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Reviews
PK (2014)
Doesn't do it for me I'm afraid....
For the first time I have not been overawed by a Raj Kumar Hirani film. Right from Munnabhai MBBS through to 3 Idiots, I feel that Bollywood had discovered a Director that could create the perfect feel good factor in a film. And rather than the actor, the script and the director were always the stars of the show. However, having watched P.K. I strongly feel that if you remove Aamir Khan from the equation, then the film loses its charm. The character P.K. has been overpowered by the star Aamir Khan, which is a first for a RKH film (sorry for the very Asian abbreviation!).
Furthermore, I also feel that, maybe even the director and writer may admit as much, not every possibility or scenario has been exhausted whilst constructing the screenplay and for some reason the film as a whole seems incomplete as a product. Certain parts of the film appear stretched and the narrative becomes very patchy; despite the usual voice over by one of the prominent characters. Perhaps my expectations were just too high or I have come to expect a higher standard given the names that were connected with P.K. Whilst I will not say that I'm disappointed with the film, on the whole it could have been better. I have therefore marked the film 6 out of 10, but pushed it to 7 for the performance of Aamir Khan.
Talaash (2012)
Minority Report meets The Sixth Sense
Indian cinema is rife with plagiarism, that's no hidden fact. However, when you see the new wave of film producers/directors borrow heavily from Hollywood it becomes disconcerting. Especially when you have talented people like Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti behind a project which is fronted by none other than the finest actor in Bollywood at the moment, Aamir Khan.
Whilst 'Talaash' is not a frame-by-frame take on (a segment of) Minority Report and The Sixth Sense, it does however take inspiration from these films and this is where it fails. Knowing what the people behind the film are capable of the viewer prepares itself for ground breaking and alternative material but in the end feels cheated when the credits roll.
Having myself witnessed first-hand how film producers and large distribution companies work; there is a culture in India where original material is thrown out in preference of a mixture of two to three Hollywood films. For example, your work is more likely to be accepted with a one page synopsis and a collection of DVDs than if you were to offer an original bound script. Having said that, I cannot see how this argument would hold up for the Akhtars, who can by all means play the game by their own rules.
And while many may feel that my analysis of Talaash is too overly critical. I have however inadvertently paid a compliment to the people involved with the film. The Akhtars and Mr Khan are in effect victims of their own success. We, the viewers expect a lot more from them and therefore feel cheated with their Hollywood inspired effort. Had Talaash been produced and directed by any other production house, and without Aamir Khan, then in all honesty it would have worked a lot better. The expectations would have been a lot lower and a little scene or theme from Hollywood thrown in here or there would have been forgiven without a second thought.
My Name Is Khan (2010)
Enough Already...
Is it me or is SRK on a one man mission to show everyone that the whole world hates Muslims.
First he depicted Indians as racists who ostracised a Muslim hockey player for missing a penalty in Chak De India. A film that the whole of India accepted and paid good money to see. Hence showing India's free thinking attitude and acceptance of people of different faiths and backgrounds.
And now he is out to show the world that the USA is full of bigots who stereotype Muslims as nothing but terrorists. With all due respect the attitudes of the majority cannot be accounted for by a minority of small minded ignorant fools. Yet that is exactly what MNIK does or at least what forms the basis for this film.
The film in itself is nothing spectacular. The best way to put it would be Forrest Gump meets 9/11. It's neither here nor there. If you want to make a film that raises serious issues and educates people it has to be done outside of the Bollywood style of film making. No sooner have you put a big star in the lead role, the audience has already taken sides regardless of what the issue is. And when the issue is very much one-sided you have no hope of giving an honest account of the situation that exists in the world today.
I must admit I thought SRK was good and showed restraint in his portrayal of Rizwan Khan, but I am just sick of films based around terrorism and 9/11. It's high time we moved on. Enough already.
Ghajini (2008)
Glass half empty or glass half full
I always find it is far easier to better a product that has already been done and proved. No doubt you all know that Ghajini is a remake of a South Indian film of the same title. So it is suffice to say that you look at the original and see what can be enhanced to make it a better product. Unfortunately the only enhancements are the introduction of Aamir Khan, who is undoubtedly the finest actor of the current crop, and the rewritten climax. Apart from that its pretty much as you were for this remake.
This unfortunately for me is where the film fails to shine. You take a South Indian Director and ask him to remake his film for Bollywood. As they say you can take the guy out of South India but you just can't take the South Indian out of the guy. Mr Murgadoss, or whatever his name is, should have understood what Bollywood is all about before taking this huge stride in to mainstream Indian cinema. The gimmicks, overblown action, grizzly henchmen, songs out of nowhere, etc, may work a treat down South but they stick out like a sore thumb in Ghajini (hindi version).
Just a few pointers; the first song comes out of nowhere and generally the songs look forced, the introduction of the villain could have waited, the beginning of the romantic track looks a little forced but from thereon it is really good thanks to Asin, the South Indian henchmen employed by a Harayanvi villain, the incident that leads to Asin falling on the wrong side of the villain is ridiculously overblown, the villain opting to let his nemesis go on a minor technicality but then resorting to the same stance that would have led to film finishing midway through the second half, the over the top action in the climax and finally why oh why were the villain or his henchmen not carrying guns in the climax - if the villain and his goons have planned to entice Aamir Khan to the 'villian's den' then why not keep a few guns spare for the eventuality that he might appear.
An Aamir Khan film is like a grand event - he is a great actor and someone that puts a lot of thought and effort behind his performances and films. This film only works because of his presence and without him its like watching a revenge drama from the 90's. We have become accustomed to watching typical Bollywood dramas and comedies and there has been a long spell without a good revenge drama. Ghajini could possibly have marked the return of action films to Bollywood. Alas it doesn't.
Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008)
Ignore the Critics
I am quite appalled at the critic's response to OLLO in India. The film has been given at best a rating of average to a complete dud. I can only imagine that the reason behind this response is the fact that there is no 'out and out' superstar in the film and hence the critics do not have to show any loyalty to the 'you can't do wrong' Khans, Kapoors or Kumars of Bollywood.
I must admit I went to watch OLLO with quite low expectations given the lack of critical acclaim the film had received, despite the fact the film was directed by the very competent Dibakar Banerjee of 'Khosla ka Gholsa' fame and had an interesting ensemble cast. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised that the film definitely met my expectations and it proves that you can't trust the film critics in India who practically live in the pockets of certain Bollywood stars.
The problem in India now is that you have parallel cinema with your mainstream run of the mill films for the masses and artistic films for the more sophisticated pallet. Therefore the tendency for critics is now to first categorise the film in to either one of these categories and then review it on that basis. For me OLLO doesn't fall in to either one of these categories it is just a simple tale told in a competent way much like 'Khosla ka Ghosla'. OLLO captures the atmosphere of Delhi perfectly and the adolescent years of the main character Lucky are amazing. From thereon in OLLO becomes a simple tale of a thief who steals out of force of habit that is the storyline in a nutshell.
How the main characters interact with each other helps develop the story further and the storyline follows a natural progression of events (with some mirch masala) towards its climax. As for the performances Abhay Deol is a natural. By far he stands head and shoulders above the rest of the star cast despite the fact that Paresh Rawal is given three clear opportunities to steal his thunder. Whilst I must admit that Abhay Deol is not blessed with typical Bollywood star looks and his screen presence isn't up there with the best of them (in saying that Shah Rukh Khan looks like a caricature with his big nose and lips) , but his honest portrayal of the characters he plays is always near perfect. The rest of the star cast is also very competent and compliment each other. Once again Dibakar Banerjee has proved that he can put together an amazingly entertaining film from a very simple storyline. He reminds me of the great Hrishikesh Mukerjee.
Finally, I would like to recommend that true cinema-goers firstly ignore the trained critics of India and follow their instincts OLLO is well and truly worth a watch.
Singh Is Kinng (2008)
Great Entertainment
I am having great difficulty understanding the number of reviewers who claim that you have to leave your brain at home to watch Singh is Kinng. I can't for the life of me remember one Indian film that has mentally engaged me - EVER. The simple fact of the matter is that Indian cinema is all about pure escapism and the key here is entertainment. The majority of cinema-goers in India are largely illiterate and enjoy what are essentially masala films. On that basis alone it would be pathetic to offer them something along the lines of 2001 A Space Odyssey much like offering caviar to a pallet that is accustomed to pav bhaji.
Right, now I've got that off my chest I'll continue with my opinion on Singh is Kinng. If you go with the right attitude i.e. you have watched Indian films before and know what to expect, then what you will get is a greatly entertaining film with hilarious comic situations. Anees Bazmee is known for making entertaining films and has a great track record in making successful Bollywood films such as No Entry and Welcome. For me Singh is Kinng exceeds the aforementioned films as the humour and wit comes a lot thicker and faster and the tone is far more superior to films of a similar nature, i.e. David Dhawan films.
Akshay Kumar is superb and does an excellent job. He really brings a great energy to the screen and delivers a spirited performance as Happy Singh. Katrina Kaif does what she does best look good and she certainly does look breathtaking as usual. Om Puri, Kirron Kher, Sonu Sood, Javed Jafri, Neha Dupia and all the other supporting cast play their parts very well. In fact this is one of the first films in a long time where all the supporting cast get good screen time and have well rounded characters. They really add to the story progression and events. I won't really tell you anything about the story in fact there is very little to say. Like many other great entertainers there isn't much of a storyline. It's just fast paced fun and action.
In short, Singh is Kinng has all the necessary ingredients for a good night out at the cinema. A fast paced storyline, a great star cast, excellent production values, good songs and laugh out loud comedy. So go and enjoy it and don't forget to take your brain along!
Apne (2007)
It was like being in a cinema in India!!!
This has to be the first time that I have seen the audience clap and cheer a fight scene in the UK. When Sunny Deol exacts revenge in the climax on Luca (the current Heavyweight Champion) for what he did to his brother, the entire cinema erupted. Excellent stuff.
On the whole Apne isn't a brilliant film, but it has its moments, be it the emotional scenes between Dharamendra and his sons or the scenes in the boxing ring, it does leave its mark on you.
It was great to see Dharamendra back on screen playing a well etched character. His bitterness and failure really came across very well. Bobby Deol was also good in probably the weakest (no pun intended) character of the three. Sunny Deol as always was brilliant. No one plays rage and anger on screen as well as he does. He really gets the audience going.
To sum up Apne will leave you with moist eyes and fists. It makes a change to see a good desi film on screen, rather than the pretentious 'we're almost like Hollywood' type of films which are churned out week after week.
Aap Kaa Surroor: The Moviee - The Real Luv Story (2007)
A Complete Disgrace
I have to hold my hand up and say that I was one of the first (and probably the last!!!) to see this film. Where do I start, it's a complete mess. The main attraction of course was the soundtrack. Which goes without saying is brilliant - it's what Himesh does best. But as they say, don't give up your day job - HR definitely shouldn't.
HR's acting is plain and simply awful. Even if the film had a plot, the thing that baffles you most is why this man is up on screen and what the hell is doing there. Two words of advice to HR - give up acting and secondly, use chapstick.
HR has no screen presence, no acting skills and the female lead looks just a little too young for him. As for Malika Sherawat - just the same old Bollywood vamp crap.
You can package the product as much as you want, but if there's no substance it won't hold. Don't waste your money...
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)
Caught up in their own hype!!!
Yashraj Films know they have a set audience that will turn up and watch whatever they put in the cinemas. I've never known such loyalty towards a production house.
But JBJ will be a massive wake up call for all concerned. The film has its good moments and some worthy performances. But the overall product is nothing short of being a complete disaster. Fair enough the Director may have thought that he has come up with an ingenious idea, but sometimes certain ideas or thoughts are far better off staying within the confines of ones head, as they sound and look a lot better swirling around 'up there' than on a large screen.
The protagonists (Abhishek Bachchan and Priety Zinta) look unconvinced by their characters and the whole scenario. And despite Abhishek's best efforts, you almost end up hating both the main characters, purely because the film has bored you senseless by the time proceedings really begin. And by this I mean the introduction of the other two main characters (Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta) - this time in person rather than in the imaginary world of AB and PZ.
Bobby Deol does a very good job considering that he is offered very little in the way of screen time. He plays both his characters very well, in particular the mummy's boy. Lara Dutta is amazing and really puts Priety Zinta in the shade with her performance. Despite both BD and LD having peripheral parts in the film - they both, in my eyes, walk away with the honours as the most entertaining pair on screen.
Amitabh Bachchan is wasted and only appears every time they need to break the monotony of the main characters. He also appears in the dance competition to lend his support to a rather over long sequence.
Overall, JBJ offers very little in the way of a storyline. The treatment of the subject is what you expect of Yashraj films. But even they couldn't dress this weak subject up. DVD rental material at the most.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
Hmmm....
In short the film was typical Karan Johar. Plush, great production values, a top star cast (with the occasional walk on parts for Bollywood's A-List) and making Shah Rukh Khan look better than his counterparts.
However, whilst Karan Johar has in the past worked on simple story lines with lavish treatment, he has seriously got caught in the middle of making a bold film and trying his utmost best to make his film appeal to a wider audience (and his followers). It simply doesn't work.
The idea of unhappy couples simply co-existing and breaking the mould to seek happiness and fulfilment is a good one. But the frilly bits are really unnecessary. Serious film-making requires the director to believe in his project and keep it as close to reality as possible. Hence, films like Arth have worked where others have failed.
Alas Karan Johar is a victim of his past success. The audience expects his films to be a certain way and any deviation from the usual theme has an adverse effect. Worse still, his idol Shah Rukh Khan comes off worse than the rest of his star cast. It's not been a good day at the office for both of them! But I guess there's not too much to worry about. As we speak the box office is being flooded by unsuspecting loyal fans of the Dharma and Yashraj camps, who are willing to put their hard earned cash in to the pockets of these production houses, regardless of what kind of film they churn out.
If only people showed that kind of loyalty to their spouses!