Archive for the ‘cinema’ Category

On second thoughts, Superhero might not be the right term for them. They are Super-Human! Hirani’s Humans.

Finally saw Raj Kumar Hirani’s new film 3 Idiots. The feeling is “been there, seen that” but as long as it works, all is well. Its as endearing and as entertaining as a RajKumar Hirani film should be.

Munnabhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots – Three films. Critical accalim. Box office blockbusters. The Master of Feel-good cinema! Cent percent success rate, a rare feat these days. But it also seems that  Hirani has found his own formula – a false catharsis for middle class where his Superheroes find quickfix solutions to many big and small problems.

We sat down to rackle our brains and figured out dozen pointers for Hirani and his superheroes. Let us know if you agree or not.

1. He wears his underwear always under, never outside.

2. Even his krypton is all inside, nothing to worry outside.

3. He comes with a superhuman virtue (jadu ki jhappi, gandhigiri, aal izz well) that slowly transforms the world around him.

4. He lands up in a world that he doesnt belong to or is not comfortable in (medical school/radio station/engineering college) but makes sure that everyone else is comfortable in that world.

5. The biggest challenge for the Superhero is to change the heart of SuperVillain. No kill thrill, only dil ka parivartan. 100 percent guarantee, the SuperVillain will be Boman Irani, only the make-up will change.

6. The SuperVillain becomes bigger challenge because he will have a gorgeous daughter who will fall in love with the Superhero and will also deliver the final punch for daddy dearest’s heart change.

7. Hirani’s Superhero will not fly or stop a train but he will alternately switch his work with two specific purpose – pull your heartstrings & tickle your funny bone!

8. He will never face any problem that is threat to Planet Earth but he is the master when it comes to middle class dilemmas. Career choice, pension, loan, health issues, housing and whatever else you can think of!  

9. He will land up be in the middle of many mother-father-son stories and will use his superpower to make them understand their mistakes. 75% chances are the father will be Parikshit Sahni. And the music will give you the exact cue for that redemption!

10. Medical miracles and chemical lochas will happen in his world. He can get a baby delivery done through vacuum pump and can bring a man back to life from vegetative state. He doesnt know how and why but he can deliver.

11. There is nothing grey in his world. Its all black and white! 

 12.  And believe it or not, Hirani wanted Shah Rukh Khan to be Munnabhai. He also wanted Shah Rukh Khan to be Rancho. Arent we happy that some real miracles do happen!

Will Mr Hirani deliver something new next time ? This is all good but all deja vu! When there are not even ten directors who can deliver, if not Hirani, whom do we expect from ? After all, he is the man who cracked that magic called Lage Raho Munnabhai!

Sirjee, dum lagake haiiisha! You have done it, you can do it! Check if you remember…

PS – Am also bit biased for 3 Idiots because finally a hindi film hero (Rancho) lands up with my dream job at a dream destination. Never expected this one to happen!

The first trailer of Gurinder Chadha’s It’s A Wonderful Afterlife is out. The film is going to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. With Shabana Azmi in the lead, it also stars Sally Hawkins, Goldy Notay and Sendhil Ramamurthy. Have a look.

Its a Wonderful Afterlife is a comedy, about an Indian mother who takes her obsession with marriage into the world of serial murder. Its billed as My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Shaun of the Dead.

For story/plot/synopsis of the film, click here.

Its more than 24 hours and its still sounds unbelieveable that one of the members of the band is not with us anymore. May be because the voice is so close to us, at the click of a button or mouse. Have been listening to Indian Ocean since morning. So, here is the video of the day – song excerpt from the film Leaving Home – the Life & Music of Indian Ocean. Its directed by Jaideep Varma and produced by Cartwheel Features. Hopefully it will get a theatrical release next year.


 

Fanboys of Khosla, Khurana, Lucky and Bangali, the wait is finally over. Here it is, the  first trailer of Dibakar Banerjee’s digital drama Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Will camera never be the same again ?

And here are few links, you must read. Click here to know the story details of Love Sex Aur Dhokha and click here for all the philosophy of kamre me camera!

Raj Kumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is here! So, all is well or not so well ? Looks like its a divided house. It has Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani and Omi Vaidya in the the lead. Here are some of the early reviews….

Raja Sen (Rediff) – This isn’t a bad film, though. By which I mean it conjures up a few moments, it will doubtless make some people cry, and every now and then we glimpse some heart. Yet it hurts to see that this is traditional Bollywood masala schlock, with scenes calculated to tickle and to evoke sympathy. It’s not awful at all, but since when did ‘not bad’ become good? Dr Feelgood doesn’t make the cut this time, and we need to measure him by the high bar his previous excellence has set — by which degree this is a whopper of a disappointment – 2/5

Gaurav Malani (ET) – The film redefines Idiot as ‘I do it on my own terms’. After watching the film, you won’t mind being certified as an idiot. If you still don’t approve of the film, you are a certified cynic. 3 Idiots is one of the most entertaining films of the decade – 5/5

Anand Vaishnav (Buzz18) – 3 Idiots is a happy film with a positive message. But you never feel for or root for its characters. Releasing in the festive season, this film will deliver truckloads of laughter, but might not satisfy the expectations of watching an Aamir Khan-Rajkumar Hirani film. It’s just another feel good, time pass watch – 3/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, 3 Idiots easily ranks amongst Aamir, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s finest films. Do yourself and your family a favour: Watch 3 Idiots. It’s emotional, it’s entertaining, it’s enlightening. The film has tremendous youth appeal and feel-good factor to work in a big way – 4.5/5

Kaveree Bamzai (India Today) – Mr Hirani, Mahatma, we bow to you. Aamir, we think you’ll make a great HRD Minister. And yes, a word for the man who produced it as he did the Munnabhais. More power to you, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. We know now why you speak so much, so long, and so loudly. It’s because movies such as these can silence everyone else – 5/5

Nandini Ramnath (Time Out) – The message is a bit mixed, since the movie ultimately celebrates achievement. Given how Ranchchod ends up, it’s clear that whether you’re self-taught or schooled, you’ll remain an idiot if you aren’t also talented to begin with – 2/5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – Before 3 Idiots on screen, you still don’t feel like the fourth idiot in the theatre. That’s a non-Bollywood relief. This is the sort of movie you’ll take home with a smile and a song on your lips, unless the hype has entirely messed up with your expectations – 3.5/5

Since Anupama Chopra is married to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mayank Shekhar has reviewed the film for NDTV this friday.

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – It makes the point, but not as magically as it could have, given Hirani’s unique gift of building extraordinary moments out of the ordinary. ‘3 Idiots’ was good in parts, but it didn’t blow me away – 3/5

Aniruddha Guha (DNA) – Even as you have come to accept Khan’s genius at ensuring a good product for audiences every time, this one is a Rajkumar Hirani show all the way. And it becomes easy to say that because even if you take Khan out of the equation, the film would probably make a similar impact – 4/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – The high point of the film is the fact that director Rajkumar Hirani says so much, and more, without losing his sense of humour and the sheer lightness of being. The film is a laugh riot, despite being high on fundas – 4.5/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – An earnest but calculated effort that runs, but never flies. Watch it anyway, because it’s the season to be jolly, and good laughs are guaranteed – 3/5

Whats your take ? Where do you stand between 2 and 5 ?

Mr Vishal Bhardwaj, what have we done to you ? Why are you hell-bent on killing us slowly and softly ? If you dont believe us, check out the new song promo of Ishqiya….dil toh bachcha hai ji and the strategically placed “fatak” by Vidya Balan….thoda kaccha hai ji! Words by Gulzar and music by Vishal Bhardwaj. Can someone please tell us when the music is going to be out!

Ishqiya is directed by Abhishek Chaubey, produced by Vishal Bhardwaj and stars Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi.

UPDATE – And like us, those of you who are still drooling over it, there is more. Here is the making of the song…

After a superb debut with Manorama Six Feet Under (though inspired/copied..whatever suits your sanity), Navdeep Singh is all set to roll his new film titled Basra. Earlier Akshaye Khanna and R Madhavan were supposed to star in it and Nikhil Advani was producing it. But now the film has a new cast and  a new producer too.

Abhay Deol is not only starring in it but is also producing the film under his banner Forbidden Films. Chitrangada Singh, Shahana Goswami, Nikhil Dwivedi and Soniya Mehra (Vinod Mehra’s daughter. Debut with Anant Mahadevan’s Victoria No 203) are also part of it. TOI has confirmed the cast and got the plot details of the film. You can click here or scroll down.

It is an out-and-out action film based on the drug racket and human trafficking. Basra is an edgy and dark film. Soniya will play a teenage hippie who is involved in drugs and eventually becomes a victim of human trafficking after being kidnapped. Shahana plays a journalist, while Nikhil is a cop. It is an ensemble cast and script.

The film is an action thriller. Abhay’s role is that of a secret agent. You can call him an undercover cop who exposes the entire racket. The movie has its base in Basra, a city in Iraq, notorious for its involvement in drugs. It will be shot in Dubai, Kuwait, Delhi and Mumbai.

The title Basra was chosen as it is a city in Iraq which is apt to the subject of the film. Probably the film will also be shot in one of the cities in Iraq. The movie will go on the floors in January and most probably release by the end of next year.

With that school boy looks and kiddie way of dialogue delivery, its bit difficult to imagine Abhay Deol as a secret agent in an action thriller. Or is he also going for those six-eight-dozen packs ? The rugged look with the moustache and disheveled hair did the trick in Manorama Six Feet Under. Hopefully we will be proved wrong. We trust Singhsaab! 

Like us, if you went to the 3D theatres, saw Avatar and had multiple orgasms at one go, here is something more. The much talked about movie performance capture technique simplified in the first video and the second video is all about James Cameron’s Planet Pandora….where the wild things are! Go play!

Gurinder Chadha is ready with her new film – Its A Wonderful Afterlife and the film is going to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The festival starts from January 21st, 2010. Chadha’s earlier films Bend it Like Beckham (2003) and What’s Cooking? (2000) were also screened at the Sundance. With Shabana Azmi in the lead, it also stars Sally Hawkins, Goldy Notay and Sendhil Ramamurthy.

Its a Wonderful Afterlife is a comedy, about an Indian mother who takes her obsession with marriage into the world of serial murder. Its billed as My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Shaun of the Dead. And here is the story/plot/synopsis of the film….

Mrs Sethi, a widow, can’t bear the thought of her daughter being alone and unhappy. Okay, she’s a little plump and opinionated&but she’d make a great wife for some lucky man, if only she were given a chance. When Mrs Sethi can no longer stomach the rudeness of families who refuse her daughter, she takes matters into her own hands with the only way she knows…

Suddenly a police hunt begins for a serial murderer who cooks a killer curry. Mrs. Sethi doesn’t feel too guilty until the SPIRITS of her victims come back to haunt her – complete with tandooried bodies and kebab skewered heads, they’re unable to be reincarnated until their murderer dies.

Mrs. Sethi has no problem killing herself she’ll get to see her dead husband again but how can she go before her daughter is married? The SPIRITS realize that helping Mrs Sethi daughter find a suitable husband before the police catch her is their only chance for a wonderful afterlife.

It’s a big bloody wedding and a comic feast which takes the phrase ‘I could murder a curry’ to hysterical new heights.

Dhan TeDan! Its here. The much awaited film of the year, Raj Kumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is all set to release this friday. The film stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kpoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani and Omi Vaidya. The screenings have started and two of our good friends (CA & MP) who have already seen the film wrote a mini-review for us.

In short, whatever you are expecting from Raj Kumar Hirani, he delivers and delivers it well. It will make only one man will be unhappy – Shah Rukh Khan. Here it is, first from CA…

Film has Munnabhai feel and Raju Hirani’s touch, which is simplistic yet very profound. Like the usage of day to day nuances is beautiful, including ‘all is well’. Good performances by the entire cast, and every charcter has been etched out well. Film takes few liberties and seems like any other regular masala hindi film, but it goes damn well with the film’s tone. The emotional graph of the film is really very well maintained, good mix of emotional scenes and really funny situations. Overall a great entertainer  – CA

And here is the mini-review by MP….

Living up to the hype of 3 Idiots, Raju Hirani does manage to dish out a complete entertainer for this year end. This edition of his movies takes a leaf out form the lives of students at the Imperial College of Engineering which epitomizes the mechanical competitive race that we have be become, leaving no scope for wisdom, thought and education. Having said that, the movie is a riot of humour and emotions. After the Munnabhai series, 3 Idiots does carve out Raju Hirani’s figure of a social commentator. The movies scores in all its departments. Performance of the ensemble cast, nuances of the jokes, cinematography, dialogues are all very well done. The pace of the movie is not marred by the songs and they do carry the story forward. All in all a movie not to be missed.The dialogues and the situations in the movie are to watch out for. Ramlingam’s (verify character name) speech on teacher’s day is hilarious and so is his performance. All the characters are belivable and I feel like I have met such people. Cranky professors, pranks, discussions, and the way students do “jugaad” is quite reminiscent of my own college days – MP

Time for SPOILER! Go ahead at your own risk. Should we do it ? or Shouldn’t we ? We love being nasty, but only to those whom we hate. And Hirani doesnt feature in that list. But see if we can crack it. Test Your CQ.

We are sure that you already know the synopsis of 3 Idiots. If you dont, click here. The surprise element in the film is Rancho’s story. So, the big question is who is Rancho (Aamir Khan) and why does he vanishes ?

1.  He is on a mission. A secret mission, much like what Shah Rukh Khan was doing in Main Hoon Na.

2. He gets completely disillusioned with the education system and charts out a new way where talent is given prefernce over merit.

3. He is posing as someone else and so cant reveal his identity to anyone. He returns back to his place because he has miles to go and promises to keep. Just another good soul doing good deeds!

4. Its a big set up to run away with the girl he falls for, Kareena Kapoor who is Boman Irani’s daughter, but unintentionally ends up teaching few lessons to everyone.

5.  He ends up commiting a BIG  BIG mistake (remember Ketan Mehta’s Holi) and with no option in hand he runs away from everyone. But truth is something else and he finally redeems himself.

Take  a guess, test you Cinema Quotient and put it in the comment section. And here are few more general observations by those who saw it and mailed us….

1.Boman Irani delivers it again. In spirit, he is much like Dr Asthana but in a new character.

2. Kareena Kapoor doesnt have much to do. 

3.The film belongs to Aamir Khan. It takes some time to settle down with his character and mannerism but once it happens, there is no looking back.

4. What doesnt work ? Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Few cinematic liberties, thats it!

5.The story starts with Madhavan narrating the story of Rancho, their college life and as expected, ends on a happy note.

6.Who is that fourth guy ? After the film, lot of people will ask this question and google his name.  Yes, a new actor! Omi Vaidya is Los Angeles based actor who makes his debut in bollywood with 3 Idiots.

BTW, if you still havent read Trash Adarsh’s review, click here.  And go book your tickets.