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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Singham
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Aggarwal, Prakash Raj, Ashok Saraf, Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Anant Jog, Vijay Patkar,
Jayant Sawarkar, Ashok Samarth, Kishore Nandlaskar, Ravindra Berde, Hemu Adhikari, Agasthya Dhanorkar, Suchitra, Bandekar, Suhasini Deshpande, Meghna Vaidya, Pradeep Welankar
Director: Rohit Shetty
Ever since 'Zanjeer' there have been quite a few cop dramas that have been made in Bollywood. Since then every superstar hero starting from Amitabh Bachchan to Vinod Khanna to Jeetendra to Dharmendra to Mithun Chakravorty to Sanjay Dutt to Anil Kapoor was seen in movies that required them to don the uniform. And then started the musical phase of the 90s and the multiplex era of 2000s that such action affairs took the backseat. Well, all of that can pretty much be expected to change now with 'Singham' where Ajay Devgn and Prakash Raj get one of the most definitive action dramas in place. In one line, the story is about right versus wrong and it is the constant see-saw between Ajay and Prakash which forms the backbone of the film since there are several sequences where a viewer gets an impression that one is more powerful than the other. (Spoilers ahead) It is Round One for Ajay when he and his village throw Prakash out of the police station. It is back to Prakash calling the shots when Ajay gets transferred to Goa. With Prakash letting loose his goons on Ajay, it continues to be a miserable situation for Ajay. But then when Ajay accepts Prakash's challenge and hits back his goons, the power equation fluctuates back to him.
Despite 'Singham' being an official remake of the namesake Tamil film, Rohit brings how own twist to the tale and changes the entire last 45 minutes. In fact it won't be wrong to say that the pre-climax and the climax, which are entirely different from the original, are in fact the highlights of 'Singham' that makes one try to look far deeper into the ground level issues faced by the cops than just leaving it all on the peripherals. I must add though that the first 20-25 minutes of the film just about pass muster. Entire goody-goody gestures of Ajay when it comes to defending his villagers just end up making one impatient to watch the real drama. Yes, the sequences are important to further establish Ajay's show of strength but still you are not really hooked on to screen by the second. The romantic track thankfully is abridged though it is nice for those few minutes that it plays. Also, the song 'Maula' (arriving in the second half) is totally unwarranted and this is the only time during the film when one gets a break to check the cellphone. However as stated earlier, it is the momentum built towards the interval and then the entire second half which is the 'jaan' of the film. Ajay's first interaction with the corrupt politician (Anant Jog) where he is ridiculed to the second where he takes him 'back on', his open challenge to Prakash Raj, the confrontation scene with the senior (Murli Sharma), the scene at the Police party (the best of the lot) and the 'big plan' - all of these are executed with such panache by Rohit that they end up surpassing some very good stunts executed all through the film.
Now all of this wouldn't have been possible had the villain been any lesser. Prakash Jha gives a wonderful account of himself all over again after 'Wanted' and 'Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap' and this indeed is his best performance ever in a Hindi film. Another factor that makes 'Singham' all the more powerful is the background score by Amar Mohile. Ajay of course lives the role and is simply flawless. 'Singham' could well be termed as his modern day homage to 'Ardh Satya'. Kajal is confident and her experience in films down South shows even though this is her debut film. She has a very good screen presence and can now be expected to be seen more often in Bollywood. Other supporting actors do well to. Right from Ashok Saraf to Ashok Samarth (playing Prakash's right hand man) to Murli Sharma to Anant Jog to the actors playing Ajay's colleagues and super-boss make the characters look right and believable.
Till a day before the release of 'Singham' the common saying was that when it comes to cop dramas, it was 'Wanted' and 'Dabangg' that started it all. However these films were more 'all around star driven entertainers' and relied on Salman's screen presence rather than the written word on paper. And this is where 'Singham' turns out to be more entertaining than the likes of 'Dabangg' since instead of several item sequences driving the show forward, it is a strong story with several twists and a superstar at the helm of affairs that results in a constant escalation in momentum, hence ensuring 'seeti maar' moments that are aplenty. As simple as that, 'Singham' is easily the most adrenalin pumping movie to have hit the screens this year. Go, get entertained! It’s his signature move. The hero, in a massive leap of faith, rises up in the air, flings his legs out, thumps his palm on top of villains’ bobbing heads. Victims fall flat to the ground. They could be buried six feet under, with the same thudding sound. At one point, for lack of a better weapon, he yanks off a street lamppost, goes charging against a bunch of goons zipping off in their topless jeep. Which is unnecessary. His hands (“gaon-wallah haath”) alone could do the job. As they often do: dozens lick dust, in one fell swoop.
You see. He’s the “sher”: there’s fair debate over whether that word is Hindi for tiger, or lion. In this case, it certainly means the latter – a loud one roars from the screen when the hero swaggers in. The filmmakers are clearly proud of their stunt scenes first. Not only is there an action director credited, the filmmaker (Rohit Shetty) takes separate billing for “action designer” in the opening credits. Minor mentions of other influences, say, the Bruce Willis starrer Red (for the swirling cop-car sequence) could’ve been grand gesture as well. The super-hero is called Singham. What kinda family name’s that? Well, it means the lion in Sanskrit, more importantly, is the title of a Tamil blockbuster this flick’s based on. Which is the way the cookie crumbles. “Jisme hai dam. Toh fakta Bajirao Singham.” You would’ve heard that in the promos, and wondered, the censors let pass the F-word? Haw. No. Fakta is ‘just’ or ‘only’, in Marathi. It’s Bajirao’s mother tongue. This is in every sense a dubbed regional film – though exhaustingly clichéd, even by South’s cookie-cutter, single-screen standards.
The leading man’s the macho, mustachioed, dark-skinned, young Rajnikanth. He serves a moral purpose for his sub-altern audiences. They pay for the movie ticket. He provides them an outlet: suitable place to vent their general, legitimate outrage against local gundas who pass off for regional politicians. Super-cop Singham holds the home minister by his neck. The neta bends. Everyone in the room, all of them cops, take turns to kick that fellow’s butt – one after another. Catharsis is complete. Later, the city's entire police force barges into a politician's living room to hack him off; they chase him down the streets, show him his true place of birth. Who else but a desi film hero could do this for us? Public feels vindicated. Did these semi-literate poetic justices, at some point, stop getting delivered in Hindi films? No. Never. You just didn’t go to watch Mehul Kumar’s Krantiveer 2 last year, now, did you? The budget was too low. It wasn’t hyped up enough. And there were no movie stars in it. They'd moved on.
The ‘80s ‘southern invasion’ though truly started again with Aamir Khan’s event-pic Ghajini (2008). Salman’s salesman Khan for this shirtless stuff. Currently. Ajay Devgn, undoubtedly, is a much superior actor. Salman’s the better looking; who’s also sanctified, beatified by some of the world’s looniest fans this side of Ozzy Osbourne’s den. And his films, lately (Wanted, Ready etc), are inevitably blessed with a first-rate soundtrack. None of which apply here. Devgn walks to beats similar to Salman’s Dabanng. He beats the crap out of ruffians outside a village theatre. He restores his woman's honour. Besotted, she chases him. Audiences think even more highly of the hero. He beats the crap some more. By Saturday (of the film’s release), the actor says in an interview to The Hindu, “I will forget Singham.” Good for him. It’s merely the first weekend’s collections the producers were looking at anyway.Nearly 40 minutes in the film the Minister of Goa yells at the cops for wasting his time and says out loud "Non-sense". Then and there you start relating to him as that's just what happens while watching Singham and you feel like saying the same words. For the nth time director Rohit Shetty teams up with Ajay Devgn but this time not for a madcap slapstick Golmaal series which he is known for. This time around it's all brawn and muscles as Rohit too jumps into the bandwagon of Heroism and South remakes with Singham. So call it an overdose of fight sequences, beefy actors and stunts or poor execution, Singham finds it hard to please the audience.
Set in Goa, Jaikant Shikhre (Prakash Raj) is a terror for every police man. A criminal with guns and power, Jaikant works the Goa law system his own way. Killing, extorting and getting away with it is the easiest thing for him. Cut to Shivgad, a small village on the border of Maharashtra and Goa, where an honest inspector Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) fights against injustice and prejudice using his own ethics and principles. How the two cross paths, how Shikhre messes with Bajirao Singham and how the simple inspector turns into a roaring, agitated, revengeful Simha (Lion) is what follows through the rest of the plot. Singham is that brand of cinema that was prevalent in the '80s and '90s. It has a rone wali Maa, a bad villain, a revengeful wife, a heroine that provides all the dancing around the tress type of romance and high octane action between the hero and the villain. But it's the execution of it all that takes a beating. The film starts with a serious angle of an honest inspector committing suicide owing to the terror of Jaikant Shikhre. It then goes into a long tangent of introducing Ajay Devgn, his life, his supremely tedious romantic angle making you frustrated with the goings-on. 80 per cent of the first half seems needless and could very well be chopped off to give way to the drama that follows in the second half.
In a typical Rohit Shetty style there are a lot of cars blown up for providing the hardcore action feel. However, this time around the cinematography goes for a toss. The film is interspersed with bad shots which are glaringly obvious and out of focus scenes. The editing too isn't anything great. The best thing about Singham is its villain. Prakash Raj as the maniacal and egoistic criminal is befitting. His serious, ruthless character blended with timely humour keeps the audience glued to their seats. Another reason to watch this film is the drama between Prakash Raj and Ajay Devgn. Their battle against each other is interesting and offers a lot of drama. Ajay's look and characterisation is very good however, whenever he speaks in Marathi it looks very forced and fake. Wish something could've been done about this. Even the setting appears farcical. Kajal Aggarwal has over the top written all over her throughout the film. so if you thought Kareena Kapoor in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham was OTT wait to see Kajal. Music too has nothing great to talk about.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Cast: Hrithik Roshan,Farhan Akhtar,Abhay Deol,Katrina Kaif,Kalki Koechlin,Ariadna Cabrol
Director: Zoya Akhtar
'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' opens on a familiar note. Three boys get together for a bachelors' road trip where it would be them and only them in Spain. As their journey continues through the scenic locations of Spain, something which actually eats up at least a quarter of the screen time of ZNMD, Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay indulge into various sports activities. So while an oh-so-extended scuba diving with Katrina Kaif in company hardly manages to excite and actually starts boring after a while, the second sports activity comes way too late in the day. Thankfully it is the most exciting of the lot as the three guys get into some sky diving mode. And then there is this enthralling but abruptly cut short 'running with the bulls' (which incidentally was the original title of the film) sports which could have been just the kind of climax that would have raised the film's fortunes. However it turns out to be an anti climax of sorts where one ends up wondering whether the concluding reel has gone missing from the final print.
So while the first half of the film actually keeps you engaged for most part of it, the second half doesn't quite carry much steam and even though there are a few good sequences thrown in, one does feel as if something is really missing. As for the end then well, it makes one truly believe that in an attempt to break rules, ZNMD has actually gone a little too far. Thankfully there are witty one liners as well as realistically narrated sequences between the trio that keeps one's interest alive in ZNMD. So whether it is Farhan's constant 'bag worship', his mildly flirtatious ways or pulling Hrithik's leg time again it all works in favour of the film, especially during the film's first half. Ditto for various tricks that Abhay plays on not just a few unsuspecting victims but even his friends when he claims to know their 'hidden secrets'.
On the other hand it won't be wrong to say that Hrithik's track is the weakest of the lot, what with majority of his scenes with Katrina acting as frequent speed breakers in the narrative. Yes, Katrina does well in what one could term as an extended special appearance (she just disappears for most part of the second half before making a sudden comeback) but then her constant 'gyaan' around life's philosophy only ends up distracting one more than being involved. This is the reason why even Farhan is fine as long as he is having fun but once his poetry starts playing in the background, ZNMD turns into a different film. Having said that, most of the cast members have approached their part with full conviction. Hrithik starts off on an okay note but gets on his own during the latter part of the film. Farhan is the pick of the lot and that's because not just is his characterisation very convincing, he does quite well as an actor as well. On the other hand Abhay is quite adorable to begin with but as tension mounts in his personal life, his 'audience friendly' charm also goes sliding down. Katrina is fine and does her best not to be bogged down by a role that requires heavy-duty dialogue-baazi. Kalki's part had scope to be much funnier but she does well in her limited screen time. Naseruddin Shah is good in his cameo.
I am sure Zoya Akhtar's intentions would have been quite right when she embarked upon 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. She could have perhaps said to herself that 'Ok, let me make a film about male bonding with an element of philosophy about life being thrown in. In addition, I will break away from all the clich�s which means there won't be any skirt chasing, boys' visit to the night clubs and those pseudo 'hey dude' calls'. Well, to a good extent she succeeds as well and though her story telling is unconventional, one doesn't see much harm even as it tries to go against the tide. Now how one wishes that the momentum was maintained right through those long two and a half hours of play time with a definite ending at the least that could have made all the difference for ZNMD to be real class apart than turning out to be a story which is good, but that's about it.Some movie experiences can be summed up in a few lines. Others can take longer. This one would be hard to define. And to try to slot it or give it shape in any other form but the visual would take some doing.
The witticism, of course, flows. With Farhan Akhtar around, what else can we expect? But the spoken lines (a brilliant fusion of the colloquial and existential) are so doggedly wedded to the visuals that we come away with a complete and satisfying cinematic experience, so replete with life’s most luscious home-truths that we want to carry the plot’s bumper-sticker wisdom in our hearts forever. Farhan Akhtar did it ten years ago, in “Dil Chahta Hai”. He got three friends on the threshold of a career on a road-trip and let them come to terms with their own weaknesses and insecurities, even as Farhan, that wily filmmaker, discovered his own strengths as a storyteller. Now it’s Farhan’s sister Zoya Akhtar’s turn to take that road trip. Some day we need to figure out the Akhtar siblings’ affinity to films about three male friends on a journey to self-discovery. Suffice it to say that “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (ZNMD) takes the theme of male bonding to a more illuminating plane than “Dil Chahta Hai”.
As the workaholic money-obsessed stockbroker (Hrithik Roshan), the happy-go-looking-for-his-dad prankster (Farhan Akhtar) and the about-to-be-married-nice-guy (Abhay Deol) set out on trip through locationally lush Spain (ummm, full marks for seductive eyecandy visuals) we follow right behind. Without trying to set up dramatic road-blocks and U-turns in the road journey, Zoya Akhtar gets us so involved in the drama and adventure of the threesome we gradually forget the actors and see only the characters that they so fluently and robustly play. Oh yes, the ladies take the backseat. Nonetheless Katrina Kaif’s Laila, a gorgeous diving instructor who teaches Hrithik to dive into soul, makes such graceful space for herself among the boys that we wonder how she managed to make herself heard in a film that celebrates the spirit of male bonding in all its robust colour splendour and noise. Oh yes, we forgot! This guys’ film is directed by a woman! The feminine touch is nowhere evident in Zoya Akhtar’s direction. She leaves you wondering if delicacy femininity and the opposite of a snobbish misogyny that our desi female directors have been seen to follow, vanished while we were not looking.
ZNMD is a coming-of- age film on many levels. It celebrates the sheer beauty and physicality of location and their deep connection to the characters’ state of mind, without apology or explanation. Trust me. I looked. I couldn’t spot even one unpleasant face or topogrphy in the entire length and breath of this beautiful film. Yes, the surface is lovely. But so is the soul. Zoya, God bless her aesthetics, sucks us into the beauty of the moment, not giving us any reason to believe that life’s most precious truths are swathed in squalor. ZNMD celebrates splendour. Underwater or up in the air thousands of feet above sea level, the moments of tenderness are not stapled into the climate of camaraderie. They just happen.
The moment when Hrithik discovers love under the stars with Katrina, or when Farhan Akhtar finally meets his biological father (Naseeruddin Shah, in a naturally compelling cameo) or that breathtakingly blistered moment of reckoning when after a bout of male backslapping in the initial episodes, we suddenly realize the cause for friction in the Hrithik-Farhan friendship… These are masterstrokes of muted drama not written in to impress, but simply as an integral part of that journey which we undertake so enthusiastically and willingly with the threesome. Technically the film wears its art on its sleeve. Carlos Catalan’s cinematography captures the pain and the fun in Spain without letting the touristic urge take over. Yeah, the film looks fetching. But not at the cost of the characters’ search for bearings in a world that mocks at the beauty of Nature. Editor Anand Subaya doesn’t cut the film. He carves the material in shapes that a jeweller would probably like to imitate if he only knew how. Every actor seems to the character born. Hrithik’s stuffed-shirt act would have been almost self-parodic were it not so sincere. Abhay Deol is a natural-born reactor. But it’s Farhan Akhtar who steals the best role, lines and moments. He is in his element and the character that evolves in the course of the journey. Oh yes, he gets to mouth his father Javed Akhtar’s evocative poetry.
Katrina Kaif’s Laila is a kind of synthesis of mystique and sincerity that we had seen long ago in Leela Naidu. This film marks the coming-of-age of the Kaif. Kalki in a relatively brief role brings a kind of snide cuteness to the proceedings. Her character is sometimes the brunt of ridicule. She takes it in her stride. Every major character at some point, appears ridiculous. That’s the beauty of the askew world that Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s script tries to make sense with doses of humour and warmth.New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) After enjoying a madcap image of youth in "Delhi Belly", it's time to take a fun-filled trip with another bunch of guys - Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol in the exotic locales of Spain in "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which releases Friday.
If city-centric "Delhi Belly" took a peep into the lives of a section of youngsters through three friends, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" too is an urban drama where three friends venture out to have some fun time together. Directed by Farhan's sister Zoya Akhtar and produced under the banner Excel Entertainment, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" is about a holiday that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik), Imraan (Farhan) and Kabir's (Abhay) forever. The film was previously titled "Running With The Bulls" but the name was later changed to the present one. It is the second directorial venture of Zoya after critically acclaimed "Luck By Chance". Kabir, a wealthy young man who works with his father's construction company in Mumbai, is engaged to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), daughter of a hotelier. Kabir wants to go on an extended bachelor party with his best friends Arjun, and Imraan, before he ties the knot with her and invites them to join him.
London-based Arjun is a financial trader who works at a huge firm. As he grew up without a father and lived a tough life, so his entire focus is to get bigger, better and faster, while Imraan is a copywriter who works at an advertising agency in Delhi. When Kabir offers to take them on a vacation, Imraan readily agrees, but Arjun is reluctant as he is too tied up in his work. However, after much cajoling he agrees and thus starts their Spain sojourn. All three meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that helps them iron out their differences, get rid of their fears and alter their perception about various things in life. The holiday turns out to be a lesson in life for them and force them to break out of the box. The three-week journey changes their lives forever.
As luck would have it, Laila, played by Katrina Kaif, a bohemian fashion student from London is also there. She takes time off to teach diving every year and this time she decided to do it in Spain, where she meets Arjun, Imraan and Kabir. The mega-budget film has been extensively shot in Barcelona, Pamplona, Bunyol, Andalucia, Egypt and Mumbai. The La Tomatina festival of Spain was re-created for the shoot of the song "Ik Junoon". It was shot in Bunyol, Valenci, in Spain. Almost 16 tons of tomatoes were used for the shoot and were flown in from Portugal. The film has already created a lot of buzz with its songs and promos.
After a long time Abhay got an opportunity to work in a mainstream commercial film and it also gave him a chance to make good friends with his co-stars Farhan and Hrithik in real-life. While shooting for the film, the three did some adventure sports like skydiving and scuba-diving. Zoya has also made the three lead actors of the film sing a song "Senorita", composed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, is a rage among people.Deep sea diving, Sky diving, the scenic locales of Spain, Tomatino festival and three friends making the most of each and every moment of their lives. Yes, sounds nearly like a dream and that's just what Farhan Akhtar's sister Zoya Akhtar tries attaining in her slice of life film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). Whether her dreamy film actually works in content as well or not remains to be seen.
ZNMD is about the journey that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imran (Farhan Akhtar) and Kabir (Abhay Deol). Before he gets entangled in a lifelong bond of marriage with Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), Kabir wants to celebrate his bachelor's party with his friends and so the three head out to Spain to fulfil a pact they had formed 4 years ago. A road trip where each one gets to do one ultimate sport along with the other two. How the journey becomes a moment of epiphany for each of them and how they overcome their problems and fears is what forms the rest of the story.
First and foremost, the biggest clarification is that, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is nothing like the false message doing the rounds. The three lead actors, DO NOT DIE IN THE END. And about the second speculation of it being a take off from Dil Chahta Hai, I can only say that the film does give glimpses of DCH but isn't exactly like it. For one to enjoy ZNMD, one has to come to terms with the fact that since the film is about the journey the lead cast takes to Spain (and since the producers have incurred heavy expenses to shoot in the country) there are great possibilities of the film to come across very touristy with many scenes dwelling far too long on each and every tourist spot or adventure. The first half of the film does appear pacy with too many things happening simultaneously. But it's the second half, filled with melodrama that appears too stretched. In the times when the attention span of the audience is diminishing by each film and generally most of the films are having a run time of 2 hours, a proper 3 hour film including the interval appears very long.
There are however, many things that catch the attention of the audience; the timing between the actors being one. It is their infectious camaraderie, humour and joy that transports the viewer into their world. More importantly, the characters are very relatable. Farhan Akhtar deserves a special mention for his brilliant acting. Some of the poems mouthed by Farhan which are originally written by Javed Akhtar are beautiful. Katrina Kaif as Laila, gets a tailor made role for herself and hence plays it well. Kalki doesn't get much to do. Abhay and Hrithik are great but nothing extra.
The review of ZNMD cannot be complete without the mention of the stupendous cinematography of Carlos Catalan. Hat's off to him for giving breath-taking view of Spain. Right from the Tomatino festival to the Sky-diving or the deep sea diving, each and every scene is captured brilliantly. Only if editing by Anand Subaya could've been better, the film could've attained perfection as far as it is visually concerned. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is disappointing."Hi. It's me," says the voice over the phone. You know right away, only a typical girlfriend, Kabir's (Abhay Deol's), in this case (yours or mine, otherwise) could refer to herself in that presumptuous 'me'! The only me, I know, is Me.
For Kabir, it's the girl (Kalki) who he recently got engaged to. He's on a bachelors' trip. Before he gets married in a couple of months. She's insecure. As all girlfriends (why, even boyfriends) eventually become: possession, being the flip side of any kind of love. She hops on to a flight, actually joins her fiancé's friends on their stag party across the breathtakingly, bravely picturised (Carlos Catalan), intensely scenic Spain. What a bummer, right? Right. But this female intrusion's brief. The fiancée leaves soon enough. The three men, best friends, carry on. They have a bet to honour, an old promise to keep. Which is to perform three scary stunts, suggested by each, on a holiday together. "Together, 'til death do us part?" Well…? Sort of. The film is a hard-core male-bonding 'bromance' all right. Though in a consistently comical way, as against something expressly melodramatic or corny. Their dares probably have more to do with overcoming their own personal, pet fears, or phobias, if you like. Of the two other friends, one (Hrithik Roshan) is, as the film puts it, a corporate "slave" (forever stuck to his job), or "whore" (works for money alone). A beautiful girl (Katrina Kaif) he befriends on the trip exposes him to a wonderful world beyond, which he may be missing out on. He wishes to pile up all the wealth and retire by 40 (the ultimate urban mirage). "What if you don't live until 40," the girl asks him. True that.
The other buddy (Farhan Akhtar) is a closeted poet, and an advertising copywriter by day "creative type", as it were. He's in his early 30s like his best friends. Between these "three musketeers" plays out a picture that instantly takes you back to the said lead actor's own stunning directorial debut. Comparisons, even allusions to a possible sequel, are inevitable. It's been exactly ten years since fall, 2001, when Farhan's Dil Chahta Hai, a game-changer for Hindi films, brought to us the rich, carefree, well-kept metro-sexual man of the urban Indian multiplex. The film also coincided with ten years of an open economy that, among other things, eventually split India's cinema audiences into (metropolitan, mall-rat) "classes", and (unwashed, single-screen) "masses". Dil Chahta Hai, in trade journalese, debatable as these terms may be, was a film for the "classes". Probably, so is this.
Character traits of three thick friends there, could be somewhat swapped with the smartly cast actors here too. Well, more or less. There's the intense guy (Hrithik, for Akshaye Khanna's role); the goofy, hen-pecked one (Abhay, for Saif Ali Khan's character); and the compulsively flirtatious (Farhan, for Aamir Khan's part). What's important is that you love this film for about the same reasons you adored the light, breezy Dil Chahta Hai. It shares with it that wicked, wry sense of humour that, say, made the line, "Cake khaane ke liye toh hum kahin bhi jaa sakte hai", iconic, immortal. Farhan's character is the repository of those subtle, self-mocking repartees in this film. They should equally survive the test of time.
In fact, judging by his outstandingly timed performance, it'd be fair to suggest the actor, who's since proven himself as rock-star, dancer, stand-up comedian, TV show host (possibly the most multi-faceted Indian talent film-wise, or otherwise) should have played hero in his first film as director-producer as well. While entertaining her audiences throughout, the writer-director (Zoya Akhtar, Luck By Chance), with a firm voice of her own, still manages to keep things artistic, without its pretensions; a lot of times, even poetic, literally, with profound poetry on love and life that you wish to hear again: "Aankhon mein hairaaniyan lekar chal rahe ho? Toh zinda ho. (You still walk with amazement in your eyes? You're alive)." This is rare. Some may find the film "slow". It's not. No film is (they all move at 24 frames per second). It's the pacing, or rhythm, that's an issue: too much, by way of plot, is packed into the first half; too many minutes get spent in tying up various loose ends in the second. When the movie does break into a song, you can tell, the soundtrack's relatively second-rate (save for the striking ‘Senorita').
None of which eventually matters. What you take home are memorable, amusing moments of three truly adventurous amigos we've all grown up with. And will continue to. Facebook can't change that. You figure how your best friendships (especially those from college or school) remain frozen in fountain of youth. We never age in relation to the other. Mine date back to 1995. We're 16 still, ever-ready for that kill. Thank god. Inspired, I'll take up these boys' awesome holiday plan. Soon. You should check out their movie, for sure.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Murder 2
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Yana Gupta, Prashant Narayanan, Sudhanshu Pandey, Sandeep Sikand, Shweta Kawatra
Director: Mohit Suri
Among the many sequels gracing the cinema halls over some weeks comes yet another sequel of the 2004 Anurag Basu directed Mallika Sherawat, Emraan Hashmi starrer superhit thriller Murder. Starring Emraan Hashmi yet again alongside the superhot Jacqueline Fernandez, Murder 2 has been in news for the bold scenes and the chartbusting music. So let's find out whether this film will work or not. Set in Goa, Murder 2 revolves around a former cop Arjun Bhagwat (Emraan Hashmi) who is irreverent and earns his living doing odds jobs for pimps, gangsters etc. He is in a non-committed relation with a model Priya (Jacqueline Fernandez) who loves him too much but is lovelorn as he doesn't reciprocate. A certain pimp assigns him a task to find the call girls from his racquet who have gone missing over a few months. How Arjun's investigation to find the missing girls leads him to a serial killer Dheeraj Pandey (Prashant Narayanan) is what forms the rest of the story.
Murder 2 can't quite exactly be called a sequel to the Anurag Basu directed predecessor. It has different characters, different setting and different storyline too. Unlike Murder, Murder 2 happens to be quite gory and spine chilling. The film appears to have drawn inspiration from Hollywood's slasher flick Hostel and has the same method of the multiple heinous assassinations. However, it is a little less grisly in comparison to the Hollywood flick. What may turn out to be a deterrent for the film is the faulty storyline. The manner in which the case of the missing call girls is handled is very sketchy filled with a lot of cinematic liberties taken by the filmmaker just to come to the conclusion. It is just the blend of thrill and erotica that might work with the audience. What also works in the film's favour is the short length which makes the story punchy and edgy and the acting of Prashant Narayanan. After a very long time there's come someone who's enacted the role of a villain with such finesse. His character of a neurotic killer is what outshines in the entire flick. Emraan Hashmi is his usual self. Jacqueline Fernandez is hot and looks at ease in the bold scenes with Emraan Hashmi. Overall, Murder 2 works in parts. It is edgy and spine chilling in some parts but faulty in others.The sequel to "Murder" is nothing like the first part of the frenetic franchise. And Jacqueline Fernandez who has been built up in "Murder 2" as the next Mallika Sherawat is nothing like the overrated Mallika....Thank God for that! Fernandez exudes an unbridled sunniness even when pouting in the bare minimum. Alas, she doesn't have much to do in "Murder 2" except swathe the dark drama in a spot of sunshine.
God knows this film about the devil-unleashed, surprisingly written by a woman (Shagufta Rafique) needs that little of sunshine. It is a desperately dark film. The characters are wretchedly unhappy. No matter which side of the moral line they are positioned they are standing screaming into the abyss that is suburban life. These people need serious help. This then, is the world Mahesh Bhatt has bequeathed to us. Take it and bleed it. Director Mohit Suri who earlier took us on a jolting trip through the world of prostitution, pimps and desperate cops in "Kalyug" takes the same route again. On this occasion the journey is far more ruthless and rigorously implemented to create horror repugnance and hatred for a word that we've created for coming generations.
In the typical Mahesh Bhatt style "Murder 2" doesn't waste time in back-projections and story build-up. He goes straight for the kill. With trenchant immediacy director Mohit Suri (back in "Kalyug" form after the misfire that was his last film "Crook") tells us the story of a psychopathic killer who kills prostitutes with the pleasure that makes your stomach churn and look anxiously towards the future about your daughter who is just stepping into the big wide world. Who knows if the man sitting next to her in the movie theatre is a closet-nutcase with a collection of hacksaws in his house, and not to carve up the Christmas turkey. Prashant Narayanan as the psychopath plays the character at such an even pitch he makes your blood freeze in fear and revulsion. Here's a man who could be that ghoul who butchered all those kids in the Nethra killings and then ate them up without a burp. The 'hero' in "Murder 2" is a burn-out suspended cop who makes money out of criminals, stays sullen and haunted throughout the film except when he goes for the kiss, and offers his girlfriend a wad of notes after making love. To buy the fridge, he says. Naturally the lady freezes.
Force of habit, we say. Hashmi has done this kind of a role repeatedly. The kissing and vigorous bedroom activities are quickly taken care of in the first 15 minutes. Wouldn't want the lovers of the serial kisser to feel they're being cheated in favour of the serial killer. The wacked-out killer in "Murder 2" doesn't eat his victims. He just cuts them down to sighs and groans and shrieks of pain and records their dying voices to get his rockers off The plot seems original. The narration is clenched and the characters driven by a desperate urge to assert themselves before death rings their doorbell. The savagery with which the college-going call girl (Sulagna Panigrahi) is brought to her gruesome death becomes a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the triumph of diabolism that is often garbed in designer labels these days.
"Murder 2" is not a pleasant film to view. The psychopath's killings are done in graphic detail. The storytelling offers no respite from the brutality. Most of the time we are looking at happenings that we would rather not see. But see, we must. "Murder 2" is a mirror of our amoral venomous times when no relationship is sacred anymore. Mohit Suri remains in command of the murky material and traumatized characters. While most episodes hold together in a riveting rhythm of life's most unsavoury truths, the sequences featuring Prashant Naraynan work better than the rest of the film. He lends the proceedings a credibility that is unsettling.In the past director Mohit Suri has told quite a few interesting stories. At such a young age, he is the only director to be enjoying one film of his release practically every year. However 'Murder 2' will certainly be one of his finest films till date as he takes further strides as a filmmaker. First and foremost he gets the story right and secondly, he injects enough moments in it that justify the franchise. Also, he lends a polished feel to the film technically as well by means of superb background score, striking cinematography and an overall dark look and feel.
The film's setting is Goa where women are either getting killed or disappearing for weeks. When ex-cop Emraan Hashmi investigates the cause behind this, he comes across a startling revelation about a psychopath (Prashant Narayanan) behind it all. While most films end at the culprit being caught and his confession closing the case, 'Murder 2' takes a different path altogether. The reason revealed behind all the killings is what makes 'Murder 2' different from other thrillers. What strikes one's attention at the very beginning is the fact that 'Murder 2' doesn't take even a minute to get to the point. You know that there is a transsexual who is after young women, mostly prostitutes. You also know his modus operandi and the place of crime. Also, you get a fair idea about the gruesome killings that would continue for many more days to come. However what makes 'Murder 2' interesting is the fact that while audience is constantly with the killer, it is the lead protagonist on a chase that makes the proceedings engaging.
Also, the very setting of the scene of murder is haunting to the core. So when a petite girl enters Prashant's den, you know for sure that she would be tormented. Also, when Prashant continues to hum along 'Bheege Hoth Tere', you know for sure that there is terror lurking somewhere out there. Moreover his chameleon like act where he makes conflicting statements, whether in front of women, Emraan or the cops makes one totally engrossed in the proceedings. On the other hand Emraan plays his part perfectly well for a man who doesn't believe in God, has a past of his own, isn't quite happy in life, doesn't like speaking too much and makes ferocious love to his woman. In fact at places one also finds traces of the character that he played in 'Awarapan', especially the part where he eventually makes peace with God. Jacqueline Fernandez provides quite eye candy moments as she is uninhibited in her body display. However since she isn't playing a happy character in the film, she doesn't really get those feel-good moments for herself that make for a quintessential Bollywood heroine.
Overall the film unfolds as a dramatic thriller and thankfully there are still quite a few individualistic scenes with various twists and turns that keep the thrilling element on right through the 2:10 hours duration. So whether it is Prashant tormenting women in his den, him and Emraan finally coming face to face, the scene at the police station, one of the girls in a hapless situation, Emraan's endeavour to collect clues, the scene at the temple and the psychological investigation all of these are etched in one's memories way after the film is through. This doesn't mean though that the film isn't without any blemishes whatsoever. The sob story sequence between Emraan and Jacqueline is totally pass� and doesn't add anything to the film's plot. The scenes featuring the girl who is trying to make her escape eat up a little more footage than needed. Moreover the episode featuring a 'hijra' politician starts off well but doesn't cut much ice towards its culmination. This is the time when there is some repetition too that sets in around Prashant's murderous ways. Also, music though good isn't really the highlight here and just fills in as a part of the narrative.
Dark and haunting - This is what describes the mood of 'Murder 2' which is definitely not for the faint hearted. In fact it won't be wrong to say that despite not belonging to the horror genre, it turns out to be far more disturbing than many so-called horror movies that have released in the recent past and have claimed to have brought a new idiom to the genre. So while one did expect sex and violence to form a major part of 'Murder 2', more so due to the franchise that it belongs to, the film throws in a surprise by not just boasting of a strong and a fresh new storyline but also some very strong performances.
Chillar Party
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain, Aarav Khanna, Vishesh Tiwari, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Vedant Desai, Divji Handa, Sherya Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor
Director: Vikas Bahl, Nitesh Tiwari
Finally 'Chillar Party' turns out to be an outing which despite featuring children isn't quite a 'kiddo flick'. To put it simply, just around 20%-25% tweaking in the film's script could have easily allowed kids to be replaced by youngsters in their 20s and the impact would have still been the same. In that context, the script is flexible enough to cater to audience across all age groups, something which is its biggest strength. So the moment audience is introduced to all kids in the story, you know that 'finally' this is going to be a different affair. There is a unique treatment indeed as there is a back story told about how each of the kids got their nicknames, something which is out and out hilarious and sets you in the right mood to watch what the rest of 'Chillar Party' has to offer. At the core of 'Chillar Party' carries a simple agenda - save a stray dog which is the best friend of 'tapori' boy who works in the same society where all kids reside. Though there is a Minister who wants to boost his ego by trying to make this as a city wide issue, the kids go the whole hog to ensure that they have their way.
This is exactly makes the first half of the film absolutely terrific as quite a few scenes leave a solid impression and also make one pine to revisit them all over again. While introduction of all the kids is the pick of the lot, the scene where 'Jhangia' (the most memorable of them all) reaches out to the 'tapori' boy multiple times to induct him into their local cricket team is priceless. And then not to forget the part where all kids start acting like 'bhai logs'. In fact Panauti, Encyclopaedia, Akram, Silencer and of course Fatka are the kids who leave a very good impression even after the film is through. Though time and again it does happen the second half of an interesting film goes for a toss, it doesn't quite happen in case of 'Chillar Party'. The story continues from where it has left and now the kids face a bigger challenge to retain the dog by getting a 'no objection certificate' from the society members. Just when one felt that all of this could turn into a preachy drama, the makers come to the rescue as they ensure that the humour quotient doesn't die down. Watch out for the interactions that kids have with their parents at this juncture or the entire 'breaking news' episode. Hilarious.
In fact the entire idea of stepping into a 'chaddi march' is done well too. However the moment kids hit the road in their 'white chaddis', the drama (unfortunately) starts going downhill. From this point on till hundreds of kids coming together at Flora Fountain to the evil plans of the Minister to the entire conversation between the parents to the TV show last 20-25 minutes end up being a little haywire. Worse, Ranbir Kapoor's 'Tai Tai Phis' appears even after 'behind the scenes' feature during the end credit title rolls. Not fair because many leave the auditorium by this time. Still, all said and done, hats off to the makers who actually took a brave decision to back this story as a full fledged feature film. 'Finally' That's the sigh of relief that one gets during the very first 15 minutes of the playtime of 'Chillar Party'. A classy product makes it's presence felt from a distance and 'Chillar Party' pretty much succeeds on doing that from the word 'go'.At one point in American history, dogs and blacks were not allowed in public places. During the British occupation of China, it was 'dogs and Chinese' while at the first Mumbai marathon the rule was against dogs and wheelchairs. A dog has thus become a metaphor for seclusion, for denying someone their fundamental rights.
"Chillar Party" uses this metaphor in a brilliant, but hilariously entertainment manner to make a statement against those who seclude, be it Shiv Sena in Mumbai, fanatic Hindus who want Muslims out of India, or upper class Hindus who refuse lower caste people basic rights etc. That it does so while making you laugh, is its greatest strength. After a street kid Phatka (Irrfan Khan) and his stray dog Bhidu begin cleaning cars in a rich locality, the rich, school going kids first try to fend him off, but later become great buddies. When a minister offended by the dog passes a law to ban all street dogs from Mumbai, the kids resort to some unconventional activism to save their beloved dog. But is it even possible for the powerless kids to take on a high and mighty minister? "Chillar Party", in essence, is a children's film. But those who can read between the lines and see between pictures know that the most brilliant, imaginative and metaphorical literature and cinema in the world, are for kids.
Thus in literature you have your 'The Prince' and 'Gulliver's Travels', while the films of Iranian auteurs, though simple and innocent, attack an unjust system. "Chillar Party" is a welcome addition to these greats of world cinema. Yet, what does a children's film need to be good? A simple story, good metaphor, oodles of cuteness and innocence, fun and humour and a band of actors to carry it all off. If you have these, any other drawbacks can be excused. "Chillar Party" has these and much more. The film is filled with observations and idiosyncrasies that will leave you laughing your guts out. Every child in the film has acted with such restrained understatement that they give your popular stars a run for their money. And yet, beyond all these beautifully working elements, it is the metaphor of the dog that takes the cake. Unlike nature, the world of humans is full of seclusion. Thus a Bal Thackeray in the 1960s wants the South Indians, in the 1990s the Muslims, and now the North Indians out of Mumbai. Fanatic Hindus want Muslims out of India. The Americans wanted blacks out of America. The Australians want Indians out. The Sri Lankans want the Tamils out. The list is literally endless. But as the film so valiantly, sincerely and emotionally argues, what is needed is inclusion.
"Chillar Party is filled with allegorical moments that hint at how the poor, the disenfranchised, the adivasi, the handicapped, the minority survive. When the rich kids take away his cleaning cloth, Phatka has no qualms about washing cars with his only tshirt. The rich consider poor to be pests and want them out, but the poor strive and ironically serve the same rich. Some, pushed to the edge, take up arms against mighty odds, like in the tribal belts of India. Besides saluting the creative genius of writer-director Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari, one has to bow to UTV and Salman Khan, for flexing their muscles for something so beautiful. "Chiller Party" may be a small film. But as cinema goes, in its adroitness, it is much more mature than 99 percent of the films ever made in India. And that, you'll reckon, is no 'small' achievement.Once again filmmakers with small budget but big content have shown that all it takes to make a film is to have the right story, right direction and right acting. And maybe that's just what attracted many Bollywood celebs towards the touching yet entertaining film Chillar Party. First it was Ranbir Kapoor to tag his name to the film by offering to do an item song for free so that the film could get some mileage at the ticket windows, then it was The Salman Khan who got so pleased by the acting that he thought of co-producing the film itself. We give you an insight into what made this film such a talk of town.
As rightly mentioned in press release Chillar Party is a fillam about a gang of innocent but feisty bachcha log Jangiya, Encyclopedia, Panauti, Akram among others who lead a carefree and fun filled life in Chandannagar colony. Soon Fatka&Bhidu come into their lives and they become an inseparable part of Chillar party. The lives of these bachcha logs get difficult when Bhidu's life is endangered, thanks to a mean politician. Saathmein they fight the big bad world of politics and show that even chhotebachche can move mountain. In a world where reason outweighs emotions, Chillar party teaches everyone to feel rather than think. They prove that what seems right is not always right.
Director Vikas Bahl and Nimesh Tiwari prove their mettle in their debut film itself. The fine detailing, the humour quotient as well as the story are all brilliant. There are many endearing moments that tug at your heart. The characters are so adorable that within minutes you are drawn into their simple and innocent world and you can't help but get enamoured by their intelligence, chirpiness, ebullience and endearing naughtiness. Quite recently, Amole Gupte too tried his hands with a children film Stanley Ka Dabba, but it is Chillar Party that without doubts deserves to win the title of Best Children film so far. The first half of the film moves very quickly courtesy the excellent editing. However, the second half slackens with the overt histrionics of the kids. Even the climax appears stretched but what binds the film together and keeps the interest of the audience intact is the cuteness of the kids and their timing with each other. There will surely remain many scenes that might turn into trademark dialogues. For example, the Gandhi, tapori style dialogue mouthed by Jangiya.
The credit for bringing such a gem to light truly goes to one man Salman Khan. One can only expect this bad boy of Bollywood to work on a brainless, slapstick Ready on one hand and produce a gem such as this on the other. Had it not been for him and his star power, Chillar Party could've gotten lost in the slew of mega starrers that make it to the theatres. Talk about the acting and each and every kid does a brilliant job but the ones that stand out are Irfan Khan as Fatka, Sanath Menon as Encyclopedia and Naman Jain as Jhangiya. However, it's all a team effort. While acting department of this film is extremely powerful, music by Amit Trivedi also deserves a mention. Even the cinematography is good. The only thing that comes out glaring is the absence of Ranbir Kapoor's item song which comes right at the end, even after the end credits. To sum it up, You should not miss this Chillar Party! Do watch it for its sheer brilliance!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Bbuddah - Hoga Tera Baap
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, Hema Malini, Minissha Lamba, Sonal Chauhan, Neha Sharma, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Charmi, Mahie Gill, Makrand Deshpande, Shahwar Ali, Rajeev Mehta, Rajeev Varma, Vishwajeet Pradhan,Atul Parchure , Abhishek Bachchan
Director: Puri Jagannath
Back in '80s there was a star who gave every other actor a run for his money. And that was the Angry Young Man Amitabh Bachchan. Over the year the superstar became the Iconic Figure of India; the biggest star ever but somewhere lost out his Angry Young Man image by taking up potent character roles. The star is back, reviving his angry action hero image with Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap. Whether he succeeds in harping his own once upon a time earned glory or not remains to be seen. Viju (Amitabh Bachchan) is a retired gangster who returns to Mumbai to protect his son from the clutches of gangster Kabir (Prakash Raj). ACP Karan Malhotra (Sonu Sood) too is on Kabir's trail and pledges to clean the city in 2 months. Naturally, Kabir decides to bump him off. And shooters keep making failed attempts at his life. But story takes a turn when a secret that both Viju and Karan share is revealed. We wouldn't want to spoil the fun by disclosing it. So for the rest of the story watch the movie.
There seems to be this sudden south copying fixation in Bollywood with many filmmakers trying to revive the long dead 'heroism' that was a part of Hindi cinema in the '90s. Here too the attempts appear to be the same. Right from the promos of the film you can make out that the action scenes appear a copy of Dabangg which began the trend. From the promos of the movie it was absolutely clear that director Puri Jagannadh doesn't believe in subtlety. So every frame has AB showing off loud dressing style with floral prints shirt and leather jackets. But for the fans of Big B this isn't a deterrent. The real problem arises when the story begins and you keep looking up for some punch line or some trademark action scene but the film disappoints you at every juncture.
The story of Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap is insipid with sub-plots popping up from everywhere leaving you in a fix to solve the mystery on your own. The dialogues form the biggest disappointment. Throughout the film there's just one cult dialogue of Amitabh used. Never again do any of his greatest dialogues come up. It seems that the writer never bothered going through the superstar's body of work! While dialogues are more or less lame, the cinematography by Amol Rathod is flawed at various occasions. The out of focus camera angles threaten to spoil the movie completely. However, editing by Shekhar is crisp and high-end.
The only reason why BBuddah would work or shall we say should work is Amitabh Bachchan. The superstar can still carry an entire film on his lone aging shoulders clearly stating in your face "Budha Hoga Tera Baap". For Amitabh Bachchan fans, this movie is a treat that they will never forget. But some hands-on one liners could have made this film memorable. Sonu Sood looks good but he needs to work on his romantic scenes. Yet another faux pas is the deletion of Raveena Tandon's item song from the film at the end moment. After the personal publicity done by Raveena about that song this truly may come as a shocker to her fans who are awaiting her comeback. Even her role is very miniscule and mindless. Hema Malini too gets wasted. Sonal Chauhan is average at best. You may have seen this bizarreness in the promos. Describing his relationship with Mumbai, “We’ve gotten wet in the rains together,” Amitabh Bachchan’s Vijju (or is it Birju, Bijju, Virju?), a poor parody of his old self, says: These days, newbies ("naya bachcha log”) copy my style, my songs He then breaks into Khaike paan Banaraswala, which is of course from Don, recently remade with Shah Rukh Khan in the central role. A medley of Bachchan’s old songs follow.
This fellow, we’re told, and now I’m talking about the character and not the actor (though the two are inseparable, as it were), is the “founder member of the Mumbai mafia.” He seems more the first citizen of ‘Tacky-stan’ to me. He wears two watches on his wrist, always a scarf around his neck, dark shades with lemon green glasses, or yellow rims, and jeans that have dragon prints above the knee. To be fair, mid-way through the movie, the filmmakers it seems did fire their mithai shop stylist. And gave their hero suits and shirts that might him suit him better. But then, this hero wouldn’t have cared either way. His general demeanour, he says, doesn’t match his age. Or anybody else’s, for that matter.
Vijju says beep, when he wants to curse; it keeps his tongue (zubaan) clean. He has a wife (Hema Malini), who separated from him because of his girlfriend (Raveena Tandon). At the shopping mall, he finds both of them at the same time. He looks at his wife, and the Hema Malini song from Naseeb blares from the screen, ‘Mere naseeb mein tu hai ke nahin’. He looks at his girlfriend, the Raveena hit ‘Tu cheez badi hai mast mast’ starts. Vijju’s actually back from Paris, before which, he was in the prison. He has a son, who’s a cop, and knows nothing about his dad. Still, this isn’t quite the situation from Big B’s Aakhree Rasta (1986). This police officer (Sonu Sood), who could himself pass off for a poor man’s ‘70s Bachchan, is on the Mafia’s hit-list. The villain, Prakash Raj by now a stock southern import for all ‘80s type Bollywood movies is on the lookout for a sharpshooter to kill off the cop. Vijju joins his gang. So he can save his son instead. Hence: Thoda action. Thoda Jackson!
The songs may still please those inside Juhu’s Rock Bottom where Vijju usually hangs out. The comic track could bring an occasional smile or two. The hero but looks a bit of a mutant doing action on photo stills, besides other similar silliness. As floating statistics go, about 70 per cent of current India was born after Sholay. They clearly have little clue about Salim-Javed’s dialogue heavy, handsome, lanky, ‘angry young man’ (Trishul, Deewar) that single-handedly, sometimes, even made the Bollywood film script irrelevant in the ‘70s (Lawaaris, Sharaabi). The persona was good enough. I’d rather they watched Rajkumar Santoshi’s Khakee (2004) for belated education.
But then again, the director here’s also an unabashed fanboy. So many of Bachchan’s blinded filmmakers unfortunately are. At the end, he writes a long tribute to his leading actor, suggesting how this is the sort of role he’d been missing him play for the past many years. He wishes to bring that 'angry young man' back to theatres. Ummm, what exactly was he missing again? Mard, Toofan, Jaadugar Folklore has it that wherever the Big B stands, the queue begins. It's time to queue up for a film that reads like a running commentary on the Bachchan legend. Blessed are the generations that get to see India's most iconic and enduring screen-hero play a variation on all his most cherished roles.
And then some more. To the angry Vijay persona that the Big B created through those brilliantly-written films of Salim-Javed in the 1970 and 80s, the actor still sprightly enough to make all the bachcha-log of Bollywood look like performing midgets, adds dollops of wry cynicism that goes well with our times. Make no mistake Telugu cinema's most successful director Puri Jagannath is not just a Bachchan fan. He's also a master storyteller. To the mix 'n' match tale of an Angry Young Man's journey into his advancing years of unrelenting lividness and self-mockery, Puri brings a crackling contemporary commitment to telling a story that has no room for humbug only space for hectic hijinks. Written with supersonic dexterity, the screenplay races through numbered days in the life of a Paris-returned gangster who is called back to Mumbai by a gangster with a serious concentration problem (Prakash Raj) to finish off a particularly troublesome cop(Sonu Sood).
It's a skilfully written yarn that doesn't stray into the yawn zone for even a second. Every character, even the relatively minor ones like the Bachchan's landlady who keeps jabbering to an unseen husband in Dubai, adds a sheen of zing to the shindig. Though the narration seems to leap before it looks, the director actually manages to create a controlled atmosphere of plot development within the chaos of Mumbai's streets clogged with scampering gangsters, cops and their minions. Jagannath Puri displays a fabulous flair for the funny and the ferocious. The comic scenes contour the mega-star's proclivity to laugh at himself and the self-important world around him comprising gangsters, collegians, cops and other on-the-move urbanites. Vishal-Shekhar's austerely-used music creates evolved rhythms for the Bachchan persona. You can't miss the insistent beat.
As for the action, the camera (Amol Rathod) moves to the rhythm of the Big B's super-controlled body language creating for the assorted villains a kind of disembodied dynamism that we see in a far cruder avatar in the South, in the cinema of Rajnikanth. Here, it is the Big B at work. And boy, that does mean something, doesn't it! The iconic super-hero maneouvres through his tailormade role with a devastating dexterity, creating a celluloid combustion that leaves a trail of smoking guns, screaming tyres and satiated expectations that audiences felt and experienced in the heydays of the Bachchan Raj. The reign never ends thank God for small mercies! "Buddah Hoga Tera Baap" offers a pleasurable romp into the star-power of the Big B. The rapport that his character builds up through some lovely actresses of several generations (Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Sonal Chauhan, Charmee) is so bloody robust and funny, you are left wondering how much of the sly subtle foxy flirtatiousness comes from the star and how much of it was there in the screenplay.
Undoubtedly well-written and directed with sure-handedness that cannot hide Puri Jagannath's boundless admiration for the Bachchan phenomenon, "Bbuddah...Hoga Tera Baap" is one of those garam-masala products that's far clever than the outward flamboyance of the main character and execution suggest. Cut through the blizzard of bravura that the Big B projects so insouciantly and at heart this is an emotional father-son story. See how cleverly the director moves from a kind of italicized derringdo to a clamped emotional finale See how skilfully the other actors support the Big B's towering presence. Prakash Raj as the arch-villain brings a sense of madness to the proceedings while Makarand Deshpande as a quiet gangster is a glorious foil to the Big B's repartees and rejoinders. Sonu Sood as the cop who keeps running into the old-young super-hero manages to hold his own in front of the Big B. And Raveena as the Big B's besotted bombshell beloved from the past has herself a blast.
So do we. Right to the last frenetic shootout, we are with the director laughing cheering and saluting the star-power of this super-phenomenon named Amitabh Bachchan. And when the Big B does a medley of all his old songs it's time to forget that the Bbuddah has just become a grand-baap all over again. Just get up and dance to the rhythm of the Big B's star power. Don't waste time watching the smut. "Bbuddah...Hoga Tera Baap" is the past present and future of mainstream entertainment. Frankly, if not for Amitabh Bachchan, the film would have been just an ordinary affair if at all the script was any consideration to begin with. And that's because not just is this an attempt to make it a wholesome masala affair, there are so many unnecessary ingredients that have been added which results in certain scenes not just getting repetitive but also unnecessary. This is where one wonders that if all the film would have been relatively more serious than comical in nature and the temptation to make it a wholesome masala affair by incorporating irrelevant/inconsequential sub-plots would have been resisted, 'Bbuddah....' would have truly turned out to be a film that was being promised.
So while for an audience such scenes only make one feel a little restless, it is the action, drama and dialogue-baazi featuring Bachchan in his 'subtly angry' mood that makes 'Bbuddah...' a worthy affair after all. His scenes with the underworld are a pleasure to watch and especially his interaction with Prakash Raj, the villain of the enterprise, are sheer powerhouse. Also, the points where he gets into a chin-to-chin drama with a fellow goon makes for an interesting watch that makes one stand up and clap.
The biggest culprit of the enterprise though is the entire coffee house setting where one ends up seeing as many as half a dozen scenes with most of them being not quite relevant to the basic plot. Honestly, after a while one ends up saying 'Oh no, not again' once the camera zooms in to the coffee shop which appears to be a big sponsor of the enterprise as well. And then there is this rather extended sub plot of Sonu Sood (playing an ACP) in a not-so-certain relationship with Sonal Chauhan which doesn't even hold secondary importance to the film. Thankfully the only sub plot that still holds some interest level amongst the audience is Raveena Tandon's crush for Big B that has arrived with a 20 years extended warrantee but still refuses to evaporate. She is indeed the 'mast' girl here and the lunch table scene with her baby girl Charmee joining in is a riot. The same can't be said about Hema Malini's scenes with Big B which are not just predictable and clich�d but also boring.
Also, there are sequences where you wonder if there were scenes that were primarily written as 'fill in the blanks' affair. Him giving advice to a nubile girl about the guy who may not be right for her. Him standing next to a DJ and pumping up the jam. Him being the point of interest of women across three generations. Him 'setting up' a young man with his girlfriend. You end up asking - 'Why?' Not that any of this is harmful by any means or offensive. It's just that none of this has any remote connection to the promise being made of 'Bbuddah' being a film that would make people remember Bachchan of the era gone by.
That's because remember Bachchan and you want to see Tiger running with a 'chaku' in his hand and hunting for Bakhtavar in the docks. Remember Bachchan and you want to see 'Shahenshah' destroying the entire 'tabela' on his own. Remember Bachchan and you want to see Vijay Deenanath Chauhan challenging the biggest dons to Mumbai to come and eliminate him. Remember Bachchan and you want to see him tell a 'cockroach tale' or talk to himself in the mirror. So even if the man at the hot seat is called 'Vijju' here, our very old 'Vijay' is definitely missed.
So what keeps this two hour long homage still manage a decent run at the least? Well, who else but Bachchan himself who actually ends up doing what he has done to countless films even in his prime 'Rise over the script'. That's because eventually it is him only who lends a damage control to this loosely made film that doesn't quite have a solid plot to begin with. Despite the patchy treatment and an uneven narrative, it is Big B who demonstrates yet again that who is the 'baap' of the show as he ensures that whatever he does for the camera, at least the conviction shows.
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