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Reviews
Janaan (2016)
An excellent lighthearted yet socially relevant film
I have to begin this review with a disclaimer: Mostly movies -- be that bollywood, Hollywood or Pakistani, tend to find it hard to engage me and sustain my interest. However, Janaan is an exception -- it does this job well and how. Initially, the beautiful cast and the spectacularly scenic locations case their spell on you. When you are past that, the well scripted jovial camaraderie between the male leads (and the bride and the groom) and the beautiful family setup take over. Once we are through with that, the movie transitions to a very intelligent depiction of a very relevant social issue that rarely gets any cinematic attention.The villainy and drama also make their entry at this point. And by the end, all three strands -- the comedy, the social drama and love-triangle are neatly tied together to leave you moist eyed and smiling widely.
Bilal Ashraf and Armeena Khan do reasonably well to lend credibility to their characters, and Ali Rehman Khan comes out as the movie's darling. Supporting performances by Ajab Gul and a few others (the evil aunt, very relatable, gets a special mention) are spot on. Sets are adequately eye catching without being Devdas-type fantasies. Music, especially the title track is too good. The best part is that while social issues are given serious attention, the portrayal and is intelligent enough to make you detest the person involved without you squirm in your seat with ugly details.
In general, loved everything in the movie, heck even my mom, who NEVER likes movies, loved this one. Kudos to the entire team for making this film and I hope and pray it pays them handsome dividends so that they continue to amaze and enthrall Pakistani audiences with such films.
Oh, and Shalwar Kameez will be a RAGE after this movie (even for the jetset trendy crowd).
Dekh Magar Pyaar Say (2015)
A quirky take on mainstream Pakistani cinema
Dekh Magar Pyaar Say offers a very interesting cinematic experience for those who are uninitiated to Pakistani cinema. This is not an over the top, lavishly mounted bollywood masala flick -- it has some sensibilities of an independent film, such as a novelist taking over the avatar of a screenplay/dialogue writer, and borrows in its narrative style and visuals from contemporary western cinema. Some sequences, such as the 50s themed song and dance sequence ("Tauba Tauba") are surreal enough to let it drag into the more experimental territory.
Yet it remains a pretty accessible, commercial movie. Centered around the encounters and affairs of a Lahori rickshaw driver and a scam artist/bride on the run, the movie runs at a length of close to two and a half hours, and offers everything from a desi wedding sequence, the leading lady getting high on pot and a grand finale shot in London. What lets it down are some rather sophomoric performances (from the male lead, Sikander Rizvi, specifically) and a screenplay which runs at a pace that would put a sloth to shame.
Props to the team for depicting Lahore in a very unusual manner,the excellent production values, and the underlying message of woman power -- but better casting choices and a couple of revisions of the screenplay would have done this movie much good. Hopefully, Asad Haq, the gentleman directing the movie, will keep up with the visual and quirk factor in his future productions and build on the shortfalls highlighted by this movie. The chief among these, as mentioned previously, is Sikander Rizvi, who in real life runs a french fine dining eatery in Karachi. Rizvi comes across as the antithesis of a rickshaw driver, and his body language, accented Urdu and mannerisms were hugely ill-suited for the role. So much so that his is performance made it tremendously difficult to suspend disbelief and served as an unpleasant distraction; hopefully better sense will prevail in the future.
The film gets a high score for Humaima Malick's performance, the excellent visuals, an interesting plot and generally tasteful production values.
Armaan (2003)
Cinematic gloom
They'll tell you its a story of sacrifice, with some stupendous performances. But really its just dreary and dull trash, this guy Amitabh turns in a 'restrained' performance that borders on the contrived - a problem with most actors from Bollywood; their acting is plain contrived. Lifted across-the-border music [Yeh larka from the original 'Falak pay kaisa', the hit from the mid 80s] does not add much zing to the proceedings. And who was this actress with this Cleopatra like 60s hairdo?? Gawd, guys, get a better person to do that next time!!
Only watch if you relish boredom. Really, its just another one in the long list of cinematic trash churned out by the Indie movie industry.
Dil Se.. (1998)
Song, dance and a rebellion
I remember watching this Bollywood movie with absolutely zero expectations.
What I saw came as a pleasant surprise - Dil Se was surely not what I had known Bollywood movies to be - tarty, gaudy and plain cheesy. It actually was a fairly slickly executed work of cinema, but the obligatory song and dance routine was still there in this rather 'serious' movie [by Bollywood standards]. However this time around, the songs were shot with finesse, and the Urdu poetry was of a high taste.
The core idea, about the uprising in the Kashmir Valley was a brave one too. And for once it was shown with a shade of truth, something for which the production team must be lauded. The movie does HINT at what actually goes on in Kashmir. You get to feel the pulse of the troubled region when the sister of the lead character [Meghna] is raped by Indian Army soldiers.
On the acting front, Manisha Koirala as Meghna scowls and grimaces when she is not gyrating her hips to some song. It's really hard to comprehend what is going on in her character's mind. Shahrukh Khan, one of the better actors in Bollywood, is spontaneous, though he tends to go overboard towards the climax of the movie. Choreography by Farah Khan is classy, and even Bollywood's traditional hip-shaking sequences are done with a degree of sophistication in 'Dil Se'.
The grim mood of the troubled Kashmir valley is portrayed with caution. That is understandable as the movie is targeted at Indian audiences, who have been weaned for years on the rather 'official' account of things, especially when it comes to movies dealing with this issue. But apparently the 'Dil Se' team was not cautious enough. Though the impact of the premise is buffered by feel-good music and unnecessary dances, the average Indian viewer could not accept what the movie tries to tell. Either that or the film was not cheesy enough. It bombed in its home territory right on the first day, incurring massive losses to it's makers.
See it. You might just figure why Manisha's grimacing all the time.
Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa (2002)
Great feel good stuff
The much hyped YDAKH is finally here and is running to packed theatres even in its 5th week. So what's so special about the movie that the audience, consisting of both the masses and the classes, has gone berserk about? I for one, went for the first time to a theatre in Pakistan and was not disappointed.
There isn't much of a story here, and the film tends to drag in parts. However, what makes up for this is the great music [both the background and the original score], and some solid acting by the cast [Baber Ali's performance as 'Zargul' breathes life into this flick!]. The foreign locations are fresh, and you'll enjoy them if you like seeing all those Travel programmes on telly.
Basically, in the movie, Falak and Chand are friends, having a blast in Spain, while Falak's bro {Jawed Shiekh) is a business tycoon who finds his nemesis in Baber Ali. Veena Malik as Pinky is Chand's sis whos\ is secretly in love with Falak. As the story unfolds, Falak meets Sitara [Sana, as] and both fall in love and here through the usual twists and turns the movie ends, and that in a very unconvincing manner.
The highlight of the movie is the fabulously cute number done on Ms Malik, and she clearly demonstrates that given the opportunity she can shake a leg, and act decently too. I'd only watch the movie for this particular number!
Sana doesn't have much of a role, while Moamar Rana seems confused as to how to tackle his character. His is a lost cause. Saleem Sheikh as Chand performs reasonably well, while it is Baber Ali who steals the show with his convincing performance as Zargul.
On the whole, pretty good effort from Jawed Shiekh. Good decent entertainment for the fun starved audience in Pakistan.
8 out of 10.
Disturbing Behavior (1998)
too predictable, too trashy - right from the start
The way the initial credits roll through in the film would catch anyones interest. Sitting through the movie is, however, a painful experience. Right from the first scene, situations and sub-plots are as predictable as they come, and over-cliched. Just watch the last 20 minutes, and you'll know all that has been going on, so trashy is this movie. The plot and execution has shades of 'The Faculty' but on the whole this movie is total trash. Avoid at all costs - It might give thrills to your 9 yr old brother.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
tacky, boring.....better re-watch your old home videos!
With all the mega-hype surrounding this movie, I thought I'd have a tough time sleeping after watching it. But that didn't happen, because most of the footage was pretty boring stuff. The ending was as ambiguous as it gets while there was a shot in the movie which obviously a 3rd person [not the campers themselves] had taken, which gave it all away. Damn- It did'nt even give the thrills! There was a joke on in our school that a bunch of us students could've made it in the hills surrounding Islamabad [in Pakistan, thats where I live!]. We have pretty much the same type of trees, brooks and rapids here,as in the movie,so making one wouldn't have been a big deal!
Pretty awful for a movie that exceeded $100 million in its collections.
A '2'on 10, and that too just for the novel idea. This aint a movie, just a cleverly packaged home video, which is something that it meant to be, anyway!
Earth 2 (1994)
great stuff!
This show was aired in Pakistan in 1996, and it was my favourite show then. The plot was gripping, the acting and the entire setting of the show was awesome. The aliens [can't remember what they were called now] were really chilling to watch, and each episode did have something interesting and different to offer than the previous one. I wish they'd air it again over here, I miss watching it.
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
4 hours of pain.
This movie shall attempt to drag you into the colonial India, which has been created in a mould as to justify the movie's weak script, in which of all the inane things, the British try to settle a row with the Indians over Land Tax [i.e Lagaan] with a Cricket Match!
Its a combination of sorts of the Baseball movies Hollywood keeps churning out [with the plot of a small town team making it to the big league and so and so), and the various over-glamourised period films. The premise of the film is hence utterly ridiculous. It shall drag along for good 4 hours, the second half being a supposedly exciting Cricket Match with a nail biting finish! And oh, the ending is so predictable, the movie, however is partly saved by the various unknown actors' and actresses' decent performance.
To top it all, this movie has innumerable songs which just test the viewer's patience. The makers should know that the international commercial audience shall NEVER accept the mindless song and dance routine that the Indian Cinema is infamous for. The direction, though a notch up from the usual Indian stuff is nevertheless bland and uninspiring.
Basically, a wannabe hollywood type sport movie set in the colonial era. And we should of course know here, that Cricket is to the subcontinent what Baseball is to America. On the whole, a forgettable picture, more so because it goes on for 4 whole hours!
No doubt the movie bombed at the box office across the United States.
Better off without it.
Tere Pyaar Mein (2000)
Awesome movie - Read the review below!
This movie caused complete chaos in the theatres in Pakistan, where it completed a year long succesful run. The story is an intelligent one: Zara Shiekh plays Preity, an Indian Sikh girl who comes to Pakistan with her father on an annual Sikh Pilgrimage and falls for the charms of Shaan, a Pakistani banker. The love saga begins and culminates in the tortured valley of Kashmir, where the movie portrays well as to how the Indian Military juggernaut works in suppressing the ongoing revolt in the disputed territory of Kashmir( United Nations recognises Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan). Even though the movie was shot 100% in Pakistan, Kashmir looks like Kashmir and every detail has been given attention. The portion where Preity and Shaan are on the run from the Indian Army towards the LOC [Line of control that divides the Indian held Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir]to cross into Azad Kashmir i.e the Pakistani portion of Kashmir, was very gripping. The background score is very apt, but this movie being a musical, the soundtrack is not among its best of strengths. Zara Sheikh looks absolutely smashing, and is no doubt the top rated movie star in Pakistan charging a whopping Rs 1 Million per movie! Her acting, along with Shaan's is absolutely top class. The gentleman who playes Zara Sheikh's father deserves a special mention - he puts zillion tonnes of energy into his role and the movie. Veena Malik as Amna, playing Zara Sheikh's friend makes no serious sparks on the screen.
A special mention for the replica of the 'Taj Mahal' that was contsructed at the Bagh-e-Jinaah [the Garden of Jinnah] in Lahore. Kudos to the art director for doing such an amazing job! For excellent acting and a tight script, along with its overall stylish production, I'd rate this movie a 9.5/10. It's a major feat for Pakistani cinema!
Mujhe Chand Chahiye (2000)
A Visual delight!
The movie being a musical is a showpiece for the art director, the musicians of the movie, the choreographer and the cinematographer, all of which have given world class results from Prehistoric equipment that is used to make Pakistani films! So a pat on the back for all of you!
The story though doesn't have too much to offer, is nevertheless radically different. It revolves around a situation where a disenchanted wife(Atiqa Odho as Maima) along with her son leaves her homeland [Pakistan] and her husband for a far-off land when she discovers an affair. The son(Shaan) grows up to become a musician, who develops an infatuation for a Pakistani model {Noor as Chand- Chand meaning 'Moon' in Urdu), as a result lands in Lahore to pursue her. What happens afterwards is anyone's guess and the plot henceforth has its usual twists and turns, typical for any movie from the subcontinent.
The main attraction of the movie lies in its high production standards, a wonderful theme music, and the sweetly melodious soundtrack. The sets are in a class of there own, are unlike anything ever seen in south Asian cinema. Everyone does a good job at acting and the cinematographer has given Hollywood-ish results with obsolete equipment. Moamar Rana provides good comic relief, though other than for the characters played by Shaan, Atiqa Odho and Javed Sheikh, the script does not permit much scope for performance.
Great feel good stuff, good solid entertainment!
I'd give it a 9/10
Inteha (1999)
A fast paced movie for the young!
Contrary to all my expectations, this film has turned out to be fabulous. Set in the cultural capital of the subcontinent, that is Lahore, this movie is truly in a class of its own. From the sleek choreography to the wonderfully apt music, to all the actors [watch out for Humayun Saeed!!] stupendous perfomance, everything is going right for Peerzada's debut as a director.......and she succeeds in making a ground breaking film!