Mallika Sherawat's Ugly Aur Pagli - Review

It's only fitting for a movie about slapping to show a lot of cheek.

One of the high points of Ugly Aur Pagli comes when Kabir (Ranvir Shorey) sits at Yash Ram Films, trying to get them to buy a script. The producer, a bald man with a french beard, is disappointed that the man has come only with an actual script -- where's the DVD, he asks, referring to the film the script must have been ripped off from.

It seems almost as if debutant director Sachin Khot, in a blatantly confessional moment, tossed in a slice of his life, as if he was asked to provide a reference DVD but, unlike Kabir -- who predictably sticks to his guns and writes out his life story -- the director wilfully handed over a copy of the Korean film My Sassy Girl, and assumed that with this cast, his film could be groundbreakingly awesome.

It's not a bad call, honestly. The original is a sweet, fun film about a guy hopelessly devoted to a girl, who constantly humiliates him, and who better to play loser and lioness than Ranvir Shorey and Mallika Sherawat ?

Alas, this film, like its drunken protagonist, consistently staggers.

Without going deep into the originality debate yet again -- it tires me as much as it tires you, really -- if a film does have to be ripped off, can't it be adapted sensibly, like Aamir or Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin, to look at diametrically different ends of the good remake section? But no, Ugly Aur Pagli falls into that same old Bollywood trap, trying to camouflage a ripoff as an 'inspired by' film by replacing plot-points with extraneous songs and playing havoc with the narrative.

As a result, a bittersweet film about an ordinary boy smitten by the girl, who harasses him, turns into an over-the-top farce, the original's charming moments here failing to work minus context. Meanwhile, the plot's roundabout logic, rudimentary even in the Sassy original, here translates into a mess of perplexity and coincidence because of the chopping and changing. (It's likely a completely desi problem, though, for a screenwriter to have to replace an inventive naked-boy-meets-girl situation around, simply because that hideous Neil N Nikki had already stolen that scene.)

Anyway, Ugly starts off all right. Kabir is a dweeb, who runs into a scarily sloshed Kuhu (Mallika Sherawat), saves her life and doesn't sleep with her, and the film is essentially a story of how the masochistically mediocre man gets to know the sadistically slap-happy siren. Yes, the bondage theme runs deep as the girl whacks the life out of the boy, and you can almost imagine him in a gimp mask -- while I'm genuinely surprised she doesn't weild an actual whip. Heh.

And the only reason this decidedly unusual undercurrent crackles -- despite the lame-duck script -- is because of the leading pair. Ranvir Shorey -- playing the single most pathetic protagonist I can remember in our cinema -- is fantastic as Kabir, his expressions striking enough to make us laugh, often despite ourselves. The role needs him to whimper and hope and desperately crave, and Shorey, an actor good enough to convince us he's still studying engineering, can carry off priceless between-the-lines moments and petticoats with equal panache.

In a way, the film is a showcase for the believably aggressive Mallika Sherawat. Well capable of giving anyone a tongue lashing, this film asks her to employ a more hands-on approach, and she clearly enjoys herself. Her Kuhu is a potentially fascinating character, an inexplicably whimsical mean girl with major psychological issues, and even though the film doesn't explore Kuhu, Mallika manages to stay natural even in this weird avatar. You believe her Kuhu even if you don't understand her; when Ranvir instinctively flinches as she merely leans toward him, you sympathise. She looks like a million bucks -- even when dressed 'superhero-style' for a day in her college -- and a significant share of the film's audiences will have cowgirl dreams for a while. Giddyap.

Yet it is a case of two strong actors with much personality trapped in a script that makes even two hours seem long. The first hour is about right, but hour two is a banal procession of more slapping mixed with a high-drama climax, memorable only because we get to see the sexiest woman of the 1970s and her modern-day successor in the same frame.

My Sassy Girl works largely because the tone of everything in the film -- save from the cocky titular heroine -- is normal as toast, which is why placing sauce on it is tasty. Here, the treatment is consistently over-the-top and gets tiresome after the first act. While some of the lines are wicked good -- especially Ranvir's VO, which quirkily once labels Mallika a cross between Medha Patkar and Keshto Mukherjee -- there just aren't enough of them.

There's also a severe need for polish. Pyaar Ke Side Effects had a waferthin plot, but was salvaged by very fresh treatment and the fourth-wall breaking narrator who spoke directly to the audience. Trying to capitalise on that film's attitude, this film loses its own. It struggles to find a voice, initially trying too hard and eventually turning into a different kind of movie. There are random pointless shots of Mumbai, a supporting cast seemingly told not to act, and a set of narrative-killing songs -- bad ones, at that -- which serve only to have Mallika dress skimpy and Ranvir dance with a filmi flair that totally defeats his loser-character. (Also, it's alarming just how much of Kabir's fantasy sequence is dominated by a Punjabi rapper.)

It's disappointing just how boring this film gets by the time the end-credits come around, and one genuinely feels bad for the lead pair. And for the throwaway lines that aren't followed up on. The DVD-seeking movie producer mentioned earlier, for example, claims that he can liken anyone's story to an existing film, and asks for his story. The dare goes by ignored. Sachin, boss, I really wanted Kabir to try and nutshell his and Kuhu's story only to be cut-off midway by the bored producer holding up a copy of the Korean DVD. Now, that would have been special.

In a crazy way, Ugly Aur Pagli could even have struck a blow for women's lib. Why can't girls beat men up, anyway? Behind me, during the first half, a half-dozen giggly schoolgirls were eagerly counting slaps, trying to see if the film lived up to its cleverly devised '99 slaps, one kiss' tagline.

Unfortunately, like the film, they stopped counting midway.

Kathanayakudu / Kuselan Movie Review

Story :
Balakrishna(Jagapathi babu) is a poor barber who leads a miserable life in Sirisilla with wife Sridevi (Meena) & 3 children.His Childhood friend Ashok kumar(Rajinikanth) is now a Superstar.Ashok kumar& his film crew comes to Sirisilla for a filmshooting.So the whole village,including his family,converges around Balakrishna seeking his favour for a meeting with the Superstar. Balakrishna is reluctant to approach the star thinking that Ashok kumar may have forgotten his lowly friend in these intervening years.Does the rich n famous Superstar remember his childhood buddy?does he values friendship ? is the rest of the story.

Highlights:
It isn't a regular Rajinikanth kind of mass masala movie.But the film almost resembles his ideology as a person.The Superstar should be lauded for his bold attempt to act in an offbeat subject.(though masala incorporated !)
Unlike other Rajini's films The film has an all Telugu cast Jagapathi babu,MS Narayana,Ali, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam,Sunil,Brahmanandam(guest role),Ananth,Duvvasi Mohan et al.
Comedy is good,Dialogue writer Marudhuri Raja did a commendable job in this aspect.
Climax is good.Rajini's speech in the climax is the lifeline of the movie.
Cinematography(Aravind Krishna),Art(Thota Tarani) are Good.
Jagapathi babu,Meena are adequate.
Nayanatara portrayed her real life role as actress Nayanatara.

Sidelights:
There are a lot of dull and boring moments.
Comedians got more footage than the lead characters.
Screenplay isn't that good.

Etc.,Etc.,
Rajinikanth told something about his larger than life image,his frequent trips to Himalayas & his political entry .

Public Talk : Just an Ok flick.it's Watchable for Rajinikanth,Comedy & Climax if you have got 'some' patience.
Industry Talk : May not work in Telugu.Hardly an average fare.

Akshay Kumar's Khatron Ke Khiladi - Review

Channel: Colors
Timing: Mon – Thu, 10 pm
Genre: Action Game Show, Reality
Host: Akshay Kumar
Contestants: Aditi Govitrikar, Anita Hasnandani, Anjana Sukhani, Dipannita Sharma, Meghna Naidu, Nethra Raghuraman, Pooja Bedi, Sonali Kulkarni, Tapur Chatterjee, Tupur Chatterjee, Vidya Malvade, Urvashi Sharma, Yana Gupta
Rating: 3/5

The Indian television scene seems to be pretty pathetic. It’s either sloppy soaps or, in recent years, reality shows that seem to rule the idiot box. While the former is intolerable till eternity, the latter too has lost its charm for the staged dramatization by the participants and the panelists to the extent that it has no ‘reality check’. In such a scenario Fear Factor comes as a refreshing breather and the format of the show is such that it doesn’t offer any scope to manipulate facts.

Fear Factor has always been a huge hit amongst action lovers for its genuinely original and meticulously designed stunts. The international show had already been adapted for the Indian subcontinent by Sony TV that was hosted by Mukul Dev. However with Akshay Kumar as the host, the show not only gets star power but also action authenticity, for one can’t think of a better anchor than Akki for a stunt-based show like Fear Factor.

Other interesting variation is too have an all-female cast and see them indulge in some precarious feats which is a pleasant change from the standard saas-bahu prototypes that the feminine form is widely relegated to on the small screen. Though the women weep in both category of shows, the tears here are real, unexaggerated and an outcome of scare over sorrow. Another addition to the show is that every contestant has an ex-army serviceman partner with whom they can swap one stunt in the entire course of the show.

From the four stunts per episode format of the original, this one has only two stunts in each episode to accommodate the 13 contestants. And one of these two stunts includes interface with a live creature that could be a snake, spider, rodent or any other being. While this segment might find varying acceptance with the Indian audience with the stunts ranging from being gruesome to gross, its ratio is clearly increased as compared to the original show, which only makes life difficult for the girls. Plunging head into a snake tank, having spiders crawling on their faces and handling rats are some examples from the first week.

On the flipside, watching 13 contestants do the same stunt, sets in a kind of monotony which will dissipate in the coming days with an elimination in every episode. With this brisk elimination frequency, the show doesn’t unnecessarily stretch itself just to gain additional episodes for telecast, a regular tendency with reality shows. Another setback for audiences who have keenly followed the international version is that many stunts would come across as repetitive.

The makers have also incorporated the ‘luck-factor’ with this Indian adaptation which can conflict with the fairness of the stunt intensity for each contestant. For example, contestants had to choose the number of spiders crawling on their face from a pack of cards which defies equal opportunity, as a lot has been left on luck. Also there are safety belts for the best performers that allow them to skip another stunt which could also dispute with parity.

However the elimination of the contestants has been almost fair so far. Clearly the ones with non-athletic bodies have been eliminated first like Sonali Kulkarni, Dipannita Sharma, Meghna Naidu and Vidya. The ones who are physically agile like Yana Gupta, Tupur-Tapur Chatterjee and Anjana Sukhani are performing pretty well.

The good part of having Akshay Kumar as the host is that he just has to be himself and not act, like Shah Rukh and Salman do in their respective shows. He encourages the girls to give their best shot and with his (in)famous flair for flirting, Akki always looks comfortable around girls. There were complains from the initial episodes that Akshay Kumar doesn’t perform any stunts but he also did that in the fourth episode.

The one big glitch is its desi title. Khatron Ke Khiladi sounds like a B-Grade Mithun Chakravarthy film from the past decade. But what in a name! It’s the game that matters.

Hijack - Music Review

Music to be composed for an action film is always a tricky business. Not many, except for perhaps Sanjay Gupta, have perfected this art when it comes to movies being made today. So, with expectations of a theme track, a hot item number and a couple of melodious number, one plays on Hijack which promises to show Shiney Ahuja do a Bruce Willis a la 'Die Hard'. Hijack has music by new finds Justin-Uday with Kumaar writing lyrics for this debut directorial venture of Kunal Shivdasani.

One minute into the song and you know that Justin and Uday have kick started Hijack well with a romantic number 'Aksar' which takes on truly from where 'Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai (Pritam composition from Woh Lamhe) left. Just the same in sound, spirit and soul, 'Aksar' gives the listener one more song to play on in a loop and be entertained for hours at a stretch. A well orchestrated number which has 'Mr. Reliable' K.K. coming up with an impressive act yet again, 'Aksar' deserves to be heard more often and aggressively promoted.

No wonder, the song is heard thrice. The 'Unplugged version' is first to come and this time around it is Shaan who goes solo for 'Aksar'. An extended guitar piece plays on (while creating a romantic scene) before Shaan is heard in this tad slower version. Even though the lyrics remain the same, the change in singer and pace of the song makes 'Aksar' a delightful composition all over. The longest composition of all with close to 7 minute duration, it is followed by a 'sad version' by Shaan which lasts only a little more than a minute. In addition, there is also a 'remix version' by KK and Joi which certainly has in it to do well, if accompanied by a promotional music video.

A quintessential number follows next and does hold promise to engage the audiences while it is accompanied by some hot visuals and aggressive choreography. With a mix of English and Hindi lyrics, 'Dekh Dekh' has Sunidhi Chauhan being largely responsible for the song with Suraj Jagan and Joi chipping in a little as well. Mainly orchestrated as a Western track with beats dominating the proceedings, 'Dekh Dekh' is seemingly a pre-climax track which solves its purpose of taking the narrative forward but that's about it. Don't expect the number to create a riot, though the faster paced 'club remix' version may just do better at nightclubs and discotheques.

The name Shilpa Rao raises a lot of expectations. Very recently she has delivered a chartbuster 'Khuda Jaane' [Bachna Ae Haseeno] and now she is back with 'Koi Na Jaane' which is kick started by K.K. A situational number where the protagonist gets into a pensive mood and is looking forward to The Almighty for a direction to move ahead, 'Koi Na Jaane' is surprisingly ordinary in feel. However, what really disappoints is that Shilpa Rao is not heard in the song at all except for a faint 'alaap' at the very beginning of the song. Come on, she deserves a better outing!

One wonders if the song would play in entirety in the film's narrative since an action-thriller like Hijack risks slowing down in pace with a song like 'Koi Na Jaane' in the background. The track by itself is not a bad hear; it's just that it is core situational and doesn't make one pick it up and play on a repeat mode.

An aircraft taking off is what begins 'Theme Of Hijack' that promises to be an engaging hear, courtesy the thriller genre that the film belongs to. However, instead of being just a theme piece with only an orchestra taking charge of the proceedings, 'Theme of Hijack' turns out to be a 'Hinglish' outing with Suraj Jagan and Uday coming behind the mike. However, it isn't really an impressive tune to boast of and yet again, all would depend upon the track's placement in the film and the visuals that accompany it. And yes, just like the song preceding it, this one too doesn't make it to the wish-list of those looking at extending their collection on the iPod!

Eventually, it all boils down to the number 'Aksar' which is not just the best of the lot but in isolation too quite a good composition. With 'Dekh Dekh' being the only other number to really look forward to from the album, one now waits for the film Hijack to arrive at theaters.

Rating - 2/5

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam - Music Review

Now this one may turn out to be a laugh-riot. And looking at the likes of Mallika Sherawat, Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon and Paresh Rawal coming together on a common platform for a fun ride, Maan Gaye Mughall E Azam promises a whacky soundtrack. However, there are slight apprehensions too. Anu Malik has been inconsistent in his new innings and while Ugly Aur Pagli has been doing well with Love Story 2050 doing OK, there have also been duds like Good Luck and Hastey Hastey. After listening to the soundtrack of MGMEA, one can conveniently add one more to the list.

Classic track Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya from Mughal E Azam gets it's modern day disco avtar the moment Mallika Sherawat comes to fore. What surprises is that even though Ishg Bector sings a major part of the song (he kick starts with a rap and is present throughout the 5 minute duration), he hasn't been credited in the album. Sounding like Bali Brahmbhatt, he makes way for Anushka Manchanda and Mahalakshmi Iyer to give two different flavors to the song.

By the time Shaan joins all the fun in this item number which is meant for a stage performance, one realizes that 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya' is neither serious nor spoofy. Instead it is plain fun with Sanjay Chhel's lyrics being largely responsible for keeping the entertainment quotient well in place. One looks forward to the picturisation of this song which features the entire principal star cast of the film creating a riot in one common setting!

Marmari Baahen is a kind of quintessential romantic number which can't ever be hated by a listener. However, even though the number has a melodic base to it, it doesn't quite enthrall as such since it follows the basic routine of mush and romance while keeping it soft and simple. Moving at a slow pace with some ear pleasing arrangements, 'Marmari Bahen' is a decent duet by Shaan and Mahalakshmi Iyer which doesn't really have in it to go all the distance, but stays on to be an OK hearing overall! Later, Blue Zone 'remixes' the song with Anu Malik himself choosing to come behind the mike. Well, the way he goes about crooning the number, it is assured that 'Marmari Bahen' has Malik's trademark stamp to it.

It is time to expect something interesting, what with Pankaj Udhas coming back to singing for a Hindi film after ages. Anu Malik ropes him in for Ek To Sharab Kum which appears in two parts. Well, it is absolute shocking to hear the track because if at all there would be one really forgettable Pankaj Udhas number for a Hindi film, it would be this. The built up takes a horrendously long time and by the time one expects some rhythm in the proceedings, the end result turns out to be damp squib.

There are chances that 'Ek To Sharab Hai' is spoofy in nature, but that by any means doesn't turn out to be a good enough excuse for the song to be so lifeless. To give Pankaj Udhas some credit, he is decent in the way he goes about singing this 'ghazal', but it is due to some really boring arrangements which pull the track down completely. This one clearly disappoints!

With a fine track ('Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya') followed by an average number ('Marmari Bahein') and an absolute letdown ('Ek To Sharab Hai'), one is quite apprehensive before playing the last song in the album, Ishqiyaan. Well, the expectations have ebbed to such a low point by now that whatever reasonably is fine turns out to be some saving grace. This way 'Ishqiyaan' succeeds to an extent as it is not a bad hear, though being stuck in the musical style of 90s.

Primarily a rhythmic-n-peppy duet between Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Ishqiyaan' has the potential to do well on screen with some funny picturisation. Towards the end, Aftab Hashmi Sabri joins for a 'qawalli' outing while Blue Zone does chip in with a remix version as well. Also, it is exit Sunidhi Chauhan and enter Alisha Chinoy this time around.

Overall, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam has a forgettable soundtrack which won't make any impression whatsoever in either a short or a long term. The only solace that the makers of the film can take is from the fact that a couple of tracks may well keep the audience engaged due to the funny mood of the film. However, even for that, a lot would depend upon its director Sanjay Chhel to make it happen on screen.

Rating - 1.5/5

Ullasanga Utsahanga - Review

Cast: Yasho Sagar (Debutant), Sneha Ullal, Brahmanandam, Chandra Mohan, Sunil, Venu Madhav, Satya Krishna, Ping Pong, Suman Shetty, Kavitha and others
Dialogues: Chintapalli Ramana
Music: G V Prakash Kumar
Lyrics: Anantha Sriram
Cinematography: I Andrew
Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh
Action: Vijay
Choreography: Kalyan
Executive producer: Vinay
Producers: B P Somu, G S Ranganath
Banner: Amruth Amarnath Arts
Story, screenplay and directed by: Karunkaran
Release Date: July 25, 2008
CBFC Rating: U

What’s it about
Aravind (Yasho Sagar) is happy go lucky guy. He falls in love with Dhana Lakshmi (Sneha Ullal) who comes to her friend’s home in the same locality. He makes friendship with her and proposes his love but she refuses on the ground that she has already fallen in love with her childhood friend Balaji and waiting for his call. Dhanalakshmi asks Aravind to remain just friends but he says he continues to love her. He leaves for Culcutta to get a job while She is off to the same city as she finds that her Balaji is residing there. Both board on the same train and then friendship blooms into love. Will she choose Balaji or Aravind?

Analysis

Ullasanga Utasahnga is romantic fun film that explores love and friendship in cool manner. Director Karunakaran presents the movie entertainingly with cool visuals and peppy music. Despite wafer thin storyline, the narration is impressive. Karunkaran has packaged it in chic style. Second half peters out but on the while he succeeds in holding the audience’s interest. Highlights of the movie are good visuals, music (especially the songs) by G V Prakash Kumar and the romantic thread between the lead pair.

Karunakran has cleverly focused more on visuals and romantic scenes between newcomers Sneha Ullal and Yasho Sagar. Heroine searching for her childhood friend seems to be inspired by Only You (1994).

On the down side, the movie has nothing new to tell and has the hangover of Toliprema. Second half has some heavy scenes and unnecessary fight sequences. Some scenes are also very theatrical too.

One of the best scenes is a parody on Hutch ad commercial.

Performances

Yasho Sagar makes debut in the movie as lead hero. He is good in the second half and also has done well in songs. But he should focus more on performance. Shivaji has lent his voice for him. He looks like Nitin in most scenes. Sneha Ullal in typical Karunakaran’s movies makes confident debut in Telugu. She is charming both in traditional and modern attire. Comedy by Sunil and Suman Shetty is good.

Technically, full marks go to G V Prakash Kumar for his peppy numbers particularly the “Priayatama..” and “Chakori..” song are impressive. But background score is not that effective. Andrew’s visuals are mint cool. Digital Intermediative has further enhanced them.

Bottom-line!

Don't expect another Toliprema, but Karunkaran comes with good youthful entertainer this time. Ullasanga Utsahanga has cool visuals and peppy music. Good time pass and urban movie.

Rating - 3.25/5

DVD Review Of Taare Zameen Par

Mission Istanbul Movie Review

Terrorism is a global issue and varied film-makers across the globe continue to make movies/documentaries/short films that expose the ghastly face and effects of terrorism. Apoorva Lakhia charters that path as well in MISSION ISTAANBUL.

In MISSION ISTAANBUL, there's an Osama replica, bunkers in Afghanistan where he is supposedly hiding, also a television channel that telecasts exclusive footage from the terrorists [its called Al Johara here], a George Bush lookalike… Lakhia seems to have incorporated snippets and vignettes from real-life to celluloid in an effort to make the goings-on relatable and believable.

ut, somewhere in between, the fight against terrorism becomes too Bollywoodish as the two heroes eliminate an entire army of terrorists and put an end to the nefarious activities of a TV channel. And that's difficult to gulp!

Perhaps, Lakhia's intentions are right, to make a hard-hitting film that marries realism and fiction beautifully, but the writing indulges in too many cinematic liberties and that's precisely why MISSION ISTAANBUL goes off target.

However, lovers of action fares are in for a treat, since the stunts, action and chase sequences in MISSION ISTAANBUL are truly captivating. Sure, a few sequences aren't for the faint-hearted, but you can't help but put your hands together for these sequences and the men behind those death-defying stunts.

All said, MISSION ISTAANBUL goes off target!

Vikas [Zayed Khan] is one of the most promising journalists in the country. Owais [Suniel Shetty], who heads a controversial Istanbul-based news channel Al Johara, makes him an offer to head the channel. This offer comes at a time when Vikas is undergoing a divorce with his wife Anjali [Shriya Saran].

But little does Vikas know that the decision will change his life forever. Owais is killed and Turkish commando Rizwan [Vivek Oberoi] tells Vikas that if he decides to quit as well, he would be bumped off as well. In a place where the gun has the last laugh, will a journalist survive or will he fall prey like many others?

MISSION ISTAANBUL unravels at a feverish pace and that's most important for a thriller. The story travels from India to Turkey to Afghanistan to Turkey again, in the very first hour. The characters are well-established, the script is laced with incidents that seem straight out of newspapers. Coupled with Lakhia's execution, top notch cinematography and stylish action, the film begins to grow as reel after reel unspools.

But, alas, the film goes for a toss in the second hour. Things actually stagnate as the two heroes turn into super-heroes and combat an army of villains on land, sea and air. By the way, they don't get bruised even once! Lakhia and writer Suresh Nair seem to have substituted action for content and that's the most glaring flaw. In fact, you feel that Lakhia and Nair must've decided to go on a vacation in the second hour, entrusting the responsibility on the stunt directors to conclude the second hour.

There's not much scope for music in the film, but in terms of composition, just one track -- 'Jo Gumshuda' -- is easy on your ears. The Abhishek Bachchan track is such a waste. Even the tune is completely forgettable. Gururaj R.J.'s cinematography is top notch. Action, as mentioned earlier, is the hallmark of the enterprise.

Both Vivek and Zayed come up with competent performances. Vivek does a fine job, essaying his part with ease. But why does he sport a smirk on his face most of the times? The director could've avoided that! Zayed is equally charged. In fact, you witness a new Zayed in this film, the renewed confidence shows. Shriya Saran is wasted. Shweta Bhardwaj does well in stunts, but wears one expression all through.

Suniel Shetty [sp. app.] is as usual. Nikitin Dheer is effective. First JODHAA AKBAR, now MISSION ISTAANBUL, this boy's going from strength to strength. Shabbir Ahluwalia is another talent that needs to be tapped by film-makers. He's very good!

On the whole, MISSION ISTAANBUL rests on action and only action to salvage the show. But that's not enough. At the box-office, this mission won't work!

Rating: 1.5/5

Govinda's Money Hai Toh Honey Hai - Review

David Dhawan and Priyadarshan triggered off a trend -- of making brainless comedies -- and thus began a wave of leave-your-brains-at-home laughathons. Inspired by the success of these ha-ha-he-he fares, every second film-maker decided to join the bandwagon for that elusive Hit. But, of late, no-brainer comedies have reached a saturation point.

Ganesh Acharya's MONEY HAI TO HONEY HAI actually tests the patience of the viewer. Fine, you don't expect a riveting storyline from a film of this genre, but you definitely expect laughs, don't you? You expect to be entertained, don't you? Alas, what you get to see is definitely not good, not even bad, it's verrry boring!

In his debut film SWAMI, Ganesh Acharya proved that he knows his job well, but what is this? How did the makers okay the script [writer: Muazzam Beg] in the first place? What did the actors see in this script? Did they want to be a part of a mini-multistarrer for the heck of it?

MONEY HAI TO HONEY HAI is like flying in an aircraft without a pilot. You don't know where it's headed!

MONEY HAI TO HONEY HAI deals with six characters: Bobby [Govinda] is a happy go lucky guy, who runs away from home to prove himself. Lalabhai [Manoj Bajpayee] becomes wealthy, but he's back on the road as his business fails and he loses all his money. Gaurav [Aftab Shivdasani], a copywriter, is fired from his job. Manik [Upen Patel] is a struggling model who sleeps with a middle-aged fashion designer [Archana Puransingh], hoping to make it big. Ashima [Hansika] is a successful TV star, but she's not happy with her career and is desperate to do films as the lead heroine. Shruti [Celina Jaitley] is a struggling dress designer.

One fine day, they all get an SMS informing them that they are the owners of a 1,000 crore company. However, their happiness does not last long for the lawyer reveals that there's a loan of 1,200 crore on the company and they must repay it and until the loan is repaid, they would be kept under house arrest.

The story sounds interesting on paper, but on celluloid, it's non-existent. Prem Chopra picks up random cellphone numbers and makes them calls. He wants them to inherit his fortune. But the entire first hour is devoted to why they became losers. It's only at the interval point that you expect the story to begin. But does it take off? Nope!

Instead of sticking to the core issue, it meanders into meaningless sub-plots, which only add to the boredom. The finale at the fashion show [well choreographed by Achala Sachdev] is interesting, but by then you're exhausted and want the movie to end.

The writer of this film is the biggest culprit. The writing touches a new low with this film. Ganesh Acharya tries to pack in funny sequences, but just two bring a smile -- the Archana Puransingh-Upen Patel track and Govinda's encounter with a Vijay Mallya lookalike, who is surrounded by a bevy of beauties.

The songs [music: Nitin Arora, Soni Chandi] too show up without any valid reason whatsoever, although a few songsare tuneful and well choreographed.

Now to the performances! Govinda looks too old for his part. The role demanded a 20 + actor and Govinda looks completely out of place here. The age shows! Imagine, he calls Jawed Sheikh his father and Ketaki Dave his mother!!!! Besides, why is behaving so kool by speaking in English? It looks fake!

You feel sad to watch an actor of the calibre of Manoj Bajpayee being reduced to absolute nothing. Is he the same actor who acted in SATYA? And ZUBEIDAA, PINJAR and 1971? Aftab Shivdasani looks right for the part, but he hardly gets any scenes. Upen Patel does a good job and his scenes are truly funny.

Hansika goes over the top. Celina Jaitley gets no scope either. Archana Puransingh, besides Upen, provides a few laughs. She's excellent. Prem Chopra is wasted. Ravi Kishan too doesn't impress.

On the whole, MONEY HAI TO HONEY HAI is a poor show. At the box-office, a damp squib!

Rating - 1/5

Saroja - Music Review

One musical genius. Six songs. One rocking album, reads the cover of Saroja's music album.

The film is directed by Venkat Prabhu, the man who made a name for himself with the unprecedented success of Chennai 600028, and its album (by Yuvan Shankar Raja).

Read on to see if the Venkat Prabhu-Yuvan combination (lyrics penned by Vaali and Gangai Amaren) can repeat the magic of Chennai.

First off we have Cheeky Cheeky, which begins with a blitzkrieg of sound that explodes in your eardrums making you take a deep breath before trying to assimilate it all. Matilda and Nirdhya sing a potpourri of English while Yuvan Shankar Raja raps away to kingdom come. The music is a mixture of 80s disco and thundering beats that sink into the background and throb in the forefront. You cannot make out much of the lyrics amid the din.

In contrast, guitar pieces blend weirdly with the nadaswaram into a joyous singsong number in Aaja Mere Soniye, somehow bringing scattered images of Tahitian beauties floating into your mind. Rendered by S P Charan, Vijay Yesudas and Premgi Amaren, this piece is refreshing after the first bombardment. A mix of Hindi and Tamil doesn't sound too jarring as the song progresses into a steady rhythm. Destined to be played at wedding receptions.

Yuvan seems to be hell-bent on producing unknown sounds within a known framework and this is apparent in the next number -- Dosthu Bada Dosthu, which, even if the lyrics make you laugh with their rhyming Vaasthu pronouncements, do manage to strike a chord. Guitars strum in accompaniment while "Abdul Kalam" makes a timely entry, sung by Haricharan, Naveen and Rahul Nambiar. It also looks like the harmonica is in vogue again -- sudden flashes of it add a poignant touch. The second segment shows signs of labour, but the steady beats take your mind away from it.

Kodana Kodi, sung by Mohammad Aslam, Suvi and Raninam, carries with it touches of Theeppidikka, and the refrain of Oh baby. It is the equivalent of yesteryear's vamp dances, reminding you forcibly of a gangster staggering with an arrack bottle and spouting boozy lines. You have to admit that the composer's got the beats right, which make you sway despite yourself.

Shankar Mahadevan's Nimirndhu Nil! bursts in at a remarkable tempo, segueing into a chorus of enervating lyrics and a folk beat. Violins flash before you in a brisk tune that remind you of Thamthananam thaalam varum...except that they are set to rousing music, and the quick pace is present throughout the song. Such is the energy that something in you responds to the beat without your knowledge, making your heart thump, and the staccato way Shankar Mahadevan renders the song has a good deal to do with it.

My Life, performed by the band Yodhakaa, seems to be a whipping blend of Darbuka Siva's drums, Tanvi's vocals, Keith Peter's bass guitar, which strums at an amazing pace, accompanied by Keba Jakemiah's guitar. It's straightforward, energetic and primal, with little heed for the lyrics, sending your eardrums reverberating. You've got such a mixture of sound thumping through your system that you want to say, rock it, baby!

Despite the strange and bizarre sounds and phrases, you have to admit that Yuvan Shankar Raja has the ability to make you listen -- even if it's only to analyze what exactly that particularly bizarre note you just heard was. And most times, he gets it right -- even springing surprises when you least expect it.

Saroja's music is sometimes familiar, at others fascinating ...but you cannot deny that it is interesting.

Rainbow - Music Review

Sri Siddharth Movies & Bharat Art Pictures
Rainbow (2008)

Producer: Kalavakuri Ankababu, Somaraju Purushottam Rao
Director: V.N. Aditya
Music Director: Nihal (Debut)
Audio Rights: Aditya Music
Lyrics: Jillella Varaprasad (1), Vanamali (2,3,7), Baladitya (4), Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (partial) (5), Anuradha (6), Sahiti (8)
Playback: Suneetha (1,8); Nihal, Hemachandra & Suneetha (2); Nihal & Suneetha (3,5, 6); Hemachandra (4); Srikanth & Suneetha (7)

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
Singer Nihal, who's also popular for his private, devotional albums in Telugu, debuts as a film music director with Rainbow. He does a pretty neat job for a debutant, if you can still call him that given his experience with composing! His classical music background can be felt all through the album, and particularly in the classical composition combo raaraa, swaami, raaraa! Suneetha as the sole female singer for the entire album has shown appreciable variation in her rendition.

1. aaSa, chinni aaSa, nannu choosi maayagaa...
(Duration: 4:20 minutes) (Rating: 3.75/5)

Playback: Suneetha is her usual melodious freshness. Her unhidden smile towards the end of the song is notable.
Lyric: The song seems to be a simple expression of the female lead inspired by the Mother Nature and or life in general. "harivillulO kotta rangunai chEranaa!" is a beautiful expression that also reminds of the album title.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: Orchestration is typically melodious, particularly the piano towards the end of the lines makes it a bit clichéd. The tune is melodious but is not all that catchy at the first go; it has a neat pace in the subsequent stanzas.

2.challu challu challu, rangulanni challu!...
(Duration: 3:52 minutes) (Rating: 3.75/5)

Playback: Nihal and Hemachandra are adequate and enthusiastic. Suneetha joins them along, but also has a classy solo bit that's a mark of her melodious modulation.

Lyric: Yet another lyricist uses the word "vaanavillu" now, after Veturi, Seetarama Sastry, and Bhaskarabhatla. "aa nallani mabbunu pinDi harivillunu baiTiki teeyanaa!" is a beautiful foundation for more such impressive expressions to come! Rhyme is good too, particularly in the female bit of melody.

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune is catchy. Some of the BGM reminds of bits and pieces used by Ilayaraja and Rahman in the past.

3. manasaa, chalinchakE!...
(Duration: 4:10 minutes) (Rating: 3.25/5)

Playback: Nihal brings out the needed anguish through his voice. Suneetha adds her bit with a moving rendition with a slightly shaky voice as demanded by the theme.

Lyric: The lyric seems to mark the failure of love or simply separation of lovers. While "mamatE gatinchenaa tanalOna" expresses the pain of the male counterpart, "taDisE vanalaalO tanu lEka kalE kadaa aamani" indicates the vain that the femal counterpart faces.

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The BGM and interludes set the right mood for the song. The choice of orchestration is simple yet effective. The tune is okay. The lead music is beat-oriented and heavy, possibly in an attempt to set the heaviness of the theme.

4.kRshNaa, kRshNaa!...
(Duration: 2:25 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)

Playback: Hemachandra modulates his voice efficiently for this naughty song that doesn't miss the devotional element.

Lyric: Baladitya mixes English liberally into the lyric, fusing in a good rhyme thereby. Bits like "Brother-utO Mathura-ki rathamu ekki..." also tells that this hero-cum-lyricist has a good sense of using sounds of each letter effectively and is not simply shaking his pen. All through the song, one can listen to such alliteration using one letter each in nearly every line. However, one can also hear illicitly compounded words (dushTa samaasaalu) like "ishTa moguDu".

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The nature of the song requires the tune to be peppy and mischievous, and Nihal brings that spice in through the beat.

5. raaraa, swaami, raaraa!...
(Duration: 2:33 minutes) (Rating: 4.25/5)

Playback: Nihal should be appreciated both as a music director and the singer for choosing these both compositions, one of them a popular Sabdam and the other a lesser known tillaanaa, and blending them into one, thus introducing them both to today's film audiences. One cannot think that this tillaanaa was sung for a film, or that it is sung by a film singer/music director! Suneetha renders the classical compositions with appreciable ease too, including notable sangatulu (musically varying renditions of the same line) in the Sabdam.

Lyric: A part of the lyric is the popular kRshNa Sabdam of the bharatanaaTyam or Kuchipudi sampradaayam. (The inlay card calls its a kRshNa "padam", but it's a Sabdam by nature, which is subtly different from a padam.) The rest of the lyric is a tillaanaa composed by the renowned carnatic vocalist Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna. (The "lyrics" for the tillaanaa, which go "asamaana maana tillaanaa muraLii naadavinOda maana tillaanaa...", are not actually used because the purpose is essentially dance-oriented.) Apparently, this combination is being used to indicate the progress in the bharatanaaTyam dancing talents of the girl, starting from the elemental Sabdam to the more complex - and generally the concluding item - tillaanaa.

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tunes are originally set for carnatic classical dance and music performances. While the kRshNa Sabdam part is set to raaga mOhana, the tillaanaa is composed in the less-known kuntalavaraaLi raaga. The use of morsing (starting in the interlude between the Sabdam and tillaanaa) after considerably long time in Telugu films is appreciable. The percussion that morsing brings in is surely impressive, particularly to those that cannot recognize the instrument but notice its presence. The rest of the orchestra is typical of classical dance performances.

6. naa kaLLalO nee kala ilaa kannaanulE...
(Duration: 4:39 minutes) (Rating: 3.75/5)

Playback: Suneetha and Nihal join voices for another melodious duet. Suneetha should however take care in pronouncing "Sa" better, and distinctly than "sa". Nihal seems to falter too, maybe to go along with her.

Lyric: Female lyricist Anuradha pens a typical love duet in chaste Telugu and notable rhyme.

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune has an air of familiarity to it and adds catchiness. The orchestra and interludes create a feel of fusion to the classy tune.

7. O lalanaa, mati pOyenaa, nee valana!...
(Duration: 3:52 minutes) (Rating: 3.25/5)

Playback: Srikanth's voice has good ease and has a naturally pleading tone needed for the song. Towards the end of the song, his dialogues are rendered with full of feel to them. Suneetha's voice modulation suits the mischievous teasing that she resorts to.

Lyric: This is a song where the male lead reveals how he fell for his girl, and proposes to her sweetly. "Mona Lisa mOmulOni navvukE nuvu model-aa?" sings the male, while the girl teases her Romeo until the end of the song. Vanamali brings an easy flow of words with a blend of English and Hindi words amidst chaste Telugu words.

Tune/Interlude/BGM: Beat and orchestra is typically western, dominated by guitars. The tune catches up within a few times of listening to it.

8. salasala salasala salasala kaagE oLLu...
(Duration: 4:27 minutes) (Rating: 2.75/5)

Playback: Suneetha sings this song very different than all other songs in this album, where she's the only female singer! Even in this song, impressively, she portrays the same ease!

Lyric: A typical wooing number, possibly such as an "item song" by Sahiti, catering to the expectations from such a song. The lyricist, and moviemakers in general, should be appreciated for refraining to making it an out and out sleazy number of some kind!

Tune/Interlude/BGM: The orchestra and beat are different, with a certain Middle East influence on them, but the tune lacks freshness in parts, essentially because there have been several songs with a similar musical influence on the tune.

Salman Khan's God Tussi Great Ho - Music Review

Together, Salman Khan and Sajid-Wajid have delivered multiple hits in films like Partner, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Tere Naam, Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam, Tumko Na Bhool Payenge, Hello Brother and Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. With their 10 year association continuing to go strong, the trio now comes together for God Tussi Great Ho which also stars Priyanka Chopra and Sohail Khan. Jalees Sherwani and Shabbir Ahmed write the lyrics.

It's time to revisit 'It's The Time To Disco' [Kal Ho Na Ho] with 'Let's Party', the opening number of the album. With a similar setting, sound arrangements and even rendition, 'Let's Party' takes off exactly from where the aforementioned disco number left a few years back. The only difference here is that this time around, Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra share the stage instead of Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta.

Sung by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan, 'Let's Party' written by Jalees Sherwani has a kind of tune which makes one completely indifferent to what one hears on the audio or sees on the screen. Even the sets and the dance steps have a sense of deja vu to them and the end result is such that the club 'remix version' doesn't excite much either!

A slightly better composition is 'Tujhe Aksa Beach Ghuma Du' which surprisingly has visuals quite similar to that of the title track of Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. This time round, Sohail Khan replaces Akshay Kumar in a number where he gets into constant bickering with Salman Khan over Priyanka Chopra! Crooned by Wajid himself with Amrita Kak giving him good company, the song has good fun quotient to itself, with some funny lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed that keeps the momentum going for it. In fact for this song, the 'remix version' takes quite an impressive beginning (reminding of the theme tune that went along 'Apni To Jaise Taise' - Laawaris) while keeping the feet tapping for those 4 minutes.

Title song God Tussi Great Ho has a kind of music that one associates with Salman Khan. Quite an Indian feel (though sounding at least 3-4 years behind) the title song has Sonu Nigam thanking God (Amitabh Bachchan) for bestowing upon him all the powers which allow him to run the world in a way he wants. Shankar Mahadevan is the voice for Amitabh Bachchan in this situational song which should help in moving the story forward while keeping the audience engaged. Yet again, a 'remix version' follows. Well, as it turns out, it's placement in the album is quite unnecessary due to the song's situational theme!

Here comes the man Neeraj Sridhar who doesn't seem to be setting a foot wrong ever since his association with Pritam has been paying dividends in each and every outing of his! He pairs up with Shreya Ghoshal for a romantic ballad titled 'Tumko Dekha' which is written by Jalees Sherwani. Just when one thought that Neeraj had changed his approach completely for the song by going all sober and romantic, he comes up his English rendition, hence putting his stamp over 'Tumko Dekha'. The best song of the album so far, one is surprised what is taking the makers so long to be unleashing this one on the music channels?

Finally arrives what could well be termed as a favorite for Sajid-Wajid and Salman Khan! Amongst them, they have a thing or two for a 'chunari' and this is pretty much apparent in the song 'Lal Chunariya'. The best part about this Deven Shukla written song is the coming together of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, which seems to be happening after ages! A melodious romantic number which can never go out of fashion as long as Bollywood lives on, 'Lal Chunariya' has a feel and impact similar to countless such songs that Sajid-Wajid have composed for Salman in films like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Tere Naam and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

God Tussi Great Ho doesn't quite boast of a great beginning with 'Let's Party' not really making a great impression. However things improve slightly with 'Tujhe Aksa Beach Ghuma Du'. Though this effort too isn't enticing enough, the concluding tracks in the form of 'Tumko Dekha' and 'Lal Chunariya' do help in redeeming God Tussi Great Ho to an extent. Overall, this soundtrack by Sajid-Wajid may not really scale the kind of height as some of their earlier albums with Salman Khan have, but is still decent enough to make a listener sit through the songs at the least.

Rating - 2.5/5

C Kkompany - Music Review

Suddenly Tusshar Kapoor seems to be seen a lot more than what he used to till a few years back. He began the year with a guest appearance in Halla Bol, followed it up with an item song 'Manzar' in Sunday, tasted success with One Two Three and now would be seen in C Kkompany. While One Two Three also gave him a popular title song, one looks forward to what is in store for him in C Kkompany that primarily features four songs (two each by Anand Raaj Anand and Bappa Lahiri).

Set in a mood similar to that of the title track of One Two Three, 'Khoka' is a promotional number which kick starts the proceedings for C Kkompany. A fun song which heavily relies upon Western beats and arrangements, 'Khoka' is about the power of money which makes the world go round and how it aids in elevating the status of an individual.

Narrating the tale of the three protagonists in the film (Tusshar Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav) who turn from zeroes to heroes, the Shabbir Ahmed written 'Khoka' is a foot tapping number that has Mika Singh in the lead. Composed by Bappa Lahiri who also ropes in his Dad Bhappi Lahiri and sister Rema Lahiri to give Mika company behind the mikes. 'Khoka' qualifies as a time-pass enjoyable number which only sounds better after repeated listening. And for those looking for a Club outing, there is always a faster 'remix version'.

To fill in the album with a much mandated Punjabi outing, 'Speaker Baje' follows next which may not be an extraordinary composition providing something out of the box, but nevertheless does well in keeping the racy mood of the album intact. A bona fide item number which has Celina Jaitley matching steps along with Tusshar Kapoor, 'Speaker Baje' (which also appears in a 'Dhol Mix' version) is a lavishly shot Bhangra-pop number, which has in it to force an individual to hit the dance floor. While Anand Raaj Anand plays the triple role of a composer, lyricist and singer, Sunidhi Chauhan is roped in for this song which is an out and out Punjabi outing.

The album takes an interesting turn with the title song 'C Kkompany' that has none other than Sanjay Dutt coming behind the mike. A song that introduces each of the three prime characters of the film, 'C Kkompany', is set in a mode which reminds listener of the kind of music which Pritam has been making for last couple of years and consistently delivering hits. Aided by some simple yet funny lyrics by Anand Raaj Anand (who also composes the song), 'C Kkompany' that has passages in Hindi as well as English, should make for a good viewing on the screen. A song which has Sanjay Dutt singing in his trademark dark style, 'C Kkompany' has a foot tapping 'remix version' to boast as well.

After three promotional/item numbers in a row, 'C Kkompany' offers some variety with a love song 'Jaane Kya' that arrives in the end. Bappa Lahiri and Shabbir Ahmed add a young touch to 'Jaane Kya' which instantly makes one remember Atif Aslam's recent hits like 'Bakhuda' [Kismat Konnection] and 'Pehli Nazar Mein' [Race]. A romantic outing which has dependable singers like K.K. and Shreya Ghoshal coming together, all that this number (which has a good mix of rhythm and melody) needs is a good promotion which would take it closer to the audience.

'C Kkompany' is a decent album which, at the least aids in keeping a lively mood throughout its duration. The songs by Anand Raaj Anand and Bappa Lahiri are not exceptional though, but they are still good enough to ensure that there is not a single dull moment in the album. A fine time-pass affair.

Rating - 2.5/5

Kalyan Ram Hare Ram Movie Review

Story :

Flashback..

Hari&Ram are conjoined twins.After successfully seperating them Doctor informs the parents (Chandramohan,Sita) that Ram might be a mentally retarded person when he
grows up.As a Kid Ram is irritated when someone points out his illness.His mom takes him away from home when he is aversed to his brilliant brother Hari &attempts to kill
him.

Now..

Hari(Kalyanram) is a dynamic ACP in Police Dept.Ram(Kalyanram) appears as a serial killer who hates intelligent people.He kills best Journalist awardee Rajeev(ETV
Prabhakar) & Award winning Doctor (Rajeev Kanakala) who are related to a TV Channel Chairman & Health Minister. Suddenly ACP Hari announces he murdered both of
them.Who has done it really?Is there any other reason behind the murders? forms rest of the story.

Highlights:

Kalyanram excelled in dual role.Hareram provided the actor enough scope to showcase his ingenuity.
Director Harshavardhan (erstwhile Swarna Subbarao) tried to present Hareram as a stylish action thriller and he succeded somewhat.
Priyamani is ok.
Music(Micky J.Meyyer)is good in songs.Rerecording is not upto the mark.
Cinematography(Ramprasad) is neat.

Sidelights:
First half is just ok,Second half is better.
The movie has a decent plot &neat characterisation to thrill the audience.But the screenplay isn't that good.it lacks pace & the director failed to maintain the tempo.
Despite the presence of Brahmanandam,Ali,Raghubabu there isn't much comedy.

Etc.,Etc.,
Sindhu Tolani acted in a cameo role.

Censor chopped the words Reddy,Naxalites in the audio.

Rating: 3/5

Kismat Konnection - Movie Review

Film: Kismat Konnection;
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla, Vishal Malhotra;
Director: Aziz Mirza;
Music: Pritam;
Rating: 3/5

Kismat Konnection is one of the most awaited films this season and there is lots of hype surrounding it. However, it happens quite frequently that many hyped movies turn out to be big disappointments such as Tashan, Love Story 2050, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic,etc. Fortunately, this is not the case with Kismat Konnection. It`s not just all hype and no substance but a movie with a soul that will immediately connect with the audience.

Story:

The basic plot of the movie revolves around Raj Malhotra (Shahid Kapoor) (doesn`t the name sound too SRKish?…but the film is not as cliched as the name sounds, thankfullysmiling smiley, an architect, who was touted as the next BIG thing during his college days…be it academics,sports,dramatics…he was an all-rounder and his friends had made a TIME magazine cover with Raj`s face on it. Despite his potential and abilities, Raj failed to make it big in life and after 5 years of his graduation he is still not able to achieve success in his life because luck never supported him. Something or the other always goes wrong with him…when he has to wake up at the morning, his alarm clock doesn`t ring, when he is about to be appointed as an architect, the boss of the contracting company dies and so on. Raj tries his luck once again to be appointed for a shopping mall construction project by Mr.Gill (Om Puri) but luck once again betrays him when an old school friend (Manoj Joshi) of his attempts to take away the contract from Raj`s hands and secure it for himself. A disappointed Raj one night sees an advertisment on the television which claims to provide the solution to everyone`s problems in life. The advertisment states that anyone who contacts Haseena Bano Jaan (Juhi Chawla) will be freed from all his worries forever. So, Raj obviously notes down her address and drops in at her premises. Haseena Bano Jaan states that there is a force that is his lucky charm and would remove all his problems but he has to recognize that ’force’. Raj meets Priya (Vidya Balan) several times…once when his car is about to collide with hers…or at the ATM card machine spot or at a bar. Each time he meets her, things turn out to be in his favour and miracles take place with him. He manages to secure a construction contract and also manages to impress Mr.Gill, when it seems impossible to him. It is then when he realizes that Priya is that force that is his lucky charm. However, there are two problems; Priya runs an old citizens hospital and Gill`s shopping mall is constructed at the same place as the hospital and secondly, Priya is about to get married within a few days and Raj won`t have his lucky charm for very long, with him. Plus, Raj also realises by then that he is in love with Priya.

Music:

The soundtrack composed by Pritam is another strong point. My favourite songs from the movie are Aai Paapi, Bakhuda Tum Hi Ho, Sohni and Move Your Body (which appears during the end credits). Other than that, the camerawork of the movie si fantastic. Most of the movie has been shot in Canada and it has been shot so beautifully that I felt like going on a vacation there smiling smiley The film carries a very stylish look but thank God that the story didn`t suffer due to this style…the impact of the movie only enhanced with it.

Performances:

Performances are also top-notch. Shahid Kapoor, even though looks quite young (he can`t help it smiling smiley has undoubtedly matured as an actor and is a complete natural. Vidya Balan is the best thing that has happened to Bollywood since last three years. She is one of the most talented actresses today. Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, etc. maybe some of the top actresses today but not any of them is half as talented as Vidya, when it comes to acting. Vidya almost instantly clicks with the audience and the ease with which she performs makes it a treat to watch her act. She also looks amazingly gorgeous, throughout.

Vishal Malhotra who played Shahid`s best friend in Ishq Vishk is back with Shahid once again and does a fantastic job, complementing Shahid throughout and gives a spontaneous performance. Juhi Chawla does something quite different in the role of a numerologist (a la Sunita Menon) and manages to entertain in her special appearance.The surprise factor of the movie is Himani Shivpuri as Om Puri`s wife. For the first time, she does not irritate but actually makes you laugh, thanks to her perfect comic timing, this time around. You will just love her (loved her dialogue, ’’first,reduce your tone”). Om Puri, Boman Irani and others also do a fine job.

Verdict:

On the whole, Kismat Konnection is a complete family entertainer which is sure to lure everyone`s hearts and do well at the box-office too. You should definitely give this one a watch.

RGV's Contract - Movie Review

Cast : Adhvik Mahajan as Amaan, Sakshi Gulati as Iya, Amruta Khanvilkar as Divya, Prasad Purandare as Ahmad Hussain, Zakir Hussain as Sultan, Sumeet Nijhawan as RD, Ziyah Vastani as Binty, Raju Satyam as Haneef, Ranjeev Varma as Karim Ali...

Director : Ram Gopal Varma
Producer : Praveen Nischol, Ajay Bijli & Sanjeev K. Bijli
Genre : Crime

RGV's back in form.

With Contract, RGV returns to his favourite genre. This time he shows us the nexus between the underworld and terrorism.

Aman aka Amaan is a family man who helplessly loses his loved ones in a bomb blast. He cannot bring his wife and daughter back, but he can avenge their death by penetrating into the underworld and destroying its key players. He then trains under Ahmed Hussain (Prasad Purandare). There are 2 rivals, Goonga( Limaye) and RD( Nijhawan). Sultan (Hussain) is a and winning RD's trust is a sadistic terrorist and winning RD's trust is the route that leads to him. Our hero Amaan becomes an ace shooter and wipes out most of Goonga's men. All of Goonga's schemes to get rid of Amaan fail. Amaan becomes an able and trusted player in RD's gang and the subject of everyone's envy.

While Contract may not be as good as Company and Satya, it is a compelling and engrossing watch. You need to pay attention to all the double crossing, to understand the movie. The background score is particularly good and the songs are catchy too, even the item song Rabba Khair kare is not incongruous. It's a much better soundtrack than RGV's previous films. It has been shot in RGV's trademark style with close-up shots of the actors and the background score playing an important part in the narration. The actors have to convey a lot through their eyes and ex-pressions. The cinematography by Aseem Mishra is very good, especially the way all the bloodshed has been captured. The blast scenes make you cringe with fear. Very brutal and real. Some dialogues like 'it's a secret' and 'tum hamesha dialogue maarte ho' tend to get repetitive.

Speaking about the performances, everyone has been perfectly cast from Goonga to RD to Sultan. Zakir Hussain appears in just two scenes but steals the show as the blood loving, merciless, sadistic terrorist. Watch out for him in the climax. The shootout scene at sea also keeps you at the edge of your seat. I cannot reveal who is killed though! The arguments between Goonga and his wife Mirchi (Amruta Subhash) can get a little annoying but it shows the lighter side of the gangster. Purandare as cop Ahmed Hussain is brilliant. Vibha Chebur as the female Commisioner makes an impact too. Now talking about Adhvik Mahajan, he is not your charming chocolate boy hero. There is an intensity to him and he delivers a convincing performance. Initially, he appears slightly stone faced but his acting improves as the film progresses. His does his action sequences with ease. He has a good physique as well. He will do very well in such thrillers and dramas. A good find by RGV. Sakshi Gulati is pretty good too and expresses well through her eyes. She is quite dramatic too. Her role and acting progress with the film.

Contract is a captivating watch. It is slightly like Martin Scorcese's The Departed, but good nevertheless. With Sarkar Raj and Contract, RGV is back in his element.

Rating - 3.5/5

The Dark Knight Review

I'm a Batman fan from way back. I mean, I'm one of those guys who collects comic books and action figures and the Batman is my favourite superhero, second only to Spider-Man.

After watching, or rather while I was in the theatre, I realised that this movie – The Dark Knight– was nothing like I expected even after watching the teasers and trailers for the last couple of months. I can't say I'm disappointed at all, but I'm not entirely sure I would watch it again too soon.

Christopher Nolan is one of those directors who love immersing his viewers into the dark depths of the human psyche just like in The Prestige. The feel of The Dark Knight is a perfect pick up from his Batman Begins.The city scape's he takes you through are exactly what you'd imagine Gotham City to look like. Although I have to admit I wish it had more of the larger structures and monuments like in the older (but not so good) Batman movies. Nevertheless the scenes are artfully directed and Gotham comes to life in mute perfection of what the Dark Knight's stomping grounds would be like.

Christian Bale, although a brilliant actor overall, makes a great and extremely suave Bruce Wayne again, but he tends to sound too mean and sometimes muffled as the Batman, kind of like Rambo in a costume. It's been quite evident evening the previous movies that the Bat-suit is not an easy thing to frolic around in, let alone beat the stuffing out of the bad guys. But Bale makes it work.

I was disappointed with their choice of casting Maggie Gyllenhaal (40 Days and 40 Nights, Donnie Darko)as the new Rachel Dawes. She looks rather old in most scenes. I would have preferred Katie Holmes again. Harvey Dent is played by Aaron Eckhart from No Reservations and Thank You for Smoking. He's perfect as the passionate district attorney with a dark side.

Heath Ledger terrorises Gotham City

Heath Ledger as the Joker is simply superb. His mannerisms bring a new light to the infamous and insanely diabolical arch enemy of the Batman. This addition to the Batman's adventures will take you down the road of a mad man. This is the Joker on Acid. There must be just about two or three Batman stories that will depict this diabolical fiend of a character as this dark and psychotic. If you were expecting anything like the image portrayed in the comics or Jack Nicholson's version, think again. He's dark and twisted like never before and even though I'm a traditionalist at heart, I think this is the one Joker you can identify with considering the movies of the here and now.

The storyline is very intricately written with great dialogues that will have viewers talking about them and repeating whenever they can. The technology employed in the movie as part of Batman's gear is in keeping with today and I want some!

'Nuff said! But what I most loved about the movie is the slow build up to the climax that will give viewers a real insight into how one twisted mind can so easily manipulate the human morale and bend it at whim.

The Dark Knight is a journey of the characters into what most of us already know about the Heroes and Villains alike, but the unfolding story will justify the reasons why they are the way they are and their internal turmoil prevails.

The film has its share of loud noises and big bangs with just the right amount of effects to make you sit up and lean forward in anticipation for the next. Don't expect too much action though; this is more of a dark psycho thriller (without too much of the blood and gore) rather than a bright and sunny superhero flick. That's not a bad thing considering the hero in question is not of a sunny and bright disposition.

Some of the action sequences though are a bit repetitive and you may just end up saying – 'Hey wasn't this in the last one? ' While that may or may not seem true, the visual effects and damage caused is handled well enough. Let's just say the level of chaos has been taken up a notch since the last Batman movie.

On the whole I did like the film, but being a Batman fan and like I said before, a traditionalist, there were a couple of things that bothered me about and it's just possible that there are others who may feel the same way. I won't spoil it by telling you what those things are, but I will recommend going to a good theatre to watch this movie. With the kind of visuals and sounds The Dark Knight brings to the table, you want the best in both sound and screen.

Rating: 4/5

Money Hai To Honey Hai - Music Review

There was a time when chartbuster music was guaranteed with everyGovinda film. It wasn't just a phase; it was a continued journey thatGovinda enjoyed all the way from 80's to the 90's where he delivered atleast a couple of foot tapping numbers with each of his films. Thetrend changed though in the 21st century when Govinda took asabbatical, only to return with popular scores for Bhagam Bhag, Salaam-E-Ishq and Partner, with the last mentioned film being the biggest success, both at theaters as well as the music stands.

Now after a gap of a year, Govinda is returning to the silver screen with Money Hai Toh Honey Haiwhich is directed by Ganesh Acharya, the man whose moves have made manya Govinda dance numbers popular amongst masses. Do lyricist Sameer andcomposer duo of Nitin Arora and Sony Chandy create yet another goodsoundtrack for Kumar Mangat after Sunday and Haal-e-Dil?

Blame it on an ordinary music video due to which the title song Money Hai Toh Honey Hai wasn't really noticed so far. That's because audio-wise this track, which is sung by the composers Nitz 'N' Sony themselves along with Harshdeep Kaur, does make for a funky outing. A good mix of sound is introduced as a part of the song's arrangements, which make for a cool urban outing. It's an underground feel in this short 200 seconds song, which hails money as the driving force behind all the acts.

Outing becomes further cool with 'Awaara Dil', a hip-hop track that is backed by some solid arrangements that make an impact in spite of not too many instruments in use. Yet again, the number has an underground feel to it with the overall impact being quite unique in nature. Primarily an Adnan Sami number, this lazy track has Shruti Pathak, Nitz 'N' Sony, Arya, Bob, Ishq and Shantanu Hudlikar giving him good support. A beach track that features Govinda and Upen Patel among a bevy of beauties, 'Awaara Dil' brings with it a cool-n-funky sound, which can't really be sung along but has to be heard over a round of drinks in a lounge!

Money Hai Toh Honey Haistays consistent in it's feel with 'Chhuriyaan' following next. Yet again, Punjabi flavor is mixed with hip-hop in this track that has Labh Jhanjua and Sunidhi Chauhan coming together. A kind of song, which immediately reminds of many a Pritam, hits in the months gone by, one wonders why is it still hiding in the background. Enabled by some eye pleasing choreography and ample glam quotient, this one would have helped the album grow by now. With just 10 days to go for the film's release, it won't be a bad idea to unleash this foot tapping number on screen!

The rhythm of 'Ta Na Na' is so catchy that it takes only one hearing to get it on your mind for rest of the day. Yet another hip-hop number that has Govinda coming together with Esha Deol on a beach, 'Ta Na Na' is an item number, which has an unlikely combination of Kunal Ganjawala and Rekha Bhardwaj sharing a common platform. While Nitz 'N' Sony along with Earl E D and Arya provide the background vocals, the duo does well to keep the momentum going for yet another funky outing. Now what has taken the last few songs from Money Hai Toh Honey Hai so long to arrive on music channels!

Now this one is an absolute shocker! Just when one had started to warm up with the cool sound of Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, a hardcore 'masala' number, 'Rangeeli Raat' threatens to ruin it all. Further insult to the injury is witnessed with singers like Daler Mehendi and Sunidhi Chauhan lending their vocals to this song, which is plain and simple noise with some really bad singing. In fact in order to bring to fore the image that Govinda carried in the 90's, the other singers - Master Saleem and Arya - come up with some annoying rendition as well which takes this number completely downhill. What a shame for a number, which features the entire cast of the film!

Suraj Jagan reprises his Johnny Gaddaar singing style for 'No Big Deal', which offers a soft rock outing this time around. In fact, one wonders how a number like this would really fit into the mood of Money Hai Toh Honey Hai which was all fun and frolic till this point. A number about winning at all cost, it takes a philosophical route though it is still engaging enough to make for a good background piece for the situation. Also effective is Naveen created 'instrumental version' of the same, 'Hope', which arrives towards the album's end.

Shivamani gets his drumbeats on for 'Dance Master', which is sung by Shaan. A song which comes with a severe 80's hangover, it has it's theme similar to that of the title song as it hails the power of money. With a lukewarm tune not really helping its case and the singing (especially the chorus effect of the title words - 'Dance Master') belonging to the past, this one is a quick skip!

In entirety, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai is not one of your conventional albums that spell chartbuster from day one. In fact, the composers score brownie points where they dare to experiment but at a couple of places where they try to follow the 'masala' route (Rangeeli Raat, Dance Master), results are truly forgettable. Overall, the music here is more experimental in nature, which is a surprise considering the film is a hardcore commercial entertainer. Nitin-Sony create an urban sound that may not find an audience for itself on Day One but would take its own time to grow.

Kung Fu Panda - Review

Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross
Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Rating: 4/5

Kung Fu Panda is one of those films that grips you right from the start, a never ending roller coaster ride of thrills, action, adventure and of course a lot of heart. Besides the CGI animation used is a must watch for animation fanatics.

I was laughing, smiling and guffawing at Po, the main protagonist (voiced by Jack Black) and his misadventures at becoming a Kung Fu expert. This was certainly a flawed character, one that a lot of people can relate to because he dreams, he's funny and he can laugh at himself. Also, the story was pretty clear and easy to follow because the storytelling was well crafted and the animation was paired well with characters brought vividly to life by some of the most famous names in Hollywood.

Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman are downright excellent as the main characters, and Ian McShane as the bad dude gave it the right fearful presence. Other big name stars don't shine as much, but that's because their roles are rather limited in the film. But that's still okay because the animators should be given equal credit for delivering the funny, action and heart elements of this movie in an effective, amazing and AWESOME manner. Visually, this movie is stunning. Some subtle points to notice are all those scenic shots of the Chinese mountains, bodies of water and the bridge scene.

At the end of this noodle eating, Kung Fu film all I am left with are just memories of what older animation films used to be like and the glory that they brought along. But I must say that Dreamworks has done a wonderful job and it seems like they are gearing up to re-enter the world of animation films with a bang.

So go ahead, leave your worries and other worldly possessions behind and enjoy the eternal peace and tranquil that you will get from the Dragon warrior Po in Kung Fu Panda.

PS: I was left craving for more at the end... for food and the film as well.

Will Simth's Hancock - Movie Review

Meet John Hancock (Will Smith), a superhero who spends a healthy chunk of his day rescuing people from burning buildings, crazed bank robbers, accidents and so on. Unlike your conventional superhero who more often than not bends over backward for the masses, Hancock has certain anger management issues and he pretty much does things his way, no matter what the outcome.

To make matters worse he's got a drinking problem so it's no surprise that he isn't extremely popular with the denizens of Los Angeles; in fact they pretty much hate his guts.

To improve his public image we have PR executive, Ray Embrey played by Arrested Development's Jason Bateman who along with his idyllic family coaxes Hancock to mend his ways. As expected, Hancock turns over a new leaf through the course of the film, people start loving him unconditionally and everyone lives happily ever after again.

The movie starts off with a bang as we're introduced via an awesome chase sequence to a superhero who like all of us petty mortals suffers from mood swings and the occasional hangover.

Hancock's heart is in the right place but the copious amounts of alcohol flowing through his veins make him a Bull in a China shop…only it's not an actual shop but the city of LA we're talking about here.

This whole Bad Ass Superhero bit was working just fine for me until director Peter Berg (The Kingdom) felt the need to reform the protagonist thus transforming this comedy/action flick into a boring soap opera eventually.

From then on you have a lot unnecessary emotional fare till the credits roll, hampering the end battle in the process that by the way felt more like a tiny skirmish than an epic ending synonymous with more superhero flicks.

Luckily for us, Will Smith was his charismatic self as usual playing both the renegade as well as the reformed superhero with aplomb. He almost carried the entire movie on his shoulders but was bogged down eventually by the ridiculous "plot twists".

Jason Bateman was charming in his supporting role as Hancock's mentor of sorts while Charlize Theron who plays his doting wife, harbouring a dark secret of her own is her usual pretty self.

At the end of the day I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the movie. Sure it was enjoyable watching Hancock wreck half of LA under the influence of a drunken stupor but the sudden transition from awesome action flick to emotional drama is what leads to its eventual downfall. Sure it's not as good as Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk but it's still a decent superhero flick that's well worth a watch.

Rating: 3/5