The Common Man Speaks

An institute running since 4500 years?

by 7 Comments

Over the last few years, it is noticeable how education has become a shoddy business in India. With these coaching classes and the so-called international schools charging a bomb, it has become clear that the primary motto of these institutes is only money! This is proved further when one notices the business-like manner in which they function as well as behave.

Naturally, to make huge bucks, these institutes do everything to attract consumers by making huge claims in their advertisements. But one coaching class ad which I came across today jerked me out of my chair. In the ad, (on the front page of a leading daily) the institute has actually made fun of itself by a claim which cannot be described in words. What else would you say when they claim to have ‘4500 years of teaching experience’?

Yes, you read it right (see picture below). In the rat race to acquire maximum number of students, are they trying to prove that they are running these classes ever since humans came into existence?

 

As I have never seen such a thing before, I decided to call them up. Here’s the audio recording of my chat with them: –

 

And this is the transcription of my chat:-

Me: Today I saw your ad in a newspaper where you have claimed to have more than 4500 years of teaching experience. How is this possible?

Executive: This is possible because there are more than 200 teachers in our institute for the commerce stream. If we total up their teaching experience, it goes up to 45000 (!!!).

(The executive went far ahead than the ad by mistakenly mentioning 45000 instead of 4500.)

Me: But if you mention in this way without any explanation, one might feel your institute is running since the era of Mahabharata.

Executive: Do you have any other query?

Me: No. My query was only about your ad as it has becoming a laughing stock.

Executive: We are just paid for our work. (Said something that sounded like this.)

 

While all this sounds very funny, it’s sad to see the difference between education institutes and publicity-hungry film stars reducing.

Listen to the conversation here:

 

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Box-Office Prediction & Review

by Leave a Comment

(The prediction of this movie was written before its release. But since this website was down for some days, it wasn’t possible to publish it then. Thank you.)

Director: Rajesh Mapuskar

Producer(s): Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions

Writer(s): Vidhu Vinod Chopra-Rajesh Mapuskar (Screenplay) and Rajkumar Hirani (Dialogues)

Cast: Sharman Joshi, Ritwik Sahore, Boman Irani, Seema Pahwa, Satyadeep Misra

Music: Pritam

Analysis:

Star Value: Sharman Joshi is a famous name, especially after his act in 3 Idiots. But since this is his first solo hero film, the producers can’t rely on him to get a very good opening. Apart from him, Boman Irani is the only known name. Hence, the star value for Ferrari Ki Sawaari is low.

Hype: The hype for the film has been descent. Although there isn’t too much of pre-release excitement, there is surely some eagerness among the masses to watch the film.

Music: Since Ferrari Ki Sawaari doesn’t have much scope for songs, its music hasn’t been famous. Vidya Balan’s item number ‘Mala Jau De’, the title song and ‘Mara Re Sixer’ are somewhat known.

Prediction:

Ferrari Ki Sawari will get an average opening. It will be the kind of film which, if appreciated initially, will slowly climb the ladder at the box-office. Made at a budget of Rs 20 crore, it should make the producers happy if that happens.

Movie Review:

Rating: * * *

Over the last few years, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s banner has been highly successful in churning out heartwarming films with good humour. Their latest offering Ferrari Ki Sawari, which, although not as superior as their two mega hits Munna Bhai films and 3 Idiots, is surely another heart-warmer from the banner that surely deserves a watch for its simplicity, both in the story and treatment.

The film has a number of scenes that move as well as delight. Watch out for the scene where Sharman pays a fine for crossing red signal. The brisk pace of the narration is another plus point. But what stops Rajesh Mapuskar’s debut from being an outstanding effort is the way the story gets complicated when it nears the climax.

First time as a solo hero, Sharman Joshi gives an outstanding performance. Debutant child actor Ritwik Sahore amazes with a mature act while Boman Irani is brilliant. The film is wonderfully supported by the rest of the supporting cast.

Overall, Ferrari Ki Sawaari proves that if a meaningful story is narrated in an honest and simple manner, you don’t need the so-called big stars.

(As I reviewed Ferrari Ki Sawaari for a magazine, I can’t post the same on my blog. Hence, I came up with this shortened review.)

Tukaram (Marathi Movie) Review

by Leave a Comment

Direction: Chandrakant Kulkarni

Production: Sanjay Chhabria, Everest Films

Writer(s): Ajit Dalvi and Prashant Dalvi

Cast: Jitendra Joshi, Radhika Apte, Padmanabh Gaikwad, Veena Jamkar, Sharad Ponkshe, Prateeksha Lonar, Yatin Karekar

Music: Ashok Patki and Avdhoot Gupte

Rating: * * * *

Plot: The film is a biopic on the life of the great Sant Tukaram. As a child, Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile aka Tuka is different than other children with respect to intelligence and curiosity to know about almost everything around him. This enables him to assist his father in his money lending business at an early age. As his elder brother is unable to look after the business due to strange circumstances, Tukaram happily starts looking after his father’s business when he grows up.

But fate has something dark in store for him and his family when his parents pass away in quick succession. If this wasn’t enough, his village is hit by drought. Tukaram is moved by the plight of his family and villagers. These tragedies enlighten him on the true meaning of life and transform a mere money-lender into one of the greatest saints and poets the country has seen.

Review: When you think of a biopic based on a 17th Century saint and poet, chances are you will label it as a film for the classes or the older generation. However, filmmaker Chandrakant Kulkarni proves with Tukaram that even biopics can appeal to all sections of the audience.

But while he succeeds in making his latest offering masses-friendly, what makes the film special is the fact that he doesn’t compromise on the message and teachings of the great saint. This fact coupled by Jitendra Joshi’s mind-blowing performance makes Tukaram a must watch.

The runtime of the movie (162 minutes) might appear lengthy in today’s times but considering the large number of events in Tukaram’s life, it is totally justified. The intelligent script and dialogues (writers: Ajit Dalvi and Prashant Dalvi) keep boredom at bay. You get so engrossed in the simple life of Tukaram’s family that you fail to realize that the story has hardly moved forward in the initial portions. And as the story unfolds after that, you get further impressed by the writing.

(Review continued after picture.)

Picture courtesy - tukaramthefilm.com

Even the tragic scenes are handled in a way that they don’t appear lethargic. Once Tukaram attains enlightenment and subsequently transforms into a saint, it gives rise to a number of scenes that move, delight as well as show the true meaning of life. The scenes where Tukaram rubbishes off something as inhuman as the caste system deserve special mention. Lastly, the makers also deserve full marks for creating a climax that delights you while highlighting the greatness of Sant Tukaram.

If one tries to find the flipsides, one can say that the family life of Tukaram, in the first half, could have been shortened which would have given extra time to focus on the protagonist when he becomes a saint.

Production design (Eknath Kadam), costumes (Poornima Oak) and make up (Vikram Gaikwad) successfully recreate the 17th Century era with realism. Rajan Kothari’s camerawork is a big factor for the film to look an impressive piece of art.

Abhangas were an important part of Sant Tukaram’s life and teachings. Due to this, music becomes an important part of the film’s narration. Ashok Patki and Avdhoot Gupte churn out praiseworthy songs and also recreate the classic abhangas perfectly. They play a vital role in creating an impact. ‘Jagnyacha Paya’ and ‘Sada Maze Dola’ are the ones that stand out.

It was absolutely important for Jitendra Joshi to provide a flawless act. He does exactly that as he brings Tukaram alive on screen by enacting different emotions with ease. Some performances become a talking point for years to come. This is one such performance. Padmanabh Gaikwad is also lovable as young Tukaram.

Radhika Apte does well playing the aggressive second wife of Tukaram. Although she is too loud at times, it was the requirement of the character. Actors playing the rest of the Ambile family Sharad Ponkshe, Pratiksha Lonar, Veena Jamkar, Vrushasen Dabholkar and Smita Tambe play their part perfectly. Yatin Karekar shines in a negative role. Apt support is provided by Vikas Patil, Madhav Abhyankar, Ravindra Mankani, etc.

Overall, Tukaram is remarkable in all departments making it a fitting tribute to the great saint. The film will be a winner at the box-office.

 

 

Shanghai Review

by 4 Comments

Direction: Dibakar Banerjee

Production: PVR Pictures

Cast: Emran Hashmi, Abhay Deol, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Kalki Koechlin, Farookh Sheikh, Pitobash,

Writer(s): Vassilis Vassilikos (story), Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee (screenplay)

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: Leader of a political party (Kiran Karmarkar) supports the project of International Business Park as he, along with his party, considers it as a sign of development of an Indian city. However, social activist Dr. Ahmedi (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is against the project as it will make the poor further helpless.

One day after giving a speech, Admedi gets smashed by a moving tempo. Was this a method used by the political party to deal with Ahmedi? His student and admirer Shalini Sahay (Kalki Koechlin) certainly thinks so. Jogi Parmar (Emran Hashmi), a video shooter drags himself in the issue as he has a vital proof in the form of a video footage. The whole case is handled by IAS officer T A Krishnan (Abhay Deol), who has to play his cards carefully.

Review: Dibakar Banerjee is just four films old but in all of his films he has tried subjects that are utterly different from each other and has also managed to succeed each time. But all of his celluloid efforts have one big similarity: they follow an unconventional method of storytelling making them examples of new age cinema. His latest offering Shanghai is no different, both in execution and result, although the product suits more to the classes.

Being an unconventional film, the story doesn’t unfold in the way you normally see in Bollywood movies. Banerjee uses a unique style of jumping from one sub-plot and set of characters to the other and combining them nicely when the story takes a major turn in the first half. Even the conversation between the characters is short and out of real life but at the same time very interesting and witty. Example – Jogi, while trying to identify a dead body on a dark road, tells the cop, “Kuchh dikh nahin raha. Light nahin hai.” The cop responds, “Jahan light thi wahan marna tha isko.”

The method works well in the second half too. But after a point of time, one realizes there was a scope for few dramatic moments considering the powerful story with good twists. Even the climax would have looked more appealing if the visual medium was used more to conclude instead of making the audience read the text on screen. However, that doesn’t take away Banerjee’s efforts in creating a new age political thriller with maturity.

Nikos Andritsakis’ contribution as a cinematographer is also a major plus point. He has also used a hand held camera in some scenes which adds to the realism. The background score (Michael McCarthy) is purposely not used much. Nevertheless, whenever it is used, it creates a terrific impact, especially in one of the scenes in the finale. Vishal-Shekar’s tracks suit the film aptly. ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ is one song that stands out. The rest are used intelligently in the background.

With every film, Emran Hashmi keeps proving he is one of the finest young actors in Bollywood. He does the same here while playing an unusual character. He creates the right mannerisms, gestures and dialogue styles that were needed. Abhay Deol, playing a sophisticated IAS officer impresses too. He does very well in underplaying his character. Most importantly, he scores well in speaking Hindi with a south Indian accent.

Prosenjit Chatterjee is considered a superstar in Bengal. He displays his terrific acting prowess in a small but substantial role. Kalki Koechlin does well playing an American returned, although she sounds awkward few times. Veteran actor Farooq Sheikh provides a mature act. He should do more films. Pitobash does the same what he did in Shor In The City but one has to appreciate his comic skills. Supriya Pathak and Kiran Karmarkar shine in cameos while Anant Jog plays his part well.

Overall, Shanghai is a well made modern political thriller which had a chance of being superlative. At the box-office, the film has a chance at the metros. It will have a tough time at single-screens and small centers. In the second week, it will have to deal with Ferrari Ki Sawari.

Shanghai Box-Office Prediction

by Leave a Comment

Direction: Dibakar Banerjee

Production: PVR Pictures

Cast: Emran Hashmi, Abhay Deol, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Kalki Koechlin, Farookh Sheikh, Pitobash,

Writer(s): Vassilis Vassilikos (story), Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee (screenplay)

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Analysis

Star Value: Emran Hashmi has a way with the masses. Abhay Deol is known for his good acts in unconventional films. Even Kalki Koechlin is a known name. There is also the Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee. Due to this, we can say the star value for Shanghai is decent.

Hype: Although there is descent hype for Shanghai, it isn’t enough to get the film a very good opening. The promos are well received.

Music: Although music doesn’t have a scope in such films, the song ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ has struck a chord with the audience. It has become the theme song for Shangai, helping in its popularity. ‘Imported Kamariya’ is somewhat known.

Prediction:

Shanghai will get an average to good opening at multiplexes of metros. It will struggle at smaller centers and single screens. But since it is made at a reasonable budget, it won’t have any problem in recovering its money.

Rowdy Rathore Box-Office Prediction

by Leave a Comment

Direction: Prabhudeva

Production: SLB Films, Hari Om Entertainment, UTV Motion Pictures

Writer(s): Shiraz Ahmed (Dialogues)

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Nasser

Music: Sajid-Wajid

Analysis:

Star Value: Akshay Kumar is one of the biggest stars of Bollywood. He has been most successful in out and out commercial films. Due to these two points, one can say the star value for Rowdy Rathore is very high. Despite acting in just one film and that too not in a full-fledged role, Sonakshi Sinha has become a known name. This has added to the film’s star value.

Hype: Although Rowdy Rathore hasn’t taken the audience by storm before its release, the promos and the songs have surely created a strong hype for it. And for being an utterly commercial product with big names, it becomes easier for such a film to create hype:

Music: Peppy numbers ‘Chintata Chinta’ and ‘Dhadhang Dhang’ have become popular and have contributed to the film’s popularity. ‘Chammak Challo’ has also become known.

Prediction:

Due to the above mentioned factors, it’s needless to say that Rowdy Rathore will score a very good opening at the box-office. It won’t hurt the producers even if the film fails to impress as it is more or less certain that they will earn huge bucks from their masala potboiler.

Department Movie Review

by 2 Comments

Direction: Ram Gopal Varma

Production: Ram Gopal Varma Productions, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Uberoi Line Productions

Writer: Nilesh Girkar (Story, Screenplay and Dialogues)

Cast: Amitabh Bachchcan, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Madhu Shalini, Vijay Raaz, Laxmi Manchu, Deepak Tijori

Music: Dharam Sandeep, Bappi Lahiri, Vikram Nagi

Rating: * ½

Plot: The increasing underworld activities and gang wars forces the Home Minister of Maharashtra to start a secret organization called Department, headed by encounter specialist Mahadev Bhosle (Sanjay Dutt). The aim of the Department is to finish off the underworld members one by one. Bhosle includes suspended encounter specialist Shivnarayan (Rana Daggubati) in his squad.

Shivnarayan and Bhosle share a brother-like bond. But their relationship starts becoming shaky once the gangster-turned-politician Sarjerao Gaikwad (Amitabh Bachchan) enters the scene.

Review: Underworld movies are done to death in Bollywood. Still, if a filmmaker wishes to make a film on the subject, he needs to be doubly sure that the story which he has selected to narrate has something novel. Ram Gopal Varma’s Department not only lacks the novel factor but also suffers from a weak script which also goes haywire in the second half.

Forming of the secret department was supposed to be the main point that takes the story forward. But that hardly happens as the two characters continue to do the same thing which they used to do before it was formed – killing criminals. Some tried and tested encounters between the police and the underworld fail to either amuse or entertain, especially the forced Yerwada encounter.

(Review continued after picture.)

Situation is further aggravated by the inclusion of some dance numbers. From these, Nathalia Kaur’s item song turns out to be an exhibition of private parts and her horrible expressions. There was also no need to give too much footage to the dreary conversation between Vijay Raaz, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh and Madhu Shalini’s characters. But the proceedings do become a bit interesting after the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan, who makes sure the first half ends in a watchable manner.

The post-interval part is peppered with twists and turns. The writer makes a juvenile use of them by including a series of lengthy trigger-happy scenes. Due to this, you desperately wait for something different to happen. However, when it does, you are left confused as you wonder who’s on whose side? After going through such ordeal, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the climax turns out to be an illogical and unconvincing one!

If the script wasn’t enough, the audience also has to deal and adjust themselves to RGV’s over-creative and mostly weird camera angles, which trigger irritation!

As hinted earlier, the songs (Bappa Lahiri, Dharam Sandeep and Vikram Nagi) are forced into the narrative. ‘Thodi Si Jo Pi Lee’ is the only bearable track. The background score is average while the editing needed to be sharper.

Although not very impressive, Amitabh Bachchan manages to put forth a decent act, mostly while showing his comic side. Sanjay Dutt doesn’t rise to the expectations and is strictly average. He is out-performed by Rana Daggubati, who is impressive as an honest cop. Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh does well although he is capable of much more. But the writing is to be blamed for his character not being much powerful.

Mostly over the top, Vijay Raaz turns out to be just average. Madhu Shalini is the surprise package! She is terrific as a lady gang member with lots of attitude. A sure lookout for the future! Anjana Sukhani and Laxmi Manchu provide good support. Deepak Tijori is hardly there!

Overall, Department is a major disappointment. The film has no chance at the box-office!

Department Box-Office Prediction

by Leave a Comment

Direction: Ram Gopal Varma

Production: Ram Gopal Varma Productions, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Uberoi Line Productions

Cast: Amitabh Bachchcan, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Deepak Tijori, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Laxmi Manchu

Music: Dharam Sandeep, Bappi Lahiri, Vikram Nagi

Release Date: May 18, 2012

Star Value: Apart from the biggest superstar of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan, Department also has Sanjay Dutt. These two names ensure that the star value of the movie is very high. Good performers like Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh and Rana Daggubati also fill in the ranks.

Hype: The hype for Department is low. This is highly surprising considering the big names in the star cast and a well-known director. This can be due to the fact that the promo, which although created a buzz, was unable to create much excitement. Even Nathalia Kaur’s item number didn’t manage to turn too many heads. Due to this, one can say the makers have failed to promote their film properly.

Music: Due to the nature of the film and the type of genre in which Varma believes, there is hardly any scope for music. The remake of Sharabi’s hit number ‘Thodi Si Jo Pee Li Hai’ is somewhat known.

Prediction: Department will get an average to descent response, which is much below expectations. The makers would be hoping that it manages to super impress initially because that’s the only way they can recover their money. If it doesn’t, it will have a very tough time at the box-office.

Ajintha (Marathi Movie) Review

by 1 Comment

Direction: Nitin Chandrakant Desai

Production: Neha Nitin Desai, Meena Chandrakant Desai

Writers: Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Mandar Joshi

Cast: Sonalee Kulkarni, Philip Scott Wallace, Manoj Kolhatkar, Avinash Narkar, Murli Sharma, Makrand Deshpande, Reena Aggarwal, Manoj Joshi

Music: Kaushal S. Inamdar

Rating: * * * ½

Plot: During a hunting expedition in 1819, British officer Captain James Smith (Jian Bostoch) accidently discovers the Buddhist caves of Ajanta which date back to the Satavahana dynasty in the 200th Century B. C. Smith is astonished by the beauty of the pictures inside the caves. Later on in 1844, the Britishers send Captain Robert Gill (Philip Scott Wallace), a top quality painter, to recreate the paintings on canvas to enlighten the world about the great Ajanta caves.

As soon as Gill arrives at Lenapur for his task, he falls in love with the cave paintings and the surroundings. In recreating the paintings, Gill gets much needed help from Paro (Sonalee Kulkarni), a girl from the local tribal community. As fate would have it, the couple falls in love. But will the society accept such a relationship?

Review: Love is a feeling that is devoid of language barriers. It really doesn’t matter if you can’t understand a word of what a person speaks if your heart has struck a chord with him or her. Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s Ajintha explores this pure form of love while offering a visually stunning cinematic experience. Naturally, due to such genre, the film caters more to the art-house audience.

The subject of Ajanta caves provides plenty of scope for Desai to showcase his artistic skills, which he does brilliantly in creating sets similar to real caves. The images and the architecture inside and outside of it put you in awe of the art. Add to this, Rajeev Jain’s breathtaking and artistic cinematography (especially while capturing waterfalls and landscapes) and you get nothing less than a visual treat, which has the capacity to impress the audience world over.

As mentioned earlier, there is a huge language and cultural barrier between Paro and Gill. Therefore, it can be very difficult for the writers to show love blossoming between them as they can’t use proper dialogues. This difficult task is managed well as the love story between the couple is made believable with the use of intelligent situations and circumstances. Due to this, the audience instantly starts feeling for the characters. In between, explanation of the philosophy related to the cave paintings and Indian mythology adds further colors.

The second half deals more with the circumstances of the love story of the couple. It is this part that will test the patience of a section of the audience due to the inclusion of a number of songs. Even the duration of some scenes could have been shortened. But if you are an admirer of such genre, it shouldn’t bother you much, especially after witnessing the moving climax that extends till the ending credits.

It’s necessary to mention that a good part of the movie is in English. Although there are sub-titles provided during English dialogues, it is doubtful whether the Indian audience is used to reading them while watching a movie.

Kaushal S. Inamdar’s compositions and N D Mahanor’s lyrics add more soul to the proceedings. Neeta Lulla also deserves praise for creating costumes that look believable to be of that era.

Sonalee Kulkarni moulds herself brilliantly in the role of Paro and expresses every emotion with ease. She impresses with her dancing skills too. This will surely be a talked about performance from her career even after decades. British actor Philip Scott Wallace deserves equal praise for a mature act. The chemistry between both the actors is appealing.

Manoj Kolhatkar gives a fine act (Jalal-Ud-Din) and so does Avinash Narkar (Pandit). Murli Sharma and Makarand Deshpande play the bad guys with ease. Reena Aggarwal provides good support. Manoj Joshi and Jian Bostoch excel in cameos.

Overall, Ajintha is a picturesque saga defining the true meaning of love. The film has a chance of succeeding at the box-office.

Dangerous Ishq Box-Office Prediction

by Leave a Comment

Direction: Vikram Bhatt

Production: Reliance Entetrainment, BVG Films, Dar Motion Pictures

Cast: Karisma Kapoor, Rajniesh Duggal, Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta, Arya Babbar

Writers: Amin Hajee (Story and Screenplay), Girish Dhamija (Dialogues)

Music: Himesh Reshammiya

Release Date: May 11, 2012

Star Value: Karisma Kapoor is one of the most admired actresses ever in Bollywood. So, if she is making a comeback after a long time, one can say that the star value for that film (Dangerous Ishq) is high. But it is left to be seen whether the audience will be excited enough to go to the theatres to see her.

Hype: The hype for Dangerous Ishq has been decent. It’s surely not as high as one would expect from Karisma’s comeback film. The issue of past-life regression and the prolonged clip from the movie has managed to make it somewhat popular.

Music: Himesh Reshammiya’s music hasn’t created any hype. Not a single track from the movie is known. This is due to the fact that the makers haven’t used the music to popularize the film.

Prediction: Dangerous Ishq doesn’t stand a good chance at the box-office. It will, at the most, get an average or above-average opening. It relies heavily in super-impressing in the initial days. It also faces a tough opposition in the form of Yash Raj Films’ Ishaqzaade.