bollywood news

A1

Review of Apna Asmaan

Movie: Apna Asmaan
Director: Kaushik Roy
Producer: Kaushik Roy,Umang Pahwa
Cast: Shobana,Irrfan Khan,Anupam Kher,Rajat Kapoor


IndiaFM

-->
It's difficult to strike a balance if you sail in two boats. Apna Asmaan tries to do that and ends up being neither here (appealing to lovers of serious cinema), nor there (appealing to those with an appetite for commercial fares).
Debutante director Kaushik Roy chooses a serious theme to begin with and you expect him to stick to realism as the story unfolds. But somewhere, in between, the film changes lanes and moves away from the core issue. What it sets out to narrate (a moving story of a young boy) and what it eventually narrates (the ills of wealth) come across as two different stories packed in one film.
In a nutshell, it's the writing that lets the film down, yet again. How one wishes Roy would've stuck to the serious issue, instead of spicing up the proceedings in the second hour.
The movie is about today's urban aspirations, as represented by a young couple living in Mumbai. The wage earner (Irrfan Khan) works in the field of plastics. His wife (Shobhana), gives up her early promise as a classical dancer, in order to settle into marriage, which is threatened when their only son (Dhruv) turns out to be autistic.
His condition distances the parents, the father torn with guilt and the mother craving success points from him. But a drug works wonders on the boy, but at a severe cost.
Apna Asmaan mirrors certain truths. You identify with the goings-on initially. The portions involving the child and the anxiety of his parents are captivating. The sequence of events that lead to an angry Irrfan Khan injecting the 'Brain Booster' to his son is the highpoint. But things deteriorate the moment the son opens his eyes and become a genius within minutes. Now what was that?
That's not all! He becomes a great mathemagician and starts indulging in all kinds of vices. He even disowns his parents. That's where the writing goes haywire. How and why does he get such negative traits are left unexplained.
The end too is bizarre. The culmination to Anupam Kher's character, plus the son being administered the antidote and the sequences thereafter are difficult to absorb. Actually, it seems quite bizarre.
Director Kaushik Roy knows the technicalities right, but it's the writer in him that lets the director down. Music is strictly okay. Cinematography (Barun Mukherjee) is alright.
Irrfan Khan is good, not excellent.Nonetheless, he's brilliant in the sequence when he loses his temper and injects the booster. Shobhana does a fine job. Anupam Kher's character is half-baked. Rajat Kapoor is sidelined. Dhruv is loud.
On the whole, Apna Asmaan has precious little to offer.

Review of Dhamaal

Movie: Dhamaal
Director: Indra Kumar
Producer: Ashok Thakeria,Indra Kumar
Music: Adnan Sami
Cast: Sanjay Dutt,Arshad Warsi,Javed Jaffrey,Ritesh Deshmukh,Aashish Chaudhary



IndiaFM

-->
It started with Partner eight weeks ago. Then Heyy Babyy three weeks back. It's Dhamaal now. Hilariously funny, Indra Kumar's latest outing completes the hat-trick of laughathons, that succeed in entertaining you from start to end. Like its predecessors, Dhamaal is abundantly rich in humor and most importantly, has the right set of actors to carry off those roles with aplomb.
Dhamaal lives up to its title. It's non-stop dhamaal for the next two hours. Sure, there're inane situations and jokes that cater to the popular tastes, but when did Indra Kumar and his team of writers (Paritosh Painter, Balwinder Suri, Bunty Rathore) ever set out to challenge Einstein? The mantra is simple: Let the auditorium reverberate with laughter.Dhamaal succeeds in its mission!
Any hiccups? The post-interval portions aren't as funny as the first hour. More on that later! But the film works in totality and that's what matters at the end of the day. With Masti, Indra Kumar proved that he knows how to tickle the funny bone. With Pyare Mohan, he tripped and ended up bruising himself. With Dhamaal, he sprints back to the junta's hearts.
So what's the final word then? Go, watch Dhamaal and have dhamaal. But do carry a rumaal since this madcap comedy is quite kamaal in parts. You'd cry laughing!
Roy (Riteish Deshmukh) believes that he is the best detective in the world. Manav (Javed Jaffrey) actually happens to be the biggest idiot in the world, but is blissfully unaware about it. His brother Adi's (Arshad Warsi] half knowledge about everything only adds to the great expertise of this group. The final component is Boman (Aashish Chowdhary), who's Mr. Scared.
These four idiots live and work together. Their idea of work? Doing small-time con jobs! The thought of earning an honest living has never even crossed their minds. One day, while trying to save a dying man, Bose (Prem Chopra), they get their big break. Their life is made! Unfortunately for them, Inspector Kabir (Sanjay Dutt) has been chasing Bose for the last ten years. He finally finds him. Only dead!
Desperate for his promotion, he questions the suspicious-looking foursome he finds next to the body. Inadvertently, they blurt out the secret before managing to escape. Now begins a marathon chase.
Dhamaal begins with gusto. The introduction of the four characters at the very start makes the viewer aware of what to expect from each of them. The sequences that follow (taking the horse painting at condolence meetings) are rip-roaringly funny. Ditto for the sequence when they're mistaken as gangsters and arrested by the cop (Murli Sharma). Another sequence that's sure to bring the house down is Asrani's vintage car going up in flames and also Sanju tying the four to a tree. The first hour rocks big time!
The writers continue to inject humor in the second hour as well. Only thing, the jokes work at times, but look forced at places. Take, for instance, the track of the robbers inside a bus and their interaction with Ritesh. Non-happening! The aircraft portion (Asrani, Aashish) is excellent, but one should know where to end a joke. Never stretch it beyond a point, but the writers do. Resultantly, the impact gets diluted. Sanju's accident and the entire cliff track, again, is mediocre. The search for the 'Big W' in the park, beneath which lies the treasure, is funny, not hilarious.
Directorially, Indra Kumar is in form. Opting for a new team of writers this time around, he gets it right on most occasions. The two songs at the very start (Adnan Sami) are interesting. Vijay Arora's cinematography is nice. Dialogues are excellent.
The one performance that stands out from the rest is that of Javed Jaffrey's. He's magnificent in a role that seems tailor-made for him. What timing! The viewers are sure to go into raptures. Arshad Warsi is not in his element. Also, why is he looking so tired? Ritesh Deshmukh is dependable yet again, although his track suffers in the second hour because it lacks meat. Aashish Chowdhary is a revelation. Confident and easygoing, he shows a flair for comedy. Sanjay Dutt is alright. Asrani is mind-blowing. It's a treat to watch this veteran in a meaty role again. Suhasini Mulay, as the landlady, is first-rate.
On the whole, Dhamaal is one joyride that should keep its investors smiling!

Review of movie Darling

Movie: Darling
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Producer: Bhushan Kumar,Krishan Kumar
Music: Himesh Reshammiya,Pritam Chakraborty,Prasana Shekhar
Cast: Esha Deol,Fardeen Khan,Isha Koppikar,Zakir Hussain,Kota Srinivasan Rao,Upyendra Limaye,Pubali Sanyal


IndiaFM

-->
Last Friday, RGV received flak from all and sundry for attempting a remake of Sholay. The venom spewed in views, opinions, reviews, sms-es… everywhere. RGV has lost it, was the unanimous feedback.
Yet another RGV offering hits the marquee this Friday, Darling, but this one is no remake, although it does bring back memory of two films mainly, Ghost (which, in turn, inspired a slew of Bollywood movies) and Bhatts' Raaz. Though dissimilar, flashes of Bhoot also cross your mind as you watch Darling.
It's difficult to slot Darlingin any one category. It's eerie, it's humorous, it has the song-n-dance routine (well knitted in the plot), it doesn't belong to any particular genre. Actually, Darling is a novel experience since Hindi films have rarely combined horror and comedy, two diverse ingredients, in one film. Trust RGV to think out of the box and fortunately, it works!
The eerie moments before the ghost appears don't make you break into a cold sweat, but they do make your heart beat faster. Similarly, there're ample moments in the narrative (Fardeen, Isha visiting the hospital to meet Zakir Hussain; also Isha wanting to make love to Fardeen on their anniversary and the ghost is watching it all) that are thoroughly interesting. The final scene, of course, is a brilliant stroke, with the viewer not being prepared for the turn of events.
In a nutshell, RGV can heave a sigh of relief this weekend. Last weekend was dark and depressing, this weekend should bring in sunshine for this maverick film-maker.
Aditya (Fardeen Khan) is living every man's dream. He's got a beautiful, traditional wife (Isha Koppikar) at home and a stunning wildcat girlfriend (Esha Deol) at work. Balancing the two women with clever lies, he gets to experience the best of both worlds.
The going is good. Till his girlfriend shocks him with the news that she is pregnant. Aditya is cornered. He has to confess to her that he cannot leave his wife, as he has been promising her all along. His girlfriend is devastated. She flies into a rage. A brutal fight ensues, in which she accidentally dies.
Terrified, Aditya disposes off her body and returns home, thinking that the worst is behind him. But he couldn't be more wrong. For the nightmare has only just begun. His wild girlfriend is back as a ghost…
The USP of Darling is its unpredictability. Had it been an out-and-out horror flick, you'd have guessed the sequence of events sooner or later. Had it been the story of a man torn between two women, again, it wouldn't have taken much time to guess what's in store next. But RGV steers clear of predictable stuff from the start itself.
Although the screenplay is captivating and keeps you hooked to the proceedings, the only time it takes a dip is in the post interval portions. Otherwise, the sequences involving the cop (Upendra Limaye) and his colleague (a character called Malati) are excellent. Also, the sequence when Esha's father breaks down in front of Fardeen is incredible.
Darling may not be amongst RGV's finest works, but it does rank among his better films. With a music company (T-Series) producing the flick, it ought to be embellished with a good score and at least two songs have already grown popular, Tadap and Aa Khushi se Khudkhushi Karle. Amit Roy's cinematography is splendid yet again. The background score (Prasanna Shekar) is effective.
Fardeen Khan is a revelation. The actor catches you with complete surprise as he enacts a difficult role with panache. Esha Deol is excellent, in a role that's nothing short of a challenge. It would've boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career. Isha Koppikar doesn't have much to do in the first half, but more than makes her presence felt in the second hour.
Upendra Limaye is fantastic and so is his colleague (a character called Malati). Zakir Hussain is superb.
On the whole, Darling is a well-made product that will find flavor with the multiplex audience mainly. Has the merits to grow with word of mouth!

 

blogger templates |