It is that time of the year when everyone comes up with their list of favorites. It took me nearly 3 days to come up with my fav songs from Hindi, Tamizh and Malayalam. I also take this opportunity to thank my colleagues Anish and Selva in helping me come up with the different releases in Hindi and Tamil.
Please note that these songs are not based on popularity or sales. These are my personal favorites and the songs are listed taking the whole album into consideration rather than a single song.
HINDI
1 Saawariya
Music – Monty Sharma; Lyricists – Sameer, Nusrat Badr, Sandeep Nath
2 Johnny Gaddar
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy; Lyricists – Jaideep Sahni, Hard Kaur, Nilesh Mehra
3 Taare Zameen Par
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Shailendra Barve; Lyricist – Prasoon Joshi
4 Salaam E Ishq
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy; Lyricist – Sameer
5 Guru
Music – A.R.Rehman; Lyricist -- Gulzar
6 Om Shanthi Om
Music – Vishal-Shekhar; Lyricists – Javed Akhtar, Vishal Dadlani, Kumar
7 Partner
Music – Sajid-Wajid; Lyricists – Sanjay Chhel, Shabbir Ahmed, Jalees Sherwani
8 Bhool Bhulaiyya
Music – Pritam; Lyricist – Sameer
9 No Smoking
Music – Vishal Bharadwaj; Lyricist – Gulzar
10 Anwar
Music – Mithoon; Lyricisits – Hasan Kamal, Saeed Qadri, Shyam Ravindran
Rozaana song from Nishabd also deserves a special mention. I could not accommodate it in this list as it was the only song from the whole album.
TAMIL
1 Mozhi
Music – Vidyasagar; Lyricist -- Vairamuthu
2 Patchaikili Muthucharam
Music – Harris Jeyaraj; Lyricists – Thamarai, Rohini
3 Sivaji
Music – A.R.Rahman; Lyricists – Valee, Vairamuthu, Na Muthukumar, Pa Vijay
4 Unnaale Unaale
Music – Harris Jeyaraj; Lyricists – Pa Vijay, Valee
5 Katradu Tamizh
Music – Yuvan Shankar Raja; Lyricist – Na Muthukumar
6 Azhagiya Tamizh Magan
Music –A.R.Rahman; Lyricists – Vaali, Alagundu Somu, Pa Vijay, Na Muthukumar, Thamarai
7 Deepavali
Music -- Yuvan Shankar Raja; Lyricists – Na Muthumar, Kabilan, Yugabharathi,
8 Chennai 28
Music -- Yuvan Shankar Raja; Lyricists – Vaali, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Gangai Amaran
9 Kreedom
Music – G.V. Prakash Kumar; Lyricist – Na Muthukumar
10 Ninaithu Ninaithu Paarthen
Music – Joshua Sridhar; Lyricist – Na Muthukumar
MALAYALAM
1 Arabi Kadha
Music – Biji Bal; Lyricist – Anil Pachooran
2 Hello
Music – Alex Paul; Lyricist – Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma
3 Kadha Parayumbol
Music – M.Jayachandran; Lyricists – Anil Pachooran; Girish Puthencherry
4 Vinodayathra
Music – Ilayaraja; Lyricists – Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma
5 Ore Kadal
Music – Ouseppachan; Lyricist – Girish Puthencherry
6 Nivedyam
Music – M.Jayachandran; Lyricists – Bichu Thirumala, Kaithapram, Kuttapan, Lohithadas
7 Chota Mumbai
Music – Rahul Raj; Lyricisit – Vayalar Sharath
8 Rock n Roll
Music –Vidyasagar; Lyricists – Girish Puthencherry
9 Big B
Music – Alphonse; Lyricists – Ophi Tharakan, Santhosh Varma
10 Chocolate
Music – Alex Paul; Lyricist – Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma
Phew !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dec 28, 2007
Dec 25, 2007
Current Favs : Dec 5 - Dec 25
The final post in this category. Right now, im in the process of listing down my 2007 favs from both Hindi and Tamil.
Kadha Parayumbol(Malayalam), Kalloori(Tamil) and Pirivom Sandippom(Tamil) are the new entries this fortnight. Suprisingly, they have managed to get into the top 5 also. The Deewangi song from OSO has been made to re-enter in the list. So here goes :
1 Maa from Taare Zameen Par(Hindi)
2 Vethyasanaam Oru Barber from Kadha Parayumbol(Malayalam)
3 June July Maadam from Kalloori (Tamil)
4 Sol Sol En Nenje from Pirivom Sandippom (Tamil)
5 Naan Meendum from Billa (Tamil)
6 Valayapatti from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
7 Oh Chandamama from Rock n Roll (Malayalam)
8 Ellorukkum Ethi from Rameswaram (Tamil)
9 Deewangi from Om Shanthi Om (Hindi)
10 Yoon Shabnami from Saawariya (Hindi)
Kadha Parayumbol(Malayalam), Kalloori(Tamil) and Pirivom Sandippom(Tamil) are the new entries this fortnight. Suprisingly, they have managed to get into the top 5 also. The Deewangi song from OSO has been made to re-enter in the list. So here goes :
1 Maa from Taare Zameen Par(Hindi)
2 Vethyasanaam Oru Barber from Kadha Parayumbol(Malayalam)
3 June July Maadam from Kalloori (Tamil)
4 Sol Sol En Nenje from Pirivom Sandippom (Tamil)
5 Naan Meendum from Billa (Tamil)
6 Valayapatti from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
7 Oh Chandamama from Rock n Roll (Malayalam)
8 Ellorukkum Ethi from Rameswaram (Tamil)
9 Deewangi from Om Shanthi Om (Hindi)
10 Yoon Shabnami from Saawariya (Hindi)
Dec 24, 2007
Movie Review :Taare Zameen Par – A Gem in Indian Cinema.
For all parents and parents to be, here is a movie that you should be watching to know how hurt your child would feel even when you come with a very casual statement.How often do you remain speechless after leaving a movie hall? That too after watching a Bollywood movie? Rare; it is a known and accepted fact and I guess the previous attempt was only with ‘Gandhi, My Father’. Well, Taare Zameen Par (TZP from now on) is a sincere and novel attempt and is remarkably well told too. The movie lingers in your mind even for a couple of days, after watching it.
To make a movie on children is not that easy and that could be the reason why movies of similar genre are just a handful. TZP is not a childrens movie; but a movie about children. It also explores much more than these - the way parents react when they come to know about their childs performance at school, the way teachers treat children at school, the way a child is looked at by the classmates when he/she is a total loser. All the emotions are shown beautifully and there is absolutely no scene where you feel that the messages are going overboard or where the scene looks artificial. The movie impresses from the very beginning as one sees Darsheel Saffarys name appearing during the credits before Aamir Khans. Again, how many film makers have let this happen? The story unfolds gradually and does not bore you even when the movie is going on a slow pace. Each character shown is someone that you could relate; be it the brother, the best friend or even the bus conductor!
The story revolves around a kid, Ishaan (Darsheel Saffary), with dyslexia and how he overcomes his difficulties and wins the heart of everyone with the help of his teacher Ram Nikhumbh (Aamir). Darsheel, from the Shiamak Davar camp, is the backbone of this movie and it is amazing when you notice that the kid single handedly carries the whole movie on his shoulders. All the right expressions -controlled and equally composed. Spontaneous acting and powerful screen presence, this kid could go places. Tisca Chopra who plays Darsheels mother is also excellent. However, Vipin Sharma who acts as Darsheels father is sometimes dramatic.
One could witness Aamir as the director and story teller in this movie more than Aamir as the actor. The entire first half revolves around Ishaans character and the superstar is shown only 30 seconds (literally!!!) before the intermission. He lives upto the brand that the media has given him—Aamir , The Perfectionist. He is the real superstar of Bollywood- directing, acting and even to have the guts to produce an offbeat movie of this kind.
Though the script is almost flawless, it is only after Aamirs entry that makes the movie a little less natural. The first half shows the movie from Ishaans point of view, depicting his emotions and his mental trauma. The second half loses its grip on the audience as the teacher becomes more important and the screenplay moves from his point of view. If the first half makes you search a hanky, the second half would make you just moist-eyed.
The screenplay
of the movie has let in cinematic liberties too. For example, the predictable climax, the intro scene and dyslexic past of Ram Nikhumbh, the reduced mothers character in the second half and the clumsy teachers in the boarding school. But these negatives are very negligible when compared to the positives highlighted. Moreover, there should be some element of happiness in this complete tear jerker and that should be the justification for the negatives mentioned.Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is simply brilliant and goes well with the mood of the film. Even the BGM’s are equally outstanding. The other departments; editing, camera graphics, art, extra actors all have done an equally wonderful job. Hats off Aamir, you have extracted the best from each one of them and gave us a powerful film.
On the whole, this debut venture of Aamir Khan is for all the age groups. Highly recommended; a movie one shouldnt miss at any cost. Aamirs TZP deserves repeated viewing and I am sure most of us would do that. This movie is certainly a Taara, bollywood mein.
Dec 17, 2007
Movie Review : Billa - Stylish, Suave and Sleek
Remaking a movie would normally start and end with comparisons. That too, c
omparisons would only increase by leaps and bounds if the orginial version had the reigning superstar of Kollywood essaying the title character. Kudos to the Director Vishnu Vardhan and the 'Ultimate Star'/'Thala' Ajith, for the confidence and guts to bring out their take on the classic Billa. If the old Billa was a regional trendsetter during its time, the new Billa would take Kollywood to the national level for its technical brilliance and for the overall package.
The story isn’t new and it had come out in three versions already - the two Don’s in Hindi (enacted by AB and SRK) and Billa in Tamil(Rajnikanth). Though Vishnu Vardhan had adopted minor changes to his version in the screenplay, he has done complete justice to the original Billa. With the omission of the character played by Thengai Sreenivasan in the original, the movie is only trimmer; devoid of any emotional moments. No sentiments, no love between the lead pairs (thankfully); this is one rare Tamil movie !
Ajith as the menace Billa and the innocent Velu is apt for the role and there is no one in the industry at present who could carry this role with such finesse. Prabhu,as DCP Jai, after a long hiatus is seen in a meaningful role and does justice to the character. Nayan Tara as Sasha has very little to em
ote but looks exceptionally good. Namitha as Ajiths girl friend CJ has very little screen presence. The other actors who make their presence felt are Rahman who acts as an Interpol Officer Gokulnath and Aditya who acts as DCP Jai’s assistant, Anil Menon. While the latter is adequate for the role, the former sometimes goes overboard with his performance.
Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja has already topped the charts with tracks like ‘Vethalaye Potthendi’ and ‘Seval Kodi’. The picutarisation of the rest makes you fall in love with the other tracks as well. Yuvans BGM’s is quite fabulous with the chilling theme music that plays quite often. Neerav Shah, as usual, has done his part brilliantly and with his skills, Indian Cinema can expect a new cinematographer turned director very soon. The movie does not lose its tempo at any point and makes the viewer glued to the seat till its end. Sreekar Prasad, responsible for the crisp editing and for maintaining the length of the movie at 2 hrs and 15 mins, is at his best.
However, the person who stole the limelight from everyone is Anu Vardhan who handled the costumes of the movie. Never before did a South Indian movie look so classy and polished on screen. Clothes maketh the man, they say, but here we would have to rephrase it to Clothes maketh the movie. The characters gel with the clothes rather than the clothes getting gelled with the actors. An example is the clothes worn by Nayan Tara; though she wears a bikini, she never looks vulgar in it as her character, arrogant and vengeful, demanded it. The entire costumes, be it for Ajith, Nayan, Prabhu or even for the extras in a shot, makes the movie a visual treat. A commendable work, indeed. The makeup artist Bhanu also deserves compliments here in making the characters look good and non-artificial.
So is the movie that perfect? Well, it has its flaws too. There are some che
esy dialogues in the movie which could have been avoided. In certain scenes, the length of Ajiths sideburns keeps changing and is the same with his paunch too. Also, the choreography isn’t something that is worth mentioning. But all that seems negligible when taking the movies overall presentation into consideration.
Billa is a revelation for the Ajith fans as they had been watching their ‘Thala’ doing only insignificant roles in the recent times. Director Vishnu deserves a pat in the back for coming out with a product that truly lives up to the hype the movie created. It is an example of excellent team work; on and behind screen. Billa is a new experience from the entire South Indian Film Industry that you would not want to miss. It is one of Indias most stylish movie ever !!!
omparisons would only increase by leaps and bounds if the orginial version had the reigning superstar of Kollywood essaying the title character. Kudos to the Director Vishnu Vardhan and the 'Ultimate Star'/'Thala' Ajith, for the confidence and guts to bring out their take on the classic Billa. If the old Billa was a regional trendsetter during its time, the new Billa would take Kollywood to the national level for its technical brilliance and for the overall package.The story isn’t new and it had come out in three versions already - the two Don’s in Hindi (enacted by AB and SRK) and Billa in Tamil(Rajnikanth). Though Vishnu Vardhan had adopted minor changes to his version in the screenplay, he has done complete justice to the original Billa. With the omission of the character played by Thengai Sreenivasan in the original, the movie is only trimmer; devoid of any emotional moments. No sentiments, no love between the lead pairs (thankfully); this is one rare Tamil movie !
Ajith as the menace Billa and the innocent Velu is apt for the role and there is no one in the industry at present who could carry this role with such finesse. Prabhu,as DCP Jai, after a long hiatus is seen in a meaningful role and does justice to the character. Nayan Tara as Sasha has very little to em
ote but looks exceptionally good. Namitha as Ajiths girl friend CJ has very little screen presence. The other actors who make their presence felt are Rahman who acts as an Interpol Officer Gokulnath and Aditya who acts as DCP Jai’s assistant, Anil Menon. While the latter is adequate for the role, the former sometimes goes overboard with his performance.Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja has already topped the charts with tracks like ‘Vethalaye Potthendi’ and ‘Seval Kodi’. The picutarisation of the rest makes you fall in love with the other tracks as well. Yuvans BGM’s is quite fabulous with the chilling theme music that plays quite often. Neerav Shah, as usual, has done his part brilliantly and with his skills, Indian Cinema can expect a new cinematographer turned director very soon. The movie does not lose its tempo at any point and makes the viewer glued to the seat till its end. Sreekar Prasad, responsible for the crisp editing and for maintaining the length of the movie at 2 hrs and 15 mins, is at his best.
However, the person who stole the limelight from everyone is Anu Vardhan who handled the costumes of the movie. Never before did a South Indian movie look so classy and polished on screen. Clothes maketh the man, they say, but here we would have to rephrase it to Clothes maketh the movie. The characters gel with the clothes rather than the clothes getting gelled with the actors. An example is the clothes worn by Nayan Tara; though she wears a bikini, she never looks vulgar in it as her character, arrogant and vengeful, demanded it. The entire costumes, be it for Ajith, Nayan, Prabhu or even for the extras in a shot, makes the movie a visual treat. A commendable work, indeed. The makeup artist Bhanu also deserves compliments here in making the characters look good and non-artificial.
So is the movie that perfect? Well, it has its flaws too. There are some che
esy dialogues in the movie which could have been avoided. In certain scenes, the length of Ajiths sideburns keeps changing and is the same with his paunch too. Also, the choreography isn’t something that is worth mentioning. But all that seems negligible when taking the movies overall presentation into consideration.Billa is a revelation for the Ajith fans as they had been watching their ‘Thala’ doing only insignificant roles in the recent times. Director Vishnu deserves a pat in the back for coming out with a product that truly lives up to the hype the movie created. It is an example of excellent team work; on and behind screen. Billa is a new experience from the entire South Indian Film Industry that you would not want to miss. It is one of Indias most stylish movie ever !!!
Dec 6, 2007
Current Favs: Nov 5 - Dec 5
First of all, I apologize for the delay in posting this as my last entry was from Oct 16 - Nov 5.
Billa, Aaja Nachle and Rock n Roll are the only three new entries here although there had been several releases like Welcome,Halla Bol and Novel. Among the expected ones, Rock n Roll disappoints big time and so does Aaja Nachle. Three songs of Billa would catch your attention immediately while the remaining three needs time to grow on you, especially the Naan Meendum number. I dont think there are any more prominent releases this year. We would have to wait and see if there are any changes to this list by the end of the year.
1 Maa from Tare Zameen Par(Hindi)
2 Yoon Shabnami from Saawariya (Hindi)
3 Nee Maryln Monroe from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
4 Vethalaye Pottendi from Billa (Tamil)
5 Ellorukkum Ethi from Rameswaram (Tamil)
6 Mere Dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Hindi)
7 Jab bhi-female version from No Smoking (Hindi)
8 Valayonnidaa from Rock n Roll (Malayalam)
9 Aaja Nachle from Aaja Nachle (Hindi)
10 Dus from Dus Kahaaniyaan (Hindi)
Billa, Aaja Nachle and Rock n Roll are the only three new entries here although there had been several releases like Welcome,Halla Bol and Novel. Among the expected ones, Rock n Roll disappoints big time and so does Aaja Nachle. Three songs of Billa would catch your attention immediately while the remaining three needs time to grow on you, especially the Naan Meendum number. I dont think there are any more prominent releases this year. We would have to wait and see if there are any changes to this list by the end of the year.
1 Maa from Tare Zameen Par(Hindi)
2 Yoon Shabnami from Saawariya (Hindi)
3 Nee Maryln Monroe from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
4 Vethalaye Pottendi from Billa (Tamil)
5 Ellorukkum Ethi from Rameswaram (Tamil)
6 Mere Dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Hindi)
7 Jab bhi-female version from No Smoking (Hindi)
8 Valayonnidaa from Rock n Roll (Malayalam)
9 Aaja Nachle from Aaja Nachle (Hindi)
10 Dus from Dus Kahaaniyaan (Hindi)
Nov 24, 2007
Movie Review: Azhagiya Tamizh Magan – Good concept; well spoilt !
Before getting into the theatre to watch the recent Vijay Starrer ATM, it would be better if you could get two aspirins for urself. Headache is the only feeling you would take back home once you get out of the hall. Debutante director Bharathan had some of the best technicians in the industry to work with him, a renowned producer and the rising superstar of the Tamil industry, and yet he could deliver only a below mediocre product. The concept- Extra Sensory Perception(ESP) is still not tried by many in the industry; but the flimsy screenplay tampers it big time. Its sad to realize that this concept cannot be made use of in a better way in another tamil movie atleast for a couple of years as it would lead to comparisons.
Guru(Vijay) is a MBA student with a special power to foresee the future(why is it that the power here for him is only to foresee bad incidents?) and a psychologist diagnoses it as ESP. One fine day, he meets his lady love Abhinaya aka Abhi(Shreya), and wins both her and her dads heart in the most illogical way ever. However, when Guru comes to realize throu
gh his gifted power that he is responsible for Abhis death, he leaves the city and reaches Mumbai. He meets his look alike there on the streets of Mumbai and immediately ends up in an accident. The torture begins now as the second Vijay makes his entry. The look alike; Prasad is an exact replica; the hair style and even the stuble is no different! It would have been a little convincing if those were made to look the same as the movie progressed. We reach the interval at this point and its time to take one of your aspirins. Prasad is a bank employee cum fraud cum womanizer cum man with a sad past. He impersonates as Guru, thanks to Abhi, and creates havoc in Gurus love life. The rest of the movie is how Guru proves his identity and wins everyone back. Get prepared to have your second aspirin now as you are going to experience the worst ever climax scene in the history of Indian cinema.Phew!
Vijay as Guru is at his usual, but as Prasad, he gets on our nerves with his histrionics and over the top performance; but the villain here has all the punch dialogues and the comic one-liners. His performance as the bad guy is highly unconvincing and unimpressive. He looks completely exhausted and uninterested throughout the movie; probably he knew what went wrong midway. Shreya looks as if she came right from the sets of Sivaji, especially in her intro scene and in the Valayapatti song. But she has a meaty role (underperformed) and is present throughout the movie; something rare in a Vijay movie. The rest of the entire cast is wasted in their inconsequential roles. Namitha comes as a special appearance just to pull in some perverts and it is nothing but cruelty when she is compared to Merlyn Monroe and Jennifer Lopez in a song !!!
Music by A.R.Rahman is just average and the fate of the movie is definitely going to let the music down in the charts. The graphics department (god knows who all) had no idea of what they were doing. One could see better double role graphics in the movies of 80’s and 90’s where in they use to cut and paste both the frames. It’s the direction, screenplay and dialogues that are responsible for this dismal state of the movie, all the departments single handedly taken care by Bharathan. It should have been the story alone(S.K.Jeeva) that might have made Vijay, Appachan (the poor producer) and A.R.Rahman to accept this project. The screenplay is filled with flaws and loop holes.The ESP concept is not effectively utilised and is shown only in the first half. Guess with Gurus accident in Mumbai, his power to foresee is lost; but the screenplay doesn’t show any traces of how he acquires this power too.
It is very obvious that this movie was made in haste, taking into consideration the aweful graphics, the abrupt ending and the replacement of ARR with Sabesh-Murali for the BGM’s(which btw is nothing but the instrument version of the movies’ songs). Probably, they wanted it to release it well before its actual dates to avoid competition from the Ajith starrer Billa which is scheduled to hit the screens very soon. Or it could be the craving of Vijay and Bharathan to simply have their movie released during the festival season. Bad Extra Sensory Perception Guys !!!
Guru(Vijay) is a MBA student with a special power to foresee the future(why is it that the power here for him is only to foresee bad incidents?) and a psychologist diagnoses it as ESP. One fine day, he meets his lady love Abhinaya aka Abhi(Shreya), and wins both her and her dads heart in the most illogical way ever. However, when Guru comes to realize throu
gh his gifted power that he is responsible for Abhis death, he leaves the city and reaches Mumbai. He meets his look alike there on the streets of Mumbai and immediately ends up in an accident. The torture begins now as the second Vijay makes his entry. The look alike; Prasad is an exact replica; the hair style and even the stuble is no different! It would have been a little convincing if those were made to look the same as the movie progressed. We reach the interval at this point and its time to take one of your aspirins. Prasad is a bank employee cum fraud cum womanizer cum man with a sad past. He impersonates as Guru, thanks to Abhi, and creates havoc in Gurus love life. The rest of the movie is how Guru proves his identity and wins everyone back. Get prepared to have your second aspirin now as you are going to experience the worst ever climax scene in the history of Indian cinema.Phew!Vijay as Guru is at his usual, but as Prasad, he gets on our nerves with his histrionics and over the top performance; but the villain here has all the punch dialogues and the comic one-liners. His performance as the bad guy is highly unconvincing and unimpressive. He looks completely exhausted and uninterested throughout the movie; probably he knew what went wrong midway. Shreya looks as if she came right from the sets of Sivaji, especially in her intro scene and in the Valayapatti song. But she has a meaty role (underperformed) and is present throughout the movie; something rare in a Vijay movie. The rest of the entire cast is wasted in their inconsequential roles. Namitha comes as a special appearance just to pull in some perverts and it is nothing but cruelty when she is compared to Merlyn Monroe and Jennifer Lopez in a song !!!
Music by A.R.Rahman is just average and the fate of the movie is definitely going to let the music down in the charts. The graphics department (god knows who all) had no idea of what they were doing. One could see better double role graphics in the movies of 80’s and 90’s where in they use to cut and paste both the frames. It’s the direction, screenplay and dialogues that are responsible for this dismal state of the movie, all the departments single handedly taken care by Bharathan. It should have been the story alone(S.K.Jeeva) that might have made Vijay, Appachan (the poor producer) and A.R.Rahman to accept this project. The screenplay is filled with flaws and loop holes.The ESP concept is not effectively utilised and is shown only in the first half. Guess with Gurus accident in Mumbai, his power to foresee is lost; but the screenplay doesn’t show any traces of how he acquires this power too.
It is very obvious that this movie was made in haste, taking into consideration the aweful graphics, the abrupt ending and the replacement of ARR with Sabesh-Murali for the BGM’s(which btw is nothing but the instrument version of the movies’ songs). Probably, they wanted it to release it well before its actual dates to avoid competition from the Ajith starrer Billa which is scheduled to hit the screens very soon. Or it could be the craving of Vijay and Bharathan to simply have their movie released during the festival season. Bad Extra Sensory Perception Guys !!!
Nov 13, 2007
Movie Review : Chocolate - Strictly for youngsters.
History repeats. Last year, if Prithviraj had Classmates, this year he has got Chocolate. Though the success of the Classmates belonged to lot of aspects like the script, songs, cast etc,; Chocolate owes its success only because of his presence. Director Shafi, who had a successful track record with his movies is back again with his brand of film making – comedy.
The movie has a very thin story and is very predictable. Our hero here is no good guy
. He drinks, fights and has a track record of 7 police cases and 9 suspensions from his college. Worried about his future, his mom succeeds in getting an admission for him in a womans college, where she is a lecturer, so that she could have a constant watch on him. Motivated by his group of friends headed by a middle aged loud mouth, he joins the college. Equally notorious is our heroine and her gang who is a part of that college and who is against guys entering their campus. They are hell bent on making our hero’s life miserable right from the day he joins, and the first half of the movie is all about this. In the second half, love blossoms, obviously between the once arch rivals. But their love is not revealed to each other due to their egos but relax, you know what is going to happen in the end. The climax is however very unique and once the movie ends, its all smiles again.
Prithviraj,as the spoiled brat suites the character to the T. He simply rocks in the movie. Be it comedy, emotional or the fight scenes, he does it with such confidence. The entire movie rests on his shoulders and there is absolutely no one in the industry today to perform the role this way. Roma, who plays opposite Prithviraj has also done a commendable job when compared to her previous dismal, ‘July 4’. What Joshiey couldn’t do, Shafi did - make Roma emote! The movie also has stars like Jayasurya, Samrutha, Ramya, Salim Kumar, Shaari, Rajan P Dev, Lalu Alex, Bindu Panicker and each of them does their part perfectly. Salim Kumar is simply brilliant as the matured friend of the hero. He has the best one- liners in the movie although his tone and dialogue delivery is now getting monotonous and equally predictable.
The songs of the movie should have been taken care as it’s a complete youth entertainer. The script and dialogues, by debutante Sachi-Sethu is good. Check out those one-liners by Shaari; though delivered on a serious tone, it would make you smile for sure. However, some of the dialogues in the movie are vulgar and double standard which probably only the young crowd could digest. Also, in the second half, there is a misunderstanding plot between the lead characters which only adds to the length of the movie. But guess what, right from Shafi’s debut, ‘One Man Show’, his movies revolved only around misunderstandings in the second half and so such a plot was predicted.
The screenplay has its own share of flaws too. The script doesn’t show us as to when cupid struck Samrutha. Also, towards the end, why does Samrutha have to panic so much to find Prithviraj? Theres always a mobile phone for emergency, and also the hotel in which he stayed would have definitely had a phone. There are a few messages in the movie too, but they are completely overshadowed by the comedy elements.
Totally, the movie, minus the double standard dialogues, the flaws and the dragging second half manages to make the audience split with laughter in parts. This attempt of Shafi is definitely not for the old hearted. But if you had a terrific college life, some of the scenes would make you atleast nostalgic. And also watch the flick for Prithviraj, the next superstar in the Malayalam film industry !!!
The movie has a very thin story and is very predictable. Our hero here is no good guy
. He drinks, fights and has a track record of 7 police cases and 9 suspensions from his college. Worried about his future, his mom succeeds in getting an admission for him in a womans college, where she is a lecturer, so that she could have a constant watch on him. Motivated by his group of friends headed by a middle aged loud mouth, he joins the college. Equally notorious is our heroine and her gang who is a part of that college and who is against guys entering their campus. They are hell bent on making our hero’s life miserable right from the day he joins, and the first half of the movie is all about this. In the second half, love blossoms, obviously between the once arch rivals. But their love is not revealed to each other due to their egos but relax, you know what is going to happen in the end. The climax is however very unique and once the movie ends, its all smiles again.Prithviraj,as the spoiled brat suites the character to the T. He simply rocks in the movie. Be it comedy, emotional or the fight scenes, he does it with such confidence. The entire movie rests on his shoulders and there is absolutely no one in the industry today to perform the role this way. Roma, who plays opposite Prithviraj has also done a commendable job when compared to her previous dismal, ‘July 4’. What Joshiey couldn’t do, Shafi did - make Roma emote! The movie also has stars like Jayasurya, Samrutha, Ramya, Salim Kumar, Shaari, Rajan P Dev, Lalu Alex, Bindu Panicker and each of them does their part perfectly. Salim Kumar is simply brilliant as the matured friend of the hero. He has the best one- liners in the movie although his tone and dialogue delivery is now getting monotonous and equally predictable.
The songs of the movie should have been taken care as it’s a complete youth entertainer. The script and dialogues, by debutante Sachi-Sethu is good. Check out those one-liners by Shaari; though delivered on a serious tone, it would make you smile for sure. However, some of the dialogues in the movie are vulgar and double standard which probably only the young crowd could digest. Also, in the second half, there is a misunderstanding plot between the lead characters which only adds to the length of the movie. But guess what, right from Shafi’s debut, ‘One Man Show’, his movies revolved only around misunderstandings in the second half and so such a plot was predicted.
The screenplay has its own share of flaws too. The script doesn’t show us as to when cupid struck Samrutha. Also, towards the end, why does Samrutha have to panic so much to find Prithviraj? Theres always a mobile phone for emergency, and also the hotel in which he stayed would have definitely had a phone. There are a few messages in the movie too, but they are completely overshadowed by the comedy elements.
Totally, the movie, minus the double standard dialogues, the flaws and the dragging second half manages to make the audience split with laughter in parts. This attempt of Shafi is definitely not for the old hearted. But if you had a terrific college life, some of the scenes would make you atleast nostalgic. And also watch the flick for Prithviraj, the next superstar in the Malayalam film industry !!!
Nov 11, 2007
My View :Om Shanti Om-"DARD - hEi - MUJKKO"
The first time Farah Khan held the megaphone for Ma
in Hoon Na, she had made a statement to defend her films quality. Two years later when she came up with Om Shanti Om, she still has the same words – a tribute to the movies made in the 70’s. How long is Ms.Khan going to penalize the audience with such an excuse for not having better scripts? A similar tribute (70’s movies) was released a few months back; Sriram Raghavans’ Johnny Gaddar and what a movie that was! I know I should not expect a quality movie from such a camp; but this kind of film making is absurd and is a bad example of entertainment. OSO is strictly for people who have nothing better to do in life and this should have been included as a statutory warning during their extravagant marketing campaign. The movie is a blockbuster, no doubt, but deserves only to be an average grosser.
The movie is completely based on two words- Reincarnation and Revenge; and of course a couple of spoofs about the film industry thrown in here and there. The lighter moments in the movie, of course, makes us smile. But there are certain scenes , for example the moments where Shah Rukh appears as the South Indian Super star and a Superhero, which looks awkward and equally boring. Not revealing the ‘story’ here; its what we all had guessed before the release of the movie. The first half is good and refreshing, but the second half except for the star studded song disappoints and draaaaaags.
Shah Rukh (as both Om’s) looks charming and it is very obvious that the film was originated keeping only him in mind. He does his best and the role is a cake walk for him. Infact, poor fella can not do anything more than this in the name of acting. However, anyone would still love him in his old avatar without the packs and would wish him to come back with his normal body and also most importantly with his face (he looks as if he has got a lot of dimples on his face). Deepika (as Shanti and Sandhya) has all the potentials to emerge as the next star in bollywood; all those kareenas and eshas, make way for this gorgeous as well as talented lady. But she is under utilized and could have had more scenes in the second half. Shreyas Talpade (as Pappu) is sweet , but again a gifted actor like him has very little to do. It is Arjun Rampal ( Mukesh aka Mike) in the negative shades who deserves all the accolades; a surprisingly good performance. Kiron Kher as the over the top mother is also good. Special appearances from Akshay and Abhishek evoke laughter.
The movie complement the songs and the hyped star studded and six packed song is completely forced in the movie, an attempt just to pull in the crowds. Nevertheless, the star studded song was a treat to watch especially when Kajol appears on screen with Shah Rukh; but what was Aftab, Dino,Tusshar and Arbaaz doing in such a song. The sets by Sabu Cyril deserve a mention. The creative attempts especially when the credits roll in the beginning and the end would also leave an impression. The dialogues are just ok and some of them comes repeated more than thrice which gets onto your nerves. The movie lacks continuity too; Shah Rukhs hair is long and short in continuous cenes. Also the song “Main Agar Kahoon” was obviously filmed after he had developed the six packs but the song appears in the first half and the pack avatar of Shah Rukh comes only in the second half.
If it was Sivaji, this year, in the south for the over hype and no substance, it is OSO in the north. The movie would please the hard core fans of Shah Rukh as he is present in almost all the frames. It would also please the junta who are looking for an excuse in the form of an entertainment. Dvd’s of Ms.Khans so called 70’s inspired movies and a recent filmfare award function would entertain me in a much better way.
in Hoon Na, she had made a statement to defend her films quality. Two years later when she came up with Om Shanti Om, she still has the same words – a tribute to the movies made in the 70’s. How long is Ms.Khan going to penalize the audience with such an excuse for not having better scripts? A similar tribute (70’s movies) was released a few months back; Sriram Raghavans’ Johnny Gaddar and what a movie that was! I know I should not expect a quality movie from such a camp; but this kind of film making is absurd and is a bad example of entertainment. OSO is strictly for people who have nothing better to do in life and this should have been included as a statutory warning during their extravagant marketing campaign. The movie is a blockbuster, no doubt, but deserves only to be an average grosser.The movie is completely based on two words- Reincarnation and Revenge; and of course a couple of spoofs about the film industry thrown in here and there. The lighter moments in the movie, of course, makes us smile. But there are certain scenes , for example the moments where Shah Rukh appears as the South Indian Super star and a Superhero, which looks awkward and equally boring. Not revealing the ‘story’ here; its what we all had guessed before the release of the movie. The first half is good and refreshing, but the second half except for the star studded song disappoints and draaaaaags.
Shah Rukh (as both Om’s) looks charming and it is very obvious that the film was originated keeping only him in mind. He does his best and the role is a cake walk for him. Infact, poor fella can not do anything more than this in the name of acting. However, anyone would still love him in his old avatar without the packs and would wish him to come back with his normal body and also most importantly with his face (he looks as if he has got a lot of dimples on his face). Deepika (as Shanti and Sandhya) has all the potentials to emerge as the next star in bollywood; all those kareenas and eshas, make way for this gorgeous as well as talented lady. But she is under utilized and could have had more scenes in the second half. Shreyas Talpade (as Pappu) is sweet , but again a gifted actor like him has very little to do. It is Arjun Rampal ( Mukesh aka Mike) in the negative shades who deserves all the accolades; a surprisingly good performance. Kiron Kher as the over the top mother is also good. Special appearances from Akshay and Abhishek evoke laughter.
The movie complement the songs and the hyped star studded and six packed song is completely forced in the movie, an attempt just to pull in the crowds. Nevertheless, the star studded song was a treat to watch especially when Kajol appears on screen with Shah Rukh; but what was Aftab, Dino,Tusshar and Arbaaz doing in such a song. The sets by Sabu Cyril deserve a mention. The creative attempts especially when the credits roll in the beginning and the end would also leave an impression. The dialogues are just ok and some of them comes repeated more than thrice which gets onto your nerves. The movie lacks continuity too; Shah Rukhs hair is long and short in continuous cenes. Also the song “Main Agar Kahoon” was obviously filmed after he had developed the six packs but the song appears in the first half and the pack avatar of Shah Rukh comes only in the second half.
If it was Sivaji, this year, in the south for the over hype and no substance, it is OSO in the north. The movie would please the hard core fans of Shah Rukh as he is present in almost all the frames. It would also please the junta who are looking for an excuse in the form of an entertainment. Dvd’s of Ms.Khans so called 70’s inspired movies and a recent filmfare award function would entertain me in a much better way.
Nov 9, 2007
Current Favs (Oct 16 - Nov 5)
4 new entries this fortnight, A.R.Rahman’s Azhagiya Tamizh Magan, which has the usual Rahmanish ‘hate to love’ formula, Rameswaram which is still a surprise for me with the kind of melodies in almost all the songs, and Dus Kahaaniyaan which has an impressive title track and the most awaited SEL’s Taare Zameen Par, a very unique album. Yet, no Malayalam entries, waiting for the release of Vidyasagars Rock n Roll.
1 Daras bina from Saawariya (Hindi)
2 Nee marlyn monroe from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
3 Mere dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Hindi)
4 Maa from Tare Zameen Par(Hindi)
5 Alaigalin oli from Rameswaram (Tamil)
6 Dus from Dus Kahaaniyaan (Hindi)
7 Jab bhi-female version from No Smoking (Hindi)
8 Move your body-Phatt Mix from Johnny Ghaddar (Hindi)
9 Tum se hi from Jab We Met (Hindi)
10 Laaga chunari mein daag from Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (Hindi)
1 Daras bina from Saawariya (Hindi)
2 Nee marlyn monroe from Azhagiya Tamizh Magan (Tamil)
3 Mere dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Hindi)
4 Maa from Tare Zameen Par(Hindi)
5 Alaigalin oli from Rameswaram (Tamil)
6 Dus from Dus Kahaaniyaan (Hindi)
7 Jab bhi-female version from No Smoking (Hindi)
8 Move your body-Phatt Mix from Johnny Ghaddar (Hindi)
9 Tum se hi from Jab We Met (Hindi)
10 Laaga chunari mein daag from Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (Hindi)
Nov 8, 2007
When did....???
Grown up- A fully developed person from maturity onward. Atleast that’s the meaning, I found in the dictionary. It’s something everybody would have their own opinion on, but I don’t think there is a proper definition to this. Some say they had become grown ups at an early stage in their life because of their responsibilities and blah bhah and some like me, regardless of the age and the wrinkles, say they are 18 till they die. When asked, most of the male species come up with their age while the female species ask a question back with a displeasing smile” Don’t u think it is inappropriate to ask a girl her age?” Please note that the usage ‘girl’ itself is misleading. But nowadays, even the guys have adopted a safety step. Like their female counterparts, even they retaliate - “ How much do you think I look?” and their answer on the age would be based on that. But we all have to admit the fact that, this fear of growing old creeps into every human mind year after year.
So when would h
ave been our first realization about our growing up? During our school days, we used to crib a lot about our teachers and exams and wished to be like our fathers -going to work, earning money and spending it on what we like. Situations don’t change in the later part of our life too, teachers take the form of bosses and the exams become our appraisals. And as we grow up, we end up spending lesser and lesser each day with a justification that the economy is down, prices have shot up and the standard of living has increased. Little did we know during then, that age is going to let you down physically and emotionally once you know that you are growing up. Like all the other guys, I first realized it during my high school and since everything was new, I was too excited to be a part of the growing up band. I had no clue about the consequences of growing up then. At a later stage, I had to speak to my parents about something special, and I knew there would be a lot of hiccups, but the only thing that ran to my mind was “So what, I am a grown up now and I shouldn’t be afraid to express whats in my mind.”. Slowly, responsibilities stood in front of me too with open arms and I had no other way than to put them on my shoulders and walk forward. Well, I guess I never grew up till I realized what I need to do in life. Parallel to this whole growing up syndrome, we even tend to look mature and old. However, in my case, till about a year back, people kept asking me the college I was in or the post graduation course I am doing, which made me feel a lot happier. I used to get elevated with joy seeing a weird expression after I tell them that I am working. “So what if I am growing up, people still think that I am young.”—I gradually became a narcissist spending too much of my time in front of the mirror.
But every good thing needs to have an end. Things changed all of a sudden (I donno y and how)and the kids in the neighbourhood now call me ‘uncle’. The word ‘uncle’ hit my e
go so badly on the very first day itself and they still do it inspite of repeatedly reminding them to call me ‘anna’(which btw means brother). Each time they do it, it gets onto my nerves --“Uncle, could you get us that ball? Uncle, could you park your bike here? Uncle….?Uncle…?Uncle…”.Aaargh, I hate kids when they don’t listen. All I asked them was to call me with a simpler word which would make me happy. But who am I kidding? Of course, I am getting old each day and gone are the days when nature used to help me hide my age. Guess what, I avoid attending marriages these days just because I hate answering, “When’s yours?” and then I keep mumbling, “Why do they keep asking this to me and when exactly did I grow so old to get married?”.
This is what happens when my mind wanders and often I don’t get satisfied with the answers I arrive at. Well, its not a big deal if I am growing old. Atleast I am younger to my bro and a lot younger to my dad. To quote a dialogue from the FRIENDS series, “Thirty is not that old an age. Do you know how old the earth is?” We all would have wished for more birthdays in our childhood before blowing the candles on the cake; probably if I had wished less, I wouldn’t have grownup so fast !!!
So when would h
ave been our first realization about our growing up? During our school days, we used to crib a lot about our teachers and exams and wished to be like our fathers -going to work, earning money and spending it on what we like. Situations don’t change in the later part of our life too, teachers take the form of bosses and the exams become our appraisals. And as we grow up, we end up spending lesser and lesser each day with a justification that the economy is down, prices have shot up and the standard of living has increased. Little did we know during then, that age is going to let you down physically and emotionally once you know that you are growing up. Like all the other guys, I first realized it during my high school and since everything was new, I was too excited to be a part of the growing up band. I had no clue about the consequences of growing up then. At a later stage, I had to speak to my parents about something special, and I knew there would be a lot of hiccups, but the only thing that ran to my mind was “So what, I am a grown up now and I shouldn’t be afraid to express whats in my mind.”. Slowly, responsibilities stood in front of me too with open arms and I had no other way than to put them on my shoulders and walk forward. Well, I guess I never grew up till I realized what I need to do in life. Parallel to this whole growing up syndrome, we even tend to look mature and old. However, in my case, till about a year back, people kept asking me the college I was in or the post graduation course I am doing, which made me feel a lot happier. I used to get elevated with joy seeing a weird expression after I tell them that I am working. “So what if I am growing up, people still think that I am young.”—I gradually became a narcissist spending too much of my time in front of the mirror.But every good thing needs to have an end. Things changed all of a sudden (I donno y and how)and the kids in the neighbourhood now call me ‘uncle’. The word ‘uncle’ hit my e
go so badly on the very first day itself and they still do it inspite of repeatedly reminding them to call me ‘anna’(which btw means brother). Each time they do it, it gets onto my nerves --“Uncle, could you get us that ball? Uncle, could you park your bike here? Uncle….?Uncle…?Uncle…”.Aaargh, I hate kids when they don’t listen. All I asked them was to call me with a simpler word which would make me happy. But who am I kidding? Of course, I am getting old each day and gone are the days when nature used to help me hide my age. Guess what, I avoid attending marriages these days just because I hate answering, “When’s yours?” and then I keep mumbling, “Why do they keep asking this to me and when exactly did I grow so old to get married?”.This is what happens when my mind wanders and often I don’t get satisfied with the answers I arrive at. Well, its not a big deal if I am growing old. Atleast I am younger to my bro and a lot younger to my dad. To quote a dialogue from the FRIENDS series, “Thirty is not that old an age. Do you know how old the earth is?” We all would have wished for more birthdays in our childhood before blowing the candles on the cake; probably if I had wished less, I wouldn’t have grownup so fast !!!
Oct 17, 2007
Current Favs (Oct 1-Oct 15)
I was wrong, totally wrong in judging the songs of Saawariyaa too soon. The songs after repeated listening would make you an addict, for sure. Now I hope if the movie would be half as good as the songs. But I still stick on to my judgement about the songs of Om Shanthi Om. A total waste of time attempting to listen to it repeatedly.
There are a couple of new entries in the countdown. No malayalam songs yet, though there were releases like Chocolate, Nasrani and Paradesi.
1. All the songs from Saawariyaa (Hindi)
2. Mere Dholna from Bhool Bulaiyaa (Hindi)
3. Johnny Ghaddar In The House from Johnny Ghaddar (Hindi)
4. Jab Bhi -Female version from No smoking (Hindi)
5. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag from Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (Hindi)
6. Unakaaga Thaane from Kattradhu Tamizh/Tamizh M.A. (Tamil)
7. Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met (Hindi)
8. Kasak Utti from Choddon Na Yaar(Hindi)
9. Main Agar Kahoon from Om Shanthi Om(Hindi)
10. In Dinon from Metro(Hindi)
There are a couple of new entries in the countdown. No malayalam songs yet, though there were releases like Chocolate, Nasrani and Paradesi.
1. All the songs from Saawariyaa (Hindi)
2. Mere Dholna from Bhool Bulaiyaa (Hindi)
3. Johnny Ghaddar In The House from Johnny Ghaddar (Hindi)
4. Jab Bhi -Female version from No smoking (Hindi)
5. Laaga Chunari Mein Daag from Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (Hindi)
6. Unakaaga Thaane from Kattradhu Tamizh/Tamizh M.A. (Tamil)
7. Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met (Hindi)
8. Kasak Utti from Choddon Na Yaar(Hindi)
9. Main Agar Kahoon from Om Shanthi Om(Hindi)
10. In Dinon from Metro(Hindi)
Oct 12, 2007
Movie Review : Bhool Bhulaiyya - CC / BCC
Bhool Bhulaiyya, the latest flick from the Priyan-Akshay-Pritam combo is a treat for the eyes in terms of the visuals and the thrills. Priyan, after a long time, has taken a frame to frame remake of the Malayalam Hit "Manichitrathaazhu" and he desrves a pat on his back for doing justice to the original script. The original released way back in 1993 and had won several national awards and thus when something is to be written about the remaked version, comparisons are natural. Except for one character (totally unwanted) and the whole palace atmosphere, the rest which includes the screenplay, dialogues and the characters remains the same.
Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) and Avni (Vidya Balan) are newly weds and is on a vacation to their native. Going by his wifes wishes, Siddharth decides to stay at their ancestral palace inspite of resistance from his near relatives as the palace is perceived to be haunted. The couple then starts realising their folly and plans to bring their phychiatrist friend Dr.Aditya(Akshay Kumar) to treat one of the suspected inmates(Amisha Patel). But Dr.Aditya finds a whole new story to the choas happening in the palace and approaches the problems in a different way which finally leads to a slightly dr
agging climax to an otherwise fast paced movie.
Though Priyan had taken a frame to frame remake, the movie however loses the total thriller effect which the original had. The movie drags in the second half and could have been a little more crispier. Songs pop in at the perfect situations and doesnt make us think to leave the hall for a break. They are also picturised so well to be even missed. Pritam has done a commendable work on the songs, especially on the one that appears at the climax.
Akshay as the psycho-psychatriast is good but definitely not at his best. He has good timing for comic, but somewhere or the other becomes artificial. Shiney Ahuja as the helpless husband is also good but his character loses its value after the entry of Akshays character. Amisha has very little to do, but she looks old and tired. Manoj Joshi, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav(no over the top performance, thank god!), Vikram Gokhale, Rasika Joshi, Vineet all does justice to their role. Asrani is totally wasted. Vidya Balan, the backbone of this movie, has given a power packed performance in the movie and has utilised her talents in the best possible way. South Indian Actress Shobhana had won her first national award for portraying this role in the original and in no way is Vidya Balan trying to imitate her. One shouldnt compare the acting capabalities of both these actresses here, as Vidya is too early in her career to portray such a complex character. She is definitely one of the finest actresses we have in our country now.
Leaving alone the dragging second half, there is no reason why this movie shouldnt fare well at the box office. The collections should look good as it has released on a festival day and the movie really does justice for spending your weekend or your festival in a theatre. Iss Bhool Bhulaiyya ko dekhna matth bhoolna !!!
Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) and Avni (Vidya Balan) are newly weds and is on a vacation to their native. Going by his wifes wishes, Siddharth decides to stay at their ancestral palace inspite of resistance from his near relatives as the palace is perceived to be haunted. The couple then starts realising their folly and plans to bring their phychiatrist friend Dr.Aditya(Akshay Kumar) to treat one of the suspected inmates(Amisha Patel). But Dr.Aditya finds a whole new story to the choas happening in the palace and approaches the problems in a different way which finally leads to a slightly dr
agging climax to an otherwise fast paced movie.Though Priyan had taken a frame to frame remake, the movie however loses the total thriller effect which the original had. The movie drags in the second half and could have been a little more crispier. Songs pop in at the perfect situations and doesnt make us think to leave the hall for a break. They are also picturised so well to be even missed. Pritam has done a commendable work on the songs, especially on the one that appears at the climax.
Akshay as the psycho-psychatriast is good but definitely not at his best. He has good timing for comic, but somewhere or the other becomes artificial. Shiney Ahuja as the helpless husband is also good but his character loses its value after the entry of Akshays character. Amisha has very little to do, but she looks old and tired. Manoj Joshi, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav(no over the top performance, thank god!), Vikram Gokhale, Rasika Joshi, Vineet all does justice to their role. Asrani is totally wasted. Vidya Balan, the backbone of this movie, has given a power packed performance in the movie and has utilised her talents in the best possible way. South Indian Actress Shobhana had won her first national award for portraying this role in the original and in no way is Vidya Balan trying to imitate her. One shouldnt compare the acting capabalities of both these actresses here, as Vidya is too early in her career to portray such a complex character. She is definitely one of the finest actresses we have in our country now.
Leaving alone the dragging second half, there is no reason why this movie shouldnt fare well at the box office. The collections should look good as it has released on a festival day and the movie really does justice for spending your weekend or your festival in a theatre. Iss Bhool Bhulaiyya ko dekhna matth bhoolna !!!
Sep 26, 2007
Movie Review : Dhol - Comedy that pains !!!
For the first time, the tag line of a movie - 'Kiska Bajega' , hits directly on the audiences'. Priyadarshans new offering Dhol is something that you should avoid watching in the theatres. To penalise the producers for making this, watch it only on a pirated CD. During one of the promos, Priyadarshan had mentioned that this is not a remake of a malayalam movie. He is right! This is the remake of two malayalam movies-the main plot from In Harihar Nagar and some of the comedy bits from Chandralekha. Both the movies are classics in t
erms of its presentation, though Chandralekha itself was an inspiration from a Hollywood movie While You Were Sleeping and was also remade in Bollywood as Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega. Why doesnt Priyadarshan stick to the original plot? Why does he include bits and pieces of other malayalam movies to the main plot? What puzzled me most was when the credits showed 'Story by Suresh Krishnan' . When the story of In Harihar Nagar and Chandralekha was by Siddique-Lal and Priyadarshan respectively, where did Suresh Krishnan come from? Or is Suresh Krishnan a fake name used by Priyadarshan to avoid charges of plagiarism.
The hindi version of In Harihar Nagar itself had a release way back in the 90's named Parda Hai Parda starring Chunkey Pandey and the movie sank without a trace at that time. That could be the reason why Priyadarshan added those extra elements from Chandralekha. The story revolves around four unemployed youngsters who would do just about anything to make money other than work( A characterisation which is similar to Dhamaal which released just two weeks before). Four of them decide to marry a rich girl to get settled and at this juncture, a girl comes and stays next to their house. They try all means to woo the girl and end up messing their lives with a gangster and also solving a mystery.
The four guys played by Tushar, Kunal, Sharman and Rajpal share good chemistry, but it is Sharman and Rajpal who steal the show. Kunal is good but has to improve a lot on his comedy timings. Tushar is a complete misfit for any role and it is time he entered the small screen with his 'K' sister. Tanushree as the girl next door has nothing to do. During one of her interviews , she had mentioned that she has attempted comedy for the first time, but, Tanushree, acting in a supposedly comedy movie doesnt make you a comedy actor. The rest of the cast including Om Puri and Tiku had been under utilised and surprisingly, there wasnt Paresh Rawal at all. Music by Pritam is horrible and just irritates you most of the time.
The movie, though funny only at parts, would definitely hit the top in the category of ''worst movies of 2007''. It has already been declared as a flop and it deserved this fate. Before releasing Partner, Heyy Baby and Dhamaal, the film makers said ''keep your brains at home and go to the theatres''. I mean, How often and how long are the audience supposed to do this?? Isnt there an end to all these kind of comedy a.k.a nonsense? However, my eyes are all set on the second week of October when there is another release from Priyadarshan. Again, a remake of a national award winning malayalam movie released in the 90's and this time if he ruins it, his Dhol tho zaroor bajega!!!
erms of its presentation, though Chandralekha itself was an inspiration from a Hollywood movie While You Were Sleeping and was also remade in Bollywood as Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega. Why doesnt Priyadarshan stick to the original plot? Why does he include bits and pieces of other malayalam movies to the main plot? What puzzled me most was when the credits showed 'Story by Suresh Krishnan' . When the story of In Harihar Nagar and Chandralekha was by Siddique-Lal and Priyadarshan respectively, where did Suresh Krishnan come from? Or is Suresh Krishnan a fake name used by Priyadarshan to avoid charges of plagiarism.The hindi version of In Harihar Nagar itself had a release way back in the 90's named Parda Hai Parda starring Chunkey Pandey and the movie sank without a trace at that time. That could be the reason why Priyadarshan added those extra elements from Chandralekha. The story revolves around four unemployed youngsters who would do just about anything to make money other than work( A characterisation which is similar to Dhamaal which released just two weeks before). Four of them decide to marry a rich girl to get settled and at this juncture, a girl comes and stays next to their house. They try all means to woo the girl and end up messing their lives with a gangster and also solving a mystery.
The four guys played by Tushar, Kunal, Sharman and Rajpal share good chemistry, but it is Sharman and Rajpal who steal the show. Kunal is good but has to improve a lot on his comedy timings. Tushar is a complete misfit for any role and it is time he entered the small screen with his 'K' sister. Tanushree as the girl next door has nothing to do. During one of her interviews , she had mentioned that she has attempted comedy for the first time, but, Tanushree, acting in a supposedly comedy movie doesnt make you a comedy actor. The rest of the cast including Om Puri and Tiku had been under utilised and surprisingly, there wasnt Paresh Rawal at all. Music by Pritam is horrible and just irritates you most of the time.
The movie, though funny only at parts, would definitely hit the top in the category of ''worst movies of 2007''. It has already been declared as a flop and it deserved this fate. Before releasing Partner, Heyy Baby and Dhamaal, the film makers said ''keep your brains at home and go to the theatres''. I mean, How often and how long are the audience supposed to do this?? Isnt there an end to all these kind of comedy a.k.a nonsense? However, my eyes are all set on the second week of October when there is another release from Priyadarshan. Again, a remake of a national award winning malayalam movie released in the 90's and this time if he ruins it, his Dhol tho zaroor bajega!!!
Current Favs (Sep 10- 24)
Last two weeks had some of the best music releases in Hindi after a long time - Diwali biggies like Om Shanthi Om and Saawariyaa, Johnny Ghaddar and Choddon Na Yaar. Both the diwali releases are a disappointment in terms of the soundtrack. I guess, we would have to wait for the movie to complement those songs. The music of Johnny Ghaddar is simply awesome. One would have to listen to it a couple of times to get addicted, especially the one mentioned in this countdown and the remix of Move your body.Also listen to the other regional versions.
Thanks to the comment posted by The Saintly Sinner, I happen to revisit the song 'In Dinon' from Metro and it managed to get a position in my countdown based on its music and the wonderful lyrics. Sad to find no entry of Malayalam songs here , probably becuz there werent any recent releases. Same is the case with the Tamil songs, except for Tamizh M.A. and Satham Podaadey.
1. Mera Dholna from Bhool Bulaiyya(Hindi)
2. Johnny Ghaddar In The House from Johnny Ghaddar(Hindi)
3. Kasak Utti from Choddon Na Yaar(Hindi)
4. Ajab Si from Om Shanthi Om(Hindi)
5. In dinon from Metro(Hindi)
6. Saawariyaa from Saawariyaa(Hindi)
7. Para Para Pattampoochi from Tamizh M.A.(Tamil)
8. Meri Duniya from Heyy Baby(Hindi)
9. Soni Di Nakhre from Partner(Hindi)
10.Pesugiren from Satham Podaadey(Tamil)
Thanks to the comment posted by The Saintly Sinner, I happen to revisit the song 'In Dinon' from Metro and it managed to get a position in my countdown based on its music and the wonderful lyrics. Sad to find no entry of Malayalam songs here , probably becuz there werent any recent releases. Same is the case with the Tamil songs, except for Tamizh M.A. and Satham Podaadey.
1. Mera Dholna from Bhool Bulaiyya(Hindi)
2. Johnny Ghaddar In The House from Johnny Ghaddar(Hindi)
3. Kasak Utti from Choddon Na Yaar(Hindi)
4. Ajab Si from Om Shanthi Om(Hindi)
5. In dinon from Metro(Hindi)
6. Saawariyaa from Saawariyaa(Hindi)
7. Para Para Pattampoochi from Tamizh M.A.(Tamil)
8. Meri Duniya from Heyy Baby(Hindi)
9. Soni Di Nakhre from Partner(Hindi)
10.Pesugiren from Satham Podaadey(Tamil)
Sep 18, 2007
Movie Review : Ammuvaagiya Naan - Quality at its worst
Pic courtesy : Indiaglitz
What would anyone think about a movie which had received good reviews and which was also declared a hit? In behindwoods.com, it was even mentioned that it’s a quality movie and there are rumours that this movie would enter film festivals. Either they were making fun of the movie or trying to play a prank on the readers. The promotions of the movie portrayed only the actress’ ‘talents’ and so I was a bit hesitant to watch it. But after the release, when the reviews came out and also when I found that the movie is a hit, I thought of giving it a chance. Guess what, in my attempt to watch a quality movie, I ended up feeling
disgusted sitting for nothing less than a soft-porn and spoiling my weekend.
The movie starts in a sessions court and then goes to flashback through a novel. A woman delivers a baby girl at her home on a rainy night . The mother dies soon after the delivery, the drunken father then sells the infant to Rani(played by Shaari) who is incharge of a brothel. The girl is being brought up in the brothel along with its inmates and the movie credits run simultaneously.. Then from no where, a sleazy item number pops up( I should have understood the ‘quality’ of the movie at this point itself!) and the girl who is named Ammu (new comer Bharathi) is exhibited in front of a few people for bidding. A filthy rich person named Nathan ( Mahadevan) wins the bid but is thrown out of the brothel for being a sadist. It is very predictable at this point of time that he would be taking his revenge when the movie approaches the climax. Enter renowned novelist Gowri Shankar (Parthiban), who had missed a prestigious award twice and his only aim is to win the award. He decides to pen down about people who dedicate their lives to others for his new novel and ends up in the same brothel where Ammu is. Its love at first sight for Parthiban, who starts his novel( titled Ammuvaagiya Naan) and then later decides to marry her. However, Ammu likes her profession (reason: she was brought up in that environment!) and is very much happy with her present life ‘serving’ others. Somehow she gets convinced and ties the knot with Gowri. Then they show her life after wedding which ends up in a horrible climax and that I guess is left for the audience to decide. What I failed to understand is that if Rani had so much of affection towards Ammu and if she could convince her for wedding with just a single sentence why did she let Ammu join the filth? And that too bid her in a way that reminds you of cattle trading??
Parthiban as the saccharine sweet husband is at his usual and has very little to do. I wonder what made an actor of such good caliber to accept this role. New comer Bharathi is good as a debutant, but needs to fine tune the scenes that demands tears. The music by Sabesh Murali is unpleasant to the ears. Thankfully, there are only three songs in the movie. The best part of the movie is its length-- two hours , but the second half moves in a snails pace making you want more intermissions.
I am clueless now as to how Ammu… was referred as a ‘Quality Film’ by the reviewers. If this is what quality means in the Tamil movie industry, the letter q should be replaced with ‘C’; which stands for Crap. Don’t even make an attempt to watch this Ammu even if they show it one day on television for this is definitely not a movie to be watched with your family.
What would anyone think about a movie which had received good reviews and which was also declared a hit? In behindwoods.com, it was even mentioned that it’s a quality movie and there are rumours that this movie would enter film festivals. Either they were making fun of the movie or trying to play a prank on the readers. The promotions of the movie portrayed only the actress’ ‘talents’ and so I was a bit hesitant to watch it. But after the release, when the reviews came out and also when I found that the movie is a hit, I thought of giving it a chance. Guess what, in my attempt to watch a quality movie, I ended up feeling
disgusted sitting for nothing less than a soft-porn and spoiling my weekend.The movie starts in a sessions court and then goes to flashback through a novel. A woman delivers a baby girl at her home on a rainy night . The mother dies soon after the delivery, the drunken father then sells the infant to Rani(played by Shaari) who is incharge of a brothel. The girl is being brought up in the brothel along with its inmates and the movie credits run simultaneously.. Then from no where, a sleazy item number pops up( I should have understood the ‘quality’ of the movie at this point itself!) and the girl who is named Ammu (new comer Bharathi) is exhibited in front of a few people for bidding. A filthy rich person named Nathan ( Mahadevan) wins the bid but is thrown out of the brothel for being a sadist. It is very predictable at this point of time that he would be taking his revenge when the movie approaches the climax. Enter renowned novelist Gowri Shankar (Parthiban), who had missed a prestigious award twice and his only aim is to win the award. He decides to pen down about people who dedicate their lives to others for his new novel and ends up in the same brothel where Ammu is. Its love at first sight for Parthiban, who starts his novel( titled Ammuvaagiya Naan) and then later decides to marry her. However, Ammu likes her profession (reason: she was brought up in that environment!) and is very much happy with her present life ‘serving’ others. Somehow she gets convinced and ties the knot with Gowri. Then they show her life after wedding which ends up in a horrible climax and that I guess is left for the audience to decide. What I failed to understand is that if Rani had so much of affection towards Ammu and if she could convince her for wedding with just a single sentence why did she let Ammu join the filth? And that too bid her in a way that reminds you of cattle trading??
Parthiban as the saccharine sweet husband is at his usual and has very little to do. I wonder what made an actor of such good caliber to accept this role. New comer Bharathi is good as a debutant, but needs to fine tune the scenes that demands tears. The music by Sabesh Murali is unpleasant to the ears. Thankfully, there are only three songs in the movie. The best part of the movie is its length-- two hours , but the second half moves in a snails pace making you want more intermissions.
I am clueless now as to how Ammu… was referred as a ‘Quality Film’ by the reviewers. If this is what quality means in the Tamil movie industry, the letter q should be replaced with ‘C’; which stands for Crap. Don’t even make an attempt to watch this Ammu even if they show it one day on television for this is definitely not a movie to be watched with your family.
Sep 6, 2007
Current Favs
For a while I was thinking that I should write something about what I like the most. Music has been my sole companion right from my childhood and I dont think there would not be any day where I have not either hummed or listened to a song intentionally. To list down my most favourite songs is something next to impossible. I listen to almost all the songs of hindi, tamil and malayalam and that too as soon as it releases. I save them to my pc once I like them and then transfer them to my mobile to enjoy them frequently. To review a particular album is also beyond my scope since I do not have any idea on stuffs like interludes, placement, etc.
After putting in a lot of thought process on what to post, I have decided to list down the top ten songs from recently released albums (comprising of Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam) that I listen to presently. Initially, I had ideas to update it on a weekly basis, but that would be too much of pressure on me.hehehe.So this list would be updated only on a fortnightly basis. To reiterate, this list is only on the basis of what I like currently and not based on the sales or popularity of the albums. And guess what, after a couple of years, this list would also help me in tracing out the songs that I once used to listen to.
and so it starts....
1 Bhool Bhulaiya from Bhool Bhulaiya (Hindi)
2 Maula mere from Chak de India (Hindi)
3 Thirike njaan from Arabikadha (Malayalam)
4 Vizhiyil from Kreedom(Tamil)
5 Dil da mamla from Heyy baby (Hindi)
6 Soni di nakhre from Partner (Hindi)
7 Mazhavilin from Hallo (Malayalam)
8 Saathiya from Darling (Hindi)
9 Pesugiren from Satham Podaadey (Tamil)
10 Arabinaadu from Thottal Poo Malarum(Tamil)
After putting in a lot of thought process on what to post, I have decided to list down the top ten songs from recently released albums (comprising of Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam) that I listen to presently. Initially, I had ideas to update it on a weekly basis, but that would be too much of pressure on me.hehehe.So this list would be updated only on a fortnightly basis. To reiterate, this list is only on the basis of what I like currently and not based on the sales or popularity of the albums. And guess what, after a couple of years, this list would also help me in tracing out the songs that I once used to listen to.
and so it starts....
1 Bhool Bhulaiya from Bhool Bhulaiya (Hindi)
2 Maula mere from Chak de India (Hindi)
3 Thirike njaan from Arabikadha (Malayalam)
4 Vizhiyil from Kreedom(Tamil)
5 Dil da mamla from Heyy baby (Hindi)
6 Soni di nakhre from Partner (Hindi)
7 Mazhavilin from Hallo (Malayalam)
8 Saathiya from Darling (Hindi)
9 Pesugiren from Satham Podaadey (Tamil)
10 Arabinaadu from Thottal Poo Malarum(Tamil)
Sep 1, 2007
What if ?....
I really don’t know what made me come up with such a post. Probably, its because of my present state of mind.
What if ? - reflects a state of confusion of the human mind and one cou.jpg)
ld derive a lot of answers from one such question. This question had made some of the great ones in the past to think hard, which had resulted in many of todays most important discoveries and inventions.
I myself have asked this question quite often and most of my answers still remains unanswered. More often than not, my questions were/are personal and most of them would have been to take an important decision in life. But whenever I had posed these questions, I had to undergo a lot of criticism with my conscious. One such question is about the way I am now. I know that I am not such a good person, but I am not that bad either. Well, What if this is not the way I am supposed to be? Could be because of the way I was brought up, or might be because of the education I have had. Though I have done by Masters in management, I keep thinking, What if I had a Hotel Management degree or a degree in B.Pharm or even a MBBS ? Life would have been totally different then, especially when taking into consideration the people I have with me today. What if I never converted my lifes’ acquaintances to the ‘best of’ friends that I have now? Its true that the people who are around me have influenced me both in my life and in my decisions to a great extent. But, What if some of the decisions that I had taken or what I would be taking on my own influence their life too-directly or indirectly? What if the good decision hurts them and then I regret taking the bad one? To think of it, I need not be this confused since it is my life, I need to live on my own and it is not certain that these people are going to be with me at every phase of my life. But again, Wh
at if I lose all those people, who had been there for me through out my life, by just taking a single decision? Well, it was these decisions at different phases that made me learn a lot of lessons in life – personally and professionally. I am trying my best to still learn, for it is these lessons that I consider as my experience in life today. What if I commit the same mistake inspite of those experiences? and What if, one day, I stopped having that urge to learn? My experiences has only led me in the right direction so far and made me realize about my priorities and responsibilities in life. ‘Stopping by woods on a snowy evening’ a poem written by Robert Frost has a line about responsibility that goes “I have promises to keep and Miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep”. All of us have come to this world with responsibilities to accomplish a particular task, a promise that we need to fulfill.What if I did accomplish my task and never came to know what it actually was? Or What if I bid farewell to the world without even fulfilling it?
This is what happens when my mind wanders. Though I dont want it to, my mind keeps seaching for answers which I know for sure would not be available. What if I kept searching for the answers when it is already within me? or What if I find the answer one day and its too late?
What if ? - reflects a state of confusion of the human mind and one cou
.jpg)
ld derive a lot of answers from one such question. This question had made some of the great ones in the past to think hard, which had resulted in many of todays most important discoveries and inventions.I myself have asked this question quite often and most of my answers still remains unanswered. More often than not, my questions were/are personal and most of them would have been to take an important decision in life. But whenever I had posed these questions, I had to undergo a lot of criticism with my conscious. One such question is about the way I am now. I know that I am not such a good person, but I am not that bad either. Well, What if this is not the way I am supposed to be? Could be because of the way I was brought up, or might be because of the education I have had. Though I have done by Masters in management, I keep thinking, What if I had a Hotel Management degree or a degree in B.Pharm or even a MBBS ? Life would have been totally different then, especially when taking into consideration the people I have with me today. What if I never converted my lifes’ acquaintances to the ‘best of’ friends that I have now? Its true that the people who are around me have influenced me both in my life and in my decisions to a great extent. But, What if some of the decisions that I had taken or what I would be taking on my own influence their life too-directly or indirectly? What if the good decision hurts them and then I regret taking the bad one? To think of it, I need not be this confused since it is my life, I need to live on my own and it is not certain that these people are going to be with me at every phase of my life. But again, Wh
at if I lose all those people, who had been there for me through out my life, by just taking a single decision? Well, it was these decisions at different phases that made me learn a lot of lessons in life – personally and professionally. I am trying my best to still learn, for it is these lessons that I consider as my experience in life today. What if I commit the same mistake inspite of those experiences? and What if, one day, I stopped having that urge to learn? My experiences has only led me in the right direction so far and made me realize about my priorities and responsibilities in life. ‘Stopping by woods on a snowy evening’ a poem written by Robert Frost has a line about responsibility that goes “I have promises to keep and Miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep”. All of us have come to this world with responsibilities to accomplish a particular task, a promise that we need to fulfill.What if I did accomplish my task and never came to know what it actually was? Or What if I bid farewell to the world without even fulfilling it?This is what happens when my mind wanders. Though I dont want it to, my mind keeps seaching for answers which I know for sure would not be available. What if I kept searching for the answers when it is already within me? or What if I find the answer one day and its too late?
Aug 21, 2007
Reverse Geared - A journey back to my childhood !
Hi again, I kind of missed scribbling here over the weekend. Spent most of my time during the weekend at the theatres.
Well, this time, im not writing a review for any movie. I happened to watch Transformers and it made me go back to my childhood and made me think of my life sans responsibilities. Though there were recent releases in Hollywood based on comic characters and super heroes, it was only transformers that made me
nostalgic. Probably its because, I had completely forgotten about the characters in Transformers ( as it was not in any kind of limelight for a very long time) and had realized the fact that I have started forgetting so many nice moments that I had in life. So in this post of mine, I am going to list down almost all the cartoons that I had watched when I was a kid (and a couple of them after I turned 20) with the links to the intro song. My brother would be best person to help me out if I had missed out any of them as I don’t think I had watched any of the cartoons mentioned here without him. The next best person would be our mom who used to record these cartoons in VHS while we were at school. Therefore, I dedicate this entire post to them and also to my childhood.
Please note that the list is without the cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Winnie the Pooh, Casper , Scooby Doo , Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry and some of the other famous ones.One reason is because of the fact that they would be an obvious part of such a list and the other reason would be that I never enjoyed watching them so much. Also, this post has only the animated series and not the full lengthed cartoons lke Lion King, Happy Feet,etc.
Well, this time, im not writing a review for any movie. I happened to watch Transformers and it made me go back to my childhood and made me think of my life sans responsibilities. Though there were recent releases in Hollywood based on comic characters and super heroes, it was only transformers that made me
nostalgic. Probably its because, I had completely forgotten about the characters in Transformers ( as it was not in any kind of limelight for a very long time) and had realized the fact that I have started forgetting so many nice moments that I had in life. So in this post of mine, I am going to list down almost all the cartoons that I had watched when I was a kid (and a couple of them after I turned 20) with the links to the intro song. My brother would be best person to help me out if I had missed out any of them as I don’t think I had watched any of the cartoons mentioned here without him. The next best person would be our mom who used to record these cartoons in VHS while we were at school. Therefore, I dedicate this entire post to them and also to my childhood.Please note that the list is without the cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Winnie the Pooh, Casper , Scooby Doo , Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry and some of the other famous ones.One reason is because of the fact that they would be an obvious part of such a list and the other reason would be that I never enjoyed watching them so much. Also, this post has only the animated series and not the full lengthed cartoons lke Lion King, Happy Feet,etc.
Statutory Warning : This is strictly for people who are still young at heart and so, the strong and stone minded are advised to stay away from this.
(Link courtesy : Youtube and Retrojunk(only for Paw Paws)
Picture courtesy : Google Images )
Bionic Six
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbNHR1jM4Ac
Mask
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQdgbs0IUDg&mode=related&search=
Centurions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA36JX2qSd8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI0FbYe3lRE
Inspector Gadget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6uXxeChVM&mode=related&search=
Danger Mouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrM0E9pag8E&mode=related&search=
Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbf1RVArIxM
Duck Tales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Sb0hGUNIQ&mode=related&search=
Care Bears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNm5Hqow78I
Captain Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHj7VDd8lw0
Captain Caveman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD36ZhpHPpE
Gummi Bears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loUNoy0Qub0
Ghost Busters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ePpHAfVpw&mode=related&search=
Dinosaucers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv2ndRhnc9c&mode=related&search=
Dino riders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5upOTlJ_bg
Bill and Ted Excellent Adventures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vixI4VkS0
Smurfs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQhm0KHImM&mode=related&search=
Dungeons and Dragons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfif5DiGMYc
Paw Paw Bears
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/466-paw-paws/
My Pet Monster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXVL0Ca2bPY
Denver the last dinosaur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH7UfKmXRUQ
Woody the woodpecker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDo1v3PHytU&mode=related&search=
Mighty Orbots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvMq44Pzn7g&mode=related&search=
The Road Runner show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKG65ZqwlLc
Popeye the sailor man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1I0r6R3OA
Popeye and son
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BcyEZYYqz4&mode=related&search=
Transformers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq0ZJgb-VX4
Flintstones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Oj1Yx80uc
Pebbles and Bambam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAwEfkns_DU
Jetsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFbuulDiM_U
The adventures of Tintin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY0m4OSkW84
Sesame Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-AUCEE5AsY&mode=related&search=
Dexters Laboratory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdcxYE7UcZg
The Simpsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNV9FEKi9FQ
Johnny Bravo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE3d2GHBuvQ&mode=related&search=
Spider man and his amazing friends
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQwNwQIY73U
Fantastic Four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgQ5Wa4s_EQ&mode=related&search=
The Incredible Hulk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fVHvdrGlYQ
Johnny quest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV_-u9sxYZM
Pink Panther
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdHdF65LDQ
Pink Panther and sons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuSgRQ9TBlI&mode=related&search=
Muppet babies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o
Pole Position
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj55mHD2Pes
The Snorks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuCq0aZiPT0
He-Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHsD-y7DQU
She-Ra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-6eHjECkc
Superted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUpl84wzUkA
Mighty Mouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdd_X4A5TVI
(Link courtesy : Youtube and Retrojunk(only for Paw Paws)
Picture courtesy : Google Images )
Bionic Six
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbNHR1jM4Ac
Mask
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQdgbs0IUDg&mode=related&search=
Centurions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA36JX2qSd8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI0FbYe3lRE
Inspector Gadget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6uXxeChVM&mode=related&search=
Danger Mouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrM0E9pag8E&mode=related&search=
Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbf1RVArIxM
Duck Tales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Sb0hGUNIQ&mode=related&search=
Care Bears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNm5Hqow78I
Captain Planet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHj7VDd8lw0
Captain Caveman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD36ZhpHPpE
Gummi Bears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loUNoy0Qub0
Ghost Busters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ePpHAfVpw&mode=related&search=
Dinosaucers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv2ndRhnc9c&mode=related&search=
Dino riders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5upOTlJ_bg
Bill and Ted Excellent Adventures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vixI4VkS0
Smurfs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQhm0KHImM&mode=related&search=
Dungeons and Dragons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfif5DiGMYc
Paw Paw Bears
http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/466-paw-paws/
My Pet Monster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXVL0Ca2bPY
Denver the last dinosaur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH7UfKmXRUQ
Woody the woodpecker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDo1v3PHytU&mode=related&search=
Mighty Orbots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvMq44Pzn7g&mode=related&search=
The Road Runner show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKG65ZqwlLc
Popeye the sailor man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1I0r6R3OA
Popeye and son
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BcyEZYYqz4&mode=related&search=
Transformers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq0ZJgb-VX4
Flintstones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Oj1Yx80uc
Pebbles and Bambam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAwEfkns_DU
Jetsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFbuulDiM_U
The adventures of Tintin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY0m4OSkW84
Sesame Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-AUCEE5AsY&mode=related&search=
Dexters Laboratory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdcxYE7UcZg
The Simpsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNV9FEKi9FQ
Johnny Bravo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE3d2GHBuvQ&mode=related&search=
Spider man and his amazing friends
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQwNwQIY73U
Fantastic Four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgQ5Wa4s_EQ&mode=related&search=
The Incredible Hulk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fVHvdrGlYQ
Johnny quest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV_-u9sxYZM
Pink Panther
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdHdF65LDQ
Pink Panther and sons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuSgRQ9TBlI&mode=related&search=
Muppet babies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o
Pole Position
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj55mHD2Pes
The Snorks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuCq0aZiPT0
He-Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHsD-y7DQU
She-Ra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-6eHjECkc
Superted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUpl84wzUkA
Mighty Mouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdd_X4A5TVI
Aug 13, 2007
Movie Review : Chak de India -- Timepass
Before entering the theatre, I had a huge expectation on this movie. All the
reviews about the movie and Shah Rukh were too good and most importantly my hopes on the combination of Yash Raj films and Shah Rukh.I was also excited when I came to know that Shah Rukh, for a change, would not be romancing. With Shimit Amin as the director, I was actually expecting a totally different movie experience too.Well, the movie did entertain but failed to live upto my expectation.
The part which we could really enjoy is when all the sixteen players get introduced and also when we see the misunderstandings between them. Atleast for the first time in Indian movies, the script writers didnt make any references to racism and regional divide and evoke sentiments out of that.There are a couple of scenes where you would feel touched, but thats it.You wouldnt remember any of them after coming out of the hall.
reviews about the movie and Shah Rukh were too good and most importantly my hopes on the combination of Yash Raj films and Shah Rukh.I was also excited when I came to know that Shah Rukh, for a change, would not be romancing. With Shimit Amin as the director, I was actually expecting a totally different movie experience too.Well, the movie did entertain but failed to live upto my expectation. The movie is based on a real life story of a hockey player .The hockey player who happens to be the captain of the team is accused of match fixing when the team does not win against pakistan in the finals.The captain being a Muslim is stamped as a traitor and he then makes his comeback after 7 years to the field in the form of a coach to get the Indian womens team ready for the world cup (in 3 months!!!).Quite predictably, they win the world cup and makes everyone in the nation proud.The coach gets his reputation back and the girls makes their individual dreams come true.
The movie is completely based on hockey and so the script demands sequences like training, team building, motivation, leadership and of course since it is a Indian movie, the script also demands one black sheep in the team.There is a scene in the movie at the end where a kid rubs the word ''gaddar'' from a wall. That was on the same wall by another kid and it remains just like that for 7 long years. Why cant we avoid such stupidities from our movies ??
The part which we could really enjoy is when all the sixteen players get introduced and also when we see the misunderstandings between them. Atleast for the first time in Indian movies, the script writers didnt make any references to racism and regional divide and evoke sentiments out of that.There are a couple of scenes where you would feel touched, but thats it.You wouldnt remember any of them after coming out of the hall.Shah Rukh is at his usual.He just cannot come out of his "King Khan" image and act normally. This time, he has a stubble to make him look serious(I wonder why the shape and color of the stubble changes from scene to scene!).Indeed, it is a pleasure to watch him without any heroines, especially when there arent any scenes showing him cry for all the heroines in the movie.Shah Rukh , probably , is the only hero in Bollywood to have been portrayed as a sports person in so many of his movies.He is a hockey player here, a basket ball player in KKHH, a football player in KANK and a race driver in Baazigar.(He should try wrestling the next time!)The entire 16 girls have done a good job, but one could easily find that some of them are facing the camera for the first time.The rest of the cast does what they usually do.
There is nothing great to mention about the music.It gels with the movie , thats all. But you cant expect a 'mitwa' or a 'chale chalo' here. I guess, for the first time, the audio sales for a Yash Raj Film hasnt done well pre-release and there isnt going to be any increase in the sales post-release as well.
Overall, the movie is not so great to talk about.Its a normal entertainer with usual Bollywood masalas and has to be seen only as a timepass over the weekend. The initial collections were only 40% which is very surprising for a Shah Rukh starrer and that too when the movie comes from the Yash Chopra banner.But it would gradually go up and I feel it would end up as an average grosser. After two debacles like 'Tara ram pum' and 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' ; 'Chak de India' could be the next one, making it a hatrick for Yash Raj Films...did they lose their glory??
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