Chennai Express Box Office Prediction

August 8, 2013 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures and Red Chillies Entertainment

Writers: Sajid-Farhad

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Nikitin Dheer

Music: Vishal-Shekhar and Yo Yo Honey Singh

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Release Date: August 9, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: When people like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Rohit Shetty are involved in a film, it isn’t necessary to say that the star value of Chennai Express is supremely high.

Hype: The film has had a good hype even before the promotional material was released. And as the release date of the film is nearing, the hype has increased further. This doesn’t come as a surprise after SRK’s hardcore promotions. However, there is an absence of that craze which one associates with an SRK starrer and one of the biggest releases of the year.

Music: The songs of the film are becoming known slowly. Apart from the title track, ‘Kashmir Main’ and ‘Titli’ are also catching up with the audience, although there isn’t tmuch excitement for them.

Prediction:

Like all Rohit Shetty films, Chennai Express will get a very good opening at the box office. Its hardcore masala genre would ensure high footfalls in both single screens and multiplexes of metros as well as smaller centers. However, due to the absence of a craze (as mentioned before), it won’t get an earth shattering opening. Due to this, its chances of doing well after the initial hype and earning Rs 100 crore will depend entirely on the content.

Review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

July 14, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Producers: Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures

Writer: Prasoon Joshi

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Yograj Singh, Divya Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, K K Raina, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj, Sonam Kapoor, Rebecca Breeds

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

Story Outline: The film is based on the life of the great Indian athlete Milkha Singh being played by Farhan Akhtar. Apart from Singh’s glorious and dramatic career, the film focuses on the effect of Indo-Pak partition on his mindset.

Review: The basic motto of a sports biopic is to narrate a fascinating tale that proves to be highly inspiring. Although that is the case with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the film surely falls short of being superlative due to an unjustifiable length of 187 minutes and the various Bollywood-isms thrown in while narrating a realistic tale.

You can’t deny that Mehra has displayed cinematic brilliance while presenting a number of important (on and off the field) events from Milkha’s life. The race scenes are not only magnificently shot but one can also notice the pains taken in creating such a mammoth stage. The significance of the title and the heartwarming climax also deserves mention. But above all, it is Farhan Akhtar’s supreme performance that proves to be the biggest plus point.

But, as mentioned earlier, the film could have been much, much more pleasurable but for some reasons. First and foremost, there can be no justification for such an enormous length for this story. You surely don’t mind a three hour plus movie if it’s fully engaging and amusing (like 3 Idiots) but here, you are forced to check your watch regularly, especially during the long wait for the interval. Surely, the love track and various other scenes, including the flashback ones, (not possible to reveal much) should have been shortened.

The film also hangs between being a realistic biopic and a filmi tale. Most of the times, we are shown a real story of an athlete but on various occasions, it is peppered by some Bollywood-isms. After the inclusion of some fictional elements, the most questionable aspect is using lip-sync songs; from which some are just unnecessary. Needless to say, they also add up to the length. From the tracks, ‘Zinda’ is the only impressive one. Unfortunately and strangely, it’s hardly exploited.

Talking about the technical departments, it won’t be an overstatement that cinematographer Binod Pradhan is one of the biggest heroes of the film. Capturing such races with perfection is extremely difficult but he rises to the occasion and how! Background score generates the desired effect but the editing should have been manifolds tighter.

Some performances bring a character alive in such a way that you completely forget the actor who is playing it. There can hardly be a bigger compliment than this for an actor. Farhan Akhtar deserves such and many more accolades for his portrayal of Milkha Singh. The word excellent doesn’t do justice for the talent and painstaking hard work displayed by him. From the rating, an extra half a star is given just for his act.

The film is also blessed by some apt supporting acts from Divya, Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, K K Raina, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj and Rebecca Breeds. Yograj Singh (cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father) surprises with a dedicated performance, although he appears awkward few times which is understandable. Sonam Kapoor is getting painfully stereotyped. Her limited acting skills don’t help either.

Overall, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has its moments of glory but thanks to various factors, it falls in an above-average category. The tremendous hype and response will ensure the film becomes a blockbuster at the box office.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Box Office Prediction

July 9, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Producers: Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures

Writer: Prasoon Joshi

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Rebecca Breeds, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Genre: Drama

Release Date: July 19, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: Farhan Akhtar has proved his acting talent quite a few times but he is not a big acting star. However, the fact that Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is based on the legendary athlete Milkha Singh itself adds star value to the film.

Hype: The hype for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been tremendous ever since the first teaser released. And as the main trailer and songs are out, the excitement has just got bigger!

Music: The song ‘Zinda’ has already been appreciated. Although the rest of the tracks aren’t famous, they would rank up the charts if the film does well as they too are impressive.

Prediction:

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will surely get a very good opening at the box office. If the initial reports are positive, the film will surely be a blockbuster. Even if the initial reports don’t fetch thumbs up, the film will still stand a chance of becoming a box office success. Its subject is such that it can score well in single screens (of both metros and smaller centers) as well as multiplexes. The only concern is its runtime or duration of 3 hours 8 minutes.

Anumati (Marathi Movie) Review

June 17, 2013 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Gajendra Ahire

Producers: Sri Pant Production Arts, Navalakha Arts Media Entertainment and Holy Basil Production

Writer: Gajendra Ahire

Cast: Vikram Gokhale, Neena Kulkarni, Rima (Lagoo), Subodh Bhave, Saie Tamhankar, Kishor Kadam, Neha Pendse, Arun Nalavde

Music: Gajendra Ahire

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * ½

(Review taken from the website HALTI CHITRE.)

Story Outline: Anumati is the story of the elderly Ratnakar Pathare’s (Vikram Gokhale) attempts to save his dying wife (Neena Kulkarni), who has suffered brain hemorrhage. His son (Subodh Bhave) urges him to sign the DNR form (to remove life support) since the former has already spent a large share from his savings. However, Ratnakar refuses to budge as he is hopeful that his wife will survive. But how will he manage to find substantial financial support for further treatment?

Review: How practical it is to spend a large amount on someone who is in her last stage of life? Shouldn’t senior citizens have a right to think about their future just like youngsters? Why is it that someone’s survival only depends on his or her financial condition? While writer and director Gajendra Ahire raises these questions in Anumati, he presents a heart-wrenching, soul-stirring saga that isn’t short of a blissful cinematic experience. He is also largely helped by a movingly dedicated performance by veteran Vikram Gokhale.

The most vital task for the writer was to make sure the audience feels for Ratnakar’s character. That happens here truly convincingly. As the protagonist struggles to find financial support against all odds, the audience is constantly rooting for him. Needless to say, this gets them glued to the proceedings despite the pace not being rapid. Subplots about Ratnakar’s son, daughter, village folk and an old college friend are important aspects of the story that are smartly woven.

There does come a moment when Ratnakar’s struggle for generating funds starts becoming repetitive and tedious. But just then, Rima’s (Lagoo) entry not only gives a fresh dimension to the story, but it also conceives moments that are profoundly heartwarming. The scene where she is having a chat with Gokhale’s character in the kitchen is one of the most memorable instances in recent years. Lastly, the film strikes a chord in a creatively moving climax too.

In the midst of these positive points, the biggest questionable aspect is Ratnakar’s wife not having a mediclaim, considering their well-educated background. Apart from this, the very serious topic and the fact that the pace drops on few occasions might not go well with a section of the audience.

The film pleasantly surprises by the portrayal of some scenic locations, especially the Konkan. Govind Nihalani’s artistic camerawork is responsible for this. He has also shown his class in capturing simplest of scenes creatively. His first outing in Marathi cinema is surely successful. Music wise, Ahire’s soulful compositions go well with the subject and are nicely used in the background. The background music too is apt.

Some performances force you to stand up and applaud. Vikram Gokhale’s act also compels you to do the same. His brilliant portrayal of a struggling senior citizen will move even a stone-hearted person. It isn’t a surprise that he won the National Award for this act. Neena Kulkarni plays her part very well too. For a good amount of screen time, she is just lying down but to stay still with the hospital equipment on, needs a lot of patience.

Rima (Lagoo) is simply brilliant! You easily fall in love with her character. Subodh Bhave and Kishore Kadam get it right once again. Saie Tamhankar shows perfect support. Playing cameos, Neha Pendse is effective while Arun Nalawade brilliant.

Overall, Anumati is an honestly made moving saga that deserves to be seen. The film needs some rapid word-of-mouth to succeed at the box office.

Zapatlela 2 Review

June 8, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Mahesh Kothare

Producers: Kothare & Kothare Vision, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Moving Pictures

Writer: Mahesh Kothare

Cast: Adinath Kothare, Mahesh Kothare, Sonalee Kulkarni, Sai Tamhankar, Makrand Anaspure

Music: Avdhoot Gupte

Genre: Horror/ Comedy

Rating: * *

(Review taken from the website HALTI CHITRE.)

Story Outline: At the end of the first movie Zapatlela (1993), Tatya Vinchu (whose soul was inside the puppet) gets killed by Inspector Mahesh Jadhav (Mahesh Kothare) while his henchman Kubdya Khavis gets arrested. Twenty years later, Khavis runs away from prison and lays his hands on the puppet that had Tatya Vinchu’s soul.

He visits Baba Chamatkar and forces him to bring Tatya back to life. Although Baba refuses, circumstances make sure Tatya regains his life inside the puppet. After twenty long years, Tatya finally gets the license to create havoc, especially for the late Lakshya’s (Laxmikant Berde) son Aditya (Adinath Kothare).

Review: (TO READ THE REVIEW, PLEASE CLICK HERE.)

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Box Office Prediction

May 30, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Producers: Dharma Productions and UTV Motion Pictures

Writers: Ayan Mukerji and Hussain Dalal

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin

Music: Pritam

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: May 31, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: There is no doubt that Ranbir Kapoor is not only one of the biggest superstars but the most talented young actor currently. Due to this, he has a huge fan following not just in India but abroad as well. Plus, the film also stars Deepika Padukone. So naturally, the star value for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is very high!

Hype: The trailers and promotional campaigns have built a lot of excitement, which is continuing to grow as the film nears its release.

Music: The song ‘Badtameez Dil’ has become an instant rage. Other songs like ‘Balam Pichkari’, ‘Dilli Wali Girlfriend’ and ‘Ghagra’, which features Madhuri Dixit, have also added to the publicity.

Prediction:

There is no doubt that Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani will get a very good opening at the box office. The genre and its appeal are such that it will score well in both single screen theatres and multiplexes. In fact, even if the film receives negative initial response, it will still sail through due to Ranbir’s presence and the commercial appeal. And if it gets thumbs up at the onset, the film will surely be one of the biggest hits of 2013. All in all, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani looks like a very safe bet at the box office.

Mr Srinivasan, even retards won’t endorse your ‘enthusiast’ theory!

May 29, 2013 by Keyur Seta 6 Comments

With the BCCI chief trying to fool people in the most shocking manner, it is high time the legends of the game listen to their conscience and speak on behalf of those who made them what they are: their fans!

By: Keyur Seta

Politicians and big-shots trying to fool the aam junta is nothing new in our country. For them, the common public is either unintelligent to fall in the trap or too busy in their own life to pay heed to the issue. But the way N Srinivasan, the President of the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI), is lying through his teeth has set a new benchmark in trying to take the country for a ride!

Picture Source – Indianexpress.com

Let’s have a look at the background of the issue first. As we all are aware, Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, owner of Chennai Super Kings, is arrested for his alleged role in betting and match-fixing (or spot-fixing as they are calling it) in the so-called cricket series Indian Premier League (IPL). So according to the IPL rules, the team can be banned due to their owner’s malpractice.

But to make sure his son-in-law doesn’t get into trouble and his team isn’t banned, Srinivasan has come up with a shocking theory. According to him, Gurunath is neither the owner of CSK nor he is associated with the team in any way. In fact, he also says, Gurunath is just a cricket enthusiast who travels with the team!!! Well, even mentally retarded individuals won’t believe such a theory.

The President has clearly gone way too ahead in trying to fool the people of India due to the following reasons:-

Gurunath’s ID card, which is splashed across all TV channels, mentions him as the owner of CSK.
We have seen him giving numerous interviews on TV as the owner of CSK.
His visiting cards mention him as the owner of CSK. This was also shown across various news channels.
(Best point of all) He was seen bidding for his team at IPL team auctioning.

Before this incident, nobody knew that a mere cricket enthusiast gets all these privileges! I can assure to Srinivasan that I am a much bigger cricket enthusiast than Gurunath. So will I be given the opportunity to speak as a team owner and bid for the team during auctions?

More than Srinivas’s shocking claims, it is the audacity at which he is making them and, in turn, blaming the media for ‘hounding’ him that speaks volumes about his adamancy for fooling the people of India!

On the contrary, we should thank the media, especially Times Now, for not giving up on the issue and asking what billions of cricket fans across the country are desperate to ask. In fact, we can only rely on the media because the big names of the game aren’t going to utter a word on the issue. This is so evident from yesterday’s press conference where Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni just behaved like a puppet on the hands of his CSK owner and the BCCI President!

It was highly sad to see someone so confident and brave transforming into a scary bone! If this continues, be rest assured, the whole issue will soon be swept under the carpet. It is high time the big names of Indian cricket, including the Tendulkars, Dravids and Dhonis, raise their voice on behalf of those who have made them what they are: their billions of fans! It is up to them to choose between their bosses and their conscience!

“Forgive him, he’s a superstar!”

May 18, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

The phenomenon of hero worshipping is very old among Hindi cinema lovers. There is nothing wrong with it since these actors have entertained us and helped us escape from our stressful routine. But when hero worshipping goes onto a level that people turn a blind eye to the high level of crime their onscreen ‘hero’ commits, be rest assured we are living in dangerous times.

Picture Source – Mail.com

I have always found it questionable and even disturbing to see people demanding forgiveness for Sanjay Dutt despite him being convicted in an utterly dangerous crime of storing arms in connection with the 1993 bomb blasts. But my disturbance scaled higher levels recently when I saw the actor being surrounded and cheered by his fans when he was about to surrender at the Tada Jail. It’s so funny to see people supporting a criminal just because he is a big Bollywood superstar!

All these disturbing scenes have given rise to a single question in my mind – Suppose if a common man like me was convicted under the arms act in connection to a crime as serious as 1993 bomb blasts, how many people would have supported me and demanded forgiveness for me? Nobody would have simply because I am not a superstar! The public would have burnt my effigies in fact! So how can the law be different for a common man and a filmstar?

It is been argued that Dutt has already spent some time in jail but is it enough for a crime as serious as this? His supporters are also raising the point that he deeply regrets what he did. So suppose if I commit a similar serious crime and then repent my acts, will people demand for my forgiveness too?

In the midst of this madness, Nana Patekar’s brave and bold statement on the issue has come as a pleasant surprise. The fearless way in which Nana has expressed no mercy for Dutt has increased my respect for him manifolds. Perhaps, he is the only one from the film fraternity to have spoken about equality in law.

As for the rest from the industry, they scream about honesty, truth and justice only in their films. Their fans whistle and clap whenever their favorite actors speak about these three issues. In real life, both parties will go all out in supporting a criminal activity.

Watch Nana Patekar giving a fearless opinion against Sanjay Dutt’s mercy:

Kokanastha (Marathi Movie) Review

May 11, 2013 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Mahesh Vaman Manjrekar

Producers: Aniruddha Deshpande and Medha Manjrekar

Writers: Mahesh Manjrekar and Sanjay Pawar

Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Rohan Talwalkar, Vaidehi Parshurami, Upendra Limaye, Jitendra Joshi, Vidyadhar Joshi

Music: Akshay Hariharan

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * ½

Story Outline: Kokanastha is the remake of Mahesh Manjrekar’s own Hindi film Viruddh (2005). The story focuses on Ramchandra Gokhale (Sachin Khedekar) and his wife’s (Sonali Kulkarni) fight for justice for their deceased son Rohan (Rohan Talwalkar), who was killed by the son of the Home Minister.

Review: Amitabh Bachchan starrer Viruddh is considered one of Mahesh Manjrekar’s better Hindi films. Since Kokanastha is a complete remake of the Bachchan starrer, it also turns out to be a moving saga of an aged couple who have lost their young son. However, the Marathi version falls short of the original due to few reasons, which includes the forced casteism and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) angles.

In fact, both angels turn out to be smart PR and marketing strategies. Firstly, the title has nothing to do with the plot and is just used to please a particular community. And to make sure people from lower castes don’t feel alienated, the character of Gokhale’s well-wisher (Upendra Limaye) is shown to be a Dalit who constantly utters “Jai Bheem” throughout the film. How forgivable is such promotion of casteism, especially when it has no relevance with the film’s plot?

Coming to the controversial RSS scene splashed on the film’s posters, (even if you assume the group to be truly commendable) it simply doesn’t go with the character of the protagonist and appears unintentionally funny. It is just a small sequence forced into the narrative so that it can be used to generate some pre-release hype.

Like the original film, Kokanastha does make you feel and root for the aged couple in their difficult fight. Their relationship is smartly developed by some wittily humorous and emotional moments. But the film’s overall effect would have been higher if the editor had used his scissors more. An unwanted song and a flashback scene in the first half and few dragging moments in the second half unnecessarily add up to the length.

It also needs to be noted that since Viruddh did fairly well in Maharashtra and is also shown on TV many times, a large section of the Marathi film audience must have seen it. Due to this, not only does the whole film become predictable but you also can’t deny the fact that the presentation of few scenes, mostly the all-important climax, was more effective in the original version.

Although music (Akshay Hariharan) doesn’t have much scope, ‘Aga Pawna’ and the theme song are impressive. Other technical aspects like the background score and cinematography suit the subject.

The performances of Sachin Khedekar and Sonali Kulkarni are the biggest plus points. With this act, Khedekar once again proves his super acting prowess as he gets into the skin of the protagonist and portrays every emotion with ease. Kulkarni doesn’t lag behind too. She is remarkable in the strong character of a retired school principal.

Rohan Talwalkar makes a confident debut while Vaidehi Parshurami too suits the character. In a supporting role, Upendra Limaye is terrific! The rest of the actors including Jitendra Joshi and Vidyadhar Joshi provide perfect support.

Overall, Kokanastha is just a one-time watch, mostly due to the performances. The film has a chance of earning at the box office due to the big names attached with it.

Dialogues: Shootout At Wadala

May 5, 2013 by Keyur Seta 9 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Although Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala fails to impress much, the movie can boast some of its creatively witty dialogues by Milap Zaveri. Of course, there are loads of cringe-worthy cheap lines and gaalis but in between, there is some praiseworthy stuff as well which is worth sharing.

Gunehgar maa ke pet mein nahin, police station mein bante hain.

Aadmi ko insaan ban ne se pehle, jaanwar ban na padta hai.

Police se zyada morale hijadon ka hai. Woh toh phir bhi kudrat ke mare hain, aapka kya bahana hai?

Jail se aane ke baad tu sudhar sakta tha, lekin jo maza bigadne mein hai woh sudharne mein kahan?

Sabko hero ban na hai. Amitabh Bachchan ne sabki ma t*** di hai.

Yahan suhagraat manane ke liye shaadi nahin karni padti.

Jo maut dost ki umar badhaye, woh maut sar aankhon par.

(BEST of all) Baadshah ki gali mein aake uska pata nahin poochhte. Ghulamo ke jhuke hue sar khud ba khud raasta bata dete hain.