Posts Tagged ‘priyanka chopra’

Mixed Feelings about Agneepath: Film Review

Posted: January 27, 2012 in Uncategorized
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** Spoiler alert ** : There is some mention of the storyline here, and if you do not want to get any such hints, and you do plan to see the film, then you shouldn’t read this blog post!

I have little memory of the old Agneepath. Except for the legendary dialog that spoke, “Vijay Dinanath Chavan.. aaj maut ke saath apna appintment hai.. appintment!”, there is not much else that I remembered of that film.

Yet, the new Agneepath brought back memories of the 1980s, and the angry young man genre that Amitabh lived and thrived on. And while that was good for nostalgia sake, the genre: a) is out of place in today’s age of style and panache, even in thrill, and b) has Amitabh written all over it, whether you like it or not!

That seems to be the movie’s biggest challenge to overcome.

With no decent film releasing in recent times, and with the Hrithik magic, and the Agneepath remake curiosity,  full houses were ensured on the first day, which happened to be a national holiday as well. Whether the initial will convert into reasonable sustenance of a couple of weeks or not, is questionable?

So let’s look at the good parts first.

It is an out and out action film. To the point of saying that it is one of the most violent Hindi films released in recent times. Lots of blood, knives, bullets, punches.. in short, gore. Now, I put this in the good part, and also in the bad, I guess. Good, because as pure action genre, it is power packed. But beyond a point, it gets to be a little much.

Priyanka in her small role, does a good spunky Mumbai chawl, bindaas girl. Like K3G’s Kajol was from Chandni Chowk!

Sanjay Dutt looks a menacing Kancha. Yes, after a long time, a Hindi film has shown a truly villainous look. Compliments to the visualizer of the look.

It is nice to see Rishi Kapoor coming up with a good performances, every now and then. Also good to see him getting nice, meaty roles.

Another old timer, Zarina Wahab is seen on screen after a long time. But her role is miniscule, with not much room to emote!

Katrina Kaif’s Cheekni Chameli had become a hit well before the release of the film. Unlike a lot of other item girls who do not put much energy into their dances, but let the movement of the camera and the glamour of the look (think Deepika in Dum Maro Dum) make it happen for them, one has to grant Katrina full marks for hard work. With a Brit accent, hardly being able to speak decent Hindi, if she has made it to the top today, it is not just because of her looks, but also because of the intense effort she seems to be putting into her work. This song is an example of the same.

My only worry about this song is.. no, my fear in fact.. that this will be played a lot at parties. And I shudder to see socialite women making the moves that Katrina makes in this song. Oh my God!!

Finally, Hrithik is fabulous as an action hero. Quiet, intense, angry.. he brings alive the Amitabh of the 1980s.

So that said, what are the minuses then?

The extreme violence for one. It gets to be too much!

Also that where the storyline is based, is certainly not contemporary, and would not quite qualify as ‘period’. And which is where it hangs in the middle, sort of. We don’t know whether to view it as a ‘now’ story – it isn’t – and whether to view it as historical – which again, it isn’t.

Rauf Lala peddling drugs galore AND doing human flesh trade openly in Mumbai, and the police being aware, but unable to do anything, seemed strange. Unless I have NO idea of what the real Mumbai was / is like?!

Also where the protagonist, the angry man looking for revenge, attempts to get sympathy / understanding from the audience, that he is killing many with his cocaine trade (while he is shown to release the girls from the flesh trade of Rauf Lala) is questionable.

Finally, the way I see it, for a movie that has anger as an undertone throughout, the anger itself is not very visible. The storyline is not developed that well, or the emotions do not come out that strongly, somehow. Unlike say, a Deewar, where Amitabh’s anger is permanent virtually.

So all in all, if you can tolerate oodles of violence, do give it a shot. And if you can’t, then you must totally avoid this one.

Saat Khoon Maaf: Mujhe Maaf Kar, Bhardwaj..

Posted: February 20, 2011 in Uncategorized
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When I am sitting in a theatre watching a film, and I find myself constantly shifting my position in the seat, or periodically checking the phone for email or messages, or generally being less attentive to the screen, it means that the film did not absorb me to that extent.

I found myself doing exactly that, in Saat Khoon Maaf.

After having said great things about Vishal Bhardwaj, it is unfortunate that I have to write about the first Bhardwaj film that did not work for me!

First of all, the structure of the film… like seven mini-episodes. Not sure if that works so well. It did not, for me. I would much rather have a  good single story from start to end.

Of course, this was a single story, with the central character of Priyanka, but individual husband-isodes, seemed like episodes of a soap opera. I had come to see a feature film and not a soap opera!

Priyanka herself was very disappointing. For the central, most significant role in the film, she came out seeming very ordinary, in all respects.

The film was dark too. Dark and dull.

Once you see the pattern – and well, you’d have also picked that up from media even before getting into the theatre – you could see it coming. Not leaving room for suspense of any kind, nor any intrigue. Almost becoming repetitive, and predictable.

That again, did not make the fare exciting, therefore.

Also at the end of it, I’d wonder, “so, what was the point of all this, anyway?”

With that kind of unanswered question, it is clear that the film did not work for me.

I would NOT recommend for it to be seen. Yeah, go ahead and watch the World Cup games instead.. 🙂

I wish there were only 6 Raashes.. or say, at most 9..

Posted: September 27, 2009 in Uncategorized
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“What’s your Raashe?” was l-o-n-g!!

The story of Yogesh Patel’s search for a perfect bride, told earlier in a brilliant way on a TV serial, came to cinema screens via Ashutosh Gowarikar, in “What’s your Raashee?”.

Covering 12 of them takes time. And seen in a movie at one stretch, it gets repetitive at a point. So it would have been nice if there were only 6 raashees and not 12. Or if he had decided to go for alternate ones and not all!!

Well, for all the respect that AG has earned after Lagaan, Swades and Jodha Akbar, you give him the leeway and sit through those extra minutes.

As I did. Earlier today morning. At a new multiplex, the Big Cinemas 9-screen Megaplex started recently, at the R-City Mall, in Ghatkopar. It’s a longer drive there, compared to the walking distance Fun Cinemas screens at K-Star Mall in Chembur, but we decided to go anyway, as there had been this huge promotion about the Megaplex, and we thought it might be worth checking it out, on a Sunday morning.

And it was certainly worth the experience, I tell you! An extremely impressive cinema complex. 7 regular screens, and 2 special screens. One of them being a lounge style 180 degrees recline sofa screen. And another, a first that I have heard in India, in the form of Cine Dine. Where you sit on restaurant style tables, order food, and eat, even as the movie plays on screen. Should be an interesting experience that I want to try out once.

We went to a regular screen. Very comfortable sofa seats for Rs. 130 (morning show on weekends) was not bad as a price. As regards snacks, its become a practise now, to have bundled deals, of popcorn+drink, or samosa+drink or those types. And they are also better value for money than the obscene stand-alone rates that had become the norm few months back.

Coming to the movie itself, I am not particularly impressed by the concept of a guy going around looking for girls, of different raashees, and seeing where the best fit lies. For one, I think its a concept that has gone past the ‘best by’ date. And for another, it appears far fetched, irrespective.

But having said that, stranger things happen in our country, and this one too could happen in real life.

That said, the saga of the hero meeting different girls, of different raashees, is shown well by Ashutosh. The 12 characters have been shown very different, and to an extent, in alignment with the raashee. Some characters appear a little exaggerated (they did so, even in case of Sanjeev Kumar’s 9 roles in Naya Din Nayi Raat), but still believable in most cases.

The reason for the rush to the wedding, appears to be corny. But again, it’s incidental to the rest of the story.

The film remains light hearted, and is supported well by the perfect “restrained, funny actors” trio of Dilip Joshi, Darshan Jariwala and Anjan Srivastav.

Coming to the main two leads, it is a dream role for Priyanka Chopra. Or I should say, a dream dozen roles! There is so much room to play these different characters and in their own unique styles, and she does an admirable job with these. Ashutosh has ensured a sexy feel for the character in most of the dozen roles, so Priyanka has room to do what she does best. Look sexy! And dance and sing and all that. But even in the simpler characters, she has done quite fine.

Coming to Harman Baweja, unfortunately, he has to live with the tag of being a poor man’s Hrithik Roshan.

I think he’s perhaps an inch or two shorter than Hrithik.

I think his physique is also a little lesser than Hrithik’s.

He dances well, but of course, falls short of the master, Hrithik.

He looks like Hrithik, but not quite as hot!

So all in all, he’s just that bit lesser than Hrithik in all respects. And yet the resemblance remains. So unless he does a significant make over for himself, he has to be stuck to the tag of being a Hrithik clone.

And which is how he comes out in this movie too. Which is not too bad, as he’s cloning a really great actor, and even if he reaches 60-70% of that level, it can’t be too bad for the audience. Which should summarise his effort in the flick, then.

All in all, “What’s Your Raashee?” is fine. For Ashutosh Gowariker’s sake, one can tolerate the excessive 45 minutes. But if you don’t see it, you will be none the less for it. And if you are a true fan of AG’s, it may actually be best to not see it, so you can retain him, at the high pedestal, after his epic winners of the past. If those were his business, this one, at best is like a part time hobby that he pursued!