Mardaani - A woman in a man's world !!

Mardaani showcases the many faces of women in a man's world - be it the fearless foul mouthed protagonist or the multitude of girls that either defy or succumb to pressures of the human trafficking mafia or the master mind behind the mafia itself – all women; albeit with different motives.

Shivani Roy (Rani Mukherji) – Sr. Inspector, Crime Branch, Mumbai – transforms from a loving wife and a doting aunt, to a woman on a mission when dealing with crime and criminals.  Criminals are her personal enemies and her only friends are like minded co – workers; folks who respect the law and detest crime. 

Shivani’s already adventurous life receives a jolt when a young orphan (a close friend of her niece) goes missing without any clues of her whereabouts; or her existence.  Her sole aim of locating the girl opens a can of worms – a child trafficking ring that is very professionally and ruthlessly run out of India’s capital city of Delhi, with the blessings of those in power; those very men who run the state. 

The kingpin – a youngish boy next door – turns out to be a worthy adversary for the battle hardened Shivani, and her every step in his direction is fraught with danger.  Is he really the brain behind the mayhem?  Is there anyone, more experienced, who guides him on this path of evil?  Answers to these and more leading to the gory climax form the rest of the narrative.

Pros: Rani Mukherji does a good job – there was never a doubt about her acting skills; but to experiment in an out and out action role and successfully don the khakis on screen, she has done commendably well.  The story brings out a plausible modus operandi of the human & child trafficking mafia in India – the horrifying facts at the end of the movie are an eye opener.

Cons: The action scenes could have been better choreographed – the standard of action in Indian cinema has undergone a huge transformation in the last few years and this movie falls short.  Shivani’s war against child trafficking is out of the purview of her role as Sr. Inspector at Mumbai Crime Branch – how she managed to get the system working to support her is a mystery (though not impossible) and this human aspect of the police force could have been portrayed in much better light.

Verdict: 3* for Rani and the bold topic.  The direction and overall narrative seemed fairly amateurish; but worth a one time watch.

Ek Deewana Tha - A DIFFERENT Love Story ?!

A Summary:

Boy (Tenants son) - Girl (Home owners daughter) exchange glances; love at first sight; Boy chases Girl; Girl gives in; Confused emotions; Parental pressure against alliance (different caste and religion you see!); Girls rowdy brother; More confused emotions; THE END (Phew - thankfully!)

A few minutes before THE END are mildly gripping and a tad unpredictable (credit to the script writer for this COMING OF AGE ending); but the movie seems to have stretched so long that all the audience longs for is a walk towards the exit!

Pros: Undoubtedly the last few minutes but, as said earlier, the movie till then tests the patience and intelligence of the audience so much that the ending shots may not create a lasting impact (or for that matter ANY impact).

Cons: Amateurish acting (Prateik at times potrays his DEEWANA character lovably but looks confused most of the time while Amy looks extremely pretty but mostly expressionless) and a soulless musical score (maestros A R Rehman and Javed Akhtar fail to deliver) immediately come to mind apart from a whole lot of things!

Verdict: Avoidable - even if you have absolutely nothing else to do!

Rating: 1* for the effort, with a sincere hope that none involved repeat it!

Agneepath - Remade with a Vengeance!!

Naam "Vijay Chauhan". Poora naam "Vijay Dinanath Chauhan". Gaanv "Maandwa". Amitabh made this sequence memorable in his gruff voice a couple of decades ago as the protagonist of the movie about a young boys' sole aim in life - to avenge his idealist fathers' brutal murder. The masses passed their verdict then and, though critically acclaimed, the movie tanked at the BO.

Karan Johar took it upon himself to present a fresh version of his fathers' dream on the 70 mm canvas and avenge the failure of the original. The masses have passed their verdict today and if the first day collection numbers published in the media is anything to go by, has he succeeded!

Unlike most remakes, Karan Malhotra and Karan Johar retained only the essence of the original - Hrithik did not have the gruff voice, Sunil Dutt was potrayed as evil personified; and the character of the good samaritan Mithun was replaced by a downright rogue in Rishi Kapoor - and none of them even attempted to copy the original.

Young Vijay disagreed his non violent fathers ideologies and believed in taking an eye for an eye. He lost his childhood in a flash when the very villagers who adored his father hailed his brutal public execution at the hands of Kaancha Cheena for a gory crime he did not commit and burnt his home.

Abused and despised by the entire village, Vijay and his pregnant mother sought refuge in a seedy Mumbai chawl. Circumstances led Vijay to murder a rogue policeman at the tender age of 12; an age when he decided that the only reason he would exist would be to destroy Kaancha. Rauf Lala, a pimp and drug lord then ruling Mumbai, realised the potential of young Vijay and took him under his wings; Vijay submitted to Rauf Lala, deciding he would be the ladder to reach and finish Kaancha.

Though loyal to Rauf Lala at heart, Vijay does not hesitate to double cross him to commence his revenge on Kaancha. A series of twists and turns later Vijay returns to his village to finally avenge his fathers' murder in a gory climax.

Pros: Neither do the protagonists attempt to COPY the original (it would have been a really tough ask for Hrithik to replicate the Big B's gruff voice; let alone his performance!) characters nor does the director give an impression of the ORIGINAL HANGOVER at any time during the movie. Well etched characters, brilliant performances and the pacy plot hold the viewers attention throughout the longish movie. "Chikni Chameli" Kat deserves a special mention for the amazing performance; her innocent and mischevious face compliment her raunchy moves and lyrics leaving the viewer asking for more!

Cons: Cant think of any.

Rating: 4*

Verdict: Immensely watchable; strictly not for children.

Agneepath - An Original Remake!

I am trying something I have never tried before - reviewing a movie through cheap poetry!

Vijay Chauhan jiske baap ka naam tha Dinanath

Ek school master ki aulad tha magar bachpan ke ek haadse ke baad

Pala aur bada hua sirf isi soch ke saath

Ki dekhe woh Kaancha Cheena ko khoon se lathpath lathpath lathpath

Masterji ki maut hui thi Kaancha ke haath

Vijay Dinanath Chauhan zindagi bhar na bhool paya yeh baat

Ek police afsar ko goli maarkar ki usne apne underworld career ki shuruaat

Aur zindagi ki raah bani uski agneepath agneepath agneepath

Pehle bana woh Rauf Lala ka dahina haath

Phir kia usne pehle Rauf Lala ko barbaad

Kyonki Rauf tha bas ek zaria - asli maqsad tha Kaancha se pratighaat

Aur woh pohoncha Maandwa jhatpat jhatpat jhatpat

Pehle Kaancha ki Lanka ko jalakar banaya raakh

Phir Kaancha ko latkaakar use utaara maut ke ghaat

Hrithik, Rishi, Om Puri aur baakiyon ne khoob nibhaya apna apna kaam

Par asli scene stealer tha Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Dutt !!

Pros: Well etched characters, fantastic performances and foot tapping numbers of course; but above all the script - a script that retained the original lead characterizations and the plot but was thoroughly fresh in its treatment, twists and presentation.

Cons: Cant think of any, because if I did, I would be guilty of nitpicking!

Rating: 4*

PS: Sorry for this but couldnt resist!! Please dont judge me by this blog only!!

Chikni Chameli lag rahi thi phataak
Nachi gaayi bohot masti ke saath
Kaash thoda aur screen time mil jaata tujhe Kat
Phir ho jaati kya baat kya baat kya baat !!

Don 2 - A Slick Flick That Clicks !!

SRK needed the Don franchise more than vice versa - what with his immensely forgettable superhero avatar in RAONE which was panned by critics and audience alike!

The movie begins unimaginatively with Don outthrasing a bunch of thugs who try to con him - strikingly similar to the opening scenes of the first movie of this franchise.

The narrative, however, gathers pace when Don begins recruiting henchmen to carry out a daring heist at DZB - a leading bank headquartered in Berlin, Germany - a bank where the head honchos hide a dirty secret. Vardhan (Boman Irani) grudgingly acknowledges that Don is his only passage to freedom while patiently awaiting his turn to outwit Don; Sameer (Kunal Kapoor), a computer hacker, idolizes Don but is a hesitant crony with a shady past and an intent to stay away from crime in future; Jabbar (Nawwab Shah) is a hitman hired to kill Don who allows Don to entice him to join the gang.

A seemingly perfect plan is painstakingly plotted. Everyone in the gang knows his role but seems to be intent on sabotaging it for personal gains; teamwork and ethics be damned! Is Don the only one with a foolproof plan or can Vardhan pull a fast one and take his revenge? A series of twists and turns post intermission keep the audience guessing and engaged right to the finish. Roma (Priyanka Chopra) in hot pursuit of Don seems a worthy opponent but in an inexplicable move unwittingly assists Don; can a high - flying interpol officer with the sole intention of capturing Don to avenge her brothers' death afford to allow emotions cloud her decisions?

Stylishly crafted and presented, the movie compares with successful international crime thrillers (though I must admit a few sequences seem overtly INSPIRED - lets leave it at that). SRK tries too hard to get into the skin of Don with an artificial and unnescessary swagger coupled with numerous irrelevant facial expressions (to look menacing?!). He is good when he doesnt try to hard (Chak De! and Swades anyone?). Boman mostly plays second fiddle to SRK till the second half of the movie where he comes into his own. Priyanka looks confused most of the time; probably trying to fathom the change of HEART her character has towards the end of the movie. Om Puri as Mallik has precious little to do - such an immense waste of enormous talent!). Hrithik, minus his sixth digit, lends his face (and voice !!) to the movie in a cameo (the scene could have been MUCH more imaginative and real than what was dished out!).

Pros: Pacy script and visual appeal.

Cons: Poorly etched characters apart from Don & Vardhan (yes, Roma included!). Too much focus on dialogues, and sadly, none of the dialogues leave a lasting impression! The one that lingers DON KO PAKADNA MUSHKIL HI NAHI .... NAMUMKIN HAI .... is not original!

Rating: 3.5*. A family entertainer with an apt holiday release - one that the whole family can enjoy, TOGETHER!

Singham - Men Are Back .... And How !!

Two powerful characters – one, a brave, righteous and large hearted cop; the other a ruthless outlaw – are central to this time tested saga of violence and triumph of good over evil.

Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgan with a macho beefed up physique that compliments his piercingly expressive eyes) heads a small police station in a sleepy village in Goa. Singham accepts no FIRs or lawsuits as he dispenses instant justice to the simple folk of Shivgad.

His life turns topsy turvy when Jayakant Shikre (Prakash Raj essays his roguish role with panache, though it seems to have a WANTED hangover); a Goa ganglord; sends a henchman to Shivgad police station to represent him.

Insulted and assaulted by the village folk of Shivgad who stand by Singham; Shikre uses his political clout to have Singham transferred to his lair – mainstream Goa. All hell breaks loose as Singham – frustrated with the inaction of the police and political fraternity of Goa – takes it upon himself to bring Shikre to book; using all his knowledge of the system to beat Shikre and his accomplices at their own game.

During the process he gains the respect of his peers and superiors who rally around him in the climax.

Kavya (Kajal Aggarwal) – smitten by Singham when he clobbers a bunch of eve teasers (how many times have we seen THIS happen in Bollywood – it almost would seem that no pretty girl would ever fall for a normal non – violent guy!!) – inspires and stands by him throughout his battle against the bullies. She competently plays the role of the playful and simultaneously strong love interest.

Ajay Devgan treads confidently in a genre that Salman has recently made his own after the hugely successful WANTED and DABANGG. Singham brings back the raw and violent muscular hero after the recent surfeit of chocolate hero flicks.

Pros: Whistle worthy dialogues and adrenaline pumping unbelievable action sequences (check out the crowd response at multiplexes every time Singham flexes his muscles – especially the ‘look how coolly I can get out of a moving SUV’ stunt!) made believable by Ajay and the cruelly jocular outlaw enacted exceedingly well by Prakash Raj (mark my words - this villain is here to stay). Surprisingly and thankfully, though high on action content, the movie avoids excess spillage of tomato sauce on screen – something that action film makers usually employ to exaggerate the violence.

Cons: Unimpressive soundtrack (with the exception the title track which is also nothing more than HUMMABLE).

Rating: 4* - Ajay Devgan and Prakash Raj convert this predictable script a hugely watchable movie. Kudos to Rohit Shetty – a young film maker who directs zany comedies and zanier action movies!

P.S. Dont miss the shooting snippets at the end of the movie!

Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara - An Ode To Friendship!

Three childhood friends; Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imran (Farhan Akhtar) and Kabir (Abhay Deol); who call themselves The Three Musketeers, separated by their professional calling, decide to make time from their busy schedules for a bachelor road trip to celebrate Kabirs’ engagement to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin). The trip has only one rule – each one has to choose an adventure sport that all have to participate in, together.

Arjun and Imran are unable to let go of their troubled past, while Kabir is unsure about his future. Imran has an ulterior motive in visiting Spain while Arjun has a grudge against the notoriously mischievous Imran. Kabir, the nice guy in the gang, mostly plays the pacifier when not instigating naughtiness!

Enter the vivacious and charming diving instructor, Laila (Katrina Kaif – looking more gorgeous than ever before, if that was possible!). Easy going and charming with a contagiously positive attitude, Laila becomes an inspiration for the protagonists, especially Arjun.

Slowly but surely the camaraderie of the three protagonists becomes evident as they relive their childhood memories. Along the way they strive to face and overcome their innermost fears – both real and imaginary - together.

True friends accept you as you are; they are not judgemental; and they are the only ones who can joke about your most intimate and personal agonies!

Pros: Great looking artistes, stunning locales (a great advertisement to Spanish Tourism – I wouldn’t be surprised if Spanish Tourism has funded the project!), witty dialogues and the feel – good factor maintained throughout the movie.

Cons: Poor editing causes the narrative to stretch, indifferent music (apart from the foot tapping ‘Senorita’) and at times juvenile pranks.

Rating: 3* - I would attempt to summarize the entire (almost 3 hour) movie in a single line, a line that I believe is what the entire team of ZMND would like the viewer to take back with him / her: YOU LIVE ONLY ONCE, MAKE EVERY BREATH COUNT! A one time watch.