Connubial Journey of 2 States goes haywire!!!

He is an idol to many wannabe desi writers; he is the one who advocates the mantra “live your Dreams and Passion” to the tee; he has made us to believe that best selling fictional books could be churned out through youthful exuberance without any prior degree in the concerned field. The Man is none other than Chetan Bhagat who stormed into this not-so-familiar territory with his all time best book “Five Point Some One” (will be called 5PS hereafter) and followed that up with couple of more viz "One night @ Call Center" (will be called 1N@CC hereafter) and "Three Mistakes of my life". He is back with his new novel which he claims to be “the Story of his own Marriage”. After two previous lackluster novels, the sheen has been going blurred off the Chetan’s otherwise ‘bright plate of success’ and its there to be seen if he is more than one-time wonder. So here comes my analysis which I call my version of diagnosis for the now-Full time Writer Chetan Bhagat’s new novel- "2 States".

The essence of the story has all the Indian-ness feeling in it as cross-cultural marriages has been and still is big deal in Indian society. As a reader, one is very much interested to know how Chetan manages to maintain interest in this otherwise stale concept; whether he overcomes the predictability factor or becomes its victim. Sadly, 2States, with its clichéd story line, kick starts on the wrong foot and ends on the flat note. I am sure all of us have a story or two of inter-caste love-marriages and few of them might be better than the Chetan’s adaptation of the same. FRIENDSHIP has always been the crux of Chetan’s story-telling with embellished “love-tadka” that makes it even spicier. Contrarily,here Love forms the nub of 2States but somehow the Punjabi-Tamilian love saga fails to connect to the readers. In spite of having some Chetan-special punches in 2States, it becomes a ho-hum read as those were hugely outnumbered by few zero-thrill instances, very less wow-moments and almost nil edge-of-the-seat twists-n-turns that make any novel lovable. Being a Punjabi-based-in-South India myself, I could very much relate to the situations, but to say the least, other than few tickles here and there the sequences were far from stimulating. The ‘Super-Climax’ has always been bone of contention for Chetan as he always looks perplexed in wrapping the story for a decent and awe-struck ending. The Good news here is that he did’nt had to face any such quandary; but the Bad news is the climax was always predictable. The writer’s job in such a situation is to make the journey from Prologue to Epilogue a scintillating joy-ride but in 2States all the way through it was just a matter of delaying the ultimate-inevitable.

Prior to this, the stories by Chetan has inspired the Bolly-makers to visualize a movie on it. If, 'HELLO' was a point-by-point adaptation of 1N@CC then upcoming ‘3Idiots’ is loosely inspired by 5PS. But my gut feeling sends a strong message saying nobody would dare to do so this time around, as there are zillions of movies already made based on the inter-caste conjugal encounters showcasing the protagonists’ attempts to win heart of their kins.

Harjeet’s Verdict: I don’t know whether it is a meek coincidence or a genuine attempt, but the title of all the Chetan’s novels’ starts with a numeral. Considering the same as the rating for the books, 5PS still hangs on to the top spot with 5 Rating points and this latest book would boast of only 2 rating points (out of 5). Its very hard to emulate your best work or even come closer to it, but since Chetan Bhagat is now a full time writer, we love to expect an unexpected from the pro. Borrowing your own phrase from the book: 2 states is a complete "Illa something... Something Illa".

DEV D: An Atyacharik Cocktail of Emotions!!!

There were quite a few doubts and conjectures hovering over the fate of this modern-adaptation of perennial character popularly known as Dev-Das, for the simple reason that the man-in-charge Mr. Anurag Kashyap has quite an unimpressive trackrecord so far. His debut product ‘Paanch’ died even before it actually hit the silver screen because of the unavoidable eternal-delay; ‘Black Friday’ succumbed to the over-hype-n-hoopla of contentious issue combined with the jaws of piracy; his statuary warning named ‘No Smoking’ was only understood by the maker himself as it choked the viewers’ thought process and challenged the critics’ credentials to judge the movie. On the other hand, Abhay Deol is basking high on the adulation (critical or otherwise) bestowed over him for Oye Lucky, Manorama-Six-feet-Under and Ek-challis-ki-last-local. So it was interesting to see an end-result of the joint venture by two sons of entirely contrasting fate.
Anurag Kashyap has reinvented the portrayal of an inebriated loser that has been immortalized by first Dilip Kumar and then by SRK. There is slightest of familiarity with the characters; there is Paro who leaves our Dev D soaked in tears cocktailed with Vodka, there is Chandramukhi who provides support to the dipsomaniac and in turn craves for ever-eluding love, then there is Chunni too- the protagonist’s compotator. But that’s all for the similarity sake; the way characters has been concocted with the plot is something worth-praising, add to it the outrageously brilliant craftsmanship by Anurag and you are in for a pleasant surprise. There are quite few experiments as well, viz- typical background music is not used in the movie, instead the songs like Mahi menu,Hikknal, Pardesi, Duniya and Nayan Tarse are used for the purpose. The new music director Amit Trivedi deserves all the accolades for all these different-to-the-tee tracks. After long-long time a song has come that induces applause and whistles both from the masses and the classes; Emosanal Atyachar has already empowered itself as a youth-anthem and is sure shot hit. The cinematography is unconventional that comes from the fact that majority of the flick is filmed at night. The direction is flawless to say the least; finally Anurag makes his mark with his daredevil take on the Modern Devdas. On the flipside, the editing is efficacious in the first half but fails to negate the hangover and drags a bit in the second half. Mentally prepare yourself for few raunchy and sexy dialogues including F word; such dialogues combined with some bold scenes leaves audiences gasping for breath at more occasions than one.
The “Deol with the difference” does full justice to the hot-n-happening avatar of orthodox -Devdas as DEV D. With this new stellar performance to the fray, he further seals his place as a número uno of the so-called new-aged parallel cinema. If he has showcased his humorous self in his last release then here he epitomizes contemptuous nonchalance, self-centeredness, jealousy and impassiveness with customary élan. His impeccable act of devdas makes sure that moving forward, the ‘all-lost-in-love and found-solace-in-alocoholomania’ kinda guys would be epithetically known as DEV D. The leading lady Mahie Gill makes a confident debut and surely is a promising prospect, on the other hand Kalki is handled with care by Anurag in the flick but whether she will find her foothold in Bolly-Nagri is to be seen.
Harjeet’s Verdict: If you are not an hardcore fan of a “typical family entertainer”; If you are game for an outlandish treatment of the eccentric characters under bizarre circumstances; If you are ready to take bulls by horns by witnessing the coming-of-age adaptation of highly conventional love-story, If you are sick of all rosy love stories and want some temerarious attempt to redefine “Bollywood on the rise” tag; If your soft-soothing ears need some hard-on treatment through some bold words instead of covering up beeps; and finally, If you are headstrong for some ‘emotional atyachar’ on your traditional bolly-brainy; then raise a toast for DEV D and scream “CHEERS”. As against lots of IFs, there is only one ELSE:- Stay Away and Be in Peace!

Mr. Perfectionist tattoos his name as Numero Uno..yet again!!

Finally, the wait is over and Aamir Khan is back with his customary single release of the year. Unlike his previous releases, this time around the hype created en-route to the D-day of the movie was something extraordinary. Aamir’s new scarred-hairdo and dream-physique was creating waves amongst movie-freaks and in process provided the additional impetus to the interest generated for Ghajini. Aamir undertook the publicity job on his experienced shoulders and left no stone unturned to make sure that Ghajini hits the jackpot. All said and done, the real test awaited him when the movie finally hit the silver screen this Christmas. Let’s find out whether Ghajini has similar brain-n-brawn à-la his superstar protagonist:
To kick off, I want to reiterate the fact that Ghajini is a remake of its tamil-namesake which in turn was loosely based on the Hollywood flick “Momento”. Would like to leave the obvious comparisons to my Southie-counterparts, and moving forward will treat Ghajini as the independent Bollywood product. Ghajini marks the debut of the director A.R. Murugadoss in bollywood fray who has successfully directed the tamil version of the flick in question. The supporting cast, the action sequences and the whole look and feel of the movie resembles a typical south Indian movie; so much so that it looks a dubbed version rather than a remake. What makes a difference is the flawless display of umpteen antics by Ace Khan. I guess this is the first ever movie where script demanded his grotesque actions and demeanor to speak louder than the words, and that explains the minimal dialogues in offer for him. Aamir Khan’s character has a two-pronged shades; One as a young, suave business tycoon that meant to be subtle and affable and another as a revenge-prone killing machine with supreme level of wrath and vengeance. The latter demanded mound of ultra-emotions with all the scowling and bellowing at display and not to forget Hrithiksque perfectly chiseled body; no marks for guessing, Aamir does all this it with ridiculous ease. Another winner is the core plot which enthralls to the tee and has all the ingredients to churn out a perfect thriller with love, romance and individual performances as an add-ons.
After Genelia and Shreya, another hotshot South Indian actress Asin embarks her “Bolly-journey with Ghajini”. Playing a complete babbler, she does full justice to her role that had lotzz of positive effervescence; add to it her infectious smile and pretty face you would know she is here to stay for sure. A. R Rehman’s music, as always, is of top notch quality. “Guzarish” and “Behka-Behka” sounds soothing for ears and looks good on screen with some innovation involved with the picturization of these songs. “Kaise Mujhe” is made special with some profound emotional lyrics and soulful singing by Benny Dayal. “Lattoo” and “Ae bacchoo” are mere fillers and doesn’t deserve a mention.
The drawback of Ghajini is its pace which slackens in patches; especially the editing needed a tightening-up exercise in flashback sequences. The main antagonist plays an integral part in Ghajini and that in turn defines the plot and its proceedings. Pradeep Rawat was called on-board to play the villian’s role as he has done in its Kollywood predecessor. He just fails to make any impact and incidentally this integral characterization of Ghajini goes kaput. The casting dilemma continues with selection of Riyaz Khan (who has played the same role in Tamil-Ghajini) for a short but important role of a Police investigator. This is interesting to be seen whether this “casting-ouch” will prove costly to the makers of the remake or not. De-glamorized Jiah Khan was like a soda without fizz and flatters to deceive sans her forte aka oomph.
Harjeet’s Verdict- Ghajini: A typical Bollywood entertainer with cosy love story commingled with sprinkled humor, revenge drama and unique core plot. If above mentioned loopholes are tolerable enough then Ghajini deserves a shot; else find solace and Stay in Peace.
Harjeet’s Verdict- Aamir Khan: In order to portray an apathetic individual who was put on an ordeal after being driven into traumatic experience, Aamir shows a complete new facet of his versatility. I would conclude from where I started my TZP review: “Take a bow, Aamir….Take a bow”.
Harjeet’s Verdict- Star Sign: 2.5/5 for Ghajini and 5/5 for Aamir. Take your pick, watch and enjoy for three hours…..and let it be “lost within short term memory”.

‘X’ missing from the eXtraOrdinary Love Story!!!

Call it a well planned strategic move OR a mere restrained approach OR an ultra-confidence on one’s product, but it is the fact that the pre-release publicity of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ) from arguably THE Biggest production house of Bollywood- YashRaj Films, was a low-key affair. They might be superstitious, since similar ploy paid rich dividends with Chak De India, or it could well be a cautious decision after they have burnt their fingers with much touted Tashan-debacle. And with King Khan in the rings, RNBDJ could well be christened as an acid test to YRF.
The core plot might sound a bit different but in totality, Chopras are playing it safe again. One can expect all the masala in the movie that has been YashRaj’s forte over the years, combined with top-notch performances and even better songs-and-dance routines. Once again Punjab has been taken as the backdrop of story telling and even the minutest nitties-gritties are well taken care of that renders the sets an ethnic Amritsar look; that also speaks volumes of Adi Chopra’s credentials as a Director. Talking about the drawbacks, RNBDJ has a slackened pace throughout, that just refuses to kick-off anywhere. Another major skirmish point of debate is the predictability of the supposedly-fresh plot that was deprived of any oohs-n-aahs moments. Donning my Physics’ Professor Hat, I would like to describe the plot of RNBDJ as a Straight line without any oscillations; neither dips nor rises.
The debutante-actress Anushka Sharma has been kept under wraps till date assumingly for a good reason. The leggy-lass has done quite a decent job considering the fact, that it’s her first major acting assignment. It would be a wait and watch situation to see how far she would excel with her average looks and tall frame. It was long overdue and finally Vinay Pathak takes a giant leap from small budget endeavors and has made the proud entrance to the Yashraj bandwagon. He plays a pivotal role in RNBDJ as a SRK’s chaddie-buddie and his camaraderie and comic timing with Shahrukh is the high point of the flick. No marks for guessing, the movie belongs to SRK right from tip to toe where he gets to play two contrasting characters. My pick was the character of subdued and subtle Suri, where he outplayed himself and carried the performance-centric role with élan. Right from impeccable dialogue-delivery to inimitable shy-smile; from hesitant love-seeker to sacrifice-prone emotional fool, everything was just picture-perfect. The best part was the fact that he was more like the character in the movie rather than the SRK-The King Khan, himself. For the latter lovers, there is another character uniquely named as Raj (ohh..Not again) where he is in his hamming and stammering best. Check out SURI's Honeymoon experiences in the post-flick titles. You gonna love it for sure.
Salim-Sulaiman completes a hat-trick of sorts with the scintillating compositions in RNBDJ after Chak De and Fashion. All the songs are chartbusters in their own way and looks as good on screen as it sounds on your personal iPods. Haule Haule comprehends the growing love of a middle aged protagonist; Title track Rab ne, in its two versions, is made special by the mellifluous voice of Roop Kumar Rathod and Shreya Ghoshal respectively. Sunidhi Chauhan has done full justice with the lone peppy track of the album- Dance Pe Chance. The best track of the album is Phir Milenge crooned by the best singer in present era Sonu Nigam. The very theme of this song combined with few guest appearances makes this one a treat to watch.
Harjeet’s Verdict- One Point of View: RNBDJ would be a runaway hit, not because it’s a awesome movie, but because if SRK-factor can turn duds like OSO and Main Hoon Na into blockbusters, then this one is far better than those craps.
Harjeet’s Verdict-Another Point of View: If your idea of entertainment matches with sweet romantic stories churned from Yashraj banner then “Come Fall in love and Be diabetic….yet again”; If not, then stay away from Sugar and be in peace.
Harjeet’s Verdict-Star Sign: 3 out of 5. Moderately Recommended (*Conditions apply)

Dostana aka……. “Gayness Personify”

…..And we thought “Jokes are not meant to be taken seriously”!! It all started with a ludicrous “KantaBen” chapter of 2003’s biggest money-grosser Kal Ho Na Ho; followed up with couple of memorable acts by two Khans in the Award functions and then dozens of other bollywood flicks took the cue and cracked jokes on them. Yes I’m talking about the G-Word making its prominence in Bollywood loud and clear. But it needed a valiant effort to actually devote a full-fledged movie on the homo-sexuality and none other than Karan Johar took the bait. At the outset, let me clarify that through Dostana he doesn’t stands as a gay-rights activist. On the contrary, the flick makes the mockery of such attempts, if any.
Shrewdly enough, Dharma Productions have not left any stone unturned to churn out a perfect entertainer. There is John in his new Sallu-Avtaar, who has shown his detest for shirts and love for shorts through-out the movie. There is Priyanka Chopra who has raised the oomph factor by quite a few notches without being vulgar. Whether she is in hot-pants OR in short-skirts OR in sensuous-Saree OR in golden-bikini she keeps the mercury raising high and higher. Then there is Abhishek, who deciphers the cool-dude-code to the tee. If that’s not all, there is Shilpa Shetty kick-starting the flick with her moves-n-grooves in skimpy tiny attires. Apart from all these embellishments, what works in favor of the movie is the continuous underline-humor that flows throughout the 14 reels. Always expect an unexpected surprise whenever you felt that “Ahh….here comes Johar’s typical-stupid EQ”. Agreed, few of the gay-scenes are witnessed in umpteen flicks and also the humor goes overboard sometimes that result into eschewal moments for the audiences. While first half juggernauts at the rate of knots, second half is painfully slow; thankfully K-Jo’s melodrama was kept under wraps by the debutante-director Tarun Mansukhani which in turn keeps the yawn-n-frown away.
The camaraderie and chemistry (err… biology as well) of the gays-to-be AB’s baby and Bips-Beau works big time and their crush-in-landlady Piggy-Chops looks gorgeous to say the least. Abhishek leads the pack by huge margin as he carries the embarrassing act of self-proclaimed gay with élan. John was busy showing his artistically-chiseled body and Priyanka wins the heart of millions with her beatific smile and voluptuous figure. Kirron Kher is at her hamming best; the mother-in-law act could have been a bit subdued for audience sake. Boman Irani’s you-blink-n-miss appearance is highly dispensable. Bobby Deol in his extended-Guest appearance does nothing other than smiling and scowling at different frames here-n-there.
The music always has been the selling point of Dharma Productions, and Dostana is no exception. Jaane Kyun amalgamates well within the movie, ShutUp-n-Bounce is made treat to watch by the sexy-siren Shilpa. Maa-da-Ladla has both Punjabi fervor and situational comic timing that makes it sure shot hit. Shaan rendered his mellifluous voice in Kuch Kum that fills the void of a pure sentimental song. Desi Girl is the best song of the album and will feature in all the pubs and discos in coming few days. But the surprise package of the album is the soulful composition by Vishal-Shekhar Khabar Nahi which is still alien to the promos and it’s sung by Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa’s talented finalists Raja Hassan and Amanat Ali. Watch Out for my money!!!! The Choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant is just above average; though Farah takes the cake for her groovy dance steps in Desi Girl.
Harjeet’s Verdict: If you don’t want to crackle your funny-bones; If you have an uncanny knack of harping for the logic; If you don’t have a sweet tooth for bitter comic entertainer- then KINDLY EXCUSE!!! For others: Keep your Family-Filter OFF, enjoy and cherish DOSTANA and Stay in Peace forever…..n ever.
P.S: *** out of 5 for K-Jo’s brave attempt of coming out of his comfort-zone.

Karzzz Stays on Himesh…..to deliver!!

So the Remake-season is back with wannabe-actor Himesh Reshammiya slipping into the shoes of “King of Romance” aka Rishi Kapoor and hoping against hope to recreate the magic that this tale of reincarnation has spilled over the audiences two decades back. Going by the pre-concieved notions of the majority of the movie-goers this audaciously bold step would backfire the Topi-less Musician-turned-singer-turned-Actor. But few of the hardcore optimists still feel that he can deliver the goods and will countervail the criticism fiercely bestowed upon him.

This reincarnation of 80’s blockbuster “Karz” switches over to the luscious locales of South Africa and Kenya in the first half and that I’m afraid is the only high point of the flick. The story crawls well below a snail’s pace in the first half and what you’ll witness is a Himesh-smitten “Chitrhaar” with few bunch of actors hamming right, left and center with HR leading the pack. Suddenly in the second half the Director remembers that they are remaking “Karz” and not the sequel to supposedly Super-hit “Aap ka Suroor”. So he speeds up the pace, exercises his brain and pours-in some innovative ideas to end up with an impudent attempt of remaking the classic. I would like to recall that I have christened the new twists-n-tales of the Don’s remake as an over smart move; on the similar lines I would dare to say those of Karzzz are utterly rubbish and infantile.

Music and Songs are always HR’s forte and in his own backyard there is no room for flaws and complacency. The music of Karzzz won’t create out-of-the-world kind of hysteria but nasal-twang songs are surely worth giving a shot. The best song of the flick- “Lut Jaoun” is used sparingly throughout and even kick-starts the movie. The second best song of the album- “Dhoom tere Ishq Ki” could’nt find a place in the array of songs and his supposed-replacement “Masha-Allah” fails to impress. The soulful tune of “Ek Haseena Thi” and the charisma of original composition is thankfully kept intact. “Soniye jee tere naal” manages to achieve grace marks due to the Punjabi-fervor and “Tandoori Nights” fills the void of a peppy track. The rest of the songs would appeal to hardcore HR fans, as they might sting to the others’ eardrums and when in the movie, further cripples its paralyzed pace.

If you ever wish to watch a bagful of under-performing renowned actors in a single flick then Karzzz is the apt choice. Gulshan Grover looks to portray a character in a MTV spoof rather than in a major commercial cinema, Raj Babbar was wasted to the tee, Asrani was ghastly-intolerable and last but not the least – Danny fails to impress in a role made memorable by great Pran Sir. New kid-on-the-bloc catty-eyed and stone-faced Shweta Kumar would be lucky if she gets another break to showcase her acting prowess, if any. The only silver lining of otherwise sorry tale of mis-happenings is Urmila Mantondkar who gives a much needed respite from other clowns in action. She shows the glimpses of her hey-days in flashback scenes and gives her compatriots run for their money with her greyish performance. Himesh Reshammiya, sans his trademark-cap & few pounds of weight and in his new weirdo-hairdo-look tried very hard to act. Kudos for the guts of the man but he really flatters to deceive; when he romances- he looks hilarious, when he delivers a dialogue- he yells instead, when he is emotional- he looks lost in Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa hang over, and when he dances- he hops and jumps. Still I would say, choosing such a challenging and immortalized role is a real bravado from Himesh but it would take another “Janam” or two for him to come even a little close to Mr. Rishi Kaoor. Till then – “Monty can never be back and Karz can never be re-presented.”

Harjeet’s Verdict:
For HR-haters and Average viewers- Watch the original “Karz” in dvd and use the extra ‘Zzzz’ for your sound sleep. For HR fans: Watch out for his brave attempt and the series of Nasal ridden songs.
In any case, keep “Loving to Hate him and Stay in Peace”

“ROCK ON is…….. BANGGG ON!!!”

Many eyebrows were raised when Farhan Akhtar-the Filmmaker decided to slip into the shoes of an Actor for his production house’s next venture: ROCK ON. Being an ace Director, instead of sailing the ship himself, he handed over the oars to late 90s’ Super-flop Actor Abhishek Kapoor aka Gattu. When initial promos were rolled on to the floor, Farhan was seen crooning few senseless lines that constitute the music of the movie based on Rock Band. Add to it an allegation of being “Dil Chahta Hia“ kinda movie was doing the rounds, so comparisons was nothing but obvious. Phewwww….. So Far…So Bad!!!! First impression is the last impression, isn’t it? Well.. Not really; atleast not in this case. Sadly for the Critics, all the bad-things culminate to a sudden demise then and there, as Farhan and his “Few Good Men” are Bang-On in their endeavor.

Farhan Akhtar has done a commendable job donning three different hats as an Actor, Singer and Dialogue Writer. He was more than comfortable facing the Camera as he was behind it. As a singer his unconventional voice gels well with the mood of the movie and it’s rather impossible to think about the songs sans his vocal skills. All the songs sung by him:”Socha Hai”, “Tum ho Toh”, “Pichle Saat Dinon”, “Sinbad the Sailor” and the title track “Rock On” creates an aura of Rock Music around you. Other three pillars of Rock On troop - Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny has done equal justice to their respective roles. Its hard to judge who was better amongst three of them; While Arjun played aggressive yet subdued character, Purab was his usual self with his tongue-in-cheek humor and Luke Kenny plays the peacemaker-in-chief. All these protagonists were never allowed to go overboard and emerge as a triumphant in their own shell of characterization. The credit should go to the debutante-director for taking the best out of his cast-n-crew. Prachi has made an impressive debut; she looked pretty and enacted both the lighter and emotional scenes with ridiculous ease. It’s refreshing to see her out of those trite K-Series and Saas-Bahu-sagas. Shabana Goswami, getting equal footage as her compatriot Prachi, was impressive both as a confidence-boosting girlfriend and as a middle-class frustrated wife. The rocking music by ever-so-experimenting trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is heart-n-soul of the movie and is best suited to watch within the closed doors of the Theatre; but once you are out of it you will even love to beat your ear-drums playing the tracks through your personal iPods.

Being touted as first ever Rock Movie in Bollywood, it has its share of emotional, romantic and humorous quotient to make it enthralling and a complete must watch. Without any tinge of doubt, the movie is aimed towards Youngistaan and will (already is) appeal (ing) to the youth, immensely. It’s a story of four friends and there journey spanning more than ten years. It’s a story of chasing their dreams, their passion; it’s a story about the special bonding known as friendship. Its story about their clashing egos, their struggle, their compulsions to thrive in this cut-throat competitive world that forms the road block to relishing their dream of being a Rock Band. As a construed thought, actually it’s not just a story; it’s a mirror image of one’s own life – Yours’, Mine and all the Youth-Brigade in one way or the other.

Harjeet’s Verdict: Rock On gives an ample testimony of the changing phase of Bollywood. It delineates the different kind of genre all together and targets towards the niche audience. It would be awesome for some, mediocre for few and utter rubbish for others. So make your own choice as per the gist deduced from the review; either raise a toast for FRIENDSHIP and “Keep Rocking” or just lay back and “Stay in Peace”.

It’s never too late to Re-LIVE your dreams; Grab the second Opportunity and cherish it forever….n ever!!!

“Forget BADSHAH..Spare SHEHANSHAH; KINNG has arrived!!”

What is the parameter to judge the Stardom? When one can be called as a SUPERSTAR by every sense of the word? When the real Star stands tall while other actors’ fortune-pendulum swings every Friday from sky-high to the lowest-low? That happens when SRK cashes all his way through the Bank riding on the success of duds like KANK and OSO. When Aamir Khan literally walk through a “Mela” unfazed and unscathed and when Salman Khan can takes his shirt at will with no major Hits, still. And now one outsider is entering into this All-Khan Elite Club and that’s our very own Akshay “Khiladi” Kumar. Singh Is Kinng, the latest Akki-Offering, gives ample testimony of this fact and it goes like this:
Is It OVERHYPED? : Few reels into the movie, the very title of the movie looks farce for the real SINGH like me because the portrayal of the character played by Akshay Kumar is inconsistent throughout the movie. Sometimes he is adorned in well-tied turban, but in continuation you will find him in capped-turban which looks really odd to say the least. In addition to that, he tried all kinds of beards possible under the sun. The story kicks off on a strong note with yet again Punjab-Village backdrop, but soon loses its sheen when it takes the shape of torrid tale of events portrayed in umpteen earlier flicks. The presence of over-dozen characters adds to the confusion and even though it has been advised to leave your brains at home, still there is serious possibility of a severe head-ache. The art of story-telling and standard of humor by Anees Bazmee is going down by alarming rate and that should be addressed at the earliest by the man himself.
BAS EK KINNG? : Without any tinge of doubt the movie belongs to Akshay Kumar who has dominated each and every frame of the movie. In today’s scenario, he has mastered the art of comic scenes and looks completely at ease while playing a stroll-in-the-park role. Katrina Kaif has done her best what she knows best, and that’s to look stunningly gorgeous. This movie has made a complete mockery of the talent of Om Puri and was totally wasted as Protagonist’s buddy, infact he was totally forgotten in second half’s proceedings. Kirron Kher continued where she left in OSO and hammed left, right and center. Ranvir Shourey was totally out-of-place and looked lost in wonderland. Javed Jafri got entangled himself in “goody” and “badie” souls but still was better than his other counterparts. Sonu Sood was average in patches, and what the hell Neha Dhupia was doing in the movie… your guess is as good as mine.
CHAK DE PHATTE: Music has played an important role in upward lift on the success-ladder of Akshay Kumar and Singh is Kinng is no difference. Whether its Pritam’s original compositions or plagiarized ones, few of the songs are already topping the chartbusters. The title track has been placed intelligently in the movie and looks best on the screen and in a way christens the Super Stardom of Akshay Kumar as a new King of Bollywood. While Teri Ore made ear-soothing by enigmatic voice of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Jee Karda has its Punjabi fervour intact- thanks to Labh Janjua. Talli Hua is a complete misfit and Bhootni Ke was wasted with the voice of Mika rather than in his Brother-Daler Mahendi’s voice. The must publicized Snoop Dogg’s version of Title Song is pointlessly saved for the post-flick-thanks-giving titles and gets lost in the oblivion.
Harjeet SINGH’s Verdict: Barring charismatic Akshay Kumar and the Punjabi-flavored music, there is nothing to rave about the movie. There are few dialogues in the movie that makes SIKHs happy and proud as prior to this they are used as laughing stock in Bollywood movies. If these are enough reasons to watch the movie then give this one a shot, or else- STAY IN PEACE. 2 Star out of 5 for the flick and 10 out of 5 for the title, Yes.. Its true: SINGH IS always a KINNG.

“Pappu Paas Ho Gaya”…. For Sure!!!

We all do get a bit nostalgic while watching a good movie based on the college life with a bunch of young artistes reliving the moments we shared and will cherish till eternity. Truly, those are the best days of our lives and we all want those days to be portrayed in a manner so as to give the feeling of oneself. So, with lotzz of apprehensions and anxieties I stepped into the theatre to watch Aamir Khan Productions’ another venture - Jaane Tu…..Ya Jaane Na!!!

Initial few minutes and few reels later, the doubts mentioned above gave way to other more prominent ones, since the movie is surely about college friends but not about college days. On the contrary, the real movie kick-starts with the farewell day of our Protagonists- Jai and Aditi. Through-out the next two hours or so you will witness the sequences and situations that have been showcased on the silver screen for the umpteen times. And here lies the choice to the “Captain of the Ship”-The Director, either to make the hackneyed and clichéd storyline look fresh’n’new or to let the ennui crept into the audience’s weary mind. The Writer-turned-Director Abbas Tyrewala has done the former with panache, as he already won half the battle by getting on-board the near perfect casting coup for Jaane-Tu and giving them the work-shop training for getting into the skin of their characters. What makes the difference between Jaane Tu.. and zillion other “Friends falling in love”-sagas is the way the story has been portrayed and the credit should go to the man for achieving this easy-looking but an arduous task. True, the story drags a bit in second half but it never goes overboard to the level of being crawled.

Like the director, Jaane Tu.. marks the debut of Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan and the new lad looks promising atleast in this movie. Surely, to excel in bollywood the current trend is to possess a well-chiseled body and to be blessed with dancing-prowess akin to that of Hrithik Roshan, but Imran did’nt gave any signs of these two pre-requisites. But the fact remains; this also doesn’t guarantee the box-office success as Harmen Baweja will give the testimony of the fact. The newest “Khan on the bloc” still needs to be tested in intense emotional scenes and few other challenges are waiting on the podium. But as for now he can take a sigh of relief as he has reincarnated the debut of three Khans in late 80’s and early 90’s. Jaane tu .. will definitely pump a breath of fresh air to the sinking boat of Genelia’s Bombay-Dreams. She is already a big name down south but somehow was not able to carve her niche in Bollywood. Jaane tu.. gives her an opportunity to be herself and she has done a tremendous job. She looked vivacious, chirpy and enthrallingly-vibrant in most part of the movie. She also looked at ease in intense emotional scenes and her beatific killer-smile gave many a hearts floating. It’s Bollywood-Calling for Genelia, finally.

A perfect foil has been created for the lead-pair in the form of few interesting characters to complete their gang of friends. All of them has done a decent job and keeps the audience glued whenever the focus is not on Imran and Genelia. Amidst the deluge of debuts, the maiden performance by Prateek Babbar- son of Raj Babbar and Smita Patil, doesn’t goes unnoticed and he’s quite impressive in his nitty-gritty role. Watch out for the efficacious camaraderie shown by the real life couple of Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah. The former provides some of the most hilarious moments of Jaane tu… Naseer again gives the stamping proof of the fact that he can perform the spectrum of roles with ridiculous ease and minimum of fuss.

The music of the movie is youthful and peppy which is evident from the first promotional song of the movie: Pappu Can’t Dance and it’ll surely become the anthem for the party-goers with two left feet. Nazrien Milana and Kabhi Kabhi Aditi are the two other full-blown songs in the movie and do come with the situation and are soothing to the ears. Other songs viz the Title track and Jane tu mera kya hai are played in the background through-out the movie and hence trouble the proceedings by noughts.

Harjeet’s Verdict: The crux-story of Jaane Tu… is neither “Fresh” nor there is anything “Different” about it. Still, Jaane tu.. is “Refreshingly Different”.

To decipher my verdict go watch Jaane tu.. Ya Jaane Na. Till then, Stay in Peace!!!!

“SARKAR” will again “RAJ” the Roost

The fate of Ram Gopal Verma, the Ace Director who has perfected the art of story-telling involving Underworld through two of his best movies: Satya and Company, has gone from bad to worse in last couple of years. Blame it on his arrogance OR wrong choices of movie-selection, the RGV factory was in total doldrums. The only saving grace of his otherwise sorry tale of mis-endeavors was Sarkar, that came well three years back. Now to know whether the Ramu’s move to recreate the magic through its sequel gives hope to the sinking-ship or it back-fires (Read Back-AAG), lets take a sneak peek of Sarkar-Raj:

The Legacy Continues: In Sarkar Raj, Big B has taken a back seat and Abhishek,a nascent Politician, comes out of his shadow and transforms himself into a young and demure yet shrewd and intelligent Leader. The Father-son relationship has been shown in a subtle way, neither having over-the-top emotional clichés nor endorsing melodramatic drama. Similar to its prequel, Sarkar Raj too has dialogues in minimal, but wherever indispensable, it has been delivered immaculately. Displaying whole range of expressions through the eloquent eyes of his protagonists has always been Ramu’s forte and Sarkar Raj succeeds in that regard as well. Be it love and affection OR hatred and vengeance, the Bacchans accomplished it with ridiculous ease. While Big B still gives the new brigade the run for their money, Little B doesn’t shy away and gives the top-notch performance with élan.

Finally finding his Foothold: Sarkar Raj will definitely pump a breath of fresh air to RGV’s moribund factory. After giving us series of duds at BO, more importantly, nonsense crappers; he finally regained his lost touch with a flick in his own familiar and conquered territory. Right from the start to finish, its RGV’s movie; his usual artistic camerawork, his signature intermittent hiatus in between the dialogues, his vision that gives new dimension to the darkness which is proved by the fact that there is hardly any source of illumination used in the scenes enacted inside the rooms. All in all, the virtual presence of Ramu in every scene, yelling; NO-LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! is nothing but obvious.

Freshers in Sequel: Apart from the core-characters there are few fresh sailors in the boat named Sarkar Raj. Amongst all the new characters, Gobind Namdeo and Upendra Limaye stands tall in their small yet powerful role. Dilip Prabhavalkar and Sayaji Shinde excels in their nitty-gritty roles. Aishwarya Rai, it seems, has utilized the ace company she founds her self in, and learnt a few nuances of acting from her hubby-dear and Pa-in-Law. Bappi-Tutul has done a decent job with the music and more so since its goes well with the movie and doesn’t hampers its pace. The Original Music director of Sarkar, Amar Mohile , has donned the cap of the Background scorer and does full justice to it. The Govinda-Govinda track is the heart-n-soul of the Sarkar series and is used very diligently in Sarkar Raj as well.

The Verdict- Harjeet Ishtyle: If you have a sweet tooth for soft-romantic flicks, give this one a miss. If you liked Sarkar, you will surely enjoy watching Sarkar Raj provided you do that with full concentration on the dialogues, Bacchans’ demeanor and their acting prowess.
P.S: For Ramu- I give you the credit for few more AAGs in coming years if you promise to give equally enthralling Sarkar3. For the time being: Stay in Peace!!!