Hi,
My reviews can be seen henceforth at RadioSargam.
Please do visit the reviews for Zameen and Mumbai Matinee on the site.
Thanks for your continued patronage.
Monday, September 29, 2003
Friday, September 26, 2003
Mumbai Matinee
Saw Mumbai Matinee on the first day of its release. Have you ever had the feeling of seeing a movie which started out in a great way, was endearing for most of the part, but the aftertaste due to a poor last quarter left you with very ambiguous feelings. Yeah... I know! You will say you stopped counting at movie no. 1023.
Synopsis
Debashis/Debu Chatterjee (Rahul Bose as usual walking away with the best lines in the film) is an adman(Again after the mildly successful Jhankaar Beats. Seems that's the only cool profession to be in nowadays, where you can be wacky and get away with anything). His problem in life is that he is 32, and still a virgin. He has to contend with a colleague Raakesh Sharma (Kaabir, last seen in Ishq Vishk) who seems to get pleasure in Rahul's discomfiture. The mandatory boss Mahesh Godbole (Amar Talwar with a horrendous wig) and an eyelid batting, scantily clad secretary Monica D'Costa (Sunila Karamblekar.... her clothes are not as big as her surname) step in to provide the filler jokes.
Rahul starts getting obsessed with sex and his desperation reaches such limits as to actually go to a "Hindustani Baba" addressed in a pamphlet. This "Hindustani Baba" (Vijay Raaz in an outlandish role) and his secretary Pyaare Lal(Asraani, now relegated to playing assistant comic to new actors) con him into paying them Rs.5000. Vijay Raaz's office is done up like that of an adman. It has all kinds of furniture which is either antique or wacky.
They give Rahul some miracle tablets and lots of dialogues along the lines of Star Wars (May the force be with you).
Rahul also ends up meeting with a C-Grade movie director Nitin Kapoor(Saurabh Shukla in a very endearing performance). Saurabh is the maker of films like "Thakurain", "Maharani", "Ganga Dacait", "Pyaar Koi Paap Nahi" et al. He has never tasted success, and he beleives that one Friday he will have his due. For his next film, "Sholay Mein Deewar" his distributors want him to include raunchy scenes.
Even though Saurabh Shukla considers Vijay Raaz to be a fraud, he gets convinced by a crony to go over and seek his help. What results is a hilarious sequence where Vijay Raaz and Saurabh Shukla intersperse scenes of Rahul Bose exercising with scenes of a female mouthing some bedroom lines.
These are included in the film, which turns out to be a hit and Rahul becomes an overnight sex star. But the trouble is, he is still a virgin. He gets arrested, and his dialogues with a true blue Bengali who is disgusted to know that Rahul is also a Bengali evoke a lot of mirth.
In steps journalist Sonali Verma(Perizaad Zorabian ravishing as ever and lighting up the screen everytime she comes over) who tries to get hold of him for an interview, and ends up sharing her appartment with him.
There is also an ill-timed single song in the movie, which gets compensated for by the presence of Anusha Dandekar.
Also, Rahul's interaction with a gay guy Roshan Kumar(Bakul Thakkar) result in some poignant moments for the film.
Analysis
Rahul Bose, for a change gets to do a character who is not brash, self-confident and absolutely sure of himself. He also gets to do these Woody Allenesque monologues where he gets to throw some wisecracks and ironical observations at the camera. Perizaad Zorabian has a very short and pivotal role, and she gives it her best shot. Saurabh Shukla excels in his caricaturish portrayal of a C-grade movie director with a conscience. Vijay Raaz gives some good moments to the movie, but is not consistent. Asraani and Kaabir do not have roles to justify any analysis. Bakul Thakkar is appropriate.
Technique
The late Anant Balani has written and directed this movie. He has been successful as far as creating the atmosphere for a black comedy is concerned. The problem seems to be in the screenplay and the abrupt ending, which comes very unexpectedly. There are also quite a few scenes which have been thrown in just to put in some gags that they seem to have thought of along the way.
But, to the director's credit, the movie never gets crass, which was very probable with such a subject.
Music Directors Anand Raaj Anand and Farhad Wadia (Check the number of 'and's in the last fragment) have a miniscule responsibility as the film does not rely much on its music. The snippet of "Sex is Guuut!!(An ode to Freud)" song is an exception. Editor Mohammed Rafique was sleeping on the job, as lots of inconsequential scenes have crept into the final print of the movie.
Sidelights
1) Director Anant Balani disappeared from the Bollywood scene after three movies "Gawahi" - 1989(Zeenat Aman, Ashutosh Gowariker, Shekhar Kapur) and "Patthar ke Phool" -1991(Salman Khan and Raveena Tandon; her debut film). Four years later he directed Jazbaat, starring Rohit Roy and Suchitra Krishnamurthy (Shekhar Kapur's wife). The film, made on money he had inherited flopped miserably and ruined him financially.
He reappeared with a sudden stroke of good luck to direct 4 movies Joggers Park(Perizaad Zorabian, Victor Banerjee), Mumbai Matinee(Rahul Bose, Perizaad Zorabian), Ek Din (Rahul Bose, Nandita Das), and Chameli (Rahul Bose, Kareena Kapoor). But unfortunately he passed away before seeing the release of even one of them.
2) He also directed soaps for the small screen(A Mouthful Of Sky, Kabhi Kabhi).
3) In one scene in the movie, the poster for the movie produced by Saurabh Shukla shows the credits as "Directed by - Nitin Kumar". Saurabh's name in the movie is Nitin Kapoor :).
4) In a scene where Rahul pays Asraani with a credit card, Rahul does not sign any transaction slip after swiping the card. All the best to Asraani to get it encashed.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Hmm... I am a little confused. If you want to listen to some witty lines and a few original jokes, go for it, but move out of the theater about 15 minutes before it ends (its a 2 hour movie). You might end up liking it. If you are going for Perizaad, forget it; she comes in for the last half an hour. If you are going for Rahul Bose, you might enjoy the movie.
Moreover, remember that this is not a family movie, as they already warned in the advertisements. Go with your friends, and you could have a rollicking time trying to relate to the characters.
Saw Mumbai Matinee on the first day of its release. Have you ever had the feeling of seeing a movie which started out in a great way, was endearing for most of the part, but the aftertaste due to a poor last quarter left you with very ambiguous feelings. Yeah... I know! You will say you stopped counting at movie no. 1023.
Synopsis
Debashis/Debu Chatterjee (Rahul Bose as usual walking away with the best lines in the film) is an adman(Again after the mildly successful Jhankaar Beats. Seems that's the only cool profession to be in nowadays, where you can be wacky and get away with anything). His problem in life is that he is 32, and still a virgin. He has to contend with a colleague Raakesh Sharma (Kaabir, last seen in Ishq Vishk) who seems to get pleasure in Rahul's discomfiture. The mandatory boss Mahesh Godbole (Amar Talwar with a horrendous wig) and an eyelid batting, scantily clad secretary Monica D'Costa (Sunila Karamblekar.... her clothes are not as big as her surname) step in to provide the filler jokes.
Rahul starts getting obsessed with sex and his desperation reaches such limits as to actually go to a "Hindustani Baba" addressed in a pamphlet. This "Hindustani Baba" (Vijay Raaz in an outlandish role) and his secretary Pyaare Lal(Asraani, now relegated to playing assistant comic to new actors) con him into paying them Rs.5000. Vijay Raaz's office is done up like that of an adman. It has all kinds of furniture which is either antique or wacky.
They give Rahul some miracle tablets and lots of dialogues along the lines of Star Wars (May the force be with you).
Rahul also ends up meeting with a C-Grade movie director Nitin Kapoor(Saurabh Shukla in a very endearing performance). Saurabh is the maker of films like "Thakurain", "Maharani", "Ganga Dacait", "Pyaar Koi Paap Nahi" et al. He has never tasted success, and he beleives that one Friday he will have his due. For his next film, "Sholay Mein Deewar" his distributors want him to include raunchy scenes.
Even though Saurabh Shukla considers Vijay Raaz to be a fraud, he gets convinced by a crony to go over and seek his help. What results is a hilarious sequence where Vijay Raaz and Saurabh Shukla intersperse scenes of Rahul Bose exercising with scenes of a female mouthing some bedroom lines.
These are included in the film, which turns out to be a hit and Rahul becomes an overnight sex star. But the trouble is, he is still a virgin. He gets arrested, and his dialogues with a true blue Bengali who is disgusted to know that Rahul is also a Bengali evoke a lot of mirth.
In steps journalist Sonali Verma(Perizaad Zorabian ravishing as ever and lighting up the screen everytime she comes over) who tries to get hold of him for an interview, and ends up sharing her appartment with him.
There is also an ill-timed single song in the movie, which gets compensated for by the presence of Anusha Dandekar.
Also, Rahul's interaction with a gay guy Roshan Kumar(Bakul Thakkar) result in some poignant moments for the film.
Analysis
Rahul Bose, for a change gets to do a character who is not brash, self-confident and absolutely sure of himself. He also gets to do these Woody Allenesque monologues where he gets to throw some wisecracks and ironical observations at the camera. Perizaad Zorabian has a very short and pivotal role, and she gives it her best shot. Saurabh Shukla excels in his caricaturish portrayal of a C-grade movie director with a conscience. Vijay Raaz gives some good moments to the movie, but is not consistent. Asraani and Kaabir do not have roles to justify any analysis. Bakul Thakkar is appropriate.
Technique
The late Anant Balani has written and directed this movie. He has been successful as far as creating the atmosphere for a black comedy is concerned. The problem seems to be in the screenplay and the abrupt ending, which comes very unexpectedly. There are also quite a few scenes which have been thrown in just to put in some gags that they seem to have thought of along the way.
But, to the director's credit, the movie never gets crass, which was very probable with such a subject.
Music Directors Anand Raaj Anand and Farhad Wadia (Check the number of 'and's in the last fragment) have a miniscule responsibility as the film does not rely much on its music. The snippet of "Sex is Guuut!!(An ode to Freud)" song is an exception. Editor Mohammed Rafique was sleeping on the job, as lots of inconsequential scenes have crept into the final print of the movie.
Sidelights
1) Director Anant Balani disappeared from the Bollywood scene after three movies "Gawahi" - 1989(Zeenat Aman, Ashutosh Gowariker, Shekhar Kapur) and "Patthar ke Phool" -1991(Salman Khan and Raveena Tandon; her debut film). Four years later he directed Jazbaat, starring Rohit Roy and Suchitra Krishnamurthy (Shekhar Kapur's wife). The film, made on money he had inherited flopped miserably and ruined him financially.
He reappeared with a sudden stroke of good luck to direct 4 movies Joggers Park(Perizaad Zorabian, Victor Banerjee), Mumbai Matinee(Rahul Bose, Perizaad Zorabian), Ek Din (Rahul Bose, Nandita Das), and Chameli (Rahul Bose, Kareena Kapoor). But unfortunately he passed away before seeing the release of even one of them.
2) He also directed soaps for the small screen(A Mouthful Of Sky, Kabhi Kabhi).
3) In one scene in the movie, the poster for the movie produced by Saurabh Shukla shows the credits as "Directed by - Nitin Kumar". Saurabh's name in the movie is Nitin Kapoor :).
4) In a scene where Rahul pays Asraani with a credit card, Rahul does not sign any transaction slip after swiping the card. All the best to Asraani to get it encashed.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Hmm... I am a little confused. If you want to listen to some witty lines and a few original jokes, go for it, but move out of the theater about 15 minutes before it ends (its a 2 hour movie). You might end up liking it. If you are going for Perizaad, forget it; she comes in for the last half an hour. If you are going for Rahul Bose, you might enjoy the movie.
Moreover, remember that this is not a family movie, as they already warned in the advertisements. Go with your friends, and you could have a rollicking time trying to relate to the characters.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Boom
Saw Boom on the first day of its release. I wish I had heeded the advice of the many people who had seen it on pirated VCDs and lived to tell the tale.
Synopsis
Boom, as everyone and their second cousin know, is the story of 3 models Anu Gaekwad(Madhu Sapre, looking like something the cat dragged in on a bad day), Sheila Bardez (Padma Laxmi looking delectable half the time, and for the other half, she looks like Madhu) and Rina Kaif (Katrina Kaif, the gorgeous bombshell, who I think will be relegated to bikini roles after this debut), who get into the bad books of the underworld as they make the gangsters lose 50 crores worth of diamonds due to a scuffle they have on the ramp with a rival model.
These diamonds were stolen by Abdul 50/50s or Chotte Mia as he is called (Jackie Shroff in a miniscule role where he fails to impress) men, and were to be sent to Bade Mia (Amitabh looking detestable and acting wacky, but he doesnt seem to enjoy it, and neither do we).
The go between is the very imaginatively named Medium Mia (Gulshan Grover in a baddie role being overshadowed by the Big B). Both Chotte and Medium want to rise a level up to being Medium and Bade respectively.
Alice (Zeenat Aman looking charming, but that's about all I can say) is Amitabh's secretary, and feels that she can actually rule the underworld, if given a chance.
Boom Shankar (Jaaved Jaaferi, hey, that's how he spells his name nowadays, must have gone to that numerologist Jumaani guy. He has a role which is interesting to say the least) is given the responsibility of chaperoning the models, and to take care that they get the diamonds back. Seema Biswas also has a role as Bharti, the models' housemaid, who is smarter than she lets on.
When all these characters come together, it is time for the audience to leave the theater nursing a BIG BAADAA BOOM in your head.
Also thrown in are some real life designers, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal. They better stick to their professions, for sure as hell they can't act.
Analysis
For the first time in his life, Amitabh is playing a negative character with no excuses whatsoever (His roles in Aankhen, Kaante, Faraar etc had some justification for his being bad). Is he impressive. Hmmm... the less said about it, the better. I dont want to alienate the Big B fans here. He seems totally disinterested in the proceedings. One of the few scenes he shows chutzpah in, is when he flicks some comic books from his own store. Jackie Shroff and Gulshan Grover have little to do except growl menacingly. Katrina Kaif looks good throughout the movie, but little else can be said about her. She sucks at acting. Even the furniture in the movie is a lot more animated than her face. Madhu Sapre does show a few histrionic capabilities. Padma Lakshmi is passable, but she needs to be consistent with her makeup.
Technique
Kaizad Gustad made his debut with "Bombay Boys". Though this was not a great film, it had its snatches of innovative humour. It was well received, and that escalated the expectations from this flick. He thoroughly disappoints. Considering that this movie was through and through a Kaizad Gustad venture (he writes as well as directs), the blame for it should also squarely land at his doorstep. The movie is so shoddy, that all of the sequences seem absoulutely disjoint. Seems like he just sat down and thought; "Hey... I think this sequence will look cool! Why don't I shoot it and then think where to put it in the film." It seems all the marijuana being smoked around in the film addled his brain cells and gave him delusions of being Quentin Tarantino. Cinematography by Hinman Dhamija, an international cinematographer is okay in parts, but it leaves you completely baffled in places. I always maintain that a good cinematographer is someone who doesn't let on that you are seeing stuff through the eyes of a camera; he actually makes you feel that you are present there. This is where he fails absolutely. His pyrotechnics with the camera leave him completely out of favour as far as I am concerned. The music (Resul, the sound engineer, and music by Talvin Singh, with background music by Sandeep Chowtha) is fine, but I was completely disgusted when the models break into a song in the midst of a bank robbery. That is when the movie went beyond redemption. Editing by Reva Childs makes you wonder whether s/he really knew the language. Most of the scenes are so choppy and come out of the blue, that you start wondering what you would have understood if you didn't know the much publicised theme of the movie.
What saddens me the most is, here you have an example of a producer (Ayesha Shroff) who gave absolutely free reins to her director to translate his vision onto film; and he screws up big time. On the other hand we have the great Sudhir Mishra, who is forced to bring in commercial considerations in his film (Calcutta Mail) due to his producers (Allu Arvind and Mukesh Udeshi) and his lead actor (Anil Kapoor). How I wish these directors had exchanged producers.
Sidelights
1) This film was shot in Burj Al Arab (correct me if I am wrong), which is supposed to be the most opulent hotel in the world. This is the first time that a film was given permission to be shot there.
2) There was a controversy regarding the payments to be made to Amitabh Bachchan for this film. He dragged the producers to the Producers association, where they agreed to pay him in two installments, one before the film's release, and one after. I think Amitabh will have to kiss his second installment goodbye.
3) As a result of this feud, the producers also had to let go of the satellite rights of this film to Sahara Television (with whom Amitabh is associated) instead of it being broadcast by Sony Television(in which Jackie Shroff has a stake).
4) Kaizad Gustad has studied filmmaking at the Tisch school of arts in NY, but after seeing this movie, I think it might be the Kitsch school of Arts.
5) He has also written a book "Of no fixed address", which, though not brilliant, is certainly readable in parts. He has interestingly termed it his fictionalised autobiography.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Forget it! If you want a headache, why don't you play DOOM instead for 10 straight hours. This movie is a no-show right from the beginning. I wish I had watched the other B-Grade release this week, "Miss India". At least Om Puri would have been a treat to watch. My recommendation for this week is "Pirates of the Carribean". Go watch this swashbuckling tale and praise Jerry Bruckheimer for his opulent fairy tales.
Saw Boom on the first day of its release. I wish I had heeded the advice of the many people who had seen it on pirated VCDs and lived to tell the tale.
Synopsis
Boom, as everyone and their second cousin know, is the story of 3 models Anu Gaekwad(Madhu Sapre, looking like something the cat dragged in on a bad day), Sheila Bardez (Padma Laxmi looking delectable half the time, and for the other half, she looks like Madhu) and Rina Kaif (Katrina Kaif, the gorgeous bombshell, who I think will be relegated to bikini roles after this debut), who get into the bad books of the underworld as they make the gangsters lose 50 crores worth of diamonds due to a scuffle they have on the ramp with a rival model.
These diamonds were stolen by Abdul 50/50s or Chotte Mia as he is called (Jackie Shroff in a miniscule role where he fails to impress) men, and were to be sent to Bade Mia (Amitabh looking detestable and acting wacky, but he doesnt seem to enjoy it, and neither do we).
The go between is the very imaginatively named Medium Mia (Gulshan Grover in a baddie role being overshadowed by the Big B). Both Chotte and Medium want to rise a level up to being Medium and Bade respectively.
Alice (Zeenat Aman looking charming, but that's about all I can say) is Amitabh's secretary, and feels that she can actually rule the underworld, if given a chance.
Boom Shankar (Jaaved Jaaferi, hey, that's how he spells his name nowadays, must have gone to that numerologist Jumaani guy. He has a role which is interesting to say the least) is given the responsibility of chaperoning the models, and to take care that they get the diamonds back. Seema Biswas also has a role as Bharti, the models' housemaid, who is smarter than she lets on.
When all these characters come together, it is time for the audience to leave the theater nursing a BIG BAADAA BOOM in your head.
Also thrown in are some real life designers, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal. They better stick to their professions, for sure as hell they can't act.
Analysis
For the first time in his life, Amitabh is playing a negative character with no excuses whatsoever (His roles in Aankhen, Kaante, Faraar etc had some justification for his being bad). Is he impressive. Hmmm... the less said about it, the better. I dont want to alienate the Big B fans here. He seems totally disinterested in the proceedings. One of the few scenes he shows chutzpah in, is when he flicks some comic books from his own store. Jackie Shroff and Gulshan Grover have little to do except growl menacingly. Katrina Kaif looks good throughout the movie, but little else can be said about her. She sucks at acting. Even the furniture in the movie is a lot more animated than her face. Madhu Sapre does show a few histrionic capabilities. Padma Lakshmi is passable, but she needs to be consistent with her makeup.
Technique
Kaizad Gustad made his debut with "Bombay Boys". Though this was not a great film, it had its snatches of innovative humour. It was well received, and that escalated the expectations from this flick. He thoroughly disappoints. Considering that this movie was through and through a Kaizad Gustad venture (he writes as well as directs), the blame for it should also squarely land at his doorstep. The movie is so shoddy, that all of the sequences seem absoulutely disjoint. Seems like he just sat down and thought; "Hey... I think this sequence will look cool! Why don't I shoot it and then think where to put it in the film." It seems all the marijuana being smoked around in the film addled his brain cells and gave him delusions of being Quentin Tarantino. Cinematography by Hinman Dhamija, an international cinematographer is okay in parts, but it leaves you completely baffled in places. I always maintain that a good cinematographer is someone who doesn't let on that you are seeing stuff through the eyes of a camera; he actually makes you feel that you are present there. This is where he fails absolutely. His pyrotechnics with the camera leave him completely out of favour as far as I am concerned. The music (Resul, the sound engineer, and music by Talvin Singh, with background music by Sandeep Chowtha) is fine, but I was completely disgusted when the models break into a song in the midst of a bank robbery. That is when the movie went beyond redemption. Editing by Reva Childs makes you wonder whether s/he really knew the language. Most of the scenes are so choppy and come out of the blue, that you start wondering what you would have understood if you didn't know the much publicised theme of the movie.
What saddens me the most is, here you have an example of a producer (Ayesha Shroff) who gave absolutely free reins to her director to translate his vision onto film; and he screws up big time. On the other hand we have the great Sudhir Mishra, who is forced to bring in commercial considerations in his film (Calcutta Mail) due to his producers (Allu Arvind and Mukesh Udeshi) and his lead actor (Anil Kapoor). How I wish these directors had exchanged producers.
Sidelights
1) This film was shot in Burj Al Arab (correct me if I am wrong), which is supposed to be the most opulent hotel in the world. This is the first time that a film was given permission to be shot there.
2) There was a controversy regarding the payments to be made to Amitabh Bachchan for this film. He dragged the producers to the Producers association, where they agreed to pay him in two installments, one before the film's release, and one after. I think Amitabh will have to kiss his second installment goodbye.
3) As a result of this feud, the producers also had to let go of the satellite rights of this film to Sahara Television (with whom Amitabh is associated) instead of it being broadcast by Sony Television(in which Jackie Shroff has a stake).
4) Kaizad Gustad has studied filmmaking at the Tisch school of arts in NY, but after seeing this movie, I think it might be the Kitsch school of Arts.
5) He has also written a book "Of no fixed address", which, though not brilliant, is certainly readable in parts. He has interestingly termed it his fictionalised autobiography.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Forget it! If you want a headache, why don't you play DOOM instead for 10 straight hours. This movie is a no-show right from the beginning. I wish I had watched the other B-Grade release this week, "Miss India". At least Om Puri would have been a treat to watch. My recommendation for this week is "Pirates of the Carribean". Go watch this swashbuckling tale and praise Jerry Bruckheimer for his opulent fairy tales.
Monday, September 08, 2003
Calcutta Mail
Saw Calcutta Mail on the first day of its release.My friend was insisting on Kuch Naa Kaho, but I cannot resist the temptation of seeing a thriller on the first day of its release. I came back with mixed feelings.
Synopsis
Calcutta Mail is the story of a Avinash (Anil Kapoor giving a good performance, as is expected of him) who arrives in the city of Calcutta in search of a Lakhan Yadav (Sayaji Shinde in a very insipid performance. Been there done that, trying to be menacing with a Bihari accent even though his Marathi roots show through in the dialogues.)
He takes a room in a chawl, where he has to share a room with (Rani Mukherjee; looking good, but grating on the nerves). She writes novels, and to get an authentic perspective, lives in a chawl. The goings on start getting murkier by the minute, and blood is shed a plenty before we get to know the reason for the goings on.
By the time the story gets explained, you have lost interest in the fate of Anil Kapoor, and the only person you feel sorry for is yourself to have sat through all of this.
Manisha Koirala makes an appearance in the flashback, and looks ethereal(You might take this with a pinch of salt, as I used to be a big Manisha fan earlier).
Satish Kaushik also shows his histrionic skills as a politician.
Saurabh Shukla does not impress with his here today gone tomorrow Bengali accent.
I cannot give away much of the story in this synopsis, as the way the story is unfolded makes for good viewing.
Analysis
Anil Kapoor does not disappoint in a role that is tailormade for him. His role though reminds you of his recent ill-fated, badly made enterprise "Rishtey". Rani Mukherjee tries to make the best of her half-baked characterisation. Manisha Koirala doesn't have much scope to perform except to look good, which is a gargantuan task for her after she put on so much weight. She succeeds partly. Satish Kaushik is ok, Sayaji Shinde is passable.
Saurabh Shukla does shine through in some scenes, but the overall feel is disappointing.
Technique
When I thought of going for a movie directed by Sudhir (Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi) Mishra, I was absolutely confident of what I should expect. But, unfortunately, the brilliant director seems to have fallen prey to commercial considerations.
The songs come in at alarming intervals, and disturb the flow of the movie. Some of the locales which are tried to be passed off as Bihar seem absolutely unauthentic.
The script has been written by Sudhir Mishra with Ruchi Narain and Saurabh Shukla. The first half of the movie, barring the songs is absolutely relentless in its pace.
Dialogues by Saurabh Shukla are run of the mill.
Cinematography by Ravi Chandran helps to build the gritty story through its claustrophobic view of Calcutta.
I cannot comment without bias on music by Anand Raaj Anand and lyrics by Javed Akhtar as these are unnecessary in the film.
Sidelights
1) Not many know that Sudhir Mishra was the person responsible for co-scripting the cult classic "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" with Kundan Shah. As a light aside, Ravi Baswani's character was also named Sudhir Mishra in the film. Moreover, the character of Naseerudin Shah was called Vinod Chopra.
2) He has also scripted little known but much appreciated films for Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Khamosh) and Saeed Mirza's (Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho).
3) He has also assisted Vidhu Vinod Chopra in directing "1942 - A Love Story"
4) Sudhir Mishra has also written the script of all his own films (Dharavi, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi)
5) Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit had bit roles in Sudhir Mishra's "Dharavi".
6) He is slated to take over the task of the late director Anant Balani for his Kareena Kapoor, Rahul Bose starrer and Pritish Nandy produced "Chameli"
7) This movie is a remake of a Telugu hit "Choodalani Vundi" starring Chiranjeevi and Anjala Zhaveri. Anil Kapoor approached Sudhir Mishra to direct it, and Sudhr Mishra refused at first, but later relented after he was given the authority to remake it in his own way. So, he kept the basic premise of the film, and rewrote the whole script.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
To tell the truth, I had a headache after I watched the movie. This was due to the incessant blood and gore. Mind this, I am not against such stuff, but it got to a point where the audience went beyond caring about the goings on.
If you are an Anil Kapoor fan, go for it. He has turned in a great performance.
Fans of Sudhir Mishra like me will be disappointed as we expect a stark realistic film from him. It is certainly a let down to see him bow down to commercial considerations and film dream sequence songs in foreign locales.
I would reccomend such people to see "Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi" again.
Saw Calcutta Mail on the first day of its release.My friend was insisting on Kuch Naa Kaho, but I cannot resist the temptation of seeing a thriller on the first day of its release. I came back with mixed feelings.
Synopsis
Calcutta Mail is the story of a Avinash (Anil Kapoor giving a good performance, as is expected of him) who arrives in the city of Calcutta in search of a Lakhan Yadav (Sayaji Shinde in a very insipid performance. Been there done that, trying to be menacing with a Bihari accent even though his Marathi roots show through in the dialogues.)
He takes a room in a chawl, where he has to share a room with (Rani Mukherjee; looking good, but grating on the nerves). She writes novels, and to get an authentic perspective, lives in a chawl. The goings on start getting murkier by the minute, and blood is shed a plenty before we get to know the reason for the goings on.
By the time the story gets explained, you have lost interest in the fate of Anil Kapoor, and the only person you feel sorry for is yourself to have sat through all of this.
Manisha Koirala makes an appearance in the flashback, and looks ethereal(You might take this with a pinch of salt, as I used to be a big Manisha fan earlier).
Satish Kaushik also shows his histrionic skills as a politician.
Saurabh Shukla does not impress with his here today gone tomorrow Bengali accent.
I cannot give away much of the story in this synopsis, as the way the story is unfolded makes for good viewing.
Analysis
Anil Kapoor does not disappoint in a role that is tailormade for him. His role though reminds you of his recent ill-fated, badly made enterprise "Rishtey". Rani Mukherjee tries to make the best of her half-baked characterisation. Manisha Koirala doesn't have much scope to perform except to look good, which is a gargantuan task for her after she put on so much weight. She succeeds partly. Satish Kaushik is ok, Sayaji Shinde is passable.
Saurabh Shukla does shine through in some scenes, but the overall feel is disappointing.
Technique
When I thought of going for a movie directed by Sudhir (Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi) Mishra, I was absolutely confident of what I should expect. But, unfortunately, the brilliant director seems to have fallen prey to commercial considerations.
The songs come in at alarming intervals, and disturb the flow of the movie. Some of the locales which are tried to be passed off as Bihar seem absolutely unauthentic.
The script has been written by Sudhir Mishra with Ruchi Narain and Saurabh Shukla. The first half of the movie, barring the songs is absolutely relentless in its pace.
Dialogues by Saurabh Shukla are run of the mill.
Cinematography by Ravi Chandran helps to build the gritty story through its claustrophobic view of Calcutta.
I cannot comment without bias on music by Anand Raaj Anand and lyrics by Javed Akhtar as these are unnecessary in the film.
Sidelights
1) Not many know that Sudhir Mishra was the person responsible for co-scripting the cult classic "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" with Kundan Shah. As a light aside, Ravi Baswani's character was also named Sudhir Mishra in the film. Moreover, the character of Naseerudin Shah was called Vinod Chopra.
2) He has also scripted little known but much appreciated films for Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Khamosh) and Saeed Mirza's (Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho).
3) He has also assisted Vidhu Vinod Chopra in directing "1942 - A Love Story"
4) Sudhir Mishra has also written the script of all his own films (Dharavi, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi)
5) Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit had bit roles in Sudhir Mishra's "Dharavi".
6) He is slated to take over the task of the late director Anant Balani for his Kareena Kapoor, Rahul Bose starrer and Pritish Nandy produced "Chameli"
7) This movie is a remake of a Telugu hit "Choodalani Vundi" starring Chiranjeevi and Anjala Zhaveri. Anil Kapoor approached Sudhir Mishra to direct it, and Sudhr Mishra refused at first, but later relented after he was given the authority to remake it in his own way. So, he kept the basic premise of the film, and rewrote the whole script.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
To tell the truth, I had a headache after I watched the movie. This was due to the incessant blood and gore. Mind this, I am not against such stuff, but it got to a point where the audience went beyond caring about the goings on.
If you are an Anil Kapoor fan, go for it. He has turned in a great performance.
Fans of Sudhir Mishra like me will be disappointed as we expect a stark realistic film from him. It is certainly a let down to see him bow down to commercial considerations and film dream sequence songs in foreign locales.
I would reccomend such people to see "Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi" again.
Monday, September 01, 2003
GangaaJal
Saw GangaaJal on the first day of its release. A trite screenplay which reminds you so much of the other angry cop in Bihar movie (Shool).
Synopsis
Gangaajal is the story of an honest IPS officer Amit Kumar (Ajay Devgan in another one of his intense performances. Lighten up lad, you seem to be bogged down with the singlehanded responsibility of attaining world peace) who gets posted as a Superintendent of Police in Tejpur, a district in Bihar. He meets all kinds of debauched people like Sadhu Yadav (Mohan Joshi acting like in many of his Mithun films) and his son Sundar (Yashpal Sharma, he seems to have perfected the act of the spoilt brat/thakur/goon). His superior DIG Verma (Dr. Mohan Agashe) is a corrupt cop currying favours from politicians. His subordinates DSP Bhurelal (Akhilendra Mishra in a mirth evoking role with his walking style), Inspector Bachcha Yadav (Mukesh Tiwari in a fine performance), Inspector Shaheed Khan (Ayub Khan), ASI Bholenath Pandey (Chetan Pandit) have become impervious to the goings on. They turn a blind eye to the antics of Mohan Joshi's goons.
Due to his diligence and integrity, Ajay manages to woo over Mukesh Tiwari. He makes an honest cop out of him to help him in his fight against corruption and goondaism. This inspires the other cops (except Akhilendra Mishra, who is a Mohan Agashe loyalist).
This leads to a number of encounters between them and Mohan Joshi and Yashpal Sharma, where more often than not, the cops lose.
This leads to a demoralisation for the cops, and then comes the gruesome turning point of the movie pre-interval, where the cops take matters into their own hands instead of resorting to the law. They take their revenge in a devilish manner on some goons of Sadhu whom they have detained. A revolution is brought about in the district of Tejpur, and people start taking similar steps to stop injustice. This weapon, whose metaphor is GangaaJal (the holy water) sweeps across the district as a means of purification of society.
At such a point, Ajay's wife (Gracy Singh in a small role where she fails to impress) acts as his conscience, and makes him realise his duty towards the society, and how he is setting a wrong example for the people.
This makes him take corrective steps to enlighten his colleagues and the populace of Tejpur.
Analysis
Ajay Devgan and Mukesh Tiwari impress with their performances. An ensemble cast of National School of Drama graduates as police officers and important characters in the film give it an authentic look. Ajay seems to be settling in for an intense actor image. This might prove to be his undoing, as he has turned in lousy performances in comic roles, and he might get slotted as a serious actor. Gracy Singh has a miniscule role, and mainly serves an act which anyone could have done. Yashpal Sharma deserves special mention for his act, but even in his case, its a role which he has done an umpteen number of times.
But, the "Been There Done That" award undoubtedly goes to Mohan Joshi. He has done zillions of roles of the corrupt politician/don/thakur to make him forget which film he is in.
Technique
Prakash Jha seems to impress in films which have rural backdrops. He has delivered duds such as "Dil Kya Kare" and "Rahul", where the story was based in an urban milieu. But, when it comes to depicting stories in the rural section of our country, he has given award-winning movies like "Damul", "Parinati" and "Mrutyudand". He seems to be in his element in this movie. Deftly dealing with the story line, and giving a tight screenplay with no room to breathe, which just falters a little towards the end.
Jha has handled the scripting, editing and direction of the movie. Background music by Wayne Sharpe is good.
The movie has no songs (except an item number composed by Sandesh Shandilya), and this is a relief for many. Cinematography by Arvind K. is fine.
Sidelights
This is a new section that I would like to introduce, where I will put in bits of trivia about the concerned movie.
This movie has had its fair share of controversies.
Prakash Jha was the chairman of the board for the national awards, which presented the best actor award to Ajay Devgan for "The Legend of Bhagat Singh". Though Prakash Jha did not vote in the Best Actor category, filmmaker Guru Adoor Gopalkrishnan was not impressed. He thought it was unprofessional of Jha to be on the panel, and cited the exmaple of Amol Palekar, who had bowed out of the panel last year as his film was being screened for the awards.
The movie has been inspired by an incident which became known as the Bhagalpur blindings (1979/80), where 30 men and boys were blinded while being tortured by the police. This incident got the support of the local populace as well as many outsiders who considered that the move was warranted due to the criminal acts of the victims. This also made many consider the moral dilemma of who will police the policemen, and who should judge the validity of such treatment. Similar incidents later occured in Rajkot in Gujarat, where 7 detainees were given an analogous treatment with a balm.
The film, though set in Bihar, has been entirely shot in Maharashtra's Satara and Wai districts, and all the crowd scenes of the movie have authentic villagers acting in them with some basic training they received.
The movie has had disrupted screenings in many parts of Bihar as Mohan Joshi's character shares his name Sadhu Yadav with Rabri Devi's brother, who is a politician in his own right (i.e. Goonda in his own right for Bihar).
Manmohan Shetty, who also produced Ardh Satya (a much acclaimed cop frustrated with the system movie of the 1980's directed by the then uncorrupted Mahesh Bhatt) is also a co-producer of this movie.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Some parts of the movie are gruesome. For those weak of heart, forget it, go watch a "Dil to Pagal Hai" rerun somewhere.
For people who loved "Shool", and thought how it would have been better with a protagonist who had more powers; here is the answer to your prayers.
For lovers of serious cinema, this is a good choice. Some scenes do not pass muster, but the overall effect of the movie is good.
Saw GangaaJal on the first day of its release. A trite screenplay which reminds you so much of the other angry cop in Bihar movie (Shool).
Synopsis
Gangaajal is the story of an honest IPS officer Amit Kumar (Ajay Devgan in another one of his intense performances. Lighten up lad, you seem to be bogged down with the singlehanded responsibility of attaining world peace) who gets posted as a Superintendent of Police in Tejpur, a district in Bihar. He meets all kinds of debauched people like Sadhu Yadav (Mohan Joshi acting like in many of his Mithun films) and his son Sundar (Yashpal Sharma, he seems to have perfected the act of the spoilt brat/thakur/goon). His superior DIG Verma (Dr. Mohan Agashe) is a corrupt cop currying favours from politicians. His subordinates DSP Bhurelal (Akhilendra Mishra in a mirth evoking role with his walking style), Inspector Bachcha Yadav (Mukesh Tiwari in a fine performance), Inspector Shaheed Khan (Ayub Khan), ASI Bholenath Pandey (Chetan Pandit) have become impervious to the goings on. They turn a blind eye to the antics of Mohan Joshi's goons.
Due to his diligence and integrity, Ajay manages to woo over Mukesh Tiwari. He makes an honest cop out of him to help him in his fight against corruption and goondaism. This inspires the other cops (except Akhilendra Mishra, who is a Mohan Agashe loyalist).
This leads to a number of encounters between them and Mohan Joshi and Yashpal Sharma, where more often than not, the cops lose.
This leads to a demoralisation for the cops, and then comes the gruesome turning point of the movie pre-interval, where the cops take matters into their own hands instead of resorting to the law. They take their revenge in a devilish manner on some goons of Sadhu whom they have detained. A revolution is brought about in the district of Tejpur, and people start taking similar steps to stop injustice. This weapon, whose metaphor is GangaaJal (the holy water) sweeps across the district as a means of purification of society.
At such a point, Ajay's wife (Gracy Singh in a small role where she fails to impress) acts as his conscience, and makes him realise his duty towards the society, and how he is setting a wrong example for the people.
This makes him take corrective steps to enlighten his colleagues and the populace of Tejpur.
Analysis
Ajay Devgan and Mukesh Tiwari impress with their performances. An ensemble cast of National School of Drama graduates as police officers and important characters in the film give it an authentic look. Ajay seems to be settling in for an intense actor image. This might prove to be his undoing, as he has turned in lousy performances in comic roles, and he might get slotted as a serious actor. Gracy Singh has a miniscule role, and mainly serves an act which anyone could have done. Yashpal Sharma deserves special mention for his act, but even in his case, its a role which he has done an umpteen number of times.
But, the "Been There Done That" award undoubtedly goes to Mohan Joshi. He has done zillions of roles of the corrupt politician/don/thakur to make him forget which film he is in.
Technique
Prakash Jha seems to impress in films which have rural backdrops. He has delivered duds such as "Dil Kya Kare" and "Rahul", where the story was based in an urban milieu. But, when it comes to depicting stories in the rural section of our country, he has given award-winning movies like "Damul", "Parinati" and "Mrutyudand". He seems to be in his element in this movie. Deftly dealing with the story line, and giving a tight screenplay with no room to breathe, which just falters a little towards the end.
Jha has handled the scripting, editing and direction of the movie. Background music by Wayne Sharpe is good.
The movie has no songs (except an item number composed by Sandesh Shandilya), and this is a relief for many. Cinematography by Arvind K. is fine.
Sidelights
This is a new section that I would like to introduce, where I will put in bits of trivia about the concerned movie.
This movie has had its fair share of controversies.
Prakash Jha was the chairman of the board for the national awards, which presented the best actor award to Ajay Devgan for "The Legend of Bhagat Singh". Though Prakash Jha did not vote in the Best Actor category, filmmaker Guru Adoor Gopalkrishnan was not impressed. He thought it was unprofessional of Jha to be on the panel, and cited the exmaple of Amol Palekar, who had bowed out of the panel last year as his film was being screened for the awards.
The movie has been inspired by an incident which became known as the Bhagalpur blindings (1979/80), where 30 men and boys were blinded while being tortured by the police. This incident got the support of the local populace as well as many outsiders who considered that the move was warranted due to the criminal acts of the victims. This also made many consider the moral dilemma of who will police the policemen, and who should judge the validity of such treatment. Similar incidents later occured in Rajkot in Gujarat, where 7 detainees were given an analogous treatment with a balm.
The film, though set in Bihar, has been entirely shot in Maharashtra's Satara and Wai districts, and all the crowd scenes of the movie have authentic villagers acting in them with some basic training they received.
The movie has had disrupted screenings in many parts of Bihar as Mohan Joshi's character shares his name Sadhu Yadav with Rabri Devi's brother, who is a politician in his own right (i.e. Goonda in his own right for Bihar).
Manmohan Shetty, who also produced Ardh Satya (a much acclaimed cop frustrated with the system movie of the 1980's directed by the then uncorrupted Mahesh Bhatt) is also a co-producer of this movie.
Verdict
Would I recommend this movie to someone?
Some parts of the movie are gruesome. For those weak of heart, forget it, go watch a "Dil to Pagal Hai" rerun somewhere.
For people who loved "Shool", and thought how it would have been better with a protagonist who had more powers; here is the answer to your prayers.
For lovers of serious cinema, this is a good choice. Some scenes do not pass muster, but the overall effect of the movie is good.
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