"Baji Rao Mastani" Movie Review (Hindi)

My Review:

https://www.telugu360.com/bajirao-mastani-review-bhansalis-magnum-opus/

"Piku" (Hindi Film Review)

Rarely comes a movie with a starcast, story and narration that draw you out of your zone of mind chatter and then makes a point or two in 125 minutes flat without any formulaic elements of story-telling or even statutory warnings. "Piku" has raised great expectations when Shoojit Sircar, the director of "Vicky Donor" and "Madras Cafe" cast Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan in an improbable combination. Surprise, he delivers with style and aesthetics. And engages you till the end with a screenplay that packs a million emotions, it has a storyline that resonates with most people.

Piku is Deepika Padukone who stays with her seventy-year old father Bhaskar Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan). Piku is single and a key partner in an architecture firm who never takes a break even as she dates many men in the hope of marrying one day. Amitabh is a hypochondriac old man whose sole problem in life is constipation. He also worries about all the parameters that make old men make weekly trips to diagnostic centers - BP, Sugar, blood count and so on. Deepika and Amitabh argue about health issues and about that over-anxiety about   smoothness in bowel movements that eludes Amitabh till the very end. Piku has an obsession over her father's health habits, her father has a neurotic thing or two about his health and constipation. Both get worked up and miss out on the real fun in life - it takes a toll on Piku's work habits. She calls a regular taxi service to ferry her on work trips but almost always drives the car drivers to bump up.. Enter the owner of the fleet of cars - Irrfan. With the main characters built out like this, an idea comes to both father and daughter to head out for a holiday in homeland Kolkata by road. Irrfan is forced to drive the vehicle because none of the drivers turn up.

 For the next 1500 kilometers of road trip, Irrfan becomes a curious bystander to the intriguing fights, ego-trips, patch-ups and face-offs between the three of them.  Irrfan is a stranger to the family yet he becomes an intruder who negotiates emotions and drives home a perspective or two on what is bugging the twosome. At times, Irrfan also throws tantrums or tramples upon the ego of Amitabh or  holds a mirror to Deepika on the way she has been dealing with her father all these years. Most of the times, the exchange of words between Irrfan and Amitabh is fiery but what Amitabh realises is that Irrfan is dry-cleaning his funeral clothes and making him see ways of getting out of a lot of self-created mess -  mostly in the mind. Shoojit Sircar gives us an unhurried and dispassionate overview of the emotions of millions of Indians as we deal with health issues of aging parents and clueless youth who have their head in the sand on matters of balancing affections with personal goals. Will Amitabh solve his health issues thanks to Irrfan? Does Deepika find a man finally? What is Irrfan's role in both of their lives? Is there a twist in climax? (Hint: There is...) "Piku" takes you on an exhilarating ride of emotions and treatment like never seen before. It is difficult to give a three-act structure to a story that moves out of your living room and back but Sircar pulls it off with  memorable story-telling.

What makes the film stand out is not just the brilliance of all the technical masters - in photography and in music by Anupam Roy but in the aspects of direction and narration and finer subtleties and sensibilities of Bengali households. If you have been closer to a Bengali, you will realise the DNA in their social intercourse - everybody loves good food and roots for their culture but they also have intellectual candour and the abrasiveness of behavior towards each other. Daughter corrects the GK of father, sister-in-law gives it back to her sister's husband, a family tenant talks turkey with her avuncular "owner". In such a "Didi-style" war of words, one wonders why Bengalis rarely inter-marry, keep fighting with each other but bond better overall than many other regions. Sircar captures the essence of an ordinary story and constructs a mesmerising mosaic of human emotions - there are dollops of humor that bring the roof down in almost every scene with every character - sometimes insinuative and mostly  explicit about the motions of the human digestion. For this film, Shoojit farts all his way with the ultimate compilation of jokes and trivia about constipation and all that - that  regales us despite being predictable. Messages that come out of the film are purely accidental, not intentional so Sircar ensures the movie is never preachy and boring. That shot of Deepika Padukone playing  Shuttle Badminton is a paisa-vasool scene.

 Performances by all the three stand out - Amitabh, you don't see him, you only see a Bengali babu who is finicky about his health and self-righteous about everything else. This film is the finest for AB in years  - better than  the flippant experiments of recent years - people will enshrine AB for this role forever for he has truly imbibed the core of a Bengali patriarch. Deepika gives an impressive performance that dovetails her hiterto unexplored dimensions of acting into a complex role. Hiding her emotions, guarding her vulnerability, and hardlining a tough father while letting go when needed - whoa, what a role! Irrfan essays another effortless role as an owner who is at more than one receiving end. He has mastered the art of input-output ratio for an actor - just knows what dosage to give for each scene and yet leave the audience gasping for what is not expressed. His school of acting is quite different from the montony of a Naseerudin Shah or an Anupam Kher. It spawned the likes of Nawazuddinn Siddiqi but Irrfan is a malleable actor who stumps you with new tricks each time. A surprise packet has been Moushimi  Chatterjee - so full of energy and live-wire Bengali goodness and outspoken-ness. She makes her entry in both the halves with  good impact. Raghubeer Yadav as the doctor is also good. Musical output by Roy takes the cinematic experience to new highs. Also the role by the cinematographer - he shows great visuals of the Ganges and the multi-faceted personality of Kolkata but you still cannot miss the sponsor names like Amul milk more than once. But how did he shoot those moving pictures of a car in motion? Haven't seen that in many films and considering the lengthy footage of the travel, it looked authentic - the visuals of the roads. 

Sircar's strength seems  to turn an ordinary story into a fireball that keeps snowballing until you get the main points, in crisp format. No pretensions, no flashbacks, no mundane stuff but taut editing. No wonder, he is done with in 125 minutes. If only the jokes were not just about the stools all the time, this could have been a five-star movie but who cares? This is one of the cleanest movies in recent times and deserves a universal view (Can't understand why a U/A rating was given). If you have parents or not, this film is sure to move you. Most watchable and entertaining.

Rating: 4.5/5

#Piku #PikuReview #AmitabhBachchan #DeepikaPadukone #Irrfan #ShoojitSircar #AnupamRoy #MovieReviews #Bollywood #Bengali #MoushimiChatterjee #Sony #RaghhubirYadav

"Vikramasimha" (Telugu)/"Kochadiyaan"(Tamil) Film Review

This is one Rajanikanth film that is made for the family and it doesn't deserve the adulation and the anticipation built into it. A colossal waste of money and effort, in short. Made with lot of passion and talent and money riding on it - screenplay by KS Ravi Kumar, cinematography by Rajeev Menon, music by AR Rahman and of course, direction by Rajani's daughter Soundarya Aswin, the film is an animation film shot in 3D with motion capture technology - similar to what is used by James Cameroon in "Avatar". The only difference is despite having the money to spend in making a great film sound on technicalities, Rajani's team cut corners in editing, lighting, landscaping and set design and in the execution itself - resulting in a shoddy output that is below world-class.

The story is itself is nothing new - another fable from Chandamama folklore without drama and twist which straight-lifts scenes from some of the famous films that capture the cult of the colossal hero like "Braveheart", "Gladiator", "Ben Hur" and "Robin Hood". The story by KS Ravi Kumar, the most successful director for both Rajani and Kamal is a simple tale of rivalry, love, betrayal and revenge. The rivalry is between two ancient kingdoms - Kotapatnam and Kalingapuram. A commoner Vikramasimha (Rajani) rises from the ranks to command respect from Kotapatnam that armies cannot get. He becomes the most trusted and powerful man until one day he foregoes his army with Kalingapuram in a trade-off between their fight for survival and their slavery. Blamed for treason, the King of Kalingapuram (Nazar) orders Vikramasimha's beheading in the presence of his family and the people. Vikramasimha's son Ranadheera watches that and vows to get back the enslaved people of Kotapatnam. He achieves that and much more including the love of Deepika and the love of the people. This is the story but the screenplay, to be fair, runs in reverse to the order in which I have narrated. That is the most interesting part. The dullness is in the narrative and picturisation.

Director has failed in embellishing the story with the right visuals and richness. In every scene of the animation you see on screen, there are huge gaps - the battlefield sequences look unimpressive, the king's court assembly look like an Amar Chitra Katha cardboard illustration, the shots are mostly either dark or under-lit, and the animations of characters and objects outside of the screen characters are lazy and imperfect. With such a vast canvass of two mighty kingdoms and huge stadia fights, one expected better ouput on screen but the quality of visuals is a big let-down. Except for Rajanikanth as Ranadheera and Nazar as the arch-villain, the motion capture technology has failed to capture the right facial expressions of most characters. Yes, the famous legendary comedian Nagesh finds a reboot in the film but after initial promise, the characterisation fizzles out. Even for Deepika Padukone, this is a forgettable film, her portrayal shows her lacking in feminine grace, bewitching beauty and dancing grace - all of which made her famous in the first place. Characterisation apart, the film's biggest weakness is lack of entertainment and emotional connect with the audience.

The team should have consulted better screenwriters who worked on the best animation projects in studios like Pixar (more now part of Disney's) and Disney's. Today, an animation film in the West is made with a budget of $40 million which  is still more than what a "Robot" or "Enthiran" can collect in a first-run. Except for the pirates scene in the beginning and the bamboo sticks fight before the interval with Deepika Padukone, there is no wow factor in the film. Talk about music by AR Rahman, despite an energetic and exceptionally wide-ranging musical score by the Indian Mozart, the songs do not lift you much out of the dark monotony of the film. The dance movements by Deepika Padukone or second heroine Shobhana are in a world of themselves, out of sync with Superstar or too fast for the music. I wonder if thats a chronic problem with motion capture/performance capture technology. It is unwise to compare with "Avatar" alright but why attempt something with imperfections and expect a blockbuster out of it? If you look at Pixar, they made one smash hit after another from "Toy Story" to "A Bug's life" to "Monsters" to "Finding Nemo" to "Cars" to "Ratatouille" to "Wall-E" to "Brave" and their movies are becoming more Indian, more poetic, more emotional and less prosaic. Prosaic, thats the word that sums up "Vikramasimha" because it lacks that x-factor to make you want to go that extra mile to see and come back for more.

Are there any other redeeming factors from music? It is Rajanikanth who looks like a 21-year old Samurai - nimble, large-hearted, charishmatic and metrosexual. Like in "Basha", Rajani sprinkles aphorisms and pearls of wisdom in the opening song with Ranadheera and the song that comes after interval with the real hero in flashback - Vikramasimha or Kochadiyaan. Lovely references to Kriya Yoga, difference between ownership and leadership,  living long by waking up before sun-rise, the transcience of the world, the fate of being born to parents and the will of choosing right friends. Those pearls embody the personality and principles lived out by Rajanikanth - and find a place in the soundtrack too. On the whole, a film with mammoth effort but minimum impact. If you are a Rajani fan, you will anyway skip this review and go for the film. If not, you may suffer one anyways.  Is the film unwatchable? No, but it is not remarkable either.
My Rating: 2/5.

"Goliyon ki Rasleela - Ram-Leela" (Hindi Film Review)

I thought I came for the wrong movie when I saw the long title preceding the words Ram Leela. Then the portent came in the censor certificate about the duration of the film - 154 minutes. Then came a warning that this film is an adaptation from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". That means the film must end in a tragedy, I thought. It did end in a tragedy with Ranvir Singh and Deepika Padukone, the Rajasthani equivalents of Romeo and Juliet, shooting each other down in a climax at point blank range. The climax itself justifies the title - Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. Because in that epic shot which already wears out the audience after a dozen songs and 153 minutes, Ram (Ranvir) and Leela (Deepika) kiss for one last time before releasing the trigger on their magazine. First time, Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes the credit for allowing two lovers, darlings of the masses, take each others' lives instead of shooting at their own temples. In short, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has attempted a lavish re-interpretation of Romeo and Juliet with extravagant paraphernalia and bizarre theatrics but lost the plot that could connect with the mood of the times. The film is great in performances, visual effects, scale and grandeur but fails in characterisation, emotions, depth and consistency.

The story is faithful to the bard's original story. Instead of the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, this is the story of a couple caught between Raanjadas and Sannades, in one village of Rajasthan where the police turn a nelson's eye to the biggest arms bazaar. It is more anarchic than Obama's country where everyone, even toddlers, carry guns and shoot at will. Ram goes to the other side for a holi party and gets smitten by Leela in one helluva dance. They connect instantly and the love develops between the two even as Leela's mother, the gang-leader of Sannades, played by Supriya Pathak Kapur, rushes her marriage with an archaeologist.  Leela returns to Ram's place, her love grows stronger and the enemity grows stronger between the Raanjada's and the Sannade's. Unlike in Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet's cousin Tybalt is mistakenly killed by Romeo, in "GKRR", Ram's brother is mistakenly shot dead by Leela's brother and the exchange leads to another death, Leela's brother. That shot, a high-octane sequence builds up into the best action sequence of the film with intensity and suspense. After that, the elopement of Ram with Leela, the subsequent return and then the fateful ending after much macabre killings. A few cinematic changes by Sanjay Leela Bhansali to nativise the story here - a signed written order by Leela to annihilate every single Raanjada and instead of drinking poison, they consummate their love again with kisses and bullets before taking their own lives, at a time when remorse and regret returns to the warring people on both sides. In the end, Ramleela is celebrated with the burning of Ravan's effigy by both the sides, but alas, the lead pair is gone.

To be fair, the film has some electrifying moments  - the passion between Deepika and Ranvir sets the screen ablaze, the dialogues by the warring factions on both sides, especially by Supriya Pathak and Abhimanyu Singh as well as by Ranvir Singh are outstanding. Characterisation of the three of them is exceptional. Supriya Pathak had the best lines in the film and this is one of her best performances. Ranvir Singh, looks a maginificent hulk in his chivalrous avatar as the energetic Rajput; he strikes great balance as a hate-disperser and a love-monger. Whether he removes his shirt or turban, he oozes out machismo and animal magnetism. Would he be the talent that can maneuvre competition from Kapurs and Khans? Likely. Deepika is lissome and beautiful as ever, looking better in traditional costumes and royal frills. Her dancing skills looked prim and proper but curtailed by the energy of Ranvir. Of all the starcast, her accent looked more out-of-place, however. She is clearly not marwari-conversant unlike the rest of the cast. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has got good support from screenplay writer Siddharth-Garima who also wrote crisp dialogues in local dialect. Another experiment: Sanjay Leela Bhansali scored music himself. Almost all the songs sound alike except one modern tempo beat, with rhytms and soundscapes resonating the Rajasthani hills and villages - too much of folk music from titles to end-titles. I wonder if this is all straight-lifted out of Sanjay's repertoire of folk tunes tucked away in rural hinterlands because except for Monty who scored for "Saawariya", it has been Ismail Durbaar mostly. Surely, Sanjay's background score is richer than his songs scored, which are too many and farcical. Despite the talent and its harvest, the film doesn't have enough substance or emotions to sustain a modern audience. I wonder why Sanjay had to pick Shakespeare to make a point or two about a love story between a cracker of a lead pair. He didn't start films with an intent to revive Shakespeare like Vishal Bharadwaj. On the contrary, Sanjay had a touch of an artist who can take cinematic experience to new highs with his ensemble of opulent story-telling and grandiose backdrops. But by picking a tragedy once again, after "Devdas", he had wasted Eros's money and audience's time. It was not worth 154 minutes of macabre hate and love. In the original story of Romeo and Juliet, the two families agreed that Romeo and Juliet should be buried together. On the grave were these words as per the play: "There was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and Romeo." The message of the bard that one can be unreasonable in both love and hate was driven to death by countless film-makers around the world and in India. The audience knows it but doesn't want the tragedy to repeat in the movies - at least subsequent debacles at the box office of film-makers who attempted a studious reprise of the sad ending of the lovers show that this doesn't work anymore. Poor Sanjay! Wish someone told you at Eros. Cannot rate this above-average for all the effort. 2.5 out of 5. 

"Chennai Express" Hindi Film Review

Most Superstars of Bollywood merely adopt the antics of South Film Industry in a bid to taste success but few connect with the masses as Shah Rukh Khan. Despite a string of flops in recent times, SRK has been working assiduously for over a year on the script of "Chennai Express" which was passionately narrated by Action King Director Rohit Shetty. SRK follows the South Film Industry's phenomenal reach keenly and at the last South Filmfare Awards Ceremony, he was entranced by the magical world of Southern Stars and even danced in front of Kamal Hassan reluctantly. With that backdrop, "Chennai Express" was going to be the ultimate blockbuster that SRK planned with Rohit Shetty who loves pace, action, melodrama and romance with a minimalism that connects with the masses. With over 3500 screens, SRK pulls out all stops to make a comeback film - he ropes in lucky star Deepika Padukone as the "Oru G Nali T" Tamil girl, music duo Vishal-Shekar and a maverick production house of UTV Motion Pictures. Except SRK and Deepika in the lead, no recognised artiste from Bollywood can be seen. On the contrast, Rohit picks a fresh team of irregulars as the bevy of villains in the film, including the venerable Tamil star Satyaraj. Satyaraj is an unlikely choice for the role of the heroine's father because he is a hardcore Tamil nationalist and heads an organisation for Tamil lingustic movement in real life. 

If imitation is flattery, "Chennai Express" pays tribute to the surreal world of Tamil and Telugu Cinema with its simplistic romantic tracks over-invested with heavy-duty violence, villains who ooze out menace and drip out sickle-and-sumo violence, sidekick villains who are built like mountains and unshaved girth, comedy thats instantaneous and situational, and costumes that flourish with a garnish amidst plenty of rural prosperity. In short, "Chennai Express" is a Bollywood version of "DDLJ" and "QuickGun Murugan" with plenty of masala fare that rejuvenates your love for South Indian films - if you are already not tired of watching them in the original or in dubbed versions on Desi channels. The story is simple: Rahul (SRK) is a rich Grand-dad's Inheritor of Wealth but is trapped in running the family business of Sweets in Mumbai. His best chance to branch out in pursuit of his real passion comes when his grand-dad dies. His grandma requests him to take one urn of the grand-dad's ashes to Rameshwaram even as she takes another Urn to immerse in the Ganges. Rahul reluctantly agrees even as he is planning a detour to Goa with his friends. He jumps onto Chennai Express waved off by his grandma but destiny lands him into a spot with Deepika Padukone who is helped by him to board the train in a DDLJ fashion. The twists take him to the village of Deepika's father Satyaraj who want to marry her off to a baddie. Deepika mutters in Tamil that she is in love with SRK and they are planning to marry. Predictably, all hell breaks lose and there's a massive chase that doesn't end until the climax. SRK and Deepika fall for each other's charms meanwhile as the chase becomes an ordeal first and a ritual that romanticises life. It's an ordinary story but Rohit Shetty makes it quite a pacy and adorable screenplay with explosive performances by the lead pair and unprecedented entertainment, atleast in the first half.

Rohit Shetty's strengths are cutting the boring part of South films and infusing more energy and nativitiy of the Hindi Cinema as he did in "Singham". But in "Chennai Express", he lets the narrrative and grammar of South film sensibilities to dominate his story-telling. So, you find larger-than-life sets and picturesque scenes on the river-banks, the rustic splendour, extreme close-up shots depicting villainy that is normally inconceivable, the pulverizing violence that gives body blows, the stress-testing limits of endurance for Stuntsmen who dangerously fly the machines we cannot even water-cross - motor cycles, jeeps, buses and lorries. Deepika Padukone fits the part of the authentic Tambram heroine majestically as she rattles off Tamil and Hindi ambifluently. It's her thick English accent that sometimes grates on you and I can say you won't like it if you are a Tamil English-speaking girl. Deepika's expressions and demeanour give the velvety touch to the romance and the agony and the triumphs of the hero in his journey from Mumbai to Chennai. Shah Rukh Khan, as Rahul gives one of his finest performances. He is known for some of the freewheeling comedy that sets him on fire on Filmfare and other stage concerts. Jokes like "Tamil Terima" ("Teri Ma  - what did you say to my mother?), "Which part of Punjab are you from?"  - All body parts), Miss Subtitles and so on abound in the film and SRK gets it on a platter to give a riot. About 30 per cent of the film is actually in Tamil but SRK's expressions and quirky acting put him in a slideshow that delights mostly  - a refreshing change I find in many many years. Even if the dialogues are penned by a duo, SRK carries the film on his shoulders with his original kkkkaka..accent and dumwit dictionary of one-liners. His improvisation and quick sense of comic timing gave us some amazing moments of laughter. (I have never laughted as much in a previous SRK starrer).  It takes courage to accept a script of this dimension and SRK who is smitten by the rising popularity of Thalaivar and other heroes of South Film Industry has decided to do an original film thats a parodic take on South rather than buying re-make rights of South films that his competitors and "friends" do. 

What are the highlights of the film? Music by Vishal Shekar seems to get better with every SRK film; they became the third reason after SRK and Deepika to hit a home run. Surprisingly, the songs are unevenly spaced. First half has just one song  (a nervous Priyamani shaking a leg with SRK) and all the remaining songs in the second half. Anthakshari is introduced by way of a code language between the hero and the heroine in the film and is refreshingly sung in original voices.  Some of the scenes in the first half are loosely borrowed from "Maryaada Ramanna" in respect of the house arrest of the hero in the heroine's home. Despite a relentless charade of visuals meant to evoke humor and occasionally poke fun at the South film texture, Rohit leaves some gaps in the story and the narration. There is no linkage between the flashback and the narration in the second half. There is no realism in the clothing of the lead pair - one scene you see Deepika decked up in temple jewellery and next you see her in different attires without a carry bag, whereas SRK is in immaculate dress  - the same but ironed everytime even if he carries a backpack containing urn. There is no attempt to show SRK trying to contact his family and friends after losing a mobile phone in the train, how can anyone forget the landline number of one's home?  Also, there is a concocted scene where SRK is hidden in a bunker in a police station and the next moment he re-surfaces in a boat like a "Life of Pi" hero. Minor blemishes  maybe these, but they don't deduct the entertainment value of the film - its a dizzy cocktail of fun and masti. Rohit Shetty has truly assimilated the idiom of the eye-popping masala film of the South by inter-mixing hundreds of DVDs; it reached that potential of globalization and universal appeal because of the stamp of SRK's approval. Running time of 142 minutes, about 125 minutes is pure fun of which 30 minutes must accompany subtitles because of Tamil.  SRK has used five words in Telugu too - "Konchem", "Evadu", "Po", "Telusu" and "Chaala". Lungi-Dance which comes as a tribute to Rajinikanth has been well choreographed. 3.5 out of 5 for the effort and it's a SRK film all the way.  

"Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" Film Review (Hindi)

There's something about Ranbir Kapoor from the first time he appeared on screen. And there's something magical about this film YJHD, which is a phrase from one of Ranadhir Kapoor (his uncle) films. By the time I saw, the film is already crossed Rs.100 crores and is counting to the next hundred crores in BO collections. Ayaan Mukherjee, director, has given a winning script of a contemporary love story starring Deepika Padukone, Kalki K and Ranbir. YJHD is a breeze and a worthy addition to the catalogue of films like "3 Idiots", "Zindagi Naa Milegi Dubaara", "Dil Chahta Hai", "Jab We Met". 

Story is not anew. Karan (Ranbir) is flirtatious and a go-get-her Donjuan. Naina (Deepika) is a medico who takes herself and life too seriously. Karan and his gang of friends - a guy and a gal are taking off to the mountains in North for a trek adventure. Naina bumps into one of the gals (Kalki) at a grocery and she learns that the girl Kalki is her batchmate, she learns who are all going for the expedition and eventually, jumps onto the bandwagon. Sparks fly and love blossoms between two opposites. Then the twist at the interval and the fun 2.0 post-interval as the foursome get back for Kalki's wedding in a familiar finale that ends like a fairy tale. What has worked for the film are solid performances by the starcast led by Ranbir and Deepika. Deepika has shown again why she is the youth Diva  - her looks, style, gait and oomph make her a sweltering watch as she plays the two shades before and after the interval as the shy girl first and as the girl who gets her mojo and her man later. Kalki has done the exact opposite role of what she did earlier in "Zindagi Naa milegi Dubara" and she pulls it off with ease as the ebullient funster. The other guy who plays Ranbir's thick friend and room-mate also sticks out with his performance. Ranbir Kapoor is the go-to guy in the film, especially in the second half with an uproarious performance that will finally seal his place as the upcoming Superstar who will call the shots. After experimental roles like "Rocket Singh", "Barfi", "Rockstar" and "Rajneeti", Ranbir Kapoor gets a script that lets him show his repertoire  - lover boy looks, unassuming demeanour, impeccable sense of comedy timing, broody and playful swing of moods, command over language that few Hindi youthful stars have - when he says "Raftaar", you will vibrate with the meaning. I have this comfortable feeling that Ranbir Kapoor is on his way to become the most iconic Superstar of this generation because he has the best package of vulnerability, intelligence, romanticism and credibility that marked those who preceded him generations ago. It appears also that the genes of acting that he inherited on all sides and in degrees of separation from his parents and grand-arens are going to play out on many more scripts that are yet to be written out with him in mind, this is my humble conviction. 

Pritam's music is another highlight. His instrumentation is more understated than his characteristic music with its haunting emphases and lilting notes  and crescendos that surcharge the mood of the song. 'Badtameez Dil" is one helluva song that is composed way out of Pritam's comfort zone. It also has a verisimillitude to that of "Gili Gili Akka" song of Randhir Kapoor's hit song. But nine songs are too many and unjustified. The song with Madhuri Dixit is over-rated and boring - don't mistake, She is old and unbearable even if she is able to move her hip-bone. Farook Sheikh as Ranbir's father sparkles even in a brief role. Dialogues by Hameed Dalal are a stand-out. ("Dil ki dhadkaan ki awaaz kaano tak sun na chahta hoon"). Be prepared for misty eyes atleast on three occasions in the film. What undermines the film is the weakest comedy seen in Ranbir's films and pathetic attempts by director Ayaan to evoke slapstick comedy, almost a leaf out of "Barfi" stunts in the first half. The redemption of the film is in its plot, its performances,  music and the overall feel of positivity of the pangs of coming of age. The screenplay could have been better and the first half could have been shorter; there is no reference to what the hero and the heroine did for eight years when they didn't meet each other despite choosing good professions. The characterisation of Ranbir's friend who is a serial gambler and an alcoholic could have elevated Ranbir's magnanimity as a helper but it was lost in brief shots and passing references to reform him. Small blemishes in a film that rarifies your soul and makes you reach for the stars of Bollywood, and root for the next big thing  - the next Rockstar Ranbir. 4.5 out of 5 despite a weak first half. Karan Johar and Ronnie Screwala must be elated they bet on the right horse that is raking it all in. 

"Cocktail" (Hindi) Movie Review

"Cocktail" is another experiment that brings back the genre of metrosexual romance with the chemistry of a much publicised starcast - Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and debutante Diana Penty. Homi Adajania is the director and he ropes in the writer-director Imtiaz Ali and another writer to pen the story. Imtiaz Ali is quite unpredictable in his scripts; most of his movies in the past from "Jab We Met" or "Love Aaj Kal" or "Rock Star" have been fluent opuses on love that remains unrequitted till the very end. In this movie, "Cocktail", Imtiaz Ali harnesses his talent at tweaking emotions of love a bit further, he creates a rapport between two girls - Deepika and Diana - then creates a rift between them later through Saif because both the girls want all of him. All this with some common and some bizarre family extensions for all the three.

The treatment is different and title-apt. Homi Adajania uses the laisse~z fare settings of London to weave the characterisations of the three principal actors the way he moulds the story - Deepika as bold and tempestuous, Diana as cautious and conservative and Saif as the quintessential Don Juan - till they all decide to do a flip-flop, in the interest of a happy ending that comes after 146 minutes of a cocktail of emotions. Pun intended. In between, the roles of Bomman Irani and Dimple Kapadia which could have infused variety and connectivity with elderly audiences had they stayed on course a few more minutes. There is also a constant tussle between the BGM score of the impressive duo Saliem-Sulemaan and the intermixed loud jingles of Pritham - despite one or two sonorous songs by Pritham towards the climax, BGM by SS is defining the key moods and moments of the film.

All the three Deepika, Saif and Diana get their share of hogging the limelight but Diana's character is weakest and inconsistent - it is because she is a looker and not an actor. Deepika shines brightest in the second half and tries to carry the film as if it is hers - with audacious dressing, bikini, uninhibitive acting. But at crucial competitive camera movements, our ageing hero Saif Ali Khan shoots from the hip every line that lingers. What he delivers with his eyes and face make it one of his best - he dominates even the hyperactive Bomman Irani sometimes. On the whole, the movie is a multiplex biopic with fast music, good visuals from London and Cape Town and easy fun that is a little more complicated. Could have been shorter - wonder what the Telugu Editor Sreekar Prasad was doing.