YOUNGISTAAN :::: Movie Review

Youngistaan  is as much a political drama as a romantic comedy about a young Prime Minister and his fun-loving outgoing girlfriend who suddenly finds herself under house curfew just because her lover has a rather important job to perform. The film tells us - it's okay to have dynastic rule as long as the job gets done. It also tell us that there's no need to get hysterical if our Prime Minister is in a live-in relationship. It may not be cool for a Prime minister to get his girlfriend pregnant at a time when he has a responsibility towards nation, but if it happens, there's no need to get righteous and holier- than- thou. You have to hand it to this film for making an effort to be headline-ish without toppling over with the temperament of topicality. This is a genre never cracked in Hindi cinema. There is a sense of mischief underlining the very powerful message about the young shouldering the governance of the country without resorting to the the stereotypical morality and dress code of Netagiri in Hindustaan. “Youngistaan” simplifies things to a large extent, and never seems to be able to decide whether it is a romance or a political thriller. As a result, it ends up being neither.      

 

STORY & SCREENPLAY                            ::           The credit for story as well as screenplay has been shared by trio of Syed Ahmed Afzal, Ramiz Ilham Khan & Maitrey Bajpayee. Although, the movie has a very interesting premise, but it is totally diluted by lazy scriptwriting. The film also lacks shades of grey and hence as a political drama, remains somewhat unconvincing. It focuses more on the personal life of the Prime Minister instead of his professional one -- which is not a bad idea either, except the director fails to choose between focusing on how Abhimanyu makes his politics work and how Abhimanyu makes his relationship work. Abhimanyu Kaul (Jackky Bhagnani), the son of the incumbent premier, is partying one minute and sitting by his dying father‘s bedside the next. Our young hero is oblivious to his parent dying of cancer and knows nothing about the vagaries of politics in India, but is still trusted with the highest office in the country. Abhimanyu’s wardrobe undergoes a transformation — from grungy tees to crisp, linen shirts. He makes rousing speeches at the United Nations and pushes for youth reform. What does not change though, is his whiny girlfriend and her whims and fancies, which the young prime minister insists on fulfilling, even when they are unreasonable and childish. Anwita (Neha Sharma) hates politics, so she insists they move into a private home instead of the official residence, wants to visit the Taj Mahal when her boyfriend is on a work trip to Agra, and feels offended by media scrutiny into the life of the prime minister.

STARCAST                                             ::               Every character, big or small is effectively cast. Jackky Bhagnani as the Prime Ministerial candidate, conveys a whole lot of sincerity in his performance. His scenes with his dead father ( Boman Irani ) are emotionally resplendent. They play off well against the stark, sometime funny and outrageous reality of Indian politics. Jackky manages to deliver his most mature performance till date. Sure, he has miles to go, but Youngistaan is the big step he needed. Neha Sharma as his untameable girlfriend plays her character with intelligence and grace. This girl deserves more than what Hindi cinema has offered her so far. But it is Farooque Sheikh as Jackky's quietly efficient personal assistant who brings a twinkle eyed wisdom to the table.He’s effortless as the personal assistant to the PM, his twinkle-eyed wisdom making the narrative all the more engaging. His scenes with Jackky are not exactly laden with emotion but stay with you because of their simplicity. Meeta Vashisth looks real convincing as Jackky's Right hand lady but alias she has been given just couple of scenes. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                              ::           The music department of the movie has been handled by Jeet Ganguly, Shree Isshq, Sneha Khanwalkar & Shiraz Uppal and the album has turned out to be decent enough with some of the songs turning out as chart busters. The production value of the movie is top class and credit must be given to Suman Roy Mahapatra & Pallavi Bagga who are the production designers of the movie. The movie has been shot well under the lens of cinematographer Amalendhu Chaudhary who has captured the locales well. The movie has been edited by Anuradha Singh who has restricted the length of the movie to 133 minutes. Now, coming to direction, i feel that Syed Ahmed Fazal has done a very average job and could have made this tale in a more convincing & engaging manner. The director has not used much intelligence or wit in handling his film and he has kept it modest, one dimensional and convenient. Everything happens too easily in the film and well the postulates of the constitution obviously doesn’t hold much value for the filmmaker.

CONCLUSION                                          ::         All in all, Youngistaan makes claims like Modi, implements policies like Rahul and has a persistent cough like Kejriwal. With a solid script on paper though trivial direction and sloppy execution, the film manages to remain engaging.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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rohitreview@gmail.com

QUEEN :: Movie Review

Before, I pen down the review I would like to candidly admit that Queen is a movie which has shown the positive side of human spirit at its best and reflects Never say die attitude to the core. As a director,Vikas Bahl, eloquently traps the gradual transformation of Rani’s middle class terminology into a self assured laconic ‘thank you’. The movie not only leaves a zesty after-taste that lingers on until long after the ride has ended but also warms the heart and tickles the funny bone with equal force. ‘Queen‘ is easily one of the most accomplished films made in a long time. Its thematic elegance and narrative wisdom surpasses anything that you might have come to expect from the frothy ebullient trailers. Frothy and cheery, Queen certainly is. But it’s a lot more. At the end you are left so close to the characters and their life-defining milieu that you you don't leave them at the theatre when movie ends, but carry their cherishing memories along with you in your mind.

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                            ::                        The credit for the  story as well as the screenplay has been shared by the trio of Vikas Bahl, Chaitally Parmar and Parveez Sheikh. The brilliantly transitional screenplay has no jagged edges. Every component somehow slips into place. As Bahl tells his story we become one with Rani’s journey. The desperate optimism of her marriage-less honeymoon directs her to inner reserves of strength and will-power that she didn't know existed. By the time Rani’s journey ends, you are supremely attached to her soul. The story opens with a wedding ceremony and an adorable bride you’ll take an instant liking to. There is an immense delight factor in how the script is written. It is relatively plain and without the superfluous airs (read melodrama) you would expect. Just as you begin to pity her, the story ups itself for the better losing itself in the by-lanes of Paris and Amsterdam,with Kangana’s rolling eyes doing more of the talking than her. The girl’s childlike innocence is hard to miss as there is more of care than judgement in the way she advises her new found friend about not indulging in casual sex or as she compliments a stripper on how well she dances. Even the silent dinner she eats all by herself, with the eye popping out, off the fish, is metaphorical in its tone. But the entrancing moments are when Kangana vents herself out after bearing through a hard night, under the spell of alcohol. The intoxication makes her bold and she manages to exhibit more hues of her real self than her silently restrained atmosphere back home had allowed her in her entire life. It is from that wild beginning that Rani begins her journey towards self analysis and eventual learning. I am glad the writers did not dilute the story with a sappy and predictable romance angle and kept it sweet in just the correct measure. And of course, when it comes to how the story ends, I don’t think there could have been a more befitting climax written for a film of this expression. Rani attains an eventual carte blanch of sorts and yet it is less emphatic and more reinvigorating to see the final canter.

STARCAST                                                                       ::        Undoubtedly, its a Kangana's movie all the way And how! Kangna is so in-sync with her character that you wonder if the story was written according to the emotions that the actress had stored away in her heart. There is stark honesty about Kangna’s portrayal of the Delhi girl who is deserted by her husband-to-be days before the wedding. Kangna’s face and body-language justify the character of Rani to the core. She lives through every moment of Rani’s journey from a Delhi middle-class cocooned existence to a girl making her way through the dark sinister alleys of Paris and strippers’ joints of Amsterdam. Kangana Ranaut delivers a performance that marks her light-years ahead of any of her contemporaries. Lisa Hayden is breathtakingly gorgeous and just as good an actor expressing with a natural flair all that she has been entrusted with. This can definitely be rated as one her best performances till date. Rajkumar Rao as usual has given an excellent performance while portraying dual shades of his character. In the first half, as a lover-boy who is smitten in love of Rani trying every trick available in the book to woo her and in the second half as a dejected lover who is repenting for being a selfish fiancée. In fact, all the artistes having even the smallest of the roles have performed with unconditional conviction.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                     ::      The music for this movie has been composed by the talented Amit Trivedi who deserves accolades for composing some real fine tunes which are completely in sync with the situations of movie's screenplay. The cinematography by Late Bobby Singh is plush and passionate and yet the film's visuals never topple over into the kingdom of the garish. He definitely knows, recognizes, acknowledges and records beauty in every form, right from the architecture to the plush locales. The movie has been edited by Anurag Kashyap & Abhijeet Kokate who have done their job to utmost perfection as you won't find a dull moment during the movie's run-time of 146 minutes. And as far as direction is concerned, Vikas Bahl has done an astounding job by turning the oft-repeated tale of betrayal and self-realization into an ode to womanhood. Here is that rare director who knows how to articulate his characters’ feelings through the spaces that they occupy. There is something magical about the way Bahl uses Kangna’s artless vulnerability to express the character’s hurt and desire, sometimes both in the same breath. And despite following a non linear track of storytelling, basing the film solely on its vivacious moments, Bahl risks not following the easier route out here and yet makes this work magically. In many aspects Queen is a director’s product.

WOW MOMENTS                                                                       ::     There are innumerable wow moments in this movie but still some are there which you will cherish for a long long time. One of the scenes, where Rani's room-mates are playing & dancing on her Mehndi's song video and when she enters the room her face drops down. Her friends understand her pain and as soon as she looks up, Taka tries to cheer her up. Taka is a survivor of the Tsunami that wiped out his entire life. In that one moment, Kangana’s look changes perhaps with the feeling that her pain is nothing compared to his. Another scene, where Kangana gets drunk along with Lisa Hayden and the wild merriment that follows is a treat to watch.

CONCLUSION                                                                                 ::      Queen is a winner and does it all in a regal style almost to give most film lovers a cinematic orgasm of sorts. Queen is definitely one of the best movies to have come out in recent times and I would highly recommend this movie as a must watch.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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rohitreview@gmail.com

LAKEER KA FAKEER, is a small budget movie which released in June 2013 but sadly i could not watch it as the movie did not garner Pan India release. I just saw it on DVD, a few days back and could not stop myself from penning down the review of this flick. The theme of this movie revolves around underworld albeit through the eyes of three friends who get caught in nefarious nexus only because of the area and surroundings where they reside. It stands out from the normal Bollywood gangster movies, being a rather dark and gritty look at how the crime erupts in Underworld of Mumbai. This is a film that brings very distinct points to its subject matter in comparison to previous films dealing with similar themes. The film is not about underworld , its about a guy who finds himself trapped in the crossroads of mafia as well as cops once he decides to become an informer. Its about the pluses and minuses of being involved in such a terrible world. The best part of the movie is its authenticity along with its treatment as after a certain period of time, everything on the screen seems so natural that you dont feel like as if you are watching a movie. And, for this full marks go to its director i.e. Zubair Khan who has made sure that everything right from locations, characters, dialect is so picture perfect as if its happening in real.  

SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                :          The story as well as screenplay for this flick has been jointly penned down by the duo of Salim Sheikh along with Zubair Khan who have written a subtle script and concentrated more on sketching the characters especially the three main protagonists of the movie. You wont find those typical bolly heroes or anti-heroes in this flick. The characters are all simple having dreams of making it big one fine day but the biggest hurdle that stands in between is their address where they reside which is known for nefarious activities. The story of each character is presented through the eyes of Fakeer ( Azaz Khan ) in a unique way. The film clearly shows that anyone who enters this world will end up living under constant threat for his life and eventually find himself killed in the most dire of circumstances.The success, the friendship, the love the film's hero finds, all of it is lost in one unfortunate chain of tragic incident. The movie also touches the issue of exploitation of small time crooks who are lured by so called big fishes right from Cops to politicos to Smugglers. Kudos to the writers as although, the movie revolves around three characters only but still it manages to hold your interst throughout.

STARCAST                                                      :               Performances wise, this movie is a treat as most of the artistes are at their natural best and it doesn't seem as if they are acting. I have seen Azaz Khan ( Fakeer ) doing some negative roles in other flicks but here he looks to be totally a different actor. He has given a superlative performance as right from his expressions, body language to dialogue delivery, he seems to be in best of his elements. Javed Hyder (Chotu Mobile), whom we have seen doing small roles & in fact he has featured as Junior Chunky Pandey in movies of late nineties surprises you big time in this movie. Apart from his intense acting, he scores heavily in some comic scenes too. But, the surprise package is Vicky Ahuja who has played the character of Suleiman. He is an actor who i feel has not been utilized and has got real potential in him. Aksshey Verma, who has essayed the character of a cop looks every inch like a typical shrewd cop. Maarisha, too deserves a special mention as she has really impressed in her brief appearance.   Here again, the credit goes to Zubair Khan for extracting the best from his artistes who at least i could never imagine had the potential to carry a movie on their shoulders.     

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                    :                           The music for this flick has been composed by Dilshad which is on an very average scale. The cinematographer of the movie is Sanket Shah who has done a commendable job and has captured unfussy, grounded images with the right amount of light required for each frame as per the screenplay. The editing department has been handled once again by duo of Salim Sheikh & Zubair Khan who have done exceedingly well but i feel they could have restrained on blood gory violence and excessive usage of cuss words. Now, coming to the captain of the ship i.e. director Zubair Khan, he has done an excellent job keeping in mind the resources that were available with him. His hold on the subject and especially on the area where he has shot the movie seems to be tremendously good as he has shot the movie exceedingly well. We have seen ample number of movies made by various makers on underworld but his take is very different as the tale of underworld is intertwined through the incidents happening in lives of three friends. Zubair Khan has tried to keep proceedings as authentic as possible and has been successful in it to a big extent.

WOW MOMENTS                                             :    The scene where a techie Geek, approaches Chotu Mobile to buy an Apple handset and the conversation that they have will make you go roaring with laughter and is one of the most hilarious scenes. Also, the scene where Maarisha tells Azaz about her exploitations during her previous jobs has been shot well and is quite intense.

CONCLUSION                                                        :     It is a real hard hitting movie which covers various sides of human emotions especially of three friends who are victimised and fall prey to negative situations only because of their adventurous attitude & the area they reside in. Although, made on a modest budget with no star value, the movie still manages to catch hold of your eyeballs throughout its runtime.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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rohitreview@gmail.com

HIGHWAY :: Movie Review

Anyone who has tagged Imtiaz Ali as a maker of big Bollywood blockbusters is in for a surprise with Highway.The RockStar and Love Aaj Kal director’s first foray into digital filmmaking sees him use a documentary-style aesthetic. The result is a stylish two-hander that is defiantly unconventional, if not entirely satisfying. But it isn’t just the visual and auditory delights on offer that make Highway a sensitive, understated entertainer. Its two exceptional characters sway to the kind of subtle emotional riffs that usually elude mainstream Hindi cinema. But that is not to say that Highway is anywhere near perfect. It has many a moment that is endearing and exquisitely etched, but the film is not always engaging enough to be able to offset the occasional inertia that stems from its lack of physical action.The director’s attempt to move away from his trademark candyfloss-ness has mixed results: this is perhaps the most picturesque road movie I have seen coming out of Bollywood, but the story struggles with its twin threads and uneven tone. ‘Highway’ is a patchy ride, with the occasional high spot. It is a film about nature and travel; about a meandering journey without a definite destination. It is purely incidental that two interesting characters find themselves while traversing this ever-changing array of bewitching landscapes. It is also precisely why this couple is even more visible, more relatable and less contrived, despite their unlikely circumstances. The focus is not entirely on them, they just happen to be there.

STORY & SCREENPLAY                           :       In an interview last year, Imtiaz Ali said he didn’t have a script when he set out to make “Highway“. All he had was a one-line draft and he wrote the film during the shoot. What you get is a complete departure from Ali’s usual fare – a film that is as pristine as some of the locations it is shot in; almost meditative in parts and wonderfully understated. It adopts a novel mode to address issues pertaining to the class and culture divide, the exploitation of women in feudal communities, and the safety, or lack of it, of the girl child within and without the family. Imtiaz Ali litters the narrative with little touches that speak of human connections in ways that are disarmingly simple but effective. The story is simple enough. Veera (Alia Bhatt) is the daughter of an influential man who is kidnapped after a freak incident at a lonely petrol pump two days before her wedding. Her kidnapper is Mahabir (Randeep Hooda), a brooding contract killer with a troubled past. Taken out of the world she has known all her life, Veera is at first disoriented, then bewildered, and takes her time coming to terms with her situation. When she does, the façade of her seemingly normal, privileged existence comes crumbling down, much to Mahabir’s surprise. The biggest achievement of “Highway” is that there is never any compulsion to label the relationship between the two characters – you could call it an unconventional romance, a strong friendship.

STARCAST                                                        :         The ever-dependable Randeep Hooda delivers a solid performance. A measure of his confidence in his craft is provided by the restraint that he brings to the characterisation, never seeking to get ahead of the plot. He manages to deliver a restrained performance and not overdo it for the sake of capturing more attention. Randeep Hooda has backed up the flick with a staggering performance and sketches the rugged Mahabir’s volatile personality with remarkable subtlety. A scene where he breaks down when he sees a life he cannot own is the most poignant. Alia Bhatt is a revelation. She responds to the demands of the role with all the skill at her disposal, nailing both the vulnerability and the tenacity of a harried but spirited ingénue. Her Veera is effortlessly fresh-faced, absurdly young, scrubbed and vulnerable. Although there are a few slip-ups along the way, for most parts she has fairly stood her ground.She has captured Veera’s emotional upheavals, her childish quirks and stubbornness with earnestness.It’s her impromptu jig with her captor Aaddoo in the middle of a rocky road that’s the most endearing.She also nails the scene that exploits Veera’s desperation and subsequent breakdown as she fails to discover anescape route despite being challenged by her abductors.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                     :           The biggest asset of the movie is its technical finesse for which credit must go to Imtiaz for choosing the perfect crew & extracting the best out of them. The music for the flick has been composed by the maestro, A.R.Rahman who has given some of the most soothing & melodious tracks. Sound design by Resul Pookutty, plays a major role in making this film a mini-vacation, a calming experience for its viewers. The background score is minimal; moments are not punctuated with annoying cues, instead letting the performances do the talking (or no talking).  The cinematographer Anil Mehta’s lovely, unfussy images ground the film and show us a good bit of India. (It was shot in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir). The cinematography is plush and passionate & makes the visuals an occasion for optical enchantment. The movie has been edited by Aarti Bajaj who has kept the running time of the movie to 133 minutes but i personally feel that lot of scenes could have been edited as far as their duration is concerned. As a director, Imtiaz Ali has again excelled who through this movie has tried to portray that :  when the home and the world feel like a cage, the wide open road, no matter where it leads, is a surefire path to liberation. Imtiaz Ali articulates this thought with a sense of quiet purpose, and with Zen-like serenity.

CONCLUSION                                         :         Highway is a sprawling stretch of splendour, created by a director who shoots every frame in a painter’s vein but At the end we are left with a deeply dissatisfying film whose very incompleteness lends a sense of beauty to the narrative. It is a totally character driven movie which will appeal to a certain section of audience but it is a must watch for cinema connoisseurs. 

ROHIT SHARMA.

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DRAMA OF CASTING COUCH SURFACES AGAIN IN BOLLYWOOD.

 Subhash Kapoor         Geetika Tyagi

The casting couch drama has hit Bollywood, once again. And, this time the allegations of sexual assault have been made by former journo turned small time actress, Geetika Tyagi who lately appeared in movies like : One by Two, Aatma  and What the fish. And, the man in the line of fire is acclaimed director, Subhash Kapoor who has made movies like Phas Gaye Re Obama & Jolly LLB. 

                                               The whole drama which seems to have been captured on a spy camera, seems to have transpired at Subhash's place where Geetika Tyagi went to confront Subhash along with her boyfriend i.e. Atul Sabharwal ( Director of movie Aurangzeb). In the video, wife of Kapoor, Dimple Kharbanda can be seen pleading with Tyagi and her boyfriend to bury the hatchet and keep the matter private. Kapoor, too, says he is ashamed of what happened and has already apologized and is ready to face the consequences. " I dont know what to to do," he says, while Tyagi is heard crying hysterically, before she appears in the frame of the video, to slap Kapoor.

                                           In what can be called a perfectly orchestrated move to capture all the tamsaha happened in the private space, Jolly LLB director Subhash Kapoor and actor Geetika Tyagi are seen in altercation over their relationship in this video. Geetika, further says that “ I cannot trust a single man. I cannot face my father, brother-in-law or any man who asks me out for coffee without feeling Fu#%$* jittery,” as she is seen screaming and howling for what happened to her.
                                           There are several angles of this episode which seem controversial including shooting the whole incident on a spy cam. In their conversation, it is heard that she is saying that you forcibly held my hand and there seems to have been no mention of him having forced himself upon her to molest her physically.  

  Did Jolly LLB director Subhash Kapoor sexually abuse actor Geetika Tyagi ?: Watch videos whose link have been pasted below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7SmP6FqlrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R46smqVBFuA

ROHIT SHARMA.

Follow me on twitter at  https://twitter.com/smgr105

rohitreview@gmail.com

GUNDAY :: Movie Review

GUNDAY is a flick packed with liberal servings of kitsch and colourful quirks from the flamboyant 70s, three good-looking actors and incredible tunes reminiscent of a glorious past. Ali Abbas Zafar’s visual extravaganza ‘Gunday’ has all the commercial ingredients to keep audience hooked unto the screen. The plot of Gunday kicks off from the violence that surrounded the creation of Bangladesh and takes you on a whirlwind journey with several twists n turns in it. I would not say that its a masterpiece or a classy flick but let me assure you that you won't regret paying for the ticket of this film. It's packed with action, emotions, friendship, drama and some terrific performances. Friendship is forever and many Bollywood flicks have shown its various shades. And now director Ali Abbas Zafar has come up with Gunday and has been successfully been able to portray the camaraderie between his main leads i.e. Ranveer Singh n Arjun Kapoor by extracting great performances from both of them. And mind you,  Gunday’s muscular leads are fitter and better oiled than the heroes they are supposed to resemble, but they remain just as virtuous, apolitical and virginal. And they are boys, rather than men (the heroine’s words, not ours).

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                   :          The story as well as the screenplay of the movie has been written by Ali Abbas Zafar. Kolkata features as a location provider, the name of a night-club, and a playground to stage a spectacular tribute to 1970s’ cinema in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Gunday. This flick is a retro tribute to 70's with good-hearted heroes pushed by circumstances to the wrong side of the tracks, an ultra-glamourous heroine who might lose her nerve but never her poise, a hot-on-the-trail policeman, games of loyalty and betrayal, anachronistic period details, proper introductions for key characters, spectacularly staged action, a pre-climax loo break song sequence, and a pantomime of social commentary.As far as the storyline is concerned, the movie is Set in the backdrop of 1970s, when an independent Bangladesh was formed, the film tracks the story of two inseparable friends Bikram (Ranveer Singh) and Bala (Arjun kapoor). These two young orphans are refugees, who find shelter in Kolkata. Since their first meeting they become inseparable and stand by each other in ups and downs. They battle each and every day for their living and finally the two find themselves in murky mafia world of arms carrier and coal bandits. With the passage of time, the two best friends become the most influential goons in the city. The story progresses and the duo fall in love with cabaret dancer Nandita (Priyanka Chopra). Nandita sweeps both Bala and Bikram on their feet. When everything seems to be fine, ACP Satyajeet Sarkar (Irrfan Khan) appears into the scene.He sets out to put an end to their black market business. How the friendship of Bikram and Bala survive through all these hurdles, forms rest of the plot.

STARCAST                                                 :               A big asset of the movie is its performances and credit must be given to Shanoo Sharma for choosing the right artistes as per their characters. Ranveer Singh is setting the bar higher up with each film and fairly emerges unscathed as he effortlessly slips into the character of Bikram. The actor’s impulsive vein comes handy in this role especially because he acts with such ease, that it will be hard to take your eyes off him. Arjun Kapoor has given his best shot. He is intense, brimming with emotions but the rendering is not done to rightly tinted perfection. Priyanka Chopra does not have much to do as the focus of the script is on camaraderie between male protagonists but she still captivates you whenever she appears on screen as the dancer and proves her acting forte in the climax as the tough cop. But, the icing on the cake is Irrfan Khan. He is nuanced as the shrewd cop and his charming subtlety is hands down, the most irresistible thing about the film. He gives you the required giddiness with a well blended smoothness. Amongst, the ensemble actors it is Saurabh Shukla, Pankaj Tripathi, Victor Banerjee and Manu Rishi who are noticeable.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                           :         The music for this flick has been composed by Sohail Sen who has given an above average score although couple of tracks have become rage and chart busters. In fact, it is the back ground music that really scores high which has been composed by Julius Packiam. Credit must also be given to Rajat Poddar for his fashionably distressed production design. Aseem Mishra as cinematographer of the movie has done an excellent job as each and every frame bathes in lush colors. He has given a flamboyant touch to most of the shots and used bright color palette which flourishes especially during " Tune Maari Entriyaan " song. The editor of the movie is Rameshwar S Bhagat who has edited the movie very sleekly n sharply and kept the duration of the movie to 154 minutes. As a matter of fact, each department seems to have worked really hard and in consonance to realize the director's vision on celluloid. Now, coming to the director i.e. Ali Abbas Zafar whose has done an excellent job as his last offering " Mere brother ki dulhan " was a totally different genre. Although, he has made an age-old formula flick, but Ali makes sure he reinvents it with flourish, serving the formula in a contemporary format. GUNDAY is designed as an entertainer and it serves it all unabashedly.

CONCLUSION                                                         :         Gunday moves at a satisfying clip from the beginning to the end. It’s formula food for the present day, spiced with flamboyance, a fair sense of rhythm that occasionally slackens during the 153-minute running time, and a clear understanding of the meaning of popular entertainment, Hindi movie Ishtyle.  

ROHIT SHARMA.

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rohitreview@gmail.com

      

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HASEE TO PHASEE :: Movie Review

Wrapped in bag of drama, chaos and amply quirky situations which will tickle your funny bone, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ is all about how love takes over all odds. Two people who are poles apart finally end up engaging their emotional chord is what keeps the audience engaged. No genre of cinema is as prolific and palliative as the Hollywood romcom—an index of our appetite for the quickie fairy tale. If the milieu is urban and somewhat damaged, it’s likely to prove more abiding on the multiplex screen. Director Vinil Mathew’s debut feature film, Hasee Toh Phasee, is a smart and winning feint of that formula. It is an extremely likable balance between light and shade, the sadness in his beautiful lead woman sitting happily alongside her smiles. The sugar is pleasingly granular.

SCRIPT & SCREENPLAY                      :          The story as well as screenplay of this flick has been penned down by Harshvardhan Kulkarni who deserves real accolades for chalking out some interesting characters in his storyline which is the basic strength of this movie. The detailing to each character strikes. They have professions, they have family and the story sails through both. You see the scientist Meeta blabbering jargons and talking in Mandarin with her Chinese colleague, Nikhil trying to get money for his event company, the families into their respective businesses... and behaving accordingly! Needless to say there are umpteen moments which will make you smile, wishfully. And that's apart from all those moments which will at least let a chuckle out of you, if not a laughter. The night Meeta (Parineeti Chopra) runs away from home, she has a fleeting encounter with Nikhil (Sidharth Malhotra), who goes on to fall for her sister Karishma (Adah Sharma), a woman with porcelain skin and an hour-glass figure. After seven years, Nikhil is struggling to hit the professional jackpot with a contract that is somehow dependent on the Indian Premier League mania. Karishma insists that without money her marriage to Nikhil would be hopeless. Meeta returns, with a psychotic bluster about her, and Nikhil and Meeta build a friendship built on sympathy for each other’s little tragedies and quarrels with the world. There is a tragicomic unease from the moment Meeta appears in this suburbia of designer dreams. By the end, Nikhil calls Meeta a “phattu” (emotional coward in this context) and challenges her addiction to psychotropic pills. Thereafter, no force, even as big as the Gujarati conviction on monetary supremacy or the misplaced egotism of a retired police officer, can stop this couple from the happy-ever-after upshot. 

STARCAST                                                      :         Parineeti is at her best. She makes it virtually impossible for the audience's eye to waver from her when she is on screen. She plays two avatars - a druggie genius and a lovable girl next door - with class. Chopra adopts Meeta’s rough edges with a confidence that belies the work that has gone into it. The role is refreshingly free of jerky, over-the-top physicality. Meeta reaches her personal redemption—which is not necessarily the socially correct one—revealing the character’s innocence as well as selfishness scene by scene. Siddharth Malhotra surprises in his second film. He finds his own and manages to establish himself as someone who cannot be ruled out. Malhotra is the good-natured man, a black sheep in his own family, and not self-aware enough. Although he starts off by exhorting everybody to ‘shake it like Shammi’, his elegantly gangly gait and cool, confident screen presence are reminiscent of the mannerisms of the early Amitabh Bachchan. Adah Sharma is comfortable in her relatively smaller role and has managed to impress. The delights are the seasoned Sharat Saxena and Manoj Joshi. They have moments which take your heart away. After Jai Ho, you once again get to see Sameer Khakkar on screen. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                  :       The music for this flick has been composed by the seasoned duo of Vishal & Shekhar who have belted out some good numbers including a robust Punjabi wedding song. The various hues,shades of the locales have been captured by the lens of cinematographer Sanu John Varughese who has done a fairly descent job out of it. The movie has been edited by Shweta Venkat who has kept the length of the movie to 141 minutes and has done well as there are no major dull moments which could dampen the proceedings. Vinil Mathew who is an ad-film maker, has made his debut as a movie director with this flick and has proved his mettle by making an entertaining movie. He has invariably managed to get some freshness onto the big screen with his quirkiness. He has focused on effective, gimmick-free technicalities, and it is obvious the director is concerned largely with tapping his actors, and making performance the praxis of his film-making. 

CONCLUSION                                                   :       Hasee Toh Phasee, notwithstanding its rather unimaginative title and its muddled core, is a mildly diverting, if somewhat woolly-headed, entertainer held together by its unapologetically absurdist spirit. It definitely works out and is an interesting watch.

ROHIT SHARMA.

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