Tasveer 8*10_Reviewed

The first thing I did after watching the movie that I unjoined 'Nagesh kukunoor fan club' community from Orkut. And I pledged that I will never join 'We Love Akshaye Kumar' community, on the other hand thinking of creating 'Akshaye you stink' community (both on Orkut and Facebook). Some movie frustrates me....8x10 Tasveer is one of them.

Reasons

a) The amount of efforts we have inWASTED in the movie.

As it was Friday eve all of us were busy in filling Weekly status reports and winding up the project relates stuff. I almost forgot that this movie is releasing over the weekend, then someone ask me if I am going for it.

I have group of 'Weekend Movie Maniacs' the bunch of us who watch anything and almost everything that comes on silver screen (but still we did not dare to watch Jai-Veeru and Dhoondate Reh Jaoge!) So I called my partners in crime. They were so busy in their deliveries (Project deliveries) but still somehow (I could have actually explain how but I do not want to spend any effort on even writing about this movie) managed to get to the cinema hall.

In Hyderabad We have found a place of heaven called 'Talky Town, Miyapur'- a twin cinema halls almost 5 KMs away from my place (total auto fare: Rs. 24/- to and fro) and cinema tickets for Rs. 35/- (Yes you read it right ), yes we are quite stingy people, we still prefer GOLD tickets for Rs 35 over Platinum tickets for Rs. 50/- And we got 3 GOLD tickets of A-row.

b) I had a great expectations from the movie. Look at Kukunoor's past record, he got Iqbal, Dor, Teen Deewarein, Rockford and Hyderabad blues on his name. I had every right to be optimistic about the movie.

And you get...

NOTHING, absolutely zilch, If your movie has nothing sensible to offer then at least it should entertain. The so called thriller never sends any chill in your spine, all you can see is scenic Canada, overweight Ayesha Takiya, Same scenes repeated from different angles, Javed Jafry trying so hard to make you laugh (but of no use) and Akki jumping here & there (mostly unnecessarily). Tusshar Kappor's Gayab got in my nerves, this movie reminded me the same experience.

A forest ranger blessed with a unique gift where he can travel in past through photograph for just 1 minute, Now this is one helluva interesting premise, just to add to it there daddy Benjamin who accidentally dies. Now there is weird detective smelling something fishy in this not-so-good accident. Now beta akki decides to take control and with the help of psycho detective and his 'special' power tries to get to the truth. And truth reveals after pain of 120 minutes. Even while penning down the central idea I found it interesting but kukunnor just FAILED to make any impact throughout the movie.

He might be good director but Abbas-Mastan rocks when it comes to suspense thriller, period!

The movie lacks pace, grip, performance and everything that required for a chilling experience, The last week release 'AA DEKHE JARAA' was far better than this one (in spite of Neil Mukesh's dud performance) and 13B in fact was quite a surprise where even a TV set can make you go crazy.

This is high time for Akshaye to re-look at his past using his special power, Akki please go back in past and check out Tashan, Chandani Chowk, Heyy Baby, Welcome and Singh Is Kingg(though last 3 were big hits)

Jai Ho!!!

There is fun in re-looking at the things that we have done. May be this human nature sum-up all the recap shows we see at the end of the year. As I look back to 2008, all I can see is Mumbai.

Yes, for all right and wrong reasons. I wonder, how can 1 city influence the entire country throughout the year, but in case of Mumbai, you never know!

People say, it's impossible to take out Mumbai from 'Mumbaikar'...I am a Mumbaikar, Born & brought up in Mumbai, but guess with new norms that is not enough. We discovered a new face of Mumbai at the first half of the year. 'Marathi Manus' (son of soil) Vs. Outsiders (Bhaiyaas)

Uncle Wiki says "With a population of approximately 13.66 million it is the second most populous city in the world" that means 22000 persons\Sq KM, well that's something special. I have been away from the city for last 3 years. But every time I go home (and that happens almost once in a month) I found streets, trains are more buzzing than the before, it's getting more filthy, infrastructure is collapsing by every passing day in short Mumbai is dieing. And what worse no body care about it.

Be it out of political mileage or appeasing voting banks, but the question of migrants came to forefront for Mumbai. Ideally, there should be no restrictions for any Indian to travel\work\live in any part of the country. But having said that...we should address that every city has limits too. May be Mumbai has crossed those limits way back.

As Economic meltdown started to happen, all eyes glued to BSE, Mumbai being the economical epicenter for India.

But what surprised me most is Bollywood's tribute to Mumbai. Last year I saw some of the excellent work by new directors dedicated to Mumbai. Aamir, A Wednesday and Mumbai Meri Jaan, 3 movies set against the backdrop of Mumbai and terrorism. All 3 were so different in their story telling still having the common thread binding all of them together.

But guess, Bollywood was not enough as we received 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the end of the year.

I have seen Dharavi (Mumbai's- rather World's biggest slum) very closely, and I must say The director captured it exactly the way it is. Some of my Friends asked me "What's so different about the movie?" May be to make a good cinema, you need not make it differently. Slumdog's success lies there, it shows the Mumbai just the way it is and to large extent captures the pulse of India too. A triumph of underdog, the sure success formula for any movie (that is what we saw in Lagaan, Chak De etc.) with some really catchy tunes by Rehmaan and yeah the most importantly the city

Slumdog has 4 main characters at it's centre stage, besides 3 main leads, Mumbai plays the 4th character, this city is crowded, unfair, sometime even brutal, really difficult place to survive but still kicking.

But all that has changed on 26th Nov, 26 never been an auspicious date for Mumbai, but this time it went a way ahead. A Wednesday, that is impossible to forget for any Mumbaikar or for that matter any Indian. Have you seen dementors in Harry Potter movies? they live on every good memory...yes, I find these terrorists like dementors. They have power to rip off your good memories and replace it with sorrow. May be Taj \ Trident will get back to normal but the scars will remain. And I wish, it should remain for some time. Those would be indicators of our incompetency to fight against terror. As I write this post today, I remember the TV footage of Mumbai Marathon happened on 18th Jan 09. Mumbai's attempt not just to get back to normal but also start kicking as it used to be.

2008 may not be an ideal year but if there is 1 thing that 2008 left for 2009, that is a HOPE. A hope for better tomorrow. I wish the same to Mumbai.

Memento....Tera emosanal atyachaar

Dev D is releasing soon...I like to call myself an intellectual movie viewer..though I equally enjoy Bol Radha Bol and Dulhe Raja.

So Dev D is Anurag Kashyap's interpretation of Devdas , Anurag Kashyap is the same guy who made NO SMOKING, Perhaps the most unaccepted movie in Indian Movie history. The movie was equally carcinogenic. I hardly confess, but yeah, I did not understand the movie.

However there are some more movies that make me feel like an idiot. I feel dejected and wish I would have never gone for it.

I happen to mention couple of such movies earlier..Babel and Via Darjeeling were just some example and there are few more like 15th Park Avenue and the latest one is Memento.

Those who do not know, Memento is an inspiration for Ghajini

Well I had many reasons to recommend this movie to my 'Weekend movie maniacs' group. Yes, I have such group and we watch movies like maniacs..preferably English.

So last weekend, it was 'Memento'- well if you are planning for the movie, please note down the pre-requisites;

Be attentive...This is definitely not a for Time pass. You can not enjoy this with pop corns...all u need is an attentive mind and the playback button. The movie proceeds in reverse order...now that is something very difficult to explain. There are two sequences going on...out of which one happens in parts and that too in reverse order and there is a point where both sequences merge...Hushh! ok don't even try to understand....

Be patient...This movie take its time, you won't understand much for first 30 minute..all you can see is repetition of some scenes and you spent most of the time to remember what happened before...(Yes, you do not care about what happened NEXT...As we already know that) It's like attending a test for which you know all the answers and now you need to look for the questions.

Be clever...and stop guessing

I wont fall into a debate if Memento is a good or bad movie. Some movies are never meant for it. All I can say it's a different...

Ghajini...Convincingly Filmy

Remember Ghulam?

Where a 5 point someone (I mean literally a 5.2 feet) Amir hits Sharat Saxena (Height 6+) on his face and Sharat goes flat. Thankfully Ghulam to Ghajini Aamir came a long way, because here when he throws Pradeep Rawat in air, you believe that Amir with 8 packs can do that, that's literally sum up the entire movie. It's convincing....filmy but still convincing.


I have watched original Ghajini couple of weeks back, and was fairly surprised with the movie. Yeah, the movie is good. It has every content of HIT movie, I doubt even if you make this movie with Arjun Rampal, it might turn a hit (well that's height of exaggeration). But Romance, Violence, Drama you name it and we have it all.


It's not wise to compare two movies, but still I can't resists myself.


First thing First...In Hindi, they did give reason about why the movie called 'Ghajini' , I heard many versions from my tamil friends, why the film called Ghajini..but the original movie never reveals it. (Similar feeling when I saw 'Aankhen- Govinda fame' I still don't know why the film named Aankhen?)


Secondly, The Hero- I should call them (both Surya and Amir) Superheros, yeah the main lead actor behaves like a Superhero, and why not. He is multi millionaire MD leading his company, deciding where the hoardings of his brand to be place(and I complain about micro management?), sings and dances with his girl and what not!

But Asin steals the show (in spite of Amir being there) she has charm that was missing in Hindi movie heroines for ages now! The last innocent actress I remember was Juhi...(well still she is) Asin blossoms throughout the movie. We along with Mr. Sanjay Singhania just fall in love with her. I must confess, Asin is more likable in Hindi than Tamil. She is silly, loud, stupid (but quite different than Kareena's Geet from JBM) Asin's Kalpana never gets over the top. The girl next door with pinch of social awareness. A moder day Sister Teressa with great looks,

Music...Rehman had a dream run this year. And yes Ghajini is no exception. As "Gujarish" spreads the aroma of first love..."Kaise mujhe tum mil gayee..." depicts the disbelief of Sanjay....that how can he be so lucky?

And there are few things that I did not like...Jiah Khan, she is lady Tussar Kapoor; whenever she is on screen, you curse yourself for not being deaf. She could not carry a role of 10 minutes (Nayantara was rocking in Tamil), no matter how good the Tamil version was I did expect few changes in it's Hindi Avtar, Amir disappoints on that front. The movie is 90% honest to its original script with some obvious modifications.

I know, I am quite late this time, and by the time this post is released you must have been through Ghajini.....It might be best described as Amir's comeback to Bollywood Masala Entertainer...but still do not miss it for Asin.

Rab Ne BACHAA Di Jodi

I happen to see one of the most awaited movie Rab Ne Banaa Di Jodi (henceforth referred as RNBDJ) last Friday..First Day Last Show. And frankly I am disappointed.

The so called romantic movie kept me untouched with any emotion, on the other hand I found it so predictable and pretty regressive....(Is that because I watched Sorry Bhai!! on same weekend??)

It's story about a newly married couple Mr. & Mrs. Sahni. As Surinder Sahni (SRK) found himself in a situation where he has to marry a daughter of his dying teacher. Taani (Anoushka) also accepts ordinary looking guy as her husband. A simple Surinder aka Suri tries every bit to woo his Wife but she confesses that she can't love anyone anymore. 

Then there is local dancing couple competition came for rescue. As Taani enroll herself for this workshop. Suri also decides to go extra mile to keep his wife happy and his marriage going(and start all those things that comes with it :D). What happened next is an extraordinary love story of an ordinary Jodi (at least makers of the movie claims so..)

"The temporal lobe of the brain is partly responsible for our ability to recognize faces. Some neurons in the temporal lobe respond to particular features of faces. Some people who suffer damage to the temporal lobe lose their ability to recognize and identify familiar faces. This disorder is called prosopagnosia. "

But hold on, this is not the only disorder our leading lady suffering with, She is confused to the core throughout the movie. She is not good in winning the bets (that too eating golgappas), She is neither charming nor adoring. If her figure keeps your eyes glued to the screen then that's the only thing she can offer throughout the film. 

Just to be fair with her, she is really confident especially while sharing a screen space with King Khan. But honestly I am bit disappointed with her. Her character is loosely based on Kareena's character from Jab We Met (and she shares an uncanny resemblance with Kareena's cousin from JBM ...remember Roop??)

Now let's move to Sh Sh Sh Shahrukh...yeah he is back with Raj (and could you believe that he says "Raj, naam toh suna hoga na?") and he does anything and everything to woo her lovely dearly Taani JI (Ultimately to woo his audience) so that includes joining a dancing workshop, sporting a cool look or sumo wrestling . But whatever he does (be it being Suri or being Raj) he does it with sincerity and you just love the way he does it. Initially when he tries  to interact with Taani or deal with his colleagues and yes that "Haule haule" tune on harmonium adds more charm to it.

Then we have Vinay Pathak..well this guy is in top form, after 'Dasvidaniya' his Bobby is equally lovable. Watch out for him in "Macho scene" 

And the most important character is RAB, of course you need a GOD to help\rescue from the situations when you got such a dumb characters in the movie (Remember, Hum Aapke hain kaun!! in a family of 40 odd people Tuffy -the dog turn out to be the smartest, that too with the blessings of Lord Krishna). So here Rab tells Suri "what to do to keep Taani Happy", "How to keep going the Raj-Taani story" and finally helps Taani to understand her True Love? (Hey, but we are smarter people, we knew it right from the beginning). However the usual YashRaj Masala, some memorable scenes, nice music and Shahrukh that keeps movie entertaining throughout. 

For SRK fan (who see their Rab in Shahrukh) it would be a good treat...for others...well follow your heart and rest leave it to GOD.