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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.

Talaash Box Office Prediction

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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

Music: Ram Sampat

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: November 30, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Aamir Khan is not only a highly respected superstar but he is also someone who keeps his exclusivity alive by appearing onscreen just once in few years. These two factors, plus the fact that the film also has big stars like Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, make sure that the star value for Talaash is sky high!

Hype: Just like every Khan movie, Talaash has been in the news before the shoot commenced. And as expected, the promos garnered high excitement for the film’s release. A unique feature noticed is that the hype for this film is not about instant gratification which we see for Salman Khan’s movies. People are expecting a high degree of satisfying experience from this motion picture.

Music: The music hasn’t been that popular yet but it is expected to climb the music charts if the film does well. The song ‘Muskaanein Jhooti Hain’ is becoming known though.

Prediction:

It is easy to guess that Talaash will get a very good opening at the box office. This is a type of film that is expected to stay in theaters for a longer duration if it impresses. It won’t follow the silly trend of cashing in on the first weekend by booking almost every theater in the country which a lot of big budget movies do these days. This can also act as an obstacle for Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi 786 which releases on December 7. Like all Aamir movies, this one caters to both multiplexes and single screen theaters. Even if it gets decent initial response, it will surely enter the Rs 100 crore club.

Picture courtesy – Talaash Facebook page

Jab Tak Hai Jaan Review

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Direction: Yash Chopra

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Anupam Kher

Music: A R Rahman

Genre: Romance

Rating: * *

Plot: Samar Anand (Shah Rukh Khan) is a happy-go-lucky Indian living in London. He does odd jobs and struggles to make ends meet but that doesn’t lower his spirits. One day, out of nowhere, Meera (Katrina Kaif) walks into his life. The couple fall in love but as fate would have it, they are separated. Years later, Akira (Anushka Sharma), a carefree youngster, is moved to tears after knowing Samar’s story. Will Akira help Samar and Meera reunite or will she fall for Samar?

Review: Being a Yash Chopra-Shah Rukh Khan combo coupled by the fact that it is the last movie of the former, there were expectations from Jab Tak Hai Jaan. However, the hugely awaited film is nothing but a mixture of all done-to-death clichés that one could associate with typical love stories found in Bollywood. Sadly, that is not all. The film also suffers from a lack of logic, apart from a dragged length. It is only SRK’s greatness that makes it a somewhat watchable affair.

Anybody who has been following Bollywood love stories over the years would be able to predict the entire movie after the initial ten minutes. So when you know exactly what is going to happen throughout, you at least expect the story to be narrated in a convincing manner. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. The typical boy-meets-girl saga in the first half looks half baked. The way the story is narrated looks straight out of Ghajini. Later on, the film also reminds you of Chopra’s last Veer-Zaara. But what is worse is the separation under idiotic circumstances.

(Review continued after picture)

Picture courtesy – JTHJ Facebook page

The second half, thankfully, has some smile-producing moments due to the conversations between Shah Rukh and one of the actresses. But soon we are subjected to some unconvincing twists and a not-so-perfect as well as predictable climax. Although the film has some winning moments but they don’t manage to overtake the negative points at all! The three hour length (excluding interval) doesn’t help either.

Considering it to be an effort from a master storyteller, it is also highly surprising to see disregard being shown for logic. From a number of such incidents, this is felt the most when a man doing odd jobs in London is, after few years, seen as a Major in Indian Army who diffuses deadly bombs to earn a living. Of course, so no matter which wire he cuts, it will turn out to be the right one. Lastly, the two accidents, that move the story forward, are very silly!

From the songs, ‘Challa’ steals the show completely but the rest of the songs fail to amuse much. The combo of Gulzar-A R Rahman doesn’t live up to the expectations. The use of sleaze in ‘Ishq Shava’ appears questionable considering the film is targeted at family audiences. Anil Mehta once again proves why he is one of the best cinematographers in the industry. The background score is apt while the editing could have been tighter.

As mentioned at the start, Shah Rukh Khan carries the film on his shoulders with a brilliant act. He plays two starkly opposite characters with maturity and ease. Like most of her films, Katrina Kaif struggles with her diction and dialogue delivery. Things would have brightened up if a talented performer was in her place. Anushka Sharma is superb as she perfectly fits into the character of a modern, bubbly young girl. Rishi Kapoor shines in a cameo. Neetu Singh and Anupam Kher are adequate.

Overall, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is let down due to a poor script. At the box office, it will surely earn high profits and will certainly reach the Rs 100 crore mark. It isn’t a big deal if your film has a big superstar and you book almost every theater in the country.

Son Of Sardar Box Office Prediction

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Direction: Ashwani Dhir

Producers: Ajay Devgn Films, Viacom Motion Pictures and Eros Entertainment

Writers: Ashwani Dhir and Robin Bhatt

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Juhi Chawla

Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Sajid-Wajid

Genre: Action/ Comedy

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt are two of the biggest superstars of Hindi cinema. This fact coupled with Sonakshi Sinha’s presence makes sure that the star value for Son Of Sardar is very high.

Hype: There has been a good amount of hype for the movie due to the interesting promos. But the film’s controversy with Yash Raj Films’ Jab Tak Hai Jaan has also indirectly helped in the publicity.

Music: The music is becoming known. Apart from the title song, ‘Rani Tu Main Raja’ is making heads turn. The track ‘Po Po’ is also gaining popularity recently due to Salman Khan’s presence.

Prediction:

Son Of Sardar will surely get a very good opening. However, since Yash Raj Films’ have gone bezerk while booking theaters for their highly awaited Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the Ajay Devgn starrer has managed to get only few screens. What’s worse is that it has got very few single screen theaters where it is expected to do best business.

Plus, SOS will also face very tough opposition from the Shah Rukh Khan starrer due to the high excitement for the latter. Hence, it is vital for the movie to impress with its content. So a film which could have enjoyed high returns in the first few days due to the hype has to now rely on its content to make high profits. Overall, SOS has a chance, particularly in north India, but the collections will be highly affected due to the presence of JTHJ.

So far Devgn has entered the 100 crore club thrice (Golmaal 3, Singham and Bol Bachchan). SOS could have easily been his fourth if it was a solo release. Now it looks difficult although not impossible.

Book Review: The Bankster

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Author: Ravi Subramanian

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Pages: 358

Price: Rs 250

Genre: Thriller

Rating: * * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

A not-so-perfect romantic novel can manage to get some appreciation from the target audience if it has enough heart-touching or mushy moments. The same leeway is enjoyed by comic fiction books if there are a good number of rib-tickling incidents. However, whodunit thrillers don’t have this advantage for the simple reason that after building up a thrilling scenario, the killer moment at the end has to be up to the mark. In other words, the presence of some well written thrilling or intriguing moments won’t hold much value if the main suspense at the end turns out to be predictable or unconvincing.

Ravi Subramanian need not worry about this as he has used all the necessary elements needed in a thriller intelligently in The Bankster and presented a page-turner which is an absolute must-read. Good books satisfy the target audience while great books go beyond the target audience. The Bankster surely falls in the second category since it has the capacity to impress those who aren’t much into thriller novels.

The book presents three unconnected stories taking place in three different cities of the world: –

  • Angola: A covert CIA agent travels to the dangerous interiors of Africa to exchange weapons of mass destruction for priceless diamonds. The deal goes through smoothly and the agent is now ready to go ahead with another such mission.
  • Kerala: Krishna Menon has been protesting against the Trikakulam Nuclear Power Plant since a decade as he is deeply concerned about the safety of the people in his vicinity. The reason why Krishna is more emotionally involved in the protest is because of a promise he made to his dying son.
  • Mumbai: It is a daily routine for the top level employees of the Greater Boston Global Bank (aka GB2) to indulge in cheap politics and manipulations to achieve selfish gains. All hell breaks loose when their employees are found dead one after the other under mysterious circumstances.

How these three utterly different incidents cross paths, forms the rest of the story.

Like every tantalizing thriller, The Bankster has a watertight story which is told in a manner that makes the reader very curious to read further. What makes it more intriguing is how Subramanian has managed to keep the stories unconnected till more than 80% of the book. And once they are connected, you get a satisfying kick as all pieces fall into place. He has delayed the turning points as much as possible which is a mark of excellence. The only kind of predictable part is that whenever a character goes into a discussion or does something which looks immaterial to the story, it ensures a thrilling twist. But that generates more excitement for you anxiously anticipate something once you figure out his writing style.

The politics in a banking organization and the day-to-day conversation between the characters, which forms the main part, appear truly real! The language used is rich but at the same time very simple which makes even the common man understand the proceedings easily. This is very unlike some writers who leave the readers confused on few occasions while flaunting their cool language skills.

One also can’t help but laud Subramanian’s remarkable knowledge on various aspects like police investigation, forensic (CCD bill incident), the area specific knowledge of different cities, modern technology (an almost technologically illiterate person thanks you for the iCloud explanation), politics and lastly, the banking process. The last one, along with the working of the corporate world, is made understandable to someone like me who has almost zero knowledge of both.

The story has a number of important characters and each is defined clearly and developed properly. It would have been better if their physical appearance and features were explained slightly which would have helped more in visualizing. Apart from this, the other possible negative factors are the length and an act committed by a main character in the end. However, these are just minor issues that won’t affect your overall satisfaction while savoring this unmissable book.

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