Why I dint like 'HER' ?

'Her' the movie has been heaped tremendous praise by critics worldwide, Oscar nominations, 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Indeed its is a great film making effort which aces on all aspects the story line, screenplay and the performances to some extent. But, Her is one rare film which doesn't work even after each of its constituent element being top notch. The main reason for that is its theme, which sadly for me was pathetic.

It may well be a subjective thing but Her was a depressing and dull movie nevertheless, which makes a caricature out of the entire human race who fail terribly to handle their emotions. They get their personal letters written from a hired agency, what shit!! I was okay with the idea of the the protagonist falling in love with a voice, which is a virtual entity devoid of a body, but the director eventually shows that every single human on Earth is in a relationship with their OSes which was a highly demeaning thought.

Her is a movie which shouts for your attention and cries that its a sentimental movie. The lead actor plays his part well, but after a certain time you begin to loath his zombie like style of walking and talking and would want to rush from the nearest exit just to stay away from his screen presence. The only saving grace in the movie was the protagonist's relationship with his friend. Three quarters in the movie, I wished that the director to show an eventual romantic relationship between them just to induce the idea that humans have a ray of hope left in their lives and they don't need to fall prey to the machines in the longer run even for the purest emotion of love, but sadly the director shies away from the same and ends the movie on an ever depressing note of dejection, rejection and eternal sadness.

Short Movie Review: Hasee Toh Phasee

Produced by joint efforts of two starkly different movie making 'camps' that of; Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, the movie combines the best of both their styles of film making.  This bittersweet tale, often borders on the outrageous but never boring courtesy the brilliant portrayal of a mad scientist by Parineeti Chopra. In just her fourth film she not just raises the bar for her contemporaries but also breaks the stereotype of a sari or swim suit clad quintessential Bollywood heroine of the past. It is also perhaps the best depiction of an IITian in a character ever by Bollywood clearly steering away from the cliches and set patterns that Hindi movies so often feed us.

Siddharth Malhotra and Adah Sharma do justice to their roles but they are sidelined by the brilliant Parineeti who is the lifeline of the film. The supporting cast is also top notch and full attention is given to their character development.

It is a rare Bollywood movie in which movie turns out better than what you might have expected from its trailers. In this era of remakes this movie has a distinctively fresh feel to it, at times touching the genre of absurdist comedy established by Hollywood movies like Airplane which has never been the forte of Bollywood. Funny, emotional and mad in equal measures this movie is a sure winner, which will definitely appeal to 'sensible' moviegoers who are seeking some genuine good time at the movies.

Rating: ***1/2

Image Courtesy: IBNLive.com

Short Movie Review: About Time

This romantic comedy cum science fiction draws on parallels with "The Butterfly Effect" albeit in a much more subtle way. Directed by Richard Curtis who is known for "Love Actually", the movie is not designed as a science fiction flick, but rather as one which teaches you a lesson or two about living your life to its fullest. The film depicts a family whose male members can travel back in time although with some tough conditions and choices which they have to make. A slice of life film which never overstays its welcome but touches the right cords of your hearts. The film teaches how to appreciate the joy of small things in life and loving your family.

Rating: ****

Short Movie Review: Rush(2013)

Directed by Ron Howard who is acclaimed for his "A Beautiful Mind" leaves us spell bound with his portrayal of the Formula 1 scenario in 70s which was high on risks and deaths. The film focuses on the rivalry of the two star racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The film beautifully depicts the several stages of love , hate and respect in their relationship.

The sports biographic treads the difficult part between showing high adrenaline car races to emotional ups and downs in the lives of the drivers. The film's high point is that it doesn't take sides of either of the two protagonists and lets you choose your own hero. But, high chances are the by the end credits roll you would be spoilt for choice. Not to forget Hans Zimmer's soundtrack which hits the right notes and makes this high octane journey the ride of a lifetime.

Rating: ****

TEAM WORK: Learnings from OCEAN'S 11

#I prepared this presentation during BTech, for the completion of the requirements for Infosys Campus Connect Soft Skills module.

It shows how is team work vital and this was made after a thorough analysis of the movie Oceans 11  (2001) directed by Steven Soderbergh, which depicts how a difficult task was achieved through a good plan and integration of the resources combined with dividing the work according to the core competencies of people.

Supermen of Malegaon: An "Eulogy"

The wonderful movie called "Supermen of Malegaon" endlessly charms you through its sharp wit and unintentional humor. Made on a low budget of Rs. 1 Lakh it is not a movie but the "Making" of the movie titled "Malegaon ka Superman". It carefully depicts the various problems that the director Shaikh Nasir faces in making the movie in the communally divided, low income town of Malegaon which is situated 300 km from Mumbai.

The movie depicts that talent and desire don't need big canvas to thrive upon. If you have a dream and an active will to pursue it, there is no necessity to make it large.

This is the inherent theme of the simple and sweet documentary which won several accolades in film festivals worldwide.The actor Shafiq Sheikh was battling throat cancer throughout the filming and died the next day after the special screening. He just lived enough to fulfil his dream to become a movie star.

You can watch the entire movie here.

The 10 best bollywood films of 2012

Here is my pick of the ten best Hindi feature films of 2012 progressing toward the best from number 10. Bollywood churns out almost 200 films each year so selecting the top 10 is a tough task, comments are welcome on this post, if you feel any movie should have been there on this list or regarding the order of rankings.

P.S: There are no spoilers here.

10. London Paris New York

The bizarre premise that two people can become life long lovers in just three meetings spanned over many years is convincingly portrayed in this movie, very subtle in its approach combined with some great music and easy to believe real life dialogues, this film is a must watch. You can find traces of "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" in this which hold a cult status with 100% and 95%  rating on rotten tomatoes respectively.

9. Talaash

This film manages to come on the list due to the power packed performances by its three leads, Aamir Khan is A-class as usual, the real revelation of the movie is Kareena Kapoor who lifts her performance to newer heights. A supernatural thriller that forces the viewer to think but not too much. The dialogues are A class and the portrayal of the Mumbai's night life in obscure corners of the city is top notch.  

8. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Deliciously sweet, romantic coming of age story, that doesn't nosedives into typical Bollywood clichés, rather it avoids the common stereotypes and go beyond portraying candy floss romance. It surprises you, engages you and tickles your humour bone. Supported by excellent performances from both of its leads, Kareena has shades from her "Jab we Met" avatar.Its much better than Imran Khan previous movies of same genre like "Break Ke Baad" and "I Hate Love Storys".

7. Shanghai

Though not in the league of Dibakar Banerjee previous greats "Oye Lucky Lucky Oye" and "Khosla Ka Ghosla" the film still is better than "Love Sex aur Dokha" which was a disappointing affair. A political drama set in an imaginary city, the film is held up by the excellent performances and a tight grip over the screenplay, Emraan Hashmi is fast moving into quality cinema and he proves this yet again. Abhay Deol, Farookh Sheikh and Supriya Pathak are top notch.

6. English Vinglish

Sridevi's comeback film makes you think that, how much film industry has missed her after her marriage. The film occasionally goes overboard in mother-daughter relationship but depicts very well the plight of a common housewife who is often treated nothing more than a cook for a family due to her English language impediment. The film manages to leave a smile on your face.

5. Vicky Donor

MTV's Ayushman Khurana marks an entry into bollywood with the sweet and charming Vicky donor, very humorous and entertaining with dollops of Punjabi masala and Bengali Sweetness, this one benefits a lot from its supporting cast including the nagging mother, the whiskey drinking grandmother and the crazy doctor Anu Kapoor. It also packs a sweet little message without hurtling it across your face.

4. Paan Singh Tomar

The best dacoit film probably after Bandit Queen, this one makes your heart go out for Irrfan Khan in his role of Paan Singh. Tigmanshu Dhulia yet again establishes his master class and depicts how much command he has over the nuances of the hindi speaking belt and the real India which lives in villages. This film also makes you wonder about the many lost heroes of Indian Sport who are forces by the circumstances to lead an obscure life.

3. Kahaani

The story is the king here, Vidya Balan shines in it yet again after "The Dirty Picture", she makes every film she does look like a women centric film and overshadows every other character in the movie. Packed with twists and turns and brilliant portrayal of the City of Joy, this one is a must watch, one of the best thrillers from Bollywood in a long time. No doubt "Nomoskar Ek Minute" acquired a cult status in popular culture. 

2.Gangs of Waseeypur (Part 1 & 2)

Gangs of Wasseypur could not be treated as two movies because it is one gory. bloody revenge saga that spans almost 60 years in time. It is made into two movies purely because of its length. Written and executed intelligently by Anurag Kashyap who is India's answer to Tarantino this one packs subtle humour too. So many great performances in these two parts but the ones that stand out are by Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin and most importantly Tigmanshu Dhulia who shows he is not just a great director but a brilliant actor as well. Watch it for the vision of a man who manages to immerse you for over 5 hours in his epic saga that establishes Hindi cinema's brilliance.

1. Barfi

Like the sweet Indian Snack, Barfi is so delicious, heart warming, funny, emotional and entertaining at the same time, that you can't stop wonder how can such a good movie actually be made in Bollywood. No doubt it came under scanners over its plagiarism charges, leave that aside its a perfect film which doesn't makes you sympathize with the disabled but rather celebrates their disability and doesn't treat them different from the rest of the people. Packed with scores of sweet moment, its hard to pick the best among the three main leads of the movie, but for me it has to be Ileana D'Cruz. The city of Darjeeling and Kolkata has been so beautifully depicted that you can't wait to go there yourself. Watch the brilliant scene and the expressions of "Shruti" when "Jhilmil" calls out to "Barfi" from the window of "Muskaan". that truly was the defining moment of the film. This one goes beyond ratings and box office collections and also does great work in establishing Ranbir Kapoor as the star of the future.

Movie Review: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Rating: 3/5

Needing 4 runs to complete a career average of a perfect 100 in Test Cricket, Don Bradman fell for a duck in his final innings. Eternal romance weaver Late. Yash Chopra Ji's swan song felt the same.

Jab tak hai jaan reeks of old scripts, it’s like a big crossword to locate the references to other Yash Raj movies. It borrows elements from Dil to Pagal Hai in Anushka’s character similar to Karishma Kapoor, the dance sequence Ishq Shava, Silsila in conversations of the two leading ladies, Daag  in the way Katrina comes back into Shahrukh’s life, Kabhi Kabhi and Zindagi na milegi dobara in the way Katrina comes to look for her fugitive mother played by Neetu Singh, the theme of the movie is reminiscent of Veer Zaara in which lovers sacrifice their years for each other’s well being  and the way Katrina doesn’t marry like Preity Zinta’s character in Veer Zaara.

Also one could find tit bits from English movies like Fifty first dates and Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind in this.

The film is based on the threadbare premise of a promise to God which becomes the basis of the entire conflict just like Rab ne bana di jodi where again the almighty played a major role in deciding the fate of love and literally so. The British police allowing a common man to diffuse a bomb while being mute spectators themselves and an accident which happens twice seem unconvincing.

Jab tak hai jaan belongs to Shahrukh Khan who single handedly uplifts the flawed script through his never ending charm, animated emotions and his eyes which speak through unwritten verses. He delivers aces after the other in perfect romanticized resonance in one scene and with a hard to handle stubborn army men in other. The emotions of the unrequited love conveyed by his character of Major Samar Anand are surreal and reminds of his star performance from Devdas. His ability to handle related roles with different emotions and expressions speak volumes about his class.

Brand Shahrukh Khan was build over the years through great scripts like Darr, Bazigar, DDLJ, KKHH, K3G and more, and now filmmakers are using that brand power, charisma and acting genius to steer forward average scripts like RNBDJ, OSO and JTHJ.

The other highlight of the movie is the crackling chemistry between Katrina and Shahrukh, which also marks the first on screen kiss of Shahrukh Khan after 20 years. But, they don’t seem out of place in this movie. Anushka Sharma also does her role of a happy go lucky girl who falls for Major Samar, with utmost élan and confidence. The incredibly tight screenplay of the movie also keeps you engaged throughout the film. Watch for the brilliance of Yash Ji who infests likeableness and his magic touch to the entire film which helps the audience to look beyond the shortcomings here and there.

The songs are melodious and go well with the script but they easily won't be rated among the best works of either Rahman or Gulzar. The cameos of Rishi Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Neetu Singh and Sarika are well put and add dimensions and weight to the storyline and help it move forward.

The use of the title song in the ending credits which was supposed to be shot in Swiss Alps is brilliant and a fitting tribute to the maestro.

Overall, it would be a treat for Shahrukh’s fans, me being one of them, because he can make any ordinary film seem extra ordinary and that’s not just because of his star persona but through his unmatched acting calibre and years of industry experience. At even the age of 46 he gives run for money to the younger generation with his magnetic charisma.

Watch Jab tak hai jaan as a romantic saga without paying much heed to the lapses, you will definitely find it endearing. Think of it as poetry on celluloid allowing for generous bits of poetic freedom.

Movie Review: Love Aaj Kal

A movie for all those who love ............

Love has a sweet charm, an eerie captivating feeling that sweeps you of your feet. Generations may change but the feeling never changes.

This is a central theme of the movie Love Aaj Kal *ing Saif Ali Khan in double role (Veer Singh of 1965, Jai of present generation), Deepika Padukone as Meera Pandit, Rishi Kapoor as present day Veer Singh and Brazilian Model Giselle Monterio as Harleen Kaur who plays the role of Veer Singh's love interest.

Love Aaj Kal might not be that great film that you have seen like DDLJ, Dil Chahta Hai for that matter.But there are resons you should definately watch it,

1. It is a film which hits upon reality for most of its part and hits it hard.There are hardly any romantic flicks which do that but Love Aaj Kal does it so in a great good way.

This Movie would inspire the present day Happy Go Lucky Mod couples for whom Break ups and Link ups come as easy as the morning newspaper. Also, It would potray them the hardships that Lovers in that era of non communication faced just to catch a glimpse of each other. You may just realise the love that you have for your gf/bf where you were previously labelling it as just another sixer on the pitch of love.

2. Critics are complaining about Deepika's acting, Ya I agree she might not be Madhuri or Kajol for that matter, But she has delivered her career best performance in potraying a girl who belongs to the present generation and is unable to recede to the demands of her too confused present day Boyfriend Saif Ali Khan. In the scenes at the end of the break up party where she hugs Saif, when she sees the mirror and tries to smile, in chor bazari song, in the climax scene where she turns around and cries, She potrays the role with such an elan that you yourself want to root for her.

3. Even the other characters in the film potray the role as the character demands it, they do not go OTT and behave like actors but potray it according to the character be it Saif Ali Khan, Rishi Kapoor or the Brazilian Model Giselle as Harleen who for not a single frame appears a foreiner.Actually she approached Imtiaz for the role of Saif's GF Jo but eventually got to play the role of Harleen Kaur. She hasn't much to speak but does it all through her eyes.

4.Critics are complaining about the chemistry of Saif and Deepika, but if they are doing so I must sadly say that they have missed on the real beauty of the film which is its USP, some pairs do not need to shout their on-screen chemistries out, through the movie, but it should be seen by engaging your heart passionately with its characters.

5.The clever dialogue and the humour has been Imtiaz's forte for long but this time he hits an all time on high emotional quotient too. Agreed that characters apart from the main protagonist aren't fully developed but after seeing the movie you'll realise that they don't needed to.

6.Moving on to the script and the story which is proclaimed to be cliched, contrived and worn out.Agreed that the plot is very simple and waferline but the manner in which Imtiaz develops it is a pleasure to see as there is not a single dull frame in movie.

7.The music and the picturisation of songs is awesome spanning Delhi, San Fransisco,London and Kolkata.Except for one or two songs all carry the story forward.

Sure, it might not be Jab We Met and Socha Na Tha which were ahead of Love Aaj Kal on humorous qoutient but Love Aaj Kal beats both of them on the Emotional Note. As Saif refers to Mango ppl (aam aadmi), this sure is a film for mango ppl of today but they should be mature enough to enjoy the sheer beauty of the movie and "feel the love" between the Saif in both his roles and the leading lady Deepika and Harleen Kaur.

Engage your heart with it and you sure would find a Jai or Veer Singh hidden in you clinging on for the perfect soulmate.

Ratings: 7.5/10

Movie Review: Kambakkht Ishq

A Rotten Piece of work by all measures

I am dissapointed that the first movie which I have to Review for posting in my blog is Kambakht Ishq because it is such a substandard typical Akshay Kumar starrer that you feel all the time that you see it to run away from it but it excels in one department to make you inquisitive as to how vulgur this movie can get.

This movie shows the battle fo sexes,but what could have been an interesting and a fairly engrossing premise is wasted in mere abuses like 'dog' and 'bitch', the humour is mere slapstick and the comedy absolute rotten bunch of PJ's held together through loose thread of the storyline so absurd that you wish to say O' Akshay give us a break!!!

The leading lady Kareena Kapoor who is a medical student ,a part time model cum anti men loud over the top seductress( see the bike scene in Italy if you don't belive me) leaves her Musical Chanting watch in Akshay 's Tummy while performing her first surgery , This watch breaks into musical chants after every hour and our poor poor protagonist is clueless about the same.

Kareena Kapoor hasn't delivered a single good performance after Jab We Met and what can be said about Akshay Kumar, he is definately the KING of nonsensical cinema after Singh Is Kingg, Welcome,CC2C. His last decent work was Namastey London.

No Comments about Aftab Shivdasani and Amrita Arora,They themselves are the victim of their lousy acting. Javed Jaffery is endearing in few scenes, Boman Irani's sheer talent is wasted in Gay jokes.

The music marks the return of Anu Malik, The songs are fairly decent and shot beautifully at Italy and Hollywood, Bebo is an offensive song by many means.See its lyrics...Bebo main Bebo....Dil mera le lo....le lo jio le lo....Such Crap.

Overall Kambakht Ishq dissapoints.It also marks the first onscreen kiss of Akshay Kumar, But he seemed to cover up for all the previous losses in this with almost 10 kisses, and mind you they are at the sequences where they were least required.Sylvestor Stallone and Denise Richards prove no icing for the cake which is too rotten to digest.

Rating: 1/10