SardaarJi :: Movie Review

                                          

Sardaarji helmed by Rohit Jugraj is a fun filled fantasy film that takes you on a joyride and further cements the fact that Punjabi Cinema is evolving and growing in stature with due course of time. Back in 2014, while most of Punjabi filmmakers were obsessed with comedy genre and were churning out mindless comic flicks one after another, Rohit Jugraj broke fresh ground and helmed a thriller Jatt James Bond (April 2014) which was lapped up by the audience. So, when it was announced that Rohit Jugraj is directing Sardaarji with Diljit Dosanjh & Neeru Bajwa playing main leads, expectations were bound to be high. Is Sardaarji able to live upto those expectations and the answer is affirmative. Trust Rohit Jugraj to offer something invigorating to Punjabi audience. If Jatt James Bond was a thriller whose basic premise revolved around a bank robbery, Sardaarji is a quirky rom-com albeit with a difference. This rom-com's premise gyrates around spirits and a Ghost-buster played by the charming Diljit Dosanjh. We have to give it to the makers for believing in this subject and offering Punjabi Celluloid, its first fantasy driven feature film. The fun quotient of the movie begins right from the beginning with a disclaimer ; No Ghost has been harmed while shooting this film. This disclaimer is evident enough to prove what the rest of the movie has in store to offer the audience ; Guffaws, rib tickling comedy, well timed comic punches. Rohit Jugraj has inter-wined comedy, romantic track, sentiments and fantasy elements in a perfect blend, although emotions & romantic track in the second half goes a bit lengthy & awry but I still give to Jugraj. Its heartening to see Punjabi filmmakers coming out of the shell and taking risk by offering something novel, vivifying on Punjabi celluloid instead of churning out same old routine run of the mill stuff. Through Sardaarji Punjabi silver screens gets to see its first charming, witty Ghost-buster in the form of Diljit Dosanjh on celluloid and he doesn't disappoint with his funny antics.  

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                         ::                   The story as well as screenplay of the movie has been penned down by Dheeraj Rattan and the credit for writing the dialogues for the movie goes to Jatinder Lall. The story of the movie is not only gripping but it also has something new and fresh to offer to Punjabi audience. The script is laden with witty one liners and comic punches remain a constant feature throughout the movie. The first half of the movie is an absolute delight and it is in the second half that the movie nosedives a bit with the usual emotional content and romantic track thrown in but overall it's a novel attempt. The film begins in England where an affluent person by the name of Bilaal is planning to get married at Craigdarroch Castle. Queen of England has promised to attend his reception but his troubles begin when the Castle is declared haunted. Since Queen has principally agreed to attend his reception, he can't change the venue. He seeks services of several ghost-busters who are shooed away by the spirit in the castle. Cut next, scene shifts to Punjab and we are introduced to a Sardaarji by the name of Jaggi (Diljit Dosanjh) with a special power that helps him in connecting with beings from another realm. He is not only apt at catching Ghosts but has also preserved them in bottles lying at his home. Bilaal comes to know about him and calls him to England so that he can free the castle from the evil spirit for getting his marriage solemnized there. Upon entering the castle, Jaggi comes to know that a spirit is residing in the castle whose name is Pinky (Neeru Bajwa). She fell down from the top floor of the castle and died there. Jaggi tries all the tricks in the book to befriend Pinky so that she can leave the castle but she is adamant not to move from there. Jaggi inquires about her past and comes to know that she was a well known dancing star before her death. Jaggi falls in for lady ghost & is finally able to woo her but Pinky puts forward a condition for her to leave the castle. She wants Jaggi to bring Jasmine (Mandy Takhar) inside the castle. Now, Jaggi starts pursuing Jasmine posing as a dance student because Jasmine is a Salsa dance teacher. He cocoons several stories to hide his real identity & motive of coming to England from her and charms her with his effervescent persona.  Soon, sparks ignite between both of them and they fall in love with each other. Will Jaggi reveal his identity & reason for coming to England to Jasmine, What is the motive of Pinky behind calling Jasmine to the castle, What is the connection between Pinky & Jasmine and Will Jaggi be able to persuade the spirit of Pinky to leave the castle is what forms the rest of the story.  
   

STARCAST                                                                                       ::                Diljit Dosanjh as Jaggi is so apt that it is hard to imagine anyone else who could have essayed this character of being cute, witty, funny & strong willed too in a more appropriate manner. He is simply outstanding and deserves an ovation for his performance. Throughout the movie, he takes us into him completely and we not only laugh and cry with him - we take back his emotions and innocence as we exit the cinema hall. He is such a natural actor with almost perfect sense of comic timing that helps him deliver punches which hit at the intended spot. Suffice to say, Diljit Dosanjh is the undisputed king of Punjabi Cinema. And matching him step to step is Neeru Bajwa with her portrayal of spirit in the castle. This pretty damsel is the only leading lady who could have and as a matter of fact, has managed to sustain herself in the movie despite the powerful character and performance of Diljit. Her effervescent personality infuses her character with charm and her act as a spirit is a treat to watch. She is a wonderfully charming actress and I have no qualms in saying that if Diljit is the undisputed king, Neeru Bajwa is undisputed queen of Punjabi Cinema. Mandy Takhar is effective as Jasmine. She has not only looked gorgeous but has also portrayed her character convincingly. Mandy has portrayed her character with the right amount of restraint and attitude which was required as per her characterization in the movie. Jaswinder Bhalla as usual is in top form and manages to entertain you with his witty one liners. His comic timing is impeccable and so is his on-screen chemistry with Diljit.   

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                          ::   Another positive factor that works in favor of the movie is its technical finesse which is outstanding with effective contribution from every department. The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Nick Dhammu along with Jatinder Shah is a mixed bag of catchy & soulful numbers. One of the tracks "Taare Mutiyare" is a standout and has been sung well by Diljit. Most of the movie has been shot in U.K. and the man behind the lens as cinematographer of the movie is Parixit Warrior who has done a brilliant job of capturing the visuals. He has captured excellent visuals with the roving lens of his camera especially the aerial shots. Also, he has ably utilized picturesque locales while shooting the songs giving the frames rich and vibrant looks. The movie has been edited by Sandeep Francis who has kept the runtime of the movie to 148 minutes. The editing is sharp and edgy and the movie does not seem to linger on at any point of time. Now coming to the captain of the ship i.e. director Rohit Jugraj, he has done excellent job. He gets straight to the business right from the first frame and never looses the grip on the narrative all through the movie. He not only keeps you engrossed in the movie with his fine crafting skills but is also able to maintain the entertainment quotient of the movie alive all through. Rohit furnishes a fabulous style to the proceedings with well lit frames. As a director, Rohit knows how to juice the characters' emotions without spilling the sentiments all across the frames.     

CONCLUSION                                                                                     ::         Sardaarji has a novel plot ably backed up by well baked characters, crisp n witty dialogues, charming romance captured on picturesque locales, superlative performances and foot tapping music making it a wholesome entertainer that you can go and watch out with your family. It's a must watch for connoisseurs of Punjabi Cinema. I am giving it three and a half stars out of five.   

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Hamari Adhuri Kahani :: Movie Review

                            

Hamari Adhuri Kahani is a perfect example of how a descent storyline can go haywire when crafted with over pitched emotions laden with hackneyed dialogues resulting in yawn fest for audience. When an experienced director like Mohit Suri helms a movie starring good actors like Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi & RajKummar Rao, one expects an engaging emotional flick. But, on the contrary Hamari Adhuri Kahani has turned out to be diddly-squat.The movie turns out to be a disappointment right from the beginning and fails to hit the right chords with the audience. The movie is reportedly based on the lives of Mahesh Bhatt's parents and has been penned down by him. Undoubtedly, the story had potential but the way in which Mohit Suri has conceived and crafted this tale, it robs the story and the film of its could be plausible moments. The movie has fair amount of cliched scenes and especially dialogues which seem too outdated as per 2015. Hamari Adhuri Kahani looks into various aspects of married lady, Vasudha (Vidya Balan) whose husband has been missing for years. A rich guy, Aarav (Emraan Hashmi) enters her life and falls in love with her, brightening up her otherwise dull life. This could have been a perfect ending for a love story but Alias ! our female protagonist not only keeps on clinging to her Mangalsutra but also gets to mouth some outdated dialogues that belong to 70's era like "Main kisi aur ki malqiyat hoon". Hamari Adhuri Kahani somewhere gets confused whether to portray love as a emotion of conviviality or love as an emotion that seeks a nod of approval from society. Perhaps, over enthusiastic Mohit Suri has filled the movie with so much of over the top emotions that at times one begins to laugh even when a serious scene is playing. This is ample proof that the audience fail to connect with the movie and this is the movie's biggest drawback. To sum it up all,Hamari Adhuri Kahani is one of those films that had lurking potential with a tale of a woman who is going through troubled & abusive marriage which got dissolved while crafting and portraying the tale. The only saving grace for the movie is earnest performances from its three principle characters and a well, tightly executed climax. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                              ::         The storyline of the movie has been penned down by Mahesh Bhatt and the credit for writing the dialogues goes to Shagufta Rafiq. Together, they have drafted a script which is full of cliches, cheesy lines and some outrageous dialogues that are reminiscent of bygone era. The script has been laden such excessive melodramatic moments that are hard to digest in today's modern times. To quote a few dialogues ; "Woh apni Vaasna ki keemat apne pati ke khoon se chukaegi" & "Hari ki laash par main mahal nahin banaungi". These are the kind of dialogues that make you cringe in your seats. It is a pity as what could have been a good film on woman's liberation who is going through a troubled marriage has been messed up by a convoluted plot. As far as storyline goes, the film begins with old, crumbling Vasudha (Vidya Balan) almost collapsing on the streets of Bastar District. Her old, worn out husband Hari (RajKummar Rao) is talking to a doctor telling him that Vasudha visited him wearing a red dress and doctor rubbishes his claim saying it might be his illusion. Soon, Vasudha departs from this world and Hari turns up at his son's home to perform her last rites but is turned away by his son. Before leaving his son's home, Hari leaves a dairy for him to apprise him about the past of Vasudha. Flashback begins and we are taken 20 years back where Hari leaves Vasudha after a year of their marriage being solemnized. Vasudha is shown leading a reclusive life as a florist until a chance encounter makes Aarav (Emraan Hashmi) enter her life. Aarav is a big hotel magnate who owns 108 hotels. Vasudha saves him from getting caught in middle of a fire and in the process wins over the heart of Aarav who falls in love with her at first sight. He immediately offers her a job at one of his plush hotels. Affinity develops between both of them and when things begin to fall in place in Vasudha's life, Hari re-enters her life. He explains to her the reasons behind his disappearance & how he was mistakenly picked up by police thinking him to be a terrorist. Now, Vasudha seeks Aarav's help to get Hari free from clutches of law by proving his innocence. Aarav decides to help Hari for the sake of his selfless love for Vasudha. What happens thereafter forms the rest of the story.         

STARCAST                                                                            ::                           This can be touted as one of the most matured performances that Emraan Hashmi has delivered till date. As suave Aarav, he has given a restrained and subtle performance which is quite contrary to the characters that he has played in his earlier movies. He has mostly emoted through his eyes which speaks volumes about how he has grown in stature as an actor when it comes to acting finesse. Watch out for him in the scene where he can't confess his love for Vasudha as she doesn't give him a chance. He doesn't utter a single word from his mouth in that scene yet his face expresses all the emotions. Suffice to say, talented actress like Vidya Balan has been wasted in this film as her character has not been etched properly. She has done her level best to put life into the character of Vasudha. Vidya Balan's eyes were moist with tears in almost every second scene in which she appears. Though, she shows sparks of her acting finesse in scenes where she stands up against the male dominated social hierarchy. But the show stealer in Hamari Adhuri Kahani with his acting prowess is none other than RajKummar Rao. After Shahid & Citylights, RajKummar once again proves his versatility as an actor by playing a character having negative traits. His body language, eccentricity, persona, face expressions are apt enough as per the demand of his character and he hits the right notes with them. He had to display myriad number of emotions with respect to being ; a forsaken husband, jilted father, rancorous lover and to his credit RajKummar Rao has come out equally impressive while portraying all these. Despite of having negative traits, his character is able to win empathy from the audience because of Rao's earnest performance which can be hailed as a big big win for RajKummar Rao as an actor. Amongst ensemble starcast noticeable performances have been delivered by Madhurima Tuli, Namit Das, Suhasini Mooley & Saara Khan.   

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                        ::                    The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon and Ami Mishra is soulful. Two tracks namely; the title track "Hamari Adhuri Kahani" sung by Arijit Singh and "Humnava" sung by Papon are the real gems of this soundtrack. The background music for the film has been composed by Raju Singh which is apt enough and provides a further impetus to the visuals. The cinematographer of the movie is Vishnu Rao who has done a swell job of capturing the visuals. The movie is a visual treat as Vishnu has not only captured the outdoor locales of Abu Dhabi, Cape Town and Dubai with aplomb but he has captured the indoor shots with a certain degree of deftness. The editor of the movie is Devendra Murdeshwar who has kept the run-time of the movie to 131 minutes. The editing is not at all crisp, taut resulting in lot of lengthy emotional scenes which in turn keep on testing your patience. As a director, Mohit Suri has failed to deliver the goods this time. He had a good subject at hand but while crafting it, he has laden the screenplay with so much of emotional turbulence coupled with lengthy dialogues in chaste Hindi that the core issue of the subject has got dissolved in it. The movie fails to invoke any passion and hence is not able to absorb you into on-screen proceedings. 

 CONCLUSION                                                                                             ::   Hamari Adhuri Kahani comes across as a confused movie that fails to tug at your heartstrings with its cliched storytelling, heavy melodrama and hackneyed dialogues.  It's one of those rare love stories that fail to invoke any passion and can be skipped without any regrets. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Dil Dhadakne Do :: Movie Review

                                              

Dil Dhadakne Do is a slick, well shot movie whose basic premise exploring different dynamics of relationships has been deftly helmed by Zoya Akhtar and the movie has been taken a few notches higher by earnest performances from its starcast along with its stunning visuals that boast of being wallpaper material. Zoya Akhtar is one of those new age directors who envisages the modern urban class relationships exquisitely and hence is able to conceive and portray them on-screen with adroitness. Her last flick "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" was a prima facie example of this and DDD is a step forward in the same direction. There's a concern that this film might appeal to a certain section section of the audience primarily the multiplex crowd in metros. People from the small centers might not be able to relate to it. Yes, DDD is unlike the other masala laden films that average cinegoer likes to savor, its a refined film but with a charm of its own. If one's perception of masala is beguilement, hilarity, drama & emotions, than DDD has it all. It's just that it has been conceived and portrayed in a different manner. DDD is real and can be primarily graded as a slice of the life film. Zoya's ability to infuse offbeat elements in mainstream cinema needs to be lauded and appreciated. Zoya's affinity about the intricacies of human behavior is unprecedented which was evident in her last flick and DDD strives to impeccably integrate authentic characters and bona fide situations on celluloid. There's nothing profound about DDD ; neither does it bring any insight that you and I don't already have from our own relationships. But, it connects from the word go. Maybe one gets connected with it instantly because some of the things are too close to home. The movie takes a dig and chronicles the events that take place during a cruise trip organized by a rich elite dysfunctional family to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary. What makes this tale about the dysfunctional so delightful is its endearing characters that have been etched to perfection. The conflicts in the movie are bona fide and portrayed on-screen with genuine emotions. Though, the characters in the film belong to elite business class families but their concerns and problems are very relate-able. The film ably exposes the perturbing truths about a dysfunctional family and in the process volleys germane of questions at the audience ; how excessive parental control can affect the lives of their kids, why kids should have say in their lives else they might go aggressive, why a woman should remain stuck in a marriage just for the sake of social wrath even if she doesn't love her husband, why sons are given preferential treatment over daughters ? All these points might be sounding heavy but Kudos to Zoya as she has crafted a tale which raise as well as answers these questions in a jovial manner with a touch of sarcasm. Her take on lives of rich & famous who live a pompous but pretentious life has come out as very authentic and quite hilarious at times. The only thing that goes against the movie is its run-time which is 170 minutes and tighter editing could have given more edge to the movie.             

STORY & SCREENPLAY ( SPOILERS AHEAD)                                            ::             The story as well as screenplay of this film has been co-penned by Zoya Akhtar along with Reema Kagti and the dialogues of the movie have been penned down by Farhan Akhtar. Zoya and Reema have penned down the script with lot of care and concern as if borrowing incidents from real life situations. Their writing is simple, straightforward, well etched and character driven. The best part is that the script introduces the starcast as actors and not as typical heroes or heroines which makes it more believable. There are no heroic entries or over the top action. It's the characters and their constant conversations, that elevate DDD to new heights. Looking inward, Zoya and Farhan as the dialogue writer, borrow liberally from their own life and those around them. When a film or any story for that matter is rooted in true experience, it ably succeeds in transmitting the feeling easily to other person because in the end, our experiences are the same, we are raised like everyone else with families to count on, our tiffs are the same and we love no differently. The witticism, of course flows for which due credit must be given to Farhan Akhtar (dialogue writer). The spoken lines ( a brilliant fusion of of the colloquial and existential ) are so doggedly wedded to the visuals that we come out with a complete and satisfying cinematic experience, so replete with life's most luscious home truths that we want to carry the plot's bumper-sticker wisdom in our hearts forever. The film begins with Pluto Mehra, the pet dog  (voice-over by Aamir Khan) introducing audience to Mehra family. Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) is a self made businessman who never looses a chance to boast about it & married to Neelam Mehra ( Shefali Shah) who despite of having major differences in their marital life pretend to be a happily wedded couple. They have two kids, a son Kabeer Mehra (Ranveer Singh) who has a penchant for flying but is being prepared to lead AYKA Industries, business empire set up by his father and a daughter Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) who is married to Manav (Rahul Bose). Unlike Kabeer, Ayesha has a strong business acumen and has independently opened a successful online travel portal but she is not leading a healthy married life with Manav. On the eve of their 30th marriage anniversary, Mehras plan a cruise trip for celebrations and call their close friends & relatives for the same. Ironically, at the same time they come to know that their company AYKA is running into losses and is loosing its credence in the market. To end their financial woes, Mehras think of a plan and invite Lalit Sood (Parmeet Sethi), a rich industrialist to the cruise along with his family. Their plan is to somehow get Lalit's only daughter, Noori (Ridhima Sud) engaged to their son, Kabeer so that Lalit would bail them out of their financial vows. But, destiny has other plans as on the cruise Kabeer meets Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma) who is a part of dance troupe of the cruise liner and falls in love with her at first sight. Meanwhile, Ayesha is also fed up of leading a pretentious happily married life with Manav & wants a divorce but is suggested against it by her parents. On top of it, her ex-flame Sunny (Farhan Akhtar) also comes abroad the cruise fueling up her emotions. Does Kabeer get to marry Farah or sacrifices his love for the sake of dwindling fortunes of his company & pressure from his parents, Is Ayesha able to muster up courage to divorce Manav and re-unite with Sunny is what forms the rest of the story.         

STARCAST                                                                                                       ::        A word of praise of Nandini Shrikent (Casting Director) for assembling a fine coterie of actors who have enlivened the on-screen proceedings with their apt portrayal of their respective characters. One of the major factors of the film pulling you in is the frank, unvarnished performances by its starcast. Anil Kapoor takes up challenges for himself with every project he chooses to do and tries to outdo himself by pushing his limits. Anil is in terrific form in this movie, interpreting an extremely intricate and exceptional character fluently, channelizing every emotion in the book through his eyes. His typical dance moves are a treat to watch & he fits into the character of Kamal Mehra so well that you can't imagine any other actor who could have portrayed this character better than him. Ranveer Singh looks like a million bucks and acts just too wonderfully. He is completely in character and shines. It is a sheer delight to watch this young actor slip unto the shoes of every character that he portrays on-screen with an effortless ease and perform with utmost conviction. You see him in a different avatar as Kabir who is gentle, vulnerable and unsure. Priyanka Chopra excels in the character of Ayesha who is going through a troubled marriage. She has truly delivered a power packed performance by picking up every note and shade of her character rightly and enacting the same on-screen with perfection. Her on-screen sibling chemistry with Ranveer has come out exceedingly well and together both of them add up lot of plausible moments to the film. Farhan Akhtar is remarkable and excels in his layered performance. He is endearing, supremely confident and competent. Portraying the character of Neelam Mehra is not an easy job as it's a complex character with several layers attached to it but to her credit, Shefali Shah has done it with aplomb. She had to display a myriad number of emotions with respect to different relationships ; wife, mother, and mother-in-law & she has portrayed them with remarkable ease. Anushka Sharma not only looks tantalizing but has also underplayed her character in the most beautiful manner. After her high decibel performance in NH10, she has showcased immense improvement as an actress. What a perfect role for Rahul Bose! And as usual, he makes the most of it with subtlety and the right kind of emotion. Ridhima Sud has fared well and given a descent performance. It's not easy to make your presence felt with so many acting stalwarts around but Ridhima has stood her ground firmly. Another actor who deserves a mention is Vikrant Massey who was last seen in film "Lootera" alongside Ranveer Singh. Vikrant has given a subtle, restrained and apt performance. Manoj Pahwa packs a punch with his witty one-liners and adds to the humor quotient of the movie. Other noticeable performances have been delivered by Parmeet Sethi and Zarina Wahab.

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                                       ::            Technically, Dil Dhadakne Do is a marvel as whole of the technical crew have delivered the goods in their respective departments with aplomb. The musical soundtrack of DDD has been composed by the dependable trio of Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa & Ehsaan Noorani which has come out as a classy album. Couple of tracks namely ; the peppy & lively title track "Dil Dhadakne Do" sung by Farhan Akhtar along with Priyanka Chopra and the romantic number "Pehli Baar" sung by Siddharth Mahadevan along with Sukriti Kakkar stand out amongst others. The cinematographer of the movie is Carlos Catalan who has done an outstanding job behind the lens. Technically, the movie boasts of some of the best camera work in recent times. Carlos Catalan, captures every single, minute detail whether in land, sea, indoors or outdoors with perfection through the roving eye of his lens. He has brilliantly used different color palates according to the characters and scenes. A special mention of Neil Patel (Production Designing) and Arjun Bhasin (Costume designing) for their apt contribution in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Manan Mehta along with Anand Subaya who have kept the run-time of the movie to 170 minutes. Its understandable that it becomes difficult to chop off scenes from movie which has so many characters and shot so beautifully but a little apt usage of scissors on editing table would have been better as the movie seems a tad too long. Director Zoya Akhtar follows up "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" with another sensitive and entertaining study of people minus the usual frills associated with typical Bollywood melodrama. Kudos to her for crafting an unconventional tale minus the cliches with elements of philosophy about life imbibed in it. Zoya has this amazing knack of making her actors mouth music in every line. You don't just remember the dialogues, you remember their cadence. Also, she's fearless in the way she shoots and doesn't hide behind overcoated background scores. And that's why most of the times she is able to latch on to precious and raw cinematic moments. Overall, I have no qualms in saying that as a writer-director, Zoya Akhtar has once again reaffirmed that she is not only one of the most talented story-writers when it comes to penning down stories revolving around modern day relationships but also has the vision to translate them on-screen with her directorial skills & crafting abilities.        

CONCLUSION                                                                                                          ::    Dil Dhadakne Do is intelligent, well conceived flick that takes deep insight into the complex family relationships of today's times through well captured cinematic moments. This movie is a treat for cinema connoisseurs but if you have a penchant for formulaic laden conventional potboilers, than this movie is not your cup of tea.  

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Welcome 2 Karachi :: Movie Review

                                        

Welcome 2 Karachi helmed by Ashish R Mohan is our desi version of "Dumb & Dumber" which takes you on a no-holds barred different, short & sweet journey with lot of fun quotient in the flick. The movie is a political satire and takes a dig at the prevalent socio-political atmosphere prevalent in Pakistan. Ashish R Mohan whose last directed flick "Khiladi 786" was a commercial potboiler laden with all the typical formulaic elements has attempted something novel this time for which he needs to be applauded. He has crafted a tale of two gauche Indians who land up in Pakistan via Sea route and what happens afterwards in a freakish manner. What works in favor of the movie is that the movie is not pretentious, the overall tone of the movie is middling with the silly antics of the main protagonists and other characters whom they meet during the course of their journey. Though the overall mood of narrative is witty, yet it ably brushes upon several pertinent issues ; General public across both the sides of border are saddened by the division and have affection for people living on other side of the border ( Portrayed brilliantly by Pavan Malhotra through a cameo in the movie), how politicians can stoop to the lowest of levels just to grab a larger chunk of vote bank ( When Arshad & Jackky destroy a Taliban camp with their silly antics, a Pakistani minister forcefully makes the duo to confess that they are Pakistani Intelligence officials who were inducted by his political party to curb terrorism ),  rising above oneself for the sake of humanity ( In the climax, When Arshad & Jackky foil a possible hijack attempt putting their lives in danger whilst they could have safely returned to India). Since the tone of movie is piquant, all these scenes have been captured with a dash of humor without giving them a preachy tone for which due credit must be given to Ashish R Mohan and his team. The movie doesn't spare anyone and takes pot-shots at people on both the sides of the border and doesn't even spare U.S.A. who wants to take credit for destroying a Taliban base camp with drone strike which in actual has been destroyed by the movies' main protagonists and that too by mistake. There are aplenty of gags infused in the screenplay especially during the first half which are fresh, invigorating but the movie nosedives in the second half specifically during the climax. But, overall the movie is a one time watch if you decide to stay silly laying your brain cells to rest whilst watching the movie. Two scenes from the movie ; one where Americans interrogate the lead duo regarding the drone strike on Taliban camp and second where a Minister introduces the duo to the media as Intelligence officials of Pakistan in Parliament have come out as too hilarious.   

STORY & SCREENPLAY  (SPOILERS AHEAD)                                              ::             The writing credits of the movie have been shared by Kushal Ved Bakshi, Vrajesh Hirjee, Danish Hussain along with Ashish.R.Mohan. The highlight of this movie apart from the brilliant performances by its main protagonists is its perceptive writing which leaves no stone unturned to take digs at the current socio-political scenario. On top of it, the script has been laden with boisterously funny dialogues and one-liners.The best part is that the script breezes past without any major breakdowns primarily because it sticks to its chosen line and to top it all, it delivers some quirky detours that are made all the more engaging due to the consistent quality of acting by most of its artistes. The film starts with Mitesh Patel (Dalip Tahil) booking a client's wedding party to be held on his chartered boat. The captain of the boat is Shammi (Arshad Warsi) who is assisted by the son of Mitesh i.e. Kedar Patel (Jackky Bhagnani). Kedar is quite disillusioned as his visa for U.S.A has been rejected multiple times and Shammi promises to take him to U.S.A. by boat. Mitesh orders Shammi & Kedar to take care of the wedding party and leave the shore when the wedding party arrives. As they both are dim-witted, they leave the shore when the wedding party arrives without taking them on-board. A storm engulfs the boat and they both sail to Karachi port in an unconscious state. A bomb blast takes place on the port landing the duo in a local hospital. They both run away from the hospital but not before changing their attire ; Arshad wears a doctor's coat and Jackky wears a sherwani with a bullet hole in it. On the other hand, Pakistani intelligence officials, one of whom is Lauren Gottlieb land up at sea shore where the blast took place and they catch hold of Shammi's purse making them think that he is behind the blast. Now, our dim-witted duo is out on streets of Karachi where Shammi is mistaken to be a doctor and is taken to a house where he delivers a baby taking cue from RajKumar Hirani's 3 idiots i.e. with the help of a vaccum cleaner. As they are hungry, they attempt to steal pizzas from a delivery boy which in fact turns out to be guns hidden in pizza box and this makes them land up at residence of a local don. The don is angry as the delivery of the guns could not be processed, so to make up for his losses he seeks ransom by calling Kedar's father in India. On getting the ransom amount, he arranges for their return to India by arranging their fake passports. But their worst fears are yet to come true, as while sitting at a tea stall Shammi starts cheering for India when Indo-Pak cricket match is being telecast. The crowd runs after them baying for their blood. It is than that they discover the darker side of Pakistan. Afterwards, chance encounter lands them up in the base camp of Taliban who wants to use duo as Jihadis. In an attempt to escape from there, they mistakenly blow up the base camp and co-incidentally at the same time a drone of USA is also hovering around there. What follows is a series of hilarious events where on one  side they are used by a Pakistani Minister by projecting them as Pakistani Heroes as elections are around the corner. And on the other hand U.S. officials abduct them and promise them a safe passage to India if they testify in front of media that it was US. Drone strike that destroyed Taliban camp. Will they remain in Pakistan posing as Intelligence Officials as instructed by the minister, Will they be able to return back to India is what forms the rest of the story.                 

STARCAST                                                                                                ::             A round of applause for Rohan Mapuskar, Naila Mughal ( Casting Directors) for their effective casting of lead as well as ensemble starcast as per their characterizations. Sans any big stars (apart from Arshad Warsi), lesser known actors have ably carried the weight of the movie on their shoulders by giving earnest performances. What i mentioned about Jimmy Sheirgill in my previous review of "Tanu Weds Manu Returns", stands true for Arshad Warsi also ; Arshad is also one of the underrated and underutilized actors of today's times. Arshad is a powerhouse of talent who fits into the shoes of the character that he portrays on screen with remarkable ease. It is difficult to imagine this film without the first-rate pivotal performance by Arshad Warsi. Arshad exhibits many shades of humor, nervousness as well as confidence and frustration immensely well. Arshad lights up the screen by portraying the character of Shammi to the hilt. His camaraderie with Jackky Bhagnani has come out really well in the movie and has to be seen to be believed. Jackky Bhagnani has come a long way since he was launched in movie 'Kal Kissne Dekha' by his father Vasu Bhagnani in 2009. He has evolved as an actor with every subsequent film of his. And in this movie, Jackky Bhagnani has turned out to be the surprise element by imbibing and portraying the finer nuances of a Gujarati in most amusing way. Jackky's comic timing as the silly, innocent guy having no control over his tongue is impeccable. His sincerity & hard work put in towards portraying this role can be gauged from his performance in the movie. Watch out for him in the Karachi hospital scene where he questions the man sitting next to him about the person whose photograph is hung on the wall and than displays his flair of knowing three different languages to him. Dalip Tahil is first rate as the lecherous father of Kedar who being a typical Gujju doesn't even hesitate to negotiate for the ransom amount when his son has been held hostage by a local don in Karachi. Lauren Gottlieb proves that she is not only cut out for dance numbers but can make her presence felt when it comes to acting too. Although she has given a descent performance but she needs to further brush up her acting skills especially when it comes to facial expressions. Other noticeable performances have been delivered by Imran Hasnee and Adnan Shah.   

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                   ::                 The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Jeet Ganguly, Rochak Kohli along with Amjad Nadeem comprises of some fast paced numbers that gel well with narrative of the movie. Couple of numbers namely " Lalla Lalla Lori " sung by Vishal Dadlani along with Shivi and " Boat Ma Kukdookoo" sung by Mika in the lead along with Shivi, Deane Sequeira & Rochak Kohli stand out amongst others. The cinematographer of the movie is Mark Nutkins who has astoundingly captured a sense of purity in the frames, luscious with light, undaunted by grain in the dark which is remarkable. The use of colors and lighting be it in frames, background, outdoors or even inside premises is so audacious that it enhances the visual appeal of the movie. A special mention of Narendra Rahurikar ( Production Designer) and Komal Shahani ( Costume Designer ) for their apt contribution in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Steven H. Bernard who has kept the run-time of the movie to 134 minutes. His editing is crisp & taut and covers up the glitches mainly in the first half but some scenes in the second half hamper the proceedings and needed trimming. As a director, Ashish R Mohan has proved that he knows his craft well enough. He has ably portrayed the tale of two dim-witted persons and their redundant adventures with utmost finesse and in a quirky manner. The best part is that he has not attempted to vary the tone of movie at any stage by making it serious and let the silliness prevail throughout the film. He also deserves a pat on the back for extracting the best out of his cast and crew. With able assistance from his crew, Ashish has been able to recreate Karachi in such efficient manner that it is utmost difficult to differentiate Karachi from the sets that have been created. Ashish R Mohan has proved his versatility as a director by making a movie which is in total contrast to the last movie that he helmed i.e. Khiladi 786.    

CONCLUSION                                                                                               ::       Welcome 2 Karachi is a mindless comic flick that can be watched once for the silly shenanigans enacted exquisitely by its protagonists provided you don't let your logical skills come into play while watching the movie and simply enjoy, going with the flow of the movie. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Tanu Weds Manu Returns :: Movie Review

                                                

Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a well made sequel by Aanand L Rai that not only begins from where its prequel ended, propels the story further in most justifiable way but is also full of plausible moments that coherently add up to the fun quotient of the movie. To helm a sequel to a successful movie is no mean task as the prequel serves as a hard benchmark. In Bollywood, several sequels have been made as well as rejected by masses and the successful ones can be counted on fingers. Fortunately, TWMR falls in the latter category as this movie has superseded the expectations and has turned out to be one of those rare sequels which is far better & entertaining than its prequel.  The movie tugs at your heartstrings right from its opening scene where marriage of Manu (Madhavan) is being solemnized with Tanu (Kangna) with famous song "Sun Sahiba Sun" from the movie "Raam Teri Ganga Maili" playing in the background. Director, Aanand L. Rai along with the able support of his writer, Himanshu Sharma and gem of an actress, Kangna has woven magic on screen. The movie in an entertaining way talks about several prevalent social messages that include women empowerment, social diktat & how marriages fall apart when expectations get bigger than the reality. A standout scene of the movie is ; Manu is having drinks with his father (K.K.Raina) & his bosom pal, Pappi ( Deepak Dobriyal) discussing his marital problems. While His father is calmly explaining him the dogmatism of bickering in the institution of marriage, the hormonal nature of women and the panacea of handling them with love when they blow their fuse, his mother is constantly bickering in the background and switching off all the lights of house and than suddenly his father breaks down the only tube-light which is glowing with a rod. This moment and several other moments like this speak volumes about the craftsmanship of the movie. The first half of the movie is a such a laugh riot and so engrossing that you don't even realize how quickly has the time passed when interval flashes on screen. It is in the second half that movie nosedives a bit but it ably recovers quickly and than it turns into an emotional roller coaster ride. The biggest highlight of this movie apart from the performances of its entire star-cast is its content in the form of rich screenplay which has captured the finer nuances of language along with culture ranging from the semi urban milieu of Kanpur to the rustic, rural ambience of Haryana. The nuances of small town families with neighbors being a privy of their on going affairs has been effectively portrayed on-screen by Aanand L.Rai and this is something that audience will make an instant connect with. The film is deeply rooted and hence makes for a delightful watch.       

STORY & SCREENPLAY (SPOILERS AHEAD)                                                       ::               The story and screenplay by Himanshu Sharma is not only fresh but also engaging. The best part about the screenplay is that it progresses smoothly and quite logically so that the drama does not bore or dip anywhere. Also, the characters have been so well etched out with perfection that they genuinely invoke interest in you. And the ambiance - so real that the audience gets a feeling of watching a real and authentic drama unfold on screen. Probably, the biggest victory of a writer is that his script comes across as a very honest and straight-from-the-heart attempt which will not be lost on the audience. And to his credit, Himanshu Sharma has laden the screenplay with some real quirky one liners and dialogues which invoke aplenty of laughter. As far as the storyline goes, film begins with the scene where Tanu (Kangna) is getting married to Manu (Madhavan). Cut next, four years later both of them are sitting in front of a panel of psychiatrists and discussing their marital problems. During the discussion, Manu gets infuriated and seeing his behavior the panel admits him to St. Benedict's Asylum. After this, Tanu decides to leave for her hometown Kanpur. But, since she has a softer side for Manu so she calls up his bosom pal, Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) to come and get Manu discharged from asylum. Manu along with Pappi comes back to Delhi & is helluva angry with Tanu for getting him admitted to asylum. Meanwhile, Tanu reaches her home back where her family is enraged to hear about her marital dispute with Manu. One room of Tanu's house has been taken on rent by a law student Chintu (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) who soon engulfs friendship with Tanu. Tanu wants to meet her ex flame Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Sheirgill) & goes to her house with Chintu. On reaching there, she comes to know that marriage of Raja has been fixed. Meanwhile, when Manu goes to deliver a lecture at a Delhi college, he sights upon Kusum Kumari (Kangna Ranaut) who is a state level athlete but her looks are very familiar with Tanu. He gets fixated by her and falls in love with her. He starts following her around in Delhi along with Pappi. One fine day, Kusum confronts him for following her all around and it is than that Manu reveals to her that he is going through a bad marriage and she is a look alike of his wife and even shows her the picture of his wife. Soon, friendship develops between both. In Kanpur, Tanu starts seeing Raja often and starts going out on movie dates with him. This enrages Chintu who has fallen in love with Tanu. So, an infuriated Chintu not only sends a divorce notice to Manu on Tanu's behalf but also calls him up telling him about the (supposedly) romance brewing up between Raja & Tanu. This enrages Manu further and he decides to propose Kusum for marriage. He goes to her house in Delhi where she is living with her elder brother (Rajesh Sharma) and asks for her hand. Another twist in the story comes when it is revealed that Kusum is the same girl with whom Raja Avasthi's marrige has been fixated. But Kusum agrees to marry Manu and wants to take him to her hometown in Haryana to meet her folks. On the other hand, Pappi is madly in love with a girl whom he met at the wedding of Jassi (Eijaz Khan) & Payal (Swara Bhaskar) and the girl is getting married in a few days. So, the trio of Manu, Kusum and Pappi land up at Jassi's place, kidnap the girl and take her to Kusum's hometown. Kusum's folks are so enraged after knowing that Kusum is asking to tie the nuptial knot with Manu that they are about to kill him but timely intervention by her elder brother solves the issue. On knowing that Manu is getting married to Kusum, Tanu also reaches the hometown of Kusum along with Raja, Jassi and Payal. Will Manu marry Kusum, Will Tanu realize her mistakes & able to stop the marriage is what forms the rest of the story.      

STARCAST                                                                                            ::          Kudos to the casting director for assembling a fine coterie of ensemble starcast for this movie who have portrayed their characters to the hilt. Though, the movie belongs to Kangna Ranaut. Its a double whammy for the fans of Kangna as they get to see her in two different avatars in the movie i.e. Tanu Rawat as well as Kusum Kumari & to her credit, Kangna has come out equally impressive in both these characters. Although, her portrayal of Kusum has come out as more endearing. The way she has caught up with Haryanvi dialect, mannerisms, body language and portrayed them on-screen is sheer brilliance. Kangna seems to be on a new high after her much appreciated performance in Queen and it seems she is slowly climbing up her way to become Queen of Bollywood. She is like soul of this movie and has carried this movie on her shoulders. With her apt & brilliant portrayal of duel characters, Kangna makes you think whether any other actress would have been able to portray these characters so convincingly. Way to go......Kangna. Madhavan once again excels in his character portrayal of a subtle and restrained guy. The best part about his acting is that he remains in his character so wonderfully and makes it so believable that he is able to woo all the sympathy from the audience. Had he gone overboard even in a few scenes, the effect would not have been the same. He lends sheer credibility to the character of lovelorn Manu with his acting prowess. Deepak Dobriyal is one such helluva actor that you give him any character to play, he will delve deep into the skin of the character. In TWMR, he lends a fair amount of charm to the character of Pappi that he portrays. His body language, face expressions are a treat to watch especially when he mouth-es those one liners. He is simply terrific and invokes aplenty of laughter in the frames that he is present in. He is definitely one of those brilliant actors who deserves to be seen more frequently on big screen with more meatier roles. The performance of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayuub in this movie as Chintu is simply first rate. He proves that it is acting prowess and not the length of the role which is important to leave a lasting impression. Watch out for him in the scene where after getting rebuked by Jimmy, he provokes him to kill him right there and not leave him like that because if he leaves him alive he will strike back with vengeance. Zeeshan is a delight to watch in this movie. Another actor who manages to impress you with his performance is Jimmy Sheirgill. I have always held the view that he is one of the underrated and underutilized actors who has a great screen presence and can set the screen ablaze with his talent. Rajesh Sharma has once again given an apt performance as Kusum's brother and his enraged act where he confronts with villagers to save the skin of Manu has come out as a stunner. Eijaz Khan's portrayal of flashy Jassi is effective enough. So is the act of Swara Bhaskar as Payal. Swara has portrayed the character of Payal with such ease that it becomes difficult to differentiate her from the character. Not to forget Aakash Dahiya who plays a short stint in the movie as a rickshaw puller who was once heads over heels in love with Tanu. He has enacted his short part in the most natural and effortless manner. Amongst ensemble star-cast, noticeable performances have been delivered by K.K.Raina, Navni Parihar, Rajendra Gupta & Dipti Mishra.    

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                                     ::           The musical soundtrack of the movie has been composed by a motley of music directors namely Surj RDB Rythm Dhol Bass, Krsna, Tanishk & Vayu which has become a trend these days. Since music of Tanu Weds Manu was a runaway hit, so expectations from the music of sequel were supposedly high and to a certain extent the soundtrack has been able to match up to those expectations. Certain tracks like richly arranged Haryanvi track "Ghanni Bawri" sung by Jyoti Nooran, "Ho gaya hai pyaar" sung by Dev Negi  stand out amongst others. The cinematographer of the movie is Chirantan Das who has done an excellent job of capturing the visuals from behind the lens. His cinematography is plush, passionate, heightens the kitsch of the settings with warm-hued interiors as well as captures the outdoor locales with aplomb. He has ably captured the semi-urban class milieu with the roving eye of his lens. A special mention of Ankita Jha & Reza Shariffi for their contribution in apt Costume Designing. The movie has been edited by Hemal Kothari who has kept the run-time of movie to 120 minutes. Hemal's done a descent job by maintaining the tempo of the movie at a constant pace throughout without giving you a chance to go out for a loo break, As a director, Aanand L. Rai has once again proved that he knows the pulse of the audience as with this movie, he has made a hat trick of successful movies that were lapped up by the audience. The earlier ones being Tanu Weds Manu & Raanjhna. He has a distinctive style of film-making with his movies giving a very believable feel. It is not easy to direct sequel to a hit movie as the expectations from the audience are very high but with TWMR, Aanand is able to hit the right chords with the audience right from the word go. His movies have kind of rustic touch and he etches out & develops the characters in such a way that audience are able to relate to them. Aanand L. Rai has done a swell job of portraying the screenplay unto on-screen and in the process has also extracted the best from his cast and crew members. Aanand is one of those few rare directors who knows how to portray the urban middle class milieu on-screen in most efficient and endearing manner and is definitely upping the ante with every subsequent movie of his. 

CONCLUSION                                                                                            ::             Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a full on family entertainer that works primarily because the movie has got its heart and soul at the right place.  Also, the movie is an exemplary amalgamation of rich content, brilliant craftsmanship and towering performances by its entire star-cast which results in full paisa wasool experience for the audience. I am giving it 4 stars out of 5. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Piku :: Movie Review

Piku is a delightful, quirky movie that gives a passe to usual formulaic elements of commercial film making and offers a fresh take on deeply layered father daughter relationship. The stand out factor in Piku is its invigorating storyline that has been penned down by Juhi Chaturvedi. Take a bow, Juhi Chaturvedi as this is one of the finest & intrepid writing that Indian Celluloid has seen after a long hiatus. It delightfully delves deep into and explores the ultimate elemental connection of life between a father and  a daughter. In an enchanting way, it talks about motion pills, discussion on shit, annoying folks and domestic helps who serve us dutifully until we perish. It is difficult to imagine bona fide sugariness from a film that talks about a grumpy old man and his peeved grown-up daughter whose most of the time is consummated in discussing remedies about his digestive problems. But to his credit director, Shoojit Sircar has been able to extract humor from the unlikeliest of situations. The script has been laden with germane of questions about the line of difference between sacrifice and duty, how dynamics of responsibilities shift from parents to children, co-operating and understanding the needs of aging parents. The relationship between Piku (Deepika Padukone) and her aging father Bhaskor (Amitabh) that has been portrayed through this movie is something we have never witnessed on Indian Celluloid before. It is a blend of both, progressively modern as well as conservative. On one hand, Bhaskor introduces his daughter as "Financially, emotionally, sexually independent, non virgin woman" to a suitor he meets in a party but on the other hand he is reluctant to see her get married and move away to a new home. As far as the storyline goes, Architect Piku is the only child of 70-year-old Bhaskor. Her life has become monotonous as her day begins with routine work in the office and ends up discussing bowel problems of her father. Being a dutiful daughter, she is ready to compromise everything for the sake of her father who is ever-worried about his constipation. One fine day, Bhaskor decides to visit his hometown Calcutta but insists on traveling by road. What all happens when a taxi service owner, Rana (Irrfan Khan) drives them to to Calcutta forms the rest of the story. What lends a further impetus to the movie is stellar performances from its star-cast. Deepika Padukone has portrayed the character of Piku without an inkling of contrivance.To her credit, we are not able to locate Deepika in the movie but only Piku. Amitabh Bachchan has given such a believable performance as a Bengali that it becomes difficult for you to digest the fact that in actual he is a Non-Bengali. His mannerisms, tantrums regarding his bowel problems are a treat to watch. Irrfan Khan as Rana Chaudhary who owns a taxi service has played his character to pitch perfection. He is such an effortless actor who can emote through his expressions without speaking a word from his mouth. Watch out for him in the scene where he expresses his displeasure without saying a word when Piku's family servant comes and sits along with him on the front seat of his taxi and than Piku alights from the vehicle and sits along side him. This unspoken affinity speaks volumes about the craftsmanship of the movie. Other noticeable performances have been delivered by Moushumi Chatterji, Jishu SenGupta & Raghuveer Yadav. The musical soundtrack of the movie has been composed by Anupam Roy who has done a brilliant job by keeping it in tandem with the screenplay. The opening title track is simply a treat for music connoisseurs. Plenty of credit for the tonal correctness of the narrative must go to the cinematographer of the movie i.e. Kamaljeet Negi whose usage of color palettes as per the requirement of the shot is praiseworthy. The movie has been crisply edited by Chandrashekhar Prajapati who has kept the run-time to 125 minutes. As a director, Shoojit Sircar has scored all the brownie points as he has presented this simple, refreshing tale of a father-daughter relationship in the most captivating way. He has ably not only portrayed the finer nuances of relationships but also infused the film with some valuable lessons without making it sound preachy. Piku explores the relationship between an aging father and his daughter on whom he is completely dependent in the most endearing way. Piku is a must watch as it portrays a very pragmatic perspective of a typical Indian family gently tugging on your heartstrings.    

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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Bombay Velvet :: Movie Review

Bombay Velvet helmed by Anurag Kashyap is a sagacious tale revolving around love, aspirations, greed, lust for power and above all gluttonous connivance between corporate and Government that saw Bombay transform into metropolitan which has been stitched together with grandeur and impeccable detailing. Undoubtedly, Anurag Kashyap is one of those new age directors who knows his craft well and has proven his expertise in the past by directing flicks like Black Friday, Dev-D, Gulaal & Gangs Of Wasseypur which can be hailed as coming of age cinema. Bombay Velvet is his definitely his most ambitious project so far with big stars, lavish sets that transport you to the bygone era of 1960's cocooned with intricate finesse. Neither Bombay's streets nor her morally bankrupt citizens are a pretty sight in Bombay Velvet, the latest crime thriller helmed by Anurag Kashyap. Coldly scrutinizing the shadowy motives at play during the transformation of Bombay into a metropolitan, the grittily stylized film boasts a scatter shot narrative that frustrates as much as it illuminates. As a director, Anurag Kashyap has always made movies which have carved out a niche of their own in terms of cinematic experience. If we take a look at earlier movies of  Kashyap be it Black Friday or Gangs of Wasseypur, they were packed with political and social innuendos & Bombay Velvet takes a quantum leap in the same direction. Anurag Kashyap along with his able technical crew has meticulously recreated the past era during which Bombay was spread out and carved out of seven separate islands. While the city is about to grow, myriad manipulations come into play with vested interests. Lot of people want to savor their respective slice of pie in the growing city. Some of them being ; A shrewd businessman by the name of Kaizad Khambata (Karan Johar) who goes upto the extent of using his wife to entice Government officials and later blackmail or eliminate them, City mayor (Siddhartha Basu) who uses his clout to make things work out in favor of Kaizad & his coterie, Johnny Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor) who is a henchman of Kaizad but now wants to venture out on his own.  Amongst all this, there is a love story story brewing up between Johnny & Rosie (Anushka Sharma), an aspiring Jazz Singer. While the first half of the movie is tight enough to keep you glued to your seats, things begin to go haywire in the second half with its flimsy storytelling. Johnny who has been working under the wings of Kaizad gets more ambitious and eyes a bigger chunk in the pie. In the process, the second half gets reduced to a vendetta driven drama robbing the movie of its plausible moments. In a nutshell, Bombay Velvet is a story of ostentatious ambitions, detrimental greed and consummate love which has been served up with grandeur. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY   (SPOILERS AHEAD)                                                             ::                 The story of the film has been borrowed from a book titled, Mumbai Fables that has been penned down by Gyan Prakash. The writing credits for the screenplay of the movie have been shared by Vasan Bala, Gyan Prakash, Anurag Kashyap along with S.Thanikachalam.  The script of Bombay Velvet is a collateral mix of deadly desecration of land mafia, political rivalries, tabloid wars, cold blooded murders, unrest of labor unions and selfless love between the protagonists under these extreme conditions. The story that has been adapted from the book, Mumbai Fables might have looked sound on paper but while portraying it on-screen especially with a time constraint of 131 minutes (including songs), story gets convoluted. There are too many characters in the movie who are left open with loose ends leaving us clueless in the end. While the first half of the movie is taut with audience being introduced to the lives of young Balraj, Rosie and how chemistry develops between them, it's the second half which is a let down and full of cliches. The movie begins in 1969 when young Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor) alights from a train along with his foster mother in Bombay. His mother seeks work at several places but on finding none, finally ends up at a brothel. Young Balraj catches up with Chimman (Satyadeep Misra) who is a pick pocket-er and engulfs a deep affinity with him making them friends for life. Balraj generally watches his mother being slapped, abused in the brothel which infuriates and frustrates him a lot. To vent out his frustration, he starts to fight in free for all boxing ring. On the other hand, young Rosie (Anushka Sharma) sings in a choir at Goa. A local rich guy (Remo Fernandez) takes her to his place to develop her singing skills but his constant physical abuse forces Rosie to run away from Goa and she too lands up in Bombay with an aspiration to become a Jazz singer. After watching an English movie, Balraj gets so smitten by its characters that he too dreams of becoming a big shot. He tries to rob a businessman in a bank but is unsuccessful. The businessman is none other than Kaizad Khambata (Karan Johar) who gets impressed with the skills and confidence of Balraj and hires him as his henchman along with Chimman. He even rechristens Balraj's name to Johnny. Meanwhile, Rosie begins to sing in a local club where Balraj watches her and falls in love with her at the first sight. The club is also frequented by Jimmy Mistry (Manish Chaudhury) who is a communist and editor of pro-labor class tabloid by the name of 'Glitz'. Jimmy is all opposition to the capitalists plan and hence is at loggerheads with Kaizad who is a land shark. Jimmy takes Rosie to his place. Kaizad opens up a big club house by the name of Bombay Velvet and appoints Johnny as the manager of the club. Kaizad uses Johnny as a weapon to wipe out his adversaries be it by eliminating, threatening, kidnapping or blackmailing them. With Johnny's aid (in the background), Kaizad is able to set his equation right with the mayor (Siddhartha Basu) of the town and plans to build big towers in Bombay. Jimmy gets a whiff of the shady dealings being done by Kaizad and is sure that it is Johnny who is helping Kaizad in these murkier deals by blackmailing & threatening Government officials. It is then, that Rosie is sent as a honey-trap to Bombay Velvet by Jimmy to collect the evidence and hand it over to him. But, Rosie falls in love with Johnny and refuses to help him. Things worsen further when Johnny becomes more ambitious and wants a bigger slice of pie in the deals being done by Kaizad and Kaizad comes to know that Rosie has been sent by Mistry to nail them down. Now, Kaizad not only wants Rosie dead but also tries to create a rift between Johnny and Chimman. Will Johnny be able to save Rosie, Will Johnny realize his dream of becoming a big shot, Will Mistry be able to expose the murkier deals & What will be the fate of Kaizad is what forms the rest of the story.      

STARCAST                                                                                              ::           Mukesh Chhabra (Casting Director) has further cemented his credentials as an ace casting director with this movie after his efficient casting in past movies like P.K., Ugly & Tewar. He has ably cast a fine blend of stars and motley of some real fine actors who have delivered outstanding performances as per their respective characterizations. He has created a casting coup by signing Karan Johar as the main antagonist for this movie which sounded absurd on paper but has come out very well in the movie. Ranbir Kapoor, once again proves why he is considered the blue eyed boy of the present day film fraternity with his outstanding portrayal of Johnny Balraj in the movie. Putting his much forgettable cameo in 'Roy' on the back burner, Ranbir is back with a bang. We see him in various avatars in the movie ; as a tough street criminal, a love-struck guy who falls in for Rosie (Anushka Sharma) at first sighting of hers, a violent lover who constantly squabbles with Rosie, an aspiring person who becomes a ruthless killer and to his credit Ranbir has come out equally impressive in all these. His acting in this flick is as natural, convincing as it can be which speaks volumes about his acting finesse. Matching him step by step is Anushka Sharma whose portrayal of character 'Rosie' is so cogent that it appears effortless. She seems to be on a roll after her high decibel performance in NH10 and is slowly but steadily carving out a niche for herself amongst her coterie. With her acting skills, Anushka enlivens the character of Rosie, the exploited Jazz singer. The chemistry between Ranbir & Anushka is electrifying ( especially during their fight scenes ) and has to be seen to be believed. Karan Johar makes his debut through Bombay Velvet by portraying the character of Kaizad Kambhata. And what a debut.......he looks every inch the stylish, suave and cynical mogul that he is supposed to portray on-screen. When I read that he has been signed in to play the role of antagonist in this movie, I was quite skeptical whether he will be able to carry off this role but to his credit, Karan Johar has proven me wrong and delivered a startling performance. Watch out for him in the scene where he steps out so that he can sneer at Johnny's inability to understand English language. Another actor who manages to impress with his apt performance is Satyadeep Misra. As a bosom pal of Johnny, though he remains in the background as most of the action revolves around Johnny but you can't miss him due to his intense performance which he has delivered by emoting through his eyes and body language. Manish Chaudhury, once again proves how good an actor he is by portraying the role of Jimmy Mistry with utmost conviction despite the drawback that his character is not that well etched out especially in the second half. Other noticeable performances have been delivered by Kay Kay Menon, Vivaan Shah, Siddhartha Basu, Raveena Tandon & Remo Fernandez.       

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                                ::    The musical soundtrack of the movie that has been composed by Amit Trivedi along with Mikey McCleary is heady, swingy and reminiscent of the 60's musical compositions. The songs replete with Jazz music are a treat for music connoisseurs. Two tracks namely Fifi sung by Suman Sridhar & Mohabbat Buri Bimari sung by Neeti Mohan stand out amongst others. The background music of the movie has been composed by Amit Trivedi who has done excellent job out of it. Amit's background music underscores every scene without hammering in the emotions. Other members of the crew who have delivered the goods are, Errol Kelly, Sonal Sawant (Production designers), Sameer Sawant (Art Director) and Kazvin Dangor, Rose Maria Tharakan (Set Decorators) who have ably kept the aesthetics as per the era shown in the film. Another person who deserves a special mention is Niharika Khan (Costume Designer) who has designed the costumes keeping dressing pattern of 1960's in mind. Together, all these with brilliant contribution in their respective fields have been able to recreate the Bombay of 1960's. The cinematographer of the movie is Rajeev Ravi who has done an outstanding job of capturing visuals. Bombay's architecture, captured from the grand well built sets, lends a wonderful edge to Rajeev's visual commentary. Dark, lingering, soulful and enigmatic - Bombay is multiple people in city's body. This varied, pulsating and intriguing temperament is what is documented in well captured frames without distracting itself from the story or its telling. The movie has been edited by Prerna Saigal along with Thelma Schoonmaker who have packaged the whole action in run-time of 151 minutes. Due credit must be given to their sharp, taut editing as their razor sharp editing is able to cover up the glitches and incoherent elements of the storyline. As a director, Anurag Kashyap completely succeeds in recreating Bombay of 1960's with clubs playing jazz music, vintage cars, styling, tommy guns and making you believe in it completely. Suffice to say, he has extracted the best out of his cast & crew but the screenplay laden with too many characters lets him down especially in the second half. This is his first attempt to drift away from offbeat cinema which he is proficient at but on the whole it looks like a half-hearted attempt as Bombay Velvet is not in the league of flicks that he has helmed earlier.     

CONCLUSION                                                                                  ::            Bombay Velvet is not that typical Anurag Kashyap kind of cinema which he is known for but still can be watched once for its grandeur, meticulous detailing that transports you back into Bombay of 1960's and power packed performances by its starcast. I am giving it 2 and a half stars out of five. 

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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