Archive for January, 2010

Film Reviews : Raat Gayi Baat Gayi

Posted: January 2, 2010 by moifightclub in cinema
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Enough of VVC, CB and 3 Idiots, lets move on to this week’s hindi release. We detest to count any Celina Jaitley release and so that leaves us with only one film Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, with the desi indie boys. The bunch we love! The film is directed by Sourabh Shukla ans has Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Vinay Shukla, Anu Menon, Dalip Tahil, Navneet Nishan and Irawati Harshe. But do they deliver this time ? Here’s the score card.

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, RAAT GAYI, BAAT GAYI? doesn’t work – 1.5/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – Saurabh Shukla directs with an easy hand, allowing the actors enough room to interpret their characters, but it’s the writing here that’s mundane. Most scenes lack the energy that was required to elevate this film into the sly, tongue-in-cheek satire that it was intended to be. What you get is a promising but sadly tiresome film that feels too long even though it’s less than two hours in running time – 2/5

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – The film plays footsie, without really going all the way. How about something braver and quirkier the next time around? This merry band filmmakers can do it – 3/5

Mayank Shekhar (Hindustan Times) – Bashes in ‘Bollywood’ back in the day meant a grand piano at the centre. The hero crooned away his message of love. The heroine joined him for a dance. A huge crowd of suits and sarees gathered in a circle, quietly stared, and sipped their drink. Some white people floated in the back-rows. Oh we miss those! This one neither touches nor tickles. Better still, get us Hangover any day – 2/5

Anupama Chopra (NDTV) – Have you ever been to one of those excruciatingly boring parties in which the conversation is so stilted and the guests so banal that you want to pick up a fork and gouge your eyes out? If not, you might want to catch Raat Gayi, Baat Gayi, which is pitched as a romantic comedy but is neither very funny nor very romantic – 2/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – Watch out for some fine performances by the entire cast. Veterans like Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey are eminently watchable as always. But it is Neha Dhupia who is fast emerging as the natty new wave girl with her newfound talent – 3/5

Gaurav Malani (ET) – With a head-spinning narrative about the aftermath of an intoxicating late night party, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi is like wine that takes time to mature but is your perfect partner on a lazy evening – 3/5

Anand Vaishnav (Buzz18) – Raat Gayi Baat Gayi is very funny in parts, held together with delightful performances. Catch it for some spontaneous acting – 2.5/5

Meena Iyer (Mumbai Mirror) – RGBG starts well and its witty dialogue keeps the viewer engrossed up to a point. It makes no deliberate effort to copy the Hollywood hit Hangover either in its plot or treatment, yet there’s a borrowed sense of déjà-vu. And had the director kept the viewers interest level continuously going, he may have had a winner on hand. Where RGBG falls a few notches short is the pace – 2/5

 Seems like average is between 2-3 out of 5. 

VVC Versus Chetan Bhagat – all the details & the dope!

Posted: January 1, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, gossipmongers, News, songs & videos, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Thoughts, writing
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25th December (Friday) – This is how it started (see the pic). Chetan Bhagat and his book is not mentioned in the opening credits of the film 3 Idiots. In the closing credit, it comes quite late. 

27th December (Sunday) – In an interview to Hindustan Times, Chetan says that it feels strange. Click here to read the full interview.

29th December (Tuesday) –  Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Aamir Khan accused Chetan Bhagat of being publicity hungry at a press conference in Bangalore. And then this is what happened. Check out the video.

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December 31st (Thursday) – Chetan Bhagat wrote a post on his blog titled A book, a film and the truth and explained his stand on the credit controversy. Click here to read the post.

1st January (Friday) – Vidhu Vinod Chopra started the year with a bang. Shut Up! Today at a presser in Delhi, Vidhu Vinod Chopra lost his cool and went insane when asked about Chetan Bhagat’s claims. Check out the video.

And here is more….

September 9, 2009 – Here is the link to an interview where RajKumar Hirani said that the film is only 5 percent similar to the book.

 How true are you keeping 3 Idiots to the book by Chetan Bhagat Five Point Someone?

3 Idiots is inspired from the book but it is completely different. I would say just five per cent of it is the same. Books and films are different. So the moment you decide to pick up a book and make a film as it is, it will be a disaster. It’s a nice book, but it’s anecdotal and films can’t be anecdotal. It has to have a story. The reason I mention this is because people should not go to the theatre thinking, we are going to watch Five Point Someone and later find out that it’s a completely different film.

Chetan Bhagat is also not exactly holier-than-thou. He said that he never read the script or may be, just the first draft. But check out this video (thnx for the tip Mohammad Moizuddin), at 5:30, Chetan saying that Raju narrated the full script to him, 2-3 times.

We havent read the book. But those who have, said its easily more than 5-10 percent. And if thats the case, then Chetan surely deserves better place in the credit. Watch any film which is based on any book, its always mentioned in the opening credits. And if the similarity is beyond the set up and the one liner pitch, Chetan also deserves a story credit.

Whats surprising is that in the centre of it is Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The man who doesnt leave any small credit. Remember the song bande me tha dum in Munnabhai MBBS. If we are not wrong, Vidhu Vinod Chopra suggested one or two lines of the song, to be exact, just the phrase bande me that dum! Rest was all written by Swanand Kirkire. But check out anywhere, Vidhu Vinod Chopra is credited everywhere for those few words. He made sure that he is credited.

At the Apsara Awards that year, when the song was nominated and only Swanand’s name was mentioned in the nomination list, VVC was shouting from rooftop for getting his name in the credit list. Yeh to poori kahani hai Sirji!

We love the filmmaker because he is insanely passionate about films and has discovered some great talent. He is the only producer who shares profit with his cast and crew. Abhijaat Joshi was paid Rs 1 crore after the sucess of Lage Raho Munnabhai. A writer getting a crore in this country ?? Thats Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. But thats VVC!

But the man is equally pompous and loud and loves talking about only his films. Its difficult to say why he did this to Chetan Bhagat, whose PR guys are always on overdrive to the point of irritation. But sadly this time, the man seems to be on the right side. And to read the contract between Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Chetan Bhagat, click www.vinodchopra.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

And isnt it a great irony! The film which told us that ranks, grades and marks are not everything, their makers are fighting over the credit! Wow! Strange are the ways of bollywood. And you, Mr RajKumar Hirani, where do you stand ?

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