Movie Review: Happy Ending - Distasteful

Take one 1 Bowl of  "Salam Namaste"  and 2 bowls of "Cocktail"; mix them well and add a few pinches of "Hum Tum" plus a teaspoon of "Bachna Ae Haseeno". Bake the mixture for 2 hours and the raw and uncooked dish that comes out is HAPPY ENDING!

Bingo! you guessed it right, Saif is playing the commitment-phobic dude yet again. I am sure you would not want me to give you a snapshot of the story beyond this.

The two hour movie is a drag from the beginning till the end. There is nothing unique about the movie. Saif looks really unfit in the movie and Ileana isn't looking her best either. So basically, while the story is stale, the glamour quotient too is missing. To add to it, the wardrobe of the lead actors isn't any good either. All in all there is nothing in the movie to hold the interest of any kind of audience.

About the screenplay - you know that the script-writer has not done his job well, when Govinda's presence in the movie goes underutilized. Its sad that the screenplay is so weak that it does not do even a bit of justice to Govinda's comic skills. It is the script-writer’s failed attempt at a Rom-Com or "Romedy" - as they call it in the movie.

To cut it short, the movie’s recipe is not worth your time and money. Go and have a dinner with friends instead.

Movie Recommendation: Garm Hava - Iconic, To Say The Least

MS Sathyu's 1974 movie on the post-partition era was re-released on November 14 after digital restoration. Last Saturday, I chose to watch the 40 year old movie over other options like Interstellar, Gone Girl and Kill Dill and I don't regret a bit. In fact, before writing anything else, I must thank PVR cinemas for running the movie and giving the audience a chance to view one of the rarest jewels in the history of Indian Cinema.

Garm Hava is a BEAUTIFUL movie indeed.When I moved out of the hall it felt as if I had walked out after living the history of India for 146 minutes. The feelings were mixed - that of empathy, patriotism, pain, brotherhood and joy. But above all, there was a feeling of immense respect for the makers of this movie.

The movie is a story of a the travails of a Muslim family that chose to stay in India after partition. Based on Ismat Chughtai's unpublished story, it is a heartwarming tale of lost love, of broken trust on one hand and of strong faith in the secular fiber that India is made up of on the other hand.

The movie stands tall on four pillars - Kaifi Azmi and Shama Zaidi's screenplay, Balraj Sahni's marvelous acting, Gita Shauhat's portrayal of Aamina's character and MS Sathyu's attention to detail.

Making a movie based on Partition has never been easy. Think of any movie based on the subject and you will remember it ran through some controversy or the other either before or after the release. MS Sathyu's conviction towards the movie however deserves a special applause - making a movie on the subject when the wounds were still fresh was not an easy job - he survived protests and bans to present to India a touching chapter from its history. A chapter that is generally intentionally skipped by many of those who, for their own mean reasons, wish to present a distorted version of history.

It is ironical that most movies that I believe have the ability to promote communal empathy have been termed as "controversial releases" for the fear that these would instigate communal discord. This is what exemplifies difference in perception I guess. Garm Hava too was banned for the same reasons but when it was released it went as to win an award for National Integration. As they say, good work always pays, sooner or later.

When I recommend you to watch the movie today, its not because you as an audience deserve to watch a good movie but because this movie deserves a tribute from all those who believe in a secular India.

For those of you not moved by my emotional urge, here are a few other facts that make this movie special: this movie is the first few movies on partition, it was Farooq Sheikh's debut and veteran Balraj Sahni's last. It is an Oscar-Nominated movie! Convinced enough?

Go and watch this movie now, if it is still playing at at a PVR around you. Else here is a YouTube link - the print may not be fine but the movie is one of the finest movies you will watch.

  

  

Movie Recommendation: Arth - Search for Meaning in Life & in Relationships

Fond of Jet Airways? Not really, right? Neither am I. But I have to confess that my last travel by Jet Airways was a very pleasant one - only because of the beautiful collection of thought provoking Shabana Azmi movies that their in flight entertainment housed.

Out of the movies that I watched from the collection I would highly recommend movie buffs who enjoy intense cinema to watch Arth - a Mahesh Bhatt movie from 1982. Read the synopsis of this movie anywhere and you will mostly find it being described as a movie on marital infidelity - the story of a movie director's extra-martial affair with a top-notch actress.  I however, believe that this description of the movie comes from the people who failed to uncover the innermost sheaths of the story.

Those with a deeper perspective would describe Arth as a movie on a woman's search for identity, set in the background of marital infidelity - and when I say woman , I am not just referring to Shabana Azmi's character (Pooja) in the movie; I am also talking about Rohini Hattangadi's character (Pooja's maid) and also that of Smita Patil (the famous actress Kavita Sanyal). And this is not the only other way the story can be described. The layered story can be interpreted in so many ways and attaching a single interpretation would be injustice to the master piece that Mahesh Bhatt created. Infact, I am consciously not mentioning more about the story-line because I would want the viewers to get involved in the movie without any preconceived notions.

You may ask,  enough movies have been written on both the subjects (i.e extra-marital affairs and woman's self-identity) in the recent past, why watch a 1982 movie to explore the same subjects yet again? I would say, yes I agree, that the themes are rather the most exploited themes in Indian cinema but this movie is actually class apart. What sets it apart is Mahesh Bhatt's ability to bring to life the complex characters of the star cast, Shabana Azmi's flawless acting and Jagjit Singh's voice in Kaifi Azmi songs with the deepest meanings that set the mood just right.

Every director or story writer always spends a lot of time sculpting the principal characters of the movie. Mahesh Bhatt, however, deserves appreciation not only for the attention that was given to the principal characters i.e the husband, the wife and the mistress but also for the way he has carefully crafted the characters in the side roles including that of the maid and of Pooja's admirer (Raj Kiran's character).

Not convinced about the movie yet? Okay, I have more reasons coming...

For those of you who enjoy Bollywood gossip, this movie is claimed to be a semi-autobiographical work inspired by Mahesh Bhatt and Praveen Babi's real life love affair.

Fashion mavens reading this article are also advised to watch the movie. It may be a 1982 movie, but take a closer look at Shabana Azmi's dresses and you will definitely be inspired sartorially. Her suits in the second half of the movie are as contemporary as can be. So watch the movie for some tips to glam up your ethnic wear.

Still need more reasons? Well, I would say wait for the comments below from the readers who have watched or will watch this movie :-)

Movie Review: Philomena - A Heart-Tugging Classic

Rating 5/5

A COMPLETE Bollywood Loyalist, I rarely watch other movies. However, the limited choice of Bollywood movies on the in-flight entertainment systems often forces me to explore the world beyond Hindi Cinema. And I have been extremely lucky in my explorations - I always find a gem - Philomena is one of them. While the movie is a heart-tugging drama for the viewers, it is an example of serio-comic excellence for the film-makers.

Stephen Frears's Philomena is a truth-based story of an Irish lady in search of her son who was taken away from her when he was a toddler - she is the victim of the ill practices carried out in the name of religion at a convent.



Sure the story is emotionally gripping, but what makes this movie a classic is Judi Dench's acting. Watch her act and you will realize that acting is much more than powerful dialogue delivery. Dench's eyes do all the talking - the agony and yearnings of a mother are all beautifully expressed through her eyes. Coogan as Martin does a great job of complementing Drench's journey as Philomena. Their chemistry is effortlessly charming. The personalities of the two characters are poles apart, yet as the movie progresses the two develop a warm bond, giving the audience the feel good factor needed to cope up with the seriousness in the storyline.

The direction and screenplay too deserve an applause for stitching together three different stories so well - the story of the distraught elderly woman , of a jaded journalist and that of an adopted child. All the stories effortlessly merge together creating a lasting impression in the heart of the viewer.

For of you who like thought-provoking movies, this one will definitely give you some food for thought. The logic behind some shallow religious practices, the role of destiny in shaping our life's experiences, revenge vs forgiveness were a few themes that I picked up.

To conclude I will quote John Keats - "A thing of beauty is a joy forever". Does that not say enough?

Movie Review : Sar Chadhi Hai Dhoom Dhoom 3

Rating 3.5

The record breaking third film in the "Dhoom" series is an all in all Aamir Khan movie - who plays Sahir Khan - a thief who robs that banks not for money but for revenge. Sahir is determined to bring down the bank that was in a way the reason behind his father's suicide.

Yes, its an Aamir movie and there is a lot to be said about him but, this review must begin with applauding the movie's technical team. The technical team is always the back bone of any movie but it is rarely that their work moves from the backstage to the fore front to be noticed by the audience. It takes movies like Dhoom-3 for the audience to appreciate the magic of these back stage geniuses.

Coming back to Aamir, this movie being the third in the series is almost predictable and would not have been able to keep the audience glued to the seats without Aamir in the lead. His acting as always is flawless and his dance in "Dhoom Tap" and "Malang" ensures that you don't miss Hritik much.Of course there is Katrina in the movie who also has the power to keep the audience glued, but that is for reasons other than acting - she plays her part really well  i.e. getting the "oomph factor" to the movie. Who cares about how she acts? Am I right or am I right? :-)

Do you want me to talk about Abhishek and Uday too?  Well, they never were the stars of the series but at least they brought some humor to the first 2 movies in the series. However, in Dhoom-3 they have not been able to do even that. If the first half of the movie gets a bit boring at times, its because the the failed comic attempts by these two.To add to that, the costume designer appears to have completely ignored them and so has the director. Plus, what style statement are they trying with the "indoor goggles"  look - who wears goggles inside the airport?

The movie has already broken box office records and but there is one more thing that this movie has done really well  and that is in-movie advertising - BMW, Mountain Dew and Hallmark these are the three brands that I noticed. Did you notice any more?

Okay, now summing up - this movie is definitely a Bollywood Style Action Entertainer. Go and watch this for Aamir's acting, the stunts and acrobatics, the good music and of course Katrina.

Movie Review: What The Fish - Absolutely Tasteless

Rating  - Really?

Gurmmeet Singh’s What the Fish is an absolutely tasteless but very useful movie? Why useful? Because this gives you the chance to access the genuineness of movie reviews.  Today I judged the reviewers and not the movie. The verdict has been passed - any reviewer who gives this movie a rating higher than ½ * should not be trusted in the future.

The problem is not with the story, but with its treatment. This story could have been a successful comedy had it been treated well.  Unfortunately, it the hands of Gurmmeet Singh, it turned into a rotten fish. Are you nevertheless expecting me to brief you about the story line, the acting and the characters? Well, you will have to excuse me this time -  I have spent enough of my precious time watching this movie and I really do not wish to kill another few minutes reviewing it. Trust me, just steer clear of this one.

Movie-Review: Ram-Leela : A Lust (oops! Love) Story

Two clans in  Ranjaar have been feeding their age old enmity with bullets and blood - it appears that the only relationship that the two clans can ever have is that of ruthless hatred. However, each of the clans have an outlier - Ram (Ranveer Singh) the Rajeda Romeo and Leela (Deepika Padukone) the Sensual Sanera  who believe in peace and not war, and well also in intensely passionate romance. Bhansali’s Ram-Leela is is a story of war to peace and lust to love.

Movie’s screenplay is a test of viewers’ patience – if you can survive through the extra colorful and almost horny first half, you will be rewarded with a great second half. Those of you who  do not enjoy cheeky comedy and sexual irreverence will hate the leads, especially Raveer during the first half, but there are good enough chances that you will fall in love with his intense acting during the second half of the movie.

You might ask, does Ram-Leela qualify to be an eternal love story? The answer is a clear NO – not because the lead characters are weak but because there is a character in the movie that overpowers the characters of the love birds (Mor) -  “Dhankor” brilliantly played by Supriya Paathak. You move out of the hall and all you remember is Supriya’s marvelous acting. Also worth mentioning are the performances by Richa Chaddha and Barkha Bisht – the empathetic "Bhabhis" in the movie.

Had Bhansali not diluted the movie with an overdose of physical love, Ram-Leela could have easily scored a 4/5 rating for its superb performances, detailed costumes and jewellary, elaborate sets, tasteful music and choreography. However, the shallowness brings down my rating to a 2.5. Oh wait! On a second thought I would give it a 3/5 – a 0.5 bonus for the beautiful Gujarati folk song (Mor Bane Thanghat Kare) that I can’t stop listening to over and over again.