Monday 28 January 2013

Punjabi Juliet cum Jatti on the sets of NAUGHTY JATTS

I spent some time on the sets of upcoming Punjabi movie NAUGHTY JATTS  featuring Aarya Babbar, Roshan Prince, Neeru Bajwa, Binnu Dhillon  since last couple of days and was zapped to see the working efficiency of the unit as a whole. I've been to couple of other Pollywood shoots but this has been the most organised, professional, cohesive unit n crew led by young Pankaj Batra who proclaimed to have turned sweet 16(yesterday was his B'Day) but in actual has turned around 38 yrs.( Sorry to spell the beans,Pankaj). Although could not interact much with Aarya as he was busy with shoot but had a very brief interaction with NEERU BAJWA which cleared my misconception and made me understand why she is the undisputed queen of Pollywood. She is not only very demure,amiable,enchanting but also carries the right balance of attitude and elegance( i'm not adding sweet,beautiful n charming as its visible onscreen ).Generally it is leading ladies who blush during interaction but on the contrary she made me blush by pointing out a silly n major mistake in one of my write ups resulting in roaring  laughter. Also had a small word with choreographer SAVIO who was in town for a show with Bharti and will be coming back next week to work on two songs of NAUGHTY JATTS.

Will keep u guys updating about their naughtiest acts including behind the scene ones from their shooting schedule at Chandigarh.                          TILL THAN ADIEU.            


http://rohitmoviereview.blogspot.in/   
rohitreview@gmail.com

Sunday 27 January 2013

Movie Review Of TU MERA 22 MAIN TERA 22






Before I pen down my review for this movie i"ll like to talk first things first regarding evolution of Punjabi cinema. For decades our Protagonist ,a  Jatt, wearing a kurta dhoti riding a horse or tractor and carrying a Gandasa ruled Punjabi cinema and than came ace director Mr. MANMOHAN SINGH who turned our Jatt into smartly dressed NRI missing khushboo of his Punjab di Mitti. Finally the seeds sown by him have been harvested by new gen-next talented directors like AMIT PRASHER, ANURAG SINGH, PANKAJ BATRA, SMEEP KANG and taken it at par in quality and finesse with any other regional cinema or even Bollywood.


SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY      :                            The script has been written by DHEERAJ RATTAN who leaves no stone unturned in order to dish out a typical Masala entertainer. There is nothing new in this but the sheer daftness and goofiness makes it a likable smartly paced wild ride. The story begins with an NRI father in Melbourne whose two spoilt brat sons are having fun of their lives by doling out his hard earned moolah. Cut next the father sends them to his ancestral property in Punjab with a condition to earn 30 Lacs in a month or he will disown both of them. Back in Punjab the caretaker of their property has not only sublet the property as a PG but has also boasted about being owner of the same. Hereafter ensues a witty situational comedy infused with elements of romance,drama,little action and of course the main forte humour.


STARCAST    :                                         Performances by some actors are the real highlight of this movie and  especially the ensemble actors make it worth watching. I'll start by saying that i had minimum expectations from AMRINDER GILL after watching his wooden expressions in Jatt n Juliett. But he has improved tremendously and is now able to emote well if not brilliantly which shows he is really working hard to hone his acting skills and is a good sign for singers turned actors. HONEY SINGH has faced lot of reprimand recently for singing some songs having vulgar lyrics and timing of this movie can prove to be a boon for him as he looks kinda cute in this flick which might win him lot of female admirers..He has given his best shot and his performance is kinda average. In female leads WAMIQA GABBI has a miniscule kind of role with not much scope for great performance and has looked fine. MANDY THAKKAR looks good and shows some sparks in her performance by acting well. But the best performance once again has been given by king of comic expressions called BINNU DHILLON.  He is virtually a show stealer and when it comes to comic timing he virtually gobbles up everyone else present in the scene. He is really a star performer and i'll safely rate him as one of the best comic talents across Indian movie industry. One more positive point about movie is that the writer has cleverly sketched the characters of ensemble cast consisting of B.M.SHARMA, KARAMJIT ANMOL, MUKESH VOHRA & BALRAJ who have done full justice to their roles and provide you ample opportunities to laugh.


TECHNICAL ASPECTS   :                        Music has been composed by HONEY SINGH & is catchy but does not have the feel to stay long on your mind which is a tad disappointing..Only two tracks namely Sargi and the title song are the ones that are memorable. One name worth mentioning is MANISH MORE who is the editor of this movie and has shown his craft by crisp editing enabling the script to flow with same pace all through.Producers have spent lavishly hence the camera has captured some riveting shots especially in Australia which positively add to the look and feel of this flick.Now coming to the chief of staff behind the lens who in this case is AMIT PRASHER who has directed this movie. He has played his part to perfection by sticking to basics of commercial potboilers without much experimentation with the sole aim to entertain you and has succeeded also to certain extent. There are certain flaws but he hugely scores on detailing of his characters and making them enter the script at right time.


WOW MOMENTS      :                    I might sound biased but still most of them are of Binnu like when BINNU frightens both the leads by cooking up a horror story, Binnu winking his servant to praise his shooting skills, falling on the feet of both leads to spare his image will make you laugh your hearts out.
 

OVER THE HEAD       :             Now this is something interesting because if i talk logically than most of the script goes over the head. So i am going to give it a miss.Clearly it is a purely commercial entertainer and is not made for connoisseurs of intelligent cinema.


CONCLUSION           :             Although it is a hilarious movie but you do hope the narrative was a bit tauter as it seems a bit lacklustre in portions.The director has tried to invoke laughter throughout but in that effort misses out on developing relationships or touching emotional chords.But in case you are one of those who see cinema only for entrtainment, ent., and ent. than you can safely go and enjoy this with your 22'S.


ROHIT SHARMA.
rohitreview@gmail.com




  
                             






Tuesday 22 January 2013

Movie Review of INKAAR


Inkaar starts on a very promising note capturing your instincts and you begin to think here's a movie which steers clear of the convenient certitudes that underpin popular movie narratives.And you start expecting a drastic denouement but ultimately it ends as a tame,contrived and confusing shocker - with no sanctimonious caveats attached.


SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY  :             Sudhir Mishra and Manoj Tyagi  get the credit for writing this story and the screenplay which in turns out to be a disappointment.Story begins in a corporate room where in a panel is sitting to inquest sexual harassment charges by one of their directors against their CEO presided by independent social worker Mrs.Kamdar.After this the movie keeps on moving back and forth in time as the story revolves.Here Sudhir Mishra has shown his class by deftly showing versions of both accuser and accused regarding each incident.The story that unfolds has involved in it a tangled web of male possessiveness,vaulting ambition, sexual jealousy ,intra-office shenanigans and deep emotional complexities that cannot be deconstructed in simple terms.Our handsome hero(Rahul) from small town Saharanpur shines enough to become a CEO of a top notch advertising agency who further finds a small town girl(Maya) from Solan obviously working with another ad agency sitting next to him at a bar stool in a party.Sparks fly and card exchanged.As expected Maya joins his agency as a copywriter, gets fruitfully nurtured and trained under wings of Rahul,beds him and in fact starts loving him.One fine day she finds Rahul playing Aamsutra games with a Firang model and a fight ensues.She gets herself transferred and after years comes back but now she's the first woman to join the board of directors.What transpires next leads to the harassment drama and the movie looses its steam.The worst part is that the script looses its way when it matters the most which leads to an inept ending which is not only confusing but a big big letdown.What started as an intelligent stylish thematic proposition eventually goes back track ending ineptly confusing viewers who were expecting a radical conclusion.



STARCAST    :                                       Undoubtedly the starcast of Inkaar is one of its strengths.All the actors have been perfectly cast as per their characters and they have left no tables upturned to showcase their skills.Lot of people who were & still are apprehensive about acting of National Award winner ARJUN RAMPAL must go and see this movie.He looks in his elements all thru the movie whether as a ferrocious CEO,a gentle son,a romantic lover or a boardroom charmer.CHITRANGDHA SINGH is a not only sexy stunner but she has beautiful elegance attached to her which does not make her look vulgar as some critics have said.Her journey in this movie has her starting as a sultry sizzling damsel transcending to a matured corporate woman but not an easy journey as she has to sail through lots of passions,emotions and hardships on the way.But she has played her part to perfection and has come out as a winner.I still feel she has been a tad unlucky and has the potential to be featured in more commercial flicks.My personal feeling is that Arjun and Chitrangdha look sizzling together and make a great onscreen couple.But the best respite from the serious screenplay comes in the form of ensemble starcast namely Kaizaad Kotwal,Mohan Kapoor, Deepti Nawal,Gaurav Dwivedi and especially Vipin Sharma who manages to provide the much needed guffaws.Vipin Sharma has also been playing diverse characters movie after movie with perfection.



TECHNICAL ASPECTS  :                           Music by Shantanu Moitra is again in his own trademark  style and is in sync with the movie and thankfully has no item numbers in it.But everything falls flat when the basic story and screenplay by Sudhir Mishra,Sachin Tyagi looses its way in the second half leading to an abrupt end of what could have been a promising movie.Editing by Archit D Rastogi deserves appreciation as he has handled the boardroom scenes very deftly by showing both sides of the coin oh sorry sorry the versions of both the main characters simultaneously. Cinematography by Sachin K Krishn is tempting enough to lure your eyeballs for a visual treat.Apart from these Gautam Sen for his production design and Niharika Khan for her costume design need a special mention as they have given a real stylish feel to the movie by their respective contributions.Coming to the big boss of the crew SUDHIR MISHRA whose name is synonymous with delivering path breaking hits like Jaane...Yaaro,Hazaaron ...Aisi,Ye Saali Zindagee once again picked a bold unconventional plot but could not justify it in the end.Its like you set out on a horrendous sea journey with enthusiasm braving bad weather,torrents,sea sickness but in the end you are let down by a hole in the boat.



WOW MOMENTS     :                             The scene where advertising team is giving a presentation to the client by cleverly using name of Sudhir's earlier movies " IS RAAT KI SUBAH NAHIN " has turned out well.Also a scene where another script writer taunts Chitrangdha by accusing her promixity to Arjun for her stature in office leading to steamy office politics has been shot well.Also watch out for our Kallu Mama (Rishabh Shukla) singing in a poolside party wearing Hawaiian shirt along with funky shorts.



OVER THE HEAD         :                         I will not write about any particular scene in this context as the complete ending goes over the head leaving the viewer confused that if this was supposed to be the ending    what the hell was in between fuss all about. 


OVERALL    :                                            Undoubtedly Sudhir Mishra chose a bold intelligent subject which chooses to showcase moral and ethical dilemmas undergoing in today's corporate world which makes u expect a radical story but it turns you off with a hurried and compromised ending.But it has lot of style quotient attached with it apart from fantabulous performance by the lead as well as ensemble actors.Plus the chemistry between Arjun & Chitrangdha is a treat to watch.


ROHIT SHARMA.
rohitreview@gmail.com

                                  





Thursday 17 January 2013

Punjabi Flick NAUGHTY JATTS


 2013 is starting with a big bang for Punjabi movie lovers as the shooting schedule of Multiline Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.'s venture " Naughty Jatts" is about to begin. So all the Punjabi 22's and their Bibi's be ready to see Matroo ki Bijlee ka Badal( Aarya Babbar) romancing our own Desi Juliett( Neeru Bajwa) along with Awaaz Punjab Di( Roshan Prince) and comedy Champion ( Binnu Dhillon) ably directed by thoughtful director and my Bachpan Da Yaarri( PANKAJ BATRA). Be ready to savour a movie delicacy having Tarrka of ingredients like Punjabi Ishtyle Ashiqui, Rib-tickling humour, Heart felt emotions along with Foot tapping Naach Gaana put together by MasterChef oh sorry sorry Director Mr.Batra.I assure you along with with your family will have entertainment unlimited once this movie releases in theatres. Will keep you posted as the shoot progresses.

ROHIT SHARMA.
rohitreview@gmail.com

Hi Friends,   2013 is starting with a big bang for Punjabi movie lovers as the shooting schedule of Multiline Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.'s venture " Naughty Jatts" is about to begin. So all the Punjabi 22's and their Bibi's be ready to see Matroo ki Bijlee ka Badal( Aarya Babbar) romancing our own Desi Juliett( Neeru Bajwa) along with Awaaz Punjab Di( Roshan Prince) and comedy Champion ( Binnu Dhillon) ably directed by thoughtful director and my Bachpan Da Yaarri( PANKAJ BATRA).                                                                                                             Be ready to savour a movie delicacy having Tarrka of ingredients like Punjabi Ishtyle Ashiqui, Rib-tickling humour, Heart felt emotions along with Foot tapping Naach Gaana put together by MasterChef oh sorry sorry Director Mr.Batra.I assure you along with with your family will have entertainment unlimited once this movie releases in theatres.   Will keep you posted as the shoot progresses.

Saturday 12 January 2013

Movie Review of Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola


MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA 


To begin with lemme tell you that this is not one of the finest works of director Vishal Bhardwaj but still this movie takes you on kind of a whirlwind journey of cinematic experience.And if u r a genuine movie lover than it offers you various moments to cherish although they come in bits and parts.

SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY :    Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey have written a satire which revolves around the the issue of SEZ 'S and a nexus between politicos, cops, fund managers and big corporate houses.The story begins well but the screenplay looses its sheen somewhere in the middle.All the characters are well crafted with a rustic touch but characters of Harry and Badal stand out. In fact if you want to enjoy this movie than enjoy some of the individual scenes rather than concentrating on the screenplay.The story is about Harry, a billionaire tycoon who has plans to set up SEZ in his village land with the help of a powerful politician Chaudhary Devi.For this purpose he wants his daughter Bijlee to marry Devi's son Badal.In between their plan stands Matroo, a law graduate who although works as a driver for Harry but in actual is red ribbon wearing saviour of villagers land whom villagers call MAO(who sounds chinese but is Desi) He has taken a pledge to save villagers land from the clutches of Harry by any means.

STARCAST :     Pankaj Kapur has always entertained audience in his various characters but this time he has given performance par excellence.Be it as the whip wielding hot headed capitalist or as a chilled out drunk tipsy who instigates villagers to start a morcha against himself and leading them to his own house.Some of his scenes are a treat to watch and he has simply carried the movie on his shoulders. Imran Khan  as Matroo created quite a buzz in promos with his rustic looks and beard but in the movie he's just fair enough.He somehow does not fits into skin of the character although he has given a good performance.His emotions and expressions as a modern educated revolutionary villager lack that punch and strength and hence look unconvincing.Anushka steps into the character of Bijlee effortlessly with ease and proves why she was chosen by Vishal for this role.Although her attire in the movie is not in sync with her portrayal of a billionaire but she still she has emoted well and given a good performance.But the biggest surprise has come from Aarya Babbar who lends a different flavour to the movie as Badal.He shines as a rich brat and displays all emotions ranging from romantic,buffoonery,slapstick,anger and jealousy.In fact his role stands parallel to the hero and hats off to Vishal for giving him a role whose screen presence is almost equal to protagonist.He's done full justice to his character and is a delight to watch in this movie. Not to forget Shabana Azmi who portrays the character of a manipulative politico to perfection and looks mean and menacing as per the character.

 TECHNICAL ASPECTS :       Music by Vishal is in his own impeccable subtle style and has been composed in sync with the narrative( Thankfully no forced groovy item numbers).Dialogues are again by Vishal himself and some of them are a treat to listen to especially when Pankaj says to Imran" Tumhari Jodi jaise Mukesh aur Nita Ambani" and Shabana Says to Aarya reffering to sons of politicians" Yehi farak hai tum mein aur Rahul,Sachin aur Jyotiraditya mein".Cinematography by Kartik Vijay is at its best and has been able to capture some stunning visuals that too in countryland.Editing by A.Sreekar Prasad needs a mention although in negative sense. Some scenes have been stretched a lot which not only affect the tempo of movie but also increase the length to 160 minutes which seems a little long as per the trend of short movies these days.But can't blame him as the captain of the ship is Vishal Bhardwaj who has been credited for delivering some memorable scenes in his last movies.Coming to direction it can be said that VISHAL BHARDWAJ with his immense talent and precision has handled such a major upsurge social issue in a quirky satire form and that too so deftly.He has packaged the movie very cleverly with lot of insight,quirk,laughs,hard hitting words and outstanding performances from the cast.I'll say he is a fine example of a master storyteller who not only deftly handles but also concentrates on each and every character of his movie without bothering whether his movie will be to enter that 100 crore club.

WOW MOMENTS :                          Dont miss the beginning as the opening scene of the movie has turned out to be a real highlight of the movie.The scene where Inebriated Harry and Matroo are trying to push away the well out of the village is outstandingly hillarious.Entry scene of Shabana and Aarya where local officials who have come to welcome them upset their stomach by popping a pill is genuinely funny.Aarya with his team trying to destroy crops of villagers ensues quite laughter.Finally a scene where Imran and Anushka behind the door discuss a plot to murder Aarya is a funny moment.But the scene where Pankaj Kapoor transits as Harry from Haria after falling in a water pool is awesome and shows why he is treated as one of the finest actors of movie industry.Not to forget the charming buffalo GULABO.

OVER THE HEAD :                       Casting of Imran for the character of Matroo especially when character of Matroo is very complex and has dual shades of being a commoner as well as die hard saviour attached to it.Undoubtedly he has given his best but he is too soft a face to play such a revolutionary kind of character.Some scenes have been unduly stretched like the airplane ride of Imran with Pankaj and even the scene where Matroo goes to a big flour giant to sell villagers crop where you can see a glimpse of Ranvir Shorey( God knows what was he doing there ).

OVERALL    :                                Although it falls short of expectations but still it is a good movie to watch in comparison to those 100 crore plus potboiler kind movies( no offences meant).Vishal Bhardwaj definitely takes you on a nice cinematic ride albeit you might experience some turbulences in the journey.



ROHIT SHARMA.
rohitreview@gmail.com