the movie, you just keep on waiting to see the famous David-Govinda magic, once again on the screen. Sadly in ?Do Knot Disturb? their chemistry does not work because of very few genuine & well written comic scenes in the script. Too much stress has been given on the dialogue delivery and tone of speech of the characters, which eventually fails to generate any positive impact. Even Govinda?s highly promoted act of ?Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly? has also been used in a very unimpressive manner, which doesn?t stay in the viewers mind.
In the second half, David also uses the cult ?Dead Body Act? from ?Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron?, which again falls flat along with other half baked jokes played for the viewers. The silly chase sequence between various characters towards the end simply loses its track and results in quite a messy climax unexpected from a David Dhawan movie. On top of it, the last scene of the movie even makes you recheck the team behind this below average attempt accompanied by such a talented star-cast and a big production house.
In the acting department, Govinda as usual tries his best to make you laugh, but its Ritesh Deshmukh who scores the maximum, doing a highly competent act with the veteran. However, it?s a fact that there is nobody in the Industry who could have handled the ?Dolly Dolly? act with such a conviction and grace, other than Govinda himself. Sushmita Sen looks pretty but has also put on lots of weight which shows on her face. Lara Dutta on the other hand looks hot and refreshing. In fact the two movies in which she has looked hotter than ever are ?Partner? and ?Do Knot Disturb? (may be in ?Blue? too). Manoj Pahwa and Rajpal Yadav excel in their supporting comic characters, but Ranvir Shorey and Sohail Khan are completely wasted. Anybody could have done their roles, especially the part of Ranvir, which was not written according to the immense comic timing & talent he has got. What was the use of his double role scene in the climax still remains a mystery. And I hardly understand why Rituparna Sengupta accepted such a tiny and unimportant role in the movie.
Musically it is a winner with 3 highly entertaining songs where the best one is, ?Meri Bebo?. Nadeem Shravan once again prove themselves as they come up with a very interesting number ?Zulfein Khol Khaal Ke? which is a rehashed version of ?Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar?. The songs as well as the movie, is shot lavishly in beautiful locations including the posh interiors of a luxurious hotel.
To be precise, in ?Do Knot Disturb? both David Dhawan and Govinda are not in their full forms, desperately trying hard to make you laugh and have a good time. But the end result is far below than what was being expected from the talented duo.
(The film is also highly inspired from a French movie, "La Doublure" or "The Valet" released in 2006.)
Rating : 1.5 / 5 (An extra half star only for its good songs)
(Originally posted at www.bobbytalkscinema.com)
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