tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54767351933096523022024-03-25T23:22:19.959+05:30Filum Chillum !!Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-25884157520764437182013-10-19T06:30:00.000+05:302013-10-19T06:54:53.197+05:30Carrie (2013)<p align="justify"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Carrie" border="0" alt="Carrie" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Jqjit0X4oUk/UmHfHO4OkII/AAAAAAAAM0c/C311j6hLuwU/poster%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="260"> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">J. Miles Dale, Kevin Misher</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Kimberly Peirce</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Marco Beltrami</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Julianne Moore</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Chloe Grace Moretz</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Gabriella Wilde</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Portia Doubleday</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Ansel Elgort</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Judy Greer</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <p align="justify">Carrie is the story of a young girl who lives with her religiously fanatic, deranged mother. She is bullied by her peers in high school and her anguish breaks loose at her senior prom when another girl humiliates her publically and throws pig’s blood on her as she is about to be crowned the prom queen. Carrie unleashes her rage and uses her powers of telekinesis and kills a group of students to avenge herself.</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Carrie" border="0" alt="Carrie" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZIFZoE4fXnk/UmHfHjHsHuI/AAAAAAAAM0k/QiJOE-6Ys5o/Carrie%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="680" height="432"> </p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify">Carrie is the third adaptation of Stephen King’s novel by the same name and is essentially a remake of another film by the same name made by Brian De Palma and released in 1976. While the original De Palma’s Carrie was a huge box office success and earned a cult classic status the latest version appears a little jaded and makes you want a little more.</p> <p align="justify">The movie doesn’t really add either a new dimension or a fresher view from the director Kimberly’s perspective and feels more like an old product in new packaging. However, people who haven’t seen the original movie will find the story of Carrie White both gripping and entertaining, but again that is essentially a tribute to the original narration and script and not necessarily to this movie as such. </p> <p align="justify">Personally I feel that the plot of Carrie is more tragic than a super natural thriller. The stories of school bullying resulting in sad endings are not unheard of and this is one reason that Carrie White’s story resonates and feels relevant even today. A girl living under the shadows of a crazy single parent is outcast and treated as a freak and then tormented till she breaks down and seeks revenge. Even if she uses her super powers to retaliate, the premise is inherently sad and makes you feel for her.</p> <p align="justify">What stands in favor of this movie is commendably strong performances by Julianne Moore who plays Margaret – Carrie’s demented mother and Chloe Grace Moretz who plays Carrie. While Julianne plays more or less along a single dimension and excels as a psychotic, self punishing, religious fundamentalist, Chloe comes off as a young, struggling victim of sorts and makes you sympathize, if not totally fall in love with her. </p> <p align="justify">Chloe within her small frame, stands tall in her portrayal of the range of emotions that her character goes through. From being withdrawn and uncomfortable in her own skin, to gaining her confidence and then standing tall in defiance against her mother, she manages to shine in every frame. Her vulnerability is complimented by her innocence and despite flipping over as a vicious super villain in the climax, her character still invokes sympathy. </p> <p align="justify">To sum up, Carrie would appeal to people who haven’t seen the previous renditions or haven’t read the book. The movie is about 3.5 out of 5. My recommendation is go ahead and watch it for Chloe alone. </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-75083658236015364992013-10-01T08:15:00.000+05:302013-10-01T08:33:05.852+05:30Kali Salwar (2002)<p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Kali Salwar" border="0" alt="Kali Salwar" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OcZr6nPY1Bs/Uko6YqNNgaI/AAAAAAAAMzI/ajINGqfbxto/01%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="193" height="260"> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Andaz Productions & NFDC</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Fareeda Mehta</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Ved Nair</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Sadiya Siddiqui</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Irrfan Khan</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Vrajesh Hirjee</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Jeetu Shastri</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Kay Kay Menon</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Surekha Sikri</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u></u></strong> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <p align="justify">Sultana (Sadiya Siddiqui), a small town prostitute and her pimp Khudabaksh (Jeetu Shastri) migrate to Mumbai bringing with them their dreams and meager belongings. She is moved by the life in big city but is unable to find any clients and Khudabaksh too is unable to churn an income. Sultana finds herself bereft and turns pensive. Her loneliness and despair get objectified in her desire for the 'kali salwaar' (black lower garment) that she needs to complete her black ensemble for the observance of mourning in Moharram. One evening she solicits and beckons Shankar (Irrfan Khan) who charms her with his wit and humor. Sultana requests her for the Kali Salwar and he asks her for her imitation ear rings in return. In due course, Shankar provides for the Kali Salwar she desires only for Sultana to find that he had merely exchanged her ear rings for salwar of another prostitute. The two women meet and in a moment of silence that ensues become aware of what has happened. </p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Kali Salwar" border="0" alt="Kali Salwar" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-icl8ltHkZP0/Uko6aFImNTI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/7bAxXG-GUNM/Kali%252520Salwar%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="670" height="427"> </p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify">Kali Salwaar is based on the writings of Saadat Hasan Manto who is best known for his short stories, "Bu" (Odour), "Khol Do" (Open It), "Thanda Gosht" (Cold Meat), and "Toba Tek Singh" and marks Filmmaker Fareeda's directorial debut. </p> <p align="justify">Kali Salwar impressively brings together actors of varied hues and successfully paints a beautiful landscape of commendable performances. Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon are celebrated actors today but even back in the day they were flawless. Saadiya Siddiqui has been around for an equally long time if not more and perhaps never got her due as an actress. From playing Shah Rukh Khan’s bubbly sister in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa to a sad debacle opposite Abhishek Kapoor (better known as a director for Rock On and Kai Po Che) in a disastrous ‘Uff Yeh Mohabbat’, she was reduced to bits and piece character roles. Kali Salwar is perhaps one of her best performances till date. She gives it all and goes beyond herself and one can only sympathize and fall in love with her character. Even when in the same frame with actors like Irrfan Khan and Surekha Sikri, one can’t take eyes off her subtle expressions.</p> <p align="justify">The director Fareeda also needs to be applauded for her vision. She does exceedingly well in weaving a story that goes past the original narration from Manto. Kali Salwar creates a parallel contemporary world in which Manto himself exists as a character and interacts with others from his different stories - Mohammed Bhai being one such character. The canvas of the entire film exudes artistic brilliance. Another highlight of the film is the paintings on the set interiors, which were done by renowned painter Bhupen Khakkar. </p> <p align="justify">Anyone who has read Manto’s work will enjoy this film. To summarize, it’s a definite 4 out of 5 and a recommended watch.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-43951426301099697482013-09-24T23:20:00.000+05:302016-06-17T11:09:24.245+05:30Damul (1984)<p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Damul_Cover" border="0" alt="Damul_Cover" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/-ww0SY0UsuBk/UkHRaFxXrFI/AAAAAAAAMyg/8aWlaiXWp0c/Damul_Cover8.jpg?imgmax=800" width="210" height="260"> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Prakash Jha</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Prakash Jha</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Raghunath Seth</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Manohar Singh</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Annu Kapoor</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Sreela Mazumdar</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Deepti Naval</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Pyare Mohan Sahay</td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <p align="justify">The story of ‘Damul’ is about a bonded labourer who is forced to steal for his landlord. Set in rural Bihar of 1980s, the film focuses on the caste politics and the oppression of the lower castes in the region through bonded labour. The film also highlights the issue of heavy migration of the poor villagers of Bihar to richer states like Punjab in search of livelihood. </p> <p align="justify">Madho Pande (Manohar Singh), is a Brahmin local chief and powerful landlord who to rig an upcoming village election kills his own man Puniya and then conspires to get Puniya’s son Sanjeevan (Annu Kapoor), to work for him as a bonded labor. He gets him into a debt and makes him steal cattle from neighboring villages to pay off his loan. In a parallel development the landlord’s younger brother mercilessly kills his labourers who try to flee from his construction site due to low wages. The villagers for fear of their own lives do not come forward to name the perpetrators of the heinous crime. Finally, the landlord’s mistress Mahatmain (Deepti Naval) decides to come out and make a statement before the authorities. Madho Pande learns of her resolve and arranges to kill her and gets Sanjeevan arrested for her murder. Sanjeevan is tried and sentenced to death by hanging. <br></p> <p align="justify">Read the complete summary <a href="http://www.deeptinaval.com/actor-damul.htm" target="_blank"><strong><u>HERE</u></strong></a> </p> <img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Damul" border="0" alt="Damul" src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/-EYRxt_GmUz0/UkHRaz9QySI/AAAAAAAAMyo/JrhWpyNkvCs/Damul3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="660" height="380"> </p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify"><br>A large population of workers involved in agriculture, construction and other labour intensive jobs in the entire northern belt of India hails from Bihar and this movie kind of tells you why. The social and economic divide in the country has compelled several film makers over the years to present their rendition of the story of exploitation and poverty and how feudal lords and powerful people have ruled the masses. Over the decades, the only thing which has changed is the nature and impact of this exploitation. The common man on the road is still struggling to find a voice and make himself heard.</p> <p align="justify">However, what sets this film apart is that it sets itself in a time and place warp and doesn’t attempt to outdo itself. The camerawork is low key and narration is documentary like and accentuated by strong performances throughout. The beauty of this movie rests in its mediocrity – depicting the situations and allowing the viewer to make his own judgment. Another thing that probably works in this movie’s favor is that the onus of carrying the story doesn’t rest on the shoulders of a single actor but is shared throughout by its cast. While Annu Kapoor excels in his victim’s role, Manohar Singh realistically establishes himself as a conniving head strong politician and leader. Deepti Naval plays a small role which is slightly wayward to the central plot but does well within the limited territory of her character. </p> <p align="justify">And just as the climax draws towards a predictable and melancholic conclusion, Prakash Jha plays a master stroke and gives the reigns to Sreela Mazumdar’s character to finish the story. Personally I would have liked her one dimensional character to be better sketched but then again movies from such off beat genre, though thought provoking are not always the best entertainers. </p> <p align="justify">The reason I would recommend anyone to spend time and watch this movie is for its after thought. Though set in 1980s and involving characters struggling hard to make ends meet, the situation can be superimposed and still applied to present day living which is sad if you think about it. Thirty years later (from the period in the movie), people are still struggling to fight the corruption stemming from politics and even today justice eludes those who can’t pay for it. </p> <p align="justify">To conclude, a 3 out of 5 movie that you can watch on a dreary Sunday afternoon if you wish to sit on your couch. Available on YouTube as of now. </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-51836366155646436752013-09-24T00:30:00.000+05:302013-09-24T00:55:20.753+05:30Parinati – The Inevitable (1989)<p align="justify"> <img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="parinati" border="0" alt="parinati" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hl_W6Ozn2fk/UkCVcUbL4pI/AAAAAAAAMyI/ff5d2xBxhAE/parinati%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="194" height="260"> </p> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Prakash Jha</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Prakash Jha</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Raghunath Seth</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Basant Joslekar</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Surekha Sikri</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Anang Desai</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Nandita Das</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <br></p> <p align="justify">Ganesh (Basanat Josalkar) is a potter who supports his wife (Surekha Sikri) and a young son. The couple is picked by a business man to run an inn for travelers in the desert. The couple works diligently and in due course establish a good name for themselves. One day a businessman and his sick wife arrive at their inn. The potter and his wife serve them well and the wealthy businessman offers to train their son in the ways of business, so he could secure a better future for himself and the family. Waiting for their son to arrive, the couple gradually turn greedy and take to to murdering and robbing their guests. Years later, they fail to recognized their own son when he checks in. <p align="justify"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Parinati" border="0" alt="Parinati" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5yhCFkTvQlA/UkCVdQRinTI/AAAAAAAAMyQ/RuPzDQwRVvA/Parinati%25252001%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="660" height="420"> </p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify">To begin with do not confuse ‘Parinati’ with Vidya Baalan starrer ‘Parineeti’. This is one of Prakash Jha’s early works and a low budget offbeat drama. This movie won a Silver Lotus National Award for best costume design and was presented as an outstanding film at the London Film Festival in 1989. <p align="justify">‘Parinati’ is based on a story "Amit Lalsa" ("Anaadi Anat") by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE-Vijaydan-Detha/175531385862501">Vijaydan Detha</a> who is a noted writer from Rajasthan and a recipient of Padma Shri and Sahitya Akaadami award. He was nominated for a Nobel prize for literature in 2011. Incidentally this is not his only story to be made into a movie. Mani Kaul made a movie titled ‘Duvidha’ in 1973 based upon another story of his and this movie was made again into Shah Rukh and Rani Mukherji starred ‘Paheli’. <p align="justify">‘Parinati’ is an adaptation of a short story and it should have been a little shorter in duration and crisper in its treatment but perhaps during the days it was released, one and half hour movies wouldn’t have even found a taker on television let alone cinema halls. Surekha Sikri and Basant Joslekar are known faces on television and adept in their trade. Anang Desai has also played numerous roles on television and was made popular by his role as King Krishnadeva Rai in television series ‘Tenali Ram’. However, the surprise package of the movie is Nandita Das who shot to fame from Meera Nair’s Fire and then later played lead with Earth – 1947. It actually took me a while to recognize her in this two minute role of hers but then traces of her brilliance are visible even in this ‘blink and miss’ role. <p align="justify">The flow of the movie is seamless and it keeps you engrossed even if not on the edge of your seats. One thing that I particularly like about parallel offbeat cinema is the realism and the ease with one can relate to the visuals. The backdrop for Parinati is the desert in Rajasthan and the portrayal of a potter’s life for the little period drama is very realistic – be it the little turn on the potter’s wheel or Surekha Sikri’s piling up firewood to quote a few. The rustic look and feel of the movie might appear slow and monotonous as compared to the modern day cinema but then movies from this genre have their own following and viewership. <p align="justify">The music isn’t worth writing about but the able performances make up for most of slack in the pace. Overall, a 3 out of 5 movie. It is available on YouTube (as of now). Watch it for a classic short story and the moral therein.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-5900418836640483302013-09-22T08:00:00.000+05:302013-09-24T00:38:28.855+05:30Thanks Maa (2009)<p align="justify"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Cover_1" border="0" alt="Cover_1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-L5Fbz8nIHlo/UkCRcQ00ApI/AAAAAAAAMx0/mFpqlfpZD-U/Cover_1%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="195" height="260"> </p> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Quantum Films</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Irfan Kamal</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Sajid-Wajid</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Master Shams</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Master Salman</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Master Jaffer</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Master Fayaaz</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Baby Almas</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Raghuveer Yadav</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <br></p> <p align="justify">While on the run from the reformatory, a 12 year old boy named Municipality finds and saves a two day old abandoned baby from becoming the prey to a ferocious street dog. Failing to find any takers among the people whom he deemed responsible and respectable, Municipality takes up the onus of finding the mother of that abandoned baby himself. Municipality's rock steady determination ultimately helps him emerge a winner against all odds as he reaches that baby's mother but in bargain he loses his most precious possession, the flawless and god-like image of a mother he used to see in his dreams and probably the hope that he'll ever find his own mother again.</p> <p align="justify"><u><strong><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="Inline" border="0" alt="Inline" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JNVVKi7sYuQ/UkCRdhM52_I/AAAAAAAAMx8/4H7UKx3F7hY/Inline%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="660" height="340"> </strong></u></p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify">‘Thanks Maa’ is the new age ‘Salaam Bombay’ and if this film doesn’t make you swell at the issue of child abandonment, nothing else will. The film makes brilliant use of child actors and even if you cringe at the use of expletives from the mouth of young children, one can only sit back and admire the ease with which they deliver complex emotions on screen. Though, I found the script slightly unrealistic but then with a subject like this certain creative liberties and exaggerations on plot become indispensable. Full marks to the director Irfan Kamal for picking up such a subject and executing it to near perfection. If you are an avid movie buff like me and have sat through almost every movie which got released through the 90s, then you would remember Irfan Kamal from a very forgettable ‘Chaahoonga Main Tujhe’ and then a certain Mithun starrer ‘Military Raaj’ as an actor. I guess it’s safe to say he is a much, much, much better director than an actor. <p align="justify">‘Thanks Maa’ as a movie does well in introducing the central characters and then building a subtle warmth in your heart for these decrepit children of a lesser God. I am sure once you have seen this movie, you won’t be able to just pass by or offer money to a street urchin without ‘Municipality Ghatkopar’ aka ‘Salman’ flashing in your head once. And while on one hand you tend to sympathize with the ordeal ‘Municipality’ goes through during his two day journey with a baby on his arm, the layers on other characters makes you detest them with all your heart too. Be it the pedophile caretaker, the woefully selfish hooker, the wussy customer, the slimy pimp, the adulterous husband, the manipulating government hospital gatekeeper, the drug addict taxi driver or an incestuous father – the darkness in their characters stinks and makes your stomach double up. <p align="justify">This movie deserves all the praise for keeping it gutturally realistic with both the characters and the language (at least as much as the script permits) and showcasing what ‘Traffic Light’ & ‘Page 3’ just so superficially touched – the scum of the society around us. I rate this as a 9 out of 10 movie and it is no wonder that this movie was officially selected to be screened at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_International_Film_Festival">Edinburgh International Film Festival</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pusan_International_Film_Festival">Pusan International Film Festival</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_World_Film_Festival">Montreal World Film Festival</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannes_Film_Festival">Cannes Film Festival</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Film_Festival_of_India">International Film Festival of India</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_International_Film_Festival">Palm Springs International Film Festival</a>. The debut child actor Master Shams Patel has also won the Best Child Artist for the film, in the 56th National Film Awards. <p align="justify">To sum up, <u>Go Watch </u>!!! (Find it on YouTube if you are too cheap to buy your own DVD)</p><u><strong> <p align="justify"></p></strong></u> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-55309773653492482982013-09-07T00:30:00.000+05:302013-09-07T01:08:44.833+05:30Shuddh Desi Romance (2013)<p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5ECv-OA7dEc/Uios87fPMiI/AAAAAAAAMvI/g4hReMJVgNE/s1600-h/cover2%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Shuddh Desi Romance Poster" border="0" alt="Shuddh Desi Romance Poster" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IeP1Cdq_sAI/Uios-BXYKBI/AAAAAAAAMvQ/2q_HcLaaVKw/cover2_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="189" height="270"></a> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Aditya Chopra</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Maneesh Sharma</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Jigar, Sachin</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Sushant Singh Rajput</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Parineeti Chopra</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Vani Kapoor</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Rishi Kapoor</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <p align="justify">Essentially meant to be a light hearted Rom-Com set against the changing values in the middle class sub-urban Indian youth, the film revolves around pre-marital jitters of the hero Raghu, who on his way to his wedding venue meets Gayatri an open minded, free willed woman and decides to run away from his wedding. The two decide to enter into a live-in relationship and eventually decide to get married. However, on the wedding day, Gayatri runs out on him. <br> <p align="justify">Enters Tara, who Raghu originally ran out on and the two get serious only to discover he is not really sure of marrying her either. Gayatri and Raghu meet again, decide to get married again and in the end both run away from their marriage to start living-in together. <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wcUTo86G-50/Uios_A1-RwI/AAAAAAAAMvY/WcQlZgqZFh0/s1600-h/cover%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="Shuddh Desi Romance" border="0" alt="Shuddh Desi Romance" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EOcxjZhQk3s/Uios_1W2G_I/AAAAAAAAMvg/QrGFxOsaAD0/cover_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="636" height="495"></a> </p> <p align="justify"><u><strong>MY TAKE</strong></u></p> <p align="justify">Do not form an opinion on the film by plot summary alone. This is not your typical romantic comedy that Bollywood has so effortlessly churned out one after the other, ever since DDLJ hit the silver screen. If you live by all what is filmy and are only turned on by glamorous stars gyrating to songs in chiffon sarees in snow clad Switzerland, this movie is not meant for you. </p> <p align="justify">The first half is breezy and the lead couple is introduced well. The characters are etched nicely and the attention to details is praiseworthy, for example when Raghu and Gayatri wake up after spending the first night together, I could not help but notice that Raghu did not have a pillow under his head – just a sheet folded and pressed to serve as a pillow. The quirky humor is complimented by visible onscreen chemistry between the lead pair. </p> <p align="justify">Sushant Singh does well as a nervous, confused and what I could say slightly emotionally unsteady character – a far cry from candy flossed, eternally romantic and ‘I will die for you’ protagonists. I do not find Parineeti Chopra as a beautiful visual delight but she more than makes up for it with her smirks and quips, smoking and all the eye rolling and slips into Gayatri’s character like hand in glove. She delightfully cites washing torn underwear for her man when confronting him with his lack of trust. Vani Kapoor does reasonably well in her supporting role but her mettle yet needs to be proven. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DeAGz37QjIg/UiotAs35QfI/AAAAAAAAMvo/xxmzaOtk-6k/s1600-h/rk%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="rk" border="0" alt="rk" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xoQi1dHgNXA/UiotA3IRWLI/AAAAAAAAMvw/hGGdaUr9OtM/rk_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="214" height="180"></a> However, a special word needs to be put in for Rishi Kapoor for his sheer brilliance as the father figure in the movie. Bewildered at the proceedings his simplistic approach to the character of ‘Goel Sahib’ is beautifully executed. If he was menacing and invoked hatred for his character in Agneepath, he is all a joy to watch and keeps the movie alive, even when it gets sluggish in the second half. </p> <p align="justify">To sum up, though not utterly honest and realistic itself but this movie is rustic enough to make you smile and realize that Indian values in the last decade are no longer same to what the Indian audience has been accustomed to of watching in TV serials and films. The movie breaks away from standard Bollywood cliches and is imaginative and fresh in its approach and thus keeps you entertained. The music, though no Grammy winner, has a decent score. ‘Chanchal Man – Ati Random’ in particular stands out. The second half could have been done a little crisper and the director should have tried keeping the narrative simpler but overall, ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ as the name states, is definitely ‘Desi’ in its approach even if all the lip locking or mechanical kissing between the actors doesn’t leave it much ‘Shuddh’. </p> <p align="justify">Overall a 3.5 out of 5 movie. Watch it for all the good hearty laughs it offers in its first half and for Rishi Kapoor alone.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-40955206034105649002013-09-01T09:30:00.000+05:302013-09-01T09:56:43.537+05:3010 ml Love (2012)<p align="justify"><strong><u><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-j_ohopP08oY/UiLA1ipRmSI/AAAAAAAAMr8/xHJNlexANOU/s1600-h/cover%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="cover" border="0" alt="cover" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D_crnK4ncZ8/UiLA3Tz2hCI/AAAAAAAAMsE/zfCxmnf-JW8/cover_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="172" height="244"></a> </u></strong> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Sunil Doshi</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Sharat Katariya</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Sagar Desai</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Rajat Kapoor</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Tisca Chopra</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Purab Kohli</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Tara Sharma</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Neel Bhoopalam</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Koel Purie</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></strong> <p align="justify">Set against the backdrop of your everyday world, 10ML LOVE - a contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream,’ is a light hearted romantic comedy concerning the tribulations of a love quadrangle during a night of madness. <p align="justify"><strong><u></u></strong></p><strong> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FnnDF9hITlQ/UiLA4mwAX9I/AAAAAAAAMsM/JdD-NPh38YY/s1600-h/base%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="base" border="0" alt="base" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5w8ExGj99ew/UiLA6OqkdHI/AAAAAAAAMsU/UHRZT3hpIws/base_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="664" height="280"></a></p> <p align="justify"><u>MY TAKE</u></strong></p> <p align="justify">10 ml Love begins on a promising note. The characters are sketched and introduced well. Though Rajat Kapoor stands a little out of place, maybe a little too sophisticated for the roadside haqeem, he does well as the suspecting husband. <p align="justify">Few people remember Tisca Chopra from her younger days when she played the lead in Ajay Devgan and Prithvi starrer ‘Platform’. I believe had Platform been successful, she would have been in a much different league now. She certainly has earned better roles and success in her second innings and this role of ‘Roshni’ showcases her in a totally new light. If she was good in her single shade character of the concerned mother in ‘Taare Zameen Pe’, she is definitely a shade better in this role which gives her more hues to play with. Personally, I feel that her best is yet to come and she should be one actress (even in supporting roles) to watch out for. A good transition perhaps would be a negative character in some thriller. <p align="justify">Manu Rishi, has a smaller part in this movie as compared to ‘Oye Lucky ! Lucky Oye’ and again is another promising actor and can be very handy in earthen roles with comic shades. Tara Sharma kind of disappoints with her squeaky childish voice which now somehow doesn’t match her looks. She looks tired, worn out and jaded for playing a young bride. Purab Kohli does OK but isn’t real convincing in either of scenes. This is something the director Sharat Kataria should have sorted out while on the set or previewing the rushes. <p align="justify">Koel Purie does well in her range but audiences have seen better than this from her. Also, she could have made a better choice (or at least voiced a concern) on the bare back blue saree that she struts through the second half of the movie for one plain reason – it is a distraction in a frame. Even if the director wanted viewers to focus on other parts in a shot, she inadvertently draws attention to herself. Though, I couldn’t really understand the chemistry between her character and Purab’s completely, she certainly emotes better than Tara Sharma (but again sorry Koel, this isn’t too much of a compliment either). <p align="justify">10 ml Love is not ‘Bheja Fry’ and isn’t Rajat Kapoor’s best by any means and personally I would have liked to see Manu Rishi play Rajak Kapoor’s role in this movie and the story of Ghalib and Roshni given more focus than the others. I guess, in such a scenario you can’t really blame the actors. The director, the story and screenplay writer and the casting director must stand up and accept their fault. <p align="justify">Overall, a three in a five attempt but yet entertaining and a one time watch, if you do not think too seriously about how the plot unravels and from a brisk start nearly crawls through a predictable climax with magic love potions detonating a comedy of errors. <p align="justify">I am not sure if the movie would be playing anywhere anymore but then you can always catch it on a DVD or simply find it on YouTube. Maybe watch it for Tisca Chopra, if none else. </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-8807242927503936202013-08-23T21:50:00.000+05:302013-08-23T22:01:50.569+05:30Now You See Me (2013)<div align="justify"> <table style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: justify; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); text-indent: 0px; font: 12px/19px verdana, geneva, sans-serif; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="458"> <tbody style="box-sizing: border-box"> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box">Produced By</strong></td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Bobby Cohen, Alex Kurtzman</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box">Directed By</strong></td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Louis Leterrier</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box">Music</strong></td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Brian Tyler</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box">Starring</strong></td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Jesse Eisenberg</td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Mark Ruffalo</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Woody Harrelson</td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Isla Fisher</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Dave Franco</td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Melanie Laurent</td></tr> <tr style="box-sizing: border-box"> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Michael Caine</td> <td style="box-sizing: border-box" valign="top" width="225">Morgan Freeman</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d50005">MY TAKE</font></strong></p> <p align="justify">It’s been some time since I watched a movie and it compelled me enough to make a full fledged post about it and not just a 2 line synopsis that I had become accustomed to of posting on my FB timeline.<br><br>‘Now You See Me’ is not only brilliant with its pace and all its twists and turns, it is equally delightful in its overall execution. The magic created in the movie might all be digital FX but it is so skillfully woven with the script that every trick feels ‘realistically unbelievable’. <br><br></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="NYSM01" border="0" alt="NYSM01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3QILM6WltJQ/UheNftUPfRI/AAAAAAAAMqY/RF8FQMbDs-4/NYSM01%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" height="363"></p> <p align="justify">The purpose of magic is two fold – one to invoke awe and amazement by creating a distraction and surprising people and second to instigate and stimulate a mind to question the execution of the same trick and ‘Now You See Me’ delivers on both aspects. The plot keeps you spell bound and the one man-upmanship through the course of the plot that unravels with its characters and keeps you at the edge of your seat till the very last frame. The individual characters are over the top in a subtle and sublime way and this truly highlights the essence of a great story and screenplay. Though, the storyteller (the director - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504642/">Louis Leterrier</a>) has received some brickbats for not being able to ‘pull it off’ in the final act as crisply as perhaps the audience would have liked it to be, I felt that maybe the snazzy lighting and stage setting was done keeping the commercial glamour in mind more than anything else and can be forgiven if you look at the overall ‘big picture’.</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="NYSM03" border="0" alt="NYSM03" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lS6BWGX5EZ4/UheNgNxbsYI/AAAAAAAAMqg/X3dINR5In1o/NYSM0315.jpg?imgmax=800" width="323" height="261"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000437/">Woody Harrelson</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0251986/" target="_blank">Jesse Eisenberg</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0279545/">Isla Fisher</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2002649/">Dave Franco</a> (right to left in the pic) as the four horsemen did justice to their roles and Isla Fisher in particular should be lauded for her portrayal of Henley Reeves in this movie after her sidelined quarter role in The Great Gatsby recently. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000151/">Morgan Freeman</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000323/">Michael Caine</a> are the kind of veterans who can essay any role and make even the most obscure portrayals believable. However, I personally felt that Morgan Freeman was underutilized and got a little lost in the overall canvas. But then the guy who really stood out, acting as both a pawn in the beginning and the essential pivot towards the climax with equal deft ease is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0749263/">Mark Ruffalo</a> and he undoubtedly rises way above the rest. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491259/">Mélanie Laurent</a> looks beautiful in every shot she is a part of, even when she is just standing in a corner and not saying anything. I am sure she is made for better roles and her best is yet to be seen. </p> <p align="justify">The wiki link for the movie says that the film's most common criticism is that various plot points were insufficiently resolved at the movie's conclusion, leaving some questions unanswered or answered unclearly maybe to leave some potential for a sequel. I will still recommend this as a good watch and worth your ticket’s money for its sheer story telling and entertainment value. </p> <p align="justify"><br>And then of course, to the movie’s defense, I quote from the movie itself <strong><em>“The closer you are, the lesser you see…” </em></strong></p> <p align="justify"><br>To sum up, “Go Watch”. For the plot and the storyline and any spoilers click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1670345/" target="_blank"><strong>HERE</strong></a>.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-82595542061803413772013-08-23T21:30:00.000+05:302013-08-23T21:44:34.688+05:30Man of Steel (2013)<div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="458"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Christopher Nolan</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Zack Snyder</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Hans Zimmer</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Henry Cavill</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Amy Adams</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Michael Shanon</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Diane Lane</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Russell Crowe</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Kevin Costner</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: justify; line-height: 19px; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; text-indent: 0px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(255,0,0); font-size: 12px; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: justify; line-height: 19px; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; text-indent: 0px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-size: 12px; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><u style="box-sizing: border-box"><font style="box-sizing: border-box" color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></strong> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify">In recent times, it's almost become customary for all superhero movies to portray the leading crusader of justice confused and struggling with a conflict within. 'Man of steel' too takes the much beaten path but falls a little short trying to build up to the plot. Let’s be honest, it is easier to visualize a mortal as fallible as in ‘The Dark Knight’ than to see an ‘advantaged alien’ finding it hard to cope with multiple sounds and X-Ray vision. <br><br><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="manofsteel_02" border="0" alt="manofsteel_02" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--QrFoLrGYto/UheKVmkTOkI/AAAAAAAAMqE/PDH9zKFw39k/manofsteel_0211.jpg?imgmax=800" width="570" height="329"> <br><br>However, to give the film its credit, ‘Man of Steel’, is perhaps the best told story of Krypton and the stunning spectacle of the planet succumbing to its falling core is one of the best FX sequences in the recent times. The movie essentially mixes Superman I and Superman II for its plot but differs in the way that while in original Superman I (1978), Superman takes the job of a reporter at Daily Planet before he goes about saving the world, the ‘Man of Steel, doesn’t get to that until after General Zod is killed, which was essentially the end of Superman II. Personally I feel, ‘Man of Steel’ actually gets this right and it probably is the way the story of Kal-El should have been told in the first place.<br></p> <p align="justify">As a kid, I remember reading about the technique used in making the Superman fly in a magazine called Target and when I watched Superman – I & II, I was in awe of the way they got those effects in place and though they may now seem silly, considering it was way before the digital age took over the process of film making, it was no wonder that the time the first two parts were released, they were lauded for their large scale visual effects sequences. </p> <p align="justify"><br>Effective use of FX still makes ‘Man of Steel’ the best Superman movie ever. Watch it ONLY in 3D for that is the only way it is going to look right. If you are planning to watch it only for your kids, you will have them yawning through most of the middle of the movie, but the grandiose scale of destruction in the climax more than makes up for it. However, one thing that I have never understood about Superman is how come just changing the way you comb your hair and wearing a pair of thick rimmed glasses makes you virtually indistinguishable and that too before your colleagues, who are into news reporting and journalism. </p> <p align="justify"><br>Overall, a 7 out of 10 for what it is worth. Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russel Crowe shine through with their seasoned performances. As a new age Superman, I guess I liked Brandon Routh better than Henry Cavill. </p> <p align="justify"><br>Go watch if you dig for cataclysmic scenes of buildings falling and cars crashing and planes exploding and love seeing the man faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than a locomotive defy gravity and fly across the cityscape and beyond. </p> <p align="justify"><br>By the way, this movie finally gets rid of Superman’s red briefs on top of blue tights and yes, please now remember the motif is not ‘S’ but a Kryptonian symbol for ‘hope’. Enjoy !!!</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="manofsteel_03" border="0" alt="manofsteel_03" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fBFimcrA5uE/UheKXf1PsiI/AAAAAAAAMqM/VaNjIbEI6ds/manofsteel_0310.jpg?imgmax=800" width="570" height="340"></p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-24733654403162144102013-08-23T19:30:00.000+05:302013-08-23T20:34:55.998+05:30World War Z (2013)<table border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="450"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Ian Bryce</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Marc Forster</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Music</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225">Marco Beltrami</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="225"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Brad Pitt</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Daniella Kertesz</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="225">Mireille Enos</td> <td valign="top" width="225">Ludi Boeken</td></tr></tbody></table> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"><font color="#ff0000"><strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: justify; line-height: 19px; text-transform: none; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; text-indent: 0px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; white-space: normal; letter-spacing: normal; color: rgb(51,51,51); font-size: 12px; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><u style="box-sizing: border-box"><font style="box-sizing: border-box" color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong> </strong></font></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="world war z poster" border="0" alt="world war z poster" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FMdn1sGK0hA/Uhd2xvwmiYI/AAAAAAAAMpc/z73eLz8S29s/worldwarzposter6.jpg?imgmax=800" width="215" height="260"> I wouldn’t go as far as proclaiming ‘World War Z’ to be some sort of zombie magnum opus as the media is making it to be. Honestly, I walked out of the theater just as about the credits began to roll, feeling a little disappointed. Perhaps the trailers for the movie playing on the TV had kind of spoiled all special sequences beforehand. Personally I felt it was Matt Damon, Jude Law’s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/" target="_blank">Contagion</a> rolled into Will Smilth’s ‘<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/" target="_blank">I am legend</a>’ and that isn’t really wholesome entertainment to write about if you ask me but somehow the core of the movie was spiced up perfectly with right grilling and precise amount of special effects to avoid being a total washout. </p> <p align="justify">To give the film its due credit, I think it began reasonably well with the opening scene on the streets of Philadelphia where an ordinary day suddenly turns into hellish nightmare for Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), his wife (Mireille Enos) and their two daughters (Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove) as they run into first zombie sighting in the movie with huge traffic jams, a street-explosion, whizzing cops, a truck overrunning several cars and finally one zombie biting and transforming another human being in a matter of seconds and then predictably crashing up against the windshield of the car the hero is driving.</p> <p align="justify">I have been an ardent fan of the Zombie genre and all horror in general and fast paced rabid zombies (unlike the dumb slow ones we have seen in other movies and most recently in Go, Goa, Gone) were both unique and scary, at least until the first half. However, apart from the two sequences where a tsunami of zombies scales a giant wall in Israel and the one where the aircraft is torn midway to have them flying out and finally the crash, everything else really appears to be a little stale.</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="world war z" border="0" alt="world war z" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OpXABDxysGk/Uhd2yQsZLsI/AAAAAAAAMpk/kFEaEcpkhec/worldwarz%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="670" height="322"></p> <p align="justify">While the director Marc Forster (who has previously done movies like Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland and Bond thriller Quantum of Solace) tries to scale the Max Brook novel "<em>World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War</em>" to an epic level, the overall effort though not an utter failure, isn’t really the cauldron for a cult classic either.</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Brad Pitt" border="0" alt="Brad Pitt" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oIB-1T7s3jk/Uhd2yr0McpI/AAAAAAAAMps/uJi2DzmTths/BradPitt19.jpg?imgmax=800" width="230" height="167">As far as the individual performances go, Brad Pitt, who has also produced “World War Z” under his production company Plan B, does reasonably well as a former UN employee recalled back to duty (another cliché) to save the world and his family. I guess he is one of the few recent stars who has evolved as an actor to portray several multi-layered characters with ease and he does well in this outing as well even though his character was largely one-dimensional. </p> <p align="justify"><br><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Daniella Kertesz" border="0" alt="Daniella Kertesz" align="right" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_L_55IynK1M/Uhd2zIbHiOI/AAAAAAAAMp0/LoyY0jLQ3K0/DaniellaKertesz12.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" height="214">The only other character to really stand out was that of Israeli soldier Segen played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2020146/" target="_blank">Daniella Kertesz</a>. She is new, refreshing and promising even in her supporting role despite being granted only a handful of dialogues in the movie. But then, what else can one expect when the main protagonist has the responsibility of saving the entire planet resting on his shoulders. She does fairly well if you do not consider that her shooting skills are not impaired and pain really doesn’t deter her from wielding a shotgun even if she had one of her hands chopped off few hours ago (true filmy).</p> <p align="justify">To sum up, this is a 6 out of 10 movie with a couple of really good FX sequences and individual performances. </p> <p align="justify"><em>PS: The ‘Z’ in World War – Z is for Zombies, but then it could be sound of your sleep song (zzzzzzz) if you are not really the one to dig into this genre specifically.</em></p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-91472452010929778292010-08-29T10:39:00.000+05:302011-03-16T00:57:46.372+05:30Saleem Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989)<p align="justify"> <img title="Salim_Langde_Pe_Mat_Ro,_1989_film" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="167" alt="Salim_Langde_Pe_Mat_Ro,_1989_film" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsMdTRDnI/AAAAAAAALCE/AKwJQVyT92M/Salim_Langde_Pe_Mat_Ro%2C_1989_film%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" border="0"> <img title="" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="167" alt="" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsNFwoHjI/AAAAAAAALCI/58nbKkLAQ0Y/AVSEQ02.DAT_000177680%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="199" border="0"></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">CAST & CREW</font></u></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">NFDC</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Saeed Akhtar Mirzaa</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Sharang Dev</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Pawan Malhotra</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Ashutosh Gowariker</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Makrand Deshpande</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Neelima Azeem</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Rajendra Gupta</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Vikram Gokhale</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Surekha Sikri</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Nishigandha Wad</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241914/fullcredits#cast" target="_blank"><strong>HERE</strong></a> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">‘Saleem Langde Pe Mat Ro’ is the story of a small time local goon Saleem Pasha, known as Saleem Langda for his sway and walking style. The movie revolves around Saleem’s struggle for identity, his fight for survival and his final ‘awakening’. </p> <p align="justify">Born in a poor Muslim family Saleem is deprived of education as his father can not afford it. The hardships on the family are compounded when Saleem’s father loses his job. Saleem does odd jobs for the local mafia with his two friends Peera and Abdul. When he meets Aslam, who despite facing similar oddities is upright and wants to live by his principles, Saleem is torn between the fundamentalist thinking of radical groups around him and his desire to change situations for himself and his family. Just as it is felt that he would turn over a new leaf, he is stabbed to death by a rival gang leader. </p> <p align="justify">The title seems justified when you recall the opening lines of the film which say that there are hundreds and thousands of Saleems on roads. One lesser won’t make much of a difference so no point crying for Saleem Langda.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Produced by NFDC, this was one of the first art movies that I watched during the DD (Doordarshan) days. The film is a simple and honest attempt at highlighting the growing communal divide and unrest that shaped Bombay (Sorry Mumbai) as we see today.</p> <p align="justify">"Saleem Langde.. " is one of the better movies to be made in the age of sagging film making values in the decade of 80s amidst the mass trash that was being churned out. This movie calls for a genre of its own and stands high amongst its family which can include names like “Garam Hawa”, “City Of Gold”, “Black Friday” and “Firaaq”. </p> <p align="justify">What is remarkable about the film is that it was made before the 1993 Mumbai Bomb blasts and hence whatever you see on screen is actually a realistic depiction of a bitter reality that was boiling in the under belly of the city. </p> <p align="justify">If you align “Garam Hawa”, “City of Gold” “Saleem Langde Pe..” and “Black Friday” and watch them in the same order you would see a sorry pattern emerging out. While “Garam Hawa” talked about the need for Indian Muslims to align themselves with the main stream and ‘City of Gold’ specifically talked about the plight of mill workers thrown out of work, ‘Saleem Langde..’ beautifully captures the essence of the two situations. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Pawan Malhotra" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="177" alt="Pawan Malhotra" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsN69IUvI/AAAAAAAALCM/ceew0OVlzLI/AVSEQ02.DAT_002055280%5B12%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="167" align="left" border="0"> Pawan Malhotra as the protagonist renders magic to the role. It is learnt that this role was originally written for Naseer-ud-din Shah and later the makers wanted someone younger and Pawan Malhotra who was doing active TV that time (remember ‘Nukkad’) was roped in. Had the movie been handled the way marketing for movies is done these days, Pawan Malhotra would have today been as big a star as Shahrukh Khan. His portrayal of the character is almost flawless. The scene where he bangs his fist on wall in anguish and vents out his anger stands out just as much the shot where he shouts to the world that he is an Indian and wants to live with dignity.</p> <p align="justify">Catch the two scenes here:</p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <ul> <li> <div align="justify"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImrtHqETZaY" target="_blank"><strong>SCENE 1</strong></a> – The fist banging and the agony</div> <li> <div align="justify"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAyPIAm1jOc" target="_blank"><strong>SCENE 2</strong></a> – Declaration to the world</div></li></ul> <p align="justify"><img title="Ashutosh Gowariker & Makrand Deshpande" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="133" alt="Ashutosh Gowariker & Makrand Deshpande" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsQhuwkMI/AAAAAAAALCY/s41BQBLHBbA/AVSEQ01.DAT_002153520%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" border="0"> The character of Saleem is ably supported by two other actors who have made a niche for themselves as star directors and film makers – Makrand Deshpande who plays Peera and Ashutosh Gowariker who plays Abdul. The scene where they try and steal the wipers of a Maruti 800 right in front of its owner is reasonably funny. Catch the scene <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXJvgngintU" target="_blank"><strong>HERE</strong></a></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Neelima Azim" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="126" alt="Neelima Azim" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsRcOcYRI/AAAAAAAALC4/HtJJweaCY8c/AVSEQ02.DAT_000548400%5B13%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="133" align="right" border="0"> Saleem’s love interest is played by Neelima Azim who plays a courtesan (if that is an accepted term now a days). She however, is better known for her role as a support star in Lekh Tandon’s TV serial ‘Phir Wohi Talaash’ and as Pooja Bhatt’s friend in Sanjay Dutt starrer ‘Sadak’. Of course we now know her as Actor Shahid Kapur’s mother. Rajendra Gupta who plays Aslam does well in his character sketch role of a progressive new age Muslim who wants better education and logical thinking for his people. Vikram Gokhale as Saleem’s father justifies his role and so does Surekha Sikri (You would recognize her as the Dadi-Sa on Balika Vadhu these days). </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Nishigandha" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="102" alt="Nishigandha" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/THnsTA5785I/AAAAAAAALCk/xcBaVCEaqUw/AVSEQ02.DAT_000352680%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="110" align="left" border="0">I personally thought Nishigandha did not get her due as an artist. She is not your typical hip-gyrating heroine but still very beautiful and eases into her role. The other sparks of brilliance in the movie are provided by guest artists who later went onto achieve greater heights in their career. Tom Alter and Ajit Vachchaani in their brief roles do not fail to impress. Mushtaq Khan acts as a sweeper who digs out a dead body from a sewer and has only a few lines to deliver but the overall impact of the scene lasts way longer than its duration. Even the extras on the film are noteworthy. You can see a fleeting glimpse of writer – director Neeraj Vora (who played Aamir Khan’s friend in Mann and ‘Chako Ji’ in RGV directed Daud) as a ‘Churan – wala’ in one of the scenes. Yet with one line that he delivers in a ‘blink and you miss me role’ one can recognize him.</p> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:5732c424-4537-4bbe-8fde-2d00ba18dd28" style="padding-right: 10px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><div id="c8a40661-829f-4435-8567-84fe2bfd0f61" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsMWbr5ajgU" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TX-9oDP6lzI/AAAAAAAALPU/7mIdnEKamqE/video4442d6a1518b%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('c8a40661-829f-4435-8567-84fe2bfd0f61'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/qsMWbr5ajgU&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/qsMWbr5ajgU&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"425\" height=\"355\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p align="justify"></p> <p></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MUSIC</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">The official music director on the film is Sharang Dev. However, there are no songs in the movie. There is a bit piece which Neelima Azim lip syncs and dances to and a small chunk to which Pawan, Ashutosh and Makrand shake their legs. Nothing much to write about on this front.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">OVERALL</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Overall a 4 out of 5 attempt, the film excels on its simplicity and its potency to connect to the audience. The direction and the performances make it a worth watch if you do not mind some doses of preaching thrown in. </p> <p align="justify">The movie is available on Moser Baer if you can spend a few bucks and on YouTube if you want it for free.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-12690929934588759482010-07-13T16:57:00.000+05:302013-08-23T22:43:39.218+05:30Zara Si Zindagi (1983)<p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"></font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTiomEUTI/AAAAAAAAK7M/stp8JvFYgOU/s1600-h/AVSEQ05.DAT_0000312805.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Zara Si Zindagi" border="0" alt="Zara Si Zindagi" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTjg_P64I/AAAAAAAAK7Q/imeA3RVRe60/AVSEQ05.DAT_000031280_thumb11.jpg?imgmax=800" width="185" height="212"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTkm3hZXI/AAAAAAAAK7U/HqgBf26W9qg/s1600-h/poster2%5B11%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Zara Si Zindagi" border="0" alt="Zara Si Zindagi" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTl8swtvI/AAAAAAAAK7Y/SAjHutrJNXY/poster2_thumb%5B9%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="182" height="213"></a></font></u></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">R. Venkataraman</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">K. Balachander</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Laxmikant - Pyarelal</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Kamal Hasan</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Anita Raj</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Karan Razdaan</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Arjun Chakraborty</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Mazhar Khan</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Dr. Sriram Lagoo</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify"><br>Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155408/fullcredits#cast" target="_blank"><strong>HERE</strong></a> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew<br><br></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><br>Zara Si Zindagi is the remake of Balachander's Tamil hit Varumayin Niram Sivappu which had Kamal Hasan and Sridevi in the lead roles. Kamal Hasan plays the role of an unemployed graduate living in Delhi with his two room mates (Karan Razdan and Arjun Chakraborty). He falls in love with a struggling theater actress, Kusum (played by Anita Raj) who is also leading a life of difficulties having to take care of an ailing grandmother and an alcoholic father (played by Nilu Phule). The movie is a flowing account of the various hardships the characters go through and presents a grim view of the urban unemployment of the decade of 80s. </p><strong><u><font color="#d20000"> <p align="justify"><br>MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><br>I had become a fan of this film ever since I saw it for the first time on cable television. Set in a simplistic backdrop of Delhi of the early 80s, this film captivates with its subtle situations and brilliant performances. I guess the greatest strength of this movie is its story telling. There is an undertone of grave sarcasm in the portrayal of the unemployed men and at the socio-economic and the political scenario of the nation. I, in particular like the scene where the three men have a fake lunch and make a lot of noise and the shot towards the end where Kamal Hasan picks up an apple from the dustbin and bites into it. Even in the shots where you just have the three friends sitting, there is one thing or the other in the backdrop that makes you smile at the sarcastic note in the situation. </p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Zara Si Zindagi" border="0" alt="Zara Si Zindagi" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTn-fuw3I/AAAAAAAAK7g/wdSUuProYuA/AVSEQ05.DAT_0029824006.jpg?imgmax=800" width="211" height="177"> The character of Rakesh has a shade of raw arrogance to it that is beautifully portrayed by Kamal Hasan. He shines as an unemployed protagonist who braves all situations relentlessly with a never say die attitude. Be it a scene where Rakesh confronts his father or where he argues with Pratap (Mazhar Khan), Kamal Hasan delivers with equal ease and panache. I guess the only place he actually looks to falter is with his thick accent when attempting to recite a few verses (which he does at multiple points in the film).</p> <p align="justify">If Kamal Hasan delivers with visible exultant power, Anita Raj flows throughout as a gentle stream binding the entire film. I don’t think she has looked as pretty in any of her other films that I have come across. She excels with her subtle beauty and does well in her scenes to reach out with conviction. Karan Raazdan, Arjun Chakraborty, Nilu Phule and Dr. Sreeram Lagoo render the necessary support to the overall frame of the film and do well in their screen space.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTovO4KmI/AAAAAAAAK7k/v5997-Kag-A/s1600-h/AVSEQ05.DAT_00051552013.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="Anita Raj" border="0" alt="Anita Raj" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTpzNUhHI/AAAAAAAAK7o/dSfnf2pyoZk/AVSEQ05.DAT_000515520_thumb24.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="213"></a><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="Anita Raj" border="0" alt="Anita Raj" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTq5Rah2I/AAAAAAAAK7s/2mYMaPjbWOo/AVSEQ05.DAT_00290784016.jpg?imgmax=800" width="161" height="213"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: 0px" title="Anita Raj" border="0" alt="Anita Raj" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDzTrnThaiI/AAAAAAAAK7w/MmEva693eHI/AVSEQ05.DAT_00187476018.jpg?imgmax=800" width="162" height="213"></p> <strong><u><font color="#d20000"> <p align="justify">MUSIC</font></u></strong><br></p> <p align="justify">The music is by the duo Laxmikant -Pyarelal who were probably the best in trade at the time when the film was shot. However, apart from the song ‘Zamaane se kuch log darte nahi’ the music is largely disappointing. The other song ‘School se college..’ shot on locations in Delhi gives you a glimpse of the city 3 decades ago and is enjoyable to look at but not really something you can hum later. Overall, just an average music plate.</p> <p align="justify"><br>Catch the song here:</p> <p align="justify"></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:2d0a4cf1-fa40-4324-b2dd-2ac2d8b67109" class="wlWriterSmartContent"> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" id="88eb3bf2-0e4d-4189-a932-f31bbd807b07"> <div><embed height="355" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/buOOSjaPS_I&hl=en"></embed></div></div> <div style="clear: both; font-size: 0.8em">Zara Si Zindagi</div></div> <p></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"></font></u></strong> </p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">OVERALL</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Overall a 4 out of 5 attempt, the film excels on its simplistic story line and is a must watch if you are a Kamal Hasan fan. <br><br><em>PS: The movie is available on YouTube, in case you wish to watch it. You can buy a copy at Moserbaer’s website as well.</em></p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-3349459292196203092010-07-09T03:16:00.000+05:302011-03-16T01:00:48.365+05:30Situm (1982)<p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u></u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Situm" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="187" alt="Situm" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHJnRn5NI/AAAAAAAAK3Y/y4VXIA0nKAM/scan0003%5B13%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="155" border="0"> <img title="Smita Patil" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="187" alt="Smita Patil" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHK6l9pTI/AAAAAAAAK3c/z0jbnlqx-Ho/AVSEQ01.DAT_003047770%5B14%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="163" border="0"><img title="Smita Patil" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="187" alt="Smita Patil" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHL6RwUzI/AAAAAAAAK3g/_2nUqf7RIFA/AVSEQ02.DAT_000836800%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="140" border="0"> </p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>CAST & CREW</u></font></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Vikram</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Aruna Raje – Vikas Desai</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Jagjit Singh</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Naseeruddin Shah</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Smita Patil</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Vikram</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Sulbha Deshpande</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Keith Stevenson</td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259583/"><strong>HERE</strong></a> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">Situm is the story of how two people cope with a sudden death. Subhash (Naseeruddin Shah) is a footballer who gets hit in the head and dies while playing a football match. His wife Meenakshi (Smita Patil) holds Inder (Vikram), the player who kicked the ball, directly responsible for Subhash’s untimely death and accuses Inder publically. Inder can not handle the guilt and becomes a mental wreck.</p> <p align="justify">Inder’s boss, Mr. Bakshi (Keith Stevenson) plays a pivotal role in convincing Meenakshi to forgive Inder and talk him out of his depression to get him on his feet again. Inder and Meenakshi in due course fall for each other by the end of the movie.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>MY TAKE</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">I bought the VCD of the movie purely on the star cast and I am not totally disappointed. The movie could have taken on a different platform altogether had it been a little more slick and ‘to the point’. Perhaps back in the 80s, it was forbidden for the women to be left single at the end of a movie and hence the director-writer duo forced a romance to be developed between the survivors. The movie for a large portion rides on an able performance by Smita Patil. However, she is limited by the screen play and her assignment on the movie and just about as you feel that a performance or a scene is about to take off to another level, it falls flat again.</p> <p align="justify"><img title="Naseeruddin Shah" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="82" alt="Naseeruddin Shah" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHM9nja8I/AAAAAAAAK3k/1OHN8T8-fzA/AVSEQ02.DAT_003244840%5B15%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="78" align="left" border="0"> Naseeruddin Shah easily essays the character of a fun loving, full of life, jovial and fair sportsman (typical character sketch of someone who is supposed to die half way in any Hindi movie). At times, you tend to feel that he is straining himself or acting out of his mould and overdoing things a bit, but such is his acting prowess that even in sequences where he makes a fool out of himself, he tends to convince you otherwise. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Vikram" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="69" alt="Vikram" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHN6m57II/AAAAAAAAK3o/uSZLTUf9zf0/AVSEQ02.DAT_000216200%5B13%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="80" align="left" border="0">Vikram’s previous claim to fame was his role in movie ‘Julie’. He perhaps wanted to reinvent himself with this particular attempt and went onto produce this film, maybe with a view to make a mark for himself as an actor all over again. His character actually appears a little over the top and a little hard to believe. Overall, he still does well and is not totally lost in the scheme of things. </p> <p align="justify"> <div align="justify"> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:3ae03e61-0b40-42a6-be82-5dd4ca43762a" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 10px; float: right; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"> <div id="7181772d-8763-483b-bcd7-c5df52672a45" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"> <div><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/56Umguclog8&hl=en" width="332" height="278" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></div></div></div></div> <p align="justify">This is not exactly Smita Patil’s best work. The film in a way rides on her performance but overall, I really feel that she could have been handled better. However she shines in her portrayal of a widow and beautifully brings out the anguish of her character in a scene where she is talking to Sulbha Deshpande while ironing a shirt. </p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify">Watch the clip if you can appreciate the subtle variations in the scene. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Keith Stevenson" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="135" alt="Keith Stevenson" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHPyMLGUI/AAAAAAAAK3w/-1SafeT_8EI/AVSEQ02.DAT_000150880%5B11%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="161" align="left" border="0"> Sulbha Deshpande on the other hand acts in her comfort zone and does well in her limited screen space. Keith Stevenson is better known for his role as the villain in Amitabh starrer ‘Akela’ and the Sheikh in the TV series ‘Zabaan Sambhaal Ke’. Though his role kind of moves the film along, his performance is just about average.</p> <p align="justify"> <strong><font color="#d20000"><u>MUSIC</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">Music by Jagjit Singh and lyrics by Gulzar. Sadly, the icons fail to live up to their reputation. The music score is flat and the lyrics just about average. I would like to forget that they worked together on this project (I am sure they would agree as well). I ultimately forwarded the songs ahead while watching the movie. Absolutely nothing to write home about.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>OVERALL</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Smita Patil Situm" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="142" alt="Smita Patil Situm" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDZHQ4lfQwI/AAAAAAAAK30/1lygEMQTCcQ/AVSEQ01.DAT_001975170%5B7%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="167" align="left" border="0">This movie had the right ingredients (Naseer, Smita Patil, Gulzar, Jagjit Singh) but I guess an average recipe. The result – individual flavors stand out in the dish. There are capable situations and potent sequences in the film that had the potential to move and entice the audience but the fuel burns out before the moment arrives. The film had a few clear blunders and I guess the director-writer duo need to take the responsibility for the film to lose grip just at the right moments. For example, there is this elaborate sequence where Naseeruddin Shah is being taken for his last rites again something which could have been trimmed a bit) and the director chose to have the song ‘Akele akele kahan jaa rahe ho’ to be played in the background. In defense of this I guess you would be tempted to add that the character of Subhash is shown to be an avid Shammi Kapoor fan and he does imitate him on more than one occasion but the song added on the situation not only made an otherwise very serious scene look funny, it also showcased a lack of judgment of the audience’s sensibilities by the directors. </p> <p align="justify">Watch the clip below if you don’t believe this.</p> <div align="justify"> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:4b2539d8-314a-4137-8fac-0f5dfbb57b75" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"> <div id="f61f2354-c295-4091-9571-f393bde5cfc6" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"> <div><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2qrGTGwIkPg&hl=en" width="322" height="268" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></div></div></div></div> <p align="justify">Overall, I guess the movie is a clear 2.5 out of 5. Watch it for Smita Patil’s performance though.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-48786960568049761932010-07-06T01:28:00.000+05:302010-07-06T01:31:38.428+05:30The Revival and The Art Movie Mania…<p align="justify">It’s been a lot of weeks (months actually) since I last updated this blog of mine. Somehow, one thing or the other kept me away. Maybe the lack of responses or comments from friends and readers dissuaded me. </p> <p align="justify">However, I began thinking recently that feedback was not the primary reason for initiating this blog – my love for Cinema in general and the common Indian passion for movies was.</p> <p align="justify">So, in an attempt to revive this blog and to ferociously go on this, I am aiming to talk about various movies in the coming few weeks at the rate of about 2 movies per week.</p> <p align="justify">I recently added about 25 movies from the art movie or parallel cinema genre to my DVD collection and I would be picking them at random and talking about some interesting cinematic experiences to begin with.</p> <p align="justify">I am sure not many people would have heard about these movies. I shall talk about the basic plots, add a few screen captures and maybe upload some clips on YouTube (if it is not against copyright rules) as well for all those who share the same flair for Bollywood and cinema in general.</p> <p align="justify">I am willing to loan these disks (mix of DVDs and VCDs) to friends and people who promise to handle them like crystal children and duly return them back in stipulated time frame… and yes, those who are willing to come and pick them up on their own or send me an advance courier fee :)</p> <p align="justify">Here, is a glimpse of what I have on mind.</p> <div align="justify"> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:66721397-FF69-4ca6-AEC4-17E6B3208830:150a811b-a76f-4a80-8efe-8b75a2b4f81b" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 508px; padding-top: 0px"><a style="border:0px" href="http://cid-370efc4debb703bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=browse&resid=370EFC4DEBB703BB!136&type=5"><img style="border:0px" alt="View Art Film Fest" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/TDI6Ht3_OFI/AAAAAAAAK3U/daNCr6Ue6Os/InlineRepresentation06d31f35-b6b3-4308-90f9-9c9f6f1d480c%5B15%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /></a><div style="width:532px;text-align:right;" ><a href="http://cid-370efc4debb703bb.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=browse&resid=370EFC4DEBB703BB!136&type=5">View Full Album</a></div></div> </div> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-47778430692198041312009-12-02T14:40:00.000+05:302009-12-02T14:50:36.660+05:30Pataal Bhairavi (1985)<p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="199" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvRT-BZHI/AAAAAAAAJUs/pMSafSRXzio/title2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="185" border="0" /><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="199" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvVWDz7-I/AAAAAAAAJWM/9KMeAFCNm88/Poster%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" border="0" /> </font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"> <strong><u><font color="#d20000">CAST & CREW</font></u></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="290">G. Hanumant Rao</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="290">K. Bapaiah</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="290"><strong></strong>Bappi Lahiri</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="290"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110">Jeetendra</td> <td valign="top" width="290">Jaya Prada</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110">Kader Khan</td> <td valign="top" width="290">Amjad Khan</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="110">Asrani</td> <td valign="top" width="290">Shakti Kapoor</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154998/fullcredits#cast"><font color="#3d81e4"><strong>HERE</strong></font></a> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Ramchandra aka Ramu is the son of a lowly gardener who lives in the city of Ujjain with his mother and a friend, Hanuman. He falls in love with the princess Indumati and desires to marry her. An evil magician Mantrik along with his disciple Sadajappa in pursuit of the power of the Goddess Pataal Bhairavi wants to sacrifice Ramu before the Goddess. He lures Ramu by promising his riches, however Ramu gets to know Mantrik’s evil intentions and beheads Mantrik. Sadajappa resurrects Mantrik and what ensues is a battle between the good and the evil. Ramu kills the evil Mantrik in the end and marries princess Indumati.</p> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154998/plotsummary">HERE</a><strong></strong> for a complete plot summary and storyline.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p>I had immensely enjoyed Pataal bhairavi as a kid and still love Kader Khan’s rendition of the evil magician in the movie. What I did not know until recently was that this movie was a remake of a Telugu movie by the same name (‘Patala Bhairavi’) which featured screen icon N.T. Ramarao in the lead role. (Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patala_Bhairavi">HERE</a> to read more). </p> <p><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="170" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvZFmawQI/AAAAAAAAJWU/hzvBxT1EUtA/Pataal%20Bhairavi%20116%5B8%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="107" align="right" border="0" />This movie is essentially an Indian mythological adaptation of the story of Aladin. The genie is replaced by a Goddess – Pataal Bhairavi (played by another regular in the Padmalaya camp – Shoma Aanand) who is invoked by uttering the magic words ‘Jai Pataal Bhairavi’ when holding the statue of the Goddess in hand -an easy substitute for rubbing the magic lamp. The difference here is that Goddess Pataal Bhairavi keeps repeating nonchalantly ‘Manav, bol kyaa ichchaa hai teri?’ (What do you desire, human?) till the time the wish to be granted is not mentioned which is kind of funny.</p> <p align="justify">Kader Khan does well as a comic villain and Shakti Kapoor plays an able sidekick to Jeetendra. However it is Amjad Khan who actually excels as ‘Vishvanath Chanchal’ with his comic timing and buffoonery in his endeavors to marry the princess Indumati played by the gorgeous Jaya Prada.</p> <p align="justify">I personally think that the decade of 80s was the creatively the worst decade of Indian cinema. The formula films of this decade hardly gave the actors a chance to break the stereotype moulds that they had been cast in. The commercial formulas were repeated with heavy doses of melodrama, unreal situations and bleak storylines and plots. Jitendra, I feel displayed immaculate market and commercial sensibilities when he headed south and became a favorite<img title="Jeetendra" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="160" alt="Jeetendra" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYva1NOsiI/AAAAAAAAJVA/PGUth7FGkk4/PataalBhairavi0912.jpg?imgmax=800" width="163" align="right" border="0" /> with Padmalaya studios and gave many commercially successful movies like Himmatwala, Tohfa, Pataal Bhairavi, Mawali amongst others even in the era of video and VHS invasion. Though most of these movies would now seem either heavily laden with fake emotions and thin plots or exceedingly funny (specially on the costumes, dances and dialog deliveries), the fact remains that these movies had a mass appeal as per taste of the people who used to visit cinema halls in the 80s. </p> <p align="justify">Pataal Bhairavi is fun to watch if you are a little forgiving about the details that the director failed to take care of. Amjad Khan excels in his fancy dress show and Jeetendra is at his dancing best (don’t chuckle). </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Amjad Khan" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="134" alt="Amjad Khan" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvcUcltyI/AAAAAAAAJVE/nPVbJIP5Ec4/PataalBhairavi1614.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" border="0" /><img title="Amjad Khan" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="133" alt="Amjad Khan" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYveUJkXvI/AAAAAAAAJVI/5_mnkMBx0Is/PataalBhairavi10812.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" border="0" /><img title="Amjad Khan" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="133" alt="Amjad Khan" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvgMYHZVI/AAAAAAAAJVM/OIZNwu6G85w/PataalBhairavi6711.jpg?imgmax=800" width="152" border="0" /></p> <p align="justify">The choreography is bound to get you rolling in laughter. There are typical geometrical formations and scores of ‘extras’ running in the background and lying down in circles, standing in circles and even swimming in circles. Jeetendra is wearing a cape and flying, no running like superman and jumping around with all his latka-jhatkas. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Pataal Bhairavi " style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="Pataal Bhairavi " src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvhjTjt1I/AAAAAAAAJVQ/Ox-clZ1etpM/PataalBhairavi1110.jpg?imgmax=800" width="144" border="0" /><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvjSN766I/AAAAAAAAJVU/RA-11si5-xU/PataalBhairavi186.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" border="0" /><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="200" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvkj5lyqI/AAAAAAAAJVY/90QDPDEQgdg/PataalBhairavi766.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" border="0" /></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="147" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvpTOHR9I/AAAAAAAAJWY/WJRgPyIuFzs/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2021.jpg?imgmax=800" width="241" border="0" /><img title="Pataal Bhairavi" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="147" alt="Pataal Bhairavi" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvsosDyDI/AAAAAAAAJWg/nnjD2ZuA19Q/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2014.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Nirupa Roy" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="140" alt="Nirupa Roy" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvuZQ-C1I/AAAAAAAAJVs/ZAooNxLlVdU/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2058%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="173" align="left" border="0" />Nirupa Roy does a cameo as the Ramu’s ever woeful ‘Maaaa’ and Dimple Kapadia makes a guest appearance gyrating as if she has hurt her backside (supposedly seductively) to a song that goes ‘Chumma chumma –2, mujhko bana le Priya-tamma’ sung by none other than Salma Agha. Yup, our very own Pakistani import who sings in such a heavy nasal voice that all <img title="Dimple Kapadia" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="140" alt="Dimple Kapadia" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvv08P7qI/AAAAAAAAJVw/L0VnlD9GjqY/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2088%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="131" align="right" border="0" />Dimple Kapadia fans are left to wonder that what financial crisis forced Dimple to even accept this song let alone dance to it. The camera angle (and this is what I noticed in all Padmalaya films) is ridiculously low for all such ‘thumkas’. (I shall prove my point when I discuss Himmatwala and add a screen capture of Sridevi dancing before another low placed camera).</p> <p align="justify">I truly feel that the movie should be watched for Kader Khan’s dialogue delivery and the way he goes about reciting ‘Bol Ambe', Bol jagdambe’ and his evil business. His falling for the princess is a little out of tune with his character and his shaving off his beard which apparently contained his magical powers at the slightest of instigation becomes difficult to digest even in this bizarre magical tale. </p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><img title="Kader Khan" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="160" alt="Kader Khan" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYvzqgnkWI/AAAAAAAAJWo/m6RtVHAMhQo/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2069.jpg?imgmax=800" width="176" border="0" /><img title="Kader Khan" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="160" alt="Kader Khan" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYv3ztvG_I/AAAAAAAAJWw/ySyp22CYOZ0/Pataal%20Bhairavi%20112.jpg?imgmax=800" width="177" border="0" /><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><img title="Kader Khan" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="160" alt="Kader Khan" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxYv6gOcDsI/AAAAAAAAJW8/datzmpB0hWY/Pataal%20Bhairavi%2001.jpg?imgmax=800" width="176" border="0" /></font></u></strong></font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"></font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"></font></u></strong></p> <p><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MUSIC</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Bappi Lahiri dishes out some foot tapping numbers and one song ‘Mehmaan nazar ki’ stands out. However the lyrics are a big let down. Consider this that the song ‘Mehmaan..’ actually goes something like this ‘Mehmaan nazar ki ban jaa, ik raat ke liye..’ which is kind of creepy considering that when translated it means ‘Be my guest for a night..ahem’. So when you are watching this movie with the kids, just ensure that they do not pick up any lyrics. (But then it is still better than Emran Hashmi crooning ‘kabhi mere saath koi raat guzaar..’ now what can be more direct than that? Anyway.)</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">OVERALL</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">I recommend you watch ‘Pataal Bhairavi’ for the following few reasons: </p> <ul> <li> <div align="justify">Some very funny dancing and high pressure dialog delivery by our own ‘Jumping Jack - Jeetu Bhai’.</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">Some ‘ass’tounding gyrations by the gorgeous Jaya Prada.</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">Amjad Khan dancing in a huge Ghaghra-Choli along with Silk Smitha (rare right)</div> </li> <li> <div align="justify">And above all, Kader Khan essaying the role of the evil magician (5 star).</div> </li> </ul> <p align="justify">Enjoy!!</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-1216235666807641872009-11-20T16:32:00.000+05:302011-03-16T01:08:54.875+05:30Maalamaal (1988)<p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><img title="Maalamaal" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="177" alt="Maalamaal" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxOlwe1nFqI/AAAAAAAAJTA/ho4s0Rw4law/Maalamaal0324.jpg?imgmax=800" width="210" border="0"><img title="Maalamaal" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="176" alt="Maalamaal" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxOl0595NWI/AAAAAAAAJTE/i0-qzmWMM54/poster111.jpg?imgmax=800" width="169" border="0"></font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"> <strong><u><font color="#d20000">CAST & CREW</font></u></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Bipan K. Dewan</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Kewal Sharma</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Annu Malik</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Naseeruddin Shah</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Poonam Dhillon</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Aditya Pancholi</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Mandakini</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Satish Shah</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Amjad Khan</td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify">Click <strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300160/fullcredits#cast">HERE</a></strong> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Raj Kumar Saxena aka Raja (Naseeruddin Shah) and Govind Sakharam Godbole aka Govind (Satish Shah) are friends who somehow survive in Mumbai living by their limited means until one day Raja gets to know that he is sole heir of a property worth 300 crores. However, Raja’s eccentric grandfather had put forth a condition following which Raja must spend 30 crore rupees in 30 days to inherit the entire sum. The conditions attached forbid him to make any property or buy anything for himself. He is also not allowed divulge the secret to anyone else including his best friend Govind. How he spends the entire sum until the last minute is what the film is all about.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Maalamaal" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="165" alt="Maalamaal" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxOl413uzzI/AAAAAAAAJTM/Z_6KQzfKKWw/Maalamaal04%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="143" align="left" border="0">Every time that I watch this movie I wish for one such inheritance myself. I am sure today it is much easier to spend 1 crore a day as compared to when the movie made it to the theatres. Back then there were no malls selling international brands or gizmos or gadgets that we have today and sure 30 crores then was lot more money than it is today. </p> <p align="justify"> The chemistry between Naseeruddin Shah and Satish Shah is amazing. Together they lift an otherwise ordinary script to a position where it becomes an enjoyable watch. The humor is situation oriented and is definitely lot better than the slapstick affair that was so characteristic of the movies in the 80s. The situational comedy is able to successfully keep a smile on one’s face throughout which I guess is a rarity in Bollywood.</p> <p align="justify"><img title="Sunil Gavaskar" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="109" alt="Sunil Gavaskar" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxOmB_XHGlI/AAAAAAAAJTg/ne0gMPvhMcI/Maalamaal4517.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" align="left" border="0">The fun part begins when Naseer accepts the challenge of spending 30 crore rupees in 30 days and goes on to hire his staff (Dilip Tahil as his personal photographer and Praveen Kumar as his bodyguard) takes along all his friends from the slums to a plush hotel (who go on to do the laundry at the hotel’s swimming pool), spends 10 lakh rupees on getting his special ‘Bidi’ from Gangu Bai (played by Lalita Pawar), plays cricket in the hotel suite (in turn breaking a chandelier among other articles, contesting an election and yes, playing a cricket match against Sunil Gavaskar’s XI. Oh yes, our dear Raja is the strike batsman of the local team Dharavi XI and nurtures a dream of breaking Gavaskar’s record. The match with Sunil Gavaskar is the surprise package in the film and the legendary batsman plays himself in the movie. </p> <p align="justify">However, Poonam Dhillon had little to do and Aditya Pancholi was more like a situational prop (like many other of his films during that time). I still do not know why was Mandakini cast at all in this story. I guess with little more slick editing this movie could have been a major money spinner at the box office. </p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MUSIC</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Annu Malik spills out the musical score for the movie. The songs are pretty ordinary otherwise. The title track kind of grows on you as it is repeated a couple of times in bits and pieces. There is another song which goes something like “Arra ra rura raara” sung by Alisha Chinoy which I found to be just OK. (Which means that you can listen to one stanza max and then shall have to search for the remote control to forward the rest). </p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">OVERALL</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Money" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="106" alt="Money" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g2YFfWOm298/SxOmEasG7qI/AAAAAAAAJTo/Jj9AezvsQ4k/Maalamaal63%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="119" align="right" border="0">The movie portrays a canvas which is larger than life and unrealistic and yet it does so in a fairly simple way. I guess if cinema inspires a moviegoer to dream, this movie is the dream that all people nurture in one way or the other. </p> <p align="justify">Watch it for its sheer fun, some golden comic timing from Satish Shah and Naseeruddin Shah and well, for the dream of being ‘Maalamaal’ some day. </p> <p align="justify">Enjoy!! </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-87600936035158952882009-11-12T11:17:00.000+05:302011-03-16T01:14:18.401+05:30Sparsh (1980)<p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"></font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000"><img title="Sparsh 31" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-right-width: 0px" height="180" alt="Sparsh 31" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAmOU7k7yFhSXpzMv2QsCptEfhiRTzxsCF4EbFuW9qgG1xRQw7wDdLt4XFhOHP-d9EYUtFvfMs71_jg0ri5dknCECTfQqUxAtWO2Guv5ZI-bIw-FIe2VRVTf7oFwiq46j1Ay6zATCHdAg/?imgmax=800" width="179" border="0"><img title="Sparsh 02" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-right-width: 0px" height="175" alt="Sparsh 02" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiR4w8kPxHKZmozZRngkxVCBkoUJcUTa3A1AyamK8-YEgY1TCHx1th_DeKLwvm9F-QSR3O8aMeHCOE5xUtgl00YTovDjk_38CkPydnm4mpL9ADaf1RZnkybBMJtb2gZADvMtOqYUeh_PwO/?imgmax=800" width="212" border="0"> </font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">CAST & CREW</font></u></strong></p> <div align="justify"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Basu Bhattacharya</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Sai Paranjpe</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Kanu Rai</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Naseeruddin Shah</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Shabana Azmi</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Sudha Chopra</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Mohan Gokhale</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Om Puri</td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p align="justify">Click <strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079938/fullcredits#cast">HERE</a></strong> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><i><b><img title="Sparsh 03" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="131" alt="Sparsh 03" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4SK_oq6oizDt_de4ESmurNvKXQHW4ele9cNqOE69Mr2deEUuWSjhnBtmn8bPZ2ZzMm0ofARcRhFK30hfwtP_Q_NeSDhd3n4al64A3w23c9kcNOl8vQAAR3gvOZpjKUZRkPUbqzZW90GX/?imgmax=800" width="186" align="left" border="0"> Sparsh</b></i> (Devnagari: स्पर्श, <i>Touch</i>) is a 1980 Bollywood feature film directed by Sai Paranjpye starring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naseeruddin_Shah">Naseeruddin Shah</a> (playing Anirudh) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabana_Azmi">Shabana Azmi</a> (playing Kavita Prasad) in the lead roles of a visually impaired principal of a blind school and a young widow who joins the school as a teacher. The film remains most memorable for its subtle but strong performances and a very realistic script revealing the emotional divide between the "Blind" and the "Sighted”.</p> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparsh_(film)"><strong>HERE</strong></a> for a complete plot summary and storyline.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">I saw this movie first time on DD National Network when I was about 10 years of age. The movie made such a lasting impression on my young mind that I could never take out certain scenes and situations out of my head. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Naseeruddin Shah" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="138" alt="Naseeruddin Shah" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixTSs1M7KwhOZtk8tpUnKhqzjnIiyI_SDuX9RiAmovayUdwDox_pq4D40rvu5JkWFyD6_TeoK4sdZmt49majaLphs-QkXUfzGlaUgThWwDK1_XfueHBqHf-T2-uP-DolPYmTetuCIDCUy/?imgmax=800" width="176" align="right" border="0"> Years later I wrote my first play for a school performance loosely based around the character played by Naseeruddin Shah. The play was stalled due to some reasons but I could never completely forget the movie. Sai Paranjpe is better known for her lighter movies like 'Katha' but she teams up with Basu Bhattacharya here (who is again known for movies around mature subjects around matrimony mainly - Avishkar, Aastha and Griha Pravesh to name a few) to render a tail that touches your soul and makes you feel for people who are denied the gift of vision like no other movie ever previously did. </p> <p align="justify">The fact that the movie went on to win 3 national awards (Best Hindi Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actor) despite its shoe string budget is a remarkable achievement in its own right. </p> <p align="justify">The movie was largely shot in a blind school in Delhi and most of the children who acted in the movie were actually visually impaired. This not only adds to the realism of the movie but renders it that earthy and genuine feeling which makes you wanting to reach out to every single kid in the movie. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Sparsh 24" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="133" alt="Sparsh 24" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClxYr9_Mb8c-GVdB-7D-k_KXXXw46dHVhflzAXaoWtMFagurNOYF1hnkYdaLL7pXjXXkWbqBFXobeiLuIYIz2ej-OX4KWyt3lc1ul2gH4gpMla-ZOGgnK1_iUs_gVI_RAJlIHg4yjyIc-/?imgmax=800" width="169" align="right" border="0">Naseeruddin Shah is an acting institute in himself. He delivers with a conviction which surpasses and sits high over his other performances till date. The beauty with which he underplays his character and strives to keep his dignity and self reliance intact and is a complex emotion to understand and depict on screen. Personally I find the scene where he gets furious on the waiter in the restaurant when the bill is presented to Shabana Azmi, depicted exceedingly well. While Naseeruddin Shah portrays the dignity of a visually impaired person striving to find his way in the world, Shabana Azmi plays the widow who finds her solace in working for the blind school and is struggling to adjust to their 'different' world. <br></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Sparsh 19" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="155" alt="Sparsh 19" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtfQ-rH5N24To-fnRc6YFM6aw8sru9mpGJfbLFXtDWyiCUnfSi754ZS92xr-UBhS3pHoU9F-IlA_W_7bwXmfnM_1xznK2T0X4tBzyRZXvKf_e8aRGkKrfpmWcdVR31hDv3HonSEOgZms6/?imgmax=800" width="207" align="left" border="0">There is a scene where she stands in the classroom and asks the students to introduce themselves. She begins by saying “Yahan se shuru karte hain” and points to a child forgetting that she is in a blind school and the words 'here' and 'there' have little meaning. The entire sequence is simple yet very powerful and moving. There are other short sequences and sub-plots built into the story which bind the audience. Be it the scene where a doctor warns Naseer to be careful of his eyes after he hurts himself not realizing that he is blind, children playing cricket with trinkets made from soda bottle caps, rehearsing the lines of a play and the story of 'Paplu' wanting to be accepted and loved as other challenged children are quite moving. </p> <p align="justify">I thought the shot where Shabana Azmi picks up a saree by feeling its texture than looking at the color and design is nothing but a mark of directorial genius and exceptional script writing. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Mohan Gokhale" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="89" alt="Mohan Gokhale" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmkTObgObOcVIvE6ALprciYrKs1subr-161pPyNJU5WSKlOEqIjoywMwFM83izBtoyxdbaIwXK6mwiSfhBTotMV4zxWwSpmIimlSUpwV8gyT7jxSLJkUMJeI-JxyNDWTzrrYv0siCJaQn/?imgmax=800" width="106" align="left" border="0">Om Puri is hardly recognizable in his lean young version as compared to when you see him today. There isn’t much there in the script for him and he renders in a brief supporting role as another fellow visually impaired friend of Anirudh. I always believed Mohan Gokhale could have gone on to play bigger meatier parts. It is sad that his talent was largely wasted in side roles in most of his movies. Probably one would remember a tele serial called 'Mr. Yogi' as one of his main works which was aired during early years of Doordarshan. </p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MUSIC</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">There are three songs in the movie all of which are sung by the actress and singer Sulakshna Pandit. The music is by veteran Kanu Rai. Additionally there is a piece by Santoor maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan who also makes a brief appearance in the film as himself.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">OVERALL</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">A clear 4 out of 5, this movie is particularly impressive for its simplicity and I would suggest that you watch it with your kids and in turn teach them to be thankful of the mercies and their gifts that otherwise are taken for granted. </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-75933837568273852292009-11-10T10:00:00.000+05:302011-03-16T01:15:33.783+05:30Let’s Talk (2002)<p></p> <p> <img title="Boman Irani" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="177" alt="Boman Irani" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8fFYrsmCGQEKjT8Pyu4nXb_tEV2rxPYB363mPP9gLaQFUyLga-DFxhEwggeF8-iIsv8EpRKe3Ej2HjeVGGqCCBp_bIgpRgP1kEQDY4K0OY69aDz68QrXp-0l47fI5BnRtnggndFTA9pd/?imgmax=800" width="162" border="0"><img title="Boman Irani" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-right-width: 0px" height="173" alt="Boman Irani" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Pv6e2s4pTW7wRXWnxRIpL4MUrDsWtuIpuxKgEDtxSmzBVkpeo8bwLB37R7U252n0WxGWqFj4vYisFMkCbcs7Wp4UdjroyhrPS5YN5BgmMZ7gdltUxSng7Iv5Jtfant2aCVzGzINsYAIY/?imgmax=800" width="205" border="0"></p> <p><strong><u><font color="#d20000">CAST & CREW</font></u></strong></p> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="405" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Shift Focus</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Ram Madhvani</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Ram Sampath</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Boman Irani</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Maia Katrak</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Anahita Oberoi</td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Click <strong><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339296/fullcredits#cast">HERE</a></strong> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew</p> <p><strong><u><font color="#d20000">PLOT SUMMARY</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify">Radhika Sareen (played by Maia Katrak) is pregnant and the baby is not her husband's. The dilemma is that if she tells her husband, how will he react? What will he do? The film un-spools from Radhika's mind as she imagines her husband's possible reactions to her predicament. She debates on whether she should tell her husband and plays out various scenarios in her mind about how he will react to her confession.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">MY TAKE</font></u></strong></p> <p align="justify"><a href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Vidhi\Application%20Data\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\3d64d138-e53d-43c1-ae37-ba30e0dc0dea\Let's%20Talk-%2021%5b5%5d.jpg"></a></a>Often the greatest distance one travels in life is the distance which can exist between two people living together. This movie is probably one of the best case studies on human quandary about situations one can not run away from and the issues generally associated with communication or rather lack of communication in matrimony. It remains one of my all time favorites and incidentally is the first movie that I purchased online. The treatment to this movie is almost theatrical and it binds you till the end. </p> <p align="justify">The range of emotions portrayed by Boman Irani leave you awestruck. From being suicidal in despair to being light headed about the whole situation, Boman does it all. He essays the jealous hues in a personality with as much ease as being practical or self piteous. </p> <p align="justify"><img title="Boman Irani" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="139" alt="Boman Irani" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDtCdFGYRZL4OsGstya648eSSZrtCFoCbY_CmGdxlN4nBfL5ab5t8ProzA1jhJ8Ur9VVORBgQ_nwECVMQ0gdjXSMx_bVVzNkJqRjG_xOMlRlp-1v7eZU6I3dgSQ7y3kogizxODtxrpxlk/?imgmax=800" width="216" align="right" border="0">I believe that he beautifully portrays the egoistic shade in the character and takes it to a point where I guess anyone who watches his performance shall be able to identify a hue of this portrayal in their personality. The shot where he tries hitting a tennis ball with the umbrella and once he gets the shot after multiple attempts and then flashes from his balcony is simply outstanding.</p> <p align="justify"><img title="Maia Katrak" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="123" alt="Maia Katrak" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xy40pyxHiBGRTSqsxGTt3Gb36oYWCif20ina7yryR8HgNurzgT4mznUeCNvGjmY7eR1CLI6xJKt7olx7tCkg8iimpJoYV8I1KB-hNgUL3szbR8v_UxY0z9hOMFy-s1qX3g1sbIHh6ofZ/?imgmax=800" width="200" align="left" border="0">Very little is known about Maia Katrak outside this movie. Perhaps this is the only movie she has appeared in. The CD cover says that she has about sixteen years of experience in advertising business and runs her own <a href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Vidhi\Application%20Data\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\3d64d138-e53d-43c1-ae37-ba30e0dc0dea\Let's%20Talk-%2020%5b4%5d.jpg"></a><a href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Vidhi\Application%20Data\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\3d64d138-e53d-43c1-ae37-ba30e0dc0dea\Let's%20Talk-%2020%5b4%5d.jpg"></a>creative shop 'The Republic' in Mumbai. Incidentally she is also one of the writers for the movie and I believe she has done a tremendous job acting out her role too. She plays out her character of Radhika Sareen to perfection. <a href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Vidhi\Application%20Data\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\3d64d138-e53d-43c1-ae37-ba30e0dc0dea\Let's%20Talk-%2037%5b4%5d.jpg"></a><a href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Vidhi\Application%20Data\Windows%20Live%20Writer\PostSupportingFiles\3d64d138-e53d-43c1-ae37-ba30e0dc0dea\Let's%20Talk-%2037%5b4%5d.jpg"></a>She looks suave and sophisticated and mesmerizes with her easy charm and makes you fall in love with her despite the difficult character she plays in the movie.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>MUSIC</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">There is only one song in the movie and it plays as a subtle theme in the background. Nothing much to write home about on that front.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>OVERALL</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img title="Let's Talk- 15" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="140" alt="Let's Talk- 15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0HJEPP8HHV7rYBakNY23tkOWKBZYpCe8nApD76J9kTB2KlWCT3SbJfLYw7pTECNEYzUtbhAonnWolvD6QVphmlFT3J1_CGDdNpYFk_5cIB2HXzsdxSQlSEvjdWebw6kjyAOtXCy3k1BO/?imgmax=800" width="225" align="left" border="0">I have already recommended this film to many a friends and would suggest this to all you married people out there to sit back and watch this movie with your spouse in one sitting. At times, it does become a little slow and personally I did not quite understand the significance of 'Krishna' sightings mentioned in the movie, but did feel the sequence where 'Radhika' dismisses the beggar dressed as Lord Krishna is thought provoking. Overall a good <strong>4 out of 5</strong>, sincere attempt at movie making considering that it was a first for most of the cast and crew. My verdict go rent out the DVD, buy it from <a href="http://www.shemaroo.com/index.asp">Shemaroo's web site</a> or borrow it from me and do watch it. </p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-44947168844425814512009-11-01T12:17:00.000+05:302011-03-16T01:24:25.103+05:30Coolie (1983)<p><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="137" alt="Coolie- 03" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNMXN7g5DS7TguRQ7tA9CzcYFAqj36E8aU0abpafroQVYC_ALxr5sos5msXxEhj_J4bfG5JNuogCGYIVsWhmJY-yQaA_bTj7eDl6LSLCya0Qx8J3T9R_rgQ_wdhG-W46RiA810tsEml0X/" width="162" align="left" border="0"> <img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="136" alt="Coolie- 04" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCuCMpgtm8-sCJVGmb74BC1iPwhdk1UpGq7nsRAoW6RtIYGSr-ul-wuYYxO7DNXX5C7Woh9G-64pfbYt5hb5cAz1I-NLf802OLyftNyC6GL32loa_3gqcIAJ1Ie85j6AJJRIQFNfm7zL1/" width="162" border="0"> </p> <p><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>CAST & CREW</u></font></strong></p> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Produced By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Ketan Desai</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Directed By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200">Manmohan Desai, <br>Prayag Raj</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Music By</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong></strong>Laxmikant - Pyarelal</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><strong>Starring</strong></td> <td valign="top" width="200"> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Amitabh Bachchan</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Rati Agnihotri</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Rishi Kapoor</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Shoma Aanand</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Satyen Kappu</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Waheeda Rehman</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200">Suresh Oberoi</td> <td valign="top" width="200">Kader Khan</td></tr></tbody></table> <p align="justify">Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085361/fullcredits"><strong>HERE</strong></a> for a complete listing of Cast & Crew.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>PLOT SUMMARY</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">It is extremely difficult to summarize the plot in short for the story has several sub-plots and situations that require a seasoned Hindi movie buff to decipher. In a nutshell, it goes something like this. </p> <p align="justify">Zafar Khan (played by Kader Khan) is obsessed with Salma (Waheeda Rehman) and wants to marry her at any cost. However, Salma and her father do not consent, Zafar kills the father, is arrested, and imprisoned for 10 years only to find out on his return that Salma has married Aslam Khan (Satyen Kappu) and has a son called Iqbal (Amitabh Bachchan). Zafar sabotages a dam, drowns Salma's village & abducts Salma. <font color="#000080">(Yes, a dam nothing less).</font></p> <p align="justify">Salma however has lost her memory, doctor advises another child and Zafar arranges for one from an orphanage. Iqbal is rescued by his uncle and raised whereas Zafar's son Sunny (Rishi Kapoor) from orphanage is actually the uncle's son and Iqbal's cousin. Iqbal grows up to be a Coolie (porter) on the railway station and some sort of a local leader. Sunny is a struggling reporter with a local newspaper. The plot is further complicated by the two heroines Julie (Rati Agnihotri) who is out for revenge from Aslam (Iqbal's father) for her father's death (guest appearance Amrish Puri) and Deepa (Shoma Aanand) who is a childhood sweetheart of Sunny. Turns out that the Julie's culprit is Zafar as well. <font color="#000080">(Zafar seems to be everywhere and yet there is no sign of police)</font></p> <p align="justify">As story unfolds, all lost and found cases are returned to their roots and Zafar is confronted by Iqbal and Sunny and punished for his wrong doings.</p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>MY TAKE</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify">There is one common bond between all Bachchan movies of the 80s and that is their larger than life depiction of everything and the unrealistic situations and sequences that hold the story line. However, I guess all these movies are still high on the entertainment quotient and it is largely because of the charisma that big B holds till date. </p> <p align="justify">The lost and found formula has been a part of almost all Manmohan Desai flicks and it works in this piece as well. The sincerity with which all actors have acted out the most bizarre situations is amazing.</p> <p align="justify">Let us begin with Kader Khan's obsession with not so young looking Waheeda Rehman. His submerging an entire village by sabotaging a dam is truly an outstanding act to win a lady's love. (I am amazed somebody even thought of such a situation). Nobody takes him to task for the massacre is a different story altogether.</p> <p align="justify">The lost and found rituals and the memory loss has been a tested formula. However, I have in my life never come across anyone with a memory loss myself. (OK, I am not talking about students during examination time). The doctor's diagnosis and prescription about giving the lost Salma another child is again one small step for a doctor and one giant leap for medical science.</p> <p align="justify">I bow down to Amitabh sir for essaying the role with such a conviction that nothing seems out of place. Not even his kidnapping the heroine from her house, breaking the furniture at Suresh Oberoi's place or taking in 6 bullets and surviving in the climax.</p> <p align="justify">The chemistry between Rati Agnihotri and Amitabh is amazing. He abducts her, brings her to his home and chains her to a bed and still when she hears about news of his staged death, she comes weeping dressed in black and confesses <font color="#000080">"Pehli baar jab maine tumhe railway station par dekha toh mere dil mein kuch hua"</font> (Now that I regard as some serious upbringing issue). She continues <font color="#000080">"Tum sabke saamne mujhe <strong>'Luggage'</strong> ki tarah uthaa ke apne ghar le gaye. Dar-asal tumhari yehi ada, yehi mardaangi mujhe pasand aa gayi".</font><font color="#000000"> So clearly if you love someone, kidnap her. </font></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="135" alt="Coolie- 12" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jllLUoKW9y1GjCpXqFYwAgTKMg5-QjkVwW3tB5y_KrDwiUq5-8sNfla4D2Rj1on09gWuLqT3B_E7ck83C_aHpuL9PvMe9NP6YnR6jl4NC4lpzwGwF2Jxj5oEeAcvFuMHjxkD5mffz4cZ/" width="162" align="left" border="0">Another aspect worth mentioning about the movie is the little love story between Shoma Aanad and Rishi Kapoor. Incidentally they are childhood sweethearts and miss each other so much that Shoma Aanad becomes a junkie and Rishi Kapoor an alcoholic as they grow up. However, none of them thought of noting down each other's address or writing to each other and being in touch all the years. They did get large wall size prints of the school photo that they had and lived by it all the time though. The song follows "Mujhe Peene ka shauq nahi, peeta hoon gham bhulaane ko". Hmmm.. I sure wish they had Orkut or Facebook in their times. It's a lot of 'gum' otherwise flowing freely in this big bad world.</p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="136" alt="Coolie- 28" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oYxNtxqEfOnve5EYtHKgpzV99fklV1lGoIfS3vwOK7JBL1vfeqOw3n33bqbL0c0jlM7wHfaEntiRhUtEV3QK8t03BB82OePxaoOsBLXxgEUO7s3WV3PiKPOft31GdnR0udQbvIBkyOZp/" width="163" align="left" border="0">The movie however has its moments and these are largely the comic scenes perfected by Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor with such ease that you double up even at the slapstick fare. Be it Rishi Kapoor eating the newspapers with Sambhar or Amitabh Bachchan cooking the omelette with the Yoga session on radio. I wonder who does not know how to cook an egg otherwise? </p> <p align="justify">The greatest USP of this film was perhaps the injury that Mr. Bachchan sustained during a fight sequence when Puneet Issar "accidently" hit him in his abdomen. The film had to be shelved for several weeks before the shooting could be resumed. So much was the hype created around the movie that Manmohan Desai actually froze a frame and added the captions in the final release footage about the same. </p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"> <u>MUSIC</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="167" alt="Coolie- 32" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUErxHv4GPHm_dLxotd5IzHVHOJDSx1LgcshGdMhoPFnAQUJgMx9sLVcYE2NXftsxfTne2GFO7CoHRG_NgoM1SfAc8DkeYBVxfRtRroWdbpCP5nwu190KcRRLk432DXmPmLuLZCmMhGqe/" width="200" align="left" border="0"></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="167" alt="VTS_02_1.VOB_000579571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnwlfrgGjcz129lk_qv2VbfUyGP8W6NRdKAj5qTnSxK7vtSOwetY2MqfmKccswn7ObYr6tyDYz1ToYFcjiWYjIoSRGQE1eVt6kpQogZqRN5Bi6fwEutMS__sblT8dStHuVZYEhOrwjQ92/" width="200" align="left" border="0">On the music front, I guess Laxmikant Pyarelal have done a reasonably fair job. "Accident ho gaya Rabba Rabba" I remember was a hit and so was "Humko Ishak hua hai yaaron" sung by Shabbir Kumar. I still sing "Saari Duniya ka bojh hum uthaate hain" every time I carry shopping bags for my wife. Personally I like "Jawaani ki rail kahin chhoot naa jaaye". The song and choreography sure is naughty and suggestive. I could see similar steps in Accident ho gaya and Jawaani ki rail, looks like doing dance steps was fairly simple then. <strong><font color="#d20000"> </font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><strong><font color="#d20000"><u>OVERALL</u></font></strong></p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="157" alt="Coolie- 06" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPElk-f2yrYRiQkfoohaLeiAhqvufOKIU9PR9VCP8sq3QQgUU9v7cSs0LivzX6f60p895-5odrUo46RaMERGYWucWMqFgHWeU1HCl-IGMTkA1E4dOI0MN2jwdHAjFPxI_OBGxx2_RTke3/" width="182" align="left" border="0"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 5px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="157" alt="Coolie- 07" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBePQSPXuJjpFqfAbotEFzLtaXFot1krvv6MJmfQIzpiduzieVaPHoVXcQLVS3MBao1B2LCodQiRVFSOSsVbOXFtPq7Dn8xofQQMr4iNOjEKDZqcWyT_HQqTl3RZSLff-cvYvdAZGGeXPM/" width="181" align="left" border="0"> </p> <p align="justify">I guess there is something about Amitabh in this movie that makes it such a special one. The opening sequence where he leaps in the air and runs towards the train is imprinted in the minds of many. I remember Mallika Sehrawat admitted on a chat show having been smitten by that running shot. Apart from that I guess the climax where Kader Khan empties a revolver on Amitabh and he takes in all the bullets is a high energy scene as well. </p> <p align="justify"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; border-right-width: 0px" height="154" alt="VTS_02_1.VOB_000668629" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXLo7dymRMkIQ1jmW7uD-IHEa9nsirOUPByESRovhtkCwbsHw5BQFnD9vdA8-1NFvjc3krjNDU_Qr90aArlB5bLTPITgktWSJ_86qzmNu5TLbt0dCp-JF7F3B4V8HKwivedatUGhqkDGJ/" width="186" align="right" border="0"></p> <p align="justify">All in all, this one is a great Sunday entertainer. Ideal treat for all Indian Masala lovers. </p> <p align="justify">Just ensure that you don't think too much during the course of the movie. Sip some cola, grab some popcorn and watch it for pure Big B Magic alone.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Of course, you could root for Allah-Rakha – the falcon as well.</p> <p>Enjoy !!!</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5476735193309652302.post-48991545880277697742009-10-28T00:00:00.000+05:302009-12-25T19:24:09.624+05:30The First Post..<p align="justify"><strong><u><font color="#d20000">About Indian Cinema, This Blog & Me</font></u></strong> </p> <p align="justify">Watching movies is perhaps one of the most popular hobbies of people worldwide after eating and sleeping. Movies bring people closer to their dreams, to a life that they yearn for. It gives them an escape route from their own path. </p> <p align="justify">Starting in 1913, the Indian film industry is nearly 100 years old. Not only the economics and art of film making has undergone a sea change in these last 100 years, the audience and the masses who have patronized this form of art have evolved as well. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_India#History"><strong>Click Here</strong></a> to know all about the history of Indian cinema. </p> <p align="justify">I introduce myself as an avid movie watcher who has been brought up on a rich and regular diet of Hindi movies. I remember the time my family bought its first color TV way back in 1981, VCRs were making a foray into the Indian markets. I guess things were never same thereafter. </p> <p align="justify">I inherited the love for Hindi movies from my dad who would gladly rent out a VCR (until we bought our own in 1985) and we would run a movie marathon on holidays watching at times 3 - 4 movies back to back. There was hardly any movie which could escape us (and I am necessarily talking the trash movies of 80s including films like 'Khatron ke khiladi', 'Daku Hasina', 'Sherni', 'Taaqatwar', 'Marte Dum Tak', 'Jungbaaz', 'Zalzala' I can go on and on. </p> <p align="justify">The following years saw me follow each movie with a keen eye, looking up technical details and other aspects as well. The camera angles used, the way action sequences were synchronized and the songs were choreographed as well as the sets and costumes that were involved all formed a part of my discussions. </p> <p align="justify">I would have gladly took up film making as a study (like million others I am sure) had it been a more permissible and financially viable option for average middle class Indians.</p> <p align="justify">This blog is an attempt made to vent out all the movie gyan that has been accumulating over the years and a means to document my reviews and opinions on movies that I have been an audience to.</p> <p align="justify">In my coming posts I shall take up various genres of Indian cinema talking about movies that most people would not even have heard of (I am certain) and others that have interested me over the years. I shall also try and not limit myself to either the commercial masala movies, the parallel cinema or the B-grade stuff alone (Oh yes, I shall be talking a lot about those. I am a huge fan of Kanti Shah and Ramsay brothers).</p> <p align="justify">So, join me in this journey into the world of movies and magic and freely comment upon the movies I showcase on this blog and together let us try and bring some glorious and some lost names to the fore.</p> <p align="justify">I shall look forward to hear from you.</p> Himanshu Tandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06937412044722956222noreply@blogger.com2