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Karthik Calling Karthik Review

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Yes… take the call!

Ratings: – * * * ½

The psychological thriller genre is hardly touched by Indian filmmakers. Vijay Lalwani touches it in his directorial debut Karthik Calling Karthik and after the final culmination it can be said that the touch produces a remarkable sensation.

Despite being brilliantly intelligent, Karthik Narayan (Farhan Akhtar) has a loser’s attitude and lacks confident. His cowardly nature makes it extremely easy for his boss (Ram Kapoor), his landlord and others to bully and harass him. He is also unable to express his fondness for his colleague Shonali (Deepika Padukone). The one day, he receives a phone call which changes his life. Things start falling into place unbelievably. However, the problem lies in the fact that the person who is calling him is nobody else but himself. How can Karthik call Karthik?

Lalwani is responsible for the story, screenplay, dialogues and direction and the debutant excels in every department. The never-told-before story is intriguing and has some edge of the seat moments. The suspense is just not predictable and makes the viewer guessing till the end. The intelligent screenplay adds boost to the story.

Most importantly, Lalwani also succeeds in the main headache, the direction, with ease. He has shot the story in an interesting and extraordinary manner, which gives it an international look. Surely, this man is the lookout for the future. The witty and intelligent dialogues are another feather in his cap.

The few items on the flip side include some portions where the pace drops especially during the pre-interval romantic moments. Also the logic behind the suspense might not go down well with all. Lastly, those who expect so-called entertaining values might get disappointed because of the nature of the subject.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music has nothing special to offer. The title track, however, suits the mood at the opening credits. But the background score is superb.

A film which depends solely on the title role requires a special talent and Farhan Akhtar proves that he has it. Flawless and brilliant are the words for his act here. He portrays roles of a loser, a transformed confident chap and a disturbed individual with utmost perfection. Deepika Padukone does well as Farhan’s lady love but she could have done with less skin show. Ram Kapoor’s egoistic and ruthless act comes as a surprise. Surely we want to see more of him.

Karthik Calling Karthik surely deserves a watch since it succeeds in treading on an unconquered path. Sadly, however, the film has gained disappointed collections. Wonder when our audience will stop clinging only on those so-called family and masala entertainers and will start giving important and encouragement to such genres.

Final Slap For The Critics!

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After carrying out the mountainous task of batting throughout the fifty overs and scoring the first ever double ton in the history one day internationals, Sachin Tendulkar has once again proved that age is nothing more than just a number. While he hit 25 fours and 3 sixes, he was also hitting away the question of his retirement … for ever! As it is, the demand for his retirement from his critics was always baseless. And on February 24, 2010, the Master Blaster proved their idiocy while batting against South Africa in Gwalior.

Since February 2009, Sachin has scored 1,158 runs in 20 one day internationals with 4 centuries at a mammoth average of 72.37 (Stats provided by The Times Of India). Apart from this, he has to his name 10 Test Match centuries since January 2008 in 23 test matches (Cricinfo stats).

Apart from scoring these huge numbers of runs, just playing in these many matches in both the forms of the game requires a unique fitness level when you are in your late 30s. That uniqueness is seen not only in the maestro’s batting but also his fielding. He plays all kind of traditional as well as cheeky shots with ease. He sprints across the boundary with the same level of energy when he was 20. So, while considering all this, why the hell should anyone think of his retirement?

Time and again Tendulkar has answered his critics by his performance and in Gwalior he provided a final slap to them. These include, Indian and international ex-players, columnists, the cricket-illiterate news reporters and anchors and some self proclaimed chaps who wrongly consider themselves pundits of cricket. However, if they still continue to wriggle their tongues, Sachin’s bat is always there to do the talking with those fools!

My Name Is Khan Review

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Repairs Almost Everything… But Almost!

Ratings: – * * *

It’s surprising to see a movie on world peace and about the portrayal of Islam coming from a man who is known for churning out tear-jerking love stories and family dramas. It’s even more surprising to see filmmaker Karan Johar using a character with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism) to prove his point. Although the film succeeds in the mission, it is the central character of Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) that you feel like carrying away more than the film because of a sloppy storyline and a stretched second half.

Right from his childhood, Rizwan Khan is told by his mother that human beings can be distinguished only as good or bad as religious differences pose no meaning. Despite, his autistic condition, Rizwan possesses a special skill of repairing all kind of gadgets. Hence, he can ‘Repair Almost Anything’. He meets a pretty single mother Mandira (Kajol) when he is forced to migrate to the US with his brother Zakir (Jimmy Shergill). However, the 9/11 attacks change everything including the equations between Rizwan and Mandira. Now, Rizwan has only one mission – to meet the President of the United States just to say, “My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist”.

It is the character of Rizwan and his innocent activities that makes the film possible. He makes you laugh, cry, enlighten as well as rethink on certain issues. His each and every interaction is memorable, especially his comments, “Liar liar” for those who are ‘bad people’.

Johar deserves appreciation for bringing to light an important issue and for trying to spread the message of humanity. Also, he shows the plight of innocent Muslims after the 9/11 attacks without the use of melodramatic and round-the-mill dialogues. Plus, Rizwan’s encounter in Georgia is memorable and moving.

However, having said that, the problems in the story and script are too big to ignore. These include: –

  • A character suffering from autism easily travels from one unknown destination to another without facing any problem whatsoever because his condition.
  • Too many incidents added after the interval tests one’s patience. Needless to say, this also increases the length to a large extent.
  • The motto of Rizwan (of meeting the President just to say that he is not a terrorist) isn’t appealing enough to generate backing from the audience.
  • The reason for Rizwan getting arrested when he was standing in the crowd appears weird.
  • Communal riots are shown taking place in Mumbai in the year 1983. They never happened in that year.
  • Sadly, the list doesn’t end here.

It takes the genius of Shah Rukh Khan to make the character of Rizwan possible. Because of SRK’s charm, one doesn’t feel awkward or uninterested while watching an autistic character. He achieves perfection with regard to the mannerisms, way of speaking and gestures of an autistic character with ease, which is hugely difficult. In short, this surely deserves a place in SRK’s top 5 performances ever.

However, My Name Is Khan is not just about SRK. Kajol shows her brilliance as much as him. The actress achieves mastery while depicting every emotion whether it is love, comedy or tragedy. It is because of the absence of Kajol that some non-talented glam dolls have acquired the top spot these days. Jimmy Shergill, Soniya Jehan and all the supporting characters play their parts well. Zarina Wahab, as Rizwan’s mother, deserves special mention.

Because of the negative points (mentioned above), My Name Is Khan turns out to be just a one-time watch movie. Still it can be considered special because of SRK’s performance and the issue it focusses. The film is definitely going to enjoy huge profits because of the hype and the huge scale release but the collections are expected to come down after the first week or so.

Harishchandrachi Factory Review

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Witnessing the Birth 

Ratings: * * * * ½

The cinema industry is flourishing in India since close to a hundred years. Thousands and thousands of films have been made in a number of languages and genres. But ever wondered how the gates of the Indian film industry were opened and by whom? Paresh Mokashi’s Harishchandrachi Factory enlightens on the birth of Indian cinema. The end result is an exciting journey of the Father of Indian Cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (respectfully known as Dadasaheb Phalke) – the person who made cinema possible in India.

Right from the time he saw a movie for the first time, Phalke became eager to make a movie himself and join the filmmaking profession. However, he possesses zero knowledge about the art of filmmaking. His eagerness to learn and master the art triggers his journey to make India’s first motion picture. He receives moral, practical and emotional support from his wife Saraswati (Vibhawari Deshpande). Phalke doesn’t even hesitate to go to London by putting his financial future at stake.

The uniqueness about Harishchandrachi Factory is the feel-good factor throughout. Although this is a story of a struggler, Mokashi, as a writer, has added humor in each and every scene and that too in the most simplest of situations. He proves that one doesn’t always need slapstick and sarcastic jokes to make people laugh. Even simple and clean humor can produce hundreds of rib-tickling moments.

To direct a movie about a movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and Mokashi shows that the cup is certainly his. He has shown every aspect of filmmaking from story idea to script preparation, from reel development to camera operation, from cast selection to scene narration and finally, from the final shoot to the actual screening. During all this, the goings doesn’t appear like a documentary or a learning activity even for a minute. However, amidst all the fun, there should have been more footage to the struggling factor considering it was a daunting task for India’s first filmmaker.

Art Director Nitin Desai produces a visual treat by building sets which take you back to the 1911-1913 era. In fact, Desai’s work makes sure that the art direction turns out to be one of the main characters of the movie.

Nandu Madhav in the central role of Dadasaheb Phalke is tremendous and flawless. The film would not have looked so beautiful if Phalke’s character was not played with conviction but Madhav takes full care that doesn’t happen as he oozes perfection in every frame. Vibhawari Deshpande (Savitri) and the rest of the actors playing the film crew and the neighbors give sound performances too.

It would be unfair to label Harishchandrachi Factory as a Marathi movie. It’s one of those rare films which crosses all language and cultural barriers. And if you like cinema, you will love this one.

Rann Movie Review

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Truth or TRP?

Ratings: * * * ½

In a time when news channels are busy with celebrity gossips, astrology, saas bahu news, promoting blind faith, creating sensationalism over petty issues and cooking news about mythological evidences, one tends to wonder what the real role of a news channel is. Ram Gopal Varma’s Rann tries answering the question and not only that; it also shows how the whole political scenario of a nation can change due to the abuse of media.

Vijay Malik’s (Amitabh Bachchan) TV channel India 24 X 7 is low in TRPs as it has not surrendered to sensationalism like other channels. But this won’t bend Malik’s traditional and ethical ways of journalism. Of course, Malik’s ideology is not appreciated by people from his own company including his son Jai (Sudeep). However, Purab (Riteish Deshmukh), an upcoming journalist, considers Malik as a Godly figure because of his honest ideology. One day, India 24 X 7, knowingly and unknowingly, becomes the reason for a major chaos in the country, which benefits a corrupt politician Mohan Pandey (Paresh Rawal).

Ram Gopal Varma does achieve his goal and, surprisingly, without much media bashing. His intelligently crafted scenes create intenseness throughout with the focus not shifting from the topic for once ever.  Plus, Amit Roy’s unusual yet out-of-the-box cinematography and Amar Mohile’s powerful background score generate further interest. However, one does hope there were some more powerful punches considering the hard hitting subject. Because of their absence, the film may not go down well with the entertainment hungry creatures.

The songs, which are used only in the background, suit the mood of the film perfectly, especially the Vande Mataram track and a song on TRPs.

The ways of describing Bachchan’s up-to-the-mark performance have exhausted over the decades. So I’ll only say that this performance should be added in Big B’s long list of qualitative performances. Over here, he skillfully manages to convey his message thorough his expressions when his inside is full of lava. Despite Bachchan’s presence, Sudeep manages to surprise amazingly. He is flawless throughout with his expressions, actions and dialogues. He surely deserves lots of opportunities.

With this performance, Ritiesh Deshmukh proves his worth even as a serious and intense performer. His pre-climax scene with Bachchan is memorable. Paresh Rawal, in the role of a baddie politician is too good. You love to hate him. Rajpal Yadav, Mohinish Behl, Suchitra Krishnamurthy and other supporting cast play their part well. However, Neetu Chandra is wasted. All she does is expose her body and cool down Sudeep in almost her every scene.

Rann should surely be watched by all those who take every word from these TRP-hungry news channels. The film will surely appeal to those who prefer meaningful, insightful and hard-hitting cinema. Its chances, however, look bleak because of an unimpressive opening.

Zenda (Marathi Movie) Review

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An Eye-Opener for the Young Karyakartas

 

Ratings: – * * * *

Perhaps for the first time in the history of Indian cinema, lookalikes of real life politicians with their real story and real self are shown in an amazingly appealing and enlightening manner. For this reason alone, Avdhut Gupte’s Zenda deserves a huge thumbs-up for the fearlessness he has shown.

Kakasaheb (aging leader of the political party Jan Sena) prefers his son Prashant Sarpotdar (Pushkar Shrotri) over his nephew Rajesh Sarpotdar (Rajesh Shringarpure) to lead the party. This was enough for Rajesh to separate from Jan Sena and start his own political party called Maharashtra Samrajya Sena. The film also follows the story of two young Jan Sena activists Umesh (Siddharth Chandekar) and his friend (played by Santosh Juvekar), who are as close as brothers.

Apart from doing the daring act of showing the characters of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on screen, Gupte has produced a script which doesn’t go off-track even for a minute. Plus, as a director, he creates some extraordinarily realistic and artistic scenes which keeps the vision appealing throughout. Gupte’s triumph doesn’t end here; he even excels as a music director. The tracks Konacha Zenda Gheu Haati and Saavdhan suit the mood of the film perfectly. The impressive cinematography and background make the tale more appealing.

Rajesh Shringarpure (of Sarkaar Raj fame) is an actor to watch. His expressions, dialogue delivery and gestures force you not to remove your eyes from him. Siddharth Chandekar, who plays an educated party worker, does the difficult task of speaking through his expressions. A really promising find. Santosh Juvekar in a role of a fanatic party worker suits perfectly as he moulds himself into the role and how!

Despite such excelling performers, Chinmay Mandlekar manages to get noticed because of his mature performance. His acts in the pre-climax sessions are too good. Rest of the supporting cast – Pushkar Shrotri, Sachit Patil, Tejashree Pradhan, Neha Joshi and Shubhangi Gokhale add the perfect icing in the cake.

Zenda is truly one of the most realistic and interesting political dramas to have hit the Indian screen. It’s an eye-opener for the young kaaryakartas. It takes more than just courage to make something like Zenda. Take a bow Gupte!

Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho Movie Review

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Satrah Saate Kiti? To hell with such questions!

Rating: – * * * *

Can you label a student as dumb if he fails to remember the tables of 12 and 17? Does the by-hearting of chemical equations and reactions determine intelligence? Is it really necessary for a student to mug up the centuries old unimportant happenings in order to prove his worth?

After 3 Idiots, Mahesh Manjrekar’s Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho shows the mirror to our faulty education system where kids are reduced to just coolies who are made to earn wages in the form of ranks. And when it comes to executing and providing justice to the subject, Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho rises much above than 3 Idiots.

Shreenivas Rane aka Shree (Saksham Kulkarni) is one amongst lakhs of student coolies. Shree possesses special talent in the game of cricket. However, his father Madhukar Rane (Bharat Jadhav) hates his son’s crazy interest in the game and turns a blind eye on his talent simply because he wants him to do well in studies. One day, a shocking incident forces Madhukar to change his belief. He realizes his mistake as well as the faults in the education system and goes on a quest to change it.

Only someone like Mahesh V Manjrekar can narrate such a hard hitting social subject in a manner which appeals to every section of the society. His mastery can be seen in each and every scene. Those which stay etched in your memory include Madhukar’s encounter with a school teacher and his interaction with the Chief Minister (Sachin Khedekar). The typical middle class feel with continuous situational humor makes it appealing to every common man. Such similar middle class scenarios were earlier seen in Manjrekar’s Vaastav, Tera Mera Saath Rahen, Ehsaas, Hathyar, Viruddh and Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy.

Contrary to many, Manjrekar never ever rubbishes the need for education. Instead, he has put forth some changes which are required in our education system which include – lessening the syllabus burden, putting off the examination pressure and, most importantly, the elimination of ranking system. The criticisms of the education system are presented in a logical way without going overboard even a bit. The onus is also on those parents who make life hell for students with their overambitious expectations without realizing their children’s talent in other areas.

Such a relevant concept and a powerful script could not have looked so impressive without a superlative performance by Bharat Jadhav. The actor deserves high praise in each and every scene as he delivers one of the finest performances to have come in recent years. Saksham Kulkarni in the role of the troubled child is a perfect cast. He does full justice to his character while portraying every emotion with ease.

Gauri Vaidya plays the role of the younger sister perfectly. Kranti Redkar and the rest of the neighbors provide ideal support. However, it is Siddharth Jadhav who surprises everyone. His character of Ibrahim Bhai is lovable. The development of Ibrahim’s character is very similar to the one of Mukesh Rishi in Manjrekar’s own Kurukshetra. Lastly, Sachin Khedekar and Manjrekar excel in their cameos.

Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho is a must watch for everyone including the non-Marathi sections purely because of the urge it provides for a change in our education system, which is the desperate need of the hour. The unprecedented response at the box-office will make this as one of the highest money making Marathi movies of the year.

Gone With The Bra-Color Exhibition!

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Spreading awareness on an important issue is always laudable. And with the growth of internet, people are coming up with more and more creative ideas to spread awareness on a number of issues. However, the problem arises when you become over-creative. Because over-creativity can give rise to some weird ideas due to which the main concern is thrown out of the window and you end up making fun of an important social message.

I always thought Anurag Kashyap’s No Smoking is an ideal example of how to make a mockery of an important social message until January 8, 2010 arrived. On that bright Friday morning, I was surprised and confused to see a number of my female friends (and their friends) mentioning names of various colors in their social messages in G Chat.

The scene was same in their Facebook statuses as well which puzzled me even more. Finally, few female friends informed me that they are mentioning the color of their bras in order to spread awareness on Breast Cancer on Breast Cancer Day! Goodness Gracious! If I wasn’t in my office, I would have laughed like mad on hearing such a method to create ‘awareness’.

As expected, the motto behind the message was blown because of the weird method. Girls started matching their bra colors. Guys had good fun as they got to know the color of their female friends’ bras. The status messages were buzzing with laughter and color matching.

Amidst this atmosphere of masti, where the hell is your message? When it comes to creating awareness about any disease, one is expected to highlight the causes of the disease or its symptoms or some possible ways to avoid it or the treatment. In this case, it is just AWARENESS OF YOUR BRA-COLOR PREFERENCE! It would have been much wiser and sane to put up some information in your statuses instead of having A COLOR EXHIBITION OF YOUR BRAS AND GIVING A MENTAL GLIMPSE OF YOUR MOST PRIVATE WEAR!

Anyways, let me do the needful. Here’s some awareness on the disease: –

Causes of Breast Cancer: – http://www.emedicinehealth.com/breast_cancer/page2_em.htm#Breast%20Cancer%20Causes

Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer: –

http://www.srspharma.com/breast-cancer.htm

Prevention of Breast Cancer: –

http://www.medicinenet.com/breast_cancer_prevention/article.htm

Calculation of risk of getting diagnosed with Breast Cancer: –

http://www.breastcancerprevention.org/raf_source.asp

3 Idiots Movie Review

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Are you really educated or just well trained?

Ratings: – * * * ½

Ever wondered about the difference between well educated and well trained? Ever thought that intelligence and good marks are poles apart? Ever felt that our education system sucks? Ever thought being happy, satisfied and successful doesn’t always mean earning big bucks? Ever felt the urge of doing what your heart likes? If your answers are yes, go and watch Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots and feel proud of yourself. And if your answers are no, still watch 3 Idiots to destroy your illusionistic image of life.

Loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s book 5 Point Someone, the film embarks the journey of three engineering students – Rancho (Aamir Khan), Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi).

Rancho never hesitates to challenge, question or prove somebody wrong even if it is the director of his college Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Boman Irani). He will go any heights to help someone and even enlighten others like he does to Farhan and Raju, who have joined engineering without any passion to learn the subject. After changing people’s lives, Rancho, however, suddenly disappears after graduation. Today, after five years, Farhan and Raju get a chance to finally meet their best buddy.

After Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai, Hirani is back with an enlightening film, but of course, without appearing preachy. The way he has narrated the tale will appeal to both youngsters and their parents. Even as the writer, Hirani deserves full marks for adding some jaw-dropping funny moments, that will leave you in splits even after the movie is over, and also some touchy incidents.

Shantanu Moitra’s music and Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics add icing to the cake. All the tracks – Aal Izz Well, Give Me Some Sunshine, Zoobi Doobi, Behti Hawa Sa and Jaane Nahin Dungaa – fit the story and the plot perfectly. Even the cinematography deserves special mention.

Despite, however, a long list of winning moments, there are present some flaws in the plot as well as in some scenes. The whole motto of Rancho while he was graduating (which is revealed after the first half) is purely unrealistic. And the destination where Aamir’s character reaches at the end is highly questionable. Mona Singh’s child delivery scene is indigestible and debatable while Sharman’s hospital scene doesn’t fit well. Also too much shedding of tears could have been avoided and the overall length should have been tighter. The inclusion of  a large number of filmi moments doesn’t suit in a film which has an enlightening message. Lastly, some funny moments are not comfortable for family viewing (especially the ragging scene).

Aamir Khan proves yet again why he is one of the best in the business when it comes to carrying the film on one shoulder. The actor is adorable in each and every scene. Because of his brilliant portrayal of a college youth, you completely forget his real age. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi provide perfect support. Both are flawless and lovable throughout. The nature of Boman Irani’s character is the same as in Munnabhai MBBS. Despite that, he portrays his part with a new dimension and perfection. Kareena Kapoor (Pia) too should be proud of her act. However, it is Omi’s (Chatur aka Silencer) mind-blowing comic act that takes everyone by surprise. Omi’s character and its hilarious accent will be remembered as long as the movie itself!

All said and done, watch 3 Idiots for the shower of hope that it provides while giving a new definition of life. And those creatures who are looking for non-stop fun, the film is worth multiple watches. The huge and extraordinary first weekend collections indicate that 3 Idiots will surely become the highest grosser ever in Bollywood!

Personal Note: – I never felt ashamed or disappointed for scoring less than 50 % marks in most of my college exams and after watching Rocket Singh and 3 Idiots, I have started flaunting my marks.

Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year Movie Review

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Heart-warmer Of The Year

Rating: – * * * * ½

It’s a harsh truth that Bollywood, these days, is ruled by market forces where money is the name of the game. Films are showered with lots of so-called entertaining factors just to attract (or even fool) the masses in order to earn as much revenue as possible in the first three days.

In the midst of such a situation, it takes more than guts not to bow down to the bazaar demands make something right from your heart. Well, Shimit Amin’s Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year does the gutsy act and does it victoriously.

Rocket Singh is one of those flicks which reinforces your belief in the three assets called hope, hard work and honesty, which is almost non-existent in today’s movies. Harpreet Singh Bedi aka Rocket Singh (Ranbir Kapoor) has these assets in abundance instead of good marks to show off. He is one contended guy who has no interest in being in the ‘big’ profession of a doctor, engineer, MBA, etc. But little did he know that his assets will turn out to be the reason for his downfall. Despite this, Harpreet decides to fight back.

The presentation of this simple tale is equally simple. For this, Jaideep Sahni deserves tons of accolades for writing a heartwarming story, churning out some out-of-the-ordinary scenes in his screenplay and creating witty, funny as well as heart touching dialogues. In addition, Sahni’s honesty to the subject can be seen from the fact that he has refrained from giving undue importance to the romantic track or other such masala factors.

Add to this director Shimit Amin’s creativity, which can be seen in almost every scene. It’s because of his brilliance that the film turns out to be one of the most entertaining in recent times. In fact, Amin’s effort is at par with his last worshipped flick Chake De! India.

Playing the main lead in such a film is crucial and requires extraordinary talent and Ranbir Kapoor, with this performance, shows that he possesses extraordinary factor. The actor’s presence is enough to keep one glued to the screen as he expresses each emotion with ease.

Amongst the supporting cast, Gauhar Khan, Shazahn Padamsee, Prem Chopra and the actor who played the peon all perform their task perfectly. However, it’s D Santosh (the porn-watching IT guy Giri), the actor who played sales manager and the one who played Ranvir’s boss Puri who manage to surprise everyone with flawless and up to the mark performances, especially D Santosh.

Technical departments don’t disappoint too as Salim-Sulaiman’s amusing background score and Vikas Nowlakha’s apt cinematography suit the subject well. There’s isn’t much scope for Salim-Sulaiman’s music but the song Nikal Padi goes well with the post-interval situation apart from the hit promotional track Pocket Mein Rocket.

Considering everything, Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year is a rare gem which succeeds in bringing the spotlight back on honest, meaningful and non-masala cinema. Damn the average opening; the film’s makers and contributors have every reason to be proud.