Posts Tagged ‘raima sen’

Well, he can shout out Meri Marzi! Fair enough. But do watch the videos in this post. The first one is a trailer of his new film Memories in March. The film is directed by Sanjay Nag and stars Rituparno Ghosh, Deepti Naval and Raima Sen.

To quote from the official release, “Written by Rituparno, Memories in March unspools the story of a bereaved mother who comes to Kolkata to collect her son’s ashes. She is Arati Mishra, an art curator who lives in Delhi. Through his friends and colleagues, she discovers that they knew him in ways different from the way she knew him as his mother.”

Seems like Memories In March is Hazar Chaurasia Ki Maa, just replace Naxalism with sexuality. But from the trailer it feels like Rituparno Ghosh might have killed the film with his acting. Because he is just playing himself.

A filmmaker who knows how to explore that intimate space in a relationship so bloody well, and someone who has done it so many times, why this acting keeda suddenly ? Mr Ghosh, you can do better.

The second clip is from another bengali film titled Just Another Love Story (Arekti Premer Galpo). Directed by Kaushik Ganguly, it’s about a filmmaker Abhiroop Sen (played by Ghosh) who makes a documentary about Chapal Bhaduri, the legendary jatra (Bengali folk theatre) actor who spent his entire career playing female roles on stage, primarily as Goddess Shitala. Thus begins a journey where director and subject learn from one another – on the one hand is Bhaduri (playing himself) who was a closeted gay for fear of social ostracism but was openly accepted as a cross-dressing actor, and on the other is the modern urban filmmaker who is open about his sexuality but is still negotiating his gender identity.

The film stars Rituparno Ghosh, Raima Sen, Jishu Sengupta, Indraneil Sengupta and Chapal Bhaduri.

And click here to read Variety’s review of the film and more about Ghosh’s acting debut.

We haven’t seen either of the films and may be it’s completely wrong to judge his acting just on the basis on the trailers. But then,  if the reverse is true, we will write the apology post in big and bold font too.

This friday its Ringa Ringa at the movies. In both the films, its too much confusion over one phone call. Karthik Calling Karthik is directed by debutant Vijay Lalwani, stars Farhan Akhtar & Deepika Padukone and produced by Excel Entertainment. Lets see if actor Farhan manages to score a hattrick.

Anupama Chopra (NDTV) – Karthik Calling Karthik is inconsistent with its own internal logic. When you backtrack and see how the pieces fit, it doesn’t hang together. Eventually then, Karthik Calling Karthik feels like a vanity project for Farhan Akhtar, who is in every frame of the film. He’s compelling, especially in vulnerable loser mode, but he can’t add flesh to this sliver of a story. KCK isn’t a bad film but it isn’t very good either.  – 2.5/5

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’ is actually two films. One, an office romance between a colourless drone and a beautiful colleague who notices him only when the boss lashes out at him in public. And the other about a guy who hears voices in his head and gets strange phonecalls from someone who claims to be him. Karthik calling Karthik, geddit? – 1/5

Sukanya Verma (Rediff) – Films like Karthik Calling Karthik are all about winding up right. This one fails to make a connect. Pity, it could have been that all important call you’ve always been waiting for – 2.5/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – KCK a decent product with an unconvincing conclusion. Watch it for the wonderful performances of Farhan and Deepika, if you have to. Caters to the youth in metros mainly – 2.5/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – One does wish there was a bit more of the bubbly Ms Padukone, though. Where it doesn’t work is the entertainment factor. The screenplay does tend to get a bit clunky and the drama somewhat heavy as the director looks for text book resolutions of the teasing problem. But, by and large, there is a thrill factor that keeps the momentum on. In the mood for serious cinema? Watch Karthik Calling Karthik – 3.5 /5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – The genre of course has its limitations. And someone who’s seen the film before, will inevitable blurt out, what the film’s deal was, or, ‘Who’s the caller’. As an audience, you’re not always two steps behind the script either. But that doesn’t take away from how the film holds you, almost all the way. This isn’t easy. I suspect you’re not going to love the sound of a ringing landline for a while. I hope you don’t question the workings of your brain as much – 3/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – In the end, Karthik Calling Karthik appears confused and half-baked, and it commits that deadly unforgivable cinematic sin – it bores you! – 2/5

Aniruddha Guha (DNA) – Farhan may have put in a good act – it’s his best, certainly, among just three films so far – and Deepika looks smoldering and performs well too. But that’s hardly reason enough to sit through this one. Unless you don’t mind thinking to yourself in the end, “THIS is what it was all about?!” – 2/5

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror) – KCK is low on entertainment and remains a bit dark and dreary, so it’s entirely your call – 2/5

Teen Patti is directed by Leena Yadav (Shabd), Produced by Ambika Hinduja and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R Madhavan, Raima Sen and a bunch of newcomers. Click here to our Twittereview review of the film.

Anupama Chopra (NDTV) – Teen Patti is a train-wreck of a movie. It’s incoherent, lengthy and worst of all, agonisingly pretentious. Director Leena Yadav takes the kernel of the story from the 2008 Hollywood film 21, about an MIT professor and his students who figure out how to count cards and make millions at casinos in Las Vegas – 1.5/5

Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) – The trouble with `Teen Patti’ is not that we’re all too familiar with its central idea. It lies in the patchy way the plot is laid out, and in the characters who do not, at any point, feel completely filled out. In too many places, the design is allowed to scream for attention, overwhelming the people, and the action, such as there is – 2/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – Directed by Leena Yadav, Teen Patti is an incoherent mess of logic-defying scenes that never come together as a fluid script. It’s got snazzy camerawork and occasionally hip production design, but none of that matters in the end. What you take with you as you leave the cinema is shock. Shock that nobody associated with this film had the intelligence or the courage to turn around and say, “This sucks.” – 1/5

Preeti Arora (Rediff) – Three decades after Gandhi, Ben Kingsley still weaves magic for the Indian audiences. As Kingsley and Bachchan share their life experiences, there is the sheer pleasure of watching two legends share screen space. And since there is no attempt to overshadow the other, the experience is memorable. It’s difficult to visualise other actors in these roles. Teen Patti is worth a watch just for these actors – 2.5/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, Teen Patti is a fresh concept for Indian viewers, made well, but limits itself to the intelligentsia and big city audiences mainly – 2.5/5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) – No kidding. This is the most elegantly lit (cinematographer Aseem Bajaj) rendition of pure gibberish that I’ve seen in a while. The filmmakers profess they came up with this script before the Kevin Spacey starrer 21 came into the theatres. Given this flick, you couldn’t care less for its alleged inspiration – 1/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – The second half does get somewhat repetitive, with the film refusing to move out of the gambling dens and the climax gets somewhat hurried. But majorly, the film holds as a taut thriller that keeps you glued for most of the screen time. Watch out for Sunidhi Chauhan’s item number, Teri Neeyat Kharab Hai. It rocks – 3.5/5 

Minty Tejpal (Mumbai Mirror)Teen Patti is a slick and stylish film with many stars, fancy styling, big budget but little substance and very convoluted logic. Part of the film is in English, part of it is in algebra and the rest seems gobbledygook – 2/5

Will update the list with more reviews as soon as its out. So, wondering what to watch this friday ? Bet its better to go for hollywood releases.

Not sure where to start and how to start. Ok, making it simple and starting with the intro. Teen Patti is directed by Leena Yadav (Shabd), produced by Ambika Hinduja ( Big moneybag. Hinduja family), stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R Madhavan, Raima Sen and a bunch of new comers. The  not-sure-what-they-were-doing list includes Ajay Devgan, Mita Vashisth, Jackie Shroff, Shakti Kapoor, Ranjeet, Mahesh Manjrekar, Tinnu Anand, Siddharth Sanghvi and Barry John.

Was interested because of only name. Shiv Subramanium, whose writing credits includes films like Parinda, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi, 1942 A Love Story, Hazaroon Khwashein Aisi and Chameli. He co-wrote the film with Leena Yadav. What were they smoking ?

Since I dont have any more energy left to write a full post on the film, here is the new format we are introducing. Putting together everything that we tweet about the film while watching it. And few things which we didnt tweet but kept in our head. Here is our first Twittereview!

– What we heard before entering the theatre  : Ok, goodfellas…seems its a bad friday at the movies. As a friend said….Do Karthik, Teen Patti… All tatti!

– No havent seen Teen Patti. Watching it now. Halfway through. Exactly what i expected from the promos…very very filmy!

– Someone asked : How many stars would you give it out of 21 ? Replied : Hehhehe. Am big Kevin Spacey fan. Still counting the stars as its only halfway through.

– Post-interval : Oh man! Where is it going ? Am willing to submit all my pattas and pattis to get out now! Becoming unbearable.

– Its ringa ringa in Teen Patti too. Would be good if someone can connect the phone lines of Karthik with these guys and edit a single film out of the two. Karthik Calling Team Patti!

– Teen Patti in one line is mayhem because of money. And it turned out to be money spent in mayhem. Ben Kingsley nods listens nods listens nods listens.

– Out of the theatre : Teen Patti – bad writing, badly directed, acted, edited. It goes all over the place without making sense. Wanted to see because of Shiv Subramanium.

And here are the tweets which didnt make it to our timeline because of lack of space, time, energy, interest or whatever…..

– Madhvan is bad. No, he is terrible. Naah..Horrible. What is he doing ? He is so bad that he is good!

– With so much money, Hindujas could have bought the rights of 21 and done an official remake. It would not have been so bad.

– Barry John TEACHES acting ? Really ?

– Can see what they were trying to do. But it doesnt come together as a film. All scattered, going in random directions, the emotions doesnt show on screen and the two roommates track is funny as hell.

– Bonny and Clyde ? Who thought of that ? Deserves Red & White Bravery Awards.

As the tagline of the film says “Sab Khel Hai”, in twitter lingo we would like to add “Aur Teen Patti #Fail Hai”. Go play at your own risk.

The Japanese WifeRemember those good ol’ days of pen friendship ? And if you were born before the internet era and ever experienced the joy of pen friendship, then you must read Kunal Basu’s story The Japanese Wife. Its one of the most beautiful love stories I have read in recent times. Simple, serene, heartfelt and fascinating. The book is a collection of 12 short stories.

BTW, I bought the book because I loved the cover. The paper quality and the pic looks and feels gorgeous (not so in the pic that I have posted on the left). Call me mad but I love all these, and there is nothing like the smell of a new book. Instead of reading between the lines, try putting your nose between the pages once!

Aparna Sen’s new film is based on the same story and it has the same title The Japanese Wife. The film stars Rahul Bose, Raima Sen, Moushumi Chatterjee and Japanese actress Chigusa Takaku. It is in English, Bengali and Japanese. And here is the synopsis of the film….

The Japanese Wife2Snehmoy (Rahul Bose) and Miyage (Chigusa Takaku) are pen friends who exchange wedding vows through letters. Fifteen years pass but they never meet. Yet the bond of marriage is strong between them. This unusual relationship comes under a cloud when a young widow, Sandhya (Raima Sen), comes to stay with Snehmoy along with her eight-year-old son. Snehmoy and the little boy bond and the arithmetic teacher discovers the joy of palpable bonds and fatherhood. There develops an inexplicable thread of understanding with Sandhya too. But what happens to the love story of Senhmoy and Miyage ? Will not spoil it for you. Read the book or wait for the film.

Lil late on this but just figured out from a friend that the trailer of the film is already online. Take a look. Not sure why they are using the word “grand” in the trailer. Its just the opposite…its intimate! The film has been ready for quite sometime but the producers (SaReGaMa) has been sitting and shitting on it! No clue why!

rituparno ghoshLike us, if you were shocked to see the booby makeover of director Rituparno Ghosh (see pic) then here is the real dope behind it. 

According to Bombay Times, the director is all set to make his acting debut in Kaushik Ganguly’s bengali film Chaya Chobi. In the film he plays the role of an artist who feels as a woman, trapped in a man’s body.  The role is a tribute to the legendary jatra (bengal’s tradition of folk theatre) actor Chapal Bhaduri who used to play women’s role on stage. This lead to sexual confusions in Bhaduri’s life which is the main plot of the film. 

Rituparno is also learning Kathak dance for the same. In the film, he starts as a jatra actor and becomes a film director who is in a relationship with a cinematographer. Bengali actor Indranil plays a bisexual actor who has a relationship with Raima Sen’s and Rituparno’s characters. Raima plays the role of a research assistant working on the film. Its film in a film story.

Woohoo….this is one daring plot! we love it…fuck the indian censor and the sensibility! Lets get some controversy onboard! Even if its not for real, Rituparno’s makeover is surely going to get loads of eyeballs and lot of newsprint.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Nothing can beat Subhash Ghai’s enthu. He is making one after another crap, living in those woods, and he still believes that whatever he has made or making, its all classic. Not now, but 20 years later. Audacity of Hope. Anyway, here comes one more to add to the Ghai crapfest, Paying Guests.

Have a look at the promo or is it theatrical trailer or whatever it is, and you can make out the call for the auditions – The morons of the world, everyone get together. Produced by Mukta Arts, Paying Guests is directed by Paritosh Painter, stars Shreyas Talpade, Vatsal Seth, Aashis Chowdhary, Javed Jaffri, Raima Sen, Celina Jaitley, Sayali Bhagat and Neha Dhupia.