Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries)

Over the last few years, Aamir Khan movies have become an automatic must-watch - so great has been his knack in picking the right scripts/directors and his dedication to his art. Dhobi Ghat though, is being sold more as a Prateik Babbar movie - with Aamir Khan and some other new faces in the other roles. My first instinct was that he probably has a minuscule role in it – and that is why he is appearing more as a producer rather than an actor. (There was also the male chauvinist in me who contemplated that maybe wife Kiran Rao coerced him into lending his name to the movie)

So it was without much expectations that I entered the theater to watch Dhobi Ghaat. Not quite sure what to expect from a 95 minute movie without any interval – but the implicit assurance was that if it is indeed terrible, the torture wouldn’t last long.

Yet, 10 min into the movie, I was engrossed in the beautiful cinematic rendering of four lives in this teeming city – from distinctly different social classes, backgrounds and stations in life – whose lives intersect in a short frame of time, changing much, and yet nothing. In those 95 minutes, Kiran Rao has sketched Arun, Munna, Shai & Yasmin in amazing clarity and details - yet all this she does with commendable subtlety. There is a lot that is not spoken in Dhobi Ghat – yet reading between the lines is never too hard.
(the contrast to Ashutosh Gowariker’s terrible characterization in Kheley Hum Jee Jan Se couldn’t have been more stark)

In the course of the movie - Arun the painter, Munna the dhobi, Shai the NRI tourist and Yasmin the young housewife – cross each others lives in ways they don’t quite fathom, precipitating certain events which become lifechanging. And yet, by the time the movie ends, you are not quite sure if anything did change. The slight tinge of melancholy throughout the movie is accentuated by the use of black and white frames in some places. And Kiran Rao shows her skill by making the ending bittersweet – but not without hope

For a debut movie, Dhobi Ghat has managed to strike an amazing balance between the four characters – giving each of them an equal amount of space – and importance – in the movie. However, Prateik Babbar definitely carries away the acting honors, showing what genes are all about. He is a fantastic natural actor, fitting into his role such effortlessly, he is bound to have a few people sit up and take notice. While he will never have the looks and flair of Ranbir Kapoor, he can give any of the young brigade (the Kapoor scion included) a serious run for their money as far as acting is concerned

The other two debutantes, also do a fabulous job – as the rich NRI kid taking a sabbatical in India and a newly-married housewife having just moved to Bombay – both Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra are very convincing & apt in their roles. And Aamir Khan delivers his flawless work as usual, his face telling you as much as his spoken dialogues. You just have to see the scene where he gets frightened and freaks out – without speaking a word of dialogue.

When you walk out of the movie, your head is filled with a torrent of thoughts – as you ponder on how each of the characters go on with their lives. Do Arun, Shai & Munna stay in touch ? Does Imran ever get the messages that were meant for him ? Kiran leaves you without definite answers to most questions. Yet in the course of the movie, she leaves you enough hints as to how things might pan out. The script is engrossing, touching and thought-provoking. And Aamir continues his ways of giving us a must-watch with his every outing.


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Do Dooni Char

For it's first attempt at making hindi movies, Disney played it safe and went with the safest name that they could find - Yash Raj Productions. Most of us don't even remember the product - Roadside Romeo. (Yes, it was Disney's first attempt at hindi movies). But then to give credit to Disney, they didn't give up on the Indian market. They waited around for a better script - even if it came from a unknown name like Habib Faisal - and released their second movie with much less fanfare last weekend. And they managed to pull off a casting coup of sorts, by getting Neetu Kapoor to break her hiatus and star with her husband in this movie.
(Though apparently the credit for this coup goes to IIPM's promoter Arindam Chaudhari - the executive producer of this movie)

The result of all their hard work is worthwhile - Do Dooni Char is one of those exceptionally heartwarming movies that anyone will find hard to fault with. It is a picture postcard of a happy Delhi middle class family, without the glamorous sheen our Bollywood usually puts. The house, their clothes, their fights - everything is delightfully genuine. Most of the movie is shot in actual Delhi, and all the actors do a tremendous job in portraying that quintessential Dilliwala. Lest you be concerned, Delhi doesnt overpower the story - it is just a backdrop for the events. And allows for some amusing Dilliwala jokes, maybe.

But there are things that everyone would be able to identify with - the excited planning that went into purchasing anything big for the house, the disagreements, the constant bickering between siblings for no rhyme or reason - and in the end the father having the final say. The Duggals are a delightful take on the Indian middle class. The story is essentially about the Duggal family’s dream of upgrading their scooter into a car – and the struggles they undergo to make that dream come true. And to the writer’s credit, the story does not focus much on the negatives of the situations – they always takes the happy route out. But the actors – Rishi & Neetu Kapoor as well as the kids – are such natural performers, that you are never distracted enough to ponder about alternatives.

Rishi & Neetu Kapoor’s chemistry is still sparkling and it shows. The two kids are very believable too. The supporting characters – the ‘Fufu’ and the neighbours – every one does really great. If I had to summarize the movie, it is like Khosla ka Ghosla, but without the wacky humour and with more sweetness in it. The good thing is that it is still playing this week, although not too many shows. I just wish they had done a little more publicity for it - for it is definitely a must-watch!


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Udaan

You might find the poster of the movie a bit misleading – because the poster and the trailer of the movie seem to suggest that it is college-teen story. And Udaan is anything but that. It is, however, a intensely heartfelt movie with a strong emotional connect – and with so much realism, that I cant shake the feeling it is, to a large extent, autobiographical. Even though it is populated with largely unknown faces, set in a bleak industrial city, yet this movie will linger in your minds for a long time after you exit the hall.

The plot of the movie is essentially a two liner. A 17 year old is kicked out of boarding school for playing truant and is forced back to an apathetic father – and to a 6 year old half brother he didn’t know existed. Stuck in a small town with no friends, forced to study engineering and work in his father’s iron and steel works, Udaan is a story of Rohan’s struggle with his loneliness and desperation. It is not pure entertainment, but it has got a lot of soul

The overbearing character in the movie is Bhairav Singh, played by Ronit Roy. A despotic father (with some probable army background, though its never suggested) – who does not listen to any opinion that doesn’t match his own and runs his life with army-like discipline. He even insists his sons call him Sir. He stands starkly in contrast with his younger brother, the affable Ram Kapoor. He is the only beacon of light in Rohan’s new world.

And amongst them, sitting quietly in a corner is his younger brother Arjun – who doesn’t speak much, yet wins your heart.

Everything from the background music to the photography is perfect for the movie – Amit Trivedi’s music melodious yet not distracting from the movie and the bleak shots of Jamshedpur accentuating the void that Rohan feels around him.

Udaan is a coming-of-age movie that you will identify with because of its honesty and sincerity. Newcomer Rajat Barmecha delivers one of the most subtle, yet effective roles in sometime – putting up a stoic face against the circumstances, yet showing us the vulnerable teenager within. The movie takes a slow pace, which in my opinion is essential for the viewers to share Rohan’s desperation – but some of my friends thought otherwise. That is probably the only slight flaw in this fabulous movie. Highly recommended


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Road to Sangam

A small low budget movie that almost no one has heard of – is one of the most nuanced, heart-warming tales I have seen. It is a story with loads of heart, which all of us need to see – if for nothing else, to remember who we are as a country. It is a commentary of our times, yet very gently, it questions our conscience about some of our society’s beliefs. Story wise, it is like a childrens parable, where everything ends well – the cynical among us might scoff at it. But Road to Sangam’s achievement lies in its ability to make us look at each other, in a Gandhian way – something that we have long forgotten to do, despite Raj Kumar Hirani’s best efforts.

In Allahabad, Hashmatullah is a sincere, god-fearing motor mechanic, well liked in the community - and is also the general secretary of his neighbourhood mosque committee. He is entrusted with repairs to an old Ford V8 engine, ignorant of its historical significance that it once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi for immersion at the Sangam. He promises he would repair the engine and he would do it as soon as possible. But when some of his innocent neighbours are arrested by the police after some bomb blasts on suspicion of harbouring terrorists, the committee sends out a ‘farman’ to down shutters in the locality as a protest.

At this point, Hashmatullah comes to know the significance of the engine – and is stuck in a dilemma. One on hand, he wants to finish his work - but to open his shop, he would have to go against the mosque ‘farman’ and his ‘quam’.

While on the face of it, it’s a story of a common man stuck in a larger-than-life situation, Road to Sargam morphs into a story of how we need to find a common ground between our two communities – without stepping on each other toes. And the reason why Road to Sangam is such a fantastic movie is that it doesn’t do or say anything explicitly – everything is gently suggested or implied. No flag waving jingoism, nor any flower-giving gandhigiri. Its so nuanced, it would take you a while before you figure out that it could even pass off as a patriotic movie!

The star of the show is Paresh Rawal (who in the same week gave a langoor-looking performance in Rann). Its here that he shows us what wonderful performances he is capable of – because we are in a serious danger of forgetting it after his Priyadarshan movies. In Road to Sargam, he plays Hashmatullah with conviction – showing us the gradual move from doubt and confusion to resolve. Accompanying him in performance honours is Pawan Malhotra. Playing the jingoist maulvi, his high pitched nasal voice make him almost unrecognizable and very believable. Om Puri doesn’t have much dialogues –and does competently.

It would give you an idea of how good or bad the movie is when you consider that Tushhar Gandhi (Mahatma’s grandson) plays himself in the movie – for a considerable part (without dialogues though). Road to Sangam is a non-judgemental look into the collective paranoia of the muslim society in India – and how sometimes it just requires a few voices of reason and some patience. The movie does have its fallacies – some of its scenes should have been written more tightly and the solution director Amit Rai provides is bordering on naïve. But these pitfalls do not distract from the appeal of the movie. Road to Sangam touches your heart with its sincerity and feeling. I repeat, it is something you shouldn’t miss.



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3 Idiots

Rajkumar Hirani seems to have perfected the art of making cinema that is completely commercial and intensely enjoyable – yet delivers a preachy message with it. Like in Munnabhai series, Hirani chooses not to mask his message – but sugarcoat it with some funny and some heart-warming moments. Enough to coax our cynical hats off and get us cheering for the good guys.

Although the story is said to have been based on Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone, the plot has been completely reworked and except for setting of three students at IIT, an anally-retentive professor and his independent daughter, most of the story is new.
(In the movie, the college isnt called IIT, but Imperial College of Engineering).

All of us are probably a little sceptical about how two 30-plus and one 40-plus guy are going to play 3 college students – but such is Hirani’s craft, 5 minutes into the movie, you aren’t bothered about the age of its protagonists. The hostel atmosphere is established effectively by MM – who endearingly introduces a litter of puppies as kilobyte, megabyte and the mother as Gigabyte. The camaraderie between the three leads – Aamir, Madhavan & Sharman Joshi - is very believable, but in acting, they are more than matched by newcomer Omi.
(I did find shades of Golmaal in Sharman’s portrayal – in both the movies, he is the reluctant partner-in-crime)

There are innumerable points in the first half where you cant control hysterical laughter – especially the Teacher’s day speech. The second half becomes a little more emotional, especially the intermission point, which introduces the most significant difference between the book and the movie. Its here that you appreciate the director’s decision to go with seasoned actors. Because there are scenes in the movie which newcomers would have fluffed up – but Aamir, Sharman and Madhavan carry them off with aplomb.

Kareena has a really just a bit role in the movie – and two songs. But she is her vivacious self in her scenes and perks up the proceedings. Boman Irani plays the Dean of the college, with a more exaggerated accent & hairdo than J.Asthana of Munnabhai. And he delivers flawlessly - this kind of role has become his identity by now. Newcomer Omi does a fabulous job playing Chatur, the NRI Tamilian who is determined to become the number 1 by hook or crook.

Even though 3 Idiots is a critique on our current education system, the story of three friends overshadows the message completely. The only complaint some non-hostelers might have will be about the abundance of underwear show – but anyone who has stayed in a hostel will understand. It’s a complete entertainer, which will have you laugh as well as cry with the three idiots. It’s a great end to 2009 from Bollywood and something you shouldn’t miss.


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Inglourious Basterds

Why don’t hindi movies come up with supercool names like “Inglourious Basterds” ? The name itself promises so much – evil men, lot of wickedness ….
(Though its never quite explained why the bastards are called Inglourious – or why they are spelled in that way)

Maybe its lesser directors who bother about tying all ends neatly in their movies - Tarantino and his ilk just make up really wicked crazily cool movies – and leave us enraptured. Havent heard anyone complain so far about lack of background story for Lt. Aldo Raine or his men – or anyone for that matter. Most of it is certainly his style of moviemaking – moving from cut to cut with big jumps in the story. And to be honest – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Inglorious Basterds in one hell of a gripping movie.

The movie has two main plots – first is Lt. Aldo Raine , an American officer who parachutes into German occupied France, with a chosen group of Jewish subordinates – to wage guerrilla warfare and terrorize the Nazi soldiers with their brutality. The second is Shosanna Dreyfuss, a French Jew whose family was wiped out by the SS Colonel Hans Landa, nicknamed ‘Jew Hunter’ and who in living in Paris under a new identity. Then there are substantial sideplots - German movie star Bridget von Hammersmark, who is a British agent, Lt. Archie Hicox, a German-speaking English commando sent into France to execute Operation Kino and Pvt. Frederick Zoller, a Nazi war hero who is acting himself in the celluloid version of his feat.

Each of these stories are introduced separately, and each of them are intriguing on their own. The first sequence especially, is an awesome indicator of what is to come. It’s a excruciatingly polite conversation between Colonel Hans Landa and a French farmer in his house – which slowly but surely, tightens the screw on the farmer without him realizing where the conversation was going. There is no violence – just the subtly menacing Hans Landa, played brilliantly by Christopher Waltz (won Best Actor at Cannes this year)

And this intensely thrilling conversation style appears once more in the pub cellar full of Nazis. This one’s tension is so mindblowing, everyone in the hall was squirming in their seats !!

The climax is the premiere of the latest German propaganda movie called Nation’s Pride – where all these characters converge, some unknowing to each other. And its only during this stage that the screenplay slips just a wee bit – and you start muttering ‘c’mon do it’. But then it does happen and it takes your breath away with this audacity – you just didn’t see it coming !!


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Vals im Bashir : Waltz With Bashir

Think animation movie and we usually form images of Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and maybe Wall-E in our head. But there is a school of filmmakers that use animation as a medium to depict darker themes – it provides a distinctive visual experience compared to the regular celluloid. And I am not talking about graphic novels like 300 or Sin City – you need big money bankrolling animation studios for those.

Instead Ari Folman directs a partly autobiographical movie documentary about his efforts to exorcise the demons of his military past – Ari Folman fought for Israel in the Israel-Lebanon war of 1982. A war, which among other things, is principally remembered for the Shatila massacre in Beirut. It was a massacre of Palestinian refugees by right-wing Christian Lebanese militia to avenge the murder of their leader and President-elect Bashir Gemayel, while the occupying Israeli army turned a blind eye.

Folman was there, right outside of the Shatila refugee camp – and yet he cant remember any details about it - nor anything about the war itself. And so he sets out to talk to people who were with him in the war – to discuss what they remember, and hopefully help him find his own memories. And the entire movie is a delectable mixture of Ari Folman’s conversations with his ex-comrades, lawyer friend, psychologist etc and the flashbacks of actual events in 1982. All rendered in a graphic style, which is light as well as disturbing, in parts.

Particularly cringe-worthy is the scene with the dying horses – we people have become immune to seeing people die onscreen – even if its gruesome. Yet it was the death of these animals that becomes too much to bear – even animated horses. Ari Folman deftly shows through his canvas, how little sense war makes – and how any race is not immune to performing barbaric acts - without preaching it in so many words.

The title of the movie is derived from one of the interviewees – who describes an ‘insane waltz with a machine gun’ under heavy enemy firing on a Beirut Street with huge posters of Bashir Gemayel. But what is really interesting about the movie is that barring two characters, all the original people have provided their own voices for the movie.

Overall, a superb movie – the kind not to be missed if possible. Watching director Ari Folman’s personal view of the historical events of 1982 – interspersed with a little quirky humour from time to time – is a treat. And it leaves a lasting impression on you as you watch the actual footage of the devastated Shatila camp at the end of the movies.



Waltz With Bashir is playing only in PVR Cinemas
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Sankat City

Although you might not have heard about it at all, Sankat city is a delightful surprise. First time director Pankaj Advani delivers a very enjoyable two hours – on what must have been a very tight budget. The cost cutting is visible in the opening scenes, where the Chunkey Pandey scenes look quite … handycam-ish. But the distraction is not for long and you soon adjust to the cinematography. The opening credits of the movie themselves look very 70s-ish, a-la Johnny Gaddar.

In a movie such as this, its is best not to talk about the story-line. Lets talk about the nuts instead.

• Faujdar bhai – Bhai-cum-money lender. Devoted follower of Swamiji. Uses a pair of dice to decide how many days to grant to a defaulting borrower and has a hitman named Lovely.
• Swamiji – Compulsive carnivore without too much spirituality and a liking of hot tub baths
• Gogi – Film director who is ready to hang up his boots and open a film studio out of the city. And to make his last film a hit, he wants to kill off his flop hero on the movie sets itself.
• Lingam – Gogi’s assistant director. Devoted to his boss, but has only one wish – Aishwarya Rai must come for the studio opening, minus Abhishek
• Paschisia – Builder. Owes Faujdar bhai 2 crores and is about to default. Loves popcorn and the ladies, but stomach is a problem
• Guru – Small time car thief. Along with his senile chacha Ganpat, runs a well oiled carjacking business.
• Mona – street-smart con artist who doesn’t mind using her feminine charms to lure the likes of Paschisia. But cant stop spouting Bengali
• Philip Phattu – Faujdar’s driver and Mona's erstwhile partner-in-crime. Apropos to his name, doesn’t have any cojones at all. Dreams of marrying a prostitute
• Suleiman Supari – hitman without any scruples, with a liking of shiny gold shirt buttons

If some of the characters appear familiar to you, it is because such madcap gangster movies have recently started appearing with regularity. The closest I can come to describing Sankat City is as a sort of mixture of 99 and Ek Chalis Ki Last Local. While the story appears madcap, the entire flow is very seamless and the situations are genuinely laugh out loud. And the entire madness resolves neatly at the end.

Performance is top notch all across – Chunkey Pandey is probably the only weak link, but he hardly has a role. Biggest surprise was Rimi Sen – her acting was much better than I remember. Kay Kay Menon plays a lighter role with aplomb and Lingam, Ganpat etc are a hoot.

Its still playing a couple of shows at most multiplexes and given the state of this week’s releases (Luck & Night at The Museum 2), you are better off catching this gangster caper.


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The Hangover

I have been trying to analyze why The Hangover is such a uproariously funny movie – and I cant seem to be able to pinpoint any one single reason (or two or three or four for that matter). I mean the plot is not at all new - 4 guys have a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas two days before the marriage. The group itself is predictable – one hen pecked guy, one dashing ladies guy, one fat moron and one normal chap. Not a single big name star either – comic or otherwise.

Yet it is definitely the funniest movie of the year. Instead of any one reason or sequence, the entire movie just works !! From start to finish ! And the movie succeeds in being a laugh riot without the vulgarity that inevitably accompanies every guys-only movie. The humour comes in form of smart one-liners, bizarre incidents and some really random images with the end credits !!

The movie is basically about the groom’s three best friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) who wake up after a wild bachelor party in Vegas to face some really unexplainable things – and a missing groom ! And worst of all, they don’t remember a thing about the night !! As the poor guys struggle to reconstruct the previous night, the night starts to become more and more bizarre …

Interestingly, the movie hardly ever goes into a flashback mode, so we dont actually see what happens – its left for us to imagine & recreate from the conversations of the movie. Which probably adds to the enjoyment of the movie. The three guys themselves share a great chemistry – which makes you, the viewer, get interested in what actually happens to them. Or rather what happened to them the night before. Mike Tyson also makes a guest appearance in the movie … though that’s all I would say.

Alan is the most lovable of the guys – he carries off the weird-guy-act with such conviction that you would think he is like that in real life !! The others are equally good in their roles - Phil as the dashing alpha male who is always looking to take the lead, but turns out to be as clueless as everyone else and Stu as the hen-pecked and bullied boyfriend.

The ending of the movie is slightly sweet – it does seem a bit out of place, but then we are soon presented with the end credits and there are some real howlers there !!

But one thing the makers forgot to explain – what was the chicken doing there ???


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99

Right from the word go, 99 seems to be a bit ‘different’ !! Even the normally humdrum disclaimers that you see in the beginning of a movie (“Any resemblance to real people or events is a coincidence .. blah blah”) sings a different tune for this movie – you will understand when you see it. And on hindsight, it was a fair warning.

Coz nothing else about the movie – the unknown director pair of Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru, the boring lead pair of Kunal Khemu (who ?) and Cryus Broacha, the cute but hardly a top-slot-actress Soha Ali Khan – nothing prepares you for the absolute blast this movie is !! Simply put – it ROCKED !

(BTW, doesnt Nidimoru sound a little Japanese ?)

The movie starts in 1999, with two small-time crooks Sachin (Kunal Khemu) and Zaramud (Cyrus Broacha), on the run from the police. They hotwire a car and try to escape, only to lose control of the vehicle and smash it into a truck, then a lamppost and all sorts of other things – completely wrecking it. And to their luck, the car belongs to local bhai AGM (Sanjay Manjrekar) – to pay off for the car, they start working for him. AGM is bigtime into satta and has many outstanding debts to him. He dispatches our lead duo to Delhi to extort money from a non-paying gambling junkie Rahul (Boman Irani).

All this is only the first 10 minutes of the movie.

The movie is named so because it signifies just one short of a century – and all the characters in our keep missing their mark in life, just by a little bit. 99 is full of comic twists and turns – AND cricket jokes !! You could probably classify this as a comic heist/gangster story I suppose, but it wouldn’t be doing this movie complete justice. The closest to this movie is probably last year’s Abhay-Deol-starrer Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Intelligent humour and lot of fun being poked at the city of Delhi itself – there are lot of similarities in the two movies. But storylines are very different.

Performance was standout across the board – Kunal Khemu, Boman Irani, Cyrus Broacha, Mahesh Manjrekar, Amit Mistry (Kuber), Vinod Khanna – and everybody else. Soha Ali Khan & Simone Singh didn’t have much to do, but Soha looked rather cute – and both do their parts very satisfactorily. Mahesh Manjrekar continues to shine in comic roles – though I think his character would have better been named ATM instead of AGM. Boman was good as usual and Amit Mistry as Kuber was a hoot, to say nothing of Dimpy !! But the star was Kunal Khemu – the guy CAN act !! Not that I am complaining about this movie, but he should be getting better roles ! And Cyrus Broacha was a surprise too – he wasn’t as over the top as I imagined he would be.

Being released in the middle of the multiplex-producers dispute will probably help this movie, as compared to being released in a normal schedule, competing with 5 other movies in a week. So yes, definitely go for 99 - it’s a little gem of movie that you shouldn’t miss.


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Firaaq

I admit that I was quite interested about Firaaq, mainly because of the international felicitation that it has received. Yet I was a little hesitant in going for the movie – especially after a long week at work - I didn’t want to watch a heavy movie about the Gujarat riots! I instead chose what I thought would be a light movie – Straight (and regretted it). But I couldn’t be more wrong about Firaaq ….

Yes its set amidst the Gujarat riots – a month after it, to be precise. But it doesn’t have any of the violence or bloodshed of the riots. It instead follows a set of people who are struggling to come to terms with life in the aftermath of the riots. Nandita Das has taken some ordinary people and showed us how they react when faced with something extraordinary – it brings out the worst in some like Paresh Rawal while some like Sanjay Suri look to escape.

It is a rare movie that can stir up a whirlpool of emotions inside the viewer – feelings as diverse as loathing, despair, hope and happiness and everything that is in between – all in a runtime of just 100 minutes. Nandita Das exceeds expectations in her directorial debut in Firaaq, taking on the Gujarat riots issue with a wonderful sensitivity. Sure, she has the advantage of having a stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah & Paresh Rawal in Firaaq - but the finesse with which the screenplay seamlessly weaves all the story together is completely to her credit.

From a slightly disturbing opening scene, we are introduced to the different characters and their dilemmas - the hindu-muslim urban couple who are leaving town, a muslim couple who come back to their home to find it burnt down, the gujarati housewife struggling to come to terms with her guilt, a orphaned child looking for his family and an ageing singer oblivious to reality ….

Each of the actors’ performance has been stellar – you cannot help but loath Paresh Rawal and equally you share Deepti Naval’s agony and her wish for atonement. Naseeruddin Shah is in a league of his own, playing a musician from a forgotten generation who is disconnected from today’s world.

As if the multitude of stories were not enough, each of the stories tug at your heart in different directions. From the despair at finding her entire household in ashes to the suspecting her best friend, from the fear of the police to the anger at the bride’s silly remarks about the riots, Muneera (Shahana Goswami) bares her thoughts to us. The sharing of the bindi between friends and the intermixing of the names Mohan and Mohsin – the movie is replete with such subtle subtexts.

With its limited runtime, Firaaq doesn’t conform to the traditional norms of giving a background to each story or taking each of them to a logical conclusion. So maybe it might feel a little abrupt at the start to some. But such trifling irritants are completely forgotten by the time you finish watching Firaaq as you would find yourself overwhelmed with conflicting emotions.



PS – the word firaaq means both separation and quest – couldn’t have been a better name for this movie
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Gulaal

Intense and violent, Gulaal is a peek into the dusty Rajasthan heartland, where the bleakness of the surroundings complements its macho (and sometimes violent) men folk – the Rajputs. A dark and brooding tale about politics, lust and love - and how sometimes mixing these can go horribly wrong. The movie opens with a shot of the Thar Desert and the protagonist Raja Chaudhary walking towards a bar with neon signs in the middle of nowhere! He plays Dileep Singh, a law student new to the fictional town of Rajpur. (He is also the co-writer of the movie, not to confused with the loser from Big Boss 2)

When the mild natured Dileep comes into Rajpur, he couldn’t have in his dreams imagined what he would face – his unabashedly hedonist roommate Ransa or Rannvijay Singh, local autocratic Rajput leader Dukki Bana with grandiose dreams, scheming brother-sister duo of Karan & Kiran who are seething at their illegitimacy and Anuja, his unlikely confidante who he can never understand. In no time Dileep in caught up in events that are out of his comprehension and he just gets sucked into the whirlpool of politics, love and insanity.

The attraction of Gulaal is the way the director peels off the story layer by layer and things go progressively rotten. What starts off as a innocent student’s ragging becomes more and more putrid as you are surprised by how little value life sometimes has – and how ruthless people can become to reach their long cherished goals. Anurag Kashyap never lets down on the intensity as we follow Dileep and the others down to moral hell. The only relief from the narration comes from the madcap yet satirical poetry from Prithvi Bana, Dukki Bana’s delusional elder brother.

Casting has been perfect and its difficult to think of a better person to play Dukki Bana than Kay Kay Menon. The slightly tinted lenses add a touch of menace to the sharp face – and when he exhorts to rise and fight, you cant help but admire the powerful oratory. An equally admirable performace is from Aditya Srivastava as Karan. He seems to gel really well with Anurag Kashyap – his performace as Badshah Khan in Black Friday also attracted rave reviews. His character is understated, not given to histrionics – but immensely complex. Piyush Mishra does a great job as Prithvi Bana, but even better as the music director – do listen to Yaara Maula separately and you will be blown away !

Deepak Dobriyal does good as usual, and newcomer Ayesha Mohan is even more impressive. But the standout character by far is Abhimanyu Singh as Ransa – he has a powerful screen presence – arrogant and in-your-face. The lasting image of him is wearing a soldiers helmet and riding a Bullet around town.

After Black Friday (and Return of Hanuman), this is the first movie where Anurag Kashyap has somewhat controlled his weird trippy ideas that alienate most of the audiences (No Smoking, Dev.D). I say somewhat – because you can still see some of the weird ideas running around in the form of the Ardha-Nareeshwar. I still cant, for the life of me, comprehend what he/she is supposed to signify. But these aberrations thankfully do not distract from the main drama.

Gulaal is a hard hitting story about human frailties & greed, set in politics of Rajasthan. It is not a movie to make you feel good – but something on the lines of Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Shool, Omkara etc. If you appreciate good cinema, definitely do not miss it.


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Revolutionary Road

Almost every couple likes to think they are special - their love is unique, their chemistry is out of this world or maybe even that they have the best sex ever!! That somehow, they are better than the others. And they try to back this up by hyping up every small celebration - an office promotion, a vacation abroad or a new car. But somewhere down the road of life, everyone comes around to the fact that they are meant to be just ordinary people - and their lives are going to be ordinary.

But what if you REALLY believe that you are the special ones - and you refuse to admit that you are just the same as your next-door neighbours ?

This very dilemma forms the crux of the story Revolutionary Road. Based on a novel by Richard Yates, Sam Mendes directs this wonderful period drama about the Wheelers - Frank and April Wheeler - living on Revolutionary Road in a Connecticut suburb in the 1950's. Having moved into the suburbs because of the children, Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) commutes everyday to the city - he works in Knox Business Machines, the same organization that his father used to work in. The work doesnt interest him at all. But he is doing it to provide for family. He thinks he is destined for greater things - but isnt quite so sure about it anymore.

April (Kate Winslet) isnt too happy with her life as a housewife either. She has aspirations of acting, but all she manages are two bit roles in small productions which end in disaster. Their life has become mundane and they fight frequently. Infact, her arguments with Frank are one of the best parts of the movie. The emotions are raw and every feeling they go through is transmitted to the screen in a powerful way - as if you, the viewer, can see into both their psyches ....

Both characters are painfully human, Frank more than April. He is arrogant, liar and in many ways, immature. Yet you can see that more than others, he is lying to himself. April is the more free-spirited of the two - yet tragically for her, she was a little ahead of her times. This was the 1950's where people wore hats and ties to work - and women stayed at home and brought up the kids. Her inability to accept this 'ordinariness' as her destiny makes the story so powerful. (The art director and the costume designer won oscar nominations for the period look)

The movie is littered with memorable sequences - and some of them really touch your heart. It wont be right to discuss all of them now, but I cant help mention the scene where Shep sheds tears by the coffee machine in the hospital and then walks out with two cups of coffee.

Apart from the lead duo, Michael Shannon gives a brilliant performance as the manic maths genius. He completely steals the show in all the scenes he is in - and in a way, he is the most sane man there. The other cast in the movie do pretty well too. And with Kathy Bates teaming up with Kate & Leonardo, it was very reminiscent of the Titanic (Molly Brown - the fat female who lends Leonardo a suit). But the lead duo - Leonardo and Kate are exemplary - and both of them should have been nominated for the Oscars instead of just Kate.

With an ending that raises as many questions as it produces laughs, Revolutionary Road is a definite watch for everyone. Not the most entertaining of movies, but its a movie that showcases how powerful cinema can be - and is something that will stay in your mind for a long long time.


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Slumdog Millionaire

This is the first – and probably going to be the only - English movie that made me wish I had seen the dubbed Hindi version instead !! Almost completely shot in the underbelly of Mumbai - and with almost exclusively hindi dialogues in the first half, the english dialogues jarr a little when they make their appearance in the second half. However, the setback is momentary and you are soon immersed back in the engrossing tale of Jamal Malik (played by a British NRI Dev Patel).

The opening sequence of the movie shows an 18-year-old Jamal being interrogated by Irfan Khan (playing a police inspector) and Saurabh Shukla (the constable). In the questioning, we come to know that Jamal has been on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and is just one question away from the Rs. 20 million jackpot. However, he has been accused of cheating on the show – how else can a Slumdog know answers to questions that have stumped doctors, engineers, lawyers etc ?

And as Jamal begins explaining his answers one by one, we get a window into his past, right from his childhood days – and see how unlikely events in his life give him the answers to the questions. To say Jamal had an interesting life would be to put it mildly – and thankfully Danny Boyle tends to portray most of it in a positive light. I agree the crap scene cant be called positive, but I think it’s the only blot. There aren’t any scenes where the kids are in deep anguish – and lets face it, an 8-year-old homeless orphan in India (even enterprising ones like Salim/Jamal) is going to have some very sad days in his life. Organized crime, pedophiles, the police – the list of oppressors is too long . With so much furore about the movie already, I can imagine what brickbats would have been thrown if they showed the actual misery these children undergo throughout their childhood.

Jamal is very sweet natured and innocent, especially in his childhood years – and shows native intelligence in his grown-up avatar. Salim is Jamal’s elder brother - more worldly and street-smart, while Latika is an orphan girl from the same slum as theirs. All the three characters are played adorably by two sets of children – once when they are 7-8 years old, and again when they are in their early teens. I cant stress enough how well the kids have performed. The fact that they are real-life slum children with no prior camera exposure, makes their performance even more wonderful.

Danny Boyle extracts commendable performances from the entire cast – the lead trio, as well as seasoned actors like Irfan Khan and Anil Kapoor. Irfan Khan plays the role of a cynical but impartial cop perfectly and Anil Kapoor brings the right amount of energy into his role. As far as characters go, according to me, the standout character in the movie was Salim. Jamal is the good sibling, who grows up to become an apprentice at a call center – and the one who is one tv in KBC. Yet in terms of character, Salim with his limited screen presence, outshines him. Salim is a go-getter who is not troubled by morality of things – and is fearless. He doesn’t flinch from stealing from his own brother – as long as there is profit to be made. Yet under everything else, his affection for his younger brother is still there.

Though critics in India have cried themselves hoarse about Slumdog showing India in a negative light – I just dont get it ! Its not like the creators of Slumdog invented slums, forced begging and all the other “objectionable” things shown in the movie. All these things are widely prevalent in India – so what are we complaining about ? Infact we should applaud the commendable skill with which he has fashioned a hopeful and happy story based in these conditions. The entire world is appreciating the movie for what it is – and we should join them.

However, is it worth the best picture Oscar ?

Answer – NO !

While its no doubt a very good movie – it totally misses out on the “wow” moments. And in my humble opinion, an Oscar winning movie should have atleast a couple of “Wow” moments. [hint – watch The Dark Knight to understand “Wow” moments :) ]


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Dasvidaniya

Usually all of us make movie-watching decisions based on the reviews we read – IMDB, Rajeev Masand on CNN-IBN, Khalid Mohammed in Hindustan Times or Raja Sen on rediff. (Ofcourse I like to think atleast one or two people take this blog into account too :D). If you read atleast a couple of these reviews, you usually get a very good idea of what a particular movie is like. I have another personal test – admittedly a sort of rough indicator. In case of mainstream hindi movies, just look at the schedule of a multiplex when the movie is released. So if a movie has 4-5 shows a day, it’s a decent movie – while movies with just 1-2 shows in the first week are just bad. Incase of a ‘multiplex movie’ like Johhny Gaddaar, it’s the second week schedule to watch out for.

However, sometimes these calculations go quite wrong. Dasvidaniya is one such movie. (In its second week, its running just 2 shows a day in all multiplexes – and all major reviews have given it two stars, blaming the slow narration and/or ridiculing the contents of the final list). And I thought it was one of the best movies of this year.

Just for those few of you who don’t know what the movie is about, it’s about a common man – Amar Kaul – who leads a very dull and inconsequential middle class life, with nothing to look forward to except for his obsession with ‘to-do’ lists. He makes them everyday, ticking off things that he accomplishes – till he gets to know that he is terminally ill and has just three months to live.

As he did during his lifetime, he decides to make a final list – ‘Things to do (before I die)’ and sets out to fulfill them.

But this movie is too much to be summarized by just this one line! Sure that’s the essence, but the movie has to be watched to appreciate the wonderfully tender moments captured by the director. Vinay Pathak plays the man with just three months to live, who suddenly has to fulfill a lifetime of ambitions – wishes which had been buried under the daily grind of existence. And the beauty of the script is in the things he chooses to put on the list. Nothing exotic or deliberated. Just simple heartfelt desires that probably most of us have – buying his first car or going on his first 'foreign trip'. Seeing his first and only crush Neha one final time - or meeting his childhood best-friend Rajiv before he dies.

Some experiences are heartwarming, like his mom’s reaction on seeing the new car - and some bittersweet, like finding out Neha is now married and a mother. There are many more touching moments - the final parting between Rajiv and Amar and making peace with Vivek – which linger on after the movie. Vinay Pathak gives a wonderful performance, first reflecting desperation, then a breakdown and finally a wistful acceptance of fate.

Kailash Kher has given his unique touch to the music – and while Alvida is the number which everyone is humming, the Maa song is very nicely picturized (without too much overt sentimentality) – and is catchy too.

Not all is perfect with the movie though – Amar’s alter ego’s appearance is a little jarring and he should have had less screentime. The russian’s popping-up act is also a little weird – but it also gives the movie its unique flavor. And if you think about it, how much money would an account manager’s provident fund be left with, after a Rs. 9 lakh car and a round trip to the US ?? And wouldn’t you want to leave it all to your mother instead?

But inspite of these loopholes, this movie is one of the most warm and thoughtful movies to come out of Bollywood in sometime. The director cheekily doffs his hat to mainstream movies Kal Ho Naa Ho and Munnabhai – and indulges in a bit of genuinely funny situational comedy, but you would remember the movie for touching your heart in its earnestness and simplicity.




PS - Dasvidaniya has a 8.8 rating on IMDB Read More!

2 Days in Paris

You remember ‘Before Sunrise’ – and its sequel ‘Before Sunset’ ?

‘Before Sunrise’ was definitely one of the most refreshing – and honest – boy-meets-girl stories I have seen (if you haven’t watched it yet, do try to grab it somewhere). And the reason to bring it up here is that the lead actress, Julie Delphy is back with another romantic comedy, set again – in Paris. This time over two days - hence the name. And whats more, she writes and directs it too.
(Don’t you think Julie Delphy looks a lot like Phoebe Buffay of FRIENDS in this photo ? )

But while the ‘Before’ movies are composed solely of interactions between the guy and girl and nothing else – this movie is a story of cross-cultural connections and misunderstandings. And it’s a satirical look at the growing intolerance around us – French who don’t like Americans (or Arabs or Germans for that matter) or the hero Jack who doesn’t like Republicans (and Bush). It takes a lot of potshots at the French culture as well – lampooning their openness to sexuality which sometimes borders on the bizarre !!

The story is about a Anglo-French couple who decide to take a vacation in Europe – and do a 2 day stopover in Paris to meet Marion’s parents before flying back to US. Jack (Adam Goldberg) is a sarcastic Yankee, who doesn’t know much French apart from Bon jour and Merci – and is on his first trip to Paris. Marion is a photographer, who is born and brought up in Paris before shifting to NY – who has been seeing Jack for 2 years now – and who has somewhat of an anger-management problem. Both of them are slightly over-the-top characters, but 10 minutes into the movie, you are least bothered about that as you hold on to your sides, doubling in laughter.

Over the two days, Jack gets increasingly agitated as he negotiates a variety of people who do not talk in anything but French – Marion’s America-hating parents, her numerous ex-boyfriends, racist/flirtatious taxi drivers and even the local burger joint personnel. He doesn’t have a clue what is being spoken and feels left out as well as ridiculed. Marion’s dad makes special effort to deride Jack and his American tastes – which doesn’t help matters between him and Marion. And then there are the ex-boyfriends … who seem to be more than happy to see her (Jack describes one of them as looking at Marion as if she was a piece of lamb and he had a knife and fork in hand !!)

(Tagline of the movie - He knew Paris was for lovers. He just didn't think they were all hers)

Marion’s non-english speaking parents are characters themselves – Marion’s dad’s art gallery is to be seen to be believed while Marion’s mom’s Jim Morrison story is well … interesting !

Both Adam Goldberg and Julie Delphi put in admirable performances – especially Adam. The look of disbelief and incredulity on his face is hilarious, while his sarcasm is to die for. In a scene where Marion’s dad deliberately serves him rabbit curry – and then offers him some carrots from the gravy, he asks “Oh so now we are going to eat the bunny’s food too ?”

I am very tempted to give away the hilarious incidents of the movie – but I’d doing the movie a disservice. This movie doesn’t take itself seriously at all till the last 10 minutes – the characters are wacky and the French ones even more so. You would be laughing your guts out at the situations and at the snide comments that Jack makes for most of the movie. At the end, it tries to justify the romantic part of the tag – and the movie slows down – but its easy to overlook the last 10 min.
Very enjoyable movie – do try to watch it.

(Its been released in India by PVR only - so you cant catch it anywhere else. Worldwide it was released last year. The movie is anglo-french, so some subtitles are there.)


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Mamma Mia

Enthralling and exhilarating at the same time, Mamma Mia is a must watch for us Indians - just to see how exactly to use song and dance in a movie !! I had to suppress the urge to break out into clapping more than once during the movie (and I wasnt alone in feeling that way as low clapping could be heard at times in the hall). People who have watched the broadway show tell me that the stage version is much better - which makes me regret not seeing it when I had the chance.

About the movie - its a feel-good musical (it can be called a chic flick) - with the best Abba songs for a soundtrack - about a girl who wants her dad to give her away at her wedding. Only problem - according to her mom's diary, she dated three guys in that summer 20 years ago - and it could be any one of them. So she invites all three of them to the wedding (without telling her mom ofcourse) and so the story goes.

The location of the movie is outstanding - a white old style villa on a mediterranean island - and the cast is stellar. And the soundtrack is superb - though I hadnt heard half the songs before. The only bad bit about the movie comes towards the end when a couple of songs in the sad scenes could have been avoided. But overall, a celebration of cinema - definitely do watch.

Coming back to Indian movies, while we have songs in each and every movie of ours, the only movie which came close to being a good musical was Jaan-e-man (the Salman-Preity-Akshay starrer). Most people didnt get the point of the movie - but that is probably another post.


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A Wednesday

One of the better films to come out in the spate of bombing related movies. While Mumbai Meri Jaan has its appreciators, I would like to say that this is a better movie. For a debutant, the director has written a taut script and managed to rope in two of the best actors in Hindi cinema and come up with a great thriller which doesnt let up on the fast pace till the very end.

There are enough humorous breaks in the movie - the college-dropout hacker and the super-macho cop Jimmy Shergill (though his chocolate boy looks dont go with the image at all). But the effect Shergill's character has on various miscreants is really funny :) But the news-channel bashing falls flat on its face - there have been just TOO MANY movies making a mockery of news channels and its just not funny anymore ...

All in all, its a very crisp thriller - rolling on at a good pace and keeping you at the edge of your seats wondering whats next. While the premise of the movie is nothing new - a terrorist calling in to say there are 5 bombs in the city which will be detonated unless his demands are met - the director shows enough originality in the treatment to make it a unique experience ...


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Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

A wonderful romantic comedy about the adventures of a down-in-the-dumps governess over one single day as she attempts to find her feet in upper crest of London life ...

The the two main protagonists - Frances McDormand and Amy Adams are adorable - and the entire movie very light and frothy. And the british accent is just perfect ...

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Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd

I decided to go through what other readers said about the movie before putting up my thoughts - and I am appalled - how can people not like this movie :o ??

A delightful roadtrip movie about couples on a honeymoon tour - it has some subplots like Abhay Deol and Minissha Lamba, which probably eluded the general public for what it was - a superb spoof - but overall it was a delightful & light-hearted movie.

Infact, I have met quite a few people whose major grudge against the movie was the superhero angle. C'mon people, cant you make out a spoof when you see one. Infact the Jignesh angle eluded most people too - I mean you dont expect a dashing smashing dude like Arjun Rampal with bulging muscles and long locks to respond to a name like Jignesh :D

All the actors do exceedingly well - the most memorable definitely being "Partho" Kay Kay, "Oscar Fernandez" Boman Irani (loved the accent) and Ranvir Shorey as the Gujarati groom. The fight scene between him and Kay Kay is one of the high points of the movie ..

The movie also follows a delightful little trick of introducing each plot with some FM commentary and an old hindi hit song depicting the situation. Memorable among them is the placement of the song "Saala main to sahab ban gaya" :D See if you can remember exactly where

I already have the DVD and I am really looking forward to Reema Kagti's next :)


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