'Saawariya'
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Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Beghum Para Zohra Sehgal & Salman Khan
Director : Sanjay Leela Bhansali
 So okay. This work of porcelain art doesn't have the in-your-face flamboyant quality of Bhansali's Devdas or Black where almost every shot reached a crescendo like an erupting volcano, every passion peaked like a mid-summer sun melting the universe. and every movement denoted a high-powered drama.
Saawariya is Bhansali's most tender ode to love yet.
Taking Fyodor Dostoevsky's minuscule play, the film creator builds huge but un- imposing emotions classified by dollops of awe-inspiring studio-erected architecture that represent feelings rather than physical forms.
This is the magical director's most subtle mellow tender and slender creation yet.
The almost-defiant theme-defying staginess of the work assails your senses with the pleasurable persuasiveness of English odes sung in a summery manner that's both baroque and modern, dead earnest and tongue-in-cheek.
Prakash Kapadia's dialogues lets Ranbir's character (no doubt the plot's pivot)  speak in a language that's 'today' and yet timelessly love-lorn.
The plot, if one may call it that, is a story of unrequited love told in shades of blue that go far deeper than the skin.
Bhansali's narrative spins its sensuous web around chance encounters in and around a square, set in a timeless land where clocks chime to the rhythm of a besotted heart and neon signs straight out a bright Broadway play, read cheeky homages to cinema from the past, including of course Raj Kapoor.
 Ranbir Raj (that's Ranbir's name in the film) sings and performs at a club called Raj's Bar….that is when he isn't chasing the enigmatic somewhat-scattered and constantly-searching Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) across an arched bridge that symbolizes the end of hope and the beginning of love.
Sakina, if you must know, is on an eternal wait. A stranger (Salman Khan) walked into her home and life, walked out and promised to return.
 That lacuna between longing and fulfillment is filled by a young man who dances, sings, makes faces, writes love letters, protects Sakina from the rain, but alas, cannot protect himself from the heartbreak that awaits him under the bridge.
Ranbir is arguably the most prized discovery of Indian cinema since Hrithik Roshan. There's not a thing he cannot do for the camera, and do with a fluid flamboyance that pays a nudging tribute to legends who linger in our mind and hearts.
You can see huge chunks of Raj Kapoor's persona from Sri 420 and Chhalia hovering over Ranbir. You can also see a grinning but glorious homage to Rishi Kapoor in the way Ranbir bursts into a song and dance in celebration of love at club filled with cheering onlookers.
And Ranbir's whole relationship with his outwardly-harsh landlady (Zohra Sehgal, gloriously spirited) is a wonderful recreation of the bond between Raj Kapoor and Lalita Pawar in Anari.
Ranbir's is a dangerously extravagant and bravura performance that could've toppled over under the weight of the character's inherent exhibitionism. But the joota here isn't japani.
The emotions that run across the gossamer frames of this fragilely structured play-on-celluloid  are woven with the delicacy that one associates with Kashmiri carpets.
 Ironically, though requiring more attention than all his earlier works, Saawariya is Sanjay Bhansali's simplest story to date.
The age-old boy-meets-girl format is taken to the plane of purest expressionism as the narration puts together nothing more and nothing less than a series of chance encounters between the troubled girl with the umbrella and the trouble-busting boy with the unceasing grin.
These enchanting encounters drenched in a deep shade of blue, furnish the slim but haunting plot with the feeling of a play where the characters forget they are on stage.
The film's consciously -created staginess is its biggest virtue. It lends to the mesmeric frames an edge of an other-worldly reality.The wispy characters may or may not exist outside the prostitute-narrator Rani Mukherjee's playful playground of a mind.
Maybe she's making up this bluesy and beautiful tale of one-sides love?
Maybe the boy-man she took under her wings is just a figment of her imagination.
In Saawariya Sonam Kapoor knows not what she runs away from…or what she'd run into. She's Nutan in Bandini, she's Nandini in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam waiting for her fugitive beloved to return.
 She is Waheeda Rehman in Pyasa running though gallis of disrepute in search of pure love. She's that alluring bewitching and beguiling part of Indian cinema that seemed to have lost its way in a contemporary bustle.
And Ranbir? He's the star-discovery of the new millennium. Extraordinarily gifted and not afraid to let it all hang out.
Rani Mukherjee's characters pays a hugely enteraining homage to Aroona Irani's in Raj Kapoor's Bobby. She teases and loves Ranbir's character to death just as Aroona had with with his father four decades ago.
 Saawariya is like a dream where the characters themselves live in a dream world. Escape from this world, is akin to death.
No one dies in Saawariya. Nothing wilts. Not even love when it is taken away from the boy-man who loves to entertain the unhappy girl-in-distress, just like Raj Kapoor did in Mera Naam Joker.
This is a film about the continuing creative process. The more things change the more we discover life in cinema to be a mirror of all those thoughts and feelings that we think are buried too deep for contemporary filmmakers.
Sanjay Bhansali takes us on a voyage through a world of majestic make-believe carpeted with feelings that resemble lilies in the pond floating invitingly for the eager hand that reaches to pluck.
But before that, the dream ends.
Finally you wonder if the lovers, the love and the lovers' separation in Saawariya really happened.
Or were they all a part of an elaborate but intangible dream?
'Jab We Met' -An Entertaining Love Story
 Imtiaz Ali's movie 'Jab We Met' has all the trappings of a romantic entertainer.
The film doesn't boast of a very unique story. What makes it interesting is the way it has been presented by Imtiaz Ali . 'Jab We Met' tells the story of two contrasting personalities who develop an affinity while traveling together through the heartland of north India. Ali makes sure that something new happens in every reel of the film to keep you glued to the screen. However, the film is not without some low points.
Aditya ( Shahid Kapur ), a young industrialist, is dejected with life because his girlfriend left him for another man. Aimlessly he boards a train on which he meets Geet ( Kareena Kapoor ) a chatterbox who annoys him with her constant talking. So much so that he gets down the train to avoid her. She follows him there too. And the two end up missing the train...more
Bhool Bhulaiyaa' - An interesting but exhausting maze
After a dismal DHOL three weeks ago, Priyadarshan drums up a fine beat to drive the demons away in BHOOL BHULAIYA. The director with a flair for comedy handles a subject that deals with the spirit world with elan. He balances the comic with the eerie with such natural flair that the viewer knows when to expect the laughs and when to tighten the seat belt. Interestingly, the viewer is not bored as there are enough twists in the script to keep him glued to the screen. If the comic scenes are hilarious, the creepy happenings in the haveli are chilling.
If you haven't watched the Malayalam movie 'Manichitrathazhu', of which 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' is a Hindi remake, you will like the suspense as well. It is a suspense thriller with doses of a horror film. The humour is understated, but sufficient enough to tickle the spine already chilled by spooky turns...more
'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' - A Tear Jerker
 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' is a sentimental, tear-jerking saga with good performances and a few glitches.
If you have got a taste for extended soap operas, you would find Pradeep Sarkar's movie eminently watch able. The film is packed with emotions – both pleasant and turbulent. The protagonist at the centre of the story is a woman who sacrifices her own good for the better of her family.
No, it is not one of those regressive tales of self-sacrificing Bhartiya nari. Rather, the movie is a fairly well told, well crafted, visually rich, and quite credible story which you can easily empathize with. The only thing is..more
'Dhol' - Funny in parts
 By now we have gotten familiar with the Priyadarshan brand of humour - hilarious situations arising out of confusion and chaos. His latest movie 'Dhol' bears the trademark Priyan stamp.
One would hardly expect someone of Priyadarshan's caliber to belt out as mediocre a product as 'Dhol' especially since his 'Hera Pheri' is considered an amazing comedy that set quite a few trends some six years ago. Unfortunately that's what his latest 'Dhol' is.
This time there is no Akshay Kumar or Paresh Rawal to shoulder the movie. Priyadarshan relies on small-timers like Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Sharman Joshi and Rajpal Yadav..more
'Manorama Six Feet Under' -An offbeat thriller
 'Manorama Six Feet Under' is an intriguing, complex and offbeat thriller set in a sleepy small town of Rajasthan.
The movie is a promising debut by director Navdeep Singh. People who are used to the escapist Bollywood fare may find the movie too slow or confusing. The fact is that 'Manorama' leaves many threads of the story open-ended. Even as it pays homage to noir genre, the movie stays close to reality. And there is a strong sense of impending doom throughout the film's narrative.more
Nanhe Jaisalmer - Not just about hero worship
Samir Karnik's debut direction Kyon... Ho Gaya Na was an ambitious venture but did not fare well at the box-office. The promo's of his second attempt Nanhe Jaisalmer looks promising as a meaningful movie.
It is an excellent act by Dwij Yadav (who plays Nanhe) and a natural performance by Bobby Deol that make you sit through that 1 hour 45 minutes. There are speed breakers though (read: all the songs, except for the title song 'Nanhe Yaar') which makes one go for that popcorn break with the biggest culprit being 'Ranjhana', the poorest of all. In fact the choreography and picturisation of the song is so weak that it makes one of those television talent hunt performances appear far more polished! more
DARLING : With the tag line that reads "A killer love story", Darling thrills just a bit and turns out to be an average in every department. After churning out one of his weakest movies in the name of a remake, Ram Gopal Varma is back with an original thrilling horror movie.
Firstly the introduction of characters. Fardeen Khan is Aditya, a successful married man and the father of a son. He also has an affair with his office colleague. The story of Darling revolves around this adulterated husband who is haunted by the ghost of his dead mistress. more
Dhamaal :  Indra Kumar's movie 'Dhamaal' is a full time pass entertainer that tickles your funny bone and leaves you with a broad smile on your face.
In this season of successful comedies, 'Dhamaal' brings in more cheers. The movie, starring Ritesh Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Ashish Choudhary, Asrani and Sanjay Dutt, is packed with plenty of funny situations with hilarious twists. The comedy in the film is not cerebral. It is a cocktail of slapstick and wit. And the cocktail really works.
Dhamaal starts off brilliantly. The perfect execution of the script by the director combined with the brilliant comic timing of the actors hold the film together in the first half, which is filled with jokes that are extremely funny. While the introduction of the 4 characters is funny, the car break-down scene and the chemistry between the 4 lead characters gets the house down.more
RGV Ki AAG :
 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' doesn't come anywhere close to the real thing, Ramesh Sippy's 'Sholay'.
Unlike the original film, 'RGV Ki Aag' has nothing that leaves a lasting impression on a viewer. The movie is a mere assorted collection of Varma's own interpretation of scenes from the original. There is no cohesive linear flow in the story. The dialogues, with frequent references to America, Iraq and Al Qaeda, are horribly amateurish. Nowhere close to the mastery of Salim and Javed in the original.more
Heyy Babyy : After showing glimpses of his directorial skills in an episode of  Darza Zaroori Hai, Sajid Khan returns with his first full-length feature film Heyy Babyy. The movie is not an out-and-out comedy. It has many emotional moments as well.
Sajid Khan has attempted to make a wholesome entertainer by blending comedy with drama and sprinkling some 'hot stuff' on top of it to please the young audience. Sajid follows a simple formula - to have at least one interesting sequence in every reel. Most of these sequences do manage to keep your interest kindled, but some of them do fall flat. more
Chak De India: Hollywood has had its fair share of sport themed films from Escape of Victory,  Chariots of Fire, A League of their own to The Longest Yard, Coach Carter and Any Given Sunday. But same was never the case in our country. Of course there was Iqbal and partly the period piece Lagaan (which cashed in on cricket) but then these two dealt with cricket, which is nothing short of a national sensation.
To attempt a film on hockey which is heavily ignored in spite of being the national sport of India and to be precise women's hockey here, and then to present it with conviction, courage and realism on screen is not all that easy. The Yash Raj banner has teamed up with one of their favourite actors Shah Rukh Khan, not for another romantic musical hit but for this off beat movie, thereby proving that they are open to experimentation and tests. Here director Shimit Amin's contributions have come handy in a big way. He has the track record of making a realistic film like Ab Tak Chhappan and his own unique touch is there throughout the film.more
Cash
Kuch chor they, ek tha sipahi Sipahi ne choron ko pakda, khatam kahani!
Right? Wrong! Because not always does law win over the lawbreakers. And sometimes it indeed turns to be fun, if breaking of law is done in as cool a manner as CASH!
Welcome to the genre of films where crime like a heist, robbery or a con act is projected in an utter harmless and ultra cool eye candy manner. CHOCOLATE, BUNTY AUR BABLI, DHOOM 2, DON, APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY have been some of the recent films that have belonged to this genre. Now add CASH to the list! more
Gandhi My Father
 Gandhi My Father is a story that was waiting to be told. We all know about Mahatma Gandhi and his greatness. But only a few know of the troubled relationship he shared with his eldest son Harilal.Mind it, the movie doesn't show Gandhi in negative light. It just shows how a son - an ordinary man with his own desires and weaknesses - is crushed under the weight of the high principles of his father. It shows how Harilal's failures and weaknesses stood in sharp contrast to the high ideals and victories of his father. It shows how Harilal carried the tag of Gandhi like a curse around his neck more
PARTNER
 Salman Khan and Govinda play partners in this movie. The film has Katrina paired up with Govinda while Lara Dutta is cast opposite Salman Khan. In the film, Salman plays a love guru who is an expert in matters relating to romance and girl-wooing. Inspired by director Andy Tennant's likable Hollywood hit HITCH [2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film.
PARTNER is for those seeking non-stop entertainment. It's targeted at those who swear by masala films. Those who want to get transported to a world of make-believe in those 2 hours. It's definitely not for those who actually know what to expect, but pretend to rubbish escapist cinema. Also, it's not for certain critics [looking for art cinema in a masala entertainer] whose star ratings are a much bigger joke than the one David Dhawan. more
Aap Ka Surroor
 AAP KAA SURROOR starts off as a love story, but gets into the thriller drive subsequently. A key factor that goes in its favor is that the events unfold at a feverish pace, giving no time to the viewer to think or break into a yawn. Besides, the film bears a stylish and glossy look and the viewer is enamored by the stunning locales of Germany as also the melodious musical score that has been filmed on some striking locations. This one's an eye candy!
more
Chain Kulii Ki Main Kuli
 Zain Khan (Karan) has been brought up in an orphanage run by Rajesh Khera (John Kakkad). The boys in the orphanage badly fear Rajesh Khera and the children call him Hitler. The children want to escape from his tyranny and they crave to be adopted by some couple. The saddest thing is that the couples who come for adoption are looking for only small kids.
As the story progresses, one day Zain finds a bat which had ` KD` written on it. He took it to mean Kapil Dev and hits sixes with it during the play with his orphanage mates. One day the disillusioned Indian coach Vijay Crishna sees Zain playing and decides to include him into the Indian squad for the crucial match with Pakistan . This surprises the Indian team including Captain Rahul Bose (Varun.) However, Zain gives a good drubbing to Pak team by hitting huge sixes while opening the innings with Rahul Bose. .more
Tara Rum Pum
 The power of love and togetherness can sometimes be so strong that it can make you go through the thick and thin of life with a smile on your face. This is the gist of Yashraj Film's latest presentation 'Tara Rum Pum'.
The movie, written and directed by Siddharth Anand (of Salaam Namaste), is a feelgood flick with doses of all the necessary ingredients that go into making a wholesome entertainer. It has light humour, romance, thrills, tragedy, the drama of life, hardships, struggle, the test of human spirit and the final triumph.more
Nishabd
 Nishabd means wordless. But the film gets as verbose as possible. In fact it's difficult to believe that Nishabd is directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The filmmaker known for his hard-hitting realistic antics, ventures into Bhansali's sublime romantic territory with his not so conventional pairing. He is 60. She is 18. Reminds of the Zandu Kesari Jeevan advertisement. 60 saal ke budhe ya saath saal ke jawan. Ok, sad jokes apart (the film has plenty of them in the initial reels) it's a love story between the two and how his family reacts to it. That sums up for the synopsis of the entire film. Ramu goes much beyond the screenplay and interprets each of the scenes with a lot of passion. And passion here doesn't imply some sizzling chemistry between Bachchan and Jiah Khan, but Ramu's obsession with the art.more
Eklavya
 Can form, no matter how glorious, be a substitute for content? In "Eklavya", lack of content isn't a problem. It's the tense and dark nature of the content that proves to be a dismaying impediment to enjoying the virility of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's storytelling. How do we define the plot of "Eklavya"? It partly borrows the dark, indefinable pathos of Shakespeare's tragedy and partly reverts to the palatial pathos of the Mughal Empire where patricide frequently collided with complex Oedipal equations. "Eklavya" takes us into a territory totally unexplored and designed to create an ethos of infinite resonances.
"Eklavya" is a film of many virtues. Screenwriter Abhijat Joshi and Chopra aim for a sense of heightened tragedy that underlines the cinema of Kurosawa and the music of Mozart. The quality of the sound design (Biswajit Chatterjee), background scores (Shantanu Moitra) and cinematography (N. Natarajan Subramaniam) elevates the bizarre tale of a dysfunctional royal family to heights of lyricism.more
The Guru
 Mani Ratnam, the master of his craft, arguably surpasses all his previous works in 'Guru'. Apart from its technical
soundness, 'Guru' tells a story that is deeply gripping and highly inspiring. It is the tale of a man
who never gives up. The protagonist of the film is a perennial fighter and an incurable optimist.
Beginning in 1951, 'Guru' is the story of a boy who goes to Turkey to work in a petroleum company after
failing his school exams back home in a small Gujarat village. With sheer hard work Gurukant Desai
(Abhishek Bachchan) rises in ranks and gets promotion. But Guru is a man of big vision. He quits his
job in Turkey and comes back to Gujarat to start some business of his own.more
Bhagam Bhaag
In a Priyadarshan comedy
one is always comforted in the chaos of colliding
characters by the thought that somewhere in the on-going
blizzard of bacchanalia there's a rhythm and a
rationale.
It's that thought which keeps you smiling
through the exasperatingly juvenile games of
one-upmanship between Govinda and Akshay Kumar in the
prolific director's latest ode to rude- awakening calls
from the shudder-world.
While Bhagam Bhag lacks
the working-class anxieties of Hera Pheri, it certainly
captures some of the colour, flamboyance and friskiness
of a dance troupe from Mumbai which arrives in London
for a performance without a heroine. Both the heroes,
tongue-in-cheekily named Bunty(Akshay) and
Babla(Govinda) as tribute to Abhishek and Rani's ongoing
boisterousness from the back-waters in Bunty Aur Babli,
are asked to get a girl for the play.more
Babul:
BAABUL tackles the issue of widow re-marriage, an issue the late Raj Kapoor
successfully raised in PREM ROG [Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure]. But comparisons
between PREM ROG and BAABUL wouldn't be right, except that both talk about the rehabilitation
of a young widow.
Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan) is a rich buisnessman, happy and content with
his world. He and his wife Shobhana (Hema Malini) have a son Avinash (Salman Khan).more
Dhoom 2:
 Sanjay
Gadhvi makes his intentions clear in the very opening
reels. In a desolate desert in Africa, an anonymous
thief, a mysterious Mr. A (Hrithik), pulls off a daring
robbery on a moving train. After the loot, as he sandboards
through the golden dunes with the booty safe in his
bag, the introductory titles roll.
Back in Mumbai, Ali (Uday Chopra) has graduated from
a mechanic to a cop. He and his senior Jai Dixit (Abhishek
Bachchan) work together to bring criminals to book.more
Vivah:
 Think
Rajshri Productions and you're likely to think of larger
than life weddings consisting of an equally large family.
Be it MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAI KAUN, HUM SAATH
SAATH HAI etc.
Interestingly Shahid plays Prem, the character that
Salman Khan has consistently played in Barjatya's above
mentioned films.
VIVAH means marriage - An institution that binds two
individuals into a bond that is sacred, pure and eternal
- a commitment for life. more
Don:
Farhan Akhtar's 'Don' is a Shah Rukh
Khan film all the way. The superstar literally breathes
fire into his character of a ruthless and clever Don.
He also shows his versatility as an actor while playing
the part of Vijay, the bumpkin.
 Twenty-eight
years after Chandra Barot's hit movie with Amitabh
Bachchan in the role of Don, Farhan Akhtar comes up
with a sleek and stylish tribute to the original. This
'Don' is certainly bigger and bombastic.
Whether it is better, is debatable.
Barot's 'Don' was quite modern for
its times. So is Akhtar's. The story of new 'Don'
is set in the cityscape of Kuala Lumpur, Paris and India
(few portions). The don in the film operates on an international
level. He uses state-of-the-art technology, fights like
a martial arts expert and has a zany taste in fashion.
He is like an Indian James Bond, but obviously on the
wrong side of law. more
Zindagi Rocks:
Director Tanuja Chandra forthcoming film "Zindagi
Rocks", starring Sushmita Sen and Shiney
Ahuja, is eliciting a good deal of curiosity about the
film from various quarters.
 The
film has a new identity, which is one of the reasons
the producers have been receiving several queries about
the film from buyers as well as eager audiences."ZINDAGGI
ROCKS' is a sensible movie with a heart touching story
of a mother's sacrifice with a right judged star cast
SHINY AHUJA (sooraj) and SUSHMITA SEN (kriya).the movie
starts from a flash back which creates a suspense about
shiny.... more
Woh Lamhe:
 'Woh
Lamhe' is said to be based on the past
relationship between director Mahesh Bhatt and the late
superstar of the 70-80's Parveen Bhabi. According
to Mahesh Bhatt the film is an almost identical account
to what transpired between him and Parveen behind closed
doors. However some may say that Mahesh depicting the
late actress and the details of her personal life in
such a manner is callous and cruel, but Mahesh looks
at it as a way to give vent to all the personal feelings
that are bottled inside him. He also hopes that it will
have a cathartic and healing effect on him. The story
revolves around the life of a glamorous and successful
actress; everybody wants to use for their own selfish
purposes including the struggling director who wants
to make it big at any cost. But though the actress seems
to have everything on the outside, she is a lonely,
scared and insecure woman on the inside. This loneliness
and insecurity threatens to engulf her in its clutches
and slowly drives her to the brink. Whether the film
is actually a true life account will perhaps never be
known, but it definitely depicts a fascinating, gripping
and touching drama....more
Pyaar Ke Side Effects:
Once in while, a film makes you smile. Not because of
what it strives to be. But for it sheer sassiness and
temerity.
 Going
into the new-age movie mantra of urban relationships,
Pyaar Ke Side Effects (PKSE) comes up with a winsome
twosome who love some, lose some….and emerge out
of the battle of the sexes healed and….quite wholesome!
Sid, that's Rahul Bose meets Trisha, a.k.a Mallika The
Sherawat, in extremely trying circumstances. She's trying
to escape an undesirable marriage (to stuffed -shirt
Jas Arora). He's trying….just trying. Being a
deejay at 30 is like being a teenager at 40. Or being
Mallika Sherawat and attractive and sexy without taking
your clothes off.
A bit bewildering but constantly engaging in its blizzard
of bacchanalia (hats off to dialogue writer Victor Acharya
for words that ring true and still sound like catch
lines on the bumper sticker of sports car) PKSE is possibly
that one romantic comedy in Hindi which could equal
Hollywood's Harry-meets-Sally formula portraying the
man-sharp-woman-sharper gender skirmish......more
Naksha:
 The
general impression about NAKSHA is, it's a rip-off of
an Indiana Jones film. The Harrison Ford trilogy, which
entertained millions of moviegoers worldwide in 1980s,
is said to be the original source for Sachin Bajaj's
directorial debut.
That could be true!
NAKSHA belongs to the Indiana Jones variety, but Bajaj
combines Indian mythology with adventure and comes up
with a new recipe altogether. And the outcome is as
invigorating and revitalizing as a cup of hot coffee.
Frankly, a film like NAKSHA transports you to your adolescent
years, when browsing the adventure novels and comics
was your favorite pastime. It's the form of cinema that
we'd forgotten in the hurly-burly world of meaningless
entertainers. Dream merchants are either busy wooing
the NRIs or multiplex junta. What happens to the masses
then, who yearn for a desi film with loads of entertainment?
Adventure movies have been attempted in Bollywood earlier
and NAKSHA is not the first of its kind in India. But
NAKSHA comes at a time when adventure movies are as
good as extinct in Bollywood. And that is its USP. The
voyage in dense forests, high mountains and deep ravines
as also the death-defying stunts compel you to pinch
yourself, are you really watching a Hindi film?......more
Lage Raho Munna Bhai:
 Hats
off to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani for making
a film that is more than just a rip-roaring comedy.
Lage Raho Munnabhai makes you laugh, makes you cry and,
parallel to all the entertainment, it gives a message
that sticks in the mind. To say it in Munnabhai's
lingo - it creates “chemical locha”
in the brain.
It is next to impossible not to like Munnabhai and his
sidekick Circuit in their second innings. Almost three
years after the loveable duo cured the incurable in
Munnabhai MBBS , the street-savvy taporis find themselves
face to face with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology in
'Lage Raho Munnabhai'.
As Munna - the goon for whom breaking bones and
abducting people is the way of life - comes face
to face with Bapu, he discovers that it takes more courage
to turn the other cheek than to hit back.
Munna discovers that nothing works like compassion and
non-violence. Following Mahatma Gandhi's way,
Munna not only triumphs over his enemies, but he also
wins the love of the woman he so very longs for......more
Don:
 A
huge Indian contingent embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse
trail of capturing DON (Shah Rukh Khan) - the ruthless
drug mafia in Malaysia.
When DON gets seriously injured in a police encounter,
the word that he is dead begins to do the rounds. The
reality, of course, is that DON is held captive in a
secret location, while his bumpkin of a look-alike,
Vijay, is polished and sent to take down DON's gang.
In a bizarre twist of fate, when the man shielding the
humble and streetwise Vijay, is killed, the latter comes
to terms with the horrifying realization that both the
police and the gang are out to nab him for different
reasons.
In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, he is
aided by the glamorously staggering Roma (Priyanka Chopra),
and handsomely striking, Jasjit (Arjun Rampal), who
owes Vijay a favor for care-taking his son during his
imprisonment. But will Vijay be successful in his mission?
Based on the successful erstwhile classic of the same
name, which featured the legendary Amitabh Bachchan,
the contemporary and stylishly crafted DON, features
Bollywood czar Shah Rukh Khan playing a double role
in one of the most defining performances of his career,
teamed for the first time with former Miss World, Priyanka
Chopra.
The biggest and most keenly awaited motion picture of
2006, DON is a high-octane, tension-filled, twisty roller
coaster of a ride, with just the right dose of glamour,
action, suspense and romance.......more
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna:
When the most awaited movie of the year, with a star
cast as stellar as it gets, hit the theatres, expectations
are naturally high. Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida
Naa Kehna partly lives up to the expectations. But watching
the 3-plus hour movie, filled with emotional, tear-jerking
moments from the first reel to its conclusion, is a
tad tiresome.
KANK is a departure from Karan's previous works
(Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ) in the
sense that the film deals with a theme that is relatively
bold in Indian context. The movie simply says that it
is better to walk away from a marriage if it is not
working.
However,
KANK is akin to Karan's previous works in its
lavishness and grandeur - the slow-motion panoramic
shots, the very Johar-esque treatment of the songs in
which almost all the star cast indulge in celebratory
song n' dance, and, above all, the centrality
of the movie's story being the complexities of
relationships. So in a way, with KANK, Karan has only
turned more dramatic than his former self. But in his
zeal to tell an emotionally moving story, Karan goes
overboard at places.......more
OMKARA:
 Seen
purely as an adaptation of the English bard's
'Othello', 'Omkara' is a work
of cinematic brilliance, translating and transforming
with conviction the characters of Shakespeare's
book into the Indian milieu. But those who haven't
read and don't know about 'Othello'
would find 'Omkara' an average film about
a man who, poisoned with jealousy, kills his own lover
and, later, himself.
The dark-skinned Moor of Venice (Othello) of Shakespeare's
tragedy becomes the half Brahmin, dark-complexioned
chief (Omkara) of the outlaws in Uttar Pradesh in the
film. The envious, conniving and cunning Iago becomes
the limping, tobacco-chewing, cursing, Langda Tyagi.
The handsome, charming and self-pitying Cassio becomes
Kesu Firangi. The beautiful and madly-in-love Desdemona
becomes the fair-skinned Dolly Mishra. The jealous,
revengeful Roderigo becomes Rajan. The seductive Bianca
becomes Billo.
In 'Omkara', Vishal Bhardwaj takes a few
liberties and changes a few situations slightly from
'Othello'. But he does not alter the gist
of the story............more
YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA:
When an actor of the calibre of Naseeruddin Shah decides
to perch on the director's chair, you track the directorial
debut with interest. It's an instant reaction since
Naseer is one of the finest actors in the country who
has been associated with qualitative projects since
the past three decades.
In his very first outing, Naseer decides to narrate
four parallel stories in those 2.05 hours. Of course,
several storytellers have made an effort to narrate
multiple stories in one film, notable among them being
Mani Ratnam [YUVA], RGV [DARNA MANA HAI, DARNA ZAROORI
HAI], Khalid Mohamed [SILSIILAY] and Samar Khan [KUCHH
MEETHA HO JAYE].........more
GOLMAAL:
Rohit Shetty's movie 'Golmaal' lives
up to its punchline - Fun Unlimited.
 Despite
the absence of a concrete plot, the movie entertains
because the gags and pranks keep flowing in quick succession.
There is hardly any sequence in the film that doesn't
evoke a chuckle, if not make you laugh. And the credit
for this partly goes to Neeraj Vora , the writer. Once
again, Vora spins a yarn replete with funny oneliners,
silly situations, outlandish characters and hare-brained
villains.
At the centre of the movie's story are four friends
- Gopal (Ajay Devgan), Madhav (Arshad Warsi),
Laxman (Sharman Joshi) and Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor). Gopal
is the brave, big bully of the four. Madhav is the idler.
Laxman is the timid one, while Lucky is the bumbling
mute.......more
Corporate
 Madhur
Bhandarkar continues to walk on a tight-rope, balancing
masala [AAN, TRISHAKTI] and thought-provoking films
[CHANDNI BAR, SATTA, PAGE 3] consistently. Ironically,
the noteworthy films in his repertoire have been those
that dared to tackle an issue that hadn't been
explored on Hindi screens before: CHANDNI BAR and PAGE
3.
Madhur now peeps into the glitzy world of corporate
identities in his new outing CORPORATE. Like CHANDNI
BAR and PAGE 3, CORPORATE works for one solid reason:
It brings to light the nitty-gritty of a world that
most commoners never knew of. Battles fought in ostentatious
and swanky offices aren't known to the majority
and it is this aspect that can be rightly termed as
one of the USPs of the enterprise...........more
Krissh
Is it a bird, it is a plane? No it's Hrithik
Roshan!!!
It's not enough to say that Hrithik is one of the best
actors of the country.
 Extroardinary
is the word for the measured manner in which he glides
through the air to the beat of Rajesh Roshan's rather-vapid
songs…or cuts through the breeze to the stunning
special effects created with a verve so- far unknown
to Indian cinema.
Krissh takes us into the world of masked
fantasy where the stakes are incredibly high…as
high as the F-X-generated leaps that the super-hero
takes as he tries to save the world from the clutches
of a megalomaniacal villain with a glint in his eyes
that can only belong to Naseeruddin Shah............more
PHIR HERA PHERI
Comedy is the flavor of the season. And sequels are
rare in India. So if a dream merchant decides to make
a sequel to an immensely popular laughathon, you fasten
your seat belts and wait with bated breath for reels
to unfold on the screen.
PHIR HERA PHERI is the sequel to HERA PHERI involving
the famous trio -- Raju [Akshay Kumar], Shyam [Suneil
Shetty] and Baburao [Paresh Rawal]. Only thing, the
film has not been directed by Priyadarshan [who directed
HERA PHERI], but Neeraj Vora, who has penned a number
of Priyadarshan movies............more
FANAA
 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. ...............more
'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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