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Monday, November 29, 2010
Break Ke Baad
Director: Danish Aslam
Actors: Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone,Sharmila Tagore,Shahana Goswami,Yudishtir Urs
I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about certain couples. While they may be in a serious relationship, a good way to figure if they started out being close friends, is if the girl calls the boy by his last name. As does the heroine here. She (Deepika; innately natural) calls her boyfriend (Imran) ‘Ghulati’, his surname also a popular Pandara Road restaurant in New Delhi, where the two drive around in yellow Volkswagen Beetle, pick up Gudang Garams from the local ‘Prince’ paan shop.
The couple first bumped into each other when kids at a cinema. They’d simultaneously rattle off lines from Shekhar Kapur’s Mr India, wear red glasses for the show. Both were Bollywood buffs, growing up in the ‘90s, when Ek do teen made for fine lyrics, and Shah Rukh Khan’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was the ultimate in mush. So much about recent Hindi movies is a nod to movies from the past. This one’s no different. To be fair, the hero’s “Papaji” owns a theatre himself. Watching films from the projectionist’s room is part of their lives not being ‘filmy’, I guess, their sole symbol of youthful rebellion (recall I Hate Luv Storys, this is a superior take).
The couple was best friends for 10 years; they dated for 10 years after, having made no common friends in the meanwhile! The two remain stuck to each other. “You complete me,” she tells him, quoting from the ultimate ‘90s rom-com, Jerry McGuire. They do complete each other in many ways: she only has a mother, he has only a dad. She’s “focused”. He is “unsure”, laidback (daddy's wealth can dull the brightest brains). She has ambitions. He has her. Symmetry is complete. She shifts to Australia, inhales new life, rooms in with a sort of alien (for a romantic flick) who’d sleep with anything that moves (haw!). The hero at home gawks at his cellphone the closest he can come to a girlfriend. The phone merely blares out issues each day they can barely resolve. It’s called growing apart. Those who’ve been in long-distance, insecure relationships will know. It’s best to move on.
Here, the boyfriend moves in instead to be with his girl, now his ex. She dates no one else in the interim. He's determined to get her to love him back. The picture makes for an entire subset of richly urbane, romantic Hindi movies that reflect at some level a ‘feminised’ young man (Wake Up Sid, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na), who graciously, lazily balances out the fiery new woman. And eventually, comes of age.
These films progressively question human expectations and complications we call love, yet sweetly retreat at once to soul mates that last forever. The equilibrium is smartly restored. Intellectualising further bears few fruits. Some could find them slightly sappy for their belated conclusions. But you take on the exhaustion only if the film is subversive enough and remains endearingly exciting for most parts. This one certainly does. "It's a young urban story, but at its heart it has a classical romantic element to it," Imran said about the film.
The story of the movie focuses on Abhay Gulati (Imran) and Aaliya Khan (Deepika), who are childhood friends turned lovers. While Aaliya desires to become an actress irrespective of whatever it takes, Abhay is still unsure about his calling. As their relationship blossoms, the pair start facing differences due to their different personalities.
Things become difficult when Aaliya decides to go to Australia for further studies and Abhay gets restricted to a long distance relationship, and fears that he will lose her forever. They then decide to take time off from each other to figure out their priorities in life and career. The two eventually make mistakes, deal with disappointments, even lose each other but become stronger individually.
"Space is a word that is used a lot in a modern relationship. It's almost a break-up mantra. I wanted to explore that concept rather than a conventional love story where two people don't know each other, meet and fall in love," Aslam told IANS. "I wanted to show what happens to two people, who have known each other for their entire life, if their relationship breaks. I found the concept more exciting than just writing run-of-the-mill love story," he added.
Talking about her character Aliya, Deepika said: "She believes that if you are in a relationship, it doesn't mean you have to get married. She doesn't believe that a couple have to live together and certain things like that. Her way of thinking about a relationship is very different. She is also very immature sometimes when it comes to relationships," she added. Imran said that he could easily relate to his character in this film as he found himself in a similar situation a few years ago. "So being in a relationship and not knowing where my life was headed is something I could relate to," said Imran.
Both actors are looking for a hit with "Break Ke Baad" as both their last outings "I Hate Luv Storys" and "Lafange Parindey", respectively, tanked at the box office. First thing you have to accept when you are going to watch Break Ke Baad is that it is a romantic comedy and hence it is vain to expect something unpredictable. The genre dictates that it will be a love story, there will be light moments, there will be some drama and finally there will be a happy ending. Now if you have an issue with predictability then romantic comedies aren't for you. And once you accept the condition you could open yourself up for some fun Break Ke Baad offers.
BKB is a film about an Aaliya (Deepika) and Abhay (Imran) who are in early twenties but have already been dating for ten years and were friends for ten years before that. They are diverse characters and at first look they are a least likely couple. Aaliya wants to become an actress and also explore the world while Abhay is the sober guy who takes care of everything and everyone. He is afraid of telling his father that he does not want to be a part of the family business for the fear of upsetting him. A completely opposite character, Aaliya does not bother about others much and rather believes in doing what she likes. And she does not believe in marriage while Abhay is a completely docile 'family man'! Trouble arises when Aaliya decides to leave for Australia to study and talks to Abhay about a 'break'. Though Abhay does not agree he gives in. Distance creeps into the relationship as usual till Abhay decides to take charge of thing. With a promise of entertaining the youth, debutant director Danish Aslam tries to offer you an old story with some new twists and turns incorporated in it. However, you will enjoy the chemistry between the two young leads Imran Khan as Abhay and Deepika Padukone as Aaliya. They are childhood sweethearts, who share their first kiss when they watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for the third time. So, it’s genuinely a love story but with some added fun elements.
Aaliya is ambitious, gorgeous and stubborn while Abhay is aimless in his life. For Aaliya, love is not everything and wants to be a renowned actress. But they can’t stay without each other even when they fight. You must have seen her saying ‘Main Shah Rukh Khan hu’ during the promos and that is one funny seen where she is totally drunk. Even though, she is insensitive sometimes but knows Abhay is the strong pillar of her life. To fulfill her ambition, Aaliya leaves for Australia and Abhay follows her. Here, you can see some funny but confusing scenes between them. Finally, Lillette Dubey enters the scene and she does not mind calling Aalia ‘chudail’ even when she has divorced thrice in her own life. And while we talk about romantic comedies, Break Ke Baad has its own newness. The characters are very appealing and so is the treatment. The film has been written interestingly with a lot of humor added at regular intervals. The first half specifically is very enjoyable as both the lead characters achieve full flight. The screenplay is good. The opening credits are a special delight as the childhood and love story unfolds along with credits in a brilliantly planned manner. The second half does fall in pace and drags before the final moments lift it up again, in the typical mad-rush to fix things. The dialogues are good. The film is strong on technical aspects. It has been shot and edited well. Music is not the strongest part of the film, yet songs like Adhure Hum and Dooriyan strike a chord.
Imran and Deepika fit perfectly into their characters and come up with good performances. Deepika especially is really good as her character goes through transitions. Yudishtir brings in laughter with his lines. Shahana Goswami takes a back seat. Sharmila Tagore is a graceful as ever. Overall Break Ke Baad is a decent entertainer. This movie should particularly entertain the youth; more so the girls who are certainly going to be wooed by Imran's character. The older generations may not find it in sync with their tastes. Nevertheless debut director Danish Aslam makes sure he is here to stay.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Guzaarish
Actors: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Monikangana Dutta, Rajit Kapoor, Shernaz Patel
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Breathe a sigh of relief. During a year when cacophonic crassness masquerading as comic entertainment has been sanctioned by critics and the masses, "Guzaarish" comes along to remind us that excellence is alive in our cinema.
Ironically this wonderful work of art, nuanced and magical in its portrayal of an unstoppable spirit's quest to juice life to its fullest, is about dying. If the journey towards death in art can be so mystically explored, then let's embrace mortality as a stepping stone to immortality and a film about dying as a sign of cinema not dying on us. Not yet. Only those who suffer the numbing pain of isolation would know what it feels like. Dilip Kumar in "Devdas", Guru Dutt in "Pyasa", Meena Kumari in "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam" and Nutan in "Bandini" communicated to the audience the indescribable pain of solitude. Ethan, as played by Hrithik Roshan in "Guzaarish", is so bemused by adversity that he can actually look at his own suffering with dispassionate humor.
"Guzaarish" is a joyous, rapturous and ecstatic celebration of life. Those familiar with the art of Sanjay Leela Bhansali know how ably and ecstatically he transports his characters into a universe of seamless drama played at an octave where most cinematic symphonies crack up and topple over into high-pitched extravagance. Not Bhansali's cinema. Played at the highest possible scale, his drama unfolds in wave after wave of rapturous splendor. His characters occupy a space that defies definition and seduces audiences into celebrating a state of sublimity and splendor. Ethan's inert physicality is alchemized into an ambience of animated joy. His spirit dances and sings at the sheer pleasure of every moment that is given to him to live. He radiates joy. We feel his profound happiness at the gift of life.
No film in living memory has brought out the sheer blessing of being alive with such spirit and glory. While Shah Rukh Khan's "Devdas" in Bhansali's opulent opera was a character broken in spirit, Hrithik's Ethan in "Guzaarish" is irreparably damaged in body. But his spirit soars, his eyes light up like thousands of stars every time Sophie walks in.
That Sophie is played by Aishwarya Rai is a stroke of genius that goes a long way in giving "Guzaarish" its flavour of exceptional elegance. No other director brings out the quiet grace and the understated beauty of this screen diva's personality with as much intelligence and spontaneity as Bhansali. In "Guzaarish", Aishwarya is far more delicate and nuanced in conveying the unspoken pain of a love that has no tomorrow than she was in "Devdas".
Aishwarya imbues her role with a resplendent grace. Love in "Guzaarish" is expressed with subtle smirks, gentle smiles and hints of a smothered passion that could erupt any time, if only destiny didn't choose to be so mean to the spirited. The scenes between Ethan and Sophie, the backbone of Ethan's spine-challenged life, radiate an inner beauty and wisdom and underline the director's enormous understanding of the self-negation that a love relationship requires.
"Guzaarish" is Bhansali's most tender and evocative film to date. It layers the pain of a dying body with the passion of an unstoppable spirit as manifested in Hrithik's skilled and effortless performance as a quadriplegic who pledges to make every moment of his limited "sau gram zindagi" pleasurable for himself an those around him.
Barring Amitabh Bachchan in "Black" there has never been a better performance in a Bhansali film than Hrithik's in "Guzaarish". He grabs Ethan's role and makes the dying character come alive in delightful waves of provocative histrionics. And if we're talking chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya, then let's get one thing clear this ain't "Dhoom". It's something far deeper and satisfying. The other performance that catches your attention is Aditya Roy Kapoor's. He is natural and vivacious and in-sync with the film's spirit of celebrating life. Monikangna Dutt is a looker. In her limited space, she lends some appeal to the proceedings. Suhel Seth, Shernaaz Patel and Rajit Kapur also make a lingering impact in a film that you carry home with you in an inviolable place in your heart.
A word about Bhansali's music score. The songs communicate the rich tapestried emotions of lives that are determined to smile through an extraordinary tragedy. Every piece of music and song in "Guzaarish" echoes the film's incandescent soul. The film's technical excellence, particularly Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography, is not dazzling and flamboyant in the way it was in "Devdas". In "Guzaarish", the appeal is far more delicate and subtle. The deep but sober colours on screen reach out to you to enrich your life in ways that cinema was always meant to, until it was waylaid by the hooligans and imposters posing as filmmakers.
His hair’s smartly tousled, beard elegantly unkempt. Neither his jovial mood swings nor the occasional, charming smiles on his face give out a body below that’s entirely paralysed: numb to touch or any external stimuli. He’s stuck in a “4 by 6 bed, in a 15 by 20 room, can’t tell whether he's passing stool or urine.” He’s a “vegetable”, as it were. It’s been 14 long years. Long enough, one could suppose, depending on how you view these things. He wants out, and argues for his own mercy killing for his own freedom at last, with all its intrinsic ironies. Javier Bardem, arguably the Marlon Brando of our times, stunningly played this role in the Spanish Alejandro Amenabar’s The Sea Inside (2004) a film that picked up all the possibly top foreign film trophies that year (Oscar, Golden Globe, Venice).
Let’s not hear any more rubbish on this movie not being a direct inspiration. Bhansali’s Guzaarish is as much The Sea Inside as his Black was Arthur Penn's The Miracle Worker (1962). A whole lot. And yet, not wholly. Saawariya, of course, was altogether another story. Hrithik Roshan, our own ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ plays one Ethan Mascerenhas, once a crazy magician, now a lifeless quadriplegic, and at several moments a bit of a hunky Javier Bardem himself; in squared red shades, under a vast grey sky. At his age, I suppose, he’s the best we’ve got. You can tell, the actor’s desperately aiming for major awards (the sort of acclaim Amitabh Bachchan earned for himself with Black). Thankfully the effort doesn’t show. Earnestness does.
Sophia (Aishwarya) is Ethan’s young nurse of 12 years, dutiful to a fault. He occasionally ribs her for not showing him her legs. This bawdily naughty humour is entirely European by birth. Theirs is stuff unlikely, quirky romances are made of. It’s still not the core of the film. You figure this when you still notice more her gorgeous self, than her strangely deep devotion toward a half-dead man. This is expected from a film where aesthetics overpower everything else. Ethan, the nurse, a few maids, and a young aspiring magician (Aditya Roy Kapoor) who Ethan tutors: all of them live in a magnificently kept villa in Goa, the part of India that comes closest to Spain itself.
Each shot is worth a photograph in frame. Bhansali is no doubt an aesthete. His imagination is evidently a massive indoor dream on a palette that consistency changes colour tones with every film. This picture in darkish blue is no different, and for most parts a mix of fine choreography and grand magic, bits that are certainly a nod to Christopher Nolan’s Prestige. Given Bhansali’s love for dreams, I guess, he could also consider an adaptation of Inception, Mr Nolan’s ambitious latest work! Ethan recalls his magic shows from back in the day. He should’ve packed stadiums. He performed instead at extended restaurants; slid up and down rays of sunlight; levitated as the flicker of the candle-light levitated with him. The images are sensational, stunning. Unfortunately, the music (composed by Bhansali himself) doesn’t add to the magic. There’s an issue if Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World is at best the only song on your lips when you step out of the theatre; everything else, eminently forgettable. But that’s a minor quibble.
The scale more than makes up for the music, and that’s because Bhansali truly delivers on the auteur’s promise. He is the last few of the movie mughals whose vision goes beyond a wank alone. His daring investors, I’m told, pretty much shut shop after his films release (Sony after Saawariya; Kumaramangalam Birla’s Applause after Black; Bharat Shah after Devdas). He remarkably carries on. This is rare in the most Right Wing of all arts.
Yet, somehwhere the paints from his brushes take you further away from the characters. You wish to dive deeper into their internal recesses. Ethan hosts a popular radio show, where he seeks opinion on his proposed mercy killing ‘Project Ethanasia’, he calls it, for euthanasia (the oldest inter-school debate, along with capital punishment). Courts agree to hear the matter. Both sides are equally loaded. You want to either root for Ethan's right to life or his right to death. You never feel persuaded towards either.
Here’s a crippled, helplessly defeated man asking for a final say in his own fate. The state, family or loved ones can never be better placed to figure an individual’s suffering, or his lost hope. You want to feel a lump in your throat. The effort’s in place. You’re almost there. But the distance is still annoying. Being mesmerised by the beauty of the big screen isn’t always such a great thing. You get overwhelmed at first; leave slightly under-whelmed, eventually. That's the story of this otherwise fine film.
Guzaarish is yet another magical representation of stories by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The trailers of the movie have dismayed many Hrithik Roshan fans when they saw him sitting on a wheel chair as no one wants to see their superstar like that. But Bhansali has kept the mystery a secret till you catch a show of the flick which has released today at a theater near you.Here, you will see the magician Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) whipping his magical wand while utilizing his amazing dancing steps.
Bhansali has made use of both the acting as well as dancing talent of the lead actors of the film, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. Apart his signatory grand sets and music, Bhansali has presented the story with a deep emotional touch. You will cry with Ethan, who remains locked inside his grand palace in Goa for fourteen long years following the failure of one of his magic trick. Following the incident, Ethan turns quadriplegic and loses interest in life but at the same time he runs a radio show called ‘radio zindagi’.
With the years of experience, the magical chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya has strengthened and that will be reflected in the emotional as well as romantic and funny scenes of the movie. Unlike, the usual life nurses, the beauty queen, who plays nurse to Ethan, will be seen on a floor length skirt. The color combination of the costumes gives a different and unique touch along with the wonderful music given by the director himself.
Expected the unexpected from the Sawariyaa maker and have an out of the world feeling watching Guzaarish this weekend. Shernaz Patel as the lawyer friend of Hrithik’s character, justifies her part and Rajat Kapoor as the opposing advocate, gives the same kind of performance to match her. On behalf of her client, Patel’s character asks ‘euthanasia’ for her client Ethan.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Action Replayy
Director: Vipul Shah
Actors: Akshay Kumar,Aishwarya Rai,Aditiya Roy Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Neha Dhupia, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Randhir Kapoor, Rannvijay Singh Singha, Sudeepa Singh
25 years back in 1985 Robert Zemeckis thought of sending a cool dude of contemporary times to the past. And when he reaches the past and meets the younger version of his parents, his would-be mother falls for him. Subsequently it is up to him to fix the problem and get his parents to love each other. If I made you wonder what I am talking about, let me clear things. Action Replayy is very similar in plot. But of course director Vipul Shah claims that his film is based on Gujarati play by the same name - a play he worked on many years back. In that case the play clearly is inspired.
Of course you cannot have the mother-son attraction angle in India considering presence of cultural obligation and moral policing. Instead Vipul Shah creates another character. And that's all Neha Dhupia seems to have to do in the film. Neha Dhupia, who has been a part of some interesting sensible films in recent past baffles with her decision to take up a role which could have been done with a junior artist!This apart the story and screenplay fails to hold interest. Vipul Shah, a competent director when it comes to storytelling and characterization, attempts recreating the 70s. And he creates some characters to help his story, but sadly none of the characters appeal. Rather they irritate instead of being funny.
Action Replayy is about a boy who is afraid of marriage as his parents have been a bad example. When he finds that his girlfriend's grandfather has created a time machine he decides to visit the past and help his parents fall in love. The story required the director to create the bygone era. And he does that with the help of special effects apart from creating special sets. But the effects look tacky and fake. Also the makeup used to make actors look old does not look too good. The film has been shot well but that hardly matters when the story bores.
Performances are worthy. Aishwarya Rai looks good and does well too. Akshay Kumar manages to pull an outrageously over the top character. Ranvijay Singh is very good. Aditya Roy Kapur, who's're-introduced' in this film, does a decent job as one of the leads. Randhir Kapoor is wasted. Overall, Action Replayy is another Diwali disappointment from Akshay Kumar. Last year another blunder called Blue released to a whole lot of criticism during Diwali. Director Vipul Shah seems to have lost it. His latest film neither pays any tribute to the 70s nor does it work as a love story.
First half of Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, a lovably nostalgic take on ‘70s Bollywood, I suspect, also inspired the first chapter of several films planned after that movie’s release. Om Shanti Om was part-cinema, part-spoof, enjoyed by all, and the Diwali blockbuster of 2007. Two to three years is roughly how long it should take for an inspiration to be green-lit and turned into full-on, big-budget film.
Action Replayy has all the right ingredients to make a movie work, an impressive list of names, and a good story of a boy who wishes to travel to the future and instead gets to the past, a love story plotted in the 70s but it all gets lost. Vipul Amrutlal Shah, tries hard to mix and match so many things in the film that none of it comes across convincingly, neither the characters nor the plot or the dialogue.
This was not the first time Akshay played a nerd who transforms himself into the hot dude; he has done that before in Jaan-E-Mann. So apart from the 70s looks there was not much for the actor to offer in the role of Kishan. Aishwarya looks impeccable in the long shots but once again lacks in performance and some of the powerhouse performers like Om Puri, Kirron Kher and Rajpal Yadav are wasted in the film. What does work is the art direction and recreating the era of 70s Mumbai?
Hence, Action Replay (this one), Golmaal 3 (the movie at the theatre next to it), some you’ve just seen (Once Upon A Time In Mumbai), and are likely to watch soon (Yamla Pagla Deewana etc). You’re certifiably old when your own entertainment is considered retro for its time.
This one isn’t intended for those who grew up in the ‘70s. It’s for those who can imagine the decade from its films and fashion alone - the kind of nostalgia that demands no realism; is perfect for charming, escapist, candyfloss entertainment. This film bears all of it, but in merely small, scattered parts. The movie claims to be adapted from a Gujarati play of the same name. I’m not sure if the said play had the Hollywood movie Back To The Future for its premise. This picture certainly does.
A young boy (Aditya Roy Kapoor, almost the picture’s hero: an unusually chunky role for a newcomer boy in a blockbuster) travels back in time, on a time machine, to save his parent’s failed marriage. His dad and mom can’t stand each other. He believes hooking them up better at young age should ensure them a healthier married life later.
The kid walks into a city where Julie is the cinema of the weekend at Capitol, the little theatre opposite Mumbai’s Victoria Terminus (which wasn’t Chhatrapati Shivaji yet, when Bombay wasn’t Mumbai either). There are fewer cars on wide roads, houses are huge, love marriages a taboo, and men and women parade in fashion, of well, the ‘70s (longish hair, nylon shirts, polka dots…).
The boy’s young, under-confident dad (Akshay Kumar) certainly needs help. He’s buck-teethed like Bugs Bunny, kitchen is the place he feels most at home. The son-to-be becomes the dating instructor (Andy Tennant's Hitch), pumps Kitchen Kumar with attitude, cool quotient, updates his fashion sense, even turns his Suryaprakash Bhojnalay into a Bollywood café (a word of the ‘90s).
Aishwarya Rai plays the girl next door. She is the object of desire. There’s another admirer (Ranvijay) to contend with. The dating guru pits the two suitors against each other in a music medley contest, inspired from the blockbuster of the ‘70s, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin.
As the songs play out, you figure why this movie hasn’t worked as much so far. Scenes may well be dull and weak in parts. And they are. But for a musical, the soundtrack a number lifted up from Bombay Rockers (Teri Toh), another one from Elvis’s Jailhouse Rock – is pure third rate.
Kumar, the hardest working Indian film star (averaging four films a year) remains the only thing to look out for then. This is his career's best performance. But then again, that may not be saying much, given Mr Kumar’s chosen career so far
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Golmaal 3
Director: Rohit Shetty
Actors: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Ratna Pathak, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Johny Lever, Johny Lever,Sanjay Mishra,Vrajesh Hirjee,Ashwini Kalsekar,Murli Sharma,Mukesh Tiwari,Vijay Patkar
It is touted as the first trilogy of Indian cinema. It's about time that the distant cousin of Hollywood had one. Yet, what's important is that Bollywood did not need to have trilogies as one hit film has the habit of spawning a whole generation of films that look and feel like the original. "Golmaal 3" also suffers from that syndrome. Thankfully, it only feels like its previous avatars. Despite retaining most characters from its previous outings, "Golmaal 3" enters a hitherto uncharted territory. Madhav (Warsi), Laxman (Khemu) and Lucky (Kapoor) are the three scheming sons of Pritam (Mithun) who manage to lure Vasooli (Mukesh Tiwari) into one scheme after another.
However, as luck would have it, in everything they start, they find competition from three other down-on-their-luck kids Gopal (Ajay Devgn), Laxman (Shreyas Talapade) and Dabbu (Kareena Kapoor) with funding from Puppy bhai (Johnny Lever). Gopal and Laxman are the sons of Geeta (Ratna Pathak Shah). Inevitably, locking horns they end up destroying each others businesses. What the two groups don't know is that their parents are unrequited ex-lovers. When Dabbu finds out she schemes and unites the two lovers in a marriage without letting their children know about their step-brothers. All hell breaks loose when they finally find out and a hilarious war engulfs between the two groups right under their parents noses. Like its predecessors "Golmaal 3" has enough laughs going through the film to keep the momentum. Johnny Lever as the Ghajini-style forgetful don who adopts a new filmy avatar every few minutes has the audience in splits. The few spoofs of old Hindi films, full of camera pans and quick zooms, will nostalgically tickle the funny bone. The twists of various popular phrases and known adages, raises more than a chuckle.
Mithun gets to do his "Disco Dancer" once again. Theatre veteran Ratna Pathak-Shah waltzes through the film with aplomb. Arshad Warsi is his usual tapori self while Shreyas Talapade and Kunal Khemu do a good job. It is however the beefed up Tushar Kapoor who seems to be trying too hard, and despite raising giggles, fails to arouse laughter. In the first part he, looking the most vulnerable, was the funniest of the lot. Director Rohit Shetty tries his best in merging comic vignettes into one comprehensible film. However, had it not been for the funny dialogues, his lack of directorial verve would have shone out. He is spared the fate by some ingenious dialogue writing by Robin Bhatt ("Aashiqui", "Sadak", "Baazigar") and Yunus Sajawal. Now that Bollywood finally has a trilogy, will it please also make one that also has some real standing in the world of cinema? Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn return to screen again this Diwali after two very successful years. On Diwali 2008 they had an extremely successful Golmaal Returns and last year they had an equally hilarious All The Best. Without a doubt they will be been hoping to carry on with the winning streak. And in the optimism of directing Bollywood's first third film in a sequel, beating the Krrish and Munnabhai series, Rohit Shetty gets in much bigger cast and canvass. Unfortunately though, over-confidence seems to have infected his optimism.
Golmaal 3 starts with a lot of fanfare and celebrations; with an on-the-face declaration that it's a sequel to Golmaal and Golmaal Returns and hence a laugh-riot can be expected. And then of course there is the Golmaal title track shot lavishly in carnival style. But when half an hour into the film you find that the director is pumping in more well shot songs rather than taking the film ahead, it makes one wonder where he got the courage to narrate the producer such a script. Worse, how did the producer agree to back the project! Don't get me wrong. There is a story no doubt. It's in fact borrowed from none other than the 1978 film classic comedy Khatta Meetha directed by Basu Chatterjee. Rohit Shetty sets the story into his style of filmmaking. Hence there are more characters, loads of gags, hilarious dialogged, exciting action scenes and of course colorful songs. You can rest assured that your eyes will be pleased and you lungs will get some exercise but then that's won't be throughout the film. Some gags completely fail to make you laugh. Moreover due to the treatment of the film whenever the gags are missing it gets boring.
Apart from the over the top approach Rohit also uses subtle humour as he used old film songs to suit funny situations. The dialogues are hilarious and the characters are well written. But most of the humour is borrowed from Bollywood and for someone who has not been watching as many Hindi films; it will be a completely waste of effort. Screenplay is quite loose and emphasis clearly is more on the look and feel than storytelling. Technically the film is very good - shot and edited very stylishly.
Performances too are top notch. The minor characters of Johnny Lever, Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari and Murli Sharma shine better than the main cast. Sanjay Mishra continues what he did in the 2008 film One, Two, Three and is terrific. Johnny Lever too makes a mark after a long time. Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi are very good. But among the primary cast it's clearly Tusshar who outdoes everyone else. This is one character Tusshar has come to excel in. Kunal Khemu and Shreyas Talpade do well. Mithun is a delight as he does his Disco Dancer number once again after all these years.
Overall, as stated earlier, Golmaal 3 is fun but not throughout. Also the need to spend all the money is smashing cars and creating carnival atmosphere in storytelling is not understood. And most importantly unlike the previous installments in the series, this story has no 'golmaal' hence failing the series name itself! It can be best describes as funny in intervals, but boring in much regular intervals! You may as well watch Khatta Meetha! You see Mithun. You make way. As does this movie. It flashes back to mid ‘70s. Mithun da (Ayeeessh!) is the disco dancer. “I am a disco dancer” is the song on his lips, and his profession to the girlfriend’s dad: "Zindagi mera gaana. Mein kisika deewana (Life’s singing for me. I’m also crazy about someone).”
That father is Prem, Prem Chopra. The baldie isn’t too impressed. He hands over an empty suitcase, asks the poor boy to make Rs 5 lakh before he can claim his daughter’s hand. Mithunda says he sold halwa over weekends (Dance Dance). He sold coconuts during day (Agneepath). But he couldn’t make those lakhs and win his girl. Another Disco Dancer ditty, Yaad aa raha hai plays in the background, and as a full-on track. The spoof alludes to a minor phase in Bollywood, when Hindi movies had momentarily lost their mind. Mithun da willingly plays fine sport, pokes fun at himself. This sequence could be a skit of its own, on MTV, Channel V, Laughter Challenge; if it hasn’t appeared already. So could the rest of Golmaal 3. The film picks up all its humour from Bollywood alone. Practically every dialogue, almost every scene, refers to another film, or a celeb - some of them who’re in the movie, and some who are not. “Kareena is on the Saif side”, Arshad is waris (inheritor), not a Warsi (his actual surname), Shahid Kapur is the kamina (from the movie Kaminey)… The cutesy villain (Johnny Lever) is called Pritam (after the popular music composer).
He enviably suffers from a short-term memory loss. By the end of this flick, you wish, so could you. Or maybe you do. But do imagine a film industry screening of this comedy and all celebs in the house, rotfl (rolling on the floor laughing), as it were. It’s truly that filmi. And for most parts hardly as funny for all. The cast and crew certainly had a laugh filming it. They even held an extended discussion on the picture Ghajini for us. Great for them. How about telling a story of your own? Well that again, I guess, can be outsourced to ‘70s Bollywood: Basu Chatterjee’s Khatta Meetha (1979), I suppose. Mithunda and his sweetheart once (Ratna Pathak Shah) are single still. Kareena Kapoor plays cupid, and gets them and their families together.
Old man fathers three adopted monsters: Ajay Devgn (can’t resist cracking people’s fingers), Shreyas Talpade (stammers for our pleasure). Old lady likewise mothers another set of aged orphans: Arshad Warsi, Kunal Khemu (in top form), Tusshar Kapoor (more moronic than mute). The two groups, supremely high on energy, hate each other. Another set of comic villains back the two gangs. Those buffoons have separate stories of their own. The missing link is the movie itself. No one anchors it.
Rohit Shetty brings back the highly successful franchisee of the Golmaal series to the big screen once more. Golmaal 3 brings back all the popular characters from the previous movie and there are some additions to the ensemble crew as well. As a Diwali release Golmaal 3 promises to be a major crowd puller. The Golmaal 3 star cast has done a wonderful job and this time Tusshar Kapoor has outperformed himself with the fantastic acting prowess. Golmaal 3 primarily tries to highlight the sibling rivalry between two groups. The first group consists of Ajay Devgn (Gopal), Shreyas Talpade (Laxman), Kareena Kapoor (Dabboo). The world of Gopal frequently collides with that of Arshad Warsi (Madhav), Tusshar Kapoor (Lucky), and Kunal Khemu (Laxman).
The movie is an out and out laugh riot that will keep you engaged for the entire length. The inclusion of Johnny Lever as an absent minded thief is fantastic and it adds to the confusion. Johnny Lever shows the audience that he is the master of slapstick comedy and comes back to claim his crown. The climax however is not that imaginative and could have been a lot better. Kareena’s dog has been named Facebook and the scene where it tries to get a bone out of Mithun’s pocket is hilarious. The scene where the siblings threaten each other without saying a single word is a masterpiece in itself. This movie is a highly recommended Diwali family entertainer which will bring a wide grin on your face.
Golmaal was a sleeper hit of 2006. Since then, several ensemble comedies (Dhamaal etc), some of them put together by this film’s team as well (Sunday, All The Best) have tried to repeat the run. Golmaal 2 (second-rate stuff) apparently raked in big bucks. Such success can boost anyone’s over-confidence. Which explains this turd part.
Close to three hours is long time in anyone’s life. It’s longer still to pack into a screenplay. The filmmakers have six main actors to juggle with, and as many side comedians to lend parts to. There’s a deadline (Diwali) to meet. Never mind the narrative, they’d be happy with as any corny antics and dialogues with whoever’s available. You can cheat shots for actors not present. Shoddiness shows.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
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Raakh
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