At the Edge..in March 2011

At The Edge Coming march 2011, Himesh's Rocking International Album,

The Musical Magic Back Soooooooon.....

3 Months To Go..

Dabangg movie review

The fight between good and bad has been the fodder of many a Hindi film of 1970s and 1980s. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that these films dominated the cinema of yore and a lot of us, who have grown up on masala films/wholesome entertainers, will vividly recall the serpentine queues outside cinema halls and a mad scramble to book the tickets of those films. Hardcore masala films were relished with glee by the audience then.

However, for some inexplicable reason, masala films became extinct or should I say, disappeared from the face of Hindi cinema over a period of time. GHAJINI and WANTED revived this genre, bringing back memories of the bygone era. Now DABANGG takes this genre one step ahead.

Be forewarned. DABANGG is rustic, has loads of action, harps on the age-old mother-son and varied relationships [half-brother, step-father], eventually turns into a vendetta fare, has a number of songs placed smartly in the narrative [including an item number]... but the packaging is slick and polished. Sure, it's old wine, but packed in a brand new bottle, with a new brand ambassador [Salman Khan] endorsing this masalathon.

Most importantly, it has Salman like never before. Breathing fire and venom, Chulbul Pandey aka Robinhood Pandey taps Salman's star power like no film has and the result is sheer magic. In fact, DABANGG stands on three pillars - Salman's star power, smashing stunts and super music.

Final word? Salman fans, rejoice! You walk in DABANGG with 100% expectations and you exit with 200% gratification. Entertainment guaranteed. This film will create a pandemonium of sorts, a mass hysteria, crushing old records and setting new benchmarks at the box-office.

Set in Uttar Pradesh, DABANGG is a story of Chulbul Pandey [Salman Khan], a totally fearless but corrupt police officer with unorthodox working methods. But even the most fearless at times face a tough fight with their innermost demons. Chulbul has had a bitter childhood. His father passed away when he was very young, after which his mother [Dimple Kapadia] married Prajapati Pandey [Vinod Khanna]. Together, they had a son Makhanchan [Arbaaz Khan].

Prajapati favors Makhanchan, which does not go down well with Chulbul. He decides to take control of his destiny and detaches himself from his step-father and half-brother. His sole attachment is his mother. However, after his mother's demise and an unsuccessful attempt to mend wounds, Chulbul snaps all ties with his step-father and half-brother.

Rajo [Sonakshi Sinha], with her unique perspective of life, enters his world and turns life upside down. Chulbul starts to see life more positively and also gets sensitized to the value of a family. But his detractors, especially the dubious Cheddi Singh [Sonu Sood], have their own vested interests and emerge as spokes in the wheels, putting one brother against the other. Makhanchan ends up carrying out an act oblivious to the consequences.

When Makhanchan realizes he has been used, he turns to Chulbul. Will Chulbul take his extended hand? Will the brothers be able to thwart their detractors?

The job of a promo is to give a gist of the film and prepare the audience well in advance about what to expect when they saunter into an auditorium. The promos of DABANGG have sent the right signals to the audience about it being a paisa vasool entertainer. Let's face it, DABANGG has nothing ground-breaking to offer as far as its plot is concerned. We've visited similar stories in the past, but what makes DABANGG shine, and shine brightly, is Salman's star power, which camouflages the aberrations wonderfully. The darling of the masses has been cast in a role that his fans love to see him in, which explains why this film works from start to end.

Like I pointed out earlier, DABANGG is special for two more reasons: S. Vijayan's stunts and Sajid-Wajid's music, with an additional song by Lalit Pandit. Talking of action scenes, Salman's introduction at the start and the fight-to-finish in the climax will send the masses in frenzy. To state that the action scenes are outstanding, especially the fight in the finale, would be an understatement. In the finale fight, when Salman's shirt tears apart and the rippling muscles and the bare-chest fight ensues, mark my words, it will lead to chaos at mass-dominated centres, especially at single screens. The climax will be one of the prime reasons for repeat viewing, for sure.

It's difficult to accommodate music in an action film, but Sajid-Wajid come up with a melodious score. The title track, 'Tere Mast Mast Do Nain' and 'Munni' [composed by Lalit Pandit] are the icing on the cake.

Director Abhinav Singh Kashyap is in his element. He's made an out and out entertainer with an eye at the masses and he succeeds in his endeavour. Doing justice to vintage formula is no cakewalk, let's not forget. Besides, the director stays away from going overdramatic while handling the dramatic and emotional moments. This explains why you don't exit the theatre with a spinning head. Mahesh Limaye's cinematography is perfect. I'd like to make a note of the editing [Pranav V. Dhiwar], which is super-slick in action scenes. Dialogue, especially those delivered by Salman, will be greeted with claps and whistles. Especially the one 'Itne chhed karunga'.

Salman Khan is the boss, when it comes to playing to the masses. This film reaffirms this truth. The role provides him ample opportunity to prove his star power and he does it with remarkable ease. Let me put it on record. DABANGG is yet another landmark film in his career, besides MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN, JUDWAA [tapping the funny side], TERE NAAM [tapping the emotional side] and WANTED.

Sonakshi Sinha looks fresh, acts confidently and pairs off very well with Salman. Most importantly, she delivers the right expressions and is not overpowered by the galaxy of stars in the cast. Arbaaz Khan is efficient. He underplays his part well. Sonu Sood is electrifying, matching up to Salman at every step. In fact, the fight in the finale between Salman and Sonu is awe-inspiring.

Vinod Khanna is excellent in a role that has grey shades. Dimple Kapadia is truly wonderful. Anupam Kher is, as always, good. Ditto for Om Puri. Mahesh Manjrekar doesn't get ample scope. Mahi Gill is alright. Tinnu Anand is effective. Murli Sharma is nice. Malaika Arora Khan sizzles in the 'Munni' track.

On the whole, DABANGG is a full on entertainer with three aces - Salman Khan like never before, stylish action and super music. It's a foregone conclusion that DABANGG will open huge. As far as the business prospects are concerned, the film will set new benchmarks, so much so that DABANGG will be one of the yardsticks to gauge the level of business in times to come. Sure to fetch an earth-shattering opening, the film will create a pandemonium at the box-office, cementing the status of Salman Khan as the darling of the masses and making the distributors laugh all the way to the bank. It has Blockbuster written all over it!

KBC is back with Big B

The big news in Indian television is that Amitabh Bachchan is back as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati . This will be the fourth season of this very popular show which is based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The fourth season will go on air by the end of this year. However, the broadcaster will not remain the same. “The show will now be aired on a different channel,” says a top source from the TV industry.

Kaun Banega Crorepati was Bachchan’s first appearance on Indian television in 2001. In 2005, the show’s second season was called Kaun Banega Crorepati Dwitiya in which the final prize amount was doubled to Rs 2 crore. However, the second season was abruptly stopped when Bachchan fell ill in 2006. Bachchan announced he would return as soon as he recovered, but it was Shah Rukh Khan who finally hosted the show in 2007.

Anil Kapoor was also being considered to play the host in the forthcoming season. However, most well-wishers of the channel insisted that Bachchan should be brought back.

Elaborating on why Bachchan is being brought back to the show, our source says, “Both, Bachchan and Shah Rukh, respectively brought their distinct individuality on the table, but frankly speaking, Shah Rukh’s histrionics did not do go down well with the audience. There was a vast difference in the TRPs between the two seasons hosted by Bachchan and the third season hosted by Shah Rukh.”

It may be recalled that the hysteria, which prevailed during Amitabh’s stint in Kaun Banega Crorepati, remains unparalleled on Indian television. Dinner time at most homes was changed to either before or after Kaun Banega Crorepati went on air. Mondays to Thursdays, cinema halls reported a slump in night show bookings because everybody was busy watching Kaun Banega Crorepati in their homes. Reportedly, a theatre owner in Delhi, who knew Bachchan, had even written to him to change the timing of the show.

We sent a text message to Bachchan but he did not revert. The channel too chose to remain quiet. “An official announcement will be made very soon,” adds the source.

Kajraare postponed to Eid

Kajraare movie postponed again this time.

Ramzan starts from August 10. The film has a strong Muslim theme and the producers feel that the collections could suffer if released in the Ramzan month.

Our source said, “The producers felt that Eid was the right time for the film to release. But on the flip side, the release of the film will clash with that of the eagerly awaited Dabangg.”

When contacted, Himesh said, “I think if Kajraare is pushed from 6th August to a later date then it will be a blessing in disguise because Ramzan starts from 10th August and Kajraare has a very strong theme for the Muslim audience.

Whether the film is being pushed or not is entirely the producer Bhushan Kumar’s call.”

Aisha Movie Review

Aisha is based on Jane Austin’s popular novel Emma. Western filmmakers have attempted the big screen versions of Emma before and Rajshree Ojha has come up with a competent if not a fabulous Indianised version of the same with Aisha.

The film narrates the tale of Aisha (Sonam Kapoor) who believes in match-making as a hobby and follows it passionately. When she is done with match making of her aunt, Aisha takes a new entrant to her world as her next project. The girl is Shefali (Amrita Puri) and is from a smaller town and just reached Delhi to find herself a suitor. Aisha goes about changing the small town girl into someone more like her and then tries setting her up with a childhood friend Randhir (Cyrus Sahukar). Randhir loves Aisha and not Shefali and when Aisha gets to know this, blanks him out of her life. Aisha’s best friend Pinky Bose (Ira Dubey) finds a mate in Randhir and walks out on Aisha. In the meantime Aisha moves on to set Shefali up with another guy. All this while her childhood friend Arjun (Abhay Deol) tries to tell her that she is just making things worse for Shefali. By the time Aisha realizes things, it is quite late.

The problem with Aisha is that it is supposed to be a romantic comedy but it does not draw any emotions from the audience. The story stays superficial and there are no scenes – even the climax scene when Aisha knows she is in love – that are interesting enough. Also the scenes which act as a catalyst to the change in Aisha’s outlook are completely mistimed and not built well. Clearly the issue is with the screenplay. The dialogues are good though.

Technically the film is shot well and makes Delhi looks good. The costumes are a high point of the film and it will manage to set quite a few fashion trends. The music is good too.

On a scale of performances Sonam scores decent. Abhay Deol does his job well, though we wish we could have seen more of him. Ira Dubey, Arunoday Singh and Lisa Haydon are efficient. The real scene stealer though is Amrita Puri. She will bring a smile on your faces every time she comes on screen.

However despite numerous pluses, the minuses bough Aisha down in regular intervals and the two hour running time also appears tedious! So take your call, if you want to watch a light breezy entertainer that doesn’t really appeal to your heart but is beautiful to watch, go for Aisha.

Once Upon a time in Mumbai

A good old style and technology blended bollywood film is being produced by Milan Luthria which is the film Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. This is a movie which is starred by Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Kangana Ranaut, and Randeep Hooda which will make this film a good one.

The film is also known by the name Mumbai Goes Rewind and is scheduled for release on 30 July 2010.

This movie says or shows the growth of the underworld in Mumbai from crime and smuggling and also about its connection with international terrorism. It also shows the characters Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim. And also tries to show the actual happenings around the world the activity of terrorism.

The film is being produced by the Balaji Telefilms and also the Popcorn Entertainment. The music in this film is done by Pritam and the Cinematography is done by Raju Khan. The story, dialogue and the screenplay is done by Rajat Aroraa and the choreography is also done by Raju Khan and Remo D’Souza.

An excellent form of sound excellence is proved through out by the great sound tracks. The name of this film is a very appropriate one and the main subject of this film is also the same that says about the terrorism. This film shows the changing of the face of Mumbai and also this film is show as such like through the eyes of a police officer.

This film is now running in the big screens and be sure to watch this great film and please avoid seeing this through the CDs and DVDs
as now you have a chance to watch it at theater. This film will be like a sort of advice to use your talents when required

Kajraare Music Review

EXPECTATIONS
Music release of a Himesh Reshammiya album is an event. Gone are the days when he had an album releasing practically every month. All of this changed after he made his debut as an actor in Aap Kaa Surroor. After that he started creating music only for those films where he was also playing an actor, as a result of which the only new music albums of his that have released are Karzzzz and Radio. Whatever the fate of these films, the fact remains that both of these have boasted of a fantastic score. With Sameer joining hands with Reshammiya once again, one expects another musical extravaganza, especially with seven unique songs making Kajraare a grand affair.


MUSIC
A classy beginning by Sunidhi Chauhan followed by some addictive beats ensure that the title track 'Kajra Kajra Kajraare' would have a lot going for it throughout it's near 5 minute duration. Though there is a slight distraction that comes in with the club feel imparted due to a female vocal coming out of nowhere, it is the arrival of Himesh Reshammiya behind the mike which totally changes the direction of the song. He does what he is best at, i.e. going full throated for this love song which is attached to the roots and has a definite Indian feel to it. A chartbuster in the making, it may take a couple of hearings for it's sound to be grasped. However, once that happens, it is one long party, what with a 'Party Mix' following a while later.


However, it takes much more than just a couple of listenings to get a hang of 'Rabba Luck Barsa' which is a Himesh Reshammiya solo. The lyrics too are truly unique and though some may scoff at them, the fact is that for Reshammiya fan base, 'Rabba Luck Barsa' brings in just what they would have expected from the album. Yet another love song which is about the protagonist praying to God to get some luck raining in his favour so that he can be united with his beloved again, 'Rabba Luck Barsa' is yet another winner, especially in the 'Party Mix' version which brings in a new dimension to the song.

After a couple of beats based numbers, there is some 'thehraav' that comes in, courtesy 'Aafreen'. For those who have loved Himesh Reshammiya belonging to 'Ahista Ahista' zone, this is the one for them. Sung in high pitch again, 'Aafreen' with Harshdeep Kaur as the female vocalist has minimal instruments in the background and is totally Indian in appeal. A soothing track where Reshammiya excels both as a composer and singer, 'Aafreen' only makes one exclaim that he is too good to be wasting his talent by picking up projects so sparsely. Really, he deserves to be composing much more than he is doing currently and while it is always good to expect quality outings like this from him, a little more quantity would only help the cause.

Reshammiya brings a folk base to 'Tujhe Dekh Ke Armaan Jaage' which starts off quite slowly, though managing to keep the listener's attention on. However, as the song enters into it's second minute, the beats come in which bring in an added flavour to this love song. Yet another easy on ears number that hooks on to you in quick time, 'Tujhe Dekh Ke Armaan Jaage' sees a new dimension coming to it once Shreya Ghoshal joins in. With each of the four songs managing to make an impression so far, one only hopes and keeps fingers crossed to have the remaining three tracks bring in similar results as well.

The beginning of 'Teriyan Meriyan' promise yet another song belonging to the mood of 'Ahista Ahista'. A slow start makes one look forward to what Himesh has to offer in the song to follow and the wait is worth it once he comes behind the mike. Yet another out and out Indian song, it has some new lyrics to it which again could be a reason for a few to scoff at. Also, Reshammiya stresses his vocals a lot during his stint behind the mike. However, his fan base won't be disappointed as this one is again made especially for them.

What should work across segments of audience, with or without a fan base, is 'Woh Lamha Phir Se Jeena Hai'. One wonders how this song didn't quite make it to the top of the album because this one has a class similar to that of 'Tanhaiyaan' [Aap Kaa Surroor]. Boasting of some good musical arrangements, emotional lyrics and some spirited singing by Reshammiya and Harshdeep Kaur , 'Woh Lamha Phir Se Jeena Hai' is about revisiting the times gone by and reliving the glorious moments all over again. This has a potential to go all the way if supported by some strong dramatic visuals. No wonder, the song appears in a deserving 'Party Mix' version.

Last to come is 'Sanu Guzara Zamana' which is yet another truly Indian song in the album. A duet by Himesh Reshammiya and Sunidhi Chauhan, this song is yet another take on the good times shared by the couple which was once pretty much in love. With a touch of Punjabi to it, 'Sanu Guzara Zamana' has a 'ghazal' setting and allows the listener to enjoy yet another track which has in it to be popular in days to come. The 'Lounge Mix' only adds on to the strength of this album which can go all the distance if promoted to the fullest.

OVERALL
Kajraare justifies the faith that one had in Reshammiya as a composer (as well as a singer). A complete affair, Kajraare gives a listener a lot to chew upon and Reshammiya ensures that there is a mix of class and mass in the seven songs. Since his last two films haven't done well, the entire perception about him as a total performer has been challenged in the last couple of years. However, there may just be a surprise in store if the film turns out to be as good as the music here. With audience being exposed to newer music during last couple of years, there is a bit of ground that Reshammiya may have to cover all over again. However, once audience give Kajraare a hearing, it should be back to old times for Reshammiya with the music scaling heights all over again.

RAHAT RAHAT MANGTI DHADKAN KI BETAABIYAN......... DIL KI AARZOO HAI SAARE FAASALE MITAAADE ..... MERI TANHAAIYON KI MEHFILE SAJAADE OR NAAAAAA TARSAAAA TARSAAA AAAAA...... RABBA LUCK BARSAAAAAAAA.....

Listen Kajraare songs online

http://ping.fm/gwVjL

indianbollywoodstars.blogspot.com

http://ping.fm/Dzb0A

Rabba Luck barsa promo from Kajraare

Mahiya se deedar kara de rabba luck barsa,
Rabba luck barsa
Or na tarsa tarsa tarsa.........
Rabba luck barsa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDDb_-JoHRs

Kajraare Title Track Lyrics

Check out exclusive Full Lyrics of Kajraare Movie on This lyrics Blog. Click Here

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Housefull movie reviews by viewers

Housefull Flop...

by sheraz
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 01:46:52 PM
hahahaha....worst movie ever and not only me all those people who went to watch the movie are saying this...more than 80% masses have been disappointed by the movie..now where is sajid khan...answer us...what a worst movie u made...


by ShOoNa
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 11:43:18 AM
The 2nd half is better than the 1st ,loved Boman in it he was hilarious,Riteish was gr8 the girls were stunning, so sad that the movie turned out like that,waste of time .

shame on you taran adarsh
by kushal
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 10:04:58 AM
how could you give this movie 4 star. you were scared that if the movie became hit than sajid will kick you. your a reporter, you should judge a movie with its content not with power. Movie might be hit who knows, may be a blockbuster but that doesn't mean it's good money. Please use your pen as weapon not as money ng machine.

guys Wst of Time n Mony
by ALi
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 02:43:21 AM
noting new in movie .. all copid hmm it avrg mybe flop.. ahah Sajid chalanged 3idiots lol go get like budy

FLOP
by Ahsan
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 01:18:55 AM
i really wanted this movie to be bad. and yes it is... though didnt watch, i can assure that its gonna lose its hold sooner and flop. SAJID KHAN JESE LOGO KE SATH YEHI HONA CHAHIYE bcz he had somewhat insulted people like ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER who gave us films like jodha akbar, lagaan, swades. (i am an SRK fan). still respect lagaan. but this iya sajid khan cant really come up with any good movie. he doesnt hv guts to make a good movie. feel bad for Akki but thats how it goes! FLOP.

This is Bad News !!!!
by aziz
on Saturday 01st May 2010, 12:49:30 AM
Now Sajid khan is doomed cuz he said it will break record of 3 idiot But since peple didn't like the movie so it's a flop

Phoonk 2

The 'success' of a film pretty much ensures that a sequel will be released as soon as the filmmakers can collect enough elements from the previous film to roll cameras.

I suppose Phoonk [ Images ] by Ram Gopal Varma [ Images ] made enough money to justify the production of a sequel. The first one was about black magic, so I suppose this new one is about more black magic and a little revenge.

This time around RGV has handed the directorial reigns to Milind Gadagkar, the man who wrote the first instalment. And the film picks up not too far away from where the previous one left off.

Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar, in appropriately grotesque makeup) has returned from the dead to torment Rajiv (Sudeep) and his family. They may have moved to a new home with a pool and access to a beach but it appears that the demonic presence has travelled with them.

Before long voices are heard all over the house, reflections disappear from mirrors and his young son Rohan (Rishabh Jain) is scared stiff by the doll his daughter Raksha (Ahsas Channa) brings home one day. Things come to a head for Rajiv when his wife Arati (Amruta Khanvilkar) is possessed by the spirit of Madhu who promises to do very bad things to his family before she exacts her revenge.

This movie does 'creeping dread' pretty effectively. The first twenty minutes of the movie focus singularly on setting up the family's move to their new home.

The floating camera work by Lenhert Pereira (under Director of Photography Charles Meher), the accompanying creepy background score (Dharam and Sandeep) and the effective sound design (Jayesh Dhakan) contribute to a sense of impending doom on several occasions.

That said however, too many sequences in this film promise a terrifying spectacle and then deliver a predictable 'been there, seen that' outcome, which gets quite frustrating after a point.

The editing is pretty lax and it often feels like several scary moments would have been more effective if they had turned up a beat or two quicker than they do on most occasions. Horror, like comedy, is all about timing and too often the editor gets the timing wrong on this movie.

Apart from that, there are also sequences where people don't seem to be arriving from point A to Point B in a logical manner. Like there is no logical explanation for how the kids ended up exploring the beach one moment and then wandering through the jungle behind their home in the very next shot.

I suppose it is too much to ask of movie children to not pick up random dolls that they find abandoned in a jungle. And I suppose it is also pointless to draw attention to the truly atrocious dialogue. Rohan seems to speak only in superlatives and cliches. Everybody overacts. The presence of Rajiv's sister Arushi (Neeru Bajwa) and her husband Ronnie (Amit Sadh) seems to be justifiable only as an injection of sex appeal since the lady prances around in tank tops and short shorts for most of her time on screen.

If one were to break this movie down into its component parts this is how it would play -- people walk around the house, its grounds, or the beach spouting inane dialogue; the camera floats away, the music builds to a crescendo and (occasionally) something 'scary' is revealed. Many of the previous movie's greatest hits are back -- the scary face at the window, the disturbingly behaving reflections in the mirrors, the crow... it is all filmmaking by the numbers. And it all adds up to a big fat zero.

The happenings in this movie are not as scary as the notion that producers are repeatedly funding movies like this. I suppose we get the entertainment we deserve but one can't help feeling that the man (Varma) who helped rejuvenate the horror genre in India [ Images ] might also be instrumental in hastening its demise.

Paathshaala Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, April 16, 2010 – 11:00 IST

Pick up a newspaper or surf news channels and I’m sure, atrocities being committed on students by teachers/principals wouldn’t escape your attention. Also do a Google and so many results on this topic would open up in a fraction of seconds.

Educational institutions – not all, but a few definitely – are in a crazy rush to create a brand for themselves and even parents [not all, again] are keen that their kids become scholars and whiz kids overnight. Resultantly, the child is not just burdened with a bulky school bag on his back, but also carries the burden of ambitions, aspirations and unfulfilled dreams on his tiny, frail shoulders.
BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM

PAATHSHAALA merely touches the tip of the iceberg. It attempts to answer questions related to the sanctity of today’s education system. It sheds light on the shortcomings in today’s schools and how morals and ethics associated with the teaching profession seem to have taken a complete backseat. Let’s not compare it with TAARE ZAMEEN PAR or 3 IDIOTS, although a few sequences, in these two trend-setting films, threw light on the pressures on students.
On the brighter side, the acting is distinguished. Nana underplays beautifully, Ayesha adds to the sunshine moments, but it’s Shahid who pitches in a commendable and convincing act.

PAATHSHAALA, penned by Ahmed Khan and directed by Milind Ukey, is well-intentioned. It has a lot to say, but the predicament is, what translates on celluloid is not razor-sharp. Of course, there are few defining moments in the movie, which do make you ponder on the plight of the educational system. But there are also portions – when the media steps in to boost the brand of the school – that are mumbo-jumbo.

Final word? PAATHSHAALA, made with noble intentions, could’ve been a splendid wake up call, but it runs out of steam midway!

The story begins with a new English teacher, Rahul Prakash Udyavar [Shahid Kapoor], joining Saraswati Vidya Mandir School. Though he strikes an instant rapport with students and teachers alike, he realizes that there is something amiss in the school.

Slowly, his doubts prove true as School Manager Sharma [Saurabh Shukla] makes many monetary obligations compulsory on the parents in the name of extra-curricular activities. He goes to the extent of punishing the students inhumanly when the new, unjustified demands of the school are not fulfilled by the parents.

When Rahul unifies the teachers [Ayesha Takia, Sushant Singh] against the atrocities of school management, Principal Aditya Sahay [Nana Patekar] defends the management decision. This comes as a shocker to the teachers as Sahay is known for his dedication as an educationist for last 32 years, which has built the school’s high reputation.

The situation turns grave as the school management becomes over-ambitious with its growth and involves media planners in the extra-curricular activities. This demands the involvement of students in TV reality shows and many other media activities used for building up the school image in public, which starts reflecting on the students’ stress levels. The pressure on young minds increases incredibly, leading to unexpected consequences.

One of my childhood memories is of a few students being called to the principal’s office and being reprimanded for not paying their school fees on time. In another instance, I vividly recall a student being made to stand in scorching heat, under the blazing sun, since he was up to some mischief all the while. The barbaric attitude was a way of teaching the student a lesson.

PAATHSHAALA brings back those dark memories because the film encapsulates these two incidents on celluloid. The problem with the film is, it gets very real at times, but gets farcical as well. The participation of kids in media activities doesn’t have a hammer-strong impact. The chilly portion and the director capturing it on camera, or the press photographer munching samosa as the kids get ready with a pyramid, looks unreal, despite being identifiable incidents. Even the climax is confusing. What is Nana saying in the concluding reels lacks precision.

Director Milind Ukey has filmed some scenes expertly, but, as mentioned above, the film lacks the power to make you do a serious introspection. Hanif Shaikh’s music is strictly okay.

Nana is very much in sync with his character. Shahid displays the vulnerability and helplessness remarkably. Ayesha is a complete natural, as always. Amongst the plethora of teachers and students, Sushant Singh does well, Sushmita Mukherjee is serviceable and Saurabh Shukla is so effective, you start hating him for his repulsive attitude.

On the whole, PAATHSHAALA is a well-intentioned film, but lacks clarity thanks to an uninspiring screenplay.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge Movie Review

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge is a bollywood Hindi comedy film released today on mar 5, 2010 directed by Ashwni Dhir, Starring Ajay Devgn, Konkona Sen Sharma, Paresh Rawal. Adithi TumKabJaoge Movie is produced by Warner Bros.

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge promises to provide the family audience a neat, subtle and funny experience. Atithi Tum Kab Jayenge – Ajay Devgan and also. Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge movie story revolves around Puneet (Ajay) and Munmun (Konkona). Their lives turn upside down when Paresh Rawal enters in to their home. Athiti Tum Kab Jaoge movie is kind of movie, which based on a guest who visits and makes placement for himself for long time even after saying Aap Kab Jaoge. This kind of scenario we witness many times at home, even though any loved one comes and stays for a long time. When the Mehman takes his/ her luggage leaving the inviters and then many still don’t like to ask but still say Atithi Tum kKab Aaoge.

Click Here For Full Cast and Crew Details and Full Movie Review.

Thank You Readers

Before Posting my another post First of all I want to thanks my all the Readers becoz due to you I had completed my 100 Posts in the Blog. Special Thanks to My All Friends. Keep visting this blog. Thanks to everyone

Nitin Jaiswal

Upcoming Bollywood Movies

Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
05 March 2010


Road, Movie
05 Mar 2010


Prince
26 Mar 2010





Paathshaala
09 Apr 2010

Tees Maar Khan on the roll

Finally Farah Khan has got into the lingo of ‘Lights, Camera and Action’ for her most-hyped film ‘Tees Maar Khan’. Of late the shooting of the Akshay Kumar starrer kick started in the locales of the Film City.

In fact the filmmaker wanted to start the shoot on the day of Holi with the actor. However as Akki was keen to celebrate the festival, Farah had got on with the shooting of a sequence where junior artists were required to feature. Now that Holi is over, Akshay said to have joined the team.

Currently they are shooting Akshay’s introductory scene, which involves masaledar stunts and comedy. It was for this very scene the production had erected a huge jumbo jet, designed by Sabu Cyril.

The scene involves Akshay being taken captive in the plane and in the course of the sequence he outsmarts everyone and escapes.

‘Tees Maar Khan’ features Akki totally in a new avatar, playing a hot conman. For this, he is being styled by designer Aki Narula and international make-up stylists.

All Eyes On Housefull

The next two months will see small and medium budget releases and there may be a few box office surprises but all eyes will be on Housefull which is expected to get summer season going at the ticket counters.

The promo which premiered with Karthik Calling Karthik on Friday has seen a good response from the trade and public and the film looks like the first big commercial entertainer of 2010. This year has seen Veer succeed in interiors and My Name Is Khan in big cities but Housefull could work in both interiors and big cities.

The last time Akshay Kumar, Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan came together it resulted in a big hit in the form of Heyy Babyy and it looks like the house full boards may well go up again on 30th April when Housefull opens.

Karthik Calling Karthik Dull

Karthik Calling Karthik showed falls at most places on Monday despite it being a holiday for Holi. The business on Monday was around 1.25 crore nett which takes the film to 11.25 crore nett approx.

The film will find it tough going from here on and the first week is likely to come in around 14 crore nett.

Teen Patti did not fall as heavily as collections were very low anyway but still it managed to get a little benefit of Holi holiday. Teen Patti managed to add around 75 lakhs on Monday for a four day total of 3.75 crore nett.

Karthik Calling Karthik Movie Review

Have you ever received a call from yourself? Is it possible in the first place? There are several theories doing the rounds about the two Karthiks in this movie. So what is it? Is Karthik hallucinating? Does he have a double role? Or a split personality? For most parts of the film, you actually buy the explanation that Karthik does receive calls from, well, Karthik.

Let's accept the fact that a concept like this instinctively generates curiosity in the film. But the real test is to make the story work in those 2 hours. Also - this is vital - the identity of the caller should come as a jolt when the film concludes.

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK works in parts, but during the penultimate part, when the story shifts from Mumbai to Kerala, the sand castle, so beautifully built by debutante director Vijay Lalwani, gets washed away.

One doesn't want to challenge the behavioural patterns of a person with a certain disorder, but when it comes to the big screen, when you are narrating a story on celluloid, you need to do a lot of spoon-feeding and make it look convincing. In this case, unfortunately, the finale is just not convincing and therefore, acts as a spoilsport.

Meet Karthik [Farhan Akhtar], an introvert by nature and shy by choice. Karthik suffers with huge confidence issues and is miserable at his average job that yields less than average results. His boss [Ram Kapoor] treats him like dirt. Shonali [Deepika Padukone], his colleague, who he secretly loves, doesn't even know that he exists. Karthik is a loser. He knows it. He accepts it.

Suddenly, one night, the phone rings. And Karthik speaks to someone he never thought he would. He speaks to a man who also claims to be Karthik. The man on the phone says he's here to change Karthik's life. Karthik accepts the phone in his life and soon it becomes his guide, his mentor, his friend, his guardian.

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK is a love story as also a suspense fare that teases your mind. Any love story works if the chemistry and also the moments between the on-screen lovers looks real and the chemistry between Farhan and Deepika works well.

Correspondingly, a suspense film works if the viewer keeps guessing what the culmination to the story would be. The mystery only deepens when not only Karthik, but also his girlfriend and psychiatrist are engulfed in this storm. All hell breaks loose when Karthik's life goes upside down and Karthik is back to square one. But from this point onwards, the graph of the film only goes downwards.

Debutante director Vijay Lalwani knows his job well, but he's letdown by his own writing. The second hour not only looks stretched [two songs flow one after the other, with the story coming to a grinding halt], but the pace also gets excruciatingly slow at this juncture. The climax, as mentioned earlier, is a complete downer.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score is an asset. The film has some lilting tunes. Cinematography [Sanu John Varughese] is perfect. Dialogues are simple mostly and at times, very witty.

This is Farhan Akhtar's third film as an actor and it must be said that he takes giant strides when it comes to acting. The story throws several challenges at him and fortunately, he emerges trumps in the most difficult moments. This is, by far, his best work.

Deepika Padukone looks bewitching and acts natural throughout. Ram Kapoor is fantastic. Why don't we see him so frequently on the big screen? Shifaali Shah is excellent. Vivan Bhatena is good. Tarana, Vipin Sharma and Yatin Karyekar are serviceable.

On the whole, KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK is a decent product with an unconvincing conclusion. Watch it for the wonderful performances of Farhan and Deepika, if you have to. Caters to the youth in metros mainly.

My Name Is Khan Sets New Highs In All Markets

My Name Is Khan set the box office on fire abroad as it set new highs in all markets. The internationl markets business was a humungous 25 crore. The business of major markets is as follow.

United Kingdom - £936,000

(Previous Best Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna - £749,243)

North America US$1,860,000

(Previous Best Om Shanti Om - US$1,764,141)

Middle East - US$890,000

(Previous Best Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - US$830,000)

Australia - US$380,000

(Previous Best Three Idiots - US$350,000

My Name Is Khan more Reviews

Mayank Shekhar : Hindustan Times
A commercially successful, massively scaled mainstream film that doesn’t just make a song and dance of it all could certainly change Bollywood forever. Of all, I’m glad Johar also made that move. Sure, this movie’s a risk. Shouldn’t each be anyway?

Gaurav Malani : INDIATIMES MOVIES
Like his placard that reads ‘Repair almost anything’, Shah Rukh Khan makes up for every minor inconsistency in the film. My Name is Khan is worth a watch on his name alone.

india-server.com
‘My Name is Khan’ is definitely a movie of substance and is a must watch for both Shah Rukh’s fans and the ones wanting to see a logical nice movie!

Anupama Chopra : movies.ndtv.com
Rizwan is undeniably the best thing about My Name is Khan. Shah Rukh’s performance has little subtlety about it – for that watch Hugh Dancy doing Asperger’s in Adam – but it is heartfelt, endearing and more controlled than anything he’s ever done before. Watch him in a lovely scene in which Kajol accepts his proposal or how he restrains his tears so that his eyes brim but never well over.
I recommend that you see Khan for him. The film itself is too uneven to give us the emotional high we were waiting for.

Mihir Fadnavis : India.com
Director Karan Johar, the visionary that he is, injects new life into the stale Bollywood drama genre by introducing a mentally handicapped leading man and his loving wife, only to pull the rug from under us by transposing their roles when you least expect it. The acting is expectedly over the top, but MNIK thankfully does not completely reduce SRK, one of the best screen actors of all time, to a mugging embarrassment. Shahrukh really tries hard to dole up a studied, thoughtful performance, but the story is just terrible and written, no doubt, to accommodate several agendas. The ploy works, for SRK’s Rizwan Khan WILL melt fans’ hearts and leave them chanting, ‘Filmfare award! Filmfare award!! Get this guy a Filmfare award!!’

Taran Adarsh : Bollywoodhungama.com
On the whole, MY NAME IS KHAN is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like MY NAME IS KHAN is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don’t
miss this one!

Shweta Parande : ibnlive.in.com
My Name is Khan is unlike any other Karan Johar-directed film, although it has glimpses of his past work. It does not have masala, no mindless song and dance, and no comic fillers. It has a very strong main message, and several others tucked in.
KJo has sure come a long way from candyfloss.

Raja Sen : movies.rediff.com
My Name Is Khan is a film that will have the galleries cheering and making sure there aren’t many dry eyes in the house. The applause will ring wild and while many might complain that Johar has simply ditched old movie cliches for more American ones, none can argue that the segue seems surprisingly seamless.
Karan Johar’s finally made his first grown-up film, and made it well. It could have been the stuff of much more, but let us leave that for another day. This is a film that will inspire, make aware, make happy.

Amit Tiwari : Samaylive.com
A fascinating love story
The film ‘My name Is Khan’ is prestigious project for Karan Johar as a director. After Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Ghum, Johar once again returned with SRK-Kajol pair on celluloid.
MNIK’s success will be proved as a landmark in Karan Johar’s directorial career.

Harshita Kohli : Starboxoffice.com

Kajol is brilliant and this time her eyes do a lot more tlaking than her words. Watch out for the change in emotions reflected so beautifully in her eyes as the film goes through its turmoils. The screenplay clearly shows that both Shibani Bathija and Karan Johar have done their research and done it well. You can see that in SRK’s mannerisms and in the bigger picture.
But the true credit of the film goes to only one person – Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh Khan carries the story entirely on his shoulder without any crutches of make-up and prosthetics, his signature lover boy image left at the door along with the designer clothes or larger than life dialogues.

My Name Is Khan Has Huge Opening

My Name Is Khan opened to huge response with an opening of 90-100% at multiplexes. Single screens were in the 70-80% region. The film had release problems in Mumbai circuit but wherever it managed to get a screening there were huge crowds to see the film. The critics have given 4/5 stars but public reports are not at the same level. Reports are good but not outstanding like Three Idiots. Overall the film should emerge a winner and time will tell how big.


Striker had dull first week with business under 1.25 crore nett. DISASTER

Ishqiya sustained pretty well in week two with a 50% drop. The film did around 7 crore nett business for a two week total of 21 crore nett but with My Name Is Khan opening to such a huge response, Ishqiya may not be able to do much more business.

Source : http://www.boxofficeindia.com

My Name is Khan Movie Review

MY NAME IS KHAN makes two strong statements...

* The first: B.C. and A.D. are designations used to label years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. There's a third designation now - 9/11. Post September 11, the world stands divided. Terrorist outfits continue to strike in the name of religion and the common man, not even remotely associated with these groups, is bearing the brunt. The world is not a safe place anymore.

* The second statement: There're two sets of people in this world - the good and the bad. No matter how strong the evil forces are, good always triumphs.

MY NAME IS KHAN mirrors the era we live in. Not a day goes by when you haven't heard/read/watched news of terror attacks and innocents being killed. We live in turbulent times. Also, the movie states - and states very strongly, without mincing words - Not all Muslims are terrorists.

Karan Johar's cinema got more real from KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA onwards. In MY NAME IS KHAN, the storyteller attempts to make a social statement and succeeds completely. At the same time, it takes no sides. If the protagonist says 'My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist', it also exposes those who misadvise the youth with inflammatory and rabble-rousing speeches.

Karan's take on the issue deserves the highest praise, since a subject like this is difficult to attempt. Final word? MY NAME IS KHAN is Karan, SRK and Kajol's best outing to date. Do I need to add anything more?

Rizvan Khan [Shah Rukh Khan moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother [Jimmy Shergill] and sister-in-law [Sonya Jehan]. Rizvan, who has Asperger's syndrome, falls in love with Mandira [Kajol]. Despite protests from his brother, they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change.

When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.

Let me alert you. The story unfolds feverishly from the very start itself. So if you miss a scene or two, chances are you would've missed some vital links in the story. The fact is, there's too much happening in the first half. Although the narrative tends to get leisurely-paced at times, the wheels continue to move from one episode to another.

A number of sequences are endearing. For instance, the romance between SRK and Kajol is subtle, yet charming. But it's SRK's relationship with Kajol and their kid that's one of the best parts of the movie. Your heart bleeds when an accident occurs and their lives are torn apart. Kajol's outburst - first, when her son meets with a catastrophe and second, when she confronts SRK - are truly shattering.

MY NAME IS KHAN's strength lies in the fact that you root for Khan all through. At the same time, you are weighed down when he's in a vulnerable situation, especially when he's labelled a terrorist and thrown behind bars. You don't realize it, but the fact is that you, as a spectator, have already got entwined in Rizvan and Mandira's lives.

There's a slight hitch in the second hour, when SRK returns to Georgia to save a hurricane-ravaged hamlet. Also, the media exercise tends to add to the length of the film. Nonetheless, it's a minor hiccup that doesn't rob the film of its punch.

There's just one word to illustrate Karan's direction - exemplary. One of the finest storytellers of our generation, he deserves brownie points for deviating from 'Karan Johar brand of cinema' and attempting a film that knocks on your heart and stimulates your mind. With MY NAME IS KHAN, Karan takes rapid strides as a storyteller.

Shibani Bathija's screenplay is truly arresting. Shibani and Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are noteworthy and many a times, applaud-worthy. Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography is awe-inspiring. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music gels well with the nature of the film.

When a film stars two of the finest talents of the country, you expect nothing but the best. SRK, well, how does one describe his performance? To state that this is his best work so far would be cutting short the praise he truly deserves. In fact, no amount of praise can do sufficient justice to his portrayal of Rizvan Khan, who has Asperger's syndrome. His latest work is several notches above anything he has done before. The only compliment that I can think of is, SRK has a new screen-name now. Raj is passe, Rizvan it is.

Kajol is pure dynamite and casting her for this character was the most appropriate decision. No other actress could've matched SRK in histrionics the way Kajol has. In fact, SRK and Kajol compliment each other wonderfully well and this film only proves it yet again. It's a powerhouse performance from this supremely talented actress.

The film boasts of a number of capable actors, but the ones who leave a rock-solid impact are - in this order - Zarina Wahab, Sonya Jehan, Jimmy Shergill, Arjun Mathur, Parvin Dabas and Arif Zakaria. Sugandha Garg is confident. Navneet Nishan supports well. Vinay Pathak leaves a mark in a brief role. Tanay Chheda [young SRK] and Yuvaan Makaar [SRK and Kajol's son Sameer] are excellent. The American actors, especially the kid who plays Sameer's friend, deserves mention.

On the whole, MY NAME IS KHAN is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like MY NAME IS KHAN is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don't miss this one!

Milenge Milenge to Hit Screen this March

It's finally time for Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor to reunite on-screen as their long delayed film 'Milenge Milenge' is set to hit theatres on March 5, 2010. The release date has been confirmed by producer Boney Kapoor who continues to be passionate about his pet project in spite of it being in the making for half a decade.

"The principal shooting of the film is wrapped up and we are neck deep in post production. 5th March has been confirmed for release and we are finalising our marketing and promotional strategy," Kapoor said.


The film's leading lady, Kareena Kapoor has meanwhile silenced detractors who raised questions as to whether the former couple will come together to promote the film.

"I can't help it if the media chooses to report things based on their whims and fancies. Did I ever say that I won't be working with Shahid? In fact I loved Shahid in 'Kaminey'. He was superb there. Our personal equation can't define our professional relationship," said Kareena.

Shahid and Kareena were last seen together in the 2007 hit 'Jab We Met' which re-energised their fizzling careers and Kapoor hopes that the film directed by Satish Kaushik will achieve similar success. Shooting for 'Milenge Milenge' had begun in 2004 and this was the time when the real life love story between Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor was blossoming. Though the film was fighting it's own production battles, there was a subsequent halt when Shahid and Kareena broke up.

Many felt that the film may never see the light of the day but Boney Kapoor as well as director Satish Kaushik were confident that 'Milenge Milenge' will definitely hit the marquee. In fact the industry was quite surprised when the first theatrical promo of 'Milenge Milenge' was unveiled a couple of months back. Kareena is now gearing up to promote the film and said that she has no problems sharing the stage with Shahid.

"When I am willing to do films with him, why would I hesitate from the promotional perspective? There were reports some time back that I had said 'No' to shooting for a music video with him to promote 'Milenge Milenge'. Now someone has to tell me where did that come from? I am there for the makers whenever they call me," said the actress.

Boney Kapoor whose last production, Salman Khan starrer 'Wanted' was a superhit is meanwhile keeping his fingers crossed. Himesh Reshammiya is composing the music for 'Milenge Milenge' and the film also enjoys the status of a solo release since there is no other film planned for a 5th March opening.

Chance Pe Dance Movie Review

It’s obvious to have huge expectations from a musical movie, directed by Ken Ghosh, who is known as one of the pioneer directors of music videos in India. And the hopes even rise further if the project has the youthful Shahid Kapoor (post ‘Kaminey’) and the energetic Genelia D’Souza (after ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’) as its lead couple. Hence, everyone was eager to see a spectacular show with probably a novel storyline accompanied by some brilliant dance sequences, melodious songs, amazing picturisations and tender love moments between the young couple on the screen. But surprisingly, Ken comes up with a very poorly written, confused and un-inspiring movie as his third directorial venture after “Fida” & “Ishq Vishq”.

Right from the start, “Chance Pe Dance” fails to grab your attention as it straight away opens with a song coming from no-where. Even the titles begin after the song gets over, so there is no explanation why the song was there in the first place. Secondly, just after 15 minutes into the movie, a normal movie-lover can easily guess its complete storyline till the end and that’s where the movie loses its main ground of the expected box office success. Based on a routine plot of a struggler coming to Mumbai, with hopes of making it big, “Chance Pe Dance” has got nothing to stand out as its merit, apart from the spirited performance of Shahid Kapoor.

In other words, Shahid is the only “Chance” for the movie to impress its viewers and I sincerely doubt he alone would be able to save it. The flick has several serious issues in its execution, which forcibly restrict it to be called as a below average project.
Here they are for your consideration:

1. The moment a song starts in the movie, it shifts to a music video mold, which is no doubt the forte of its director Ken Ghosh. Though the songs are really a treat to watch, but it seems Ken worked more hard on the songs and less on his story.

2. The movie has a completely avoidable track of a school and its students winning a dance competition due to their dance teacher Shahid. The sequence, which is highly inspired from “The School of Rock” (2003), is not scripted well, gets hurriedly finished and looks like a misfit in the movie.

3. A director who can be called as the Master of Music Videos, ideally must have a good ear and incredible music sense. But Ken simply disappoints in this department as he is not able to get any good songs from the otherwise talented singer Adnan Sami. The music of “Chance Pe Dance” is a big let-down, especially with a weak finale song at the reality show in the climax.

4. It seems that both the writer and director are pretty confused regarding what their lead characters have to do on the screen. Shahid, who is supposed to be an aspiring talented actor, is more interested in showing his dancing skills than the acting. On the other hand, Genelia, who plays a choreographer in the movie, is given no detailed sequence of teaching the dancing steps to anyone. In fact she seems to be more interested in acting, with all her cute mannerisms and doesn’t even talk about dance in the movie. Mohnish Behl, is the most confused one, who at first selects Shahid for his movie and then suddenly rejects him, without any reason.

5. The most irritating one comes towards the climax, when Shahid is participating in a big channel’ reality show in which we are simply not shown any of his competitors. The viewers only get to see Shahid’s performance on the stage (that’s too a dancing one) and he easily goes on to win the acting contest and becomes a star.

In the acting department, Shahid is the only savior in the movie who gives a sincere and spirited performance which shows more of his sensitive and emotional persona. He might be counting a lot on this movie but may not get the desired results at the box office. Genelia as his lover, performs much better than her previous movies. But the cool and pretty girl doesn’t get a well written role and thus cannot be blamed for anything. Parikshit Sahni repeats his fatherly act of “3 Idiots”, but still manages to impress & Vikas Bhalla is a bit loud in his few scenes.

In the end, looking at the track record of the talented director Ken Ghosh, one wonders, why he chose this kind of completely predictable subject for his third important movie which also had the most sellable stars at his disposal. Was this the story he was working on, in this long gap of almost 5 years? Or the movie was a victim of an uncontrolled delay without his fault.

To sum up, “Chance Pe Dance”, which was more publicized as a dancing musical, has only few dancing sequences to watch out and no particular song to rave about. The choreography and song picturisation does entertain you at times, but in the absence of some equally good tracks and a novel script, they fail to create a lasting impact.

Veer Movie Review

VEER drives home a few hard facts...

* No amount of gloss can substitute for an engaging story.

* Not all directors are capable of pulling off a period film.

* No star - howsoever strong his rankings are - can infuse life in a comatose script.


Everyone's awaiting VEER with bated breath. The film industry will get another breather if VEER goes the 3 IDIOTS way at the box-office. The junta will have one more fascinating genre to look forward to, if VEER appeals to them. But your hopes go crashing as reel after reel of VEER unfurl.

Salman Khan [who has been credited as the story writer of VEER] takes TARAS BULBA, adds GLADIATOR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TROY, TITANIC and even KRANTI [the end is a straight lift of Manoj Kumar's Dilip Kumar starrer] and comes up with this khichdi which gets unpalatable after a point.

VEER is about a warrior and at the same time, it's a love story too. Sadly, neither does it evoke any patriotism, nor does the love story make your heart go dhak-dhak.

The writing [screenplay: Shaktimaan Talwar, Shailesh Verma] is so fragile that one is mentally exhausted by the time this marathon movie finally reaches its finale. Of course, Salman's star power tries hard to salvage the situation, but window dressing doesn't help if the store has nothing to offer.

Final word? You have to be a veer to sit through VEER. Colossal disappointment!

As the British enslave India with their devious Divide and Rule policy, kings and nawabs fall to their guile and cunning schemes and entrust their precious kingdom to the foreigners. Except for the brave Pindaris, who prefer death to dishonour and will fight to their last breath to save their land.

The bravest, the toughest, the strongest of the Pindaris is Veer [Salman Khan]. As Veer takes on the might of the British Empire, he also has to fight the conniving King of Madavgarh [Jackie Shroff] as well his own jealous tribesmen. At stake is his love for princess Yashodhara [Zarine Khan], daughter of his sworn enemy. At stake is his thirst to avenge his father's dishonour.

VEER has it all - great stars, opulent and majestic sets, adrenaline pumping action scenes, but no soul [read script]. The movie begins with a bang, but the moment the story shifts to London, it crashes!

Frankly, it's a screenplay of convenience. Salman meets the woman of his dreams within minutes of reaching London and that looks so unreal. You try to digest it and move on to the next scene and lo! The damsel studies in the same college that our hero has enrolled in. Now that looks fake!

The sequence at the interval is interesting, although it remains a mystery how Puru Raaj Kumar gets to know of Salman's identity. At this point, Salman becomes a killing machine, slaughters more than a dozen people in the hostel campus [including a few gora soldiers] and conveniently escapes from London with a badly injured brother [played by Sohail]. Now that is taking it too far.

The second hour goes on and on and on, emphasising on unfulfilled promises, seething anger and revenge, love and freedom and frankly, you are least bothered by now. In fact, you lose interest in the proceedings. Period. The climax is so long drawn and more of an anti-climax, while the ending is bizarre and unintentionally funny.

Director Anil Sharma fails to deliver. That's the bitter truth. The project had everything going in its favour, but alas, Sharma and his writers make a complete mess of the story. Sajid-Wajid's music is melodious, but why repeat one song ['Surili Ankhiyon Wali'] again and again? The background score [Monty] is top notch. Gopal Shah's cinematography is splendid. Tinu Verma's action scenes are dynamic and in fact, the saving grace of VEER. The production design [art: Sanjay Dhabade] give an authentic feel of the bygone era.

VEER rides on Salman's star power, but even his hardcore fans will be disappointed by this movie. Zarine Khan resembles Katrina Kaif, but wears one expression all through. Mithun is okay, while Jackie does his bit well. Sohail Khan irritates. Puru Raaj Kumar and Aryan Vaid get no scope. Neena Gupta is as usual. The English actors are stereotype.

On the whole, VEER proves the age-old adage true: All that glitters is not gold. The film may open very well at single screens thanks to Salman's popularity and the hype surrounding the film and may also enjoy a healthy extended weekend [Tuesday, 26th January is a holiday], but given its exorbitant costs and poor merits, VEER will face an uphill task to recover its costs. This one's a monumental disappointment!

Dulha Mil gaya movie review

The recipe is simple and uncomplicated...
Take MY FAIR LADY.
Add DULHAN WAHI JO PIYA MAN BHAAYE.
Spray NASEEB APNA APNA.
Sprinkle DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE and RAB NE BANA DI JODI.
Hey presto, DULHA MIL GAYA is ready to serve.

In fact, MY FAIR LADY has been a hot favourite of Bollywood. Recall MAN PASAND [Dev Anand, Tina Munim] or HUM TERE AASHIQ HAIN [Jeetendra, Hema Malini]. Similarly, a number of storytellers have rehashed Rajshri's all-time hit DULHAN WAHI JO PIYA MAN BHAAYE [Prem Krishen, Rameshwari] in various avtaars, over the years.


DULHA MIL GAYA is a mix of the above-named films. Like they say in filmi lingo, it's old wine in new bottle. So what? How different can a love story be, since this genre has been done to death in Bollywood? Point noted, but the narrative ought to be engaging if it has to strike a chord and that's where DULHA MIL GAYA falters.


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