RAAJNEETI Reviewed

PLOT
Rajneeti talks about the politics of dynasty, that of sleaze and also of the corruption and malpractices which are rampant in the dirty game that’s politics. Manoj Vajpayee and Arjun Rampal belong to the same party and so does Nana Patekar and a few others. But there is internal bickering which leads first to the induction of Ajay Devgnm (step brother of Ranbeer and Rampal) into the party followed by Manoj Bajpayee’s demand to make him the laeder of the party. Consequently 2 factions are formed one of Manoj and other of Rampal. What follows is the political drama.








POSITIVES

Ah there are many.

1.Manoj Bajpayee is the lynchpin of the movie.He truly steals the show and is the real highlight of the film. Its amazing how actors like Boman Irani and Manoj bajpayee,are seldom part of B-town conversations but in actuality they are the drivers of many movies. Manoj has an awesome screen presence and the confidence and panache with which he delivers his dialogues makes you feel that he should star more often in Bolly movies. His dialogue “Kararaa jawab milegaa” is marvelously executed. He is too real.



2.The screenplay,cinematography camera angles and sound effects are brilliant and worth appreciation.

3. For a change Arjun Rampal has acted well. Katrina Kaif has “tried” but influences the viewer by her acting only so much. She still has a long long way to go before she truly is crowned the queen of bollywood. Dialogues need urgent attention. NRI accent in every movie is a given now. Not admirable. Ranbeer Kapoors performance is par for the course and so is Nana Patekars’.




4.Ajay Devgn is mind blowing. You develop so much positivity and respect for his character that you want to hug him for his performance which is being equated with that of Karan of Mahabharat due the similarity of the character he portrays.



5.The film has no dragging songs. Infact there are no songs as such in the movie. Not track is played more than a minute. That speaks volumes of the content and editing of the movie. Directors must take a cue as to how to successfully narrate a movie sans music and dance.

6.You take the brilliant eloquence of every character of the movie home. There is at least one dialogue you remember for each character. So credit to the lyricist and dialogue writer. A job well done.



7.There are scenes which tend to falsh in your memory even after the movie. Like Ajay Devgn driving a Benz in narrow streets of Patna and his pals running after him.

8.Scenes of shock and tragedy are believable and shot really well.





So what went wrong?

NEGATIVES

1. Some inexplicable sequences like:

a. The media ignoring Manoj Bajpayee’s death and as has been shown throughout the movie that they try and find out the core reason of every development are not interested in his death. He is shown to be a big political player so how can his death fade into oblivion.
b. Ranbeer kapoor is shown to be studying and pursuing his PhD all this while when suddenly at the demise of his father he decides to take to politics and shockingly his moves are politically correct also. So Not believable.




2. Gunning down of persons was never so easy.



3.Chaste hindi dialgues will forbid English speaking urbanites to watch this movie. The hindi that’s used is too much for an average multiplex viewer to comprehend. Sample this “Tum mere jeshtha putra ho”. People started to shout “KUNTI KUNTI”

4.Katrina Kaif doesnt deliver political speeches with the flair of a politician. Agreed that shes a woman but political speeches aren’t love lectures. They need authority and command which Manoj Bajpayee can perhaps teach her.

5.Nasrudeen Shah coouldve been used more than just a prop.



6.As in Mahabharat, when one feels bad for Karan, the death of Ajay Devgn makes one feel that the director could’ve done away with that.

7. The last few minutes of the movie seem a formality. The audience predicts the content.



All in all its not a family film with a few expletives and a few intimate scenes but is worth a watch only if you have spare time. To cast commercial actors in a political drama was always going to be risky but Prakash Jha has nearly managed the impossible. Barring the last few minutes. The movie is justified and unlike other bollywood ventures compels you to think.

A 2.5 on 5 for this one.

KITES Reviewed

Genre: Action / Romance
Language: Hindi
Release date and status: Released on May 21, 2010
Website: www.kites-thefilm.com
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

PLOT

Hrithik plays a lad called J. He is a dance instructor not by choice but by chance. He teaches dance to earn his living but plans to make it big in the casino city of Vegas. As an another means of income J or Hrithik helps women by acting as their false husband in order that the latter get their Visas and in which it is written "married" for the facilitation of their exit from the country. For this J charges money from women. Kangana who is a student of Hrithik plays Gia and falls in love with Hrithik who spurns her advances at first. But then he realises that she is the gateway to being richie rich as she is the daughter of the owner of biggest casino in Vegas and feigns later that he loves her too. J falls in love with the fiancee(Barbara Mori) of Jia's brother(Nicholas Brown) and eventually has to pay for it. The ensuing portion is the movie that follows.

The POSITIVES:

1. Barbara Mori comes as a refreshing change from the usual B-town lasses. She is a promising talent and acts superbly. Her chemistry with Hrithik is sizzling. She looks her part and fits the bill completely.

2.Hrithik ----With a Greek God appearence in most part of the movie, Roshan junior doesnt balk at the prospect of flaunting his body and his well chiselled physique is awe inspiring. He carries his part with aplomb. And not TO forget his singing which through audio software has been made to look over the top but still is worth appreciating. His hard work shows onscreen.

3. The background score is breath taking and scintillating. The sound mixing is superb. Notice how songs and completely contrasting moments and situations are clubbed just after each other to keep the viewer on his toes.

4.Nicholas Brown the villain looks his part and gets into the skin of his character.

5. The songs are apt for the situations theyre played in.

6. Kangana Ranaut although plays a cameo but will remain an actress who is under utilized in movies despite being above all the leading ladies of today in terms of acting.

7.The song "Fire" has Hrithik doing what he does best----dance. His moves are totally marvellous and awesome. They most certainly induce a gasp in the viewer.

8. Kabir Bedi appears though for a short duration but leaves a long impact.


So what is it then that this movie was being critixized so much ?

The NEGATIVES

1.The basic premise of the plot is extremely weak. Anurag Basu in trying to shell out a commercial venture has resorted to the old tried and tested formula of hero eloping with a heroine and with goons to company them , inevitably related somehow to the girl. This doesnt excite anyone anymore. Of course if you are a die hard Romantic you would disagree but this is too hackneyed for majority of the viewers including yours truly.

2. This one is a shocker. Hrithik while speaking in an American accent falters 2 times grammatically and that too not deliberately to make any one laugh. Sample this " I did not rubbished it". There is one more if one can spot.

3.Things go too easily for the eloping duo. They somehow manage to survive in forests and shanty homes.

4.It has been shown that the whole police is after the 2 ie Hrithik and Barbara as they try and elope and there is an alert all over the city to intimate any and every single detail of theirs to the cops. Despite this they are able to "loot" a bank and at another point when they get lots of money they are easily able to buy the daily paraphernalia through shops. As if doing the above is so easy. Defies logic to the core!!!!!!

5. There are too many twists and turns which are superfluous and uncalled for in the plot and the viewer who has come for entertainment succumbs to the rocket science.

6. For Hrithik to jump genres and more importantly the viewers----from Children to adults was always going to be fraught with risk and this transition has gone kaput.

7.Hrithik seems to have been inspired by Sunny Deol. He is unperturbed by bullets piercing him at regular intervals. Would you believe it he crosses the Mexican desert limping just after receiving a bullet wound. Inexplicable!!!!!

8.The villain and co are killed in a rather amusing scene wherein Hrithik openly fires bullets in heavy rain. As if the bad people dont have guns. And their target accuracy is nil. May be they can go to Abhinav Bindra for a lesson or two.

9.The climax makes the leading protagonists losers in the eyes of the viewer and this is the nail in the coffin for this laughable venture.
The viewer on so many occasions is given the assurance that the movie shall culminate on a positive note but it ends on a note which can be called anything but positive.

The Aamir Khan policy of Hrithik ------ to appear on screen less but do appreciative work has failed entirely ,utterly and consummately.

In the climax of the movie J or Hrithik realises it was much a do for nothing and this feeling is echoed by the discerning viewer whose pain turns to laughter by the end of 2 hours and 10 minutes.In the end the film makes a mockery of itself.


Watch it only if you have free money ,free time and free energy and want to test your levels of tolerating negativity. Unsurprisingly ,this Kite couldnt fly too high.

A meagre 2 on 5 is more than this movie can ask for.

	>Kites

MY NAME IS KHAN Reviewed

PLOT
My Name Is Khan is based on the atrocities faced by Muslims as an aftermath of 9/11 attack. Shahrukh Khan plays Rizwan Khan who is out to prove and proclaim to the world that Muslims are not synonymous with terrorists and that the religion does not propagate any form of violence. He falls in love with Mandira who plays Kajol and the evnents which follow their marriage are the reason why Rizwan wants to quell the wrong notions about Muslims.

SO WHY DOES ONE WATCH THIS MOVIE?

POSITIVES
The movie does not lack the positives and here they are as far as I could observe.

1.Kajol is simply superb and contemporary actresses who are making moolah by the bucketful with almost zilch acting capabilities must take acting lessons from this legendary actress. How well she emotes just with her eyes is outstanding. Full marks to her for looking so real and immersing herself in the skin of the character Mandira. She still looks pretty if she does a slight make up and gives the latest in the lot a run for their money.

2.SRK the mainstay of the movie is brilliant in almost all the scenes he does. His character is weak as far as wielding power is concerned but how well his role is written to make it look powerful. His voice over inb certain scenes is simply superb. If not the best this has to be one of the best performances of his career. One wonders why he squanders his talent on films like Billu and not indulge in cinema of the ilk of this film. He emotes in such subtle ways that the viewer is most certainly enthralled in the performance. He seems to have fully done his homework on the autism. Notice how we imitates them to every fine detail. Thats the hallmark of a great actor

3.The film does not fall short of lessons at every step.

a. It teaches us that humanity is superior to religion.
b.It sermonizes also that people must follow the religion and not the followers of religion.
c. Love is the most powerful tool and not physical or logical strength is also one of the core lessons this beautiful film gives out.
d. Not many would take this lesson from the film that if you have talent it can win you all battles indirectly or directly.
e.Were there is a will theres a way.
fGod helps those who help themselves.

4.Side actors have played their part in a silken manner.

5.Karan Johar has tried his best to put every incident in the film to explanation.

6.There are no lip sunc songs and that gives the movie a modern touch.The song Noor e Khuda and Sajda stand out for the situations they are played in and you keep them out of the cinema house too.

7.All the characters in the movie get the Urdu diction right.

8.The lady playing SRK's mother is excellent in her brief part.

9.The slumdog kid who plays the role of child Rizvan is also magnificent in his part.

10. Karan Johar has made a film very different from his brand of flicks.

11.The sentimentally moving scenes wallop you to weep alongside the protagonists.

12.The location viz. San Fransisco has been captured with utmost grandeur in sight.

13 It is a family film with no obscenity at all.


NEGATIVES

1.There are 2 gaffes or blunders in the movie: One is that Barkha Dutt is not a hindi Journalist and second is that the alms collection post 9/11 was not done in such a jolly mood as depicted.

2. There are times when the movie really sags and that slows down the tempo and gives the viewers a chance to yawn.

3.The songs are weak and barring 3 songs you dont have much of a song list to carry home humming.


To conclude My Name Is Khan must be watched for the secularism and democratic ways it supports. SRK is superb and Kajol is at her level best. It may not be entertaining at times but it is a movie which shall bag many many awards in ceremonies to come.

I will go with a generous 3.5 on 5 for this one. Go watch it, there are many lessons you would get and films like these which are a family watch are rare in these sex obsessed times.

DIL BOLE HADIPPA REVIEWED

Dil Bole........ is a movie which elicits mixed feelings after watching it.It is neither too good not overtly bad. It has its fair share of celebration and also the drawbacks.

BRIEF PLOT
Anupam Kher is an ardent cricket fan who likes to compete with his Pakistani friend every now and then in cricket matches in which 11 men represent each one of them.
Anupam Kher has been perpetually losing all the battles since many years as his team always find reasons to lose by playing below par cricket than his counterpart's team.
Shahid plays the son of Anupam Kher who plays in the English county as a very senior player who is called by his dad to resurrect the lost fortunes of his dad's team. As he arrives in India from UK,Shahid falls for Rani Mukherjee whom he loathes at the first site. Meanwhile Rani is a different girl who aspires to achieve big in the cricketing arena despite the odds.How she tries her luck in getting into Shahid's team by feigning being a sikh and brother of Veera (Rani) forms the rest of the story.

POSITIVES
1.Shahid and Rani form a great pair and their chemistry oozes out on the screen.

2.Rani is her acting best and so is Shahid.

3.The situations intended to be funny are funny.

4.The colours look simply wonderful to the eyes throughout the movie.

5.Rani playing a male Veer is superb.

6.The music is in synchrony with the story and keeps you entertained.

7.Anupam Kher and his Pakistani friend are brilliant.

8.the story will be loved by romantics and Yashraj followers who shall be treated to eulogies of Yashraj films in various scenes in the movie.


NEGATIVES
1.The story is extremely predictable.

2.No particular sequence is well developed and less time has been given to all and thus scenes change the moment they pick up their show.

3.Skimpy outfits make you wonder how it can be called a family watch?

4.Same old it all happens well in the end in sport movies cliche is at you again.

In toto it is a fine movie which will be loved more by those who believe in romantic flicks and light entertainment. ILL GO WITH 2.5/5 FOR THIS ONE. Save your money by taking this one from me.

WANTED may be unreal,unreasonable and inexplicable but in the same breath it must be said that it is entertaining,with a storyline matching hindi movies of the 70s and 80s and heralds the reinstatement of Salman Khan in the high performers of the industry.

BRIEF PLOT

The induction of a new police officer in the ranks of the Mumbai police commences the muzzling of the Mumbai mafia gangs. The police are out to nab all the goons and most importantly the kingpin Gani bhai who is into illegal activities big time.Salman plays a character named Radhey who is ostensibly a local thug who does everything by his own admission for money.He falls for Janhavi a middle class girl whom he meets by chance at a tv shop.The film is equally about the love story of Radhey as it is about the strong armed man and his obver the top assaults.

POSITIVES

1.Salman Khan is the biggest positive point of this movie. After a long time has a film come in which the main protagonist or the hero drives the story and after a long time Salman has done back breaking action literally at that.

So point 1 is being divided into sub parts to tell you why exactly is Salman so essential to the movie and how exactly does he pinch you to sustain the interest in the movie:

1(a).Salman delivers his dialogues with unprecedented panache. Its the dialogues which embellish this movie at various times and are an essence of the movie.

(b)Salman finally pushes himself out of his easy comfort zone to deliver something special. His performance throughout is praiseworthy.

(c)Salman dances superbly courtesy Prabhu Deva.

(d)Salman has finally showcased his extremely stout built including 8 pack abs contrary to the thought that he had succumbed to the pleasures of alcohol.





(e)Salman ekes out a brilliant chemistry with a fading actress whose age is also almost 20 years less than his.

2.Prabhu Deva as a director has come out with a gem of an entertainer. There are hardly portions in the movie where the tempo and interest sags.

3. Prabhu deva has made Salman Dance , a phenomenon seen after a long long time.

4. Ayesha Takia has done a role worth mention in the "positives of reviews" only after the movie Dor.

5. A new chemistry is born that too a surprising one. Salman sits perfectly as the inamorata of Ayesha Takia who in turn compliments the beast to the hilt.

6. Vinod Khanna and Mahesh Manjrekar as usual continue to excel in the parts they have been given and those parts are really crucial to the story.

7. The cravings of action lovers are surely assuaged as the action and fast sequences adorn the core part opf the movie with Salman at the heart of it all.

8. Barring a few profane words and expletives there is nothing which can be dubbed as adult.Infact it is a family film.

9. It is a totally fun packed film which can be seen and kept at the cinema hall only to come out with some sweet portions of it without much of a re think on any of the scenes.

10. Salman's inadvertent and intelligent comic timing is superb and coaxes even a person like yours truly(a difficult and stubborn person to make laugh) to laugh .

11. The Mughal e azam sequences in the beginning.

NEGATIVES

Far and few between but there are some.

1.The moves done by Salman are hard to believe unlike a Ghajini which satisfies the viewer of the violence that takes place in it seeing the hefty Aamir.

2.Songs are clearly added for the sake of it.

3.The film follows a very predictable and hunky dory storyline with everything falling in place as is surmised by the discerning viewer, thus it makes one reminisce of the action films of 70s and 80s or the current crop of south films where 1 person handles 15 men simultaneously .

On the whole the film is very entertaining and makes your mood to move on to do some other important tasks in life.Go for it woth your family and you wont regret it one bit. If you do then read my blog. ILL GO WITH 3.5/5 FOR THIS ENTERTAINER. A TREAT TO WATCH FOR THE SALLU DIE HARD.

	Wanted

KAMINEY REVIEWED

Kamniney is a paradigm shift from the usual poitboiler bollywood movies,which goads the viewer to never drop his thinking cap throughout the 2 odd hours it thrills, yet it retains the basic premise of an Indian movie.

BRIEF PLOT
Shahid Kapur plays a double role. And both his roles have speaking impediments. One of the character he enacts is the simpleton Guddu who stammers and has lines drawn for his career path. On the other hand Charlie also played by Shahid has a lisp. They are brothers but separated 3 years ago in the wake of their father's demise. Guddu gets into trouble when he marries the sister(Priyanka Chopra) of an aspiring Mumbai politician who wanted her to marry a builder's son so that in return he wouldve got the funds for his political arousal. But when the brother discovers that his sister has married Guddu he commences his journey to nab him. Charlie on the other hand is a ragamuffin and a vagabond who bets on horse races. His miseries begin when he loses his money in a bet and tries to get hold of the winner of his lost money. Some police officers are involved in a drug racket whose member is the one with the prize money. Following the series of events the lives of the 2 brothers intersperse and story out of story emanates.

POSITIVES
1.From the outset itself, the foundation for the adrenaline pumping movie is laid.The wellspring is quite different from usual action thrillers.

2.Shahid Kapur is over the top and absolutely breathtaking and does wonderful justice to both his characters whom he through his impeccable acting makes 2 distinct characters look completely different almost as though they were played by different actors. How he has metamorphosed into an actor worth a lead role is a story youll know after seeing this movie. This is truly a filip for his career.

3.Shahid fans will be delighted to see his well chiselled and toned body. He flexes his muscles on more than one occasion so the viewer gets a wholesome sneak into his curves.

4. For Shahid selection of this sort of a movie after a dud and completely different movie like Kismat Konnection is truly commendable. He has got a well written script by a thinking director.

5.Priyanka Chopra sans a great deal of screentime impresses immensely and is truly the reigning queen of bollywood. The scenes where she cries look astonishingly real.

6. The cinematography is done like a hollywood movie with camera angles and sequences hitherto unseen in a bollywood movie. The starting and ending of the movie make you feel that Indian cinema has arrived on the scene.

7.The songs are not anything remotely like dancing and prancing about trees and beautiful flowers. They are so intelligently and astutely executed that you wonder where was the Vishal Bhardwaj all this while?

8.The side charcters are inimtable and seem to add colours to a well contemplated script.

9. After a very very long while has a movie come , the dialogues of which form the essence of it and adorn it so that the viewer takes along certain scenes to home and with uncanny ease remembers the parts of a complicated storyline.

10. There is no time frittered away in a move away from the habit of hindi movies ie vivid explanation of certain unnecessary scenes. Kaminey is to the point and some food for thought is left for the viewer also, an idea of story narration seen only in hollywood films.

NEGATIVES
1. The film complicates matters by piling one story over the other in a speck of time leaving the viewer literally no time to comprehend what the previous sequence meant. Its only at the end that the epiphany dawns upon the viewer and its only then that the "not understood pieces and scenes" in the mind start to fall in their place.

2.The movie is not meant for the undiscerning viewer as he would find it nonsensical and will not be able to comprehend the goings on throughout.

3.Screenplay becomes too fast for the viewer to understand the pace of things.


In toto this movie will delight the viewer who wants to see a tangible change in an Indian movie with distinct features which rankle the cerebra.

A great piece of work and a magnum opus of Vishal BHardwaj and Shahid Kapur. The film does live upto its hoopla and din and leaves a mark on the mind even some while after watching it.

ILL GO WITH 4 OUT OF 5 FOR THIS ONE. Id say go to the cinemas and take out some of your time from your busy schedule to see the transformation this movie brings to BOLLYWOOD.

LOVE AAJ KAL REVIEWED

Love Aajkal disappoints the viewer with the same conviction as its trailers evoke curiosity and eagerness to see a good film. No points for guessing how it shapes up in the end.

BRIEF PLOT
There are 2 stories in the film.The irony is that both of them are parallel to each other in a distinct way. Saif and Deepika are a happy couple till one day they realise that they ought to part ways owing to their respective professional askance.They separate so amicably that it looks more like a patch up.Enters Rishi Kapoor who tells Saif that in him he sees himself of yore.He also tells him he also had a similar story like Saif but he choose to face the hardships rather than resort to escapism like Saif was doing. At first Saifs laughs Rishi's saga away But as time passes he realizes how difficult it becomes for gim to stay away from Deepika who harbours feelings akin to this . How all this happens and how they patch up again forms the rest of the story.

POSITIVIES
1.Though Saif overdoes his scenes many times but still he is the essence of the movie.
2.Rishi Kapoor is his usual pragmatic self. His histrionics too good.
3.The climax is happy for those who like elation ridden denouements.
4.The jokes are funny to an extent.
5.The story is simple.
6.Saif Ali Khan does justice to his role as the young Rishi Kapoor. He is brilliant at times.

NEGATIVES
1.Deepika Padukone has started to try but her acting can still be lucidly dubbed as hamming.
2.Saif Ali Khan over acts a la SRK.
3.There are too many scenes which defy logic.The director needs to justify how people can So easiy break up on someone and how they can comeback in their lives many seasons later? How easily at marriage parties, the bride exchanges messages on her mobiles? How a young Rishi Kapoor can elope with a girl on her marriage day?
How easily Deepika Padukone's husband played by Rahul Khanna allows her to spend time aloof and how easily he lets her go to talk to her "friend" in the name of "sab accha nahi ho raha hai". All these issues are inexplicable and in real life these things dont happen so easily and smoothly as is shown. Too much has been left on our hearts to believe. The film is a food for hear rather than thought.
4.Rishi Kapoor couldve been utilized more.
5.Locations like London and San Fransisco are completely squandered and their beauty not showcased in any manner whatsoever. Even Delhi is frittered away.
6. The songs are wasted.

It is an innocuous film as far as adult content is concerned. But on the other hand it has nothing in it that you can sit with your family and enjoy the movie.

All in all a one time watch wont make you feel huilty but this is a certain disappointment from the director who came up with a rib tickler like Jab We Met when he donned the director's hat last.

ILL GO WITH 2.5 ON 5. WATCH AT A THEATER OR IF AFTER READING MY REVIEW YOU ARE BOGGED DOWN. DONT HESITATE TO TAKE THE MOVIE IN PEN DRIVE FROM ME.

	Love Aaj Kal