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  CAST
-----> Deep Katdare, Purva Bedi,
Ronobir Lahiri, Rizwan Manji, Kal Penn
American Desi is the first feature film to
tell the story of Indian-American college students growing up in the
United States trying to balance their traditional roots with their modern
Western upbringing. This romantic comedy centers around Krishna Reddy, an
Indian by heritage but born and raised in America. Kris (as he likes to be
called) has always dreamt of the day that he would leave home for college
and escape the sights, sounds, smells, and traditions of his culture in
order to be the all-American guy he has always wanted to be.
 That
day has finally come, and Kris speeds off to college with a newfound
freedom. Those hopes of freedom are soon dashed as he arrives on campus
and discovers that all three of his roommates are desis! They include
Jagjit Singh, an artist at heart who is forced to study engineering to
please his strict father; Salim Ali Khan, an old-fashioned lad who
believes that Indian girls growing up in America are corrupt with Western
ideals; and Ajay Pandya, the afrocentric, Hindu homeboy.
On campus, Kris meets and falls for Nina who he discovers is also Indian.
For a young man who has never considered dating a young woman of Indian
descent, Kris must now struggle to catch the attention of Nina, who unlike
himself, has managed to balance her Indian and American identities. Adding
conflict to the situation is the devious Rakesh Patel who also has an eye
for Nina but is well-versed in Indian songs, movies, religion, and culture
making Kris look like a guy with no chance of winning the girl.
Through living with his roommates, and meeting the captivating Nina, Kris
learns that the Indian culture he has always turned his back on is
actually wonderful, unique, and something to be proud of. The students get
involved in many situations throughout the film which are common to the
lives of Indian-American college students on today's multicultural
campuses. They join the college's Indian student organization, attend a
Bhangra party showcasing a wild musical mix of Eastern beats with Western
pop, and celebrate their Eastern heritage by organizing a traditional
garba at Navratri time with colorful costumes and joyous dancing. Will
Kris win the affections of Nina, or will his cultural confusion
cause him to lose the girl of his dreams?
This is the story of the
American Desi! |
| Lagaan
 Aamir
Khan’s maiden home production Lagaan, isn’t the usual run of
the mill boy-meets-girl, then song and dance sequences, marriages, and
then finally a union. According to Aamir, urban love affairs with
disapproving family are passé! Aamir has always tried to play the
non-conformist and the rebel within him is out again!
Lagaan, which is set in rural
India in the late 1800’s, is a historical document of sorts, about the
peasant revolt against the British. Though Aamir immediately jumps forward
to say that the film isn’t about patriotism or nationalism, it certainly
is about the struggle of people to fight for their rights. Set in the then
princely state of Avadh (present day UP), the film looks at the life and
struggle of the rural farmer to eke out a living on the dry and dusty
Indo-Gangetic plains. The entire film was shot in and around the Kutch
town of Bhuj, the landscape could easily pass off for the vast plains,
before the advent of the modern irrigation systems. (Incidentally for
those of us who remember, the disastrous earthquake that occurred in Kutch
this year had it’s epicenter in Bhuj, and our Man went back to the
village where most of his shooting was done, and has adopted the village
and will help in it’s rehabilitation and reconstruction work.) Well so
much for the usual exotic locales, like the Swiss Alps, or New York, our
man has decided to stick to the motherland. Infact in his bid to make the
perfect film, Aamir took on upto forty British actors, to play the role of
English men, and officers, the oppressors of the peasant community.
Apart from the well thought
out plot, which captures ones imagination almost immediately, the music
composed by A.R. Rehman, which is so radically different from the run of
the mill stuff being churned out by the dozen, that it takes one quite by
surprise, and transports us back in time back to the days of the British
Raj. In fact the director, Ashutosh Gowarikar, has been so taken by the
music that he said, it helped him in directing so many sequences, by
giving him the right feel of the times. He said, “The songs have an
earthy feel.” The others involved in the project, like singer Alka
Yagnik, felt the same, “ The songs have the aroma of the soil, one can
almost smell it!” The lyrics have been scripted by Javed Akhtar, who
himself comes from the region, and has incorporated little hints of the
local dialect to give it the truly rural touch.
As the film gets ready to
release on the 1st of June, Aamir is more than just excited, it’s a
dream come true! With a beeline being made for the music, which has just
been launched a couple of days ago, one can certainly hope, that the film
will get the same response. We’re all waiting with bated breath Aamir! |
| Suno
Sasurji
 Starring
: Aftab Shivdasani, Amisha Patel, Kader Khan
Director : Vimil Kumar
Kader Khan, Asrani, Satish Kaushik and Johnny Lever. Wow isn't this a fun
batch to hang around with. Well these are the people who Amisha Petel and
the Mast boy Aftab Shivdasani are hanging around with in Vimil Kumars next
Comedy Suno Sasurji.
"Aftab has a great sense of timing and Kader treats him like a
brother. Amisha is good in comedy. She’s very punctual and always eager
to learn," the director said proudly. He explains what the movie is
about. "Kader is a banker and he pays a 25 per cent interest rate to
those who deposit money with him, but only after 25 years. He deliberately
chooses old people so that he can keep all their money once they die. But
Aftab, whose grandfather had deposited money with Kader, comes back to
claim his grandfather’s share and in the process, falls in love with the
banker’s daughter. The daughter happens to be a complete squanderer,
much to her father’s disapproval"
The film sounds like a full comedy willed with fun a laughter, well lets
wait and see how both Amisha and Aftab's second film turn out.
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JODI
No.1
 The
Film: Jodi No. 1.
The Cast: Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Twinkle Khanna, Monica Bedi, Ashok
Saraf, Mahesh Thakur, Sayajji Shinde, Mukesh Rishi and Anupam Kher.
The Story: Veeru (Sanjay Dutt) and Jai (Govinda) are best friends,
who also happen to be partners in crime. Their jodi is famous, far and
wide. They are conmen who dupe people after winning over their trust and
confidence. But after a run in with the local bhai, they have to run away
from Mumbai to escape from his wrath by boarding the train for Goa. Once
inside the train, they bump into Vikramjeet (Aasif Sheikh), an N.R.I., who
is visiting his uncle, Rai Sahab (Anupam Kher), for business reasons.
Along the way Jai and Veeru rob Vikramjeet and have him arrested for
traveling without a ticket. When they reach Goa, they decide that Jai will
pretend to be Vikramjeet, and Veeru will be his secretary. So they meet
Rai Sahab and by using their devious tricks, they plan to fool and take
over Rai Sahab’s entire property. Their plan backfires when they realize
that Rai Sahab is in debt and is not as rich as he seems.
This is when the story takes a turn, Rai Sahab suffers a heart attack
and before he gets admitted to the hospital he turns his company over to
Jai. This is when they decide that they will turn over a new leaf. Along
the way, they happen to meet Tina (Twinkle Khanna) and Rinky (Monica Bedi)
and fall in love with them. Jai falls for Tina while Veeru is after Rinky.
Overnight, they decide to become
clean and shelve their plans to rob Rai Sahab and start solving the
problems of the company instead. Unfortunately, misfortune strikes them
their true identity gets revealed, and the bhai learns of their new
whereabouts.
Will Rai Sahab, Tina, and Rinky forgive them for their true identities?
Will they be able to escape the local bhai? What will happen to the
company? To find out the answers you will have to catch the movie.
The Upside: The first half of the movie is filled with humour
and extravagant scenes, The film does have it's bright spots. The main
reason the public will want to see this film is because of the star cast,
(Govinda’s performance was superb), many humorous scenes, and the fact
that David Dhawan (who is known to delight the hearts of the audience with
his movies), directed this film. The audience will definitely get a couple
of chuckles out of this film but it will not create the magic as expected.
The Downside: There are many factors that might make this just
another average movie. `Jodi no. 1’ has many scenes similar to `Haseena
Maan Jaayegi’. The second half of teh film falls apart. This might be
because the Dhawan spent too much time concentrating on the first half of
the movie. Another thing that the director didn’t consider was making
some scenes more believable, and the climax leaves much room for judgment.
Like most of Dhawan’s movies, the heroines have nothing to do. |
CHHUPA
RUSTAM
 The
Film: Chhupa Rustam
The Cast: Sanjay Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Mamta Kulkarni, Dalip
Tahil, Tinu Anand, Navneet Nishan, Laxmikant Berde, Raja Babbar
The Story: Set in modern day Mumbai, the film traces the growth of
a wimpy, two-penny thug, who really-really wants to make it big in the
infamous underworld. Sanjay Kapoor plays the gangster who rises from the
bottom rungs, and is of course paired up with Nepalese beauty Manisha, who
wishes to settle down with him, and live happily ever after, but of course
they don’t for that would have been the end of the movie. There is the
naughty Mamta Kulkarni, the village belle, who flaunts her self and her
belly dance, and attempts to steal Manisha’s man! But there is another
twist to the story, Sanjay plays a double role, that of the Mumbai Tapori
of course, but also of an NRI tea planter. Now-now, don’t let the script
to be put out on a platter for you, it would spoil the fun. The scene
oscillates between the murky skyline of Mumbai, to the green pastures of
the tea gardens in Palampur, a change from the run of the mill, foreign
locales, and the usual Indian hill stations. You’ll find some of the
usual scenes of Mamta and Sanjay prancing in the greens here!
The Upside: Well, this film doesn’t really have anything that we
could put in as the plusses except for the brilliant Manisha who has not
been exploited to her fullest.
The Downside: Though the plot moves a lot, the acting of the cast
has left quite a bit to be desired, especially from greats like Manisha,
who has done some amazing roles, this one was a bit of a let down, though
Sanjay manages to perk up the film a bit, after all it is a thriller! |
Pyaar
Tune Kya Kiya
The
Film: Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya.
The Story: The film is said to be `inspired’ by the Hollywood
flick 'Fatal Attraction'.
 The heroine is Urmila Matondkar. And the hero is Fardeen Khan. Urmila
is playing the role that Glenn Close did in FA. And Sonali Kulkarni plays
the wife. Urmila’s character is said
to have shades of grey.
The story goes like this: Fardeen Khan (Jai), a glamour photographer is
married to Sonali Kulkarni (Geeta). He loves his wife but he also loves
the company of women and he is a incorrigible flirt. Geeta is never really
sure how much to trust her husband, who is constantly in the company of
gorgeous women. Geeta’s suspicions begin to shake the foundation of
their steady marriage. And at this vulnerable phase in their relationship,
Jai meets a model Ria, (Urmila Matondkar), and is tempted to taste the
forbidden fruit.
Geeta’s worst nightmare comes true when she confirms that her husband
has been dating Ria. And a conflict of emotions begins.. Geeta wants her
husband back but Ria is not willing to let go. Ria a pampered rich girl
who is used to getting her way and she wants Jai. It is not a battle she
is willing to lose. A chilling series of events follow. Conflict of
emotions, tense moments, thrilling moments and drama this film has it all.
The Pluses: Urmi.. La La is looking delicious in the promos…
Ram Gopal Varma name attached to the film that is a big plus. Although the
film has been directed by his assistant, it has a `Ramu’ feel o
it. Techinically, the film will be brilliant. Sandeep Chowta’s musical
score fro the film is already a big hit.
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One
Two Ka Four
The Cast: Shah rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Jackie Shroff, Nirmal Pandey,
Dilip Joshi
 The
Story: Javed (Jackie Shroff) and Ajay (Shahrukh Khan) are members of a
special task force that combats drug trafficking. Their main target is a
notorious drug lord called KKV (Nirmal Pandey). After a tense encounter,
they do succeed in arresting him, but KKV, with his powerful connections
manages to get acquitted in court.
 Javed's
entire life revolves around his four motherless children. But Ajay, who
otherwise Javed regards as a younger brother, just can’t stand the kids
who dislike him too and make him the target of their naughty pranks.
Into this idyllic existence, comes a dastardly ambush; a sudden and
cruel burst of gunfire that kills Javed. Ajay is devastated and decides
that from now on he will look after Javed's orphaned children. But the
children hate him and refuse to have anything to do with him. He tries to
get of the help of his old roommate Champak (Dilip Joshi) but that too
does not work. In sheer desperation, he turns to Geeta (Juhi Chawla) a
loud and talkative rustic girl whom Javed had befriended. Geeta comes home
with Ajay and wins over the children. Slowly but surely, she manages to
capture the heart of the stubborn and hot headed Ajay, as well.
 The
story takes a mysterious turn when one day, as Ajay tails KKV to a
nightclub he sees him dancing with a stunningly sexy woman. It’s none
other than Geeta! Shocked out of his wits, he rushes home and angrily
confronts Geeta who denies it. Ajay is confused when the children, too,
assure him that she was all the time at home with them!
Ajay now determines to solve the mystery and get to the truth. Who is
Geeta? Who killed Javed? Who can Ajay trust? Will Ajay ever know the
truth? Well you’ll have to watch the movie which reveals the suspense.
The Pluses: An entertaining film One Two Ka 4, has masala for the
masses. The story with its suspense bit will hold the audience attention
and so will the jodi of Shah rukh & Juhi. The songs and promos of the
film do show promise and since Jackie dosen’t appear much in the
publicity of the film, he will be the surprise character leading to the
suspense element in the film.
The Minuses:. Not all of the recent Shah rukh and Juhi films have
been hits and a thriller who-done-it element in the film might just worsen
the situation. If it’s a romantic film with a suspense angle to it, it
needs to be delivered to the audience with such ease that they sit up and
get more involved in it. |
| Rahul
 The
Story: ‘Rahul’ is a
heart-warming story that explores the difference between a child’s world
and a grown-ups’ world. ‘Rahul’ is a refreshing look at the ordinary
adult world from a child’s perspective, thus colouring it with
extraordinary hues. A small tribute to the victory of innocence and true
love.
Rahul is the five year old son of Akash; who runs a travel agency. The
father and son live together. The little child has been told that his
mother deserted him at birth and never cared enough to ever enquire about
him after that. Needless to say, the young one hates his mother. She is a
taboo topic at home.
 Rahul
and his father Akash live a happy life. The father and son cook, sing,
work-out, fight, laugh and cry together. There is no place for a third
person in their world; which seems complete and content. Besides his dad,
Rahul’s other friends are Jumbo and nine year old Isha, who he confides
to and listens to.
The twist in the tale begins when Rahul discovers that his mother
wasn't the wicked woman she had been painted out to be. He finds out that
she really loves him and cares for him. This truth is revealed to him by
the local grocery man. Armed with this information, Rahul, then sketches a
plan to meet his mother Meera. When he does, he discovers that his mom
does love him and wants him. But she wants nothing to do with his father.
Rahul hopes that his parents would reconcile and live together but they
are both on the verge of settling down again with new partners.
 Rahul
and Isha try their best to thwart the double marriages but fail.
Meanwhile, Meera is planning to file for Rahul’s custody. Rahul is
confused about his loyalties and does not want to choose between his
parents. The adult world of his parents is full of dilemmas, anger,
betrayal, hurt and humiliation; that Rahul does not know how to deal with.
He does not understand why his parents won’t put their past and pride
behind them and celebrate the love that they have for each other.
The Pluses: The name of the director and the banner carry enough
weight to tell people that the film will be worth-watching. `Rahul is a
different kind of a film. It is far away from the regular commercial
masala. It is a heart-rending story of a child from a broken home and such
subjects have done well in the past.
The Minuses: The film not not have a major star draw so it will not
take a good initial. But if the film appeals to the women and the family
audiences, word of mouth publicity should help the film. The film has
hardly been publicised and that could prove to be a loss to the makers of
the film. |
| Grahan
'Grahan', in the making for eons, and having gone
through the grind, finally sees the light of the day. For its age and
whatever else it's worth, it isn't altogether bad as was made out, but the
continuity hiccups and occasional lack of focus, seem to annoy one's
senses.
It centres around Parwati (Manisha Koirala), a rape
victim, at the hands of the chief minister's son. The miscreant's sister
Sunita (Anupama Varma) is in love with Jaggu (Jackie), presumably, the
CM's in-house lawyer. (Commendable that the lawyer should get to date the
CM's daughter! What's more? They even mention that Jaggu was raw and just
starting out in his career, so to bag the CM's family account as his debut
case is rather formidable, or should we say implausible?!) When the
horrible truth dawns on Jaggu that he has erroneously defended Sunita's
brother (actually Parwati's rapist), he feels the pangs of guilt and
decides to take up for her. Parwati becomes deranged (rape victims are
most likely to get depressed or psyched, but not turn into full-fledged
retards! Manisha actually behaves like a veteran asylum-loony!), so he
takes her to a distant farmhouse for a month so that she can overcome her
shock. In no time, she garners enough sensibility to seduce him, and
yippee, she's normal again; overnight! (What beats me is why the CM's son
doesn't bother to attack them even once in that month.)
The movie isn't about romance though romance is
supposed to be an integral part of it. But aren't romances are supposed to
touch that tender, special place in the viewer's heart, in stead of
encouraging nap-taking! With a convoluted, contrived plot that tends to
emasculate and lobotomize the lead characters, 'Grahan' doesn't completely
connect on an emotional level, except for certain sequences depicting
Manisha's helplessness.
The film's biggest asset is its crisp running time.
Just two hours and ten minutes, so you don't even feel the onslaught too
severely! And honestly, its first half isn't bad at all, except that
post-interval it becomes disoriented. It concentrates on the ethics behind
why Parwati murdered the CM's son (cum rapist) rather than actually
elevating her from the status of a hooker that was wrongfully heaped on
her. The CM's son has been conveniently bumped off at Parwati's hands, so
for all practical purposes, he becomes innocent in the eyes of the world,
because the fact that he had actually assaulted her is neither proven nor
mentioned emphatically.
Kartik Raja's soundtrack is easy on the ears. (But
that 'Chup Chup' song must be deleted). The camerawork is fine in patches,
but the dialogue and editing are sub-par.
From the performances, Jackie Shroff is both
convincing and competent. Debutante Anupama Varma makes a visibly
concerted effort but needs to polish her kinesics. But it is Manisha
Koirala who stands out. Just when she was facing the risk of getting
written off, this flick will make people sit up and reconsider their
decision. She displays delightful vulnerability and plays her part with
cent percent honesty. Watching her is one of the few delights associated
with the picture that otherwise offers few pleasures.
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|
Love
you Hamesha
 Directed by Kailash Surendranath, reputed ad filmmaker , 'Love You
Hamesha' is a story based on stresses and fractures in relationships
caused by careers.
Akshaye Khanna plays Shaurat, a young introverted rebellious mechanic.
Set in a small town in Rajasthan, Shaurat is instantly zapped by Shivani (Sonali
Bendre). Shivani is a beautiful girl from a family of declining fortunes.
Even Shivani falls for Shaurat. The twist is Samrat, (model Amitabh Nanda),
who is Shivani's fiancé. Samrat is rich, obsessive and manic personality.
When Shivani breaks her engagement with Samrat and starts seeing Shaurat,
all hell breaks loose. Samrat freaks out and harrasses Shaurat and his
father. His mother assists him in this task. From this, Shaurat realizes
that it is important to be somebody and arrives in Bombay with a fire in
his belly. After a brief struggle he is absorbed by filmmaker Ketan Desai
(Manmohan Desai's son playing himself) into the Bollywood. Another spoke
in the wheel comes up in the form of his heroine, Meghna (Riya Sen), who
has a crush on him. Meanshile, Shivani and Samrat also arrive in Mumbai.
Career pressures ensure Shivani's and Shaurat's relationship is turbulent.
The differences are magnified by Shivani's work in the fashion scene with
Rohit Bal, who mentors Shivani. (a real-life cameo) and the presence of
Meghna in Shaurat's life. The rebel in Shaurat makes him do the
unpardonable; he doesn't turn up at his own secret wedding to Shivani.
What follows is the crux of the movie. It has been lying in the cans for
almost four years now. So whether it clicks or not, is any fool's guess!
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NAYAK
-- THE REAL HERO
 The
Banner: Sri Surya.
The Cast: Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerjee, Amrish Puri, Jonny Lever, Paresh
Rawal, Shivaji Satam, Saurav Shukla and Sushmita Sen in a special appearance.
The Presenter: A.M Ratnam.
The Story: `Nayak’ is the answer to the popular question -- What would
you do if you were Prime Minister for a day? Or in other words -- if you had the
power to run the nation, city or country for a day? The film begins with Anil
Kapoor (a reporter) interviewing Amrish Puri, (the chief minister) in a live
broadcast. In the process of the interview Anil makes minister squirm under a
barrage of tough questions. Ina fit of fury, the CM challenges the reporter to
step in his shoes for a day on national television. Anil accepts the challenge
of being the chief minister for 24hrs.
The CM party colleagues are outraged. But Amrish Puri convinces them that
this exercise will make them look good in the end. He explains that it takes
months and years to understand the ramifications of administration – and no
one can make a difference in just one da y.
So Amrish Puri gives in his resignation and names Anil Kapoor as his
successor as leader of the largest party in the Assembly. Anil takes over and
begins the clean-up process, operating from his gut level. He first targets
corruption. He calls for all the files of corruption cases involving public
servants -- suspends every one of them. Then he goes on a hotline to the public.
He gets calls from people from all walks of life and he instantly solves their
problems. Ranging from eve-teasing to land grabbing. By the end of the day, he
achieves amazing results.
With just one hour to go for his term to expire, Anil Kapoor attacks
corruption at it’s root and has all corrupt ministers arrested. Including
Amrish Puri A re-election follows and Anil officially becomes the chief
minister. Amrish Puri and gang plan revenge. And the story reaches it’s
logical conclusion.
The Pluses: The audiences has over the years come to expect a good
film when Anil Kapoor is the main Protagonist of the film. With `Nayak’ is
assured of a good story, acting, direction—in short— good cinema. Value for
money. `Nayak’ has the kind of story that will appeal to the classes as well
as the masses.
The Minuses:`Nayak’ does not seem to have any minuses. Except that
it has been in the making for a long while now. And it might not take an initial
because Anil’s films normally don’t. His films do better business in the
second and the third weeks, they pick by word of mouth.
Trivia: There is a on-going controversy over the title of the film.
Apparently the title: `Nayak’ is already registered by someone and the hero of
the film is the current heartthorb Hrithik Roshan. |
KASOOR
The Film: `Kasoor’
The Cast: Aftab Shivdasani, Lisa Ray.
The Banner: Vishesh Films.
The Director: Vikram Bhatt
The Producer: Mukesh Bhatt
The Music Directors: Nadeem-Shravan
The Lyricist: Sameer
The Story: `Kasoor’ is a thriller. Inspired by a Hollywood flick. `Kasoor’
stars Lisa Ray as an attorney, Simran Bhargav, who reluctantly takes on the case
of powerful publishing magnate, Shekhar Saxena (Aftab Shivdasani), accused of
committing the grisly murders of his wife and maid.
Simran tells Shekhar that she'll defend him only if she is convinced that he
is innocent. Simran is also battling her inner demons over a case in which she
got a man convicted for crime he had not committed. Her guilt increases when she
learns that the innocent guy had committed suicide in custody.
While representing Shekhar, whom she considers innocent, Simran falls in love
with him -- a part of Shekhar's plan to win her trust. After the co urt
declares Shekhar innocent, Simran spends the night at his house. She finds clues
in her lovers house that point to his involvement in the crime.
So what happens next? Another victim? Find out when the film releases…
The Pluses: We need a different kind of film. We’ve watched enough
love stories and enough sob stories. Ugh…Action too. `Kasoor’ -- a spicy
thriller is probably what the doctor ordered. And there are those hot, hot, hot
scenes between Lisa Ray and baby-faced Aftab Shivdasani, which are sure to get
people into the theatres, even if nothing else will. Director Vikram Bhatt
proved his mettle with `Ghulam’ so he will probably be looking to better his
record with `Kasoor’.
The Minuses:No star value. Aftab Shivdasani has just one release to
his credit and Lisa Ray is a new actress. A established actress in her place
like Rani or Priety would’ve probably added much more weight to the film.
Trivia: The voice of Lisa Ray has been dubbed by Divya Dutta. This
film is the remake of the English film `The Jagged Edge'.
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DAMAN
The
Film: `Daman’
The Cast: Raveena Tandon, Sayaji Shinde, and Sanjay Suri.
The Director: Kalpana Lajmi
The Story: `Daman’, meaning domination, is the journey of a
woman called Durga (Raveena Tandon). It is a character that probably
most middle class Indian rural women will be able to identify with. And
most urban women will be able to identify with her character as Durga is
subjected to constant physical and psychological torture by her husband,
Sanjay Saikia (Sayaji Shinde). Domestic violence is a syndrome that
exists in all stratas of our society. Though this story is based in
Assam, where Sanjay’s is tea plantation owner. Durga’s spirit is
shattered when her husband rapes her one night. She has an emotional
anchor in her brother-in-law, a silent spectator to all her woes --
Sunil Saikia (Sanjay Suri).
Durga bears a daughter, Deepa (Raima Sen), but Sanjay refuses to
acknowledge her, saying that he will only accept a son. With Sunil's
unspoken support Durga nurtures her daughter and endures all the pain
and the humiliation piled on her.
Durga is forced to run away from Sanjay, when despite her protests he
wants to marry off their daughter Deepa, who is just thirteen years old.
Her only support is brutally snatched away from her when Sanjay kills
his own brother in a fit of drunken rage, accusing Sunil of
having an illicit relationship with Durga, and that he is the father of
Deepa. Durga decides to leave home for the sake of her daughter.
Time passes by, but Sanjay's greed soon finds them both when Deepa is
bequeathed all the property. He tries to kill Deepa, but Durga emerges
as a raging lioness and the immense strength of Goddess Durga helps her
to keep the resolve of not allowing her daughter to suffer the same fate
as her.
The Pluses: `Daman’ is an honest attempt to explore one of
the illnesses of our society and it should be cheered because most noted
directors would rather make a commercial film rather than a real one.
The director has gone to great lengths to provide authenticity to her
film. Raveena is in a deglamourised avtaar and even her `hero’ is not
the traditional Aamir or Salman but a Sayaji Shide who is known more for
his performances than his looks.
The Minuses: Kalpana Lajmi is a critically acclaimed actress
but has had no commercial success. The music of the film is not
commercial but then in a film like this, one cannot really expect the
jhatka numbers… The film is will appeal to a very limited audience.
Also, besides Raveena there is no other star draw in the film.
Trivia: This is Kalpana Lajmi’s last film was `Rudaali’
with Dimple Kapadia. Raveena’s Tandon’s pet hate.. Co-incidence..?
|
AASHIQ
The
Film: `Aashiq’
The Cast: Bobby Deol, Karisma Kapoor, Rahul Dev, Anupam Kher
Mukesh Rishi, Ashok Saraf, Rahul Dev, Smita Jayakar, Anjan Srivastav
and Nasir Khan.
The Story: Chander ( Bobby Deol ) is a fun-loving, carefree
young man who believes in standing up for others. This streak earns
him enemies, but endears him to the wealthy Pooja (Karisma Kapoor).
What follows is a unique, fun-filled romance and before long
Pooja and Chander are irrevocably in love.
The true test of love beckons in the form of barriers galore.
Family disapproval, misunderstandings and more… Fatalistically,
Pooja gets abducted by a heinous flesh – trader (Rahul Dev).
Chander is framed as the abductor and as an outlaw on the run, he
has the challenging, near impossible mission to rescue his beloved
from the lecherous world of flesh trade, ahead of him. Willing to
take any risk, Chander puts his own life at stake and in an eye
opening, absorbing, thrill-packed, emotionally charged experience
follows.
The Pluses: Indra Kumar is known to make the typical
masala films that appeal to the masses and also a chunk of the
classes. The director is also known as the connoisseur of drama and
romance. He has a winning formula that has stoo dhim in good stead
in films like `Beta’, `Raja’ and `Ishq’. So far, his recipe
that has worked like a dream, so what if his films are banal, vulgar
and even a tad offensive. The point his, his films work. Except for
`Mann’, where he tried to move away from his formula just to prove
a point to his critics. The exercise failed miserably, so he is back
at what he does best.
The Minuses:. Bobby and Karisma have never been accepted
as a pair, they lack the chemistry on-screen. The last few films of
Karisma’s have been damp squibs at the box-office, so either the
lady has lost the magic or her audiences have lost interest. This
film will prove which. Cause it has Karisma in her elements, unlike
the Karisma of `Fiza’. Bobby hasn’t had a relase since the
Hrithik mania hit the country. This film will show whether Bobby
still has his female fans or they’ve deserted him for the new hero
on the block.
Trivia: The original heroine of this film was Urmila
Matoandkar.
|
KUCH KHATTI KUCH
MEETHI
 Cast: Kajol, Sunil Shetty,
Rishi Kapoor,Rati Agnihotri. Pooja Batra, Mayur, Parmeet Sethi and Mita
Vaishist
The Producer: B.L.Saboo.
The Director:
Rahul Rawail.
The Music Director: Any Malik.
The Music Company: TIPS.
The Lyricist: Sameer.
The Editor: Rahul Rawail.
The Cinematographer:
Nirmal Jain.
The Story:
Sweety (Kajol) is a firebrand.
She is a rebel. She lives in a huge palatial mansion with her alcoholic
father Raj Khanna (Rishi Kapoor). Her father’s drunken stupor leaves him
with no time for her. To top it, Swety has a scheming aunt (Mita Vaishist)
who with her son Teddy (Mayur) and lover (Pramod Moutho), form the terrible
trio in the film. They are forver involved in planning a plot to lead the
Khanna family to doom. All this is too much to handle for Sweety, who leaves
the house and flies across the seven seas. Who does she meet there but her
sweet and demure twin sister Tina (Kajol again) and their mother (Rati
Agnihotri) the existence of whom she w as oblivious of…. None of
them can escape the sense of loss that a broken family experiences. Tina and
Sweety decide to take matters in their contrasting hands. The East may never
meet the West, but their parents definitely will …. And then begins a time
filled with plots and plans, laughs and tears, fun and facades, regrets and
reunions.
The Upside:
Kajol. This bundle of talent is a
delight to watch. In `KKKM’, she does a double role. That’s a bonus.
The Downside:
The same gheesa-pheeta story. Inspired from
the English film, `The Parent Trap’. Same story as `Pyaar Jhukta Nahin’ only
the two protagonists there were children. So much for being different. Rahul
Rawail, once a force to reckon with, hasn’t made a decent film in years.
Trivia:
Rati Agnihotri makes a comeback in this film,
after saying goodbye to films, when she got married. Rishi Kapoor and Kajol
are working together for the first time. Rahul Rawail directed Kajol in her
first film, `Bekhudi’. Sunil Shetty and Kajol are paired together for the
first time, in this film.
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CHORI CHORI CHUPKE
CHUPKE
 THE CAST: Salman Khan, Priety Zinta,
Rani Mukherjee, Prem Chopra, Johny Lever, Farida Jalal, and Dalip Tahil.
GUEST APPREARANCE: Dipti Bhatnagar and Ruby
Bhatia
THE PRODUCER: Nazim Rizvi
THE DIRECTORS:
Abbas Mastan
THE MUSIC DIRECTOR: Annu Malik
THE
MUSIC COMPANY: Universal
THE LYRICIST:
Sameer
THE CINEMATOGRAPHER: Thomas A. Xavier
THE
DIALOGUE WRITER: Javed Siddiqui
THE EDITOR: Hussain
Burmawala
THE STORY WRITER: Neeraj Vohra
THE
SCREENPLAY: Shyam Goel
THE CHOREOGRAPHERS: Chinni Prakash,
Rekha Prakash & Raju Khan
THE ART DIRECTOR: R.Verman
THE DRESS DESIGNERS: Salman- Vikram Phadnis. Rani Mukerjee-
Raja MukherjeeI Priety Zinta: Rocky. S, Sheetal, Ruchika Panday
THE STORY:
`Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ is also a unique
love story of our three main protagonists Raj (Salman Khan), Priya (Rani
Mukherjee) and Madhoo (Preity Zinta) but it is not the eternal triangle!
It is a love story of three people, which ends not in tragedy but in
the totality of relationships. Salman Khan is Raj Malhotra, the scion of a
rich industrialist family. Who is adored by all his near and dear ones. In a
very different role, Salman plays the sober, dignified, mature and
considerate Raj with great finesse.
Rani Mukherjee is Priya. Though
she comes from an extremely rich family, she is very sweet natured and
adjusting. For Priya, her family comes first, and their happiness means
everything to her.
Preity Zinta is Madhoo, the surprise element of
the film !
Amrish Puri is Kailashnath Malhotra, Raj’s grandfather.
He adores his grandson, while Raj simply worships the old man.
 Dalip Tahil
is Ranjit Malhotra. He may be Raj’s father but behaves more like his friend.
Today involved in his business for his work is workship.
Farida
Jalal is Rajs most loving mother.
Prem Chopra is Dr. Balraj Chopra,
the most trusted friend and adviser of the Malhotra Khandaan, who also
happens to be their family doctor.
Johny Lever is Pappu Bhai.
Brought up like a son of the family, he has friends in high places and is
great at making things work with just one phone call !
It is the
unusual and intriguing web of human relationships in the film that
contribute to the edge-of-the-seat suspense in the film.
THE
UPSIDE: According to the makers: “Chori Chori Chupke is a unique
thriller for the whole family. Unique because there is no crime committed in
the film. There is no villain, no vamp, not even a single negative character
in the film.” It is the unusual and intriguing web of human relationships in
the film that contribute to the edge-of-the-seat suspense in the film.” We
feel: All the stars of the films are currently in `hit’ zone, so maybe
star-power will help the film, even if all else fails. Abbas Mastan have a
history of hits, which is another plus.
THE DOWNSIDE: Though
the makers are banking on the hit trio of `Har Dil Jo Pya Karega’, it might
bring in too much recall of the hot film. I mean who wants to see a rerun...
And heaven help the filmmakers if Salman and Priety walk off into the sunset
even in this one. That would be a tough call.
TRIVIA:
Abbas-Mustan stormed into Bollywoods consciousness with `Khiladi’. Super hit
`Baazigar’ followed and there was no looking back for them `Soldier’,
`Baadshah’, `Daraar’ all thrillers, all hits. With `Chori Chori Chupke
Chupke’ they embark on their first family entertainer! Salman-Rani and
Priety have done `Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega’ together, and it was a big hit.
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RAJU
CHACHA
(A film for
children of all ages)
 THE CAST:
Kajol, Ajay Devgan, Rishi Kapoor and a bunch of kids.
THE BANNER: Devgan Films.
THE
PRODUCER: Ajay Devgan.
THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Kumar
Mangat.
THE PRESENTER: Bharat Shah.
THE DIRECTOR:
Anil Devgan.
THE MUSIC DIRECTORS:
Jatin-Lalit.
THE MUSIC COMPANY: Sony Music.
THE
LYRICIST: Anand Bakshi.
THE STORY: Siddanth Rai (Rishi Kapoor), is a rich architect who lives in a palatial house with his with
three children, butler and dog Casper. Siddhant's maternal uncles – Govind
Namdev and Pramod Moutho -- and his brother-in-law, Prince (Mayur), are live
in the same house. The three children are brats and Siddhant’s every effort
to `govern’ them backfires as they harass and chase all their governesses
away. Anna (Kajol), an orphan, arrives as their new governess. The terrible
trio try their tricks on her too, however, they get a dose of their own
medicine and soon learn to love Anna and accept her as their elder sister.
Shekhar (Ajay Devgan) a small time crook, who along with his friend Jadoo
(Johny Lever), he robs a bank but can’t make a getaway as they gets caught
in a traffic jam. Shekhar spots Anna going to Siddhant’s house, and
bedazzled, follows her there. He tries to con Anna into believing that he
knows her and even tells her that he is in love with her. Over time, Shekhar
wins her over Anna’s affection with a little help from his friend Jaddu.
Siddhant comes aware of Shekhar and Anna's feelings for each other and
decides to get them married. On the day of marriage, Shekhar is arrested by
the police for being a conman. A heartbroken and disillusioned Anna who
decides to go back to her orphanage.
The three uncles, as it happens in all Hindi films, aim to amass
Siddhant's pr operty. They hatch a
plot to kill Siddhant and take over his empire. They succeed in their
mission when Siddhant dies in a car crash. The scheming relatives take over
the palace and Siddhant's empire and start ill-treating the three kids.
However, their plans to lay claim on Siddhant's vast wealth come to a
stop with the discovery of Rajit Rai, who happens to be the younger brother
of Siddhant. Apparently Siddhant’s younger brother had run away from home at
a young age.
What happens next, what happens of Anna, what happens to Shekhar .. and
what devious plans do the uncles come up with next… is all `Raju Chacha’ is
all about.
The Pluses: `Raju Chacha’ has a fairy-tale like feel about
it.Although it seems inspired by several English films it still appeals. The
ostentatious sets, the presentation of the principal characters, and the
special effects in `Raju Chacha’ are path-breaking in several ways and the
effort is laudable. Technically, the film is outstanding. Sanjay Dutt in a
special appearance is good.
The Minuses: The film begins to drag after the intital high.
Especially when the love angle in the film begins. But it picks up pace
again after Ajay’s arrest and Rishi’s accident. Debutant director has
concentrated more on form (technique) than substance (story). The screenplay
is not gripping and a little trimming wouldn’t have hurt the film. The music
score of the film is very disappointing.
The Verdict: Will appeal to children of all ages. `Raju Chacha’ is
definitely worth a `dekho’
The Publicity: The publicity of the film was very good.
The Opening: The film has taken a fabulous start all over. The
festive period and lack of any major opposition in the coming week will
boost the business prospects of the film, keeping its investors more than
happy. A movie that will entertain kids and
kid-at-heart
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RAJA KO RANI SE PYAR HO
GAYA
A movie that
children will love!
The Cast: Manisha
Koirala, Arvind
Swamy and a baby Elephant. Dina Pathak, Goga Kapoor, Shahbaaz Khan, Dilip
Dhawan, Tanvi Azmi and Priya Tendulkar.
The Banner: Shogun
Films Limited.
The Director: T.K. Rajeev Kumar.
The Music Director: Jatin-Lalit.
The
Cinematographer: Ravi K. Chandran.
The Story: `Raja Ko
Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya’ is a love story, with a baby elephant as the main
attraction. Appu, the elephant plays the major role of fighting the villain
and bringing the lovers together. The story goes something like this: Arvind
Swamy is the son of a Thakur of the village. Manisha Koirala comes on a
visit his village. Arvind saves her life in an accident and in a true filmi
style, falls in love with her. Manisha returns to the city, leaving behind a
broken-hearted Arvind. He needs a reason to go after her, so he comes up
with a plan. He hides the the statue of the elephant Gajaraj, considered
very auspicious by the family, and implies that it could be stolen by
Manisha. Then, on the pretext of recovering the idol, Arvind follows her to
Bombay. In the city he stays with his brother Dilip Dhawan, bhabhi Tanvi
Azmi and kids. Arvind becomes friendly with his nieces and nephew and they
all have a good time. He also manages to find Manisha  and life
couldn’t be happier. The story takes a turn when Manisha accidentally breaks
the statue of Gajaraj. Knowing how much it meant to Arvind, Manisha gifts
him a real elephant -- baby elephant Appu. Funny situations are created by
the antics of Appu. Arvind and Manisha fall in love. And when Manisha finds
herself in the grip of the villain, Arvind and Appu fight the villain and
they all stay happily ever after.
The Pluses: The film has a good –feel about it. A simple and a
sweet film that will appeal to children, as well as their chaperons.
Technically it does not disappoint. Ravi K. Chandran’s cinematography is
upto the mark Manisha Koirala is charming and being a seasoned artiste plays
well her role. Arvind Swamy is good too. They look comfortable together,
having worked in the past in the controversial `Bombay’.
The Minuses: The music of the film is disappointing, except for
the song, ‘Ek pari mere sapnon mein aayi’. The film has a very thin story
line and that goes against it. Director, T.K.Rajeev Kumar fails to impress.
Too many cinematic liberties have been applied.
The Verdict: Nothing short of a miracle will make this film a
blockbuster.
The Publicity: There was virtually no publicity for the film,
which could be one of the main reasons for it being ignored by the
audiences.
The Opening: The opening of the film is very
poor.
source: 123india.com
|
Producer:
Narendra Bajaj
Director:
K Murali Manohar Rao
Cast:
Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Raveena
Tandon, Jackie Shroff, Pooja Batra, Kashmira Shah, Mohnish
Bahl
'Love
the neighbour’ is what K Murli Mohan Rao seems to be saying in
his latest release Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye (KPNHJ). The
hero of the film Prem (Salman Khan) takes this advice seriously.
As soon as he is dropped by one girl, he promptly falls in love
with his new neighbour Priya (Rani Mukherjee) who has just moved
in from Pune. However, woe of woes, before he can tell her 'I Love
You', she invites him to her engagement to an NRI Rahul Pughalia (Inder
Kumar). Oh, not again, screams Prem and hits the bottle with his
friend Tiger (Jackie Shroff) for company.
Tiger too has his own tragic tale. He too wishes to marry
his neighbour. No, we are not talking about Priya, but her cousin
Mona (Pooja Batra), a struggling actress, who has resolved not to
wed till she becomes a star. And Tiger sees no hopes of matrimony
with her in the near future.
Tiger and Prem’s sister and borther-in-law keep provoking
Prem to go up to Priya and express his feelings for her. But each
time he tries to do so, Priya gives him the impression that she is
happy with Rahul. Priya practices pronouncing her changed name
after marriage. And, believe it or not, only because she find it
easier to pronounce her full name as Priya Kapoor, she runs to
Prem who is a Kapoor. But her timing is a little wrong. For Nisha
(Raveena Tandon), Prem’s first love, has just returned back to
him. An irritated Priya rushes back to Rahul and forces him to
marry her immediately. Everybody ends up happy as they do in
heaven and in Hindi films.
The
less said the better about Salman’s performance. His disinterest
comes across plainly. He is good in a rare scene like the comic
sequence wherein he gets drunk for the first time and psyches
Jackie. Probably, Salman has been cashing too much on his good
looks, read good physique, to draw crowds to his films. He needs
to do some re-thinking. Jackie Shroff looks tired in the film. He
needs to do something urgently about his looks or take up more
senior roles.
As for the women in the film, they are all wasted. Raveena
Tandon looks stunning. One wonders why her name came second to
Rani’s in the credits. Rani again has nothing much to do in the
film except look pretty. However, sadly enough, she does not
always do so. There seem to have been some problems with her
make-up and her clothes. Pooja Batra is equally lost in the film.
She doesn’t even have a solo song with Jackie Shroff, which
seems unfair.
Mohnish
Bahl and Kashmira Shah (Salman’s jeanswali sister) have
done fairly good jobs in the film. But Shakti Kapoor as a Brahmin
astrologer with four kids, neighbour to Salman, is irritating
enough to evoke murderous feelings. Except for a couple of songs
like Savaria and Kahin pyaar na ho jaaye, the music
has nothing to offer to your soul. The choreography disappoints as
much.
Just
in case you miss KPNHJ, grab a cassette of the film Wedding
Singer and you’ll know what KPNHJ is all about. This
is definitely a poor copy of The Wedding Singer. An
inconsequential film in every way.
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Officer
Producer:
Faruq Nadiadwala
Director:
Naeem Shah
Cast:
Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Danny
Music:
Deepak Chowdhary
This
one's an officer and a gentleman. Sunil Shetty plays Sagar Chauhan,
a tough no-nonsense officer belonging to the Special Protection
Group whose job description entails the protection of VVIPs. But
in this case, you have Sagar playing bodyguard to the pretty wife
of the VVIP, Pratap Rai (Danny Denzongpa). Reason? Because the
wife thinks there's someone after her life. Meenal, the wifey (Raveena
Tandon), is mentally unstable and has suicidal tendencies. She
meets our macho hero and hey presto, falls in love with him. Aging
hubby Rai all but forgotten!
But all's not swell in blunder land. Sagar doesn't
reciprocate her feelings. He rejects her indecent proposal and she
promptly plunges to her death from the nearest available rooftop.
What
next? A traumatized Sagar takes off to Goa but tough luck. Madame
Meenal suddenly resurfaces but refuses to acknowledge him. And
what's more, she wears a short wig, shorter frilly outfits and
dances at the local fenny bar. That's not all. She has not only
changed her designer but her name too. Pari hoon main, she
declares when she bumps into our frantic officer. The plot sickens
and how!
By
the time, the suspense (hardly) clears you are far too busy
clearing the cobwebs in your head. Director Naeem Shah surely
doesn't know whether he's coming or going and he recreates the
trauma for the audience. It's the director's first film and it
shows. The continuity jerks don't let you sleep either. The songs
make no impact. The plot is shamelessly borrowed from the
Hollywood classic Vertigo and boy, the film sure lives up to the
title. There's no way this one's going to make it to the top!
Sunil
Shetty puts in an earnest performance in a film that doesn't
deserve it. Raveena Tandon is just required to pout and look
pretty which she does. Danny Denzongpa is wasted in the film. The
rest of the cast frankly don't even deserve a mention. Take a tip:
Just give this one a skip.
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Gaja
Gamini
Producer:
Rakesh Nath
Director:
M F Hussain
Cast:
Madhuri Dixit,
Shah
Rukh Khan,
Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi,
Farida Jalal, Raisa Husain, Shipla Shirodkar, Ashish Vidyarthi
Music:
Bhupen Hazarika
Introducing
his film at the recently concluded third International Film
Festival, Mumbai, painter turned director M F Hussain explained his
debut film Gaja Gamini as a tribute "to the woman who
gave birth to me, the woman who lived with me and the woman who
lives in my works." The film celebrates the role of the woman
as one who creates and sustains life and inspires art. Madhuri Dixit
plays this archetypal woman. The film appears as a two-hour visual
homage, reinstating the painter's obsession for the actress.
M F Hussain started
making Gaja Gamini, after watching lady love Madhuri over 75
times in Rajshri's HAHK. And that same extremist fervour
spills into this film as well. It's a painting in motion, capturing
all the nuances and movements that his colourful canvases failed to
capture.
But
if you ask like humans have done since the time they lived in caves,
"tell me a good story," you are likely to be disappointed.
The film does not have a story at all. It is conceived as a series
of dances with some interspersed dialogue, which sometimes makes
sense and sometimes not.
Like
a ballet, the film is built round a theme, the theme of woman power.
It shows how woman has evolved down the centuries; Madhuri changes
from Kaildas's 'Shakuntala' to Leonardo di Vinci's 'Mona Lisa', from
the blind 'Sangeeta' to the modern day 'Monica'. Her power and
beauty as each avatar is revealed through her graceful
dances, masterly choreographed by Saroj Khan. All the male
characters in the film revel in her beauty and pine for her.
The
film is a visual delight; coming from India's most celebrated
artist, that is expected. The sets are stark, colourful and very
avant-garde. The bright yellow Banares Ghats, the Kerala jungles
filled with bamboos, the blue and white Dal Mandi, are all very
artistic. Hussain wanted to make a film that pleased his
sensibilities, and he's succeeded in that.
He
wanted to capture Madhuri as the complete woman, but in doing that,
he seems to have forgotten that he was making a film, not a
painting. Plotless, completely surreal and lacking in unity, the
film Gaja Gamini cannot retain your attention for long and is
sure to go bouncers over most audiences.
Madhuri
sparkles even in such a dull and boring film. Hussain has succeeded
in making her look the perfect Indian woman. Buxom and oozing sex
appeal, her body movements are graceful and erotic. She has grown as
a performer and is at her prime. The rest of the cast including
Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Shilpa Shirodkar, Indra Kumar,
Ashish Vidhyarthi, Farida Jalal, Kalpana Pandit and Mohan Agashe
look as confused as the viewer. Their earnest performances are
overshadowed by the vagueness of the script. Shah Rukh Khan is
completely wasted in the role of a photojournalist.
Technically,
Ashok Mehta's cinematography is first-rate, Anuradha Pal's
background score is commendable, but otherwise it's a completely
pseudo arty film. Hussain has been quoted that he wanted to make
only one film in his lifetime. After Gaja Gamini, his wish is
sure to come true. As one of the invitees after watching the film
said: "He should go back to doing what he's best at - painting
hoardings".
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Dr
Babasaheb Ambedkar
Director:
Jabbar Patel
Cast: Mammootty,
Sonali Kulkarni, late Mohan Gokale and Mrinal Kulkarni
While
the title of the film is self-explanatory, of it being a portrait of
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, it nevertheless is also a record of those
times. The film covers the period between 1901-1956 in which we get
to see the social reformer's lone struggle against untouchability,
Hindu orthodoxy as well political heroes like Mahatma Gandhi.
 At
a time when untouchables were denied even the basic rights of
education, Bheemrao Ambedkar became the first person in his
community to finish graduation. Although he faced a lot of insults
and humiliation from society, his resolve only strengthened. While
studying at Columbia University, New York, he breathed `freedom'
without the tag of being called an untouchable and at the same time
empathized with the problems of the Afro-Americans there. The 14th
Amendment of the US Constitution, which granted rights to the
Africans-Americans, and the subsequent views of his teachers
supporting the Human Rights gave birth to the reformer in him. The
restlessness to fight social injustice in his country grew stronger.
He
came back to his country, which was then struggling to free itself
from the British Rule spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi. Ambedkar waged
a lone war against upper caste Hindu Society, voicing the grievances
of the 70 million untouchables. His fought untouchability much to
the consternation of the Mahatama, but Ambedkar couldn't care less.
He never hesitated to call 'a spade, a spade', even when Gandhi
`clucked' at his views. Gandhi `appealed' to the Hindus to change
and Ambedkar demanded political rights. Gandhi thought that
everything would change with the exit of the British, but Ambedkar
was sceptical about the Brahminical attitude and did not want to
take a chance. His confrontation with Gandhi made him the most hated
man in the country, but Gandhi himself admired Ambedkar.
When
Independence was won, Gandhi insisted on Ambedkar being inducted in
the cabinet. Thus Ambedkar became the first Law Minister under Prime
Minister, Nehru and drafted the Constitution of India. But tragedy
stuck him on the personal front with the death of his four children
and finally his wife, Rama (Sonali Kulkarni). But his silent
strength and a source of inspiration was his father (Govinda Namdeo),
who had encouraged and pushed his son to pursue education
irrespective of all humiliation. When he was past his prime, he
settled in for a second marriage with his doctor (Mrinal Kulkarni).
And just two months before his death, 14th October 1956, his search
for an alternate religion that preached equality and compassion came
to a stop with Buddhism. He publicly renounced Hinduism on that day
and embraced Buddhism. He was not alone. Millions of untouchable
Hindus did the same on that day.
This
biographical film by Jabbar Patel is one of our best, historical
films. Objective, unbiased and informative, the film does slow down
a bit before the interval, but the second half is near perfect. The
confrontations with Gandhi and Ambedkar are captured at a brisk
pace. The director has shown a lifetime of 60 years in a three-hour
film, without getting indulgent, which is quite commendable.
The film is well researched,
and every frame is picture perfect. The setting, locations and
costumes are as close as you can get to history. This should be
credited to Arun Sadhu, well-known Marathi novelist, and winner of
several awards, whose study of the Hindu scriptures, political
history and Dr Ambedkar's writings that provide a `fresh and
objective' look at history.Three other technical points that are a
cut above the rest are it's hard-hitting dialogues, costumes by
Bhanu Athaiya and makeup by Vikram Gaikwad. The transformation of
Ambedkar from his youth to old age has been wonderfully effected' by
Vikram Gaikwad. Mammootty is unrecognisable throughout the film.
Finally,
Dr Ambedkar without it's two key players, the late Mohan Gokhale as
Gandhi and Mammootty as the protagonist wouldn't have produced the
kind of impact that it has. Both have studied their characters well
and even added their own nuances to it. Mohan Gokhale as Gandhi is
perfectly cast. As Ambedkar, Mammooty is superb. He's tried hard to
shake off his South-Indian accent and managed rather well. But what
is outstanding is every other nuance that he's added to his
character, which makes it stand out as a truly effective
performance. The rest of the cast ably supports these two which
makes the film a must-see.
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| Kurukshetra |
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Kurukshetra is a story of war between evil and
truth.  A.S.P.
Prithvi Raj Singh (Sanjay Dutt) is an honest and brave police
officer. All dishonest police officers, rouges, criminals and
corrupt politicians are scared of him. The day he joins the duty in
Mumbai City, he destroys all the illegal business of Iqbal Pasina
(Mukesh Rishi). From that day onwards, Iqbal Pasina starts
admiring A.S.P. Prithvi Raj Singh.
 Prithvi
Raj Singh with his wife Anjali (Mahima Chaudhary) and Sister
Aarti is living a happy family life. Aarti is in love with
Sub-Inspector Avinash. Anjali is sad because she lost her
‘Prithvi’ who use to love her. ‘A.S.P. Prithvi’ is totally
different man. A man of law and duties. She lost her lover behind
the uniform.
One day C.M. Baburao Desmukh’s son Ambar and his friend Rohit,
traps a girl named Gita into a hotel room and both of them rapes
her. This brutal incident evokes into the battle of Kurukshetra. The
battle is fought between C.M. Baburao Desmukh  and
A.S.P. Prithvi Raj Singh. C.M. Baburao Desmukh has the money, power
and Government infrastructures and on the otherside , A.S.P. Prithvi
Raj Singh gets the support from opposition Leader Sambhaji Yadav,
Iqbal Pasina and their families. In this battle of crime and
justice, who won the battle and who lost? This is Kurukshetra.
- Did A.S.P. Prithvi Raj Singh was able to save his child, who
was in the womb of his pregnant wife?
- Whether the court gave justice to Gita?
- Did Constable Gopi left taking bribes, on the advice of
Prithvi Raj Singh?
- Did Sambhaji Yadav submitted the dying declaration of Gita in
the court of law?
- Did the court gave punishment to Amber and Rohit?
- Whether the dying declaration of Gita became a ‘political
weapon'?
To know the answers of all these crusial
questions.
Watch – “KURUKSHETRA
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 Cast
Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Jockey Shroff, Puru Raj Kumar,
Preity Zinta & Sonali Kulakarni
Produced By Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Music Shankar Lee Eshoy
Screenplay and Director Vidhu
Vinod Chopra
Fultoo Rating 1.5/5
What make much noise?
Empty vessels and now Mission Kashmir. Two Brave men fight and
paradise burns. No Mr. Vidhu Vinod Chopra you got it wrong there, two
brave (?) men fight and viewers' minds burn. We have witnessed earlier
how media promotions can deceive the viewers with the hoopla created
by Fiza and now we see it again much to the dismay of the movie lovers
who are repeatedly subjugated to the hype created around the movies
that are absolutely hollow inside.
 Imagine
how a deadly terrorist (brave man according to Vidhu Vinod) sees his
childhood love separated ten years ago because of a blunder of another
brave man, (Sanjay Dutt) on Television and walks coolly to the stage
show and dances with her on the stage which is being telecast on
television!! Imagine the deadly terrorist (Hrithik Roshan) makes
telephone calls and sends wireless messages from everywhere to
anywhere, to the Inspector General of Police, to his girlfriend and to
all and sundry and yet the police is clue less about his hideout!!!
Imagine the wife of the Inspector General of Police (who had adopted
Altaf, the terrorist, when he was a child as his parents were killed
accidentally in an encounter by the IG himself) sits in a Rickshaw
without her eyes being covered by the terrorists and proceeds to meet
her adopted child now a deadly 'brave' terrorist at his hideout to
shed tons of tears and doesn't feel the moral obligation to give a
lead to her husband!!! (Don't bother, even though the intelligence
failed every time to tap the communication made by the terrorist but
this time they come to know that the IG's wife has gone to meet the
terrorist but alas they don't know where, however) Imagine how easily
could a terrorist exchange the briefcase of The Inspector General of
Police from his car replacing it with one planted with bomb!! Ohh…
imaginations galore!! And you have to suffer this entire
phantasmagoria.
 This
was certainly not expected from Vidhu Vinod Chopra after you see
classics like Parinda and 1942 A Love Story. An amateurish direction
with countless glaring loopholes and a sensitive subject matter dealt
with absolutely carelessly. The explosive state of Kashmir is used as
the backdrop for a fight between a boy and his stepfather who in an
encounter with the militants kills the boy's parents accidentally. And
now the boy after 10 years is bent upon exacting revenge on his
stepfather for which paradise has to burn according to Vidhu Vinod
Chopra. What happens consequently is as predictable as sunrise and in
between there are songs dropping from the blue, there are the rants of
Kashimiriyat and Insaniyat and there is the charge of emotions and
there is the flexing of muscles of Hrithik.
 Well
both Hrithik and Sanjay Dutt stand up to what they are known for. Good
performances from both of them even though the film is bad. Preity
Zinta is likeable though her presence was insignificant and does not
have any formidable influence on the story. Sonali Kulkarni as the
wife of Sanjay Dutt definitely has a lot of promise as a character
artist. Jackie Shroff (in a very queer get up) as the militant group
leader and mentor of Hrithik Roshan also impresses. But despite all
this the movie disappoints.
 The
thunderous opening of the movie all over is all thanks to the media
promotions. Clearly bollywood is turning marketing savvy and that's
not a good sign for the viewers. All that will lure them to the
theatres only to make them deprive of the money they spent and the
time they frittered away which could be used productively in a
thousand ways.
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Bawander(Sandstorm)
Director
Jagmohan Mundra
Cast
Nandita Das, Deepti Naval, Raghuvir Yadav, Rahul Khanna, Laila Rouass
Music
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
After
more than a decade, director Jagmohan Mundra has made a film - Bawandar,
which can hold a candle to his earlier film Kamla. Bawander
is a cinematic rendering of the story of Bhanwri Devi, the famous
grass-roots social worker and gang-rape victim, who has been fighting
for justice for years based in her native village in Rajasthan.
 Hailing
from the Kumhar (potter) community, Bhanwri Devi was raped in
1992 by four men from the upper caste Gujjar community, for
daring to urge people to give up the practice of child marriage, under
the banner of the state government's program called Saathin. She
has been orstracised by the people of her village today for complaining
against rape by high-caste members and for trying to stop them from
flouting the law, but she is still fighting her case. The case is at the
moment in the High Court.
The
names have been changed in the film to avoid legal hassles, but the film
is clearly based on exhaustive research and a close study of the
documentation of the court proceedings. In Jagmohan Mundra's words,
"The film is my own interpretation of what truly transpired."
Sawri
Devi (Nandita Das) is a gutsy villager, wife of rickshaw-puller Sohan
(Raghuvir Yadav), and mother to two kids. Known for her courage in the
village, Bhanwri is approached by a Saathin worker Shobha Devi
(Deepti Naval) to take up cudgels against the prevalent evil of child
marriage. She does so with verve and in the process incurs the wrath of
the village elders belonging to the Gujjar community. To subdue her,
they rape her in full sight of her husband, after beating him up and
holding him captive. With Shobha's help, a distraught Sawri manages to
register her case; the case creates a nationwide stir. She is even
awarded a lakh by the PMO's office in appreciation of her guts, but she
loses the case in the tribunal court. However, as the end of the film
beautifully shows, she does not accept defeat and continues her work
with Saathin as well as her fight for justice.
 The
film inspires on different levels. If Sawri Devi emerges as a model for
Indian women, her husband Sohan who stands by her all throughout the
ordeal emerges as a model husband. (Ironically, Shobha's own husband
breaks off their marriage due to her preoccupation with her social
work). Far from accusing Sawri of having become maili as one
would have expected, Sohan even turns against his parents for her sake.
He refuses to give any share of the award money - one lakh - to his
parents, saying that the money is needed to fight the case against
injustice.
The
film reflects the ugly face of our politicians, police force and the
judiciary. However the balance is never allowed to tilt completely
towards despair. Hope in the form of an honest Gujjar lawyer
Advocate Purohit (Gulshan Grover) or a committed social worker like
Deepti Naval is always round the corner. And perhaps, it's also the
yellow scorching sand of Rajasthan and the colourful traditional attires
of Rajasthanis, that lend the film a glow. The unreeling of the
ugly truths of village life does not effuse a sense of morbidity. You
come out feeling emboldened.
All
performances are of the highest order. Nandita Das looks much younger
than the original Bhanwri Devi, but conveys the powerful mix of grace
and grit most effectively. Deepti Naval is as good as it gets. Laila
Rouass as a foreign journalist fits her role.
What's
most impressive about the film is its clarity and focus. It has no
titillating scenes to draw the crowds. It tells a story simply and
forcefully. Slickly edited, Bawandar has not a loose moment and
is sure to grip Bill Clinton's imagination when he sees it in December
in the White House as per his expressed wishes. At the moment, the film
is headed for the London and Oslo film festivals. Congratulations
Mundra!
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Mohabbatein
Producer Yash
Chopra
Director
Aditya Chopra
Cast
Amitabh Bachchan, Shah
Rukh Khan, Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, Kim Sharma,
Jimmy Shergill, Preeti Jhangiani, Aishwarya
Rai (special appearance)
As
the name suggests, director Aditya Chopra’s second film Mohabbatein
is an exploration of love and diverse attitudes to love. This is in tune
with all Yash Chopra films, which use romance as the pivot of their
screenplay.
The film revolves around the characters of Narayan Shankar
(Amitabh Bachchan), Principal of Gurukul High School, and Raj Aryan
(Shah Rukh Khan), a music teacher in the same school. The licence to
love is the bone of contention between the two charcters. The two come
into an intense conflict over their attitudes to three romantic couples,
who are students of the school.
Three
young boys - Vicky, Sameer and Karan - join the Gurukal together and
share the same room. Vicky (Uday Chopra) is a cool and ready-for-action
type of guy. Flaunting his perfect six-pack throughout the film, he's
sure to be a rage with the teenyboppers. He falls head over heels for
Ishika (Shamita Shetty), who plays a rich, spoilt brat accustomed to
getting whatever she wants in life. Saucy and sexy, she's the best of
the newcomers. Sameer (Jugal Hansraj) is your boy-next-door, hopelessly
romantic and madly in love with his childhood friend Sanjana (Kim
Sharma). Sweet and spunky, she is bubbly and full of life. Karan (Jimmy
Shergill) is the strong and silent, levelheaded practical guy who falls
in love with Kiran (Preeti Jhangiani), the shy beauty.
The Gurukul is an almost 'Hitlerish' sort of educational
institution, where any sort of fun is taboo and where discipline means
everything. Although the three young men in love are gutsy, they cannot
fight the rules and regulations imposed by almighty Narayan Shankar. But
that's only till Raj Aryan joins their school. From his first day there,
his mission is to break all the rules. He believes in change whereas
Narayan Shankar does not. But finally he does manages to effect change;
all the students get ready to rebel along with him against the
atrocities of their Principal Narayan Shankar. The latter reacts by
asking Raj Aryan to leave the School immediately. Raj Aryan refuses,
insisting that he will stay on till the end of the term; at the same
time he discloses that he is the same boy who was thrown out of the
school long back and because of whom, Narayan Shankar's only daughter
Megha (Aishwarya Rai) committed suicide. Shankar’s hatred for Raj
Aryan predictably mounts, but since he cannot throw him out, he warns
the three boys against Aryan. The struggle becomes keener.
Technical
values of the film are average. The Yash Chopra stamp is obvious.
Choreography by Farah Khan and costumes by Manish Malhotra and Karan
Johar tend to be repetitive. The highlights of the movie are its
interesting narrative and brilliant dialogues written by Aditya Chopra.
The confrontation scenes between Amitabh and Shah Rukh form the core of
the film. This is definitely Amitabh Bachchan's best performance after
his comeback, and he proves he is still king. Shah Rukh does not lag far
behind, but he cannot match the intensity and screen presence of the Big
B.
Of
the newcomers, Shamita Shetty and Uday Chopra light up the screen with
their vivacity. Jimmy Shergill and Preeti Jhangiani are likeable, but
the third pair of Jugal Hansraj and Kim Sharma fails to impress.
Aishwarya Rai looks stunning and delivers the goods well. Anupam Kher is
thankfully controlled, Archana Puran Singh is tolerable and Helen is
sweet in the little jig she performs with Shah Rukh.
Mohabbatein
is far from reality but then Yash Chopra has always been known to sell
sugarcoated dreams. The entire set-up of Mohabbatein is like a
fairytale. What gets to you is almost four hour duration of the film;
the film desperately needs trimming.
Finally,
the film lacks the charm to make it an all-time classic (Aditya Chopra's
first film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge definitely had more magic
in it). However, the bumper Diwali opening is sure to rake in the
moolah, making Mohabbatein a sure shot love story for the
Chopras.
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Dil
Pe Mat Le Yaar
Directed
By Hansal Mehta
Music Vishal
Cast Manoj Bajpai , Tabu , Aditya
Srivastava , Kishore Kadam , Divya Jagtale , Saurabh Shukla
Rating Time Pass
 It’s
funny. It’s disturbing. It is about a village bumpkin’s
misadventures in a mega polis.
Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar is director Hansal Mehta’s second brave
attempt after Jayate to redefine popular cinema by imbuing it
with realistic entertainment.
Apart from a promising cast of Tabu and Manoj Bajpai, the film brims
over with underexposed talents. Hansal has put a lot of trust in
not-so-well-known actors like Aditya Srivastava, Kishore Kadam, Divya
Jagtale and Saurabh Shukla. Vishal’s delectable score is another
highlight of the movie.
Saurabh Shukla whom Mehta describes as ‘Indian Danny De Vito’ has
come up with a witty script, which, coupled with laudable performances
by Tabu and Manoj, make the film worth watching. Manoj’s theatre
background and the fact that he doesn’t wear attitude on his collar
make him a moldable actor. The ease with which Bhiku Mhatre got under
the very skin of a village bumpkin is quite commendable.
Ram Saran Pandey, a rustic simpleton from Jaunpur comes to Mumbai with
empty pockets and a suitcase full of dreams. Living in a sleazy chawl
with a genial company of seven like-minded people and working as a motor
mechanic he makes the ends meet.
Now when our Jaunpur ka bhaiiya is a motor mechanic, it is
obvious that some pretty damsel’s car is bound to break down at an
unlikely hour. In one such chance meeting Ram Saran is clean bowled by a
beautiful journalist Kaamya Lal (Tabu) who has a penchant for
human-interest stories.
Impressed by Ram Saran’s innocence, honesty and rustic simplicity she
sees in him a prospective story and, without further ado decides to use
his love as grist to her mill. She shows him around the rich circles
where he is but a misfit.
Twisting around her little finger and besotted by his love for her Ram
Saran is only too eager to oblige her. But for Kaamya he is just a cushy
job. Everytime he throws himself over her in a somewhat childlike
confession of his love for her, she rebuffs him.
But soon the truth is split open wide after Ram Saran sees the lady of
his dreams in bed with someone else. Down goes our Ramu Bhaiiya
in a precipitous fall deep into the mire of netherworld. The suds are
all blown off and the water is clear now. That’s the end of the
innocence. He plans to go to Dubai and even takes to the gun, which he
would not have dared to touch otherwise, not even with a bargepole. The
city again wins in corrupting a rustic lad.
The movie has its ups and downs. The joie de vivre, which is
quintessential to the first half gives in to a somber mood in the second
half.
Unlikely though it may seem not all the stories have neat ends. Not
always does the good win over evil. Considering the extent to which
human values have degenerated in the cities, it doesn’t seem strange
why Hansal Mehta chose such an offbeat end for this film. In fact the
end has an impact and leaves a big question mark. There is a message
too—Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar.
Jis
Desh Mein Ganga Rahta Hai
Directed
By Mahesh Manjrekar
Produced By Ayesha and Jackie Shroff
Music Anand Raj Anand
Cast Govinda , Sonali Bendre , Rinke
Khanna , Reema Lagoo , Shakti Kapoor , Shivaji Satam , Kishore
Nandlaskar
Rating Time Pass
 See
Govinda as a rustic bumpkin clad in crisp partly transparent dhoti and a
dehati turban, swooning the village belle Sonali Bendre and
admonishing the morally bankrupt newfound city relations in Mahesh
Manjrekar's second consecutive release after Astitva--Jis Desh Mein
Ganga Rahta Hai.
The film also casts Reema Lagoo,
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