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Film
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Starring: Amir Khan, Kajol, Tabu,
Dirtector: Kunal Kohli
 The
industry has been thirsting for a good film that works
at the box-office as well. With a majority of Hindi
films sinking faster than Titanic, all hopes are pinned
on the first big release this summer: FANAA. Quite naturally,
the expectations are humungous and there're two vital
reasons for it: Yash Raj and the principal star cast.
A Yash Raj film is special. The illustrious banner has
cemented its position as the Numero Uno production house
by churning out memorable films and successfully transporting
us to a world of make-believe in those three hours,
over the years. And if the avant-garde production house
teams Aamir Khan and Kajol -- two of the finest talents
of Indian cinema -- together for the first time, you
expect nothing short of a landmark film.
Now to the question every avid moviegoer is curious
to ask: Does FANAA work? Does this much-hyped film live
up to the colossal expectations? Is it worth the price
of the ticket?
FANAA is one of the finest products to come out of Yash
Raj. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that
it's one of the most accomplished products to hit the
Indian screens in a long, long time. The film works
on every level: script, music, visuals, technique and
yes, the performances.
It would be gross injustice if one overlooks the contribution
from the captain of the ship: Kunal Kohli. While Kohli
showed a meteoric rise as a teller of tales in HUM TUM,
he establishes himself as a master storyteller with
FANAA. Kohli catches you by your finger, introduces
you to Rehan and Zooni, makes you peep into their lives
and also the varied emotions they experience -- from
joy, elation, euphoria and contentment to grief, distress,
sorrow and anguish. And at the end of the day, the proficient
craftsman narrates a story that leaves you with a tear
in your eye and a smile on your face.
In short, FANAA is not just worth the price of the ticket,
but also the price of the samosas, popcorn, sandwiches
and soft drinks that you stock up in your lap while
watching the film. In short, FANAA is an experience
to cherish!
Choices... to choose between right or wrong is simple,
but what defines one's life is the decision between
the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils.
This is the advice that Zooni [Kajol], a blind Kashmiri
girl, receives from her father [Rishi Kapoor] just as
she is about to venture into the world on her own for
the very first time. Little does she know that these
very words will shape her life.
Zooni meets Rehan [Aamir Khan], a local tour guide and
an incorrigible flirt, who goes from city to city exploring
their architecture as also the women. Her friends warn
her against this good-for-nothing roadside Romeo, but
she chooses to ignore them. She is not the one to be
protected. It is now her time to discover life and love.
Rehan is fascinated by Zooni. He truly wants her to
see life as it should be seen, in its many colors --
and he promises her, the time spent with him will be
the most precious in all her life. Zooni sees Delhi,
life and love like she never has before, because of
Rehan.
What Zooni doesn't know is that there's more to Rehan,
the other dark side of his life that he has kept away
from her... something that cannot only change her life,
but also destroy it.
Originality is a prized commodity because there is so
little of it in Bollywood these days. Of late, critics
[and non-critics, for that matter] are fond of complaining
about how cineplexes are populated by motion pictures
that follow safe, formula-derived patterns, designed
to please audiences who want a different version of
a story they have already seen dozens of times. While
there's some truth to the maxim that 'There's nothing
new under the sun,' FANAA is an exception.
 The
initial portions of FANAA may give an impression that
it's one of those archetypal Hindi films that follow
the similar route of boy meets girl, romance blossoms,
song-n-dance routine..., but there's more to it as it
unfolds. The terrorism aspect, the emotional moments
in the post-interval portions and the climax specifically
hits you like a thunderbolt. FANAA is powerful and disturbing
stuff. It is not for those who strongly believe in fairy
tale endings. While hearts and flowers are great for
a fantasy, this is the kind of expression of emotion
that touches a deeper chord.
Any blemishes? The length and the pacing. Most of the
times, three hour movies have a few flat spots and FANAA
is no exception. The film tends to get very lengthy
and also, the narrative tends to get very slow towards
the second half. Slight trimming would help tremendously.
The writing [screenplay: Shibani Bathija] pushes the
envelope, taking us in new and unexpected directions.
Every time you thought you recognized where the story
was headed, the movie surprises you. Cinematically speaking,
this is a well-balanced, multi-course meal. Dialogues
[Kunal Kohli] are excellent, specially the shayari throughout
the movie. FANAA is gorgeously composed and photographed
by cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran. The locales of
New Delhi and Poland enhance the visual impact.
Music [Jatin-Lalit] is pleasing to the ears. 'Chand
Sifarish' and 'Mere Haath Mein' are two melodious gems.
'Chanda Chamke' [the tongue twister] appeals because
it comes at a time when you yearn for some relief. The
action scenes [George Aguilar], in minimal doses, are
kinetic and exciting. Background score [Salim-Sulaiman]
is topnotch. The sound quality [Dileep Subramaniam]
is excellent. Visual effects [Tata Elxsi] could've been
better, especially the blasts of the helicopters.
The acting is of the highest caliber. In fact, most
performances in the enterprise are perfect -- no hints
of artifice or fakery. Yet, there's little doubt that
one of the assets of the film is the chemistry between
the lead pair. For Aamir, FANAA is another opportunity
to broaden his range. He successfully buries his personality
beneath Rehan's, allowing the character to come to the
fore. The ferocity with which Aamir delivers his lines
and the restless energy he imparts to his character,
electrifies every scene that he's in.
It's an altogether different experience watching Kajol
after a hiatus. It is her complex work, depicting a
woman torn by love for and fear of the same man, that
elevates the film to a higher level. Without doubt,
FANAA ranks amongst her strongest works. Her performance
only makes you realize why she's still the best in the
business. Moreover, she looks gorgeous all through!
Rishi Kapoor is efficient. Kiron Kher is lovable. Tabu
gets limited footage; she's just okay. Shiny Ahuja is
wasted in an inconsequential role. Ditto for Lara Dutta,
who is there for just one scene. Shruti Seth is excellent
as Kajol's friend. Satish Shah, Sharat Saxena, Lilette
Dubey, Jaspal Bhatti and Vrajesh Hirjee are effective.
The child artist is fantastic.
On the whole, FANAA is a beautifully written, effectively
acted and meticulously crafted effort that is likely
to remind many viewers of a simple axiom: A movie doesn't
have to be groundbreaking to be compelling. At the box-office,
the film has already embarked on a record-breaking start
and thanks to [i] the massive print count, [ii] the
12-14-16 shows being performed at movieplexes every
single day and [iii] the inflated ticket rates will
yield rich dividends in days to come. The first weekend
business will be historic, the first week billing will
be unprecedented and in the wake of no major oppositions
for the next two weeks, FANAA will attain the 'Hit'
status in a matter of days. In short, FANAA is yet another
landmark film in the remarkable and enviable repertoire
of Yash Raj
'36 China Town' - Lacks the punch
 Abbas
Mustan have always been the kings of suspense thrillers,
and have given the audiences films like Soldier, Ajnabee,
Humraaz, Tarzaan and Aitraaz, all of which have been exciting
and have done well commercially. 36 China Town too is
no exception, as it falls into the genre of a murder mystery.
The film is set in Goa, where 36 China Town is the address
of one of the characters.
It is clear now why Subhash Ghai wanted to keep the climax
of ‘36 China Town’ a secret before the movie’s
release. The suspense is such a downer that it would have
earned bad publicity for the movie..............more
Darna Zaroori Hai
 Ram
Gopal Varma is back with Darna Zaroori Hai. DZH is
suppose to be a sequel to Darna Mana Hai.
If Darna Mana Hai was big, the
supposed sequel Darna Zaroori Hai is colossal. Bigger
stars and multiple directors! Here again the movie
has six separate episodes that end up to a common
climax. Interestingly each of the six episodes is
directed by a different director. So each story should
expectedly be divergently different from the other
in terms of the theme and treatment of the individual
directors. Darna Zaroori Hai is the first Hindi film
to be directed by six directors. ..................more
Gangster
 The
question everyone's asking, first: Is Gangster based
on Abu Salem's life? Yes and no. Yes, because he is
a gangster and she is a one-time club dancer (a minor
variation there: Monica Bedi was a one-time starlet).
No, because fiction - in this case at least - is stranger
than the facts you've seen on the news channels.
Gangster, the latest from the Bhatt stable, is definitely
one of the better Bollywood flicks this year. Don't
go by the title, it's not a mafia movie. Although
there is a dose of blood in the script, director Anurag
Basu by and large takes the traditional love triangle
route. ..................more
'Pyare
Mohan' - Mundane
 Pyare
Mohan lacks heart, soul and everything besides having
such a talented director of MASTI and Fardeen Khan who
did a good job in NO ENTRY and ofcourse Boman irani
who is always dependable
Barring a few sequences, the humour in ‘Pyare
Mohan’ is pretty mundane.
Given the movie’s basic story idea, ‘Pyare
Mohan’ could have been an interesting flick. Two
friends – one blind and the other deaf –
go about their lives with fun and masti without letting
their handicap become a weakness. ...............more
'Humko
Deewana Kar Gaye' Mushy
 Akshay
Kumar's films are becoming classier by the month. There's
a certain restrain in his presence here. The way he
conveys the pain and hurt of an impossible love, is
quite surprising for an actor who until recently was
counted among the wooden.
Director Raj Kanwar's recent efforts to polish up his
act have yielded tepid results. Dhai Akshar Prem Ke
and the boxoffice hit Andaz were louder than the lyrical
aspirations of their creator.
Filmmaker Raj Kanwar’s previous movies have bore
an indubitable stamp of melodrama and romantic mush.
HDKG is no exception. ................more
Saawan
 "You'll
die this Friday." No, that isn't a trade pundit
predicting doomsday for this hopelessly loopy and washed-out
take on the vagaries of life. That's just the 'desi'
Nostradamus, played by Salman Khan, predicting sure-death
for the film's pert heroine (Saloni Aswani).
The film's feverish take on the matters of fate is so
hopelessly out of sync with the times, you feel sorry
for the perpetrators of this celluloid atrocity.
Poor Salman. He's given the thankless task of shouldering
this creative carcass. ............more
Shaadi
Se Pehle
 The
title SHAADI SE PEHLE gave an impression of it being
a sex comedy and Mallika's presence just strengthened
the belief. But the motion got wiped off immediately
after the movie starts rollin'. This ain't no sex comedy,
this is an ex-comedy!
Well, read the story first. Ashish Khanna (Akshaye Khanna)
and Rani (Ayesha Takia) are very much in love. Ashish
suffers from hypertension and one day he misunderstands
it for cancer after overhearing his doctor's (Boman
Irani) conversation on the phone. Ashish is devastated
and then embarks to turn nasty so that Rani starts hating
him and does not have to face the suffering of his death.
....................more
Banaras
Starring: Urmila,
Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar, Ashmit
Patel.
Director: Pankuj Parashar
 Ashmit
Patel has a problem. It's not that he can't act. Director
Pankuj Parashar has taken care of that issue admirably,
skirting his skills and asking him to smile vacantly
at everyone. This is what Bollywood, bred on a diet
of melodramatic histrionics, calls 'subtle.'
No, his problem is peculiar. A shy, silent orphan named
Soham, he's a bit overwhelmed by the unashamedly frank
proposal come his way from the overenthused Shwetambari
(Urmila). The randy little rich girl is thrilled about
Soham's music classes, and singing is clearly not foremost
in her thoughts. But, Soham asks himself, is this right?...................more
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