Gulaal - Movie Review

Starring: Kay Kay Menon, introducing Raj Singh Chaudhary, Jesse Randhawa, Deepak Dobriyal, Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan, Piyush Mishra and Abhimanyu Singh Director: Anurag Kashyap Rating: **** Set in the fictional Rajpur town of modern-day Rajasthan, Gulaal is entangled with stories of student politics, a covertly taking shape local rebellion for an independent Rajputana stare and love taking it forward. The meek, Dileep Singh (Raj Singh Chaudhary), is an idealistic man who gets caught in the whirlpool of student politics and much more, as he gets sucked into the world of Rananjay (Abhimanyu Singh), Dukkey Bana (Kay Kay), an autocratic local Rajput leader who is leading a planned armed movement to reclaim Rajputana for Rajputs, a brother-sister couple (Aditya and Ayesha), the illegitimate children of an erstwhile Rajput king who are seething at their bastard status (Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan) and Anuja (Jesse), a young teacher who becomes a social misfit in college after a particular incident inflicted upon her by college hooligans. Dilip gets used as a pawn by people who matter to him and ends up being an unwilling player in a sinister plot. What it all leads to forms the rest of the film. Bollywood gets yet another talented actor in Raj Singh Chaudhari who is also the co-writer of the film. In a film packed with great acting talents, Raj stands out with his convincing act. Kay Kay Menon as always is simply superb. Another show stealer is Deepak Dobriyal who plays his loyal assistant in the film. He speaks volumes just with his expressions without speaking much. Mahie Gill as the mujra girl cum beauty parlour owner is stunning and has tremendous screen presence. Aditya Srivastava and Ayesha Mohan are good as well. Piyush Mishra is terrific as Kay Kay’s brother and has the film’s best lines. Gulaal was claimed as Anurag Kashyap’s angriest film and it indeed is. It explores the dynamics of royalty vis-à-vis the democratic system. Sectionalism today has set everywhere in a big way and the film is the true reflection of where our nation stands today. Though been in the making for more than four years now, never once the film gives a dated feeling. The credit for which also goes to cinematographer Rajeev Ravi. Kashyap’s dialogues that are replete with sarcastic one-liners, beautiful poetries and philosophies and also the referential meanings are amongst the finest seen on screen for a long long time in Bollywood. Piyush Mishra apart from acting superbly also scores full marks for his hard hitting lyrics and beautiful music that is mix of many interesting things such as sarcasm, peppiness, and sensibility. It is the film’s lyrics and music that make the film a completely an extraordinary experience. Gulaal is something that is extremely relatable, especially for today’s youth. Though at a running time of over two and a half hours, there are times when the film tends to appear dragging, it is worth a watch. The film though has Anurag’s now trademark abstractness at times, it is not as incomprehensible as it was in No Smoking or in Dev.D. Go watch Gulaal.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Kisse Pyaar Karoon - Movie Review

Rating: * Certain themes worked in the '70s and '80s. But they seem completely out of place in today's times. You can't connect with them, plain and simple. That's the issue with Kisse Pyaar Karoon. Kisse Pyaar Karoon? uses every rule in the book to entertain the viewer. It borrows heavily from all masala films that one has watched and admired over the years. To give the credit where it's due, a few scenes are indeed funny. But it comes too late in the day. Ideally, it should've released a couple of years ago. Sid (Arshad Warsi), John (Aashish Chowdhry) and Amit (Yash Tonk) are thick friends. Everything is going fine till Sheetal (Udita Goswami) enters the scene. She plans to usurp the wealth of John. She entices him and John falls for her. Realising that Sid and Amit could thwart her plans, she creates problems and hurdles in their friendship. Sid and Amit realize her game and plan to throw a spanner. They decide to drill sense in John, but John is in no mood to listen. He's completely smitten by Sheetal. Sid and Amit embark on a plan to save John from Sheetal. Director Ajay Chandhok displays a flair for comic entertainers, but there's not much he can really do since the writing (Yunus Sajawal) is archaic and outdated. The same formula has been repeated so many times in the past, you don't react to it any longer. Despite the shortcomings, Chandhok has the potential to strike the right note if he gets the right script. Daboo Malik's music is pleasant. The title track and 'Bechain Saansein' come easy on the lips. Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chowdhry and Yash Tonk play to the gallery. We don't expect histrionics in a film like this. Instead, we look for buffoonery and that's what they end up doing. Udita Goswami makes her presence felt, while Aarti Chhabria is hardly there. Shweta Menon entertains when she's on screen. Shakti Kapoor and Ashish Vidyarthi are wasted. On the whole, Kisse Pyaar Karoon? comes too late in the day. Perhaps, this masala film may've struck a chord a few years ago, not today.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Dostana - Movie Review

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani
Written & Directed by Tarun Mansukhani
Rating: ***

Get this straight. Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham are not gay. They are just happy pretending to be bed partners. In the endeavour they pull put all stops and get into the gay zone with a gusto that stumps all the moralists.

There are butt-and-bum jokes galore some even pointed at the leading lady. But hold that frown.

Auntyji, chill. It's all for fun. Wanna join in?

The theme of heterosexual characters pretending to be gay to get a precious abode in the bustle of the metropolis is pretty cool.

Bachchan and Abraham, both in full form, get into the gay groove without going over the top. They come out with flying colours through most of the material that's provided to them to sink their teeth into.

While John combines terrific body language with some great comic timing (he's come a long way from his thanda GaramMasala days) Abhishek's expressions are a scream in their pitch-perfection.

One of the most brilliantly-written sequences orchestrates all the characters of this gay-play in the same room.

There're the play-acting gay protagonists, a gay magazine editor (a flawlessly wimpy Boman Irani), a gay marriage-bureau official (who just decides to drop in for a quick –check) and of course Abhishek's homophobic mother (Kirron Kher) who screams and rants and then accepts her son's apparent sexual preference.

You could simply marvel at the two principal actors giving so much of heart and others parts to their parts.

After a point you're tempted to stop counting the number of times the word 'gay' gets in the way of the narrative. From 'Mera beta gay hai' (courtesy Abhishek's mom Kirron Kher) to a 'Han main gay hoon' …. Dostana wins the how-to-say-gay-in-every-which-way award of the year.

Sandwiched between the two brilliantly-poised heroes is Priyanka Chopra, glowing like a 1000-watt bulb in her immaculate wardrobe (and out of it…she too gets into beachwear, what did you think?).

So here's the bottom (oops!) line. Hindi cinema finally comes out of the closet. And going by how little John Abraham wears in most of the film. There's very little coming out of the closet.

But there you have it. Bollywood's first beach-bum-chum meri-dosti-mera-pyar dildo-dil-lo preparation done on that slow-burn state of leisurely cooking where the characters get an ample chance to extend the parameters of the conventional cinema without toppling into the abyss of overstatement.

First-time writer-director Tarun Mansukhani has the zing thing in his vision. Miami shot with fetching gusto by Aynanka Bose lifts the luscious locales to more than a touristic paradise. The desi characters seem to belong to this beachside paradise.

Well-toned bodies tanned to the extreme of selfglorification, sinewy movements on the beach and on the dancefloor, songs music and feverish fiesta of sexually- driven people who want it all.And fast. Dostana is the ultimate hedonists' dream.

The narrative pace slackens considerably in the second-half, what with the heroes expanding their homosexual hijinks into a triangle with Priyanka thrown in for good measure.

Then the triangle dilates into a quadrangle as Bobby Deol (looking dapper in his Armanis) makes a belated appearance as the boss who first intimidates and irritates the working girl into motion of anger and submission. And then sweeps her off her feet.

Is this to keep the heterosexuals happy ?

What keeps the narrative going is the sheer zest for life and the mood of wink-wink wackiness which Shilpa Shetty sets at the outset with her ooh-la-la item song.

The gags involve everyone from the caricatural and spinsterish landlady (Sushmita Mukherjee) to an incredibly clueless magazine editor (Bobby Deol) who agrees to behave like a moron on the our pseudo-gay heroes' say-so.

It's all in fun. Not to be taken seriously. Not even when Abhishek and John lip-lock in mock-ecstacy for a climatic farewell kiss that certainly leaves Priyanka breathless.

I'm still trying to figure out why Abhishek is inspired to act gay with John while holding a hotdog in his hand. Is there a hidden code there?

As for the audience, it's still counting the number of times the characters say 'gay'. Every which way.For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Quantum of Solace - Movie Review

Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric Director: Marc Forster Rating: *** If "Casino Royale" was set up as a template for the new Bond actor Daniel Craig, "Quantum Of Solace" merely re-establishes this new order. All the major ingredients that go into making the Bond movies special are featured here. "Quantum Of Solace' doesn't thrill or break new ground, but it is still a very good Bond movie. Director Marc Forster is an odd choice to helm a Bond movie since his previous hits - "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball" - were not action movies. While Craig returns to give a solid performance and the gritty style with raw action maintained from the previous movie, this movie does lack a coherent plot that at times undermines the whole viewing experience. The movie continues with Bond seeking to find his lover's killers. This Bond is very angry and leaves too many people dead in his trail. Bond soon finds himself in the midst of a nefarious plan of villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) who is posing as a crusader for the environment but secretly has a more sinister plan. Hunting the bad guys requires Bond to travel quite a bit and this gives the filmmakers a good excuse to stage some action sequences. There is a chase on foot through the streets, a chase on speed boats and even a battle in the sky with planes. Through it all, Bond maintains his cool but never cracks a smile. At times the movie takes itself too seriously. This Bond movie may be the least fun of them all. His desire to seek revenge casts a dark shadow of a mood through out the movie and some well timed humour might have been refreshing. Gone also are the gadgets, along with Q. The one liner innuendos are also missing and for the first time, Bond's signature "The name's Bond, James Bond" has been dropped. The action sequences are disappointing. This was the most expensive Bond movie made and the action does take place in some exciting locales. But the director makes a minor mistake. He choreographed the action from up close. We are placed right in the middle of the action, but we are not clear on what's happening exactly. Sadly, at times we don't want to seem to care. The actors do a commendable job. Craig clearly suffers from a script that could have exploited his range in talent more. His character comes of very one dimensional. The Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arerton are stunning but end up as props. They are not allowed to be fleshed out. There is a bit of a back story for Camille (Kurylenko) but even she is disposed off much like former Bond girls. Craig is set to return for more Bond movies. He had a good start with "Casino Royale". With "Quantum Of Solace" he cements the new more gritty Bond, but at the expense of fun. Here's hoping the Bond of the future will lighten up, have some fun, and not take himself too seriously. Not everything from the old Bond movies needs to be changed.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Fashion - Movie Review

Are you ready for an expose on the fashion industry? Where designers pass off 'Indira Market, Bangkok' stuff as their own creation. Where ad agency/fashion mag honchos call the shots. Wild lifestyles, backstage dramas, wardrobe malfunction, casting couch… ouch, ouch, ouch!

Madhur Bhandarkar, the undisputed king of realistic fares, comes up with yet another hard-hitting film that enlightens you, moves you, motivates and deflates you, even shocks and surprises you and of course, entertains you.

The solid reason why FASHION works is because Madhur brings alive everything you've read in newspapers or watched on TV as an outsider, to the big screen. And that works and how!

But let's not give the subject material all importance, for Madhur's handling of the subject is exemplary. Madhur dresses up his mannequins well, but most importantly, infuses life in those prime bodies. A number sequences leave you tongue-tied [more on that later].

But there's a hitch. And this problem tones down the impact considerably. The running tine of almost 2.40 hours makes you restless, especially the penultimate 25-odd minutes. Yet, all said and done, FASHION has all it takes to be the showstopper this Diwali!

FASHION tells the story of a small-town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality. Meghna [Priyanka Chopra] is ambitious, she wants to attain the status of a supermodel. She realises her dreams and rises to walk the ramps for leading designers across India.

But Meghna has to pay the price for her fame and her journey to the top. Her career starts sliding downwards. In this journey of Meghna, she encounters a number of people. Most importantly, Shonali [Kangna Ranaut] and Janet [Mugdha Godse]. Also, Abhijit Sareen [Arbaaz Khan], a tycoon who controls the fashion industry.

CHANDNI BAR, PAGE 3, SATTA, CORPORATE, TRAFFIC SIGNAL -- every Madhur Bhandarkar film has a new story to tell and he tells it most convincingly. In fact, Madhur strikes a fine balance between realism and entertainment in every film. Given the fact that FASHION is all about the fashion industry, the narrative is inevitably filled with lots of glam-n-glitz moments. The fashion shows, the stunning models, the superb styling, the vibrant colours and the behind the scenes drama is worth every penny spent on the ticket.

But it's not just ramp shows and style-n-fashion here. There's a story running concurrently -- of three models. One, the rise of an unknown into a supermodel. Two, the fall of a supermodel to dust. Three, the ambitious model not achieving success, but opting for a marriage of convenience.

While Madhur has handled the theme as if he were an insider, this review would be incomplete if you ignore two major sequences that are simply outstanding. One, Kangna's wardrobe malfunction and two, when Priyanka exposes Arbaaz to his wife [Suchitra Pillai].

Mahesh Limaye's cinematography captures every aspect of the fashion industry to the fullest. The screenplay [Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Ajay Monga] is perfect, except for the penultimate portions. Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are fantastic. Nitin Chandrakant Desai's production design is truly upmarket. The costumes and styling are top notch, a feast for the eyes. Salim-Sulaiman's music is well synchronised as well. 'Mar Jaava' and 'Jalwa' are lilting creations.

Madhur places immense trust on Priyanka and she is remarkable all through, more towards the second hour. Post AITRAAZ, FASHION is another medal that shines the brightest when you look at her body of work. But the real star is Kangna. Her role may not be as lengthy as that of Priyanka, but the actress pitches in an awesome performance. Her confidence at the very start is infectious and her overall performance deserves an ovation.

Mugdha Godse is, again, supremely confident. She has dum. Arbaaz Khan is first-rate. Arjan Bajwa does well. Harsh Chhaya, the gay designer, stands out with a realistic performance. Ashwin Mushran, Priyanka's confidante, is top notch. Samir Soni is good. Suchitra Pillai and Kittu Gidwani are effectual. Raj Babbar and Kiran Juneja are seasoned in such roles.

On the whole, FASHION has tremendous curiosity value and also shock value for the Indian audiences. Its subject -- the behind the scenes working and drama of the fashion industry -- is its USP. At the box-office, the pre-release hype and buzz will ensure a successful run for the film. Its business at multiplexes mainly should be bountiful. However, trimming the film will only help; not only will it enhance the film, but also its business. Must watch!

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

Golmaal Returns - Movie Review

Two years ago, Rohit Shetty came up with a breezy entertainer GOLMAAL, which, most people agree, is the capable director's finest work to date. The comic scenes hit the right notes and buttons. Perhaps, that must've prompted its producers [Shree Ashtavinayak] and Rohit to continue with the GOLMAAL series.

But GOLMAAL RETURNS treats the viewer like a nitwit, with zero brains. No-brainer laughathons have worked in the past and people have catapulted these films to 'must watch again and again' category. But GOLMAAL RETURNS is simply unbearable!

35 years ago, the Kiran Kumar - Radha Saluja comedy AAJ KI TAZAA KHABAR [1973] is the inspiration for GOLMAAL RETURNS. No issues with that, it's an interesting concept. But screenplay writer Yunus Sajawal makes a mincemeat of the material, so much so that your head starts aching after a point and you want to tear your hair in disgust.

Seriously, what was the writer thinking when he came up with a pathetic screenplay? And how did a talented director like Rohit Shetty agree to ride on it? And how could an accomplished actor like Ajay Devgan green signal this enterprise? Questions, questions, questions...

GOLMAAL RETURNS was never meant to be a thinking man's film, but the attitude is, no-brainer comedies have worked and this one will work too. To give the credit where it's due, a few jokes/sequences involving Tusshar and Shreyas do bring a smile on your face, but in the absence of a tight screenplay, the film falls like a pack of cards.

Final word? Golmaal hai bhai script golmaal hai!

Gopal [Ajay Devgan], who lives with his wife Ekta [Kareena Kapoor], sister Esha [Amrita Arora] and brother-in-law Lucky [Tusshar Kapoor], gets stuck in a yacht after saving an attractive woman Meera [Celina Jaitly] from some goons. Both end up spending the night on the yacht and when he comes home the next day, his painfully suspicious wife, who is also a hardcore fan of the saas-bahu serials, smell fish.

Gopal knows it's going to be hard to quell her suspicion, so he concocts a cock-and-bull story about having stayed the night with a fictitious friend called Anthony Gonsalves. Ekta refuses to buy his yarn and writes to Anthony [on a fictitious address given to her by Gopal], asking him to visit her.

Gopal convinces his junior at work, Laxman [Shreyas Talpade], to pretend to be Anthony. Everything goes according to plan till the real Anthony turns up.

If that isn't complication enough for Gopal, a dead body is discovered at the location where he had saved Meera. The Investigating Officer, Madhav [Arshad Warsi], who is Esha's boyfriend and also who cannot stand the sight of Gopal, learns that the latter had been missing from home that eventful night and begins checking on him.

A sequel carries the baggage of humungous expectations. And you definitely expect GOLMAAL RETURNS to be a step forward. The makers had thundered, "GOLMAAL RETURNS is bigger, it's better" and that raises the bar. But the film is such a put off.

Writer Yunus Sajawal takes an interesting premise, but instead of upgrading it, only downgrades it with lacklustre situations. The writing is so weak, so lifeless that after a point you sit motionless, looking at the goings-on mechanically, instead of being a participant.

A few sequences do entertain you, but they're few and far between. Not enough to camouflage the defects. In view of the fact that the writing is so weak, there's not much that director Rohit Shetty can do to save the ship from sinking. However, the dialogues are howlarious. Music is not as inspiring. 'Tha Karke' is the best track, while 'Tu Saala' [well promoted] isn't there in the film and 'Meow' comes during the end credits. And you're exasperated by then!

GOLMAAL RETURNS belongs to Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. Tusshar is terrific yet again, the real scene stealer, while Shreyas displays his comic side very well. Both, in fact, provide respite to the viewer. Ajay Devgan is likable. Kareena does the suspicious wife act well. Celina stays on your mind even after the show is over.

Arshad Warsi is relegated to the backseat. Amrita Arora is strictly okay. Anjana Sukhani gets no scope. Vrajesh Hirjee is alright. Sharat Saxena, Rakhi Vijan, Sanjay Mishra, Murli Sharma, Mukesh Tiwari and Ashwini Kalsekar fill in the blanks.

On the whole, there's tremendous curiosity to watch GOLMAAL RETURNS and the terrific promotion has only enhanced the excitement. But the film is a major letdown in terms of content. Barring a few jokes and gags, this GOLMAAL pales when compared to its first part. At the box-office, expect a terrific start for the film, but GOLMAAL RETURNS lacks the power to stand on its feet after the initial euphoria settles down.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize