'Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam' Movie Review

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Mallika Sherawat, Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon
Director: Sanjay Chhel
Music: Anu Malik
Rating: Rating *1/2
Release Date: August 22, 2008

Dialogue comedies could be effective entertains. But the setback with this one is that while writer-director Sanjay Chhel takes extra efforts in adding a punch to every single line in the film, he doesn’t show the same zeal in sketching stable scenes.

The movie starts with a preventable prologue about the 93 riots in India and pointlessly places the film’s story in the bygone era. Shabnam (Malllika Sherawat) is the lead actress of a drama company in Goa who plays Madhubala’s part in staged Mughal-e-Azam shows and aspires to fill the vacuum in Bollywood post the retirement of Jaya Bachchan??? Her husband Mazumdar (Paresh Rawal) is old enough to play her father-in-law Akbar in the drama. Arjun (Rahul Bose), a daily spectator of their show, is mesmerized by this Madhubala. The director wishes to waste no time in establishing their love story and what better way in Bollywood than opting for an incompatible item song.

Soon it turns out that Arjun is an undercover cop on a mission, though he seems to indulge in duty only by fluke. Enter Haldi Hassan (Kay Kay Menon) an ISI agent in the garb of a ghazal singer ala Naseeruddin Shah from Sarfarosh . Arjun seeks the drama company’s help to uncover the terrorist’s plans. Shabnam seduces the singer while Mazumdar poses as an underworld don. What follows is only confusion and chaos till the climax.

Additional efforts have been employed to match the rhymes in lines but comparatively such continuity is not reflected in the screenplay. At several instances the humour falls flat. Like Kay Kay’s introduction scene is supposedly a spoof on ghazal singer but he actually ends up singing an entire Pankaj Udhas soft number. One of the dialogues from the film very rightly says that the dialogue delivery of the dramatists is as loud as if they were delivering a child.

Throughout the film Paresh Rawal keeps claiming that he is a subtle stage actor but in contrast his performance is simply loud. Nevertheless he is the only saving grace of this film. Kay Kay Menon seems to be completely miscast. Mallika’s midriff and cleavage shows don’t amuse any more. The immensely talented Pavan Malhotra is wasted in a ham-personified act. Rahul Bose isn’t much impressive either. Tanaaz Currim can’t pull of a Punjabi accent and shouldn’t try too hard.

Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam could have been better if it had a more fine-tuned story, less muddled screenplay, fewer song distractions, restrained performances, crisper editing, competent direction... In other words they would need to rework the entire film to make it acceptable. Rather switch to the next screen.

On an ending note, the film shows how the drama company averts the 93 bomb blasts through their teamwork. But historic facts have a different story to tell. Unfortunately, Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam misfires in its attempt.

News Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Mumbai Meri Jaan' Movie Review

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Irrfan Khan, Kay Kay Menon, R Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Vijay Maurya
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Music: Sameer Phaterpekar
Rating: Rating ****
Release Date: August 22, 2008

“When you feel like crying, just urinate”, says a senior constable to his subordinate in the film adding, “That way you drain the excess water from your body”. This line acts as a metaphor to the pissed-off attitude of an average troubled citizen, about which he chooses to do nothing. That gives the gist of Mumbai Meri Jaan , a film that touches the lives of an assorted array of cosmopolitan citizens, in a way never witnessed before.

Amidst formula-driven films, only once in a while do you come across a movie which strikes chord with a social theme and is enormously entertaining at the same time. Only once in a while do you come across a movie that has an outstandingly original screenplay and more importantly it connects with the viewer convincingly. Only once in a while do you come across a movie that incites you emotionally and is technically flawless simultaneously. That’s Mumbai Meri Jaan!!!

In terms of theme and format, the film is reminiscent of Naseeruddin Shah’s Yun Hota To Kya Hota where multiple stories ran in parallel episodes and converged at the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. This one, too, has several tracks but the individual stories ‘emerge’ from the 7/11 train bombings in Mumbai. Much against your predictable perception, the film moves away from any opinionated or political argument on terrorism and traverses a more atomic approach by representing the ordeal of the violence in five individual lives.

Suresh (Kay Kay Menon) is a Hindu extremist who has a cynical outlook towards the minority community. Nikhil (R Madhavan) is a contemporary corporate guy who opposes plastic bags, endorses public transport and is progressively patriotic. Rupali (Soha Ali Khan) is a popular television journalist who sensationalizes news to make it saleable and considers that as freedom of expression. Tukaram Patil (Paresh Rawal) is a senior constable at the verge of retirement and is paired with a patrolling partner Sunil Kadam (Vijay Maurya) whose young blood wants to rebel against social injustice and corruption. Thomas (Irrfan Khan) is a nomadic coffee vendor who doesn’t gain a sense of acceptance in the class-driven society and has his own uncanny ways of getting back to the aristocrats.

Each episode runs independent of the other until they are correlated by the train blasts. While Rupali faces a personal loss, others remain individually unaffected. But the blast influences every individual’s psyche implicitly. Nikhil develops a phobia for trains, Suresh’s pessimism towards Muslims intensifies and Thomas uses the terror threat to his advantage. The parallel tracks beautifully congregate to a common climax.

Mumbai Meri Jaan is sensitively scripted by Yogesh Vinayak Joshi and Upendra Sidhaye and sensibly directed by Nishikant Kamat. For critics complaining of incompetent scripts, here is a screenplay that is immaculate, intelligent and emotionally binding. In this character-driven plot, every protagonist is precisely defined and their conflicts are convincingly established. The writing doesn’t resort to any cliches or pre-defined formulae thereby opting for an innovative, unadulterated and gratifying treatment. No song numbers, comedy tracks or romance angles are enforced for commercial considerations.

News Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Phoonk Movie Review

Cast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ahsaas Channa
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Music: Amar Mohile
Rating: Rating **
Release Date: August 22, 2008

Phoonk resorts to the standard horror film template that Ram Gopal Varma had adopted in his earlier films like Bhoot and Raat . A human is possessed by spirit. The lead protagonist doesn’t believe in supernatural. He checks up with a psychiatrist who follows a scientific approach and passes off the haunted hangovers as some dissociative personality disorder. But the elderly deem it as eerie. After much debate over science and superstition, an exorcist is summoned who liberates the possessed from the evil forces.

Phoonk follows an exactly identical outline and ends up being a regurgitated version of Bhoot (set in a Vaastu Shastra verandah) with minor modifications. Ram Gopal Varma perhaps attempts to give a new discourse to the narrative by having a child possessed here. Little does he realize that this juvenile dimension has already been exploited several times since The Omen (1976) to Aruna Raje’s Gehrayee (1980) where a teenaged Padmini Kolhapuri was possessed. The disbelieving protagonist is her father. Meanwhile a ‘black magic’ label is given to the story to renew the motivation of the horror. But the film, by no means, analyzes the intricacies or aftermath of the black magic practice in India. Rather the resolution of the sorcery is dramatically fabricated to formulate a filmi climax.

Phoonk routes for the conventional gimmicks to induce fear by opting for creepy background score, hovering camera movements and shocking sound effects. But these trifling technicalities do no account for an honorable horrifying feel, because the outcome of the sound effects is merely a natural reflex action to stimulus and not fervent fear. Beyond these technical mechanics, the legend in itself doesn’t have the potency to evoke much horror.

Another setback of the storytelling is that it’s absolutely predictable. Over that RGV employs his customary thrill tricks like horror in mirror, nightmares, hands from back, faces in front, et al. While retaining his regular erratic camera angles, this time Ramu shows an eccentric fascination of focusing on irrelevant props. Many scenes are tediously protracted and some trimming could help. And when you expect the least, a sad number pops up in the second half.

Ramu also can’t let go off his inclination to have characterizations derived from his past attempts. The domestic maid with a constant popping-eye b’owl’ed over look is reinterpretation of Seema Biswas in Bhoot and the exorcist is a version of Om Puri from Raat . The child actor’s (Ahsaas Channa) possessed act and voice variations is replica of what Urmila Matondkar did in Bhoot . The white-haired granny is a derivative of the Darna Zaroori Hai mascot but for hell’s sake what was that Ram-say like scene of the ghost’s hands stretching out of her body doing in a Ram Gopal Varma film? There are some redundant repetitive shots in the first half while some others have no relevance to the story but are added just to incite fear from anticipation.

Once again Ram Gopal Varma repeats a genre but shows no variation in its treatment. It’s his handling of the subject, more than the horror, which scares us. The audience is soon losing faith in his directorial prowess. Only if he would have kept his word of paying Rs 5 lakhs to a lone spectator in a cinema-hall, I would have gained some easy money and walked out of the hall happier.

News Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kareena Kapoor set to rock 'Hollywood' now

During the shooting of Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakht Ishq in LA, Kareena met top Hollywood executives and discussing offers with them.

Now it is confirm that the sexy actress has signed a movie opposite Phantom and Titanic actor 'Billy Zane' for an unrevealed amount.

The film is tentatively titled 'Chamera' and will be directed by Daniel Silverman of 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Perfect Strangers'.

'Sarkar Raj' enters in Oscar

Indian cinema is really going global now. Ram Gopal Varma’s 'Sarkar Raj' has been selected for the prestigious Oscar Library!

Before this, you have the biggies like Devdas, Kal Ho Na Ho, and Lagaan from Indian Cinema industry to be part of such a prestigious library. The script of 'Sarkar Raj' will be there permanently for the reference of cinema students.

'Singh is King' Box Office King in Overseas

'Singh Is Kinng' has fetched a splendid start in Overseas. The opening weekend has been historic everywhere, a close second to last year's blockbuster hit Om Shanti Om. In U.K., the film has emerged the biggest opener of 2008. It is also Akshay Kumar's biggest opener till date. In America, Singh Is Kinng has fetched an equally electrifying start. In fact, it's one of the biggest starts ever.

"Bachna Ae Haseeno" is below expectations overseas

Ranbir Kapoor starer "Bachna Ae Haseeno" is below expectations in Overseas. Released extensively in the major cities, the film has not lived up to the high expectations in U.K. (surprisingly, below average), U.S.A. and Australia.

Sonam Kapoor sizzles on Elle

The August edition of fashion magazine "Elle" has delicate beauty Sonam Kapoor gracing its cover. One look in those dreamy eyes and it will make even the toughest heart melt. The pictures inside the magazine just complement the cover.

The issue has Sonam revealing all about herself and opening up on matters like lack of confidence, backless ghagra, weight issues etc. She also speaks about her growing up days, her stint working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and also her "investments."

Not to mention, get going pals and grab your issue before every single one gets sold out.