Category: Movies & Entertainment Page 5 of 9

A conversation spanning a few minutes, between an auto driver and a bewildered Ranbir Kapoor, sums up the movie, Tamasha. “Andar se kuch aur hai hum, aur baahar se majboor”.

What we want to be, what we are, and what we could have been. This is what the whole Tamasha is about. The constant conflict to be our desired selfish self or to fall in line with our expected self to fit in with society.
As a story, Tamasha tries hard to capture the imagination and makes you live through most of it too but fails as an ensemble of a movie. It skids on its way and doesn’t pack a punch with that perfect climax, it deserved. It tries to be preachy when it could have been hauntingly soothing. This adds to the list of those movies which could have been way better, but just couldn’t.

Plot is based on how a kid in Shimla, addicted with stories essayed by an old man (Played by Piyush Mishra), evolves himself in a fantasy world of epic love stories. But ends up being part of the rat race like everybody else.

[Picture courtesy: Pinkvilla]

A sincere attempt to portray , through a combination of art and commercialized cinema, by Imtiyaz Ali, works in parts. Writer and Director, Imtiyaz is known for the best breakups in his movies. Take any of his movies and you’ll find the best of his scenes around breaking up. The emotional maturity, or the lack of it, is pivotal for making these scenes work, which he brings out perfectly.

The songs are meaningful and the lyrics by Ehsaan Kamil with AR Rahman’s music makes it even better. My favorite being the Alka-Yagnic-Arijit Singh song, “Agar tum saath ho”. However, the dialogues doesn’t do justice.

Tamasha is no different. A scene where Deepika tries to apologize to Ranbir, is the best of the lot. She begs to forgive her, he fights to not let her compromise. On the whole, Deepika and Ranbir, do make a good on-screen couple with great chemistry.

[Also Read about the couple’s other movie: Ye Jawani hai Deewani]

Where Tamasha fails is, it tries really hard to explain itself. Tamasha asks you questions and answers them immediately. A film of this genre should let the viewer get sunk in, figure out the answer of these questions and let them explore. What Tamasha does is, it does the job of exploring these thoughts for you. If you can relate, you’ll like it, if not, you’d be bored. It tries to be preachy about too many things. From children being forced to toe parents, to people being stuck in monotonous robotic jobs, while working on cliched characters of an authoritative father to a non-english speaking boss in Vivek Mushran.

The near-to-the-end scene involving Ranbir’s onscreen father, played by Pakistani actor Javed Sheikh, is like adding sugar to a curry!! Tamasha is not a 3 Idiots, and that is something which Imtiyaz could have very well avoided.

There are a lot of positives in the Tamasha. The Song picturizations are perfect, the intense camera angles have been utilized perfectly. Deepika does everything to perfection. The way she has carried herself in almost all her movies, which includes, Raamleela, Ye Jawani hai Deewani, Finding Fanny and Piku, and the versatility she has achieved is amazing. She deserved a far bigger role than Ranbir in this movie.

[Also Read: Her amazing performance in Piku, and why I gave it a 5 Star]

Although, the onus of Tamasha is visibly on Ranbir, where he does try his best but falters in parts. But a role like this is pretty complex, but full marks to him for being honest to the character. Ranbir’s Dev Anand bit is not over-the-top and is more like a celebration rather than mimicry.

While watching, one can enjoy the movie, albeit in parts, but at the end of it, there remains a sense of being fragmentary incomplete. Tamasha was initially titled as, “The Window Seat”. It definitely feels like one, where you sit, enjoy the view, and get down at your station, while the train goes on.

Tamasha could have been a better tamasha, had Imtiyaz Ali tried to be less preachy.

I’m going with a generous 2.5/5 for the Mediocre Tamasha.

Dil Dhadakne Do: My Review

By farooq

On June 6, 2015

In Movies & Entertainment

Director: Zoya Akhtar

Runtime: 170 Minutes (Really Long!!)

Great ensemble of star cast in Anil Kapoor, Shefali shah, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh. Did I miss anyone? Oh yes, Rahul Bose. Someone else? Ohh yea, Director Zoya Akhtar’s brother Farhan Akhtar, who plays a cameo. (Yes, that was the one reason I went for the movie!!).

Zoya’s two previous movies, the perfectly written and charming Luck by Chance and the more famous Zindagi na milegi Dobara. Sadly, she’s more known for the latter. While LBC, was an insight into Bollywood through an outsiders’ perspective and how he gets lost in that. ZNMD was about three friends on a journey looking at their own existing lives through borrowed glasses.

In this new movie, Dil dhadakne do, Zoya attempts to capture the high-society Delhi family of Mehras. But this time, she just takes us directly into their world. A world of phony unapologetic characters. She definitely tries to bring the outside perspective in the form of a dog, brilliantly voiced over by Aamir Khan, something which appears to be a feather borrowed from Raju Hirani’s book.

Coming back to the plot, A family where the son is given preference even though the daughter seems to be the qualified one. A family where the women feel they are at the mercy of their husbands. A family where marriage decisions are subject to business deals. And a lot more clichés which one might have heard of, or seen in movies from time to time. This Mehra family is a mix of all those into one.

Anil kapoor, who tries to look really old as part of the role, plays the part to perfection. Ranvir Singh is brilliant in his act, playing the role of the Anil’s son. But apart from them, there are no notable performances. Anil Kapoor and Ranvir Singh seems to have the meatiest roles. While others have been tried to fit into allotted roles. Farhan Akhtar, is not even there!!! And the kind of heavy-duty dialogues being given to his character is just pointless!! Don’t get me wrong, everyone acts well. You’ll end up laughing on a lot of occasions. But, oh yes there’s that but, you’ll feel out-of-place to relate to any of it. The story is so-much centered on the high-society social drama that even with so many important issues raised, you’ll still come out with a confused expression.

ZNMD, made us go wow over Spain. It made us be part of their travel journey. But with D3, it is so focused about the issues plaguing the Mehra Family, when even though it has a travel-backdrop, doesn’t do any justice to Istanbul or any other place the cruise takes the story forward. It sure has its moments which make you laugh and appreciate the issues being raised about women-empowerment, but they are very disconnected in the long stretch of the film.

It is not a bad movie but isn’t very entertaining too, just a one-time watch to have a few momentary laughs. I’m going with 2/5 for Zoya Akhtar’s cruise which didn’t quite reached its destination as I would have liked it to.

Piku : My review

By farooq

On May 11, 2015

In Movies & Entertainment

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irfan Khan

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Runtime: 122 Minutes

The trailer was good enough to know what was in store, or rather what was still in stomach and creating troubles. If I was at all looking for faults in the movie, I just could not have found any!! I was immersed into the saga of an old man and his “motion”. To my surprise, the humour is not at all crass, as one can imagine with such a subject( It is about shit, literally!!) The whole subject has been dealt so well. I loved watching the movie as well as writing this piku movie review.

The story is about Piku (Deepika) and about how her relationship with her father just doesn’t let her live her own life. How his father’s constipation issues and old age are stuff which have made her cranky and someone people are afraid of. In a way, lot like her father.

Rana Chaudhry (Irfan Khan’s character), plays the role of a gulf-returned cab service company owner, battling his own family issues. Moushami Chatterjee and Jishu Sengupta also have supporting roles.

The writer tries to draw a blurry similarity into two lives, Deepika and Irfan’s, and how both are a mirror for a generation for whom their parents have now become their children. Although much of the focus is on Piku’s father in the story.

But the real star of the movie is Bhaskor!! Played amazingly well by Amitabh Bachchan!! If you’ve been with your grandfather in their old age, he is bound to take you on a nostalgic dive deep into that. For me, his was the best written character in a long time. The detailed approach and the into-the-cranky-constipated-character which he plays, is simply the best you can see. It is a treat. Each frame, each scene and each dialogue.

Irfan Khan is a seasoned actor, and he is simply at his A-game like always. It also amazes me, how well Deepika keeps getting better with each movie!! I mean, she is polishing off edges with every movie. She was impressive in YJHD, Ramleela and then Finding Fanny, but this is on a different level.

[Image courtesy: Littleredtote]

The songs are good, nothing spectacular. Loved the Road song though. The cinematography is another very interesting aspect of the movie, especially the way they have shot Kolkata. Best part is, it is not exaggeratedly highlighted. Everything is kept simple, while the focus just remains on telling the audience about Piku and her father.

It is the best Indian Cinema has offered in a long time. It is so good, that I’m already making plans to catch another show. Just go, watch enjoy. I’m sure, you won’t regret. Shoojit Sircar, Respect!! Have loved, Vicky donor as well as Madras Cafe. The way this guy deals with the subject, is class.

I’m giving a 5/5 (Ohh, Yes!!) for Shoojit Sircar’s Piku. Watch it for everything.

[Here’s another movie I gave a 5/5]

PK: The Muslim Story

By farooq

On December 29, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment, Politics & Social Issues

PK.

To take the message of PK (or even OMG!!, which was a far better film than PK) in the context of just one religion is confining it to a tiny circle.

True that the movie focused mainly on how Hinduism has been ransacked by Godmen and traditions which are more aimed at money-making than spiritual, but look closely and you find it in every religion.

All religions in their most authentic forms without the time-induced “traditions” being added for the sake of uniformity, for politicization, and more importantly, convenience has diluted them. To speak about any other religion other than Islam would be wrong. First, because of the ideological difference and second, because I know comparatively more about my religion than the rest. Comparatively, is the word here.

When you notice people thronging mazaars (Sufi Shrines like Ajmer), it is the general tendency to associate it with Muslims and Islam. The question arises, whether it actually is or not?

Islam is a monotheistic religion. Muslims only believe in the concept of One True God, i.e. Allah and any associations or comparison is not part of it. So, to put it just, you are to ask for all your needs from Allah. Through all your prayers, you communicate with Allah, place your needs and desires before him, and expect him and only him to fulfill it. It is that belief, a true connection gets established. Everything depends on your intention and your belief that it is only Allah who can fulfill it.

There is a sizable chunk of Muslims, who visits mazaars, (Indian Subcontinent) and tries to bridge the connection through the saints to speedily make their desires and needs fulfilled. I have heard many Muslims term this as zarriya (pathway) to Allah, and the saints do sifarish (recommendation) for these prayers.

Now, many (includes many of my close relatives who might frown upon me saying this) follow this path. While there are others, who consider this as shirk (Establishing partners with Allah). I can go and express my views on this, but for now, it is not relevant, and for many, it will be difficult to comprehend.

These mazaars are a place where you buy some sweets to be put up for niyaaz (or fateha) inside mazaars. Practices range from placing a chaadar (piece of cloth) over their mausoleum (burying place of the saint). Some even say, they are not dead and have just put up a veil from the world. Although Islam clearly mentions “Kullu nafsin, zaikatul maut” meaning every living being has to taste death.

Now, are these part of Islam? In my opinion, it is not. But people still do it. Muslims still always follow these practices.

I don’t even want to add about terrorism and its misinterpretation of Jihaad.

As a Muslim and a believer, should I not try to bring out these practices which are not part of my religion but are being followed or people are being made to follow by the so-called moulanas ??

Now, consider the same situation for the plot of the movie PK, which focuses largely on the Hindu side of the story. Of how the religion has ended up being connected to a “wrong number” by these babas.

Is your protest driven by the fact that it is a Muslim Aamir khan portraying PK. Why single out PK, when you had Paresh Rawal playing almost the same and even more serious character in OMG!!?

Believe me, writing this line about Aamir sounded ridiculous to me. But then have heard many points to this very angle for the film’s plot.

If you protest that your religious belief about Hinduism has been hurt, then I’ll stand by you to make sure that PK or for that matter any other movie doesn’t do so again. But if your protest is based on why Only Hinduism, then please little re-think and view the whole issue in the larger context.

Religion doesn’t need Godmen but people who become men of God and form a connection with the Almighty. Who is it in your case? The God or these Babas or maulanas?

Interstellar: My Review

By farooq

On November 16, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Cast: Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain

Director: Christopher Nolan

Runtime:170 Minutes

There are movies. And then there are Nolan’s movies.

Watching Interstellar is like layers of detailed awesomeness, which you peel off slowly. You get to see some and you go, Wow!! But wait, you get more of it repeatedly, one after the other. That is Nolan’s magic for you, wrapped up beautifully. Opening in front of your eyes.

Interstellar is about a lot of things. It is about space-time travel. It is about promises. It is about the quantifiable power of love. And it is about faith. All of this scattered across the plot, finally shaping up to be one fine storyline.

The story is about a engineer-turned-farmer, Mathew McConaughey(Playing Cooper), apparently in future we ran out of food, and how a quest for life outside the earth leads him to abandon his family to go for the mission. Accompanied by a few others, including Anne Hathaway, for the voyage across a newly discovered wormhole to ascertain life outside the dying Earth. But is this so simple? When it’s a Nolan movie, it doesn’t end there.

There is the ultimate father-daughter bond which is the most pivotal part of the movie. Apart from space exploration, it is also about exploring grey areas of personal sacrifices and how it translates across individuals.

It would be wrong to assume that this was an out-and-out entertainer; it slags in a few scenes, mostly in the first half and takes an effort to fully grasp the 5^th dimension realities towards the audience. But then again, this is a Nolan’s movie and the audience is of the same kind.

Mathew McConaughey is brilliant in the portrayal of Cooper, the engineer. Murrph played by Jessica Chastain is a class act as well. The film is detailed, not just in its physics (a lot of it) as well as the portrayal of the galactic and space realities involved.

I’m going with a 4/5 for Chritopher Nolan’s Interstellar, it isn’t a movie but an experience of excellence. Don’t miss this.

Gone Girl: My Review

By farooq

On November 11, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Cast: Ben Afleck, Rosamund Pike

Director: David Fincher

Runtime: 149 Minutes

Watching Rosamund pike in Gone girl will shatter all previous images of the actress, be it as a bond girl or as the Queen Andromeda in Wrath of the titans. Gone Girl belongs to the Girl, the gone girl. The story is poetically dark and leaves an aftertaste of bewilderment.

You might gasp at the pace with which the movie takes off initially and might get a little anxious too, but wait it out because you’re in for a blast. And believe me; you won’t have to wait too much. The story (Would not reveal anything, so don’t worry), is about a missing wife of Ben Afleck, in a very difficult marriage. Shows you two sides of the story in a rather interesting manner and how psychopathic tendencies are resulted and affect love-hate relationships. The movie is based on the thriller novel by the same name by Gillian Flynn. Good part about casting Ben in movies like these is the smug-face that he does so well (read he has one), makes you wonder whether he is really innocent or not ?

You also get to see Neil Patrick harris too, in a very non-barney-non-funny way, in a very important role. David Fincher, no doubt has always made sure you are hooked till the final scenes of his movies, and you remain in a state of amusement once the ending credits are rolled down as well. From Fight club to even a few episodes of House of cards, you get to travel to the dark human psyche and be back to reality through his films. This one is just another great addition to that awesome list of many.

I’m going with 3.5/5 for Gone Girl. Go watch Gone Girl, and be blown away. Rosamund Pike, I’ve become your fan.

Daawat-e-Ishq: A dawat you should definitely miss

By farooq

On September 20, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Review of Daawat-e-Ishq: Go and enjoy a plate of biryani at a Hyderabadi joint near you, instead of qubooling this daawat.

Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Anupam Kher

Director: Habib Faisal

Runtime: 125 Minutes

Hyderabad and Lucknow. What do these two cities have in common ? Well, apart from many other things, it’s food. Now, a story which moves between these two cities and has a tagline of a “mouth-watering love story” just fits the description, right? Only, Daawat-e-Ishq does Not.

The biggest flaw of the story is the way it has been captured. The Cinematography is just painstakingly boring even with a story concept as such. The Instagram food pictures on my profile look far better than how the mouth-watering dishes appear in the movie, that too when the hero (Aditya Roy Kapoor) runs a restaurant!!!

Definitely, the foodie in me was deeply hurt. As far as the story is concerned, it definitely tries to delve into the menace of Dowry. It tries to capture how even the padha-likha youth of our country still doesn’t see it as the evil that it is.

Conceptualization aside, there’s hardly anything that goes right for Dawat-e-Ishq. It makes you wonder, whether you are watching the unedited and still unpolished version of the movie.

Anupam Kher puts in a solid performance as Habibullah and that is probably the only character you’ll remember once this boring saga ends with another watched-it-thousand-times-before-and-got-bored climax.

Although a lot of detailing and effort has gone into using authentic dialects, be it hyedrabadi or lucknowi, supporting characters, location and food details, yet it all seems like a punishment when you have to pay to watch this.

This happens to be Parineeti’s worst performance to date, while for some strange reasons Aditya Roy Kapoor manages to make a little mark. Of course, giving those terrible song-and-dance routines would have been better. There are moments and typical Hyderabadi dialogues that do make you laugh, but unless you have an association with it, it won’t matter.

Daawat-e-Ishq is an opportunity gone wasted to highlight the terrible plight of the dowry system. What it does however is boring you out with something that is not even close to mediocre. Sadly, it doesn’t bring out the simplicity of Do dooni Char not catches up with the flamboyance of Ladies vs Ricki Behl by the same director, Habib Faisal.

I’m going with 1/5 for the movie. Go enjoy the biryani at a Hyderabadi joint near you, instead of qubooling this daawat.

Finding Fanny: My Review

By farooq

On September 13, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Arjun Kapoor

Director: Homi Adjania

Running Time: 102 Minutes

A rare occasion for Bollywood to indulge in an off-beat, mad and tragic comedy and that is what makes Finding Fanny special. It eases you into the story as if they have all the time in the world, to give it a perfect ending.

The story is about Finding Fanny. Fanny, who? The love of Fernando’s (Naseeruddin Shah) life, which leads to a road trip for all. For finding fanny and for answers for their own lives.

Performances are all gems. No points for guessing, Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor, steal the show. The ensemble of cast perfectly suits the story as well as the setting. While the first half eases you into the story, the second half shows the characters seamlessly exploring each other’s characters. So, while the first half shows an Old-child in Naseeruddin shah, the second half showcases his emphatic and sensible nature. While the crazy-perv-looking painter brings his own nuances.

Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia fit perfectly into their roles, but the film definitely belonged to the two veterans.

An important part of the story is how it has been shot. More than the fact that it has been shot in the not-so-thronged part of Goa, the cinematography is brilliant. Capturing details, focusing on visuals as well as characterizations, it has been nicely done.

I’m going with 3/5 for Finding Fanny.

It is not for the average-masala-fare-expecting viewer, but if you ease yourself into it, you’ll love it. It’s more like forgetting about the world while reading a book in your balcony.

An alternate Kick

By farooq

On August 5, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

An alternate “Kick”
By now most of you would have spend either loosen some weight on your wallets or bandwidth in watching the Salman-khan starrer Eid-bonanza titled “Kick”, a remake of telugu blockbuster with the same name starring Ravi Teja.
The storyline runs about a guy with an adrenaline rush who is always in search of a “kick” in everything he does. From how he answers nature’s call to beating up eve-teasers to everything that has the remotest possibility of serving him with a kick.
He meets a girl, impresses her, shocks her father, has a fallout, becomes “robinhood” and the story unfolds like any other. Simply put, this is not something which you would have never seen before. Yes, stunts, dance moves, are good and Jaquiline looks ravishing and gorgeous, while Salman is at his usual self.
There is one big element in the Hindi-kick that wasn’t there in the original, the presence of a main villain. Here we have, Mr. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, our very own Faisal khan from Gangs of wasseypur. He is the kind of villain that in a bollywood fan-fare, you’d hardly come across. The quintessential part of the movie, scenes graced by him, is a treat. He could have very well been the joker of the Dark Knight, or a Rauf Lala of Agneepath, only if his role was a little more.

Shiv (Nawaz’s character) is cunning, shrewd, manipulative business tycoon, who distrusts everyone around him. Tries to be a step ahead of his rivals, dramatic twists are what he loves and being just simply obvious isn’t his style.
He isn’t the muscular macho-villain but a sharp mind with an army of trained thugs who’ll kill for him, money he has plenty and a public image of a good Samaritan that gives him the mask to fool people around. One-liners, the eccentricity, and an evil laugh are what make him the devil.
It’s another thing that Salman is called the devil (or rather he himself calls himself), and Shiv (Nawazuddin) has a charitable trust named “angel”, yet a little more work in building this battle between the conflict of “Angel” and “Devil” could have been something good. But then, who wants to do the extra work? Going ahead with the Sallu-fanfare masala entertainer in the holiday season and bringing in the moolah home, is what everyone needs right?
Bollywood requires villains in their scripts and a change from the heroes hogging all the space of their own. Even the Telugu version was much better than this one, made years before.

For the sake of rating, I couldn’t get the required “kick” to give it more than 1.5/5. And even that is mostly because of Nawaz.

2 States: My Review

By farooq

On April 18, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Director: Abhishek Verman

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia bhat, Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy, Revathi

RunTime: 150 minutes

Adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel with the same name and directed by First-timer Abhishek Verman , 2 States manages to keep you entertained for the whole time, even with numerous small glitches in the story adaptation on the big screen. But if you are willing to kick away the stereotyping and a little out-of-place logic, then it sure is refreshingly entertaining.

The masaledar love story with peppy songs for company, amazing cinematography and the chemistry between the lead pair of Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt makes it worth the watch.

The idea of the story revolves around the typical Indian setting on how two youngsters who fall in love and then try to convince their parents for their marriage. The problem is, our boy is Punjabi while the girl is Tamilian. This “convincing-the-parents” part goes through a whole lot of cultural differences melodrama, which is fun to watch.

The lead pair has a good chemistry brewing between them. Although Arjun is the one who narrates the story and is kind of his-version, Alia sure steals the show. Not just for the ease with which she manages to change in each of the frames but how effortlessly she makes herself look convincing as a Tamilian without any fuss. Arjun isn’t bad either, but Alia scores over him.

The music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy suits the refreshing young feel of the movie and even the background score makes many of the scenes click. Cinematography takes the whole movie a notch higher, especially the way the weddings have been shot. Casting has been done beautifully. While Amrita Rao (Arjun’s mother) becomes the typical Punjabi maa throwing about tantrums and emotional blackmailing then and now, Ronit Roy (Arjun’s Dad) brings in the drunk-dad-with-issues back on screen after his much memorable performance in Udaan. Alia’s parents (Mom played by Revathi and Dad played by Shiv Kumar Subramaniam) have little to do in the movie comparatively but they do justice to whatever they are part of.

The biggest problem with the movie might be to bring in everything from the book. It is good if a reader watches it, who might understand most of the details, but for a non-reader certain scenes might never make sense. Same happens with 2 states, like the absence of a big conflict which might break their relationship or why his mother is so obnoxiously loud or his dad’s back-story seemed to have been squeezed in.

Nevertheless, if you just through all these above thoughts out, you would surely end up enjoying the 150-odd minutes of the movie, filled with some good laughs (stereotypical maybe) and if you get the connection right, you’ll love it too.

I’m going with a 3/5 for 2 states. Maybe it’s more fun to watch if you’ve read the book.