Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

Reviewed by Debolina Sengupta

It is hard work for one Katrina Kaif and one Imran Khan to pull off a movie completely by themselves. While the former with her English accent tries to be the rebel turned good daughter turned rebelling dulhan, Imran Khan plays the good boy who arranges a match for his brother Ali Zafar, who has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Well honestly, the first sequence in the movie completely exposed the entire plot. While Ali Zaffar breaks up with his TV-breaking girlfriend in London because she isn't Indian enough, on the other side, promos of the movie showing the chemistry between Imran and Katrina made it obvious. The songs are very tacky though Ali's voice sounds magical in Madhubala.

But here is the fun bit about the movie- the two realise their love for each other after the engagement, making it a family issue if not handled carefully. Though polluted by Katrina's woeful acting and Imran's apparent indifference, I liked how the writer and director of the film Ali Zaffar takes the inside route to find a peaceful solution.

In comes the ex-girlfriend making Ali jealous with her nagin like moves for another man (read Imran Khan). So rather than Katrina and Imran running away to avoid the shaadi, the groom runs away with his love leaving a letter. The "duniya kya sochega" mindset of elders is tapped well and Katrina and Imran are set to get married to protect the dignity of the two khandans. A frivolous ego fight between fathers breaks that up to and to fix that, Ali couldn't think of anything but a tacky car scene where the two indirectly tell their fathers that they have fallen for each other too. Afraid that they might run away like Ali and his bride, the fathers ask them to get married.

What I loved about the movie was that similar plot movies of the past often glorify blood shed and tears. This is one film, where with the use of humour (though with bad acting), planning and plotting got the same results in a more amicable way. I just wish Katrina and Imran could act!

Rating: 2.5/5

Where's the Game?

Reviewed by Sab Khan

Game is the Bollywood’s latest release by debut director Abhinay Deo. He has unfortunately failed to come up with a sizzling hot thriller. He may have tried to make a fashionable by signing in an apparently "hot" cast, but the plot of his movie needed thawing. The script was simply uninspiring and weak. Kabir Malthora (Anupum Kher) is the billionaire who owns an island in Greece, Sia Agnihotri (Kangna Ranaut) is a detective and Neil Menon (Abhishek Bachchan) is a casino owner. There's Boman Irani in the film too as a politician, Jimmy Shergill as an actor and Shahana Goswami as a journalist.

Four people are suspects in Kabir's daugther's murder case. But before the father can start investigating the murder, he dies. Apparently, this is a suicide attempt, but the four currently suspected are again arrested, for Kabir's death.

Too many unanswered questions and high predictability makes it a chore to watch the film. The direction is amateurish and is unable to extract the best from the actors involved. The first half of the movie is painfully slow, which the director tries to make up for in the second half, which looks mindless. But Alas! The thrill was still not gripping enough to control the audiences’ mind.

The movie tries to sell itself with the "trendy stuff" like people from different professions, a sexy police officer and views of beautiful Greece, but it all gets murdered by the script. Save your time by avoiding it, unless you are a huge fan of any actor involved.

Rating:2/5

F.A.L.T.U is not that Faltu

Reviewed by Sab Khan

The very title of the movie F.A.L.T.U is quite interesting as the dots between the letters says that it’s an acronym and when you pronounce it, it becomes faltu, means worthless. Vashu Bhagnani introduced Remo D’Souza, a choreographer, as the director of the film. The cast of the movie involves Ritesh (Jackky Bhagnani), Pooja (Puja Gupta), Vishnu (Chandan Roy Sanyal) and Nanj (Angad Bedi) with several special glittering appearances like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Salman Khan, Mallika Sherawat, Sushmita Sen and others.

The movie is a steer clear inspiration of 2006 release Accepted. It focuses on youth and their educational activities like 3 Idiots. The four friends Ritesh, Pooja, Vishnu and Nanj are fun loving youngsters who have barely managed to pass their exams but couldn’t manage to get admission in any university. For that matter, they come up with a plan of making a fake university named as Fakirchand and Lakirchand Trust University aka F.A.L.T.U. To keep it real in front of their parents, they even publish advertisements in news papers and allotted a place to it, which results in actual interest of many other students, forcing them to face the actual reality of life.

A college life’s story manages to make you nostalgic. The director has done a great job arousing sentiments and excitement in the audience. F.A.L.T.U is a movie full of fun and frolic reminding you of your own golden days. All the actors displayed a light casual style with a tint of grim and gravity where required. If you aspire to have some playful time  to relax your mind, F.A.L.T.U is the right choice.

Rating:3/5

Gul Panag wedding: looking at Turning 30

Turning 30

Reviewed by Sab Khan

A lady Devdas in a Hindi film? It all felt bizarre. But thankfully, Turning 30 isn't a complete mess. Director Alankrita Shrivastava has taken the bold and the beautiful step in putting up a female oriented film but it seems like the overall making of the movie didn’t end up becoming what it was supposed to.

The movie is about Naina (Gul Panag), as she is turning to 30, who has just been broken up with her boyfriend Rishabh (Siddharth Makkar) and throughout the movie she has been trying to overcome the shock which is quite depressing for her. In the beginning, I related it to Sex and the City but no, not at all, this is more of Bridget Jones Diary. Naina tries everything to get  Rishabh back in her life, who in turn has moved on with a younger and prettier woman. And Rishabh is only part of her problems as her boss fired her from her job for no apparent reason.

Enter Jai (Purab Kohli) who is supposed to be a ray of hope for Naina but adds to her confusion. Overtly confused, as an audience I was awaiting Naina’s final decision when the movie becomes lengthy, drab and dragged. And the wait ends simple when Naina's book gets published, she becomes famous and Rishabh comes crying back in the last bit of the film.

Packaged and marketed as a new age chick flick with a lot of oomph and style, Turning 30 failed to impress me completely. If it was trying to show modern women, it should have shown Naina moving on and not looking back rather than her pining for her love. Gul Panag suits the character well, but her bike wedding is something that comes closer to  the concept of a "modern woman".

Alankrita did her best to come up with female jargons and Panag tried her level best to eliminate the monotones that are spread across the film. I would not give a very high recommendation but ah, yes, if you have ample time, then go for it.

Rating: 2/5

Yeh Faasle Review

Yeh Faasle

Reviewed by Sab Khan

A typical hindi movie revolves around human behaviour and relationships. Yeh Faasle by Omprakash Mittal portrays the same things, but through a  dramatic “non-conventional type” series of events. The movie has suspense, romance, and an entanglement of relationships in a very novel manner. This is a story about Devinder Devilal Dua (Anupam Kher) who has a past that his daughter Arunima Dua (Tena Desae) needs to unearth.

The movie begins with the joyous reunion of the father and daughter after several years. Anupam Kher depicts a new age father, who is financially supporting his daughter’s friend’s engagement party, whose brother has feelings for her. This is from where the love story starts. But the focus of Yeh Faasle is not about the “faasle” (distance) in a love story but the fast approaching distance between the father and daughter. 

Arunima one day finds her mother’s diary and this is from where the actual story of the movie starts. After going through the diary, she becomes doubtful about the sanctity of her father and tries to investigate the truth about her mother’s death, which she knew was caused by a car accident. The diary opens up new questions for her as she finds out that her parents weren’t happy together. Her doubts makes her drag her father to the court. For the sake of not adding spoilers to this review, I would rather not reveal the outcome of the case. It is an engrossing movie, which you won’t regret watching. 

Performance wise, Kher was the perfect choice of his character. Tena Desae successfully depicts the anxiety and disbelief needed for her role. In all, Yeh Faasle is a good mix of emotion, suspense and drama.

Rating: 3/5

Saat khoon, no maafi.

7 Khoon Maaf

Reviewed by Sunanda Pati

Heartwrenching, cold-blooded, passionate, sinful, clever... I wish at least one of these adjectives could court Saat Khoon Maaf. But alas, Vishal Bharadwaj's newest offering fails to shake or stir. It seems like a great opportunity gone waste for Ruskin Bond's short story 'Susanna's Seven Husbands' have been Bollywoodised and pretty badly at that. Seen through the eyes of narrator Arun Kumar (Naseeruddin Shah's son), the story rests upon the deeds of a certain beautiful woman named Susanna (played by Priyanka Chopra. After watching this film, I really think the name Piggy suits her better). From the ravages of a jealous husband-in-uniform to the sickly erotic fantasies of a Kashmiri poet, poor Susanna has to bear torture and trauma for a great pursuit. And, that great pursuit's name in the film is love. Pure love. I wish Mr. Bharadwaj were clearer about the kind of love Susanna is really in search of. From falling for the charms of a shallow musician named Jimmy (played by John Abraham) to finding a soulmate in Russian Nikolai Vronsky (who, by the way, fails to tickle you with his 'mere paas ma hain' act), Susanna keeps repeating the mistake of making all the wrong men her husband. In line with the original story, Susanna kills each one of them. But the film fails to portray the intensity of Susanna's passionate love and do justice to the way she experiences scorn and hatred. Susanna's angst doesn't touch me. And, that's the biggest problem.

Well, that doesn't mean the film has nothing good about it. Naseeruddin Shah is splendid as Modhusudhan Tarafdar (quite adeptly he pronounces it perfect Bong-style 'taw-roph-dar') and Neil Nitin Mukesh as the sadist General Rodriguez. Now back to my bashing best, John Abraham is yet again successful in being a ham and Alexander Dyachenko is pathetic. Even if one were to forgive these unpalatable performances, it would be because Bhardwaj composed a brilliant score. But no, this tackily presented murder movie doesn't even have that. As my temples throb, I can't help but hear a faint 'Jag ja re gudiya'...

A beautiful story of a woman's soulful search for love has been bungled. I wouldn't take away from the little thrill the film provides by giving away the plot. I'd rather watch Omkara once every day rather than Saat Khoon even once. And, I'd rather wait for Bharadwaj's next, in hope.

Rating: 2/5

Tanu Weds Manu review: another Jab We Met?

Tanu Weds Manu

Reviewed by Sab Khan

Tanu weds Manu is an obvious love story which eventually ends up in pairing up the right heroine with the right hero. A common perception says that Tanu Weds Manu is another Jab We Met and to an extent this is true, as the story revolves around Delhi boy Manu (Madhavan), Kanpur girl Tanu (Kangana Ranaut) and Tanu’s already existed boyfriend Raja (Jimmy Shergill). The director Anand L. Rai has taken up the old-age ideal love story but it still leaves you with a tint of freshness and I couldn’t control the grin on my face.

The plot of the story is quite unsurprising but is still very fascinating. The sweet simple and sensible NRI Manu returns to his country after 12 years and like an obedient son, he is all set to marry the girl chosen by his parents. But Tanu is completely against the idea of arranged marriage and has plans to elope with her boyfriend. When the plan comes to live, Manu realises that he must call off the wedding. But while helping the girl he loves, the story takes the obvious turns and you end with a Jab We Met or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Though the story doesn’t offer any uniqueness, it still manages to be grasping. The direction by Anand L. Rai is blooming throughout the movie. Madhavan’s acting is compelling and Kangana’s deliciously outrageous role has glimpses of Jab We Met's Geet. But Kangana’s character is that of a more open-minded girl who is off to drinking and smoking but with the passage of time her personality changes and she ends up in being the quintessential Indian girl.

All in all, the movie is not-so-very un-tempting, but it’s not a movie you should regret missing. The music by Krsna isn’t moving enough to boost up the romance quotient. Tanu Weds Manu simply is a radiant comedy with generous doses of good screenplay and acting.

Rating: 2.5/5

7 Khoon Maaf review

7 Khoon Maaf

Reviewed by Sab Khan

 

The long awaited movie 7 Khoon Maaf, is a female oriented roller coaster ride about a black widow, who is not bound to any fixations and could cross any limitations to seek true love and happiness in life. Playing the multi-dimensional character is Priyanka Chopra, who in recent times has proven her acting skills. 7 Khoon Maaf is an extraordinary show for people who love watching drama movies with generous hints of crime, murder, love and mystery. So if you are setting up your mood for a jerky ride of entertainment, better get the tickets for this movie- they are selling off fast.

Vishal Bhardwaj, whose last films Ishqiya and Kaminey surpassed all box office and critical expectations bases the story of this film on Ruskin Bond’s book, Susanne’s Seven Husbands. Susanne (Priyanka) is a black widow who, in search of happiness and love marries seven different men but her relationships don’t exactly end the way she wants them to. She plans up bloody revenges and executes them to perfection. Playing Susanne’s seven unfortunate husbands in the movie are Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anu Kapoor, Aleksandr Dyachenko, and Vivaan Shah.

The mystified darkness of the movie reveals the story turn by turn. From the very first scene, the movie is gripping and makes the audience anxious for more. Most women should relate to Susanne’s character, not because she commits murder but because of the inner passion and desires that remain uncultivated in her. Probably the difference lies in the fact that she took extreme steps to change her circumstances and most of us don’t dare. Even though, she’s been a murderer using techniques ranging from poisoning and gun fire, we don’t blame her for her real cause. Her typical male-dominating husbands are portrayed as the usual chauvinistic “man next door” who beat their wives up, dictate them, are aggressive or just use their women for sexual gratification. Though women are a lot empowered these days and do raise their voices, Susanne is someone who prefers to change it in her own way. Though bloody, the hope for change is heart touching for the oppressed women who watch the film.

The director did an enormous job in manipulating the entire seven husbands respectively. It was one of Priyanka Chopra’s best performances as she maintains her stance as the centre of attraction. Vishal’s music and Gulzar’s lyrics, as proven in their previous collaborations, could never go to waste. Vishal cleverly uses each track to musically represent the relationships and characters. 7 Khoon Maaf is an absolute must watch for this weekend!

Rating: 4.75/5

Just Go With(out) It

Just Go With It

Reviewed by Adam Minor

  

Contrary to what his last film would suggest, Adam Sandler has never grown up. Sandler rose to fame in Hollywood in his juvenile but hilarious Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Since then, Sandler’s comedies have been hit-and-mostly-miss. It seems as though Sandler just isn’t content with his dramas. 2007’s Reign Over Me was a refreshing breath of fresh air and really showed Sandler’s dramatic abilities.

Just Go With It is the latest in lazy romcoms that put “Do something unique” at the bottom of their to-do list. In it, Sandler plays Danny, a well-to-do plastic surgeon that pretends to be married to bed beautiful women. When one of them gets too curious, Danny is forced to recruit his assistant to play his soon to be divorced wife. The plot that follows is, dependent on your willingness to suspend your disbelief, a bit improbable.

Just Go With It adds itself to the list of romantic comedies that ultimately bring nothing to cinema. Their lack of originality and hackneyed devices do nothing to add on, or even hearken back to, cinema as a whole. A complete copy of the Hindi film Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, the only things Just Go With It adds are incessant fart jokes and groin hits.

Just Go With It just further solidifies Sandler’s stagnant position as a 10-year old boy with millions of dollars.

 

Rating: 1/5

Patiala House Review: full masala flick

Patiala House

Reviewed by Sab Khan
  

When I first heard of Patiala House, Akshay Kumar’s new release, I got excited and hoped it was different from his other recent lack lustre releases. Thankfully, Patiala House packs a punch with real drama, good screen play and great acting.

The director of the movie, Nikhil Advani has successfully created a family oriented film about a father and a son which has scenes of laughter and heartbreaks. The film is about Gattu (Akshay Kumar), an obedient son and his father (Rishi Kapoor) who is the head of Patiala House and abhors the prejudiced attitude of Englishmen towards Indians. His father’s attitude becomes a roadblock in Gattu’s life who wants to play for the England cricket team.

Gattu’s family is annoyed with him because he is submissive to his Bauji, whose attitude not only makes him suffer, but is affecting the other youngsters in the family as well. The female lead in the movie, Simran (Anushka Sharma) steps in as a huge support for Gattu and gives him moral support to fulfil his dreams. She tries to convince his family to give him a second chance at life, which not many people get.

The family members of Patiala House (supporting cast) add to the emotional drama of the film. Personally, I wish Dimple Kapadia had more dialogues in the film, but I suppose it was all part of her role. Most of the movie has heavy doses of relationships, moral values and family ties. Adding the cricket angle was probably a business decision since the world cup is fast approaching and people who love movies generally enjoy cricket too- on field or on screen. The movie could have been based on any profession.

The movie was filmed in London, South Hall, which has the highest density of Indian and Pakistani families. Shankar - Ehsaan - Loy created music that well suited the theme of the film and was pleasing as well. Santosh Thundiyil of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fame is the cinematographer of Patiala House and does a fabulous job! Though the film is based on a lot of typical elements, it has been weaved together beautifully. Patiala House is what you would call a “full masala flick”.

Rating: 3.75/5

Yeh Saali Zindagi Review

Yeh Saali Zindagi

Reviewed by staff reviewer

Let me get this straight first. I absolutely love Chitrangada Singh and the fact that she left the film industry right after something like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi left me wondering what went wrong. But then one fine morning while on a flight I got to see her in Onir's Sorry Bhai and actually believed she did the right thing by leaving. But now after joining hands with Sudhir Mishra and coming out with something as twisted as Yeh Saali Zindagi, I am left to wonder again, "Why did she leave again?"

I don’t know whether it’s about me not trying hard enough for details or the film makers not revealing enough, but I had little idea about Yeh Saali Zindagi, except for the fact that it managed to outdo Mallika Sherawat’s record number of onscreen kisses (17 for Khwahish). Well, in 2011, that didn’t make it a big deal for me. I mean I do watch enough English movies and TV shows to be immune to any passionate or slobbering kisses. What intrigued me was the pairing of Irrfan Khan and Chitrangada Singh. While Khan has his own macho manliness without the good looks, Singh is hotness at a different level.

The entire movie is quite dark and probably shadily funny in the sense that majority of characters are rogue businessmen, criminals or corrupt politicians and policemen. But don’t think Ram Gopal Verma dark and shady- Mishra manages to make a dark plot stylish as well. It’s a Delhi based movie and the last one I saw (No One Killed Jessica) left my mother struggling to believe curse words had become “normal”. Yeh Saali Zindagi has its own liberal share of curse words as well. With the kind of characters in the movie, it probably would have looked weird if they talked in Gulzar Hindi in the first place.

Calling Chitrangada Singh only the love interest in the film would probably be wrong, but you watch and you decide. With the amount of plots, sub plots and maybe sub sub plots as well, you tend to lose track once in a while but Mishra’s films are seldom no-brainers and you need to be alert for Yeh Saali Zindagi as well. I wish the movie was either a little more tightly edited or the characters defined more. Still would like to know what Irrfan Khan’s business was in Yeh Saali Zindagi. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji - Not hilarious, but fun to watch

Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji

Reviewed by Sab Khan

“Men never get old”.

Madhur Bhandarkar, with his new movie has tried to break free from the serious, real-life inspired films he has made in the past. Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji is a light-hearted romantic (read non-sense) comedy movie which is now the “it” genre in Bollywood. You mostly don’t expect grim directors to be into a film which is a complete humour to watch, but Bhandarkar has made utmost efforts to make people laugh and feel good about themselves (especially the men).

Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji, the very title is self explanatory and lets you peep into an expected story. The movie is simply about three different men, from three diverse walks of life, and apparently from three different age groups. The movie’s lead characters are Naren (Ajay Devgn), Abhay (Emraan Hashmi) and Milind (Omi Vaidya). The movie is about love and relationships and stereotypically, the jokes and the punches are crammed with sexual implication and unnecessary connotations.

Naren is a banker, recently divorced, and is falling for a charming young girl who joins his company as an intern. Abhay is a typical Emraan Hashmi playboy character who works as a gym instructor. He lives his “colourful” life at the expense of his rich girlfriend but lands up falling in love with her stepdaughter and decides to leave behind the money and all. And Milind is after a girl who works as a radio jockey, but is not as seriously involved with him.

All the actors have put in brilliant performances that justify their characters, the script and the demands of the director. Devgn, as the main attraction in the film has displayed deliciously light, humorous and droll scenes with his lady love June (Shazahn). His efforts for gaining her attention, confused by her cute behaviour around her friends (who are very young), and some intimate scenes, are the most attractive parts of the movie. And for that, Ajay gets all the credit.

Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji should have been a shorter movie. It being more than three hours felt like a complete waste of time. For people who like leaving their minds outside the theatre, there is little to regret in the film. Just don’t walk in thinking Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji as a Bhandarkar film.

Rating: 2.75/5