Archive for the ‘bollywood’ Category

Film Reviews : LSD, Shaapit & Lahore

Posted: March 20, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, film review, reviews
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Dhen Tedan! Its friday! And the dope is out. Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Plus Vikram Bhatt is back again and is still struggling to scare us. Sir, aapka naam hi kaafi hai ab!  He has competition only from Ramu. And the third release is Lahore. First, its LSD. Click here to read our take on it.

Anupama Chopra (NDTV) – LSD falters in the second half. The second story feels too long and the last isn’t as smoothly done as the first two. But the film is a worthy experiment created by one of Bollywood’s most imaginative and original directors. Let me warn you that it is a polarizing film. You’re going to either love it or you’re going to hate it. But I strongly recommend that you don’t ignore it – 3.5/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – In the end, Love, Sex aur Dhokha is consistently gripping, although the third story strikes me as a tad contrived. You will be shocked, you will be startled, but walking out of the theatre, you know you have just seen what is possibly the most important Hindi film since Satya and Dil Chahta Hai. Not only does it redefine the concept of “realistic cinema”, it opens a world of possibilities in terms of how you can shoot films now – 4/5

Raja Sen (Rediff) – It is, as the oft-abused phrase goes, an ‘important’ film, and one you should watch if only to acquaint yourself with the way things inevitably work. It’s bleak, bittersweet, funny and markedly unglamorous, and yet you come out humming the theme tune, your head blown clear off your shoulders. Hell yeah. Welcome to adulthood, Bollywood, can we get you another beer? – 5/5

Shubhra Gupta (IE) – It holds up an unflinching mirror to the primal screws that the world turns on, and shows us the way we are. I have one minor grouse : I wanted it to be edgier, darker, but it still took me to a place where practically no current Hindi filmmaker, barring an Anurag Kashyap or a Vishal Bharadwaj, has transported me to – 4/5

Kaveree Bamzai (India Today) – With Love Sex Aur Dhokha, he has shown how far a Rs 3 crore budget can stretch if you have ingenuity and courage. He tells the story of three intertwined couples, Rahul and Shruti, two film school students who elope with tragic consequences; Rashmi and Adarsh, who work in a store; and Mrignayana and Prabhat, a sting specialist and a wannabe star from Meerut. It’s partly hilarious, mostly sad, yes quite misogynistic but also very unusual – 4/5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – It’s a sort of flick you ideally discover without burdens of expectation: a caveat you must bear in mind, in case you were planning on rushing off to cinemas right away. Where any Bollywood movie without a gyrating, lip-synching hero perceives itself as ‘different’, this one, from an audience’s point of view, is truly an experiment – 3.5/5

Gaurav Malani (Indiatimes) – Love Sex aur Dhokha shouldn’t be restricted with tags like experimental, offbeat, path-breaking, low-budget or multiplex cinema. While it happens to be all of these, it goes beyond with its smart story and superlative storytelling to be a brilliant and entertaining film. This autobiographical account of a camera is absolutely recommended! – 4/5

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror) – For today’s liberal, urban, rich India, Love, Sex Aur Dhokha is the new age roti, kapda aur makaan, a trio of issues that need urgent undressing, sorry, addressing. LSD is totally recommended to all adult citizens, regardless of gender or political affiliations – 4/5 

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, LSD is original, innovative and ground-breaking cinema, which will shock and provoke you. The film is definitely not for the faint-hearted or those who swear by stereotypical fares, but for those who yearn for a change. The youth, especially in metros, should fall hook, line and sinker for this one. The volatile title as also the explosive content should make this low-cost film [budgeted at approx. Rs. 1.5 cr.] a commercial accomplishment! – 4/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – Don’t expect time-pass entertainment. Think beyond run-of-the-mill and see how Ekta Kapoor re-invents herself as the producer of contemporary Indian cinema’s first full-blown experimental film – 3.5/5

Vikram Bhatt’s Shaapit marks the debut of Aditya Narayan. There is something really irritating about his face. Think that might easily lead to some fear factor. Lets check if it scared the critics or not.

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – Horror films are meant to get your heart racing pumping. At the end of this film, you’ll have to check for your pulse – 1.5/5

Shubhra Gupta (IE) – Bhatt’s `1920’ gave us a ghastly ghost who hung upside down, and a couple of shivery moments. Practically nothing about `Shaapit’, which has the youngest looking debutant hero after Shahid Kapoor, is scary : not the bag of skeletons which floats around a 300 year old castle, not the wailing and the screeching, and the moaning and the groaning – 1/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, SHAAPIT is truly a scary movie, which comes across as a worthy follow up to RAAZ and 1920. If you are a fan of ghost stories, SHAAPIT should be on your list of ‘things to do and watch’ this weekend. Go for it and be prepared to be spooked! – 3.5/5

Gaurav Malani (Indiatimes) – You won’t curse yourself on watching Shaapit . But then again it’s not blessed with anything extraordinary – 2.5/5

Nithya Ramani (Rediff) – There are some genuinely frightening scenes that will make you jump off your seat. Those looking for chills won’t be disappointed – 4/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – The film works not so much due to its story. Rather, it’s the way Vikram Bhatt tells his story — with a certain polish and pizzazz — that draws you in. Also, it’s Pravin Bhatt’s multi-hued cinematography which adds a lyrical quality to the film – 3/5

And the third release of the week is Lahore. Directed by Sajay Puran Singh Chauhan, it stars Farooque Shaikh, Saurabh Shukla and Sushant Singh.

Shubhra Gupta (IE) – The recently-released `Invictus’ gave us the true story of how Nelson Mandela used rugby to cement ties between blacks and whites in post-apartheid South Africa. `Lahore’ uses another sport–kick-boxing– to suggest how India and Pakistan can come together, but to much less effect – 2/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – It’s well-intentioned, has its heart in the right place, and it’s an engaging enough watch. But it never rises above that to become a film that could truly make a difference – 2.5/5

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror) – Lahore is a decent effort, a sports film with a political backdrop, both genres being a relative rarity in Bollywood. However, if it had been 20 minutes shorter, with clearer purpose, less dialogue and tighter direction, Lahore could have been a good film – 2/5

Kaveree Bamzai (India Today) – It’s a film that could have done with less length and more effort to find a better lead. Fewer cliches too. But for anyone who likes the crunching of bones, the slam of fists into each other and the twisting of muscle, go right ahead. Make your day – 2.5/5

Sukanya Verma (Rediff) – Though limited in its story-telling and undistinguished in execution, Lahore redeems itself somewhat by intently playing on the paradox of pacifist intentions realised in the face of a seriously hostile sport – 2.5/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – Lahore tells a fiery story, gently and lyrically and is embellished with some great cinematography (Neelabh Kaul) and action choreography in the kickboxing sequences (Tony Ching Siu Tung). But most of all, it boasts of a stellar act by the performers with Farouque Sheikh walking away with most of your applause as the genteel Hyderabadi who must train a team of winners, despite political and bureaucratic interference – 3.5/5

Gaurav Malani (Indiatimes) – With a perfectly predictable plotline, if a film still keeps you riveted through its runtime, you know there’s something earnestly right about it. Lahore has a right director. Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan has the finesse to package the standard story with the requisite action and intensity that a sports film demands – 3/5

Roshmila Bhattacharya (HT) – Even though a Pakistani kickboxer has a hand to play, literally, in the story’s shocking turnaround, there’s no attempt to get into jingoistic spiel or whip up pop patriotism. So Pakistan’s decision to ban the film comes as a surprise. Lahore is not without its flaws but it still leaves you wanting to punch the air! – 3/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, LAHORE is a small little gem that takes you by surprise and catches you completely unaware. The finale in the boxing ring itself is worth the price of the ticket and more. I suggest, you make time for this one – 3.5/5 

Guess its not difficult to figure out whats the film to catch this weekend. Go dope! And if you can, do watch Umesh Kulkarni’s marathi film Vihir.

Kagalwala to Khanwalkar : I cant hold it any longer! This is pure LSD!

Posted: March 20, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, music, reviews, songs & videos, Thoughts
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Like many of us, Fatema Kagalwala is also tripping on LSD these days. But the big fuck up is that the music is still not available at many places! Yes, even after the film’s release. WTF is Sony Music upto ? I checked with Landmark (Andheri west) today. They have no clue. Thats quite a landmark, right ? Anyway, back to the dope.  

LSD music is LSD. Not the film but its actual abbreviation namesake- the psychedelic hallucination-inducing, drug. And in its 8 song package it packs every kind of delirious phantasm the drug can induce. 

I have no idea about music, you won’t get a review. I cannot write intelligently about instruments, rhythms, notes, genres and all that but there is this absolute compulsion I have, to write about the music of Love, Sex aur Dhoka. (Last I felt like this was for Gulaal and before that Dev D’s music. There is no comparison, these two and LSD music being in totally different spaces, the only similarity being how they got stuck to my playlist, fevicol-ka-mazboot-jod-types). Hence, this deluge of words which actually could begin at ‘rocks!’ and end at ‘awesome!’ But aren’t we all suckers for a little more than simplistic minus 20 IQ FYBA expression? I am going to have fun with it here while LSD songs play right now on my comp, yes, giving that extra kick.

Title track – Starts with a high-pitched shriek. Goes onto an equally mind-fucked ‘Dhishkiaaooon’. And the number of ways it is said in makes me imagine a character experimenting in different ways to say it, all mad but. Sets the perfect tone for this crazy song. And the mayhem then breaks loose. Obsession, destruction, wild fantasies all roll out without warning. What love! Destructive and protective in the same breath. I think it’s quite an interesting kind of love. But the killer are the lyrics. The schizophrenia in them is so much fun! Great perverse pleasure. In a twisted way embodies the point of the film. I don’t know if it was supposed to. If yes, then it’s genius. If no, even then I am thankful for the serendipity. And the way suddenly Kailash Kher softens down on the ‘Love, sex aur dhoka darling, love sex aur dhoka’ going into the frenzied pitch again is…Sneha Khanvalkar, take a bow. Actually, quite a few.

I can’t hold it longer – I think I LOVE this one because of it irreverence, its brazen-ness. And maybe also because being the ONLY female song in the bunch, I guess identify with it the mostest. But I also don’t think so, that’s too subconscious a reason because the song is a class-act in its own right. It’s more trippy than anything else in the album. Oh, the magic done with turntables, flutes, dholaks and what-nots (How I wish I could distinguish which instrument makes which music in the song!) The Rajasthani folk turned into a crazy, starved pop song! And does it work? The one that works the most in the album because of all the elements. Lyrics. Whoever thought of Rajasthani words and that too belted out in such a pop-ish style, in this case Mr Banerjee, is a genius. But for me the real genius is Sneha, the ensemble put together, with her bare-it-all, rendition, adding to the craziness. The fun she seems like having while singing it, makes me jealous. And the FO? It’s the juiciest cherry I have seen on any cake yet! My roomie put it on her cell after she listened to it once (by compulsion being in the same room with me) and now does not need permission to go upto my comp and put it on whenever she pleases which has become all the time in two days. More testimony for Sneha’s genius and our madness?

Tu Gandi – Controversy’s child. I first read about it on Anurag Kashyap’s status on facebook and me being the prude that I am, was more than a little taken aback. But of course, a curiosity for anything ‘atrangi’ (not for a want for a better word but there is no word that clearly translates the full meaning of this word in any language), call it attraction rather, drew me to it. Where the hell did the ideas of this song come in from? I want to go to that place… Explore it superficially or delve a little deeper, it explodes. A song that starts with something as crass as ‘Tu gandi achhci lagti hain’ goes onto something as spiritual as ‘Main kya jaanu kya sharam haya, tujhe jaanke main sab bhool gaya, woh kehte hain yeh kufr-khata, kaafir kya hain, kya mujhko pata.’ Then it goes into a starker yet deeper zone, ‘Sach, sach main bolnewaala hoon, main manka behad kaala hoon, tere rang mein man rang loonga, tu rangeen achchi lagti hain.’ There can be no song more honest about love and sex than this one. Personally, I think the music is a bit of a let-down in this one. Or maybe it is just that I am not a trance fan and this one falls in that pattern, the repetitive rhythm structure. Had the variations in the melody been more, it would have been a much much more interesting song. But guess, Dibakar thought we wouldn’t be able to handle the RDX then? 😉

Tainu TV pe wekhya – The craziness for me ends with the songs above. From here begins another trip, a bit closer to reality, dripping sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek, laughing at the knowledge that those being made fun of will not even get the point. This song reminds me of the news item years back saying how Abhijeet Sawant was inundated with marriage offers after he won whatever music contest he did. Wow. But the view of the dystopia we live in is delicious. Laughing at oneself and one’s surroundings is another kind of liberation.

Na Batati tu – The trip in this one is the music and KK’s rendition. Starting with classical beats going onto western beats and KK coming in with classical vocals going na dhin dhin-na over western rhythms gels for me! Again the self-deprecatory tone of the music and singing hide the meaningful lyrics. And the under-emphasis works so well, just adding that splash of meaning in an environment of lightly charged music! Sample this –

Nabh ke sitare (when was the last time we heard ‘nabh’ in any Hindi movie song?)

Aise saje hain dwarein

Jaage Jaage ujiyare

Mukh rang gaye saare

Palkon ke tale chhupa chand na

Tujhko padega pehchanna

Kuchh samajh ishaare…

My, my! Is this part of a movie about vouyeurism, materialistic changing values, love, sex and dhoka??? I am waiting for the film, if the songs alone pack in so much.

Tauba Tauba – Roomie tells me this is part of KK’s ‘Kailasa’. I imagine it as a spoof of some kind much like the ‘Love Bollywood Style’. The pace, very disco-ish and the rhythm very Arabic, makes it danc-ish. Ish! Why am I writing like this? Maybe cause its a song just to be heard and not to be spoken about at length???

Bollywood style – Makers of silly ‘nostalgia-inducing’, ‘tributes’, spoofs of 60, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and hell even 2000’s songs must learn a thing or two from this Love Bollywood style song. Not that it’s the best in this category. “Woh ladki hain kahan hain’ from DCH and ‘Dhoom tana’ from OSO rock (I am out of words now) but this one’s got a tongue-in-cheek satiric attitude that the two above didn’t have. I like the sly tone of the song, making fun at prevalent popular film songs/situations/attitudes and the treatment is so genuinely serious it’s quite funny!

I’ve spoken too much about that just needs to be heard. And I can’t stop playing it repeatedly and can’t stop saying, ‘Fuck, awesome’ every other minute or so. Hope you like it too! And hope it catches on like Dev D. Not comparing but seeing how big a hit it was with the youth these songs sure do have the capacity to catch fire and heat up things more on the alternative film music scene. And by god we know how bad we need it.

But now I need to go watch the film. I caaaaannnnn’t hold it any LONGER! And shouldn’t either, na?

LSD Review : Kartik Krishnan says LSD is Loh-Shakti-Dibakar!

Posted: March 16, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, film review, reviews
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Yes, we did it! Saw it. The UNCENSORED version. Now you guys go green! Have been told that not much has been cut out but its either beeped or pixalated.

Before you start reading Kartik Krishnan’s post, here is my twitter review. For lazy bums like me, 140 characters is just pure thrill. Also its a great tool to see if the film is interesting enough to hold your attention or not.  

Tweet1 – #LSD – d middle name is not sex. Its shock n superb. Welcm d new gramar of filmmking by @dibakarbanerjee. gr8 fun, superb acting n superfast.

Tweet2 – And Three films – all so different in genrae, tone, treatment. N its a hattrick. @DibakarBanerjee is the man!

Go book your tickets and read on.

Was always a fan of Khosla Ka Ghosla & Oye Lucky Lucky Oye albeit some minor reservations. I remember watching OLLO and not ‘understanding’ it fully in the theaters (a day after the 26/11 attack). In repeated DVD viewings, the film became a much more enriching experience to me.

Was looking forward to LSD with not so great expectations, and in fact skepticism. What is there to say about Sex scandals/MMS clips /Sting operations as they have been potrayed/spoofed endlessly in hindi films (Teesri Aankh, Kalyug, DevD, Madhur Bhandarkar’s films with ‘sensational news stories’ and of course Dibakar’s previous release itself having the brilliant ‘sansinikhez’ Rajendir Sethi reporter). These films and others I might be forgetting to mention are rarely good, often bad and mostly ugly.

Uptill now.

LSD is a landmark film. It deserves every praise we can shower on it. Scary, shocking, entertaining, mildly depressing, natural, pathbreaking in format. Just like how a Shiva, Roja, Satya, Lagaan, Black Friday are not just brilliant films but also a milestone in the “history of hindi cinema”; I sure hope LSD becomes one of these milestones. LSD may or may not be brilliant film (yes we can debate that after friday, though I feel it is brilliant), but it deserves to be listed in the aforementioned category.

You might ask “Aren’t you placing too much on the film ? Is it really that great”

I would nod my head and request you, beg you, plead with you to watch it (disclaimer – No I don’t do this hoping that I might get to work on his next film). Go watch it without any biases whatsoever & with an open mind. And I will try to list my reasons for the lavish praise I might be bestowing on this film.

1. Story(ies) – More info on the stories can be found here. Stark, shocking, straight out of life characters, stories that we keep hearing on the newspaper discussions over chai-ciggerettes, Porn clips that we keep exchanging on those shady pen drives, as “real” as people do/talk/behave without being filmy/dramatic (ok ok I admit the first story might appear “light/filmy” but that is how it is intended to be). The conclusions of the story do not leave you. Yes you might have heard it before, but in keeping with the “reality” of the film & the treatment, they f***ing grab you by your throat.

2. Dialogues/Scenes – Superb. Never seem forced. Funny and yet realistic at the same time. A very tough tight rope to walk on. And yet all characters talk “in character”. Slice of life and yet intresting. 

 3. Performances – Not a single actor/actress who is known. All new faces and all have been casted superbly. It never looks as though they are “Acting”. They are natural as hell. It never looks as though you are watching a “film”. Long takes and the actors still hold your attention. The FRIGGIN FILM doesn’t bore you. You are always in the roller coster ride enjoying it. All the characters are people who you might meet in everyday life. And who is the guy who plays Shruti’s Dad, and the bitchy Sonal at the supermarket ???

4. Technique & Craft – Dibakar has employed the three different unconventional types of approaches. The handy-cam feel (for ref see paranormal activity, blairwitch project), the security-CCTV cam (wide shots – for reference see Snatch opening robbery sequence) and the small-hidden cam which can be put on a shirt/lady’s purse etc.

All new grammar as far as Indian screen is concerned. Yes digital ‘short’ films have been employing such techniques for quite some time as of now but this might be the first time on the hindi film screen. And to such a hard hitting effect. Editing, Camera work is top notch. Yes actors are sometimes out of frames, their heads popping out, the camera not necessarily creating the most “visual” picture-postcard frame; but again that is never the intention is it ? A security cam/hidden cam/handy cam will never give you the conventionally formatted visually “normal” picture (how any hindi film might look). This is perhaps the biggest experiment and it works. Because here the stories have been written which need such treatment. It’s not the style over substance. Because of the content, it is how it is. Brave.

5. Music – The score is not available in the market place. Nor does the film have “song sequences” but they play in the background. But a kickass and perhaps a path breaking musical score with lovely lyrics by dibakar himself.

I want to go on and on but restrict myself for the fear of not giving any spoilers. Set aside your inhibitons, have patience, allow the film to take you in. It is a new experience but it will bowl you over I promise. Screw the fact that the music has not been publicised. Screw the possibly “sleazefest looking promos” if that’s how you feel about them. But please please go watch the film. Do yourself a favour. Highly recommended. Hell I’m watching it again this friday.

P.S – Sorry for the awkward heading. But could not come up with anything appropriate using LSD and which also sums up my thoughts. Though Dibakar surely deserves to be called an iron man for making such a film.

(PS – If you are still wondering who is Kartik Krishnan, click here and read the intro. Too lazy to write one more intro for him) 

First Look : Bipasha Basu starrer Pankh (trailer)

Posted: March 13, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, first look, News, songs & videos
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The film has been ready for quite sometime and made few headlines because of some nude & kissing scenes. Finally the first trailer of the film is out. Scroll down and check out the video.

The film is directed by Sudipto Chattopadhyay and stars Bipasha Basu, Maradona Rebello, Mahesh Manjrekar and Lillete Dubey. Its produced by Sanjay Gupta’s White Feathers Art House Films. Yes, yes, you heard it right. Please dont ROFLOL!

Hrithik Roshan’s Kites – new trailer & the kites connect!

Posted: March 13, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, first look, News, songs & videos
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A new trailer of Hrithik Roshan starrer Kites is out. Produced by Papa Roshan, its directed by Anurag Basu and co-stars Barbara Mori and Kanagan Ranaut. For those of you who have scratching your head wondering why is the film called Kites and whats the connect, check out this promo. Finally they have figured out the “Kites” connect, somehow!

Film Reviews : Right Ya Wrong and Hide & Seek

Posted: March 13, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast news, film review, reviews
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Not a very exciting friday if you dont count the IPL. At the movies, we are counting the scores of two films – Right Ya Wrong and Hide & Seek. Right Ya Wrong is directed by Neeraj Pathak, produced by Mukta Arta and stars Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Isha Koppikar. Its seems to be inspired by Hollywood film Above Suspicion. Yes, Sunny Paaji is back! So, who else is excited ?

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – Come to think of it, a film like this would’ve been infinitely more unbearable, were it for sharp performers like Irrfan, or Konkona Sen Sharma (lawyer), or even walk-on presences like Suhasini Muley, or Govind Namdeo. What a waste of talents again; I guess then! – 2/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – Cleverly plotted and never revealing all its cards at once, the film is a smart thriller. And yet the director fails to deliver a tight, slick Bollywood entertainer on the lines of those Abbas-Mustan whodunits, because his treatment’s so archaic. Even the incredibly gifted Konkona struggles embarrassingly through a scene in which she must reveal to a young child that her parent is dead. Saddled with juvenile dialogue, fine actors like Irrfan, Sunny and Konkona are wasted in what might have otherwise been a promising film – 2/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, RIGHT YAAA WRONG is a powerful thriller, with a knockout second half. However, the film faces strong opposition from two quarters – IPL cricket matches and the ongoing examination period. But a strong word of mouth should change the tide in its favour. Go, watch it… this one’s a pleasant surprise! – 3.5/5

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – The trouble with `Right Yaa Wrong’ is that it’s not tight enough, getting derailed when the little boy comes on for his I-love-my-papa scenes, and other extraneous stuff – 2/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – more than the story, it’s the performances that add meat to this small little film which comes unnoticed. While Sunny, Isha and Konkona are marvelously restrained, it’s Irrfan Khan who walks away with the film — and your applause — with his sledgehammer act of the nosey cop who knows something’s not right, but can’t actually put his finger on the hows of this whodunit. Of course, he knows who did it? But how does he show it to the world, specially when his own sister, Konkona, is determined to prove him wrong….- 3.5/5

Preeti Arora (Rediff) – Right Yaaa Wrong tries to raise issues about duty versus loyalty. Although the movie preaches a little bit it does keep you entertained and engrossed. Try not to miss it. The impact just wouldn’t be the same on DVD – 3/5

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror) – For a typical Bollywood film, Right Yaaa Wrong has a fairly interesting story, except that the average direction and clumsy casting quite lets it down. Sunny Deol, remember him, returns as Ajay Sridhar, a deadly cop who is the ‘master of disguises’, astutely shown by the various wigs he wears through the movie -1.5/5

The other release of the week is also thriller. Hide & Seek is directed by Shawn Arranha, produced by Apoorva Lakhia and stars Purab Kohli, Mrinalini Sharma, Arjan Bajwa, Ayaaz Khan & Sameer Kocchar.

Anupama Chopra (NDTV) – The final nail in the coffin is the amateurish acting. Everyone shrieks and shakes a lot. And even otherwise reliable actors like Purab Kholi and Arjan Bajwa move into full blown hysterical mode. Hide and Seek could have been mildly diverting entertainment but it doesn’t make you scream or shiver – 2/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – Directed by first-timer Shawn Arranha, Hide & Seek struggles to create a real sense of fear or suspense, even though the idea of setting this film in a shopping mall is a clever one. Unfortunately, the film packs only a handful of jump-in-your-seat moments, and is let down completely by amateurish dialogue and insufferable acting from its ensemble. Purab Kohli, Arjan Bajwa and Sameer Kochar, in particular, ham it up in their respective roles, and to be fair the entire production doesn’t come off looking much better than a school play – 1.5/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – The tangled web of relationships does unwind gradually to reveal undercurrents that lead towards death and denouement. And as the odd assortment of friends try to resolve their old differences, Santa Claus comes gunning for them from the dark shadows of the deserted mall. One by one, the group begins to crumble and the mystery peels, layer after layer. There’s enough pizzazz to keep the adrenalin pumping here – 3/5

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – Hide and Seek’ tries to be a Bollywood slasher film, but it doesn’t have the requisite thrill-and- chill factor. Purab Kohli is the only well-known face, so he has the largest part ( he’s the one who’s been let loose from the asylum), and if you are a fan of movies in which masked figures with sharp objects go after screaming victims, all of whom manage to reveal a body part or two at all times, the better to be skewered, you will know how it will end. The end should have been a shocker. But, given the general loose tone of the film, it’s not – 1/5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – You couldn’t care less for these characters to bother with their bumbling back-story; never mind that the nuggets in the film itself don’t eventually add up. A group in an inexplicably nightmarish mess as this would pool in resources to figure a way out first. Not these happy campers – 1.5/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, HIDE & SEEK is a gripping suspense drama that keeps you guessing till its end. Go for it, if a good suspense thriller is what you’re looking at! – 3/5

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror) – Hide & Seek is an amateurish attempt at making a super slick slasher thriller which doesn’t quite add up. The film stars a bunch of wannabe actors and is helmed by a debutant director who tries to be too clever by half – .5/5

Ok, we are going back to the small screen this weekend. IPL seems more exciting.

Will Censor Board do KLPD on LSD ? Mid-Day has a sneak peek of bollywood’s boldest sex scene ever!

Posted: March 11, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, first look, News, pics
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Its middle name is “Sex”. And as Neha Dhupia in her Julie avatar said once – In this country, only sex or Shah Rukh Khan sells! So, the makers of Love Sex Aur Dhoka are going full throttle selling what they have. Check out the pics.

The film LSD is yet to be censored. So, will the Censor Board pass it ? Or will it do a KLPD ? And if you wondering what is KLPD, go check which planet do you belong to! ( Hint – D is the same in both LSD & KLPD)

To read the full article published in Mid-Day, click here. Its seems the protagonists of any hindi films have never stripped down completely. And so by that criteria, this one is bollywood’s boldest sex scene ever. Aha, when will our actors join Kate Winslet’s Sex & Nudity Coaching Classes ? But first they need to join her acting class! Only actors can carry nudity with so much ease.

And here is the most interesting bit from the article – But the nudity in the scene is not even remotely aimed to titillate. If anything, it is gag-inducing, guaranteed to repel you. Like the rape scene filmed on Monica Bellucci in Irreversible.

Monica Bellucci ? Irreversible ? This sounds familiar. Not sure if its coincidence or has been written as part of an official press release. Remember talking to one of the writers of the film about it long back. How the film had a huge impact on him, how he had first seen the film during his film school days and in the same week, something similar had happened in the film school campus. It was too heavy to get over.

But Mid-day has done what the film’s PR and Marketing guys should be doing. Sold the film to its audience. We were booking our tickets anyway. Now we will double-check. What are you thinking ? or still staring at the pic ?

WTF is Sony doing with LSD music and Dibakar Banerejee turns solo lyricist!

Posted: March 10, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, News, songs & videos, Thoughts, WTF
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Are the Sony Music guys waiting for the album to hatch golden eggs ? They dont. And even if they ever do, they can do only when its out in the market.

Dibakar Banerjee’s new film Love Sex Aur Dhokha (LSD) is releasing on 19th March. Not even 10 days left and the music is still not out. Wake up Sony! Smell the coffee. Generally the music of a hindi film is released a month before its schedule release date and every week a new song is aired on tv channels to build up the hype. 

In recent past, T-Series did a superb job with two film albums which had no big stars and not big budgets. Dev D and Ishqiya. And it helped both the film’s box office performance too. Dev D was  sex + shock + songs, it jazzed up the  curiousity factor immensely! Rest all depends on how good or bad the film is. Similarly, Ishqiya’s dil to bachcha hai ji & Kaminey’s Dhen Tedan hyped the film and gave it a strong recall value. 

The problem is big labels need big stars. And better if the big stars lipsync the songs. Otherwise they dont have any clue how to market the album and the songs. And they are least bothered. So, the super giant Sony is sitting-thinking-shitting-pondering-ruminating-supershitting.

The music of LSD is by Sneha Khanwalkar who delivered a killer soundtrack with her last album Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Rustic sound, lesser known singers, all packaged with a power punch. And interestingly, Dibakar has turned solo lyricist with LSD. He co-wrote few songs for Oye Luck Lucky Oye also. But this time, its all solo. Not one or two but he has written three songs including the now popular title track Love sex aur dhokha darling love sex aur dhokha. The second one is – I cant hold it any longer, an English-Rajasthani fusion!

The third song is Tu Nangi Acchi Lagti hai and there is another version of the same song- Tu Gandi Acchi Lagti Hai. Both versions have been written by Dibakar. No, there was no Censor locha as reported in the newspapers. One version is used in the film that goes with one of the characters (nangi) and the other version (gandi) is in the album.

Not sure when will Sony realise that there are people out there who are waiting for LSD music! If only management graduates knew everything about films and music, we would have an Auteur Club passing out of IIM’s every year!

Here is the title track sung by Kailash Kher.

Read Sharad Joshi’s essay which inspired the film Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge

Posted: March 6, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, books, cinema, News, Story / Plot / Synopsis, writing
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First, lets get the facts correct. Lot of reviewers in their reviews have mentioned that the Ajay Devgan-Konkon Sen starrer film Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge is based on Sharad Joshi’s short story. NO, its NOT a short story! But its based on a short essay written by him.

We still havent seen the film. But our walkie-talkie-moviepedia from Jaipur, Pavan Jha alerted us on this one. The essay is titled Tum Kab Jaoge, Atithi. It was published in his book  “Yatha Sambhav”  and also made it to other compilations.  The makers of the film have taken due permission and have also given him credit in the film, even if its just an idea.

The film has got average rating. But do read the essay. Or do we still need to sell you Sharad Joshi’s writing ?

 

Whose “Iktara” is it ?

Posted: March 6, 2010 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, News, songs & videos
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Lil late to discover it but as they say, better late than never. Atleast for the record!

Remember the popular Iktara song from last year’s Wake Up Sid ? We discovered Kavita Seth and realised that Amit Trivedi can kill Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with just one song. The trio had the rest of the album. But nobody played anything beyond Ikatara. And many are still playing it in non-stop loop.

Had lot of doubts since the song came out. It sounded so different from rest of the album. And then got to know that there is a male version too. And the male version is not in the CD ? It was released much much later. Was it a official release ? Not sure. A good friend mailed it to us as we were desperatley looking for it. So, whats the story ?

Intially Amitabh Bhattacharya wrote the male version of the Iktara song. Everyone liked it. But Javed Akhtar doesnt like sharing credit on music albums. Its should be only him or let anyone else write all the songs! But it was too good a song to let it go. 

To solve the problem Javed Akhtar rewrote a new version of the same Iktara song. It was recorded in a female voice and was put in the album. The male version of the song remained in the system and was released much later after the release of the film.

For better comparison, here is the lyrics of the male version and click here for the lyrics of the female version. Thanks for it Goonda, the only person who doesnt like the song! Or better click on the play buttons of the video attched and decide for yourself. First the female version and the next is male version.

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