The Common Man Speaks

Hou De Jarasa Ushir is about lemon and spoon race: Producer (Exclusive)

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Producer Tahir Maner of Biroba Films was once leading a stable career as a mechanical engineer. But a successful professional life and inner satisfaction don’t always go hand in hand. In such a situation, a person is inclined to follow his heart. That is exactly what Tahir did and entered the film production arena with the Marathi film Hou De Jarasa Ushir. The movie has already made heads turn after being selected in the top 282 films for the race towards the most prestigious Oscar Award.

Apart from getting candid about the movie, the producer shares his thoughts on the survival of new production houses in an exclusive chat with Halti Chitre.

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What is your movie Hou De Jarasa Ushir about?

You might remember the lemon and spoon race which we used to play during our childhood. In that race, one needs to come first but at the same time make sure the lemon doesn’t fall. What we are saying through the movie is that if the lemon falls from your spoon, there is no point in coming first. This is the theme of Hou De Jarasa Ushir. The lemon indicates your family life, as in how much time you are giving to your close ones, and your health. So we have tried to describe this in our title which says that it is okay if there is a delay but you shouldn’t lose the lemon.

How did you decide the cast? Did you deliberately didn’t pick big stars?

We had auditions for the cast. Of course, for the role of Fakir we had few people in mind. When we narrated the role to Sadashiv (Amrapurkar) sir, he was very much interested. To have such a senior artist in our film is an honor for newcomers like us. For the rest of the cast, it wasn’t pre-decided to have newcomers. Things just happened eventually.

Your film is selected in the top 282 films in the Oscars.

It is still like a dream for us. This is our first feature film. I joined the industry just in early 2010. So when your first project is selected in the top 282 films in Oscars, you can imagine what I must be feeling considering there are people who spend a lot of time of their live to achieve this.

Picture courtesy – HDJU Facebook page

You are a mechanical engineer. How did you land up in filmmaking?

This question is very common for me (laughs). When I was in Mumbai earlier, I used to work in the field of mechanical engineering. I was happy with the job but not with the lifestyle. I had to work for ten hours and spend almost four hours travelling. Obviously, it wasn’t satisfying for me. I thought there are various other things I could do. I was always interested in writing but I wasn’t able to do that because of my job. Hence, I thought I should take out some time for myself.

At the same time, Wasim (Maner, director) had started his production house in 2005. I was also working with him side by side. So I left my job and moved to my hometown in Phaltan, where one could get lots of time to write. In this way, I became involved with the production house. Later on, we started building our team for Hou De Jarasa Ushir. I started writing screenplay with Wasim and we started shooting in late 2010.

Tell us about your association with Devisha Films, who is distributing the movie.

I personally feel such associations should happen in Marathi film industry frequently. Devisha Films is a big name while we are newcomers. If we have someone like them as our associates, their experience and expertise will help our movie gain better collections. I personally feel it is about co-operation and not competition. Such associations will help Marathi film industry survive. This would ensure that we would go on making more films.

You are aware that only three to five films attain success every year. Due to this, a lot of first timers are not seen again because of the losses incurred! Recently, I read that 95% of Marathi industry is surviving because of first time producers, which means they are nowhere to be seen after their first film. In Bollywood, there are hardly ten big production houses but they have a large share in the profits of the industry. Such a thing should happen in Marathi industry as well but right now we don’t have more than three big production houses.

Do you agree that internet is becoming an important tool in promoting Marathi films?

It is becoming. Internet has entered our society very deeply! These days, everybody is on Facebook. If a person is interested in Marathi films, he will check about the upcoming movies. Even we are getting a very good response from our Facebook page.

You are releasing your film alongside the much awaited Pune 52. Don’t you think this can be a disadvantage for both films?

Yes, it can be. Right now, talks are going on between both the films to see if there can be a way out. We had decided to release our film on January 18, 2013 at the start of November while the makers of Pune 52 had scheduled their films release on December 12, 2012. Even we don’t want to divert Marathi audience as that will affect both the films. Let’s see what happens. Hope for the best.

What are your forthcoming projects?

We are planning two-three films including an action comedy and a thriller. We are also planning a Hindi movie but first of all we are looking for a good cast and a tie-up with a good production house. Just like the title of our film Hou De Jarasa Ushir, we are not in a hurry. It is not that we would make only Marathi or Hindi movies. It will depend according to the demands of a particular story.

Delhi Gang Rape: Fighting the enemy within!

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So far, I have refrained myself from writing about the more than horrendous gang rape of a 23 year old girl in a moving bus in Delhi. This reason for this is not only the fact that I am profoundly disturbed by the crime but also because of my earlier assumption that the guilty would be punished soon since such a horrendous crime is never ever heard in the country before. However, after government and Delhi Police’s monstrous attitude towards the protestors of this incident, it is no longer possible for me to stay quiet anymore!

Picture courtesy – ibtimes.com

First of all, the horrifically inhuman nature of the crime should have ensured massive changes in laws pertaining to rapes. If not this, there should have been at least some steps taken for the same. The current law states that a death penalty can be given only when the victim passes away. So should we wait till the poor girl succumbs? Even if the victim passes away, death penalty is given by just hanging the convict. For this type of a crime, death by hanging is a very mild punishment! It is not only denying justice but it also doesn’t put fright in the minds of potential rapists.

The biggest proof of this is how a 20 year old Nepali girl was raped thrice in Mumbai barely five days after the Delhi incident. Need I say more?

So when the whole of Delhi comes out to express protest (which is our constitutional right) for making laws stricter for such crimes, they have to face police brutality in the form of lathi charges, tear gas and water cannons. I agree there were a percentage of miscreants from various wings of political parties who started violence and vandalism but that doesn’t give license to the authorities to become brutal with all, especially students who have nothing to do with these groups. If you can’t catch a small percentage of troublemakers how justifiable it is to assume the rest of the protestors to be antisocial?

Picture courtesy – India Against Corruption Facebook page

Later on, the percentage of troublemakers increased but once you start brutally assaulting innocents, you can’t expect them to behave peacefully, especially when you employ Rapid Action Force! In fact, what stunned the nation with disbelief was how the policemen had no qualms in even bashing up senior citizens (See picture)! Seriously, can we really expect them to protect us?

Someone needs to tell them that they are not dealing with dacoits! These people haven’t gathered to loot the city. These are the common people of their own country who are just demanding terribly strict laws for rapes to secure the future of the women of India! Is the demand so irrational that they need to be dealt like criminals?

Facts also show how Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal’s supporters have been subjected to similar treatments a number of times during their peaceful protests. On the other hand, political parties who openly engage in vandalism for their own good are never punished!

I wish the government and Delhi Police had shown such fierce dedication in protecting girls and women of the city. It’s just that the massive outrage have woken them up. But if they had woken up themselves, life of a lot of females in the city would have been much better and such a situation wouldn’t have arisen.

Picture courtesy – Associated Press

 

Dabangg 2 Box Office Prediction

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Direction: Arbaaz Khan

Production: Arbaaz Khan Productions

Writer: Dileep Shukla

Actors: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Vinod Khanna, Deepak Dobriyal

Music: Sajid-Wajid

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Release Date: December 21, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: When you have Salman Khan, the biggest superstar currently, in the lead, there are no prizes to guess that the star value for Dabangg 2 is supremely high! And with the presence of Sonakshi Sinha and Prakash Raj, it just gets bigger!

Hype: The excitement for Dabangg 2 has been high ever since it was announced since the first installment in the series was highly appreciated by audience of all age groups and in every region. As expected, the excitement just got increasingly high ever since the trailers and songs were released.

Music: The music hasn’t created as much buzz as the first movie before the release. Nevertheless, the song ‘Fevicol Se’ is known while other songs like ‘Dagabaaz Re’ will slowly go up the charts once the film releases.

Prediction:

It is easier than a child’s play to predict the box office outcome of a Salman Khan film these days. Like the superstar’s previous films, even Dabangg 2 will take the box office by storm, both in single screens and multiplexes and in big cities and small towns.

The question shouldn’t be whether it will reach Rs 100 crore. The question should be whether it will manage to break Ek Tha Tiger and 3 Idiots’ record. It also has chance to become the highest money grosser in a single day. The record is currently held by Ek Tha Tiger which earned Rs 33 crore in one day. The release of Dabangg 2 will also ensure an almost end of the journey for Talaash and Khiladi 786 at the ticket window.

Picture courtesy – Dabangg 2 Facebook page

Was apprehensive to sing: Amrapurkar, at HDJU music launch

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By Sushant Kalaskar

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New challenges can be in store even for veterans who have been there and seen it all. The same would have been the case with acting pro Sadashiv Amrapurkar when he was required to sing for his Marathi movie Hou De Jarasa Ushir, for the first time in his career spanning more than 30 years. The song in question is a fun number called ‘Dhampak Dhampak’.

“Initially, I was apprehensive to sing but Nakul Jogdeo (music director) worked very hard and made things easy for me,” said Amrapurkar during the music launch of Hou De Jarasa Ushir. Surprisingly, the veteran artist is not the only actor who has rendered a number. Actors Vishwas Sakat and Raj Ranaware have also displayed their vocal chords in the song ‘Lagnala Jayacha’.

(Click to enlarge)

The event, which took place in Pune, was started off by felicitating all actors, people from the crew, singers as well as technicians. Since it was the music launch, every song from the movie was played on the screen with each actor, from every particular song, narrating the experience during the shoot of the song. Film’s lead actor Abhyang Kuvlekar hosted the event.

Produced under the banner of Biroba Films and distributed by Devisha Films, the movie is directed by Wasim Maner. Apart from Amrapurkar and Kuvalekar, the film also stars Aishwarya Narkar, Sharvari Jamenis, Raj Ranaware, Chinmay Mandlekar, Aditi Sarangdhar and others. It is slated to release next year.

(Click to enlarge)

Life Of Pi Review

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Direction: Ang Lee

Production: Ang Lee, Gil Netter and David Womark

Writers: Yann Martel (novel), David Magee

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Adil Hussain, Tabu

Music: Mychael Danna

Genre: Adventure

Rating: * ½

Plot: Based on the novel by Yann Martel, the film tells the story of Pi Patel (Gautam Belur, Ayush Tondon, Suraj Sharma and Irrfan Khan), son of the zookeeper Santosh Patel (Adil Hussain). Due to some problem, Pi’s family is forced to shift their house and zoo from India (Pondicherry) to Canada. Since it also includes the stressful task of shifting all types of animals thousands of miles away, Santosh arranges for a special cruise as a mode of travel.

During their journey, a disastrous storm takes place which separates Pi from his family. Worse, he lands on a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, an orangutan and the Royal Bengal Tiger. Later on, only Pi and the tiger are left on the boat. Will Pi be able to survive with a wild beast on a journey that looks like never ending?

Review: Life Of Pi achieves the incredible by shooting some unthinkable scenes with some jaw-dropping visual effects. However, such mind-blowing thrills and visuals do little to amuse you when the overall experience is a deadly mixture of boredom, disturbance, irritation and depression!

Before Pi’s family commence their voyage, the film appears quite interesting, especially during Pi’s interaction with his parents and his take religion. Things are quite okay even during the voyage and the storm incident, which is captured brilliantly. However, some time after Pi lands on the lifeboat (second half), the proceedings go on to disturbing levels.

By this time, we start doubting that the film just has no story to tell. That indeed turns out to be the case as you are just subjected to Pi’s miserable experience on the lifeboat which not only becomes a difficult test of your patience but also makes you cringe with some disturbing and depressing incidents. No doubt, the camerawork and the way of filming deserve salute but why should one invest money and time to watch such a story? Such a tale suits only for a novel.

The background score is commendable while the editing should have been tighter. The 3D effects in some scenes are of top draw but there should have been some more out-of-the-screen moments.

Some performances leave you spellbound. Suraj Sharma’s debut act is one such performance that deserves tons of praise, especially since he is someone who is never been into acting or performing arts. Irrfan Khan once again shows why he is one of the finest actors to have emerged from India. Adil Hussain and Tabu provide mature acts. Rafe Spall fits the bill perfectly. All the animals too deserve applause for being able to do what they were asked to.

Overall, one and a half stars for Life Of Pi for the breathtaking visuals and performances.

Khiladi 786 Review

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Direction: Ashish R Mohan

Production: Hari Om Entertainment Co, HR Musik and Eros International

Writers: Bunty Rathore and Himesh Reshammiya

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Himesh Reshammiya, Asin, Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Babbar, Mukesh Rishi, Rahul Singh, Rajesh Khattar

Music: Himesh Reshammiya

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: Manuskh (Himesh Reshammiya) destroys his father Champak Lal’s (Manoj Joshi) marriage bureau business to such an extent that the latter throws him out of the house. Just then, Mansukh gets to know that Mumbai’s most dreaded don Tatya Tukaram Tendulkar (Mithun Chakraborty) is looking for a groom for his daughter Indu (Asin). Mansukh takes this as an opportunity to prove his worth to his father.

Mansukh feels Bahattar Singh (Akshay Kumar), whom he had met in Punjab once out of co-incidence, could be the right match for Indu. Although both families happily agree for Bahattar and Indu’s marriage, what follows is a series of crazy events due to the fact that both families have lied about their real professions.

Review: After watching the promos of debutant filmmaker Ashish R Mohan’s Khiladi 786, you don’t need a statutory warning to keep logic and reasoning miles away. So if you manage to do that, you are in for a treat full of dhamaal and laughter. There are a number of hiccups on the way (mostly, in the second half) that stop the film from being incredible. But considering the genre and the huge number of hilarious moments, you won’t be bothered much by it.

The film starts in an average manner but once the story starts developing, the laughter just doesn’t seem to end. In fact, you will be in splits after every few seconds! Bunty Rathore deserves high praise for some intelligently mindless yet hilarious humor. Some of the one-liners and incidents are extraordinary, especially the mention of Kejriwal! Unusual tributes to films Chak De! India, Singham, Devdas, Gadar – Ek Prem Katha and Housefull 2 deserve thumbs up too.

In comparison to the first half, the post-interval portion is a bit of a disappointment. The way a character falls in love all of a sudden is the biggest flaw of the movie. However, some hilarity and entertainment in the final culmination, although predictable, along with the great time you had in the first half, make sure you leave the cinema hall with a wide smile.

Other negative point that surely deserves mention is the fight scenes (Attar Singh Saini) which (throughout the film) take the mindless genre and its audience too much for granted. Due to this, you don’t get amused by the action on a number of occasions. Some degree of racism should also have been avoided.

After Bol Bachchan, Himesh Reshammiya once again makes sure that the music of the film contributes to the plus points with some foot tapping tracks, ‘O Bavaria’, the title song, ‘Long Drive (best of all)’, ‘Balma’ and ‘Hookah Bar’. It’s not often these days that you get impressed by almost every song of an album. The background score (too loud at times), cinematography and editing are average.

Akshay Kumar is lovable in the title role. Although this is not the first time he is seen doing such things, his entertaining performance will surely impress his fans. In such films, the leading ladies don’t get much scope to perform. The same is the case with Asin but she does manage to impress with her acting skills and not just good looks. Mithun Chakraborty is very impressive. He manages to generate that fear which was needed by his character.

Himesh Reshammiya is the surprise package. It is his weird expressions and dialogue delivery that provides intentional as well as unintentional humor. But he is at least bearable for the first time! Rahul Singh gives a fine performance while playing a difficult character. A series of supporting actors – Raj Babbar, Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Khattar, Mukesh Rishi and Manoj Joshi – provide decent acts. Good performers like Johnny Lever and Bharti Singh are underused. Mushtaq Khan is just okay.

Overall, Khiladi 786 is an enjoyable affair as long as you can keep your topmost organ at rest. The film will slowly climb the box office ladder. The fact that it has two full weeks to earn will be an advantage.

Khiladi 786 Box Office Prediction

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Direction: Ashish R Mohan

Production: Hari Om Entertainment Co, HR Musik and Eros International

Writers: Bunty Rathore and Himesh Reshammiya

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Himesh Reshammiya, Asin, Mithun Chakraborty, Raj Babbar, Mukesh Rishi, Rahul Singh, Rajesh Khattar

Music: Himesh Reshammiya

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Release Date: December 7, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: With the presence of superstar Akshay Kumar and talented Asin, the star value for Khiladi 786 is high!

Hype: The promos of the movie have received a decent response, although not very good. This is because of its supposed similarity with a number of mindless action flicks of recent times. Due to the promotions and publicity, the hype has been good if not terrific.

Music: The songs of Khiladi 786 are slowly becoming popular. Apart from the title track, ‘Long Drive’, ‘O Bavaria’, ‘Balma’ and ‘Hookah Bar’ are gaining popularity.

Prediction:

Khiladi 786 will get a decent to good opening at the box office if it gets positive initial reports. However, the response won’t be terrific, which is expected from such films, since Aamir Khan’s Talaash (released last week) is still doing well. The good thing for the Akshay Kumar starrer is that no major film is releasing next week which gives it a good two weeks’ period to earn moolah before Salman Khan’s hugely awaited Dabangg 2 releases on December 21. Khiladi 786 has potential to do well in single screens as well as multiplexes, although its chances lie higher in the former due to the genre.

Travel Post: Goa is not exactly what we see in Bollywood!

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By: Keyur Seta

Three weeks back, I finally got a chance to visit Goa for the first time in my life. Since I had never seen the place before in real, all my knowledge about the place came from Hindi films. As almost all Bollywood films have portrayed the place in the same manner (except few films like Dum Maaro Dum), not since years but decades, I kind of developed an image of the place from what I have been seeing on celluloid.

This is how Hindi films have portrayed Goa:-

  • Goa is all about beaches. In fact, beaches are the only things worth seeing in the place.
  • The place is thronged by hardcore party lovers who consume as much beer or some liquor as we consume water. Of course, some of the males have to be topless and the females, skimpily clothed.
  • Every now and then you will come across a person humming a song in English or their local language while playing a guitar. It is mandatory for the person to wear a typical Goa shirt (with pictures of coconut trees), shorts and of course a big hat made out of cane.
  • Locals add the word ‘man’ after every sentence while speaking Hindi. Examples – 1) Hi man! 2) Kaisa hai man? 3) Kya baat kar raha hai man? 4) God tumhara prayer zaroor sunega man.

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A calm and picturesque lake in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Due to such portrayal of Goa, I wasn’t too keen on visiting the place, more so because I am not fond of beaches and I simply can’t stand these so-called parties with liquor. But since I badly needed a change, I went ahead with the trip. And today as I look back, I think it was one of the best decisions of my life. The reason I am saying this is because Goa is much, much more than what Hindi films have shown us. Of course, the above mentioned scenarios are experienced over there but, from what I saw, not often.

As surprising as it may sound, I found Goa very serene and peaceful. I experienced this not only in the locality where we stayed (Calangute) but also in the places we visited – the peaceful Thivim Railway station, Avenida Dom Jao Castro Road in Panaji, Sinquerim Beach, Fort Aguada, Vagator Beach, Dona Paula, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Shantadurga Temple and lastly Margao (Maybe you can feel the same in the pictures posted here). A lot of calmness is also felt while travelling from one destination to the other as one could see the beautiful small houses or huts, local shops, a group of locals chit chatting under a tree in villages, lakes, forests, picturesque mountains, small roads of small towns, etc.

I firmly believe that the beauty of a particular place multiplies if the locals are warm hearted and sweet. After my experiences and interactions with the locals in Goa, I can surely say the same for Goa. This definitely adds on to the peace. The big example of this was our guide Ramakant. Although he was hamming his way while explaining the places, it was his sweet and friendly nature that stood out.

Beautifully maintained city of Panaji (Click to enlarge)

But another thing that hugely impressed me is the cleanliness practiced by the people (even on the beaches) and the civic maintenance in every part of Goa. I hardly saw any litter or waste lying on the roads. I don’t even recollect anyone spitting on the streets. Although this increased my respect for the place, it also made me feel bad thinking about the state of my hometown Mumbai where people consider the whole city as a dustbin, toilet and what not.

And talking about the civic body of Goa, I feel the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) is a big joke in comparison to it. The former not only makes sure the place is clean and tidy but also puts in lots of effort and money to add beauty to the place. So henceforth, I would laugh at anyone who would label Mumbai as the most developed city. Insanely building more and more skyscrapers, letting miscreants destroy the city and unnecessarily buying cars thereby adding on to the traffic is certainly not development.

So regardless of what Hindi films show, the real Goa is seen only after visiting it. From the points mentioned above, it is needless for me to say that I will visit the place again.

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Some more pictures: –

Vagator Beach in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Avenida Dom Jao Road at Panaji, Goa (Click to enlarge)

Basilica of Bom Jesus at Panaji, Goa (Click to enlarge)

View from Mandovi Bridge at Panaji (Click to enlarge)

Vagator Beach. The place where Ek Duke Ke Liye was shot. The lovers in the movie had inscribed their name on the sand. Shockingly, around 30 years later, the name is still visible. (Click to enlarge)

Shantadurga Temple in Goa (Click to enlarge)

Aayna Ka Bayna (Marathi Movie) Review

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Direction: Samit Kakkad

Production: Manju Paras Porwal, Amar kakkad and Pushpa Kakkad

Writers: Story – Raju Khuste, Suchita Sawant, Screenplay – Samit Kakkad, Dialogues – Bhalchandra Jha, Pradeep Rane, Hemant Edlabadkar and Sachin Darekar

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Raqesh Vashisht, Ganesh Yadav, Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik, Sanket Farad

Music: Ajit-Sameer

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * *

Plot: Warden of a children’s remand home Harshawardhan Sathe (Sachin Khedekar) is a firm believer in the use of the stick in order to control the juvenile criminals over there. Naturally, his name ignites fear and hatred among all. But with the entry of the counselor Shivani (Amruta Khanvilkar), the young inmates find a new meaning to their lives.

Apart from showering the children with love and care, Shivani uses the dance therapy to counsel them. As the adolescents start mastering the art of dance, they develop a sense of fulfilling their dreams. But Sathe is hell bent to transform their dreams into nightmares!

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Review: If children or adolescents are forced to indulge in some sort of crime, they should be taken care of to make sure they become law abiding citizens in the future. Treating them like hardcore criminal shouldn’t be an option at all.  Debutant director Samit Kakkad gives this strong message successfully in Aayna Ka Bayna. But what makes the message more appealing is the fact that it is put across while presenting an applaud-worthy dance extravaganza. The end result is an inspiring humane saga that touches your heart.

The writers deserve applause as it would have been difficult at the start to define two starkly opposite characters (Sathe and Shivani) and portray the life at the remand home and, at the same time, take the story forward. The flashback portions of few inmates are nicely included by keeping it brief and to the point. Even the emotional or painful moments, thankfully, don’t appear depressing.

Picture courtesy – AKB Facebook page

When dance plays an important part in a film, there is a danger of the makers going overboard by including too many dance sequences. Fortunately, that doesn’t appear here. The dance scenarios and songs constitute an important part of the narration. Of course, there is a long dance sequence at the end but by this time; you develop a liking for the characters thereby making you root for them.

Although there aren’t big flaws, the film does become predictable later on. Also, a funny dance scene involving one of the main characters (won’t reveal the name) should have been shortened.

Sanjay Jadhav’s camerawork perfectly captures the dance as well as the action sequences. Like his previous films, he continues his good work. Without such brilliant dance sequences, the film wouldn’t have created such an impact. For this, choreographers Umesh Jadhav and Rohan Rokade deserve thumbs up. Ajit-Sameer’s peppy music suits the genre of the film. From the songs, the title track stands out. The editing and background score are adequate too.

Sachin Khedekar shows his brilliance by perfectly getting into the skin of the character of a ruthless warden. He generates the fear and hatred which was vital. Amruta Khanvilkar gives a strong performance. She manages to speak through expressions and is perfect during the dance sequences. However, her dancing skills should have been exploited more.

Ganesh Yadav is brilliant as the cop. The scene where he interacts with the media will have audiences in splits. Decent support is provided by Raqesh Vashisht. Lastly, the nine young debutants – Siddhesh Pai, Amit Rokade, Pravin Nair, Rahul Kulkarni, Anand Chavan, Dinesh Kamble, Akhilesh Vishwakarma, Nikhil Rajemahadik and Sanket Farad – deserve high applause for their super dancing skills and as well as acting. Some of their moves are overwhelming! Santosh Juvekar is likable in a cameo.

Overall, Aayna Ka Bayna gives a strong message through the art of dance without going overboard. Since it is released with Talaash starring the powerful Aamir Khan, it is in need of some prolific word-of-mouth.

Talaash Review (Spoiler Free)

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Director: Reema Kagti

Producers: Excel Entertainment, Aamir Khan Productions and Reliance Entertainment

Writers: Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Gupta

Music: Ram Sampat

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * *

Plot: A Bollywood superstar is killed in an accident under mysterious circumstances. Police Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) takes up the investigation of the case. As he digs deeper into it, he finds himself entangled in a web of confusion and mystery which becomes worse due to his troubled married life with Roshni (Rani Mukerji) and the constant haunting of his dark past.

Shekhawat’s investigation gets him in contact with a prostitute Rosy (Kareena Kapoor). He also gets to know that a roadside criminal Taimur (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is linked with the superstar’s death. Will these two leads be enough for Shekhawat to solve the case?

Review: (No spoilers whatsoever) In every whodunit thriller, the suspense at the end needs to be both shocking as well as convincing. In the case of Talaash, while the writers (Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar) manage to get the shocking part right, they disappoint with the conviction of the finale. This is the biggest reason, along with others, for Kagti’s film falling in the strictly one-time-watch category, which is surely below expectations.

‘Muskanein Jhoothi Hain’ song sets the right mood for the film right at the start. Apart from the lyrics, the picturisation is truly praiseworthy! The main point is brought soon which leads on to an intriguing narration in the first half as the case gets more complicated. The pace is deliberately kept slow but that in no way gives rise to boredom. In fact, it helps in building up excitement, mostly due to the sub plots. Some of artistically crafted scenes are a work of brilliance from the point of view of both writing and filming.

Picture courtesy – Talaash Facebook page

Unfortunately, the script starts going downhill in the second half with more importance being given to Shekhawat’s personal life than the case in question. The prolonged scenes between Shekhawat and one of the main characters test your patience. Lastly, the all important suspense at the end doesn’t live up to the excitement. Of course, there is no doubt that the final revelation will shock you and might even jerk you out of your seat but it lacks believability and conviction. (Personally, I feel the final outcome is harmful for the intellectual development of India!)

For the way she has filmed the story, Kagti deserves applause though. She is just let down by the proceedings of the second half that stop the film from being a commendable thriller. Another disappointing factor is that the main ‘hero’ is hardly given any heroics to perform. This is largely felt at the ending moments.

Mohanan’s cinematography is one of the biggest plus points. He has even captured the dark underbelly of Mumbai with perfection. Ram Sampat’s background score adds thrill. The editing is adequate. Songs don’t have much scope in such a film. ‘Muskanein Jhooti Hain’ is the only track that has a strong effect.

Aamir Khan succeeds in carrying the film on his shoulders. However, he is not at his best. The writing should be blamed for this for keeping his character too serious and depressed at times. Rani Mukerji does full justice to the character of a traumatic wife and mother. Kareena Kapoor is the one who steals the show. She perfectly moulds herself into the character of a prostitute and even manages to speak through expressions.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui once again shows why he is currently one of the finest character artists. He deserves many more films! Raj Kumar Gupta, Shernaz Patel and Sheeba Chaddha give mature performances in supporting roles.

Overall, Talaash is good but unfortunately it falls in the could-have-been-better category. Due to the hype and Aamir’s popularity, the film will garner very good collections at the box office.